Defenseman Zach Werenski was ruled out for the remainder the Columbus Blue Jackets' season opener Thursday after suffering a quad contusion, the team announced.

Werenski was helped off the ice after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway, who was assessed a two-minute minor for kneeing.

Thursday marked Werenski's first game since suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in November 2022.

Werenski produced three goals and five assists in 13 games last season. The 26-year-old is averaging 48 points per 82 contests over his career.

The Blue Jackets' No. 1 D-man is in the second campaign of a six-year, $57.5-million contract he signed in 2021. Werenski's $9.58-million cap hit is the third-highest among NHL defensemen this season.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Steven Stamkos will have to wait until the end of the 2023-24 campaign before he gets a new contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning captain is entering the final season of an eight-year, $68-million deal inked in 2016. Stamkos said on the first day of training camp in September that he hoped to get an extension done over the summer and was "disappointed" by the lack of talk toward a deal. He added that there hadn't been any conversations but was "ready whenever" to begin discussions.

However, Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said Wednesday that he'll let the campaign play out before negotiating a new deal with Stamkos.

"Ultimately, I made the decision that it's in the best interest of our organization to wait until after the season to see what we have here, see how we perform, see how all these different, new pieces fit," BriseBois told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "Then we'll be in a better position to make the best decision to set ourselves up for continued success."

BriseBois wasn't shy about signing extensions this offseason. He handed Brandon Hagel an eight-year, $52-million extension and gave Darren Raddysh a two-year, $1.95-million deal in August. The Lightning also project to have over $10 million in cap space next summer, and Stamkos is the only notable upcoming unrestricted free agent.

But BriseBois is adamant that he wants Stamkos to remain with the club over the long haul.

"I've stated that I think it would be great for the organization for Steven to finish his career here. He wants that," Brisebois said. "But what we want is for Steven to finish off his career in Tampa and for the club to continue to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders for the remainder of his tenure."

Stamkos recorded 34 goals and 50 assists in 81 games last season. The 33-year-old picked up an assist in the club's victory on opening night Tuesday.

The Lightning selected Stamkos first overall in 2008. He's the franchise's all-time leader in goals (515) and points (1,057). Stamkos also ranks second in games played (1,004) and assists (542) behind Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, respectively, but both records could be his by the end of this season.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt and Blake digest a resounding 8-1 victory for the Canucks in their season opener against Edmonton. Brock Boeser's four-goal night, four-point games for Elias Pettersson and JT Miller, Thatcher Demko's performance and puking in his mask, new captain Quinn Hughes and his three-point night, Sam Lafferty's debut, Conor Garland's goal...the list of highlights goes on and on from a memorable night at Rogers Arena. Other topics include a concerning dynamic on the Pettersson contract front, changes for Saturday's rematch in Edmonton, new bells and whistles at Rogers Arena, and a new slogan.

Rob Williams stops by to take a bow over his preseason Boeser prediction, and explain why No.6 has the whole market behind him. He takes us through the renovations at Rogers Arena, comments on the new slogan, and the captain ceremony.

Patrick Johnston on why the Canucks won't play a skater short Saturday, on the Boeser-Miller-Di Giuseppe being a shutdown line, on the contributions of new guy Lafferty. And Patrick proves he's not a very good curser. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

Follow us on social (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok & YouTube). Powered by Go Goat Sports

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Auston Matthews overtook Connor McDavid as the favorite to lead the NHL in goals after his hat trick performance against the Canadiens on Wednesday night.

Matthews is now +250 to McDavid's +260 to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy at theScore Bet with 81 games remaining on the schedule. Prior to Wednesday's slate of games, McDavid was +200, and Matthews was +350.

Odds via theScore Bet

McDavid and his Oilers were also in action on Wednesday but were blown out 8-1 by the Canucks. McDavid assisted on Leon Draisaitl's lone goal for the Oilers.

Now, is one game enough to warrant this type of reaction? Probably not. But Matthews is essentially getting a three-goal head start on McDavid for the remainder of the season.

If McDavid doesn't replicate his 64-goal season from last year, Matthews' three goals from Wednesday could prove to be the difference.

For the first five seasons of Matthews' career, 13 goals was the most the two were separated by. Either Matthews or McDavid has led the league in goals each of the past three seasons.

Meanwhile, the Canucks' Brock Boeser, who potted four goals on McDavid's Oilers Wednesday, wasn't even listed as a betting option to win the "Rocket" Richard Trophy prior to the season. He's now +2500 as the 10th favorite on the oddsboard.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings placed Viktor Arvidsson on long-term injured reserve, the club announced Thursday.

Players on LTIR must miss 10 games or 24 days, which in Arvidsson's case works out to the same return date of Nov. 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers. He missed L.A.'s season-opening 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.

The Swedish forward is dealing with what Kings head coach Todd McLellan called a lower-body injury. He was initially ruled out of the first two games of the season and deemed day-to-day.

Los Angeles played its opener one skater short due to cap constraints and Arvidsson's ailment. Placing him on LTIR frees up both $4.25 million in cap space (his contract's average annual value) and a roster spot.

Arvidsson has been a vital cog in the Kings' lineup since they traded the Nashville Predators a pair of picks for him in July 2021. He produced 20 goals and 29 assists over 66 games in 2021-22 before notching 26 tallies and 33 helpers across 77 contests last season.

The 30-year-old has been prone to injuries throughout his career. He's never played a full season and has missed 80 games combined over the last six campaigns. Despite those woes, he's collected at least 20 goals five times and at least 30 twice.

On Thursday, the Kings also recalled forward Alex Turcotte and defenseman Brandt Clarke from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, while sending forwards Arthur Kaliyev and Alex Laferriere down to the farm club.

Kaliyev has to serve one more game of his four-game suspension (two preseason contests and two regular-season tilts) for kneeing Anaheim Ducks forward Chase De Leo.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is eyeing Mexico City as a potential international event site.

"Mexico City is on a short list because our teams are very interested in going there and exploring that market," NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer told ESPN's "The Drop" podcast.

The NHL has staged events across Europe for decades and has expanded to less traditional markets in recent years, such as China and Australia.

"Our international department and our events department get so many inquiries from all over the world, and we've heard from so many people that have done major events in big cities, and they love the fact that hockey can be viable in their countries," Mayer said.

The Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings have held camps in Mexico City, and the Arizona Coyotes are one of the teams pushing to play there down the road.

"I keep telling (the NHL), 'Guys, I don't think you understand. If you think there's a rabid fan base in Australia, any American sport event in Mexico is a massive deal for the country,'" Coyotes president Xavier A. Gutierrez said.

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is of Mexican heritage and said in 2021 that he'd love to play a game there.

The NFL, NBA, and MLB have all staged events in Mexico.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rick Tocchet knows that an 8-1 victory in the season opener doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things.

The Vancouver Canucks head coach tried to keep his players grounded after they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in decisive fashion Wednesday night.

"Listen, it's one game," Tocchet told reporters postgame, according to Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "Obviously, everything went in our favor, and I'm proud of the guys. But this is a long haul. I said, 'We're not ordering rings around here.' It's one game. We can feel good about it, but we've got to come back to Earth tomorrow.”

Brock Boeser scored four goals in the rout, which ran in stark contrast to Vancouver's home opener a year ago when the club was booed off the ice after a 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

"We've come a long way (from last year)," Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers said. "Saying that, we know there's a lot more to go. But we're in a good place. Just given what's gone on since the start of September, coming into camp and the way guys were preparing, it was nice to have (the) game go the way it did. We need to make sure we keep striving for a higher level."

J.T. Miller also harkened back to the previous home opener, during which Canucks fans littered the ice with jerseys and after which Miller himself said, "If they want to throw their shit on the ice, that's up to them."

"I think we know we need to enjoy (the game) and then move on," he said after Vancouver's blowout win. "It's nice to get off on the right foot after what happened last year, especially."

Canucks forward Conor Garland - who opened the scoring just over eight minutes into Wednesday's victory - acknowledged he had a little extra motivation after the team reportedly gave him permission to seek a trade Tuesday.

"There were some unfortunate distractions," he said. "But I definitely knew I had to have a good game with it all going on, so I was happy."

The Oilers won't have to wait long to try to get revenge, as the Pacific Division rivals will meet again in Edmonton on Saturday.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.