TGIF (thank goodness it’s Frank Day). After their own breakdown of the Nikita Zadorov trade and the loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Matt and Blake are joined by Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli. Frank reveals how the trade went down with Calgary, and what the Canucks blueline might look like going forward, with or without Ethan Bear. Plus, the very latest on the Corey Perry situation.

Dan Milstein also stops by, and the agent for Zadorov, Ilya Mikeheyev and Andrei Kuzmenko shares his view on the trade, and what might lie ahead for the newest Canuck. 

All this, plus a word or two from you the listener, as Friday brings us another edition of 'To the People We Go.' Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on a torn pectoral muscle, the team announced Friday.

In addition, forward Tomas Nosek is also set for a spell on the sideline after re-aggravating a foot injury that caused him to miss 10 games earlier this season. Neither player has a set timeline for when they'll return.

Hamilton was injured during Tuesday's win over the New York Islanders. He's put up 16 points in 20 games this year while averaging nearly 21 minutes per contest.

With Hamilton out and fellow blue-liner Brendan Smith serving a two-game suspension, the Devils recalled 2022 second overall pick Simon Nemec from the AHL for Friday's contest against the San Jose Sharks.

The 19-year-old has yet to play a regular-season NHL game but has managed eight points across 13 games in the minors in 2023-24.

Along with Nemec's debut, head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed forward Timo Meier will return to the lineup against his former club after missing seven games with a lower-body injury.

The Devils have been hit hard by injuries so far this season, previously losing star forwards Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes for extended periods of time. New Jersey has managed an 11-9-1 record so far despite the absences.

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New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on a torn pectoral muscle, the team announced Friday.

In addition, forward Tomas Nosek is also set for a spell on the sideline after re-aggravating a foot injury that caused him to miss 10 games earlier this season. Neither player has a set timeline for when they'll return.

Hamilton was injured during Tuesday's win over the New York Islanders. He's put up 16 points in 20 games this year while averaging nearly 21 minutes per contest.

With Hamilton out and fellow blue-liner Brendan Smith serving a two-game suspension, the Devils recalled 2022 second overall pick Simon Nemec from the AHL for Friday's contest against the San Jose Sharks.

The 19-year-old has yet to play a regular-season NHL game but has managed eight points across 13 games in the minors in 2023-24.

Along with Nemec's debut, head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed forward Timo Meier will return to the lineup against his former club after missing seven games with a lower-body injury.

The Devils have been hit hard by injuries so far this season, previously losing star forwards Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes for extended periods of time. New Jersey has managed an 11-9-1 record so far despite the absences.

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Saturday will be an extremely busy day in the NHL as 26 of the league's 32 teams take the ice.

Let's look closer at a couple of cold Western Conference teams that could return to the win column on the road.

Kraken @ Senators

Dec. 2, 7 p.m. ET

I'm expecting some value on the road team here. The Senators are in action Friday night and will almost certainly start Joonas Korpisalo. Not only are they desperate for points, but they're also taking on Korpisalo's former team in the Blue Jackets. It's the perfect storm.

Korpisalo playing Friday would very likely mean Anton Forsberg starts Saturday night in Ottawa, which would be a welcome sight for a Kraken team struggling to score goals.

Forsberg has been one of the league's worst goaltenders this season. He owns an .850 save percentage and ranks dead last in goals saved above expected per start.

The Kraken are dealing with some injuries but have always been built off depth rather than relying on one or two players to do all the heavy lifting.

They still have Jared McCann, Matty Beniers, Jordan Eberle, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen, among others, at full health.

That's more than enough talent to give the Senators problems. Ottawa is a subpar team when it comes to limiting shots and scoring chances. Factor in its struggling goaltender and the fact that it's playing in a back-to-back against a fresh Kraken team, and things could get messy.

I like the Kraken at anything close to even money.

Canucks @ Flames

Dec. 2, 10 p.m. ET

The Canucks hit a bit of a roadblock. They dropped five of the past eight games, with the only wins coming against the Sharks, Ducks, and Kraken.

That said, I think the pendulum has swung a little too far on them right now. They were always going to regress following a start to the season in which absolutely everything went right. That the percentages have leveled out a little bit and they've lost a few games doesn't mean they're suddenly a bad team.

Vancouver ranks top 10 in expected goals for percentage at five-on-five over the last eight games. That's translated to 48.31% of the actual goals, good for 21st in the league.

The team is largely playing better than its record indicates. With a strong five-on-five profile, a dangerous power play, and Thatcher Demko between the pipes, it's only a matter of time before it starts winning games more consistently.

The Flames are a pesky side under head coach Ryan Huska. They lack the horses that can break games open, though, and sit 19th in xGF% over the last two weeks.

Calgary is essentially playing at the caliber of a bubble team. I think this is a good opportunity to buy low on a Canucks outfit looking to dig its feed in the ground on Hockey Night in Canada.

I expect the Canucks to open around even money in this game and would play them up to -130.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.

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We only have a two-game slate on Friday. Let's dig into the best ways to attack it.

Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots

Chabot is expected to return to the lineup on Friday night. He'll be a welcome addition to a Senators team that's in the basement of the Eastern Conference.

Before his injury, Chabot was averaging better than 24 minutes per game. I don't think bench boss DJ Smith, who is likely coaching for his job right now, will hesitate to give his workhorse defenseman a ton of ice time.

It's certainly a great matchup for Chabot to jump back into. The Blue Jackets rank 29th in shots against per game this season and are one of the worst teams at limiting opposing defensemen. Only the Sharks, Islanders, and Coyotes have allowed more shots per game against the position.

The Blue Jackets' defensive profile was similar a season ago and Chabot took full advantage, piling up 12 shots on goal in three clashes.

Look for another active offensive performance this time around.

Jack Hughes over 4.5 shots

Hughes' shot volume is unmatched right now. He's 41 shots in six games since returning from injury, which equates to a ridiculous average of 6.83 shots on goal per contest.

That includes a game in which Hughes only had one shot on goal despite a whopping 11 attempts. His numbers could be - and should be - even higher.

Since rejoining the lineup, Hughes has averaged 12.16 shot attempts - and now has the best matchup of them all.

The Sharks are the worst team in the NHL. They give up shots and chances in bulk every single night and find themselves on a road back-to-back after taking on the powerhouse Bruins a night ago.

No team has allowed more shots per game this season - and a red-hot Hughes should take full advantage of that.

Odds: -135 (playable to -160)

Dawson Mercer over 0.5 points

Mercer has disappointed in the early going of this season, registering only nine points through 21 games. That's a 35-point pace, a far cry from the 56 he managed a year ago.

So why are we targeting him to find the scoresheet? One reason: Jack Hughes.

Mercer was put on a line with the Devils' superstar center a few games ago, and he's found the scoresheet in every game since, racking up five points. He's always been an efficient point producer and collected them at a top-line rate when riding shotgun with Hughes.

The latter is playing the best hockey of his career, and the Devils are going up against the worst team in the league, so this isn't a spot where Mercer will go quiet.

As long as he's attached to the hip of a guy averaging nearly two points per game, there's value in backing Mercer at anything close to his current price.

Odds: -135 (playable to -165)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.

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The Montreal Canadiens signed goaltender Sam Montembeault to a three-year extension with an average annual value of $3.15 million, the team announced Friday.

Montembeault has been stellar for the Habs this season, posting a .910 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average in 10 appearances. He's also saved 4.65 goals above expected this season, a mark that ranks 20th among all NHL goaltenders, per Evolving-Hockey. He saved 16.78 goals above expected in 40 games last season, good for 13th in the league.

It was reported in November that the Edmonton Oilers were looking at the Canadiens' goalie trio of Montembeault, Jake Allen, and Cayden Primeau in their search for help between the pipes. Montembeault was previously the only one of the three on an expiring contract.

Montembeault is a native of Becancour, Quebec, which is about a two-hour drive from Montreal.

He shined for Canada at the 2023 World Championship, helping his country win gold by registering a .939 save percentage in seven games.

The 27-year-old was originally a third-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2015. The Canadiens claimed him off waivers from the Panthers in 2021.

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