Landon DuPont is the first exceptional status defenseman in WHL history.

The league granted the Calgary-born blue-liner the rare designation Monday on behalf of Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta.

DuPont is a 14-year-old who'll turn 15 on May 28. He'll be eligible for the upcoming WHL draft on May 9.

The five-foot-11, 170-pound rearguard played this season at Edge School, an under-18 prep team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. He racked up 62 points (including 19 goals) in 30 regular-season games, finishing first at the position and third overall in scoring while leading his school to the league title.

The only other WHLer to gain exceptional status was Connor Bedard in 2020. DuPont is the ninth CHLer and third defenseman to earn the distinction, which the latter league introduced for the three leagues under its umbrella (also including the OHL and QMJHL) in 2005.

Connor McDavid (2012), Aaron Ekblad (2011), and John Tavares (2005) are among the others to have been granted exceptional status. Seven players carrying the label graduated from the CHL, and six of them were selected in the first round of the NHL draft. The four aforementioned players were all taken first overall.

Michael Misa is the most recent player to earn the honor, doing so ahead of last season. He's now a productive 17-year-old winger for the OHL's Saginaw Spirit and is projected to be a top prospect in next year's NHL draft.

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The big week begins! The Canucks have a massive 3 game set this week, and Matt and Blake get you ready with a preview of the showdown with the Golden Knights, and all the permutations thereafter. The guys have the latest from the game-day skate as the Canucks make changes, including the insertion of Arturs Silovs in between the pipes. What does that mean for the crease for the rest of the season, especially if they get a win? And, are 11 forwards and 7 D going to be a thing?

Former Canucks Executive Brian Burke drops by with his insight into the season for the Canucks, including how they can beat LA if it comes down to a playoff matchup, the GM’s role at this time of the season, LTIR and more! Plus, Burkie discusses the possibility of the PWHL expanding to Vancouver.

Later on, Walter Cosman from the Vancouver Canadians sets the stage for Opening Dat at the Nat on Tuesday. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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Tampa Bay Lightning's Mikhail Sergachev returned to practice Monday in a red non-contact jersey for the first time since suffering a leg injury, but head coach Jon Cooper poured cold water on the idea that the defenseman is nearing a return.

"He's making progress, but don't read into it that he's going to be a first-round playoff participant because he won't be," Cooper said, per NHL.com's Chris Krenn. "But who knows? We win a round or two, never say never. Like I said, great to have him out there."

The Lightning clinched a playoff berth for the seventh straight year Friday.

Sergachev hasn't played since fracturing his tibia and fibula on Feb. 7. That game was his first after he suffered a foot injury that caused him to miss nearly two months.

The 25-year-old has recorded 19 points in 34 games this season as Tampa's No. 2 defenseman behind Victor Hedman.

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Pittsburgh Penguins winger Michael Bunting hopes his second trip back to Toronto is just as successful as the first one.

Bunting scored a goal in the Carolina Hurricanes' 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs in December when he played for the Canes.

"Coming back to (play) an old team and coming back home is always fun. It's easy to wake up for this game," the Scarborough, Ontario, native said Monday ahead of Pittsburgh's clash with Toronto. "Especially how big this game is for us. We're fighting for our lives here and we know it's a big one so I'll be ready to go."

Bunting was traded to Pittsburgh as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Jake Guentzel to Carolina. Bunting's production has increased since the trade: He's recorded five goals and eight assists in 16 games for the Penguins, including scoring a crucial game-winner on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning to keep Pittsburgh's playoff hopes alive.

The 28-year-old signed a three-year, $13.5-million contract with the Hurricanes as a free agent this offseason. But he's averaging a minute-and-a-half more per game since the swap, skating on Pittsburgh's second line with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell and playing on the top power-play unit.

"I wouldn't say that Carolina wasn't a good fit. It was a lot of fun ... and I made some really good friends," Bunting said. "But I just came here and got the opportunity to play bigger minutes and I've gelled with my line really well. I just had confidence in my game and just wanted to prove that I still belong and am still an impactful player."

Bunting spent two seasons with the Maple Leafs from 2021-23, recording 112 points in 161 games while finishing as a Calder Trophy finalist in 2022. He garnered a reputation as a pest during his time in Toronto, but Leafs forward William Nylander plans on giving Bunting a taste of his own medicine.

"I'll get under his skin," Nylander said playfully, per Postmedia's Lance Hornby.

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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.

We discovered last week that it hasn't been so simple for teams to turn strong expected goals share metrics into playoff success.

The 2023 Golden Knights had the 16th-best xG% during the regular season and only marginally improved that rate in the playoffs, and all they did was win the Stanley Cup.

Instead, Vegas scored on its even-strength high-danger chances (ES HDC) at a ridiculously opportunistic rate: 21.2%. Was something like that predictable? No, but if a team shows it has the high-end talent to turn a chance - estimated at a fraction of an expected goal - into an actual goal during the regular season, bettors may be inclined to believe an above-average conversion rate can be predictive.

Some teams boast more talented scorers than others. For example, an Auston Matthews shot from close range has a better chance of going in than almost anyone else's.

A team's best measurable scoring opportunity is an ES HDC or power play (league average: 20.8%). The teams with the most talent have a good power play (PP) and are also likely to score at an above-average rate on ES HDC (league average: 12.5%).

Adding PP and ES HDC goals together and dividing them by power-play opportunities and high-danger chances gets you a metric we call SNIPES percentage.

The league average for SNIPES is 14.5%. Here's how the last 12 teams to make a conference final fared during the regular season and then in the playoffs:

Is there a correlation to playoff success?

Eleven of the 12 teams in the above table were above average in SNIPES percentage during the regular season. Only last year's Hurricanes came into the playoffs below average. Carolina had the best regular-season xG% and was third during the playoffs, which can make up for low conversion rates for two rounds.

While some teams saw their efficiency drop, just three fell below average: the 2021 Canadiens, 2021 Golden Knights, and 2023 Panthers. Later this week, we'll see how those three managed to thrive in the postseason when we look at how teams keep the puck out of the net.

The lesson? If any of the above teams score more often relative to how many chances they get in the playoffs, it shouldn't come as a total surprise.

The cheat sheet

The dirty little secret in the betting world is that while there are no bad bets at the right price, the discovery process of what a good price looks like is hidden.

Each week, we balance market information from regular-season point totals and in-season advanced metrics - with an even-strength focus - to determine the win probability for each team and the moneyline needed to bet on either side. The idea is to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which can be skewed by outliers like special-team results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events.

You can use whatever parameters you like to decide how much of an edge you need to trigger a bet, but here are mine:

• True line favorite of -111 or longer: 1%
• True line between -110 and +110: 2.5%
• True line underdog of +111 or longer: 4%

I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and a 3% consideration for the second leg of a home back-to-back. When it comes to injured players, an estimation is made on the player's impact on their team's win probability.

When the betting markets open up the night before, you can compare those prices with our "price to bet" column to see if you're getting any value with either side's moneyline. There's a possibility that a moneyline moves into a bet-friendly range at some point between the market opening and puck drop.

Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.

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There are only two games on Monday's NHL schedule, but there is still plenty of value on the board. Let's take a closer look.

Auston Matthews: Over 4.5 shots

Mitch Marner returned to the Maple Leafs' lineup Saturday, and Sheldon Keefe still kept Max Domi on the top unit. That's great news for Matthews' shot rate.

Matthews has flourished at getting pucks on net alongside Domi. He averages 18 shots and nearly 32 attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-five play with Domi on his right.

For perspective, Matthews averages 11 shots and 20 attempts with Marner and 10 on 22 attempts with William Nylander holding the spot. His outputs with Domi are at a completely different level.

Domi doesn't shoot as frequently as either of those players and isn't as puck-dominant, which has led to even more falling on Matthews' plate.

The Penguins are a mid-tier shot-suppression team, and their top line - a group Matthews should see plenty of - tends to play at a fast pace.

Matthews has led the NHL in shots over the past couple of weeks. This is a good spot for him to continue piling them up.

Odds: -110 (playable to -130)

Jack Eichel: Over 3.5 shots

Eichel is as consistent as they come. He's recorded four-plus shots in 11 of his past 15 games, falling only one shot shy in each exception. Eichel gets the job done almost nightly and always gives himself a legitimate chance.

Tough matchups have made little impact on Eichel, as he's hit his number against strong defensive teams like the Canucks, Jets, and Predators of late.

While Vancouver has done a fantastic job of limiting shots overall, it doesn't seem to have an answer for Eichel. He's gone over this total in all three meetings versus the Canucks this season, combining for 19 shots on 28 attempts.

The Golden Knights are jockeying for position in the Western Conference playoff race and still have plenty to play for. Monday's contest is also a potential first-round playoff matchup. It's a meaningful game, and Eichel's usage should reflect that.

Odds: -134 (playable to -150)

Shea Theodore: Over 0.5 points

We've targeted Theodore a lot lately, and we'll go back to the well Monday night. Theodore has 39 points through 41 games, with the blue-liner continuing to have a plus-money price tag attached to him.

While the Canucks are a strong defensive team, they haven't done as good of a job keeping the puck out of the net. That's largely due to Thatcher Demko's absence.

Casey DeSmith has taken over as the starter, and the results haven't been great. He's conceded 28 goals and owns a .877 save percentage over nine appearances since Demko went down.

The Golden Knights are in good offensive form and are adding another lethal weapon to their arsenal, with Tomas Hertl expected to debut Monday.

Win or lose, I expect Vegas to score a few in this one. Look for the club's best offensive defenseman to get in on the action.

Odds: +125 (playable to -130)

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

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Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar wasn't impressed with his club's defensive effort in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the division-rival Dallas Stars.

"The defending breakdowns we had, we did some dumb stuff today," Bednar said postgame, according to DNVR. "They all led to really good scoring chances against."

Bednar was quick to defend goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who allowed six goals on 36 shots.

"I thought he was great tonight, I did," Bednar said. "You can't fault him on any of the goals. I think there's probably one he would like back."

Dallas generated 6.68 expected goals in the contest, compared to Colorado's 3.86, per Natural Stat Trick.

Georgiev has been a workhorse this season, ranking second in the NHL with 60 appearances. But his .898 save percentage on the campaign pales in comparison to the .918 mark he posted a year ago. His save percentage over his last three games is just .833.

Rookie Justus Annunen has been Colorado's best goalie of late, sporting a .931 save percentage since his recall in January. The 24-year-old has only faced three playoff teams in his 12 appearances, though.

The Stars now hold a five-point edge over the Avalanche for the Central Division title.

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