Welcome to the fourth edition of the All-Nobody Team.

This exercise scans all 32 NHL teams for previously obscure players who've begun to make meaningful names for themselves. With the All-Star break over, which relative nobodies can we now call somebodies?

As in years past, the player pool is limited to those who 1) were drafted after the second round or not at all, and 2) entered the season with fewer than 500 regular-season minutes played. (We expanded the workload threshold of goalies to 1,500 minutes.)

Below are the three forwards, two defensemen, and one goalie of the 2023-24 All-Nobody Team. Perhaps the next Carter Verhaeghe (2020-21), Michael Bunting (2021-22), or Matias Maccelli (2022-23) is in this eclectic group.

Dmitri Voronkov, Blue Jackets, F

New continent. New language. New culture. New teammates. New systems.

For Voronkov, North America and the NHL were completely foreign heading into training camp. He arrived in Columbus not knowing a soul and unable to speak English. The giant forward spent the first 22 years of his life playing in his native Russia, most recently for the KHL's Ak Bars Kazan.

Homesick in November, Voronkov debated a return to Russia despite making a strong impression on the ice. He opted to stick it out and it appears he made the right call. Right now, he's worthy of down-ballot Calder Trophy votes.

Voronkov's recorded 12 goals and 13 assists through 44 games. Those 25 points are tied for seventh among rookies - an excellent ranking for Voronkov considering he averages only 13:21 of ice time. (His 2.55 points per 60 minutes trail only Connor Bedard's 2.66 per 60.)

Passed over in the 2018 draft, Voronkov was selected in the fourth round, 114th overall, in 2019. He's been paired basically all season with fellow countryman and unofficial interpreter Kirill Marchenko. Yegor Chinakhov joined Voronkov and Marchenko for a stretch to give Columbus an all-Russian line.

Next time you're watching the Jackets, isolate Voronkov and pay attention to how he takes his routes. No. 10 is very efficient and stealthy. He'll scoot into open space in anticipation of a pass on the attack, and later in the same shift, as a defender, he'll close out open spaces the opponent's eyeing.

"I don't know how I can describe him other than he's extremely smart," head coach Pascal Vincent said during Columbus' trip to Toronto in December.

Vincent had trouble comparing Voronkov to another active NHLer because of his unique profile. He can play center or wing; is listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds; has playmaking chops; moves around fine; and is a bit of an agitator.

Vincent coached former defenseman Dustin Byfuglien for a few years in Winnipeg. Byfuglien was a rare breed and Voronkov is "that kind of guy" now.

Alex Laferriere, Kings, F

Alex Laferriere is best known for two things a half-season into his career:

• Having a weirdly similar name to 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere

• Participating in a spirited fight during his NHL debut

"His family is in the stands! This dude went to Harvard! Big-brain fella slugging it out with the Avalanche!" ESPN personality Pat McAfee yelled at the camera back in October, narrating Laferriere's fight with Colorado's Logan O'Connor.

What an introduction for Laferriere, one of the Kings' two third-round picks in 2020. The winger's toned down the extracurricular activity, fighting one other time over his first 47 NHL games. However, he's found ways to make an impact for L.A. most nights, providing speed off the rush and tenacity along the boards while pitching in a respectable six goals and nine assists.

Laferriere was 5-foot-4 and skinny at 16. Now he's 6-1 and 205 pounds. There's no doubt two years at Harvard, where a lighter game schedule in the NCAA allows for extra off-ice training, helped the 22-year-old fill out.

Making the Kings out of camp was no small feat. Sure, general manager Rob Blake needed cheap help, but L.A. came into this season as a serious Stanley Cup contender. Laferriere, a New Jersey native who cheered for the Bruins as a kid thanks to his dad's Massachusetts roots and ties to Boston College, is skating around 13 minutes a night, often alongside center Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Don't be surprised if this "big-brain fella" carves out a 15-year NHL career.

Martin Pospisil, Flames, F

There's no better proof Pospisil's upgraded his status from "nobody" to "somebody" than the document he autographed earlier this week: a two-year, $2-million contract extension with Calgary.

"We have seen tremendous growth and maturity in Martin's game since we drafted him in 2018," Flames GM Craig Conroy said in a statement.

That growth and maturity has been undercut by injuries. Over four AHL seasons, the Slovak often made progress, got injured, made progress, and got hurt again. A concussion shortened his 2022-23 season, but Pospisil was raring to go at Flames training camp last fall. By January? Injured, again.

A healthy Pospisil has wheels, a scoring touch around the net (four goals and eight assists), and the courage and physical traits to deliver crushing body checks. The fourth-round pick is second on the team and fifth among all rookies in hits (104) - even though he's appeared in only 35 of Calgary's 50 games.

While his edgy style is turning Pospisil into a fan favorite, coach Ryan Huska surely would prefer if the winger minimized his time in the penalty box. Pospisil's racked up 39 minutes so far, including a five-minute major for cross-checking Brad Marchand, and owns a minus-five penalty differential.

Michael Kesselring and Sam Malinski, D

This year's rookie class is littered with impact defensemen.

Brock Faber, Luke Hughes, Pavel Mintyukov, and Simon Nemec are on star trajectories - and they're also first- or second-round picks. A bunch of other intriguing rookie blue-liners - Ryan Johnson, Jackson LaCombe, and Kaedan Korczak among them - don't fit our All-Nobody Team criteria, either.

So, we've landed on Arizona's Kesselring and Colorado's Malinski.

Kesselring, who joined the Coyotes for a nine-game stint to end last season, was called up in November to fill in for an injured Travis Dermott and took full advantage of the opportunity. Through 32 games, he has 11 points - impressively all at five-on-five - while playing third-pairing minutes.

The 24-year-old is one of eight NHL-caliber defensemen on the Coyotes roster. None are currently under contract beyond this season, though Kesselring, a pending unrestricted free agent, will almost certainly be part of the club's future. He's won over coach Andre Tourigny by displaying poise with the puck and using his long reach to ward off opposing attackers.

The Oilers drafted Kesselring in the sixth round in 2018 (coincidentally, he became junior teammates with Laferriere the following season). Edmonton moved him to Arizona in the Nick Bjugstad trade in March 2023.

Malinski never heard his name called at the draft. A self-described late bloomer, the 25-year-old signed with the Avalanche in 2022 as a college free agent (he was Cornell's outgoing captain and top point-getter on defense).

So far this season, Malinski's split his time between the AHL and NHL, but he may end up forcing Colorado GM Chris MacFarland's hand with how quickly he's developing. The puck-mover gives the Cup-contending Avs necessary depth on the right side. He can hold his own on the third pair.

Samuel Ersson, Flyers, G

It's not easy for any goaltender to win over coach John Tortorella, let alone an inexperienced one. Yet Ersson seems to have done it following 35 career starts, including 25 largely impressive performances so far this season.

"He has a mental capacity for that position that is so strong," Tortorella told reporters Tuesday after Ersson stopped 20 shots in a tight 2-1 Flyers win.

Ersson's become the starter in Philadelphia with Carter Hart away from the team after being charged with sexual assault. The chances of third-stringer Cal Petersen outperforming Ersson are slim to none, at least down the stretch.

While the Swede's .903 save percentage is roughly league average, when he's on, he's really on. Ahead of Friday's games, Ersson ranks fourth in the NHL with a 20% steal rate, according to Sportlogiq. Goalies record a "steal" when their goals saved above expected value is the difference in the final score, and Ersson's racked up five steals.

Flyers GM Daniel Briere inked Ersson to a two-year extension before the season, which means if all continues to go well, the club will pay its starter $1.45 million in 2024-25 and 2025-26. That would be tremendous value for Briere, and considering Ersson's only 24 and a former fifth-round pick who spent his early 20s outside the NHL, he's probably not complaining, either.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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The MVP race is really starting to solidify now that we're into the unofficial second half of the 2023-24 NHL season.

A quintet of superstars continues to dominate, but one game-breaker in particular appears dead set on finally winning the Hart after numerous near misses.

Meanwhile, Sam Reinhart has impressed while carrying the Florida Panthers, but our fifth-ranked candidate is still outproducing his teammates by a much wider margin than the ex-Buffalo Sabres forward.

Here are our top five MVP contenders with the All-Star break now firmly in the rearview mirror.

xGF% = Expected goals for percentage at five-on-five

5. Artemi Panarin

Reinhart has a case here: He's torn it up lately in terms of goal-scoring, and his underlying numbers are a bit better than those of Panarin. But the New York Rangers winger is still outpacing his teammates by eight goals, four assists, and 20 points (compared to Reinhart's 12, two, and 11, respectively).

It's not like Panarin has cooled off dramatically since our last edition on Jan. 5, either. He has seven goals and seven assists over 14 games in that span. The Russian has nine more even-strength goals than Reinhart on the season, and no one has required more power-play situations to score than the Cats standout, who leads the league by far with 21 tallies on the man advantage.

Panarin's analytics are nothing to sneeze at, either. In addition to his commendable xGF%, the Rangers have 56.9% of the scoring chances with him on the ice at five-on-five this season (53.99 xGF% and 55.6 SCF% since our last edition). The superior contenders each have better all-around figures (standings points above replacement, wins above replacement, and goals above replacement), but Panarin still warrants a spot on the fringes of the discussion.

4. David Pastrnak

Pastrnak is still consistently racking up big numbers, and more importantly, he's outgunning his Boston Bruins teammates by eight goals, 15 assists, and a whopping 27 points. The Czech catalyst is doing most of his damage at even strength, ranking third in the league in both goals and points in those situations on the season.

The well-dressed winger has favorable underlying numbers, both for the campaign as a whole and since we last evaluated this race. Those categories include xGF%, SCF%, SPAR, WAR, and GAR, and he ranks among the NHL's best dozen or so players in the latter three categories.

Pastrnak has also been one of the league's most potent players since our last edition, with 10 goals and 12 assists in 14 games. The Bruins' depth at every position might discourage some voters from considering Pastrnak a contender, but frankly, it shouldn't. The fact that he's been miles above that talented supporting cast only further bolsters his case to be in the mix.

3. Connor McDavid

It still feels weird that McDavid hasn't established himself as the clear Hart front-runner, seeing as how he's handily won this trophy three times. But his less-than-superhuman start, an injury, and the Edmonton Oilers' early struggles as a whole allowed two other players to overtake him in the MVP race.

To McDavid's credit (and to no one's surprise), he's done an admirable job of returning to his otherworldly form. It's no coincidence the Oilers just reeled off a 16-game win streak, as well. He ranks third in the NHL in points per game on the campaign, and he's among the league's absolute best in even-strength points, too, despite missing time with said injury.

McDavid has a 61.57 SCF% to match a similarly sublime xGF%. His SPAR, WAR, and GAR numbers are all elite as well, as he ranks seventh in the former and eighth in the two latter statistics league-wide. This illustrates how his two-way game has allowed him to get back into the Hart hunt as opposed to his offensive production alone.

2. Nikita Kucherov

Forget about Kucherov's less-than-enthusiastic display in the Skills Competition last weekend. The Tampa Bay Lightning winger has proven time and time again that he excels when it counts. He's leading the NHL in assists by one and points by two this season. Only our front-runner has more even-strength points on the campaign.

But it's not just about the production itself. Kucherov has a remarkable 33 more points than second-ranked Brayden Point (who's posting over a point per game in his own right) on the Lightning. The Russian also has eight more goals and 12 more assists than his closest teammates.

Kucherov - the 2018-19 MVP - has been a two-way force as well, sitting among the NHL's best in SPAR, WAR, and GAR this season. Back when he won this honor, he led the league with 87 assists and 128 points. There's still a way to go in 2023-24, but he's on pace to have the best campaign of his career in terms of both goals and points with 52 and 137, respectively, over 81 games.

The Bolts sit fifth in the Atlantic Division by points percentage, and it's entirely fair to wonder how far they'd fall without Kucherov putting them on his back. They'll depend on him even more now that Mikhail Sergachev's out indefinitely. Kucherov posted nearly two points per game in the 17 contests Sergachev missed before his latest injury.

1. Nathan MacKinnon

MacKinnon's Hart woes are well-documented, but as a reminder: He's a two-time second-place finisher, having narrowly lost to Taylor Hall in 2017-18 and then to Leon Draisaitl in 2019-20. MacKinnon earned the third-most votes in the abbreviated 2021 campaign and placed fifth last season. The Colorado Avalanche dynamo is consistently in the MVP conversation, but he has yet to actually win it.

Well, the Nova Scotian center is now putting himself in position to finally claim the hardware. MacKinnon leads the NHL in all three of the aforementioned two-way categories by wide margins. The league's even-strength points leader has also scored 78% of his goals (25) in those situations, trailing only Auston Matthews among all skaters in terms of his total.

MacKinnon continues to pursue only teammate Mikko Rantanen in average ice time among all NHL forwards (sitting behind him by four seconds), and he leads third-ranked Kucherov by over a full minute. MacKinnon trails Kucherov for the league lead by one assist and two points. He also has at least 18 more points than any other Avalanche skater.

Given his perennial candidacy and past disappointments in this regard, he's becoming the sentimental favorite. But the numbers more than back him up. If MacKinnon can maintain this level of both production and importance to his team, he should finally get his Susan Lucci moment.

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)

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Sat Shah and Bik Nizzar breakdown the Canucks 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins. Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet (34:55) post game. Plus Brett Festerling and Iain McIntyre (1:26:31) provide their analysis. 

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.

Dan and Sat roundup the latest rumours surrounding the Vancouver Canucks. Phil Kessel and Rasmus Ristolainen are the latest names that have come up. Do the Canucks have a top forward group in the NHL? The guys debate the top forward groups in the league and where the Canucks rank. The guys talk Quinn Hughes and his seamless transition to Captain. How close is Quinn Hughes to Makar? Dave Pagnotta joins the show. He talks Canucks rumour mill, Sergachev's injury impacting the D market, Anaheim Ducks player availability, Guentzel update, and more.

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.

Game 8…again! Matt and Blake chat about the Canucks and Bruins renewing acquaintances as the road trip continues, and as the team tries to continue this crazy pace of wins. 

Patrick Johnston of The Province stops by with his thoughts on it and the possibility of any further tinkering with the roster. Is Phil Kessel a thing? What about Frank Vatrano? Should the Canucks make sure the Oilers don’t get Chris Tanev? 

Also, Sportsnet’s Arash Madani joins from the Super Bowl in Las Vegas with the latest on the build up to the big game, and his pick to win. All this, plus a look back at the Whitecaps first match of the season in Champions Cup action from Langford! Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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Goaltender Jacob Markstrom left the ball in the Calgary Flames' court when asked about being traded.

"It's up to Calgary, what they want to do," Markstrom told Sportsnet's Eric Francis on Thursday.

The 34-year-old is signed through 2025-26 at a $6-million cap hit. Markstrom's contract contains a full no-movement clause, and he'd have to approve any trade involving him. He said Thursday the Flames haven't approached him about waiving the clause.

"Whatever direction they want to go and what they want to do, I'm not going to force anything," Markstrom added.

"I'm not going to go up and meet and ask for a trade, either."

Calgary has dealt Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, and Nikita Zadorov since the summer while retooling. Markstrom and pending unrestricted free agents Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin have been the subject of trade rumors throughout the season.

With the March 8 trade deadline approaching, Markstrom said he won't let the speculation about his future get to him.

"I know they've got to call me before (a trade), and they haven't called me, so I just keep playing," he said.

Markstrom would be a significant upgrade in net for several contending teams, including the New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, and Los Angeles Kings.

He's been superb since December, posting a .928 save percentage in 15 starts. On the season, the 2022 Vezina Trophy runner-up has a .913 save percentage in 30 contests.

Markstrom has previously been moved ahead of the trade deadline. He was the primary asset sent to the Vancouver Canucks in the trade that shipped Roberto Luongo back to the Florida Panthers in 2014.

The Flames rank sixth in the Pacific Division at 23-22-5.

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We had an underwhelming 1-2 Wednesday, splitting our props while the Lightning couldn't grind out a win against Jonathan Quick and the Rangers.

Let's look at a couple of plays for Thursday's card as we try to get back in the win column.

Flames (+125) @ Devils (-145)

The Flames picked up an impressive win over the Bruins last time out and have won six of 10, but I'm not sold on their process. They've controlled just 45% of the expected goal share at five-on-five over the past 10 games.

Calgary isn't good at full strength. And without Elias Lindholm, who led the team in power-play points, the Flames can't be relied upon to produce consistently on the man advantage.

I think the Devils are a much better club. Jack Hughes, one of the NHL's top point producers, is expected to return Thursday. With Hughes in the lineup, New Jersey is extremely dangerous at five-on-five and on the power play.

The Devils are also as healthy as they've been in some time. While key contributors like Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler remain sidelined, most of the team's top weapons are back.

Thursday's lineup will include Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Tyler Toffoli. New Jersey has rarely had all five of those guys available at the same time.

I think the Devils underachieving to date has a lot more to do with a constant wave of key injuries than a lack of talent or underlying concerns.

This is a good spot for them to get right against a mediocre Flames team starting to look toward the future and move on from key players.

Bet: Devils (-145)

Golden Knights (-135) @ Coyotes (+115)

How I attack this game depends greatly on what the Golden Knights do in goal. Either way, it's one I see value in getting involved with.

If Vegas goes back to Adin Hill - rather than continuing to rotate, as it's done in recent weeks - then the under of 5.5 (+100) is a play I see value in.

Hill owns a sparkling .938 save percentage through 18 games this season and has been as good as anybody on a per-start basis.

Coyotes starter Connor Ingram has posted an impressive .916 save percentage and is in fine form heading into this contest. He has more than six goals saved above expectation since the calendar flipped and sits fifth in the category for the year.

Headlined by Jack Eichel, the Golden Knights are missing several players with injury. That's taken a bite out of their five-on-five numbers and ability to score goals.

That's why backing the Coyotes is the way to go if Hill doesn't start. Logan Thompson's numbers don't hold a candle to Hill's on the season.

Considering it's vulnerable at even strength and has lost the expected goals battle in four of the last five games, Vegas needs excellent goaltending.

I'm less confident Thompson can provide the Golden Knights with that. In short, I like the Coyotes at +115 if Thompson starts and the under of 5.5 at +100 if Bruce Cassidy goes back to Hill.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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Minnesota Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin was named GM for Team USA at the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympics, USA Hockey announced Thursday.

Guerin, 53, has been the Wild's GM since 2019. He represented the United States as a player at three Olympics and two World Cups, winning the 1996 World Cup and capturing silver at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

"It's an honor beyond belief to be asked to do this, and I couldn't say yes quick enough," Guerin said. "I am so thankful to USA Hockey for this opportunity. ... I've been fortunate enough to have many great days in hockey, and this is among the very best."

Guerin was tabbed as the United States' GM for the 2022 Beijing Olympics but ultimately didn't fulfill the role when NHL players didn't participate.

"With the NHL asking the competing teams to name their first six players for the NHL 4 Nations Faceoff early this summer, it was important for us to name a general manager, and we couldn't be happier to have Bill engaged for both that event and the Olympics," USA Hockey's assistant executive director John Vanbiesbrouck said.

"He brings the same level of competitiveness to his role as a general manager as he did as a player on the ice and that’s a real benefit."

The NHL 4 Nations Face-Off is a new event scheduled for February 2025 that will feature teams from Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland.

The United States last medaled in men's hockey at the Olympics in 2010.

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