The Winnipeg Jets announced matching seven-year, $59.5-million extensions for stars Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck on Monday.
Both players were set to enter the upcoming season on expiring contracts. Their new deals carry $8.5 million average annual values and run through 2031.
Scheifele and Hellebuyck were commonly discussed as potential trade candidates throughout the summer and for the 2023-24 deadline if new deals weren't struck. In June, it was reported that Hellebuyck wasn't interested in signing an extension with the club.
However, prior to training camp opening in September, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the club's "singular focus" was winning with Scheifele and Hellebuyck in the fold.
Scheifele was the Jets' first draft pick after the team relocated from Atlanta in 2011. He ranks third on the club's all-time games played list (723) while sitting second in goals (272) and points (645). The 30-year-old produced a career-high 42 goals in 68 games in 2022-23.
"I think it was really important, you know, to be a Jet for the next eight years," Scheifele said, per NHL.com's Jamie Thomas. "I think I'm going to be 39 when (the new deal expires). So, to call myself a Jet for life, it's an honor, really. Because not many guys get the opportunity to actually do that and be on one team their entire career."
Hellebuyck established himself as one of the league's top netminders since taking over the starting job in 2016-17. He owns a lifetime .916 save percentage and has been a Vezina Trophy finalist three times, winning the award in 2020.
Hughes' awaited breakout arrived in full force last season. He stayed healthy and annihilated even the loftiest of expectations going into the campaign.
The 22-year-old finished one point shy of 100 and was among the biggest reasons the Devils went from bottom five to top five in the league last season. We knew he could be among the NHL's best playmakers, but what truly surprised was his dominance as a shooter.
Not only did Hughes finish top 10 in goals with 43, but his 336 shots on goal ranked fifth and was more than double his previous career best. The sky's the limit for the electrifying center.
The "C" in Crosby stands for "consistency." The Pittsburgh Penguins captain is 18 seasons into his prolific NHL career and has never not been a point-per-game player, and last year was no different.
The Pens failed to make the playoffs in 2022-23 for the first time since Crosby's rookie season, but it was hardly the longtime captain's fault. Crosby paced his team with 93 points - 10 clear of the second place Evgeni Malkin - while appearing in all 82 games for the first time since 2017-18. The 36-year-old also led Pittsburgh in goals above replacement (15.8) and wins above replacement (2.7) by a wide margin.
The Penguins will be champing at the bit to return to postseason relevancy in 2023-24, and it's a safe bet that a highly motivated Crosby will lead the charge.
The Tampa Bay Lightning aren't the juggernaut they once were, but Kucherov remains one of the NHL's most gifted stars. The Russian winger racked up more assists last season than anyone except the No. 1 name on this list, and Kucherov's 113 points tied for third in the league. Most impressively, he averaged a career-high 20:08 in ice time, proving that even as he reaches the typical stage of a player's decline he's anything but a typical player.
Pastrnak may have waltzed to MVP honors last season if it weren't for some fellow named Connor McDavid, but the Bruins sniper had to settle for runner-up after a ridiculous 61-goal, 113-point outburst. Boston's unprecedented regular-season success may have overshadowed just how dominant Pastrnak was, as no other Bruins skater reached 30 goals or 70 points.
Perhaps most impressively, a league-leading 43 of Pastrnak's goals came at even strength. He also paced the NHL in game-winners (13) and shots (407) while averaging 19:34 per contest - a new personal high. Pastrnak has gone from an established star to one of the absolute best wingers around. The Bruins are facing some uncertainty heading into this season, but you can bank on him being their primary difference-maker.
Tkachuk cemented his status as one of the game's elite players with back-to-back 40-goal, 100-point seasons. But he truly put himself in the conversation for the world's second-best player this past postseason when he carried the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final with 11 goals (including three OT winners) and 13 assists in 20 playoff contests.
While skill alone would already make Tkachuk one of hockey's best, it's his tenacity, competitiveness, and in-your-face style of play that truly make him special. Tkachuk is one of the very few players on this list who are routinely willing to drop the gloves to stand up for teammates. That rare breed of skill and physicality makes him a unicorn in today's game.
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Despite missing 22 games, Makarstill finished as a Norris finalist for the third straight campaign.
That says all you need to know about the best defenseman in hockey. Makar logged a career-best 26:23 per appearance and was one of only two blue-liners to operate at over a point per game alongside Erik Karlsson. His 71.5 goals above replacement since coming into the league in 2019 are nearly 10 better than the next-best defenseman.
If Makar can stay healthy - he's missing time in the preseason already - it feels like the Norris is his to lose for the foreseeable future. His unbelievable blend of skating, skill, and shooting is unlike anything we've seen from a rearguard in years and makes him one the most exciting players in the game.
Matthews is coming off a down year by his standards but still posted 40 goals in 74 games despite being hampered by a nagging wrist injury and a career-worst 12.2 shooting percentage.
If the ailment is completely behind him, it wouldn't be surprising to see him rejoin the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy race in 2023-24. He won the hardware in back-to-back years prior to last season, highlighted by a 60-goal performance in 2021-22 that also earned him the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award as the league's most valuable player.
The 26-year-old has been one of the NHL's most consistent goal-scorers since his debut, and his 299 tallies since 2016-17 are the most in the league. Matthews will be the NHL's highest-paid player beginning in 2024-25, and he can start proving why he's worth that this season.
Draisaitl's elite play has long been unfairly downplayed because of his association with our No. 1 player, but the German center just keeps producing at an otherworldly level. He leads all NHLers in goals and all forwards in average ice time since 2018-19, ranking second in points over that span behind you-know-who. Some of that is due to Draisaitl's durability, as he's missed only four games over the last five seasons and just eight over the last seven. But that in itself is remarkable considering he's consistently among the forwards taking on the heaviest workloads.
MacKinnon was no worse than fifth on any of our seven ballots and came in second on three of them. The 28-year-old is fresh off registering a career-high 111 points in only 71 contests - good for the league's third-most points per game (1.56) - while pacing all his peers with 77 even-strength points. Few players can change a game like MacKinnon, and if it weren't for the one player ahead of him in our rankings, he could stake a serious claim as the world's best player.
Since his breakout 2017-18 campaign, MacKinnon is third among all players in points, and he's earned three Hart Trophy nominations, two All-Star selections, and a Cup along the way. He's got plenty of time to add to his hardware collection, and if he produces like this for a few more seasons, he very well might skate his way straight into the Hall of Fame.
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While four different players received votes for No. 2 on this list, there was no doubt about No. 1. McDavid was our unanimous choice - and rightly so.
Matthews sparked some debate for best player in the game after winning the Hart Trophy with his 60-goal season in 2021-22, but McDavid put all that to bed with a historically great 64-goal, 153-point campaign. It marked the most goals in a season since Alex Ovechkin's 65 in 2007-08 and the most points since Mario Lemieux's 161 in 1995-96. Considering the quality of goaltending and competition in today's NHL, what McDavid did was nothing short of incredible.
The NHL hasn't seen a player with skating so superior to his counterparts since Bobby Orr. The things McDavid can do with the puck on his stick while at full speed may never be matched - ever. Today's fans should consider themselves lucky to watch him play. It's only a matter of time before McDavid carries the Edmonton Oilers to a Cup victory and puts an exclamation mark on his status as one of the all-time greats.
Dan & Sat go over the value of mid-late round draft picks after the Lafferty trade. Don Taylor joins the show to talk Canucks predictions this season. "Monday Menu" topics include, PDG, Canucks PK, Lafferty, Hirose, and Studnicka. The guys do their 2023/24 NHL predictions, including a bold Pacific Division prediction from Riccio.
This podcast was produced by Josh Elliott-Wolfe & Elan Chark
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Matt and Blake digest the trade for Sam Lafferty; why it was necessary, what it continues, how he can help, and where this leaves others like Nils Höglander? They go through the draft picks traded out by this regime to fix the bottom-end of the roster, continuing a trend from the previous regime, which doesn't speak well of their player development. They also look at the defence corps minus an injured Carson Soucy, and after recalling Akito Hirose. They wonder about the demoted players (Jack Studnicka, Nils Åman, Christian Wolanin) and their futures with the Canucks? Plus, the trickle-down effect with Carson Soucy hurt and where that leaves the defence.
Jeff Paterson stops by with his take on the trade, the conditions that led to it, and what it says about the Canucks' development and management. He talks about Mikheyev missing the start of the season, where Höglander is left in all this, the injury to Soucy and the defence corps that will start the season.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray will miss a minimum of six-to-eight months after undergoing bilateral hip surgery, the team announced Monday.
Murray was placed on long-term injured reserve in July, but the Leafs didn't specify the ailment he was dealing with. Toronto was reportedly looking to trade the netminder earlier in the offseason for salary cap savings.
The Maple Leafs acquired Murray from the Ottawa Senators last July. His debut season in Toronto was marred by multiple injuries that limited him to only 26 games in which he posted a .903 save percentage.
Murray is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The Maple Leafs will start the 2023-24 season with a tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll between the pipes.
This is the preseason edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday during the regular season.
In this edition, we look at how the teams stand following preseason play as we prepare to enter the season.
1. Colorado Avalanche
Offseason rank: 2
Is there anything more terrifying than a motivated Avalanche squad? Colorado tore through the league en route to the Cup in 2022, and after a disappointing first-round exit in the spring, the determination to prove doubters wrong is back. A lineup featuring as many as six new forwards gives a different flavor to this Avs team behind the elite trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar.
2. Vegas Golden Knights
Offseason rank: 1
Aside from Reilly Smith, the 2023-24 Golden Knights will be virtually the same team that just won the Stanley Cup. None of us has ever been an NHL general manager, but we would've done the exact same thing. There was no overthinking here: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
Offseason rank: 3
The Hurricanes responded to a humiliating playoff sweep by signing the most coveted unrestricted free agent (Dmitry Orlov) and a versatile forward with top-line experience (Michael Bunting). The reigning Metropolitan Division champs also locked up their franchise player (Sebastian Aho) and brought back their veteran duo in goal. Carolina should be a powerhouse yet again, and young netminder Pyotr Kochetkov is still waiting for a prolonged shot if anything happens to Frederik Andersen or Antti Raanta.
4. New Jersey Devils
Offseason rank: 4
The Devils won't take anyone by surprise this year, but they look talented enough to squash any notions that last season's breakout was a fluke. New Jersey is stacked up front, solid on the blue line, and should be battling for home ice in the divisional playoff race.
5. Dallas Stars
Glenn James / National Hockey League / Getty
Offseason rank: 6
The Stars' already deep forward group gained more depth with the savvy offseason addition of Matt Duchene. There are questions on the blue line behind Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell, so Dallas will count on progression from Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist. Having Jake Oettinger in net should help hide any defensive hiccups, though.
6. Edmonton Oilers
Offseason rank: 5
The Oilers were a wagon after the addition of Mattias Ekholm last season. Edmonton went 18-2-1 with the Swede in the lineup during the regular season and gave the eventual Cup champion Golden Knights their toughest test of the playoffs. As long as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are around, the Oilers will be must-see TV.
The Rangers still have elite players in all three positional groups with Igor Shesterkin in goal, Adam Fox on defense, and the likes of Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and MIka Zibanejad up front. New York has some promising youth, too. The upstart Devils sent the Blueshirts packing in seven games last spring, but the team in the Big Apple still boasts plenty of talent and promise.
9. Los Angeles Kings
Offseason rank: 10
The Kings boast arguably the league's best center depth with a three-headed beast of Anze Kopitar, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Phillip Danault to anchor impressive talent on the wings. Goaltending will be the X-factor again for Los Angeles this year, but the playoffs should be a shoo-in with just league-average play between the pipes.
10. Florida Panthers
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Offseason rank: 11
The Panthers are out to prove their miraculous Stanley Cup Final run was no fluke. But they'll be in tough without their two top defensemen in Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour until December. Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Co. will have to step their games up even further in order to weather the early-season storm.
11. Pittsburgh Penguins
Offseason rank: 12
Kyle Dubas made a significant impact on the Penguins' roster in short order. Pittsburgh's new president and general manager completely reformed the team's bottom six this summer and rounded out the top six by scooping up Reilly Smith from the Golden Knights. But the clear statement move of the offseason came when Dubas landed Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. With an injection of new faces, does this aging Penguins core have one last hurrah in them?
12. Boston Bruins
Offseason rank: 13
The 2023-24 Bruins won't be the same dominant force that just set single-season records in wins (65) and points (135). Boston lost its top two centers - Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci - this offseason and will rely on Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle to fill the void. They're surely hoping reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark doesn't regress too much.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning
Offseason rank: 9
The Lightning still have all their star skaters - namely Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman - but losing injured goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy for the first two months of the season will present a major challenge. The Bolts' core is also aging as only Point is under 30 among the quartet. Tampa Bay should still be competitive, but this squad's days as a truly elite group appear to be in the rearview mirror.
14. Seattle Kraken
Offseason rank: 14
The Kraken should be a factor in the Western Conference playoff picture again on the strength of their depth, but their goaltending will need to be better. Seattle reached the postseason in 2022-23 despite boasting two primary netminders with sub-.900 save percentages.
15. Buffalo Sabres
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Offseason rank: 15
The Sabres are banking heavily on internal growth to snap the NHL's longest active playoff drought of 12 seasons. Buffalo only acquired Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson this offseason despite having loads of cap space and trade assets. That's underwhelming, to say the least. But after missing the playoffs by a point a year ago, this core is close.
16. Minnesota Wild
Offseason rank: 16
It was a quiet summer for the Wild. GM Bill Guerin's lone addition of note was Pat Maroon. However, business has picked up as of late with extensions for Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, and Marcus Foligno. Minnesota should comfortably compete for a postseason spot but will need internal growth from young guns such as Marco Rossi and Brock Faber to take another step.
17. Ottawa Senators
Offseason rank: 17
Is this the year the Senators get over the hump? Ottawa used an outlandish seven goaltenders in 2022-23. Joonas Korpisalo is hoping to stabilize things this season after signing a five-year, $20-million deal in July. The young Senators project to be an exciting team to watch, but they'll have their work cut out for them to make the playoffs in an incredibly competitive Atlantic Division.
18. Calgary Flames
Offseason rank: 22
The Flames' big front-office and coaching changes should allow them to reboot after disappointing in 2022-23. But the Pacific Division club also traded away leading scorer Tyler Toffoli for an underwhelming return. Calgary was among the league's best teams in terms of possession and shots on goal last season but needed to win more close games. This club will only rise in the standings if they can win those contests.
19. Winnipeg Jets
Offseason rank: 21
Winnipeg has a promising new look after trading Dubois and buying out Blake Wheeler. However, the Jets face immense pressure to perform this coming season as stars Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck play out the final year of their respective contracts. It could be now or never in Manitoba.
20. New York Islanders
Mike Stobe / National Hockey League / Getty
Offseason rank: 18
The Islanders are perennially one of the NHL's least sexiest teams, yet they've made the playoffs four times in the last five years. A full season with Bo Horvat should help, but New York will need Ilya Sorokin to play out of his mind once again in order to have a fighting chance.
21. Detroit Red Wings
Offseason rank: 20
Can the Red Wings finally get back into contention for a playoff spot? GM Steve Yzerman again splashed the cash in free agency to bring in J.T. Compher, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Justin Holl, but the biggest moves of Detroit's offseason came via trade. The addition of Alex DeBrincat significantly upgrades the team's top six, while Jeff Petry should take some of the onus off Moritz Seider.
22. Washington Capitals
Offseason rank: 19
The Capitals were totaled by injuries last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14. Alex Ovechkin will be one motivated man this year, and that should scare 31 other NHL teams. The offensive-minded Spencer Carbery will look to right the ship in his first gig as a big-league head coach.
23. Vancouver Canucks
Offseason rank: 25
The Canucks added some depth players over the summer, but Vancouver's core group essentially remains the same. Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes have ascended to superstardom, and 39-goal scorer Andrei Kuzmenko has sworn off waffles. There's promise here, but the Canucks are still finding their way back to being a consistently competitive club.
24. Nashville Predators
Offseason rank: 24
Nashville is stuck between a full rebuild and a modest re-tool, but the Predators could climb this list throughout the year if Juuse Saros carries over last season's dominant form. The star netminder is good enough to win games single-handedly, and he's likely to save the Preds from being a bottom-feeder in the league standings.
25. St. Louis Blues
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Offseason rank: 26
The Blues will look to bounce back after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18. Significant internal improvement will be required to get back to the postseason as Kevin Hayes was the only notable offseason addition. It all starts with Jordan Binnington, who was awful with a .894 save percentage last season.
26. Columbus Blue Jackets
Offseason rank: 23
Mike Babcock's hiring and firing are distractions from what should be a very fun Blue Jackets team. Adam Fantilli headlines a group of young up-and-comers, while Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov comprise a brand-new top-four pairing. Expectations remain low, but a bounce back from Elvis Merzlikins could see Columbus begin to surge back up the standings.
27. Arizona Coyotes
Offseason rank: 27
Fans who enjoy a little schadenfreude every now and then will probably have to look outside Arizona this season. No, really, the Coyotes actually added functioning players. Like, to help them win games. Crazy, right? They brought in the likes of Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba, but youngster Logan Cooley headlines the new guard. Let the next step of the rebuild begin.
28. Montreal Canadiens
Offseason rank: 28
The Canadiens won't be very good or very watchable this season, but at least they have Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Caufield was on pace for nearly 50 goals when he got hurt last season, while Suzuki made strides of his own donning the "C." The Habs still have a long way to go in their rebuild, but they do have some promising pieces.
29. Chicago Blackhawks
Offseason rank: 29
Chicago's upcoming campaign is, rightfully, all about Connor Bedard. The phenom's rookie season is one of the top storylines of the campaign, and hockey fans would be foolish to do anything but soak in as much as they can.
30. Anaheim Ducks
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Offseason rank: 30
The good news is that restricted free agents Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale signed before opening night. The bad news? This roster still has no chance of competing in 2023-24. That may be a good thing in the long run, though, as another high draft pick would go a long way to boosting an already-loaded farm system.
31. Philadelphia Flyers
Offseason rank: 31
GM Daniel Briere started to make his mark on the Flyers' roster this summer by trading Kevin Hayes and Ivan Provorov. The return of Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson from injury is a nice boost for the fanbase, but the focus in Philadelphia will be on who does and doesn't get moved before the deadline.
32. San Jose Sharks
Offseason rank: 32
The Sharks were bad bad last season, and they don't even have Erik Karlsson anymore. The most interesting part of San Jose's 2023-24 campaign will be if general manager Mike Grier opts to trade Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, Kevin Labanc, Anthony Duclair ... the list goes on and on. Keep an eye on those draft lottery odds.
The Buffalo Sabres have signed star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin to an eight-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $11 million, the team announced Monday.
The deal is effective for the 2024-25 season, and will make him the second-highest paid blue-liner in the NHL.
Devon Toews may be a little bit biased, but the rearguard is steadfast in his belief that his Colorado Avalanche own the NHL's best defense corps.
"I don't even think it is a question," he said, per the Denver Post's Corey Masisak. "I feel like no one can contend with us because of the way we move the puck, the way we skate, and the way we help push offense."
Toews also shouted out the Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Boston Bruins due to their strong defensive structures, but he still gave the crown to the Avalanche.
"I feel like the players that we have and the structure we play in as a team is really good," he said. "There's definitely some out there that can really defend and play hard in their own zone. We pride ourselves on that, but we also pride ourselves in helping to contribute offensively."
Leading the way for Colorado is Cale Makar, who's been a Norris Trophy finalist for the past three seasons. He took home the hardware, as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy, in 2022. He ranks second among all defensemen with 246 points in 238 contests since his regular-season debut in 2019-2020.
He and Toews - who's coming off his second consecutive 50-point season -have formed one of the league's most dominant top pairs since their first campaign together in 2020-21. Since Toews' arrival in Denver, he ranks second among all defensemen league-wide in goals above replacement (53.2) and wins above replacement (9.3), trailing only Makar in both metrics, per Evolving Hockey.
Filling out the remainder of the Avalanche's back end are Bowen Byram, Josh Manson, Samuel Girard, and Jack Johnson. Johnson opted to prolong his second stint in Colorado by signing a one-year, $775,000 deal with the club in the summer. A veteran of 17 NHL seasons, Johnson has seen many defensive groups in his time, but he acknowledged that they were "nothing like this one."
Byram, meanwhile, is a fan of the physicality that Johnson and Manson bring to the table, adding that it gives Colorado a "good balance."
All six defensemen helped the Avalanche lift the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Toews is entering the final season of his current four-year, $16.4-million pact and can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. However, the 29-year-old has made it clear that he wants to re-sign with Colorado.
