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Although there are only three games on the board Friday night, a couple of sides still pop off the page. Let's dive in.

Sabres (-140) @ Blue Jackets (+120)

The Blue Jackets are having a miserable time defensively. They've allowed just under 33 shots per game this month and are giving up real quality as well. Only two teams - the Sharks and Predators - have conceded more expected goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play.

Their metrics would be concerning under any circumstances. That the best team they've faced in that span sits 13th in the NHL - and three of the five games were against clubs nowhere close to a playoff position - only makes matters worse.

Columbus is putting a lot on its goaltenders, and there isn't reason to believe they can hold up.

Elvis Merzlikins has allowed at least three goals in seven of eight starts in 2024. He also gave up two goals on two shots during his short cameo against a horrible Ducks team.

Daniil Tarasov owns a .881 save percentage and has allowed upward of four goals per game this season.

The Blue Jackets just can't get reliable saves, something they need with how many shots and chances they're giving up.

For all the Sabres' faults, they've looked a lot better of late. They've generated 33.4 shots on goal per game since the calendar flipped, good for fourth most in the NHL during that span.

The team has also gotten consistently excellent goaltending from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who sits second in the NHL in goals saved above expected in 2024.

The Sabres are likely to heavily test the Blue Jackets' subpar goaltending. With an in-form UPL at the other end, this is a spot where Buffalo should take care of business.

Bet: Sabres (-140)

Wild (+155) @ Oilers (-185)

The Oilers are firing on all cylinders offensively. They've scored 26 goals over the last five games and are full value for it, ranking third in high-danger chances during that span.

With weapons like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Co., the Oilers don't need a ton of opportunities to find the back of the net. That they're generating chances at such an extreme rate makes them borderline unstoppable.

Filip Gustavsson likely won't be up to the task. His game has fallen off a cliff relative to where it was a year ago, and he's showing no signs of improvement.

Gustavsson has allowed 10.44 goals above expectation since Jan. 1, the most of all NHL netminders. The Wild have often managed to outscore his struggles, but getting into a track meet with the Oilers is unlikely to end well.

Minnesota has also struggled mightily to stay out of the penalty box of late. Parading to the bin would be a recipe for disaster against this lethal Oilers power play, which generates chances at a higher clip than any other team.

This is a big step up in class for the Wild, whose recent success doesn't look as impressive when factoring in competition.

Their wins this month have come against the Blackhawks, Coyotes, Penguins, an injury-battered Golden Knights team, and the Canucks in a game they scored on eight of 25 shots against a backup.

Look for the Oilers to flex their muscles inside 60 minutes.

Bet: Oilers in regulation (-120)

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

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Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.

There are only three games on the docket for a quiet Friday night in the NHL. Let's take a closer look at a few of the best ways to attack them.

Kyle Connor: Over 3.5 shots

Connor has played in only 38 games this season due to injury. He still leads the Jets in goals and expected goals and is right on the tail of Nikolaj Ehlers - who's played 54 games - in terms of shots on goal.

Connor is clearly the focal point of the offense at even strength, as well as on the power play.

As a result, his shot-generation outputs have been very consistent. The longest Connor has gone without recording four shots is three straight games, which just so happens to be the streak he's riding right now.

Connor is in a very good spot to snap out of it on Friday night. The Blackhawks are a horrendous five-on-five team that spends a lot of time chasing in the defensive zone. That generally leads to high opposing shot totals - especially for wingers.

The Blackhawks rank dead last in shots allowed versus wingers over the past 10 games. No team is giving up more to the position.

Connor has gone quiet of late, scoring in just two of the past 11 games while going under his shot total in five of six. This is a great matchup for him to snap out of this funk and get back on track.

Odds: +107 (playable to -125)

Seth Jones: Under 2.5 shots

Jones hasn't enjoyed much success shooting the puck. He's averaged just 2.3 shots per game this season and failed to clear his line 62% of the time.

Although Jones plays a ton of minutes, that shouldn't be surprising. The Blackhawks just don't have many players who can help the team transition to the offensive zone, let alone make something happen when they get there. Jones has to spend the bulk of his time defending, which will no doubt be the case against the Jets.

The Jets have done a great job of suppressing shots all season long, and that continues to be the case. They've been especially hard on opposing defensemen.

Winnipeg has conceded just 6.4 shots on goal per game to defenders over the last 10, one of the best marks in the NHL.

That's bad news for Jones, who's struggled to generate much against the Jets since Rick Bowness took over as head coach. Jones has recorded only seven shots over four games while posting mediocre attempt numbers.

Odds: -150 (playable to -160)

Connor McDavid: Over 0.5 power-play points

The Wild have played very good hockey of late, but they're still vulnerable in one key area: the penalty kill.

It's not so much that they've struggled in undermanned situations; the team simply can't stay out of the box.

The Wild have paraded to the sin bin on a nightly basis, with only the Kings spending more time shorthanded over the last 10 games.

Taking penalties is a recipe for disaster against the Oilers. Led by McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard, the Oilers possess the league's most dangerous power play. They lead the league in expected goals generation and sit third in terms of goals per minute. They're lethal.

McDavid is the team's leader in assists and points on the power play and is as puck-dominant as anybody in the offensive zone. Almost every possession runs through him, offering ample opportunity to get involved in the buildup of goals.

With team discipline an issue, the Wild will no doubt take their share of penalties trying to slow down the high-flying Oilers. Look for McDavid and Co. to take advantage at least once.

Odds: +110 (playable to -115)

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

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New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff took aim at an unexpected target when asked about the team's recent woes on the man advantage.

"When you're struggling, and I imagine you've asked every player, now they're feeling it," Ruff told reporters following a 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

"You guys are creating excess pressure," the bench boss continued. "Us, as a staff, we'll go through that power play. We changed things up. We met with individual groups tonight versus, usually, you meet with all 10 or 11 of your power-play guys. We'll go through the whole thing again and just try to keep getting better."

The Devils enter Friday's action with the 15th-ranked power play in the NHL this season, converting 22% of the time. But it's been much worse lately, as they've scored in only two of 46 opportunities in the last 14 games. That's by far the worst rate in the league in that span.

New Jersey has had to rely on two rookies, Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, as power-play quarterbacks with Dougie Hamilton out long term due to injury.

"When we have two young defensemen that are anchoring, there's really not a replacement up top for us," Ruff said.

"They've probably done a better than expected job for me - both those kids - and they're going to continue to grow. There's a lot of stuff you like about their game. But ... with young defensemen, there are going to be mistakes and poor decisions at times. But you have to just live with that and grow through it."

The Devils fell to 28-24-4 with the loss and now sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division by points percentage.

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Before the NHL's trade deadline, a lot of attention goes to the buying teams - and rightfully so. Naturally, most fans are interested in which notable players will be dealt to contenders ahead of the campaign's home stretch.

But what about the teams on the other side of those deals? Just as contending teams have a list of top targets to bolster their playoff lineups, selling clubs try to find the league's best available future assets.

Here are seven intriguing prospects that could realistically be on the move by the March 8 trade deadline:

Philip Broberg

As a former top-10 pick with excellent physical traits, Broberg is likely the best prospect that could be dealt at this year's trade deadline.

The 22-year-old has suited up for 79 NHL games - making the prospect label a bit of a misnomer - but has played just 12:36 per contest in those outings. That's left Broberg unsettled with his situation, and the Oilers reportedly permitted him to seek a trade in December.

Listed at 6-foot-3 with impressive mobility, Broberg is intriguing for any seller. He has a high draft pedigree and is among the AHL's best two-way defenders when playing top-pairing minutes with the Bakersfield Condors.

Some defensemen simply need to play big minutes to be effective. Broberg could be one of them, and he'd have the chance to prove that he can be a legit top-four blue-liner on a selling team rather than a contending club like Edmonton.

Lukas Cormier

All of the Golden Knights' blue-line regulars are over 6-feet, and only Shea Theodore comes in at under 200 pounds. The team's top defense prospect, Cormier, strays from that mold considerably: He's listed at 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds.

The 2020 third-rounder had a great QMJHL career but hasn't taken the step many expected this season after a good AHL rookie campaign. But there are likely teams that covet the soon-to-be 22-year-old's puck-moving ability and NHL proximity.

Considering Vegas has most of its defense core locked in for multiple seasons, Cormier is an asset that the team likely wouldn't be opposed to moving for the right player in the coming weeks.

Seamus Casey

The Devils have an embarrassment of riches on the back end. Whether it's veterans Dougie Hamilton and John Marino or budding young studs Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, New Jersey has anchors on the blue line for years to come.

Should general manager Tom Fitzgerald look to make a splash at the deadline with his team in the wild-card race, Casey would be a premium trade chip that would entice any team - and one that's expendable given the team's defensive makeup.

The 20-year-old is scoring at a pace of over a point per game with Michigan and was a top-four defender on the American team that won gold at the world juniors. His exciting offense is a bit redundant considering the Devils' existing back end, but he has the potential to be an interesting piece in a deadline deal.

The Devils could use the Canucks' use of Hunter Brzustewicz in the Elias Lindholm deal as a blueprint for a deadline swing that includes Casey.

Ville Heinola

Heinola has played NHL games every season since he was drafted, except for this campaign. In his fifth year in the Jets organization, a change of scenery might do the 2019 first-rounder some good.

The Finnish blue-liner hasn't been able to latch onto a spot in Winnipeg's lineup over multiple NHL stints. A broken ankle kept Heinola on the sidelines until January this season, and he's again been a good two-way defender with the AHL's Manitoba Moose since returning to action.

The Jets already dealt a first-round pick for Sean Monahan. If Winnipeg wants to dip back into the trade market amid a strong campaign, Heinola would be enticing to a selling team as he can step straight into an NHL lineup and has draft pedigree.

Jonatan Berggren

Berggren has found himself back in the AHL for much of the 2023-24 season after a solid rookie year with the Red Wings.

The Swede tallied 15 goals and 28 points in 67 games with Detroit in 2022-23 and excelled at the Worlds with seven points in eight games.

But a bolstered Red Wings depth chart meant the 23-year-old returned to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins rather than building on his freshman campaign. Berggren's been outstanding in the AHL with 16 goals and 38 points in 36 games and has registered five points in nine NHL games. But he hasn't found his way back into the Red Wings' full-time lineup.

With Detroit battling for a playoff spot for the first time in years and Berggren in an awkward spot on the depth chart, utilizing the offensive winger as an asset before he requires waivers (and a potentially contentious arbitration case in the summer) would make a lot of sense for GM Steve Yzerman.

Sasha Chmelevski

In January, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported that teams have "high interest" in trading for Chmelevski's signing rights.

Chmelevski's been impressive the past two seasons with the KHL's Salavat Yulaev Ufa. His 53 goals since the start of the 2022-23 campaign rank fifth in the league.

The Huntington Beach, California native spent three seasons in San Jose's system before going to the KHL, accumulating 35 goals and 88 points in 122 AHL games. He had a notable 19-game stint with the Sharks in 2021-22, tallying eight assists and collecting favorable underlying metrics.

As a right-shot center with some scoring upside, the 24-year-old could be a worthwhile swing, assuming he could be had for a mid to late-round pick.

Jacob Truscott

We typically see one or two NCAA players flipped for draft picks before the trade deadline. Henry Thrun and Erik Portillo moved last year after indicating to their respective teams that they wouldn't be signing.

Truscott appears to be in that position this season. He won't sign with the Canucks, CHEK's Rick Dhaliwal reported last week, which opens him up to either be traded for a pick or included in another deadline trade for Vancouver.

The 21-year-old has been an anchor on Michigan's blue line for three seasons, earning the captaincy this year as a senior. Truscott's not a standout offensively on a team that currently boasts Casey and previously rostered Luke Hughes and Owen Power, but he's been a key defensive piece for the Wolverines.

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Sat Shah and Bik Nizzar breakdown the Canucks 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Hear from Rick Tocchet and Quinn Hughes post game. Plus Randip Janda and Iain McIntyre 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.

ESPN put out their various lists of top 10 players by position. Elias Pettersson was among the Canucks on the list at center. Ryan Clark from ESPN joins the show to discuss the list. 

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 Riccio and Sat Shah are joined by Bik Nizzar for the Canucks Central roundtable. The guys discuss who the Canucks could target if they're indeed still big game hunting leading up to the trade deadline. Plus Irf Gaffar joins the show to discuss the contract that has been reportedly on the table since of the start of the season for Elias Pettersson. 

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.

New York Rangers rookie Matt Rempe was ejected in the first period of Thursday's clash against the New Jersey Devils for a hit to the head of Nathan Bastian.

The play was determined to be a five-minute major penalty after review.

Thursday's game was only the third of Rempe's career. The 6-foot-7 center debuted Sunday at the Stadium Series against the New York Islanders and made headlines for fighting veteran Matt Martin on his first shift.

Rempe was a sixth-round pick of the Rangers in 2020.

Bastian entered the contest with 12 points in 53 games this season. He briefly left after the hit but returned before the end of the opening frame.

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