Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov had some high praise for Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon ahead of Wednesday's marquee matchup, calling his former teammate the best player in the world.

Zadorov's comments came in response to a question about how MacKinnon compares to the league's two most recent Hart Trophy winners - Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.

"If I were to build a team, I would build around (MacKinnon) over those other two guys," he said. "Because he's a winner. He won the Stanley Cup."

MacKinnon helped Colorado win a championship in 2022, eliminating McDavid's Edmonton Oilers along the way in the Western Conference Final.

The Avalanche star has built a strong case for his first Hart Trophy this season with a league-leading 113 points in 66 games entering Wednesday.

McDavid's won three MVPs and five scoring titles since entering the NHL in 2015. He sits third with 103 points this season after a career-high 153-point output last year.

Matthews leads all skaters with 54 goals this season and ranks 10th with 80 points, but he hasn't enjoyed the same level of playoff success as MacKinnon and McDavid.

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Matt and Blake live without Thatcher Demko, Casey DeSmith as the starting goalie, and the final frontier: the Colorado Avalanche. The Canucks have wins against every Western Conference team except Colorado heading into Wednesday's game. The guys also talk about the Norris Trophy showdown: Quinn Hughes vs Cale Makar; head coach Rick Tocchet's comments on DeSmith; Tyler Myers' return to action; new contracts for front-office employees and a promotion for Ryan Johnson; as well as Christian Wolanin and depth defencemen down the stretch.

Irf Gaffar stops by to talk about Filip Hronek. Irf says the Canucks offered him a deal worth in the vicinity of $52M and were rejected. He speculates on what he expects Hronek can command and what the Canucks will pay. Other topics include DeSmith, a nothing trade deadline, the Avalanche, and Elias Lindholm's future. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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Things got heated between Lucas Raymond and Ben Chiarot during the Detroit Red Wings' practice on Wednesday.

The pair got into a scuffle and had to be separated. The young forward approached Chiarot a few moments later, and the two appeared to exchange words before preparing for the next drill.

Their teammates didn't appear to be bothered by the spat, though.

"I don't think it's a bad thing," winger Patrick Kane said, per Detroit Hockey Now's Bob Duff. "I'd be more worried if we were walking around here all smiles, happy, and everything's OK. I think it's good to get a little frustrated as long as you harness it in the right way.

"Frustration can create a lot of positive energy as well, whether it's practicing like you play, or just playing harder tomorrow."

The Red Wings lost their sixth straight contest in regulation on Tuesday in a 7-3 thrashing at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres. As a result of the skid, Detroit has weakened its hold on a playoff spot. The Red Wings are currently tied with the New York Islanders at 72 points, but the Isles currently hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference since they have a game in hand.

Veteran forward David Perron's outlook on the commotion was similar to Kane's.

"We saw the intensity this morning in practice," he said. "I think that's great to see. Guys want to have solutions, they want to be part of it. I'm excited for tomorrow. It's an exciting challenge to come to the rink and find a way to turn it around."

This isn't the first time Chiarot, a veteran defenseman, has been involved in a dustup with a teammate at practice. In 2018, as a member of the Winnipeg Jets, he got into a fight with Blake Wheeler.

Detroit has been outscored 32-11 during its current slump. Raymond and Chiarot are both a minus-10 over that stretch and have a combined three points. They've been teammates since Chiarot signed a four-year, $19-million deal with the Red Wings as a free agent in 2022.

The Red Wings will get a chance to turn things around on Thursday versus the Arizona Coyotes.

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