In our second edition of theScore's 2021-22 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, we feature two new netminders that have leaped to the top of the list.
5. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers
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RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
10-1-2
2.18
2.68
.930
.862
7.04
Previous rank: 4
Bobrovsky is proving that his hot start to the year might not be a fluke. He's still playing at an elite level and is very much looking like his old Vezina-winning self. His .896 high-danger save percentage at five-on-five is tied with Jacob Markstrom for tops among all netminders in the league. The Panthers have firmly established themselves as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, and they'll be tough to play against all season long with Bobrovsky back on the case.
4. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
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RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
11-3-2
2.22
2.82
.933
.832
9.77
Previous rank: 3
The Rangers continue to sit near the top of the league's standings, and Shesterkin's play deserves a lot of the credit. He's facing 32.9 shots per 60 minutes, and New York is often in the defensive end as it ranks dead last in the NHL with a 45.19 Corsi For rating at five-on-five. The Rangers have a ton of talent, but Shesterkin is carrying a lot of the load early in the season.
3. Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins
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RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
10-4-4
1.85
2.37
.938
.864
13.68
Previous rank: N/A
After a miserable campaign last year, Pittsburgh GM Ron Hextall expressed his confidence in Jarry to rebound this season. The 26-year-old is now playing the best hockey of his career, stopping 175 out of 178 shots over his past six outings. He's helped an often injury-ravaged Penguins team stay competitive. Pittsburgh moved on from Matt Murray last year and entrusted Jarry with the crease, which looks like an A+ move these days.
2. Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames
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RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
9-4-4
1.75
2.23
.938
.881
12.12
Previous rank: 2
It might be time to hit the panic button in Calgary - Markstrom hasn't recorded a shutout in nearly two weeks. The Flames netminder undoubtedly remains at the top of his game despite cooling off a bit following a torrid stretch when he allowed just one goal over four contests. Markstrom has risen to the occasion every time he's stepped on the ice, ranking second among goalies with a 6.74 high-danger goals saved above average.
1. Jack Campbell, Toronto Maple Leafs
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RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
12-4-1
1.64
2.33
.946
.874
16.81
Previous rank: N/A
Campbell hasn't disappointed whatsoever in his first year as a legitimate No. 1 starting goaltender. He's leading the league in nearly every statistical category and is a huge reason the Maple Leafs are one of the NHL's hottest teams.His .946 save percentage, 16.76 goals saved above average, and 1.64 goals-against average all rank No. 1 among netminders. The heavy workload could be a concern moving forward - he's appeared in 18 out of 23 games - but Campbell seems to be the goalie to beat for now.
Honorable mentions: Frederik Andersen (CAR), James Reimer (SJ), Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB)
DeBrusk will remain with the Bruins as the club tries to facilitate the request, Rishaug added.
The news comes after head coach Bruce Cassidy made the 25-year-old a healthy scratch for the Bruins' game against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.
"I think what happens with Jake, and what we've seen over the last few years, is that when the production is there, you're getting more second effort," Cassidy said Sunday of his decision. "They kind of go hand-in-hand. And when it's not there, we lose a little bit of that.
"And that's been the ask of him for a number of years now. No drop-off on this side of the ledger just because the production isn't there. Any 20-goal scorer still only scores once every four games, right? ... You still need the other things."
Cassidy added: "I'd like to see him impact the game with his foot speed every night in some way shape or form; whether it's forecheck, attacking the net, penalty kill, whatever the case may be."
DeBrusk has often been a staple in the Bruins' top six, but he's fallen out of favor in recent campaigns due to his inconsistent play. He recorded 14 points in 41 games last season before registering six points in 17 contests this campaign.
The Bruins selected DeBrusk 14th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He scored a career-high 43 points during his rookie season in 2017-18 and notched a career-high 27 goals in 2018-19. He's set to become a restricted free agent after this season.
Marc Bergevin's time with the Montreal Canadiens has come to an end following nearly 10 years. After taking over as the general manager of the illustrious franchise in May 2012, he became one of the NHL's most active executives.
Montreal had a roller coaster of success and failure during his time, making the playoffs six times while reaching the Stanley Cup Final once and the Eastern Conference Final twice. Bergevin certainly made a number of massive moves to try to improve the Habs during his time at the helm, but he wasn't able to piece everything together to form a championship roster.
With the Canadiens set to usher in a new era under newly hired vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, let's take a look back at five of Bergevin's franchise-altering moves during his tenure.
Dealing Subban for Weber
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There were rumblings at the time that the relationship between P.K. Subban and the Canadiens organization wasn't great, but trading one of the most popular players the franchise had in years still seemed like a long shot. Not only was Subban electric on the ice, but fans adored him.
In June 2016, moments after the shocking Taylor Hall-for-Adam Larsson trade, it was announced that the Canadiens dealt Subban to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber. Similar to Subban in Montreal, Weber was the face of the franchise in Nashville and a true legend of the team. The deal sent shockwaves throughout the NHL, receiving mixed feedback.
To this day, people still debate who won the trade. Ultimately, it seemed to work out pretty well for both sides. Subban played an integral role in Nashville during his first season en route to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. The Canadiens got their future captain and one of the league's most respected veterans. Fast forward to today, and Subban is no longer the dominant Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman he once was, while Weber is on the verge of retirement due to injury.
It's fair to say Bergevin took a massive gamble and came away a winner. The fanbase was shocked at first but quickly welcomed and adored Weber. He anchored the blue line over the last five seasons and did everything that was asked of him. You can't ask for much more than that.
Grade: B+
Moving on from Pacioretty
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This surely had to be one of the toughest moves of Bergevin's tenure. Max Pacioretty was a fan favorite and one of the most consistent goal scorers the club had seen in decades. Shortly after being named captain in 2015, things seemed to sour between Pacioretty and the organization, which ultimately led to him being traded.
Bergevin undoubtedly hit a home run on this one. Getting Nick Suzuki - who's quickly developing into a legitimate No. 1 center - along with Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick from the Vegas Golden Knights was a fantastic haul. It also worked out for the Golden Knights, as Pacioretty has continued to dominate.
One thing that we've learned over the last decade is that Bergevin isn't scared to make a big trade or shake things up. Making this deal got the Canadiens the franchise center they'd been looking for forever and put the team in a much better position to be competitive for years to come.
Grade: A
Breaking the bank for Price
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The Canadiens have taken a lot of flack ever since they signed Carey Price to his hefty contract. With an annual cap hit of $10.5 million, he still remains the league's highest-paid goalie. Bergevin isn't to blame for this one, though. His hands were tied, and if he didn't sign Price at the time, another team surely would've backed up the Brinks truck.
Price was the nearly undisputed best goalie in the world when he signed in 2017. As he just showed with his performance last postseason, he's arguably still in the running for that title. Price followed up his dominant 2014-15 Hart Trophy-winning campaign with two more great seasons, so Montreal signing him to an eight-year, $84-million contract was inevitable.
Sure, Bergevin could've let Price walk into free agency and let another team pay him. It's impossible to say how the Habs would look today if Price signed elsewhere. But there's no doubt he has the utmost respect of his teammates and players around the league, and he's still seen as one of the top netminders in the world. The contract definitely makes Montreal's cap situation tricky, but Bergevin had to do it.
Grade: B-
Bringing Drouin back home
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Jonathan Drouin wasn't happy with his role and progression in Tampa Bay after being selected third overall in 2013. Bergevin took note and didn't balk at the opportunity to bring in the Quebec native to play in his home province. The price was steep but fair: Mikhail Sergachev, who at the time was deemed a top defensive prospect but barely had any NHL experience.
Yet the move was puzzling. Sergachev, whom the Canadiens selected ninth overall in 2016, looked to be the exact piece the team desperately needed: an offensive-minded, puck-moving defenseman.
Drouin's an extremely talented forward, but he didn't address a glaring need for Montreal, and the move also dug a deeper hole on its blue line. Meanwhile, Sergachev has developed nicely in Tampa Bay, and Drouin has struggled to stay consistent. This was one of Bergevin's rare misses.
Grade: C-
Robbing Blackhawks of Danault
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In what was probably the best move of Bergevin's time with the Canadiens, he somehow pawned off Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann on the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Phillip Danault and a second-round draft pick that was eventually used to select Alexander Romanov.
The Blackhawks didn't expect Danault to magically become a Selke-caliber two-way center when he tossed on the Canadiens sweater. Is it fair to think Bergevin knew what he was getting in him? Bergevin was the Blackhaks' assistant GM when they drafted Danault with the 26th pick in 2011.
The move couldn't have paid off more for the Canadiens. A small deadline deal that sent away two bottom-six veteran forwards earned Montreal its No. 1 shutdown center for years to come, and it also landed the team one of its top defensive prospects in Romanov. To make matters worse for Chicago, Weise and Fleischmann combined for two goals and four assists across 34 games and managed one goal in four playoff contests.
Grade: A+
Honorable mentions: Acquiring Jeff Petry from the Edmonton Oilers; trading Alex Galchenyuk for Max Domi
Marc Bergevin's time with the Montreal Canadiens has come to an end following nearly 10 years. After taking over as the general manager of the illustrious franchise in May 2012, he became one of the NHL's most active executives.
Montreal had a roller coaster of success and failure during his time, making the playoffs six times while reaching the Stanley Cup Final once and the Eastern Conference Final twice. Bergevin certainly made a number of massive moves to try to improve the Habs during his time at the helm, but he wasn't able to piece everything together to form a championship roster.
With the Canadiens set to usher in a new era under newly hired vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, let's take a look back at five of Bergevin's franchise-altering moves during his tenure.
Dealing Subban for Weber
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
There were rumblings at the time that the relationship between P.K. Subban and the Canadiens organization wasn't great, but trading one of the most popular players the franchise had in years still seemed like a long shot. Not only was Subban electric on the ice, but fans adored him.
In June 2016, moments after the shocking Taylor Hall-for-Adam Larsson trade, it was announced that the Canadiens dealt Subban to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber. Similar to Subban in Montreal, Weber was the face of the franchise in Nashville and a true legend of the team. The deal sent shockwaves throughout the NHL, receiving mixed feedback.
To this day, people still debate who won the trade. Ultimately, it seemed to work out pretty well for both sides. Subban played an integral role in Nashville during his first season en route to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. The Canadiens got their future captain and one of the league's most respected veterans. Fast forward to today, and Subban is no longer the dominant Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman he once was, while Weber is on the verge of retirement due to injury.
It's fair to say Bergevin took a massive gamble and came away a winner. The fanbase was shocked at first but quickly welcomed and adored Weber. He anchored the blue line over the last five seasons and did everything that was asked of him. You can't ask for much more than that.
Grade: B+
Moving on from Pacioretty
Christopher Pasatieri / National Hockey League / Getty
This surely had to be one of the toughest moves of Bergevin's tenure. Max Pacioretty was a fan favorite and one of the most consistent goal scorers the club had seen in decades. Shortly after being named captain in 2015, things seemed to sour between Pacioretty and the organization, which ultimately led to him being traded.
Bergevin undoubtedly hit a home run on this one. Getting Nick Suzuki - who's quickly developing into a legitimate No. 1 center - along with Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick from the Vegas Golden Knights was a fantastic haul. It also worked out for the Golden Knights, as Pacioretty has continued to dominate.
One thing that we've learned over the last decade is that Bergevin isn't scared to make a big trade or shake things up. Making this deal got the Canadiens the franchise center they'd been looking for forever and put the team in a much better position to be competitive for years to come.
Grade: A
Breaking the bank for Price
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
The Canadiens have taken a lot of flack ever since they signed Carey Price to his hefty contract. With an annual cap hit of $10.5 million, he still remains the league's highest-paid goalie. Bergevin isn't to blame for this one, though. His hands were tied, and if he didn't sign Price at the time, another team surely would've backed up the Brinks truck.
Price was the nearly undisputed best goalie in the world when he signed in 2017. As he just showed with his performance last postseason, he's arguably still in the running for that title. Price followed up his dominant 2014-15 Hart Trophy-winning campaign with two more great seasons, so Montreal signing him to an eight-year, $84-million contract was inevitable.
Sure, Bergevin could've let Price walk into free agency and let another team pay him. It's impossible to say how the Habs would look today if Price signed elsewhere. But there's no doubt he has the utmost respect of his teammates and players around the league, and he's still seen as one of the top netminders in the world. The contract definitely makes Montreal's cap situation tricky, but Bergevin had to do it.
Grade: B-
Bringing Drouin back home
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Jonathan Drouin wasn't happy with his role and progression in Tampa Bay after being selected third overall in 2013. Bergevin took note and didn't balk at the opportunity to bring in the Quebec native to play in his home province. The price was steep but fair: Mikhail Sergachev, who at the time was deemed a top defensive prospect but barely had any NHL experience.
Yet the move was puzzling. Sergachev, whom the Canadiens selected ninth overall in 2016, looked to be the exact piece the team desperately needed: an offensive-minded, puck-moving defenseman.
Drouin's an extremely talented forward, but he didn't address a glaring need for Montreal, and the move also dug a deeper hole on its blue line. Meanwhile, Sergachev has developed nicely in Tampa Bay, and Drouin has struggled to stay consistent. This was one of Bergevin's rare misses.
Grade: C-
Robbing Blackhawks of Danault
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
In what was probably the best move of Bergevin's time with the Canadiens, he somehow pawned off Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann on the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Phillip Danault and a second-round draft pick that was eventually used to select Alexander Romanov.
The Blackhawks didn't expect Danault to magically become a Selke-caliber two-way center when he tossed on the Canadiens sweater. Is it fair to think Bergevin knew what he was getting in him? Bergevin was the Blackhaks' assistant GM when they drafted Danault with the 26th pick in 2011.
The move couldn't have paid off more for the Canadiens. A small deadline deal that sent away two bottom-six veteran forwards earned Montreal its No. 1 shutdown center for years to come, and it also landed the team one of its top defensive prospects in Romanov. To make matters worse for Chicago, Weise and Fleischmann combined for two goals and four assists across 34 games and managed one goal in four playoff contests.
Grade: A+
Honorable mentions: Acquiring Jeff Petry from the Edmonton Oilers; trading Alex Galchenyuk for Max Domi
Leon Draisaitl is on a historic pace nearly a quarter of the way into the NHL season, but the Edmonton Oilers superstar doesn't think he'll keep it up.
Through 19 games, Draisaitl has collected 20 goals and 20 assists. That projects to 86 goals and 86 assists in 82 games.
"I guess it's a little crazy to think that I'm going to score 50 goals in 50 games," Draisaitl said when asked what it would mean to him if he could accomplish the feat after the Oilers defeated the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday. Draisaitl scored two goals and added two assists.
"Obviously, right now, pucks are going in for me, but this is a tough league to score in so I don't expect to hit that stat at all. Obviously going to keep shooting - if they go in, great. I know there's going to come times where they're probably not going to go in."
He's the first Oilers player besides Wayne Gretzky to record 40 points prior to the 20-game mark in a season, according to Sportsnet Stats. Draisaitl is also the first NHL player to record 40 points through 19 games since Mario Lemieux scored 44 and Jaromir Jagr scored 41 during the 1995-96 campaign.
Since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, Draisaitl ranks second in the league with 339 points in 228 games. He trails only teammate Connor McDavid, who has 354 points in 217 contests. Brad Marchand and Patrick Kane each have 277 points, though Marchand did it in 218 games to Kane's 222.
Asked to discuss the idea of an 82-goal season, Draisaitl said it's a nearly impossible task.
"You expect me to score 82 goals this year? That's not gonna happen," Draisaitl laughed. "Obviously playing with 97 (McDavid) makes it a lot easier - a lot more free ice out there with him. But I don't expect that of myself. That's not anything that's realistic, I think."
Draisaitl leads the NHL in points (40) and goals (20) and ranks second in assists (20).
Wayne Gretzky knows a thing or two about winning the Stanley Cup, and he likes what he's seeing from the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Great One's high praise for the clubs doesn't entirely relate to their on-ice performances, but what he's able to see from the groups off the ice and how they're interacting with one another.
"I went for lunch with Leon Draisaitl, Connor (McDavid), and Darnell Nurse and it reminded me so much of me, Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey having lunch together," Gretzky said Wednesday on Sportsnet 590 The Fan's "Real Kyper and Bourne show." "That they were teasing each other; Leon was disappointed that Connor's passes weren't as good as he thought they should be. And you know what? That's what makes teams successful. That they can tease each other and be on the same page and that ultimately they want to win a championship."
Despite all the star power and dominating the regular season, neither team has been able to achieve any success in the playoffs. Since the 2015-16 season, the Oilers have won one playoff round while the Leafs haven't been victorious at all.
"I remember I left lunch and I said to my wife, 'You know what? This team is so much closer to winning than people understand because these guys are so close and they want to win so badly for each other and I love that,'" Gretzky said. "To me, that's even better when in the locker room these guys are all on the same page. And I feel watching the Leafs play that they have that same camaraderie. It's us, and we're together, and we don't care who scores."
After finishing as the top two teams in the North Division last year, the Maple Leafs currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division while the Oilers are in second in the Pacific Division. The Oilers haven't won the Cup since 1990; the Leafs are searching for their first ring since 1967.
Goaltender Joseph Woll recorded his first NHL shutout in just his second career start in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-0 win over the New York Islanders on Sunday.
The 23-year-old didn't take much of the credit after stopping all 20 shots he faced, instead pointing to his team's effort in front of him.
"It was unbelievable, especially when you see guys going down and blocking shots when it's 3-0 towards the end of the game," Woll said, according to The Hockey News' David Alter. "I think that's really special. I think that's a testament to how strong the culture is and how everyone really likes to support everyone."
His teammates wasted no time to celebrate the accomplishment with Woll both on and off the ice.
Mitch Marner, who scored two goals in the contest, also recognized that the team was on its A-game to make Woll's life a bit easier.
"It's amazing. We talked about how we weren't great last time he was in that net. We gave up a lot of opportunities and didn't really help him much," Marner said.
"Tonight we wanted to come in with a different attitude. I thought we did a pretty good job of that. He still made some very key saves and some big saves on those power plays for them. It's great seeing a kid like that get rewarded. His work ethic is extremely high, he's a great kid to be around and (has) a lot of energy. He deserves it."
The Maple Leafs drafted Woll 62nd overall in 2016. He spent the last two seasons with the AHL's Toronto Marlies but has assumed backup duties to Jack Campbell while Petr Mrazek is sidelined.
Crosby has appeared in just one game for the Penguins this season. The 34-year-old center missed Pittsburgh's first seven contests while recovering from offseason wrist surgery before landing on the COVID-19 list.
The shorthanded Penguins lost 6-3 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Pittsburgh will face the Washington Capitals on Sunday night with Crosby, Dumoulin, Ruhwedel, and Pettersson projected to be in the lineup.
The Washington Capitals re-signed forward Nic Dowd to a three-year contract carrying an average annual value of $1.3 million, the team announced Sunday.
The 31-year-old is in his fourth campaign with the Capitals. Dowd has recorded one goal in nine contests this season while averaging 12:28 of ice time per game. He also leads the club in face-off percentage (56.4).
Dowd set a career-high 11 goals last season in 56 contests. He's posted 36 markers and added 43 assists across 316 career games.
