Numbers don't tell the whole story in hockey. We know this. But we also know numbers can be intriguing, illustrative, enlightening, and sometimes even fun.

Using data from Hockey Reference and Evolving-Hockey - and borrowing ESPN football writer Bill Barnwell's "blind items" format - we're going to break down notable NHL numbers in a unique way.

In the four sections below, you'll be greeted by a table featuring a bunch of statistics assigned to unnamed players. By the end of each section, you'll understand exactly why these particular stats have been grouped together.

All right, let's have some fun here.

Blind item No. 1

A good place to look for offensive dominance is the primary points leaderboard. A secondary assist can be valuable but not nearly as much as a goal or primary assist. To truly get a feel for the cream of the crop, we'll also exclude special-teams action and focus solely on five-on-five production. After all, it's more impressive to dominate at even strength, right?

This filtration process brings us to the mystery players above.

Player A is Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl in 2019-20. At five-on-five that season, Draisaitl recorded 22 goals and 21 primary assists in 71 games. He went on to win the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player.

Player B is Oilers captain Connor McDavid in 2020-21. At five-on-five that season, McDavid put up 18 goals and 28 primary assists in 56 games. McDavid, the best hockey player on the planet, earned the second MVP award of his career.

Player C is Johnny Gaudreau in 2021-22. At five-on-five this season, Calgary's crafty winger has racked up 14 goals and 26 primary assists in 50 games. Gaudreau's nightly primary points rate (0.80) is better than the 2019-20 Hart winner, mirrors the 2020-21 Hart winner, and paces all 2021-22 NHLers.

Most impressively, the creative and elusive Flames star has a commanding lead in the five-on-five primary points category. As of Friday morning, Gaudreau's 40 is followed by Kirill Kaprizov (32); Nazem Kadri and Matthew Tkachuk (31); Auston Matthews (30); Dylan Larkin (29); and McDavid, Draisaitl, and Alex Ovechkin (28).

Gaudreau, a pending unrestricted free agent, isn't a shoo-in to win the Hart. But he's certainly a contender, with 64 total points (tied for fourth in the league) and strong defensive metrics. Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and center Elias Lindholm are a frightening trio in all three zones of the ice - a gigantic reason the Flames sit atop the Pacific Division and look primed for a deep playoff run.

Blind item No. 2

The goalie statistics above are admittedly unsophisticated, but that's on purpose. History has told us the voting body for the Vezina Trophy - a.k.a NHL general managers - tends to hold all-situations save percentage and all-situations goals-against average, as well as wins, in particularly high regard.

Another goalie stat GMs love: Games started. And in the case of the two players above, workload is a major differentiator. This year, among NHL goalies, Player A is 17th in starts while Player B is tied for 39th.

Player A is Igor Shesterkin, who has started 32 contests for the New York Rangers - 15 more than backup Alexandar Georgiev. Player B is Ville Husso, who's started 18 games for the St. Louis Blues - seven fewer than Jordan Binnington, the main masked man during the club's Stanley Cup run in 2019.

Even though Husso is way below the usual starts threshold for a Vezina contender, this side-by-side comparison complements both goalies.

Shesterkin, who's maintained elite numbers all season despite playing behind a so-so defensive squad, is worthy not only of Vezina buzz but also Hart consideration. The Rangers' skaters are indebted to the 26-year-old Russian.

Husso, meanwhile, is providing by far the best bang-for-your-buck goaltending in the league at a $750,000 cap hit. If the Blues don't ink him to an extension before July, he'll be a hot commodity on the free-agent market.

Blind item No. 3

A fun way to reveal Player C's identity is to first show the others: Player A is Sidney Crosby and Player B is Patrick Kane. There's no denying those are two of the NHL's most prolific playmakers over the past handful of years - and, evidently, so is Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau, who is Player C.

Huberdeau, perhaps surprisingly to some, ranks ninth in primary assists per game since 2017-18, the season in which he broke out offensively. Huberdeau's per-game rate (0.47) is just behind Crosby and Kane (0.48) and just ahead of Brad Marchand and Draisaitl (0.46). (For what it's worth, the rest of the top 10 is McDavid at 0.63; Nathan MacKinnon at 0.52; Mitch Marner at 0.51; and Artemi Panarin, Blake Wheeler, and Nikita Kucherov at 0.50.)

What really jumps off the page is Huberdeau's age. At 28, he isn't finished growing as a player. Crosby and Kane have both found extra gears - or, at least, different gears - in their 30s. Why can't Huberdeau? How far up the charts will he rise? And will he also add elements to other parts of his game?

Flashing a mix of speed, smarts, and finesse on a nightly basis year after year, Huberdeau's no longer in Aleksander Barkov's lofty shadow in South Florida. Finally. Yet he's still underrated among the league's fans. If Huberdeau were playing in his native Canada, he'd be a megastar every day of the week.

Blind item No. 4

The numbers above are career stats from five-on-five action only. Player A is Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, and Player B is Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks. To start, let's contextualize their careers more broadly ...

Based on raw production, 22-year-old Quinn is currently setting the family standard, accumulating 138 points in 178 games as a defenseman (0.78 per game). Jack, 20, has 85 points in 148 games as a forward (0.57).

Keep in mind, Quinn, the seventh overall selection in the 2018 draft, arrived on the scene with far less hype than Jack, the No. 1 pick in 2019. On the surface, then, Quinn has lived up to expectations better than Jack. That dynamic could definitely change in the years to come, but there's no debate right now - especially since Jack's defensive metrics aren't sparkling either.

As for the five-on-five stats, it's interesting to see the brothers line up similarly in the first two categories - both of their teams' shot-attempt differentials are around 51% when they're on the ice, and both brothers are being deployed in offensive roles. And then there's Jack beating Quinn in points per 60, which can be a better measurement than points per game because of differing ice times.

Underlying numbers can sometimes hint that something's bubbling beneath the surface. That, perhaps, it's ice time, quality of linemates, or percentages - not talent - holding a player back. Will we be talking about Jack breaking out next season because he's seeing a bump in ice time, surrounded by more talent, and getting the bounces? Does that five-on-five points rate continue to climb alongside improved power-play production?

The curveball is the third Hughes brother, Luke. The University of Michigan defenseman, picked fourth overall by Jack's Devils last year, is on his way.

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Monday marks exactly one month until the NHL trade deadline.

Based on the current standings divide - clear haves and have-nots - and the latest buzz from the rumor mill, the leadup to March 21 should be thrilling.

The first domino to fall was forward Tyler Toffoli being sent from Montreal to Calgary last week. The Flames got ahead of the curve. Who's next? And where could some notable names ultimately end up?

Here are the best fits for trade season's most high-profile players:

Claude Giroux

Giroux, the 34-year-old captain and leading scorer for the Philadelphia Flyers, is the crown jewel of trade season. However, due to a couple of factors, the list of teams seriously in the running for Giroux shouldn't be long.

First of all, Giroux has a full no-move clause in his contract, meaning he and his agent - not the Flyers - are setting the tone for trade negotiations. Secondly, since the pending unrestricted free agent makes $8.275 million against the cap, salary retention by the Flyers and/or a third team appears necessary, as every contender is at or close to the $81.5-million upper limit.

Giroux's no longer in his prime but still quite productive with 38 points in 46 games. He's a two-way forward who can line up at center or wing and provide some value on special teams. His leadership qualities are a cherry on top.

The Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers are reportedly among the interested teams. And while the high-octane Avs certainly aren't desperate for firepower up front - Giroux or otherwise - there's absolutely no better landing spot than Colorado for a veteran chasing his first Stanley Cup.

General manager Joe Sakic is unsurprisingly all-in on the 36-9-4 Avs, and he has enough good but expendable NHLers, prospects, and draft picks at his disposal to pull off a trade of this magnitude. In other words, if Sakic can find a way to make the money work, acquiring Giroux shouldn't be terribly difficult.

Plan B for clubs on the hunt for a high-impact rental forward? San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl - though his situation is complicated as well.

Hertl, who's recorded 40 points in 49 games, has a modified no-trade clause centered around a three-team "trade list," according to CapFriendly. That could shrink the market significantly. Also, there's a non-zero chance he re-signs with the Sharks before the deadline. That said, Hertl's name is in the rumor mill, and the Minnesota Wild and Boston Bruins are two obvious fits.

Phil Kessel's stock may have dropped over the past few months, but he remains another name to watch. The rebuilding Arizona Coyotes are highly motivated to flip their pending UFAs, and Kessel has a track record of playoff success. His destination will likely depend on the fates of Giroux and Hertl.

The wild card is Joe Pavelski. If his Dallas Stars opt to sell - which, given the team's rollercoaster season, is probably a 50/50 bet - there'll be no shortage of interest in Pavelski. The point-per-game contributor is well-respected, wildly competitive, and clutch in the playoffs.

J.T. Miller

The high amount of turnover in NHL front offices (six new GMs or interim GMs over the past calendar year) seems to have led to a more robust market than usual for notable forwards under team control beyond the current season.

For instance, the Vancouver Canucks' revamped front office is still getting its sea legs, yet changes to the roster are undoubtedly coming. The question is, when does the wheeling and dealing start? As soon as possible? Before or at the draft?

Miller, whose cap hit is a palatable $5.25 million this year and next, has been tied to the New York Rangers, his former club, for a while. The speedy and versatile forward would also look fantastic on a pace-pushing contender, like the Avs, Panthers, or Carolina Hurricanes. Or perhaps Miller stays put, and management instead ships out Brock Boeser (pending restricted free agent in the rumor mill) and/or Conor Garland (current deal runs through 2025-26).

Montreal's Artturi Lehkonen, Arizona's Lawson Crouse, and Detroit's Filip Zadina are three other RFA forwards believed to be on the trade block.

Lehkonen and his $2.3-million AAV counts as the most desirable for contending clubs. A defensively minded winger on pace for career highs in goals and points, Lehkonen could provide a tidy upgrade in the bottom-six.

John Klingberg

Klingberg, a pending UFA, is the biggest name on the defensemen market.

The puck-moving Swede asked for a trade out of Dallas earlier this season, and his agent has been in contact with interested teams. Ultimately, though, the Stars hold all of the power, and, similar to the Pavelski situation, there's no guarantee Klingberg gets moved because Dallas is pushing for a playoff spot.

Klingberg hasn't done himself or the Stars any favors this season, playing poorly under the spotlight. Nevertheless, he's a skillful top-four D-man attached to a decent AAV of $4.25 million. The Hurricanes are a logical fit. Carolina doesn't have the cap space right now, so it'll require Dallas or a third team to eat 50% of Klingberg's salary before trade talks can really intensify.

Backups for those who strike out on Klingberg include Seattle's Mark Giordano, Montreal's Ben Chiarot, and Philadelphia's Justin Braun. Over the weekend, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Ilya Lyubushkin for blue-line depth, but they've also, at some point or another, been linked to all three names listed above. Braun, a cheap and trusty righty, would be a smart pickup for Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, who should continue improving his squad.

Jakob Chychrun

The huge gap between the NHL's very best and very worst teams seems to have opened the door for a few deadline deals involving non-rental D-men.

Despite being only 23 years old, Chychrun is in his sixth NHL season and has all of the tools to be a team's No. 1 guy on the back end. He showed as much last year, leading all defensemen in goals with 18 in 56 games while keeping the talent-deprived Coyotes afloat in other areas of the ice. He's a bonafide stud.

Chychrun has taken a step back this season - much like every Coyote, to be fair - but the combination of his ceiling and friendly contract ($4.6-million AAV for three years after 2021-22) should attract offers from 90% of the league. Not unlike the situation with Miller and the Canucks, however, there's no rush to trade Chychrun. The Coyotes could even wait until the offseason.

Montreal's Jeff Petry ($6.25 million through 2024-25) and the New York Islanders' Scott Mayfield ($1.45 million through 2022-23) are other notables with term on their deals. Petry's season has been disastrous, and his AAV would be a tough pill to swallow for a contender. So teams shopping for a D-man (Carolina, Toronto, Boston, Florida, St. Louis) will likely target the sturdy Mayfield.

Marc-Andre Fleury

It's rare for a starting goalie to be moved at the deadline, but the circumstances might be just right for a swap involving the 37-year-old Fleury.

The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is motivated to chase a third Cup in what could be his final NHL season. And if the Chicago Blackhawks and/or a basement dweller like Seattle, Arizona, or Buffalo can retain a portion of Fleury's expiring contract ($7-million AAV), there's a deal to be made.

The Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, and Washington Capitals - all of whom are currently in a playoff spot - need help in goal. In Vegas, a recent injury to Robin Lehner led to speculation of a potential Fleury-Vegas reunion, though GM Kelly McCrimmon shot down the rumor. That's not to say Fleury won't end up back in Golden Knights threads; if Lehner is out long term, and Fleury can mend his relationship with management, why not?

Meanwhile, Edmonton could theoretically keep their current goaltending tandem intact, but it simply can't afford to throw away another year with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Fleury would give the Oilers a better chance at a deep playoff run than Mike Smith. They need his stability.

Detroit's Thomas Greiss, Dallas' Braden Holtby, Columbus' Joonas Korpisalo, and Vancouver's Jaroslav Halak round out the group of intriguing UFA goalies.

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Well, that was anticlimactic.

Jack Eichel may have flashed his elite skating and playmaking abilities Wednesday in a 17-minute debut for the Vegas Golden Knights, but overall, his performance was underwhelming. The former Buffalo Sabres star center recorded one shot on goal, won eight of 19 draws, took two penalties, and was on the ice for one of Colorado's goals in a 2-0 loss.

Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer told reporters postgame that it was a "great first step" for Eichel, who's jumping onto a moving train following a nearly year-long layoff. DeBoer's not wrong, Eichel will be fine in time.

Of course, the more interesting part of Eichel's debut was the manner in which he was activated off long-term injured reserve (LTIR). Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon announced Monday that captain and presumed Eichel linemate Mark Stone and his $9.5-million salary-cap hit would be placed on LTIR, freeing more than enough space to fit Eichel's $10 million.

Stone, who missed time earlier this season, is dealing with a nagging back problem. Yet the convenient timing of his move to LTIR raised more than a few conspiratorial eyebrows across the hockey world. Similar to Patrick Kane and Nikita Kucherov in 2015 and 2021, respectively, Stone could potentially be reinserted into the lineup for the first game of the playoffs, where teams can exceed the limit because there's no postseason salary cap.

(It's also possible Stone returns prior to the playoffs, which would force Vegas to shed salary ahead of the March 21 trade deadline. McCrimmon has said Stone's recovery timeline is currently "impossible to predict.")

I poked around a bit this week to see if rival team executives were irked by what appears on the surface to be another convenient LTIR situation.

The consensus view from a few conversations: The 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks, 2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning, and (perhaps) the 2021-22 Golden Knights aren't doing anything egregious. LTIR rules, which were agreed upon by the NHL and NHLPA in collective bargaining, allow this kind of maneuvering given the player is, in fact, injured. Clubs are just finding a competitive advantage within the CBA's scope.

"I know the league is making sure teams aren't abusing their LTIR - and I don't think anyone's abusing it, to be clear - but it's a loophole and teams are jumping through it," one executive said. "It sort of is what it is."

"Someday it might be us," the exec said, laughing.

"Look," a second executive said, "if the Leafs traded for a really good player and Auston Matthews got hurt and they shut him down for three months and brought him back for the playoffs, so be it. There's a level playing field here."

If anyone has an issue with what's going on, fingers should be pointing at the NHL and the players' union, not the teams. Besides, if enough influential people started voicing their displeasure behind the scenes, the league could theoretically rewrite the LTIR rules to punish a team for exploiting this loophole by, say, not allowing the injured player to compete in the first game or two of the playoffs.

"They can definitely amend it with the players' consent," the first exec noted. "I've always thought a good solution is to just put in some kind of penalty."

Or, as the second exec pointed out, let teams continue to do the LTIR dance as is. There's no guarantee it'll work out, anyway. Vegas, for instance, is not only without its No. 1 winger for an extended period but is also unable to test out a line of Eichel-Stone-Max Pacioretty until, potentially, the playoffs.

"Yeah, you're benefiting from the salary cap, and so on and so forth, but you're also hurting your team," the second exec said.

Wild's quiet dominance

Six teams currently boast a points percentage of .700 or higher, and five of them (Colorado, Florida, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Toronto) are generating plenty of buzz as legitimate Stanley Cup front-runners.

Minnesota - the other .700 team - has been, from my observations, mainly labeled a fringe contender. It's a bit unfair, although the disconnect may be as simple as this: The Wild's biggest strength is their depth, and depth isn't sexy.

Kirill Kaprizov is the Wild's lone star attraction, with the crafty Russian winger tied for seventh in league scoring with 59 points in 44 contests. Yet, since another 11 Wild skaters have points-per-game rates of 0.50 or higher, Minnesota owns the third-best offense as measured by goals per game (3.8).

Dean Evason's team comes at the opposition in waves.

"We want to be an aggressive team, a team that's attacking at all times and on the right side of the puck at all times," captain Jared Spurgeon said in an interview earlier this week. "Having that depth definitely helps keep us fresh. Guys can go over the boards feeling like they're really able to attack, attack."

Six players have already reached double digits in goals - Kaprizov (22), Ryan Hartman (19), Marcus Foligno (17), Joel Eriksson Ek (15), Mats Zuccarello (15), and Kevin Fiala (14). Matt Boldy has dealt with multiple injuries in his rookie season but is close to joining the list; in 14 games, the rangy winger has pitched in seven goals (including a hat trick Monday) and seven assists.

"He's pretty special," Spurgeon said of Boldy. "Just the way he can shield the puck from opponents and the vision he has on the ice - not just passing-wise and how he can create for his linemates, but he also has a great shot."

"For being 20 years old, Bolds is so mature and so calm and cool with the puck," the blue-liner added. "He's very confident in his skill set, but at the same time, he's just out there having fun, making plays. He's been awesome."

The depth extends to other areas. Ice time is split fairly evenly between the top two defensive pairings, and between the pipes, starter Cam Talbot (29 starts) is sharing the workload with the promising Kaapo Kahkonen (16).

Amazingly, the Wild have had only one extended losing streak all season, dropping five straight games from Dec. 11 to Jan. 1, despite playing in a competitive Central Division.

"We have a mature group, and we know what we need to fix. So the next night we try to get back to our game," said Spurgeon, the longest-tenured Wild player. "It's the maturity of the group and the depth that we have at all positions."

You can say that again.

3 stunning Habs stats

The Montreal Canadiens have earned 25 points in 49 games for a .255 points percentage, the lowest rate since the salary cap was introduced in 2005-06.

The Habs' results thus far have been worse than the 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings (.275) and 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche (.293). They're even well behind this year's so-obviously tanking Arizona Coyotes (.292). Trades made ahead of the March 21 deadline (like Tyler Toffoli earlier this week) will do nothing to help the on-ice product in Montreal.

Extreme winning/losing tends to bring out stunning stats. Here's a few:

The Canadiens have lost by three or more goals 23 times. In 2022 alone, they've lost 14 of their 16 games - eight of them by three or more goals, including blowouts of 8-2, 7-2, and 7-1. Sad and demoralizing.

Montreal is the only team without a player in the top 100 in scoring. Nick Suzuki is tied for 126th (28 points). Toffoli, who's now with Calgary, is tied for 142nd (27). Jonathan Drouin and Artturi Lehkonen are both tied for 227th (20).

The Habs have a five-on-five expected goals against per 60 minutes rate of 2.81. In other words, not only are they losing often, and by a lot, but they're also getting destroyed territorially. Since shot-based metrics started being tracked in 2007-08, only the 2010-11 Islanders (2.84) and 2012-13 Hurricanes (2.82) have recorded worse five-on-five xGA/60 rates, according to Evolving Hockey.

Parting thoughts

Old guard: What a week for dudes over 30. Drew Doughty, 32, played in his 1,000th game. Sidney Crosby, 34, became the 46th player in NHL history to reach 500 goals. Alex Ovechkin, 36, scored his 30th and 31st of the season to stay in the hunt for the "Rocket" Richard and Hart trophies. And Jaromir Jagr, who turned 50 on Tuesday, laced up in Czechia's top pro league.

Dallas Stars: Of the NHL's 32 teams, the Stars might be the biggest unknown with just a month left before the trade deadline. They're right around the playoff cut line in the Western Conference and certainly have enough talent to secure a postseason spot down the stretch. Yet John Klingberg is reportedly on the trade block and Joe Pavelski, if made available, would be a hot commodity. That's two veterans who could command a haul of draft picks and prospects. Is it worth selling, though? Does general manager Jim Nill instead stand pat? Buy, even?

Sam Reinhart: Following seven dreadful seasons in Buffalo, Reinhart is enjoying a career year with the juggernaut Florida Panthers, recording 45 points in as many games. The 26-year-old winger is also enjoying how the intensity can really ratchet up in the regular season when there's something to play for. That said, as Reinhart humorously pointed out to reporters after Florida's 3-2 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, it's all so fresh.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The past five months have been miserable for the Philadelphia Flyers. After two giant losing skids of 10 and 13 games, the Metropolitan Division club sits 26th in points percentage at the All-Star break.

Captain Claude Giroux, the Flyers' MVP so far with 35 points in 42 games, is the team's All-Star representative this weekend in Las Vegas. He'll compete in a skills event where players are tasked with shooting pucks into targets outside at the famous fountains of the Bellagio hotel. More intriguingly, though, Giroux will reportedly sit down with agent Pat Brisson in Vegas to discuss his future.

Giroux, 34, is a pending unrestricted free agent with a full no-movement clause. The careerlong Flyer, who makes $8.275 million annually against the cap, has all of the power in the lead-up to the March 21 trade deadline. "It will be Claude's decision," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher told reporters last week.

Let's assume for a moment that Giroux does want to chase a Stanley Cup elsewhere. In no particular order, here are four possible landing spots:

Calgary Flames: With the Western Conference wide-open beyond Colorado and Vegas, the Flames are already primed for a playoff run. If Calgary can make the money work, why not pursue Giroux to upgrade the second line? Giroux can play both center and the wing and would have no issues blending into head coach Darryl Sutter's structure.

Minnesota Wild: The Wild are going to be in salary-cap hell starting next season thanks to the buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Pursuing a rental of Giroux's caliber - while they still can - could be worth the risk. Minnesota may not be in the top tier of Cup contenders, but they're awfully close. Acquiring Giroux would reward a devoted fan base before the cap pain hits.

Boston Bruins: The Bruins currently have $1.7 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly, so a third team would most likely need to be involved in a Giroux-to-Boston trade. That complicates the maneuver, of course, but the Bruins are still searching for a second-line center in the post-David Krejci era. Do desperate times call for desperate measures with only so many years left with this core?

Colorado Avalanche: Similar to Boston and its cap situation, Colorado is near the upper limit, which means a third team might be required to pull off a deal of this magnitude. That said, GM Joe Sakic is undoubtedly pushing all of his chips to the middle of the table this year, so the Avs can't be excluded from any trade discussion involving star talent.

Gagner still evolving

Ten years ago Wednesday, Sam Gagner had the game of his life.

The crafty center torched the Chicago Blackhawks for four goals and four assists in an 8-4 win for the Edmonton Oilers. To that point, a player had recorded eight or more points in a game only 15 times in league history. Gagner's explosion counts as the first and only eight-pointer this century.

Gagner - drafted sixth overall in 2007 thanks to his creativity with the puck and offensive instincts - is now a Swiss Army knife and mentor in Detroit. The Red Wings acquired him ahead of the 2020 trade deadline, and the team's re-signed him to cheap, one-year deals in the past two offseasons.

"I like to think my perspective throughout the years has helped me stay around as long as I have," Gagner told me in November. "The things I've learned, hopefully, I can impart that on some guys in our group."

Gagner's come full circle in a way - suiting up for the Wings during a substantial rebuild years after breaking into the league amid an Oilers rebuild. Twists and turns from his previous six stops (including two in Edmonton) have left him grateful for his role in Detroit as a bottom-six forward who kills penalties.

"There's only so many top-six minutes available, only so many power-play minutes available, and if you can add value in other areas, it helps you become an effective player in this league," said Gagner, who has 15 points in 47 contests while leading Wings forwards in shorthanded ice time per game.

"A lot of times in this league, once a player gets to a certain age, you think that's what he is," he added. "The coaching staff here has been really helpful in finding a different layer to my game and helping me get there. Hopefully, it helps me extend my career, and we can build a winner here."

Russia's goalie factory

The past two Stanley Cups were won with goaltending from a Russian (Andrei Vasilevskiy). This year's Vezina Trophy will likely be claimed by a Russian (Igor Shesterkin). The team atop the standings is backstopped by a Russian (Sergei Bobrovsky). One of the position's rising stars is Russian (Ilya Sorokin). The world's top netminding prospect is Russian (Yaroslav Askarov).

You get the point: Russia is producing star puck-stoppers at a striking rate.

But why? Adam Francilia, a private goalie development coach/trainer who works with 10 NHLers, theorizes Russia has become so good because they don't try to shove goaltenders into a box at a young age. Instead, the "least robotic nation" encourages creativity and experimentation, which leads to well-rounded and adaptable goalies like Vasilevskiy, Shesterkin, and Sorokin.

"They teach all of the tools in the toolbox," Francilia said. "They expect all of their goalies to be able to use all of those tools, and then they let the goalies themselves decide which of those tools to use and how often they use them."

Finland, which has adopted a similar strategy, according to Francilia, is second on the goalie guru's power rankings. Canada, Sweden, and to a lesser extent, the USA, are too "cookie-cutter" in their approach to netminder development.

"Goaltending is equal parts science and art - that left-brain, right-brain thing," Francilia said. "In North America, we have to do a much better job of allowing the artistic side within these guys to come out. We have to stop and say, 'OK, let's take the tools you've learned so far and go discover who the artist is.'"

Jeannot does it all

At the break, there are three sure-fire Calder Trophy candidates: Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks, and Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond of the Red Wings. Each has a legitimate case to win rookie of the year.

Another Detroit player, goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, and Florida Panthers two-way forward Anton Lundell would probably round out most voters' ballots right now.

One rookie who doesn't seem to be getting his due is Tanner Jeannot, the Nashville Predators' feisty sharpshooter. Jeannot quietly leads all first-year players in goals (14), and only one has been on the power play.

"His game has so much substance to it," Nashville's head coach John Hynes said in a recent interview. "He doesn't really play on the power play (only 14:25 all year). He's one of our top-two penalty killers. He plays 15, 16 minutes a night total, and it's mostly hard minutes, a lot of D-zone starts. And he's producing offense in probably the most difficult way you can - at even strength."

It's rare for a rookie, even one as mature as the 24-year-old Jeannot, to embody the identity of his team. The crash-and-bang Preds rank first in the NHL in total fights and fifth in hits per game, with Jeannot leading the way in both categories (eight fights and 151 hits through 46 contests). The 6-foot-2 pest feeds off the intensity.

"It's no fluke: Tanner's a big, strong guy who's a fierce competitor," Hynes said. "He's got the physical abilities to play physical. Him, Yakov Trenin, Colton Sissons, and Mark Borowiecki - these guys are competitive, and they play hard. They're not just guys who run around, hit guys, fight. They've got good instincts, they can score. And Tanner's definitely been a big part of that."

Parting thoughts

Rocky Wirtz: A few days later, I'm still trying to process the toddler-style outburst from the Chicago Blackhawks owner. Zero accountability from somebody who should be begging for the public's respect. I can't imagine how Kyle Beach (and other Brad Aldrich victims) felt while watching Wirtz's condescending and combative responses to fair questions from reporters. There could be new lawsuits filed against the Hawks soon, according to TSN.

Skill competition: From a pure curiosity standpoint, I'm looking forward to the Fountains of Bellagio event this weekend. Two old-school events - fastest skater and hardest shot - also have my attention. Predictions for top three finishers: Connor McDavid (duh), Adrian Kempe, and Jordan Kyrou in fastest skater, and Victor Hedman, Adam Pelech, and Timo Meier in hardest shot.

Florida Panthers: There's a debate to be had over who the best team in the NHL is, but Florida is unquestionably the scariest offensive squad. The Panthers are relentless on the attack. Their speedy skaters and dizzying puck movement leave opponents lost on defense. They've scored eight goals in a contest three times, just one off the salary-cap era record with 35 games remaining. The 32-10-5 club boasts an incredible 11 players with 20 or more points at the break, including Jonathan Huberdeau and his league-leading 64.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There's a quote attributed to Jacques Plante that still hits the mark today, nearly a half-century after the legendary Montreal Canadien's last game.

"Only a goalie," Plante said, "Can appreciate what a goalie goes through."

Back then, Plante was probably talking about pain thresholds in an era of primitive equipment. In 2022, his quote can relate to the overall sophistication of the position: Playing goalie is arguably the most unique role in all of sports, and oftentimes, we non-goalies like to lean on experts for nuanced analysis.

With that in mind, and with NHL All-Star festivities starting Friday, theScore reached out to five goaltending experts to form a midseason roundtable:

• Darren Pang - TV analyst for TNT and other outlets, former NHL goalie
• Adam Francilia - private goalie development coach/trainer
• John Healy - vice-president of data collection for Clear Sight Analytics
• Rob Gherson - founder/coach for Conscious Goaltending, former AHL goalie
• Paul Campbell - writer for InGoal Magazine

In five separate conversations, we asked the experts four main questions:

• Who are your Vezina Trophy frontrunners halfway through the season?
• Who do you consider to be in the "truly elite" tier of NHL goalies?
• Which goalie has the highest ceiling among the 26-and-under group?
• If you could pick any active goalie, who would you start in a Game 7?

OK, let's get to their answers and rationale.

Vezina frontrunners

All hail Igor Shesterkin.

Every single expert had the New York Rangers' star goalie either as their clear-cut midseason Vezina pick or part of a very small group of leading candidates.

"Both from the eye test and from any statistical measure that we have," Campbell said, "he is a frontrunner this year."

"They're going from Hank to Shesterkin with no hiccup," Healy said of the post-Henrik Lundqvist era in New York. "It's like going from Favre to Rodgers. You go from great to great."

Among the 32 netminders with 800 or more minutes played, Shesterkin leads the NHL in save percentage (.937), goals saved above average (25.64), and goals saved above expected (23.51), according to Evolving Hockey. (The 26-year-old Russian was also first in theScore's latest Vezina power rankings.)

Healy and the staff at Clear Sight Analytics manually track and categorize every scoring chance generated in NHL games. This thorough data set allows them to grade the defensive environments each puck-stopper operates within and ultimately offer a fuller picture of who's excelling between the pipes.

As displayed below, Shesterkin sits second to St. Louis' Ville Husso in one key Clear Sight stat - SV% Differential, which measures the gap between a goalie's SV% and the expected SV% of an average goalie in the same environment.

To summarize, Shesterkin is putting up tremendous numbers while not only playing behind an unspectacular defensive squad but also facing twice as many scoring chances as Husso. Another layer of context: Shesterkin's performing at a rockstar level under the lights of Madison Square Garden.

"Those external parameters can't be underestimated," said Francilia, whose client list features 10 NHL netminders, including Connor Hellebuyck and Frederik Andersen. "As far as Shesterkin's play is concerned, he's just been so consistent, so reliable. I love the structure and foundation in his game."

Juuse Saros was the only other goalie all five experts labeled a Vezina frontrunner. The 5-foot-11 heir to Pekka Rinne's throne in Nashville followed up a phenomenal stretch run in 2020-21 with a .927 SV% in 38 games this campaign. Saros is well-rounded - supremely athletic and intelligent, plus technically sound. "He doesn't just rely on Cirque du Soleil," Francilia said.

Pang, who's 5-foot-5, is a huge Saros fan. He likes to advocate for goalies of smaller stature, in general, because talent evaluators have developed a strong bias towards tall prospects. He nearly lost it recently when two general managers informed him they'd instructed their scouts to outright ignore all goalies under 6-foot-3.

"To me, that's a little bit silly and disrespectful. There are going to be exceptions to that rule, and Saros certainly is that," Pang said.

Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry, Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Carolina's Andersen also received some frontrunner love. This is where the "who might win" list gets tangled up in the "who should win" list. The voting body (GMs) tends to place a premium on wins, games started, and team success, and all three rank top-five in wins and top-15 in starts while playing for contenders.

As Campbell explains, Vasilevskiy has a distinct "glow" to him as the guy who has won a Vezina, a Conn Smythe, and two Stanley Cups since 2018-19.

"Even when Carey Price started performing more poorly over time, there were a few years when people still recognized him as maybe the best goaltender in the world - if healthy," Campbell said. "Vasilevskiy certainly isn't declining, but he's getting a little boost from that glow so far this year. He's probably going to be in the mix for the Vezina, even though he shouldn't take top spot."

Calgary's Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver's Thatcher Demko, and Toronto's Jack Campbell (no relation to Paul) got passing mentions for the Vezina, too.

'Truly elite' tier

The first and second topics of this exercise may seem redundant.

After all, aren't Vezina front-runners inherently elite? Yes … and also no.

They're elite right now - through the first half of 2021-22. By asking the experts for a list of "truly elite" goalies, on the other hand, we were focusing on the full landscape. Streakiness aside, who are the top dogs at the position?

While nobody offered identical lists, all five experts did tap the Russian Vasilevskiy and the American Hellebuyck as members of the "truly elite" tier.

"Vasilevskiy's such an incredible athlete, and his technical ability is really good, too," said Gherson, who started coaching in 2009 after four years in the minors. "Sometimes he'll do something, and it's like, 'How did he make that save when he was way out in the white ice and came all the way across?' People shouldn't be able to travel that far and still be compact as they move."

Hellebuyck, who is having a down year by his lofty standards, has challenged Vasilevskiy for best-in-the-world status over the past handful of years. The Winnipeg Jets' steadying force was a runner-up for the Vezina in 2017-18, won the award in 2019-20, and then finished fourth on the ballot last year.

Campbell credited Francilia for helping transform Hellebuyck's game.

"The stiller he is, the better he's going to look. The boy is massive," Campbell said of the 6-foot-4, 207-pound Hellebuyck. "He takes up a lot of space, and he knows how to use his body now. He's optimized that. As long as the defense is sufficient - it doesn't have to be great, and rarely is - he's going to be just fine. A lot of pucks are going to hit him, and he's excellent at that."

Meanwhile, both Shesterkin and Saros appeared on four of five lists. The single exclusion wasn't a knock on either goalie - two experts merely had different criteria for crowning a few high-end netminders as "truly elite."

Pang, for instance, divided a group of eight into two camps - Shesterkin, Vasilevskiy, Hellebuyck, and Chicago's Marc-Andre Fleury at the very top, and then Saros, Demko, Markstrom, and Anaheim's John Gibson a cut below.

Francilia left Shesterkin off his "truly elite" list due to a relative lack of NHL experience. (Similar to Pang placing Saros in his second camp, Shesterkin instead made Francilia's "emerging category" alongside Demko and Markstrom.) Joining Vasilevskiy, Hellebuyck, and Saros on the main list? Fleury, Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky, and Andersen, who's having a career year.

Andersen boasts a .929 SV%, 16.49 goals saved above average, and 22.05 goals saved above expected through 30 games with the 31-9-2 Hurricanes.

"Freddie's put a lot of work into stabilizing his body and restructuring his stance so that when he moves, he moves in one piece," Francilia said. "The restructuring has essentially allowed him to keep his head in an optimal position, so his eyes can read the play, and he can see the puck in a much more consistent way. It's almost like the game is slowing down for him."

Highest ceiling

Jarry. Saros. Demko. Husso. Shesterkin. Carter Hart. Alex Nedeljkovic. Ilya Samsonov. Ilya Sorokin. Spencer Knight.

That's an incomplete rundown of NHL puck-stoppers currently age 26 or younger. Plenty of options. Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, all five experts picked Shesterkin as the 26-and-under netminder with the highest ceiling.

"The biggest and, really, only question that I would raise with Shesterkin is that he's injury-prone," Healy said. "So, either he's going to change the way he trains in the summer, or he's going to be a guy where six, seven years from now, his body starts breaking down. The team is going to be like, 'Can we deal with that groin injury for three weeks every season if our goalie is getting a cap hit like Bobrovsky at the $9-10 million mark?' That's tough to swallow."

Gherson, for one, couldn't be higher on Shesterkin's future - the former member of the Rangers organization also worked closely with Benoit Allaire, the club's well-respected goalie coach. In the next breath, Gherson highlighted Jarry's underrated campaign (.923 SV%) and untapped potential.

"He moves very explosively, but when he moves, he also doesn't open up any holes," Gherson said, adding Vegas' Robin Lehner is exceptional at this skill.

Also receiving consideration from the experts in this crystal-ball category: Saros, Demko, the Islanders' Sorokin, and Florida's Knight.

Game 7 guy

Proof of concept.

It's perhaps unfair to his peers - some of which haven't competed in the postseason - but Vasilevskiy's track record of experience and execution is a significant reason why four of five experts chose the future Hall of Famer as their hypothetical Game 7 goalie (Campbell went with Shesterkin).

Vasilevskiy's the last line of defense for the two-time defending champions.

"I just think he's got such a commanding presence, a feel for the net, a feel for the game, and an ability to bounce back after a bad goal," Pang said. "He shrugs things off really, really well. He's intimidating in the net because of his size and his athleticism, too. I think he moves post to post just so, so well."

"How many goalies," Francilia added, "can skate into a Game 7, and before the puck drops, it's already 1-0?"

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When the NHL called Manon Rheaume a couple of weeks ago to ask if she'd be interested in participating in the All-Star Skills Competition - set for this coming weekend in Las Vegas - her answer was a no-brainer.

"Yes, of course," Rheaume thought. "I mean, why not!?"

One problem: Rheaume, the long-retired goaltender who made history by appearing in an NHL exhibition game in September 1992, didn't own suitable gear. Bauer quickly sent Rheaume brand-new equipment so the former Canadian Olympian could squeeze in a few warm-up sessions before Vegas.

"I had not been on the ice in forever," Rheaume said Tuesday in an interview.

"I didn't realize how easy it is to get dressed now as a goalie and how light this stuff is. You can play with it right away. It's all broken in."

Rheaume, who covers the Red Wings as a TV analyst and reporter for Bally Sports Detroit, is one of four "special guests" taking part in Friday's skills event at T-Mobile Arena. The pro hockey trailblazer and current under-12 girls coach will face off against world-class danglers in the Breakaway Challenge, which also features Anaheim Ducks sensation Trevor Zegras.

"I hope the puck is going to touch me at some point," Rheaume joked.

While waiting at the airport for her flight from Detroit to Vegas, Rheaume chatted with theScore about a variety of topics - breaking new ground 30 years ago, the state of women's hockey, the rebuilding Wings, and more.

(Note: The following conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.)

Let's go back to 1992. You arrive in Tampa, Florida, for Lightning training camp. What are your expectations for the on-ice portion of the camp and also for how you'd be received off the ice by teammates, coaches, etc.?

It's funny, because back then I was 20 years old, and I had zero expectations. I had no idea how this whole experience would change my life. When I was younger, a lot of people would say no to me because I was a girl. They didn't want me to play at the highest level. And then suddenly, after getting cut three or four times, one coach picked the best goalie, and he picked me. So I played two years, bantam AA. And then (the next level) was midget AAA, and they invited everyone who had played AA except for me. Because I was a girl.

I faced so much of that along the way that when I got invited to Tampa, I told myself I didn't want to have any regrets, and I need to take this chance because, obviously, it's never going to come back. (laughs) And I just went there with zero expectations. I didn't know how I would be received. My English was not very good, so I just went there and tried to do my best.

I remember thinking that first time I stepped on the ice was probably going to be the most important moment. We started right away with a mini-tournament, and I did not allow any goals on 14 shots. I was the only goalie in that game who did not allow a goal. That totally changed how people saw me, too. It's almost like I gained respect from the players and the media and the people that were there.

It's after that performance that (then-Lightning general manager Phil Esposito) announced that, by the way she played today, maybe you'll see her in an exhibition game.

You made seven saves on nine shots in that exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues. What are the flashbulb memories 30 years later? What really resonates still to this day about the period you were in goal?

The walk from my locker room to the ice. It was probably the most nervous I've ever been. I remember my heart beating so fast. It felt like it was coming out of my chest.

But the cool thing is, when I stepped on the ice, I kind of forgot that I was playing an NHL game and what I was about to do. I just stepped on the ice, and the butterflies went away, and I was just ready to play a hockey game. That feeling was probably the coolest feeling I've ever had. It's almost like, "This is what you've been doing all of your life. This is what you love to do. And this is what you're about to do right now."

It was really, really a cool feeling. And then, right away, we got a penalty. They were on the power play, like, within the first minute of the game, and I'm thinking to myself, "Really!?" (laughs) But it was probably the best thing because I had two or three shots right away, and it got me into the game. And the Tampa players, too, they started to feel good about it. After the first period, it was 2-2, so for me, it was a big victory.

Women's hockey action at the Beijing Olympics starts this week. Do you recall what you were doing and how you were feeling a day or two before the 1998 Olympic tournament began in Nagano, Japan?

One memory is the bus pulling into the (athletes' Olympic) village, and you step out of the bus, and you're seeing the village in front of you, and it was just a very overwhelming feeling. Like, wow. It made it real.

The other moment is the opening ceremony. I remember, as a kid, always watching the opening ceremony, and every time Canada would come through (the stadium), I'd try to see how they were dressed. You had that pride of seeing your country walking around, and this time it was me. So I couldn't take the smile off my face the entire time I walked around.

If I'm picturing the Canadian athletes from Nagano correctly, you guys were wearing those famous - or infamous, depending on who you ask - red Roots caps. Do you still have the cap? Is it a souvenir?

I still have all of my Roots stuff. I have my jackets. I have my boots. I kept everything. It was an iconic hat, right? Like, everyone talked about that hat. We'd put it backward. It was just so cool.

While Finland has made up some ground in the women's game recently, the sport is still dominated by Canada and the United States. Heading into Beijing, who's your gold medal favorite? And why?

I played hockey in Canada, (I've) had a lot of friends on Team Canada over the years and some who continue to be involved. But I live in the States, so I've coached a lot of the young girls that play now. I coached Kendall Coyne, Alex Rigsby (Cavallini), Megan Bozek, Abbey Murphy. I have ties on both sides, knowing people. And I've just been enjoying watching the games.

What is really cool about the women's game is that when Canada and U.S. are on the ice, they're competing. They want to win. But they have such a respect for each other because they've all tried to grow the women's game. When we started, Canada and USA, we used to dislike each other (off the ice, too). The rivalry was different. Now, they still compete and fight, and there's intensity. But they're all also growing the women's game.

As far as looking at (who's going to win gold), Canada won the last world championship, but the U.S. had the last five. The U.S. won the last Olympics, but Canada won the last four. So, it could be either/or.

The (tune-up) games prior to the Olympics, yes, Canada won four of the six, but three of them went into OT. It could have gone either way, so to me, the way that I look at the Games is that it's going to come down to goaltending. Who's going to be the hottest goalie in the (gold-medal game)? And also discipline. In a lot of those big games, not a lot of goals are scored five-on-five. A lot of the goals are scored on the power play. So the team who is going to be the most disciplined and who has the goalie that's the hottest, to me, that's the team that's going to win.

You mentioned coaching Kendall Coyne. We all know about her incredible speed after her performance at the 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition. What else should people know about Kendall?

I coached her for quite a few tournaments, and I knew she was going to go far in life. Not just in hockey but in life. Because it was her drive, her work ethic, and she was always the best player on any team that I coached. But she also never acted like she was the best player. She always worked harder than anybody else on the ice, off the ice. Just a great person with a great work ethic, and really, a great team player.

The women's professional game remains in a holding pattern of sorts, where it seems like the consensus long-term solution is to establish a sustainable top league. What's your hope for the future?

You cannot have two or three leagues going at the same time. You're just fighting for players and splitting up players. Women's hockey is not big enough to have something like that. You need to have one league with the top players available to play in that league.

I think it would be important to have maybe a second league to give a chance to some young girls who maybe aren't making the team right away but could eventually. Or even some woman who doesn't make the top league but can still play somewhat professionally and make some money out of it. But trying to compete and have two pro leagues, or three, is just never going to work. It would be like having two NHLs. It's not going to work.

Speaking of the NHL, we're seeing women assume key roles in hockey operations, whether it's through management, player development, scouting, analytics. Have you given any thought to working in the NHL?

Of course. If the right opportunity would come, with all of the experience I have gained over the years, between coaching and building a (youth hockey) program and having two boys that play at a high level, I would consider it.

It's funny, sometimes I see some kids my sons played with that get drafted, or not drafted, and you just know the type of player they are when they're younger, and then you're like, "Ah, not surprised this person didn't make it." Or, "I knew this kid was going to make it." Because you saw what they were doing at a younger age, with their character and everything else. Knowing what you need to get to the next level, you have a good idea of who can make it. Hockey's been my life. Between playing and having kids that play, coaching. So, definitely, it would be something that I would consider if the right opportunity would come.

Do you know new Canucks assistant GM Emilie Castonguay?

I don't know her personally. But I do know her story. Obviously, she did an amazing job as an agent. Well-respected. It's the same thing you have in Montreal with (new GM) Kent Hughes, and we saw it with Pierre Lacroix years ago with Colorado. These are agents becoming managers. They understand the player side, and they also have dealt with management over the years, so they have a certain experience that other people may not have. I think that can be very beneficial, having been working on the other side for (so long).

Valid point. It can go as far as somebody who hasn't played high-level hockey bringing a fresh mind to the analytics department, right? It's smart to have different perspectives in your organization, period.

And it's not to have diversity just to say you have diversity. That's what, I think, people need to understand. Bringing diversity is bringing different ideas.

They made that book, "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus," because we think differently, which means maybe we approach things differently. It doesn't mean one is better than the other one. But, as a team, as an organization, or even a company, the reason why you should want to find diversity is because you have different ideas, different views. Getting that perspective, that view, is just so valuable.

The reason I truly believe in this is because when I was coaching my boys at a younger age, I had so many parents that would say to me that the way that I was approaching coaching, because I'm a mom, was different. I communicated with the kids better, and I was more about positive reinforcement and trying to get to know the kids. You know which kids you need to be a little harder on, which kids you need to be more positive. You get to know how each kid reacts. Some of the male coaches, then, didn't have the patience to deal with it. And it's not bad, or it's not good, it's just their way.

That's where I feel bringing diversity to a team or a company can be very beneficial. It's a different look or a different view.

OK, let's finish with some Red Wings talk. Plenty of breakout years from rookies, including goalie Alex Nedeljkovic. From your perspective as a former goalie, what's been most impressive about Alex's season?

I like a lot of things about Nedeljkovic. But what I think I like the most is how competitive he is and how he is able to, at a young age, move on from a bad goal. That's a big strength as a goalie. Being a goalie - it's so much in your head.

He can read the play very, very well. And he's athletic. So he reacts to the play and to the shot. He's not a blocker, and that's why sometimes he makes those amazing saves, where it looks like he's doing whatever he needs to do to stop the puck. He's reacting to what's in front of him. He doesn't have the size (at only 6-foot-1) to be a blocker.

I also like the way he plays the puck. To me, a goalie who can play the puck is huge. It's like your third defenseman. Coaches know how important it is, defensemen and forwards know how important it is, but a lot of hockey fans don't understand the difference it can make.

Detroit could make the playoffs this season, but it's highly improbable at this point. How would you evaluate the state of the Red Wings and their rebuild? How far is this team from returning to prominence?

Bringing Steve Yzerman back to Detroit (as GM) was really the start of getting back to where the Red Wings want to be. It's never going to be like it was back in the day. That was before the salary cap. (laughs) They were able to get whoever wanted to win the Cup. They were all coming to the Red Wings. They were able to build those amazing teams. Now, with the salary cap, it's a little different.

But you saw what he did with Tampa Bay, building a Cup-winning team. Even just the decisions he's made so far in Detroit, drafting (Moritz) Seider. People were wondering why he picked him so early (at sixth overall). Same thing with (Lucas) Raymond. Yzerman just has this amazing hockey mind. He knows what it takes as a player because he was successful. He knows the style of player that he needs, and he knows now how to build a team after being in Tampa Bay. He knows he needs to be patient.

I truly feel that this season, with having Seider, Raymond, and Nedeljkovic, it has not been just a few good games. They've been consistent all year long, as players and as a team. They've sped up their rebuilding. They're a few years away from really making (a deep playoff run). We'd like to see them in the playoffs this year, but it's going to be a hard battle to get there.

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jordan Eberle sat in front of a computer screen this past Friday, fielding questions from familiar voices while sporting a Seattle Kraken baseball cap.

Over Zoom, New York-area reporters asked the former New York Islander about the Kraken's inaugural season and life on the West Coast. In one response, Eberle made an apt comparison between his old and current teams.

"We didn't really have that juggernaut offensive talent, and we weren't going to outscore teams," Eberle said of those well-structured Islanders squads.

"And we're no different here," he said of the 14-25-4 Kraken.

For various reasons - including a dearth of goal scoring - Seattle sits 30th in the NHL standings, besting only the woeful Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens in points percentage. If the Vegas Golden Knights were a tidal wave that engulfed the sport, the Kraken have been a cold shower and a startling reminder of how elusive on-ice success can be for a brand-new franchise.

With help from Kraken forward Yanni Gourde, Root Sports TV analyst JT Brown, and HockeyViz.com's Micah Blake McCurdy, let's take a look at what's gone wrong so far and what to keep an eye on moving forward.

The glaring issue

After the dust settled on an offseason of roster building through the expansion draft and free agency, the Kraken opened their first-ever training camp with a lineup that, on paper, looked primed to challenge for a playoff spot in Year 1.

The team featured a promising goaltending tandem of Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger, a well-rounded defense corps anchored by 2019 Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano, and a solid yet unremarkable collection of forwards. They had the hockey world believing the Kraken would be imbalanced, yes, but also competitive.

"I pegged them as being very weak offensively and very strong defensively," McCurdy said. The season preview he wrote for his website predicted the Kraken would finish third in the Pacific Division, behind Vegas and the Calgary Flames.

And here we are, just past the midway point of the season, and Seattle is already being counted out by predictive models at MoneyPuck.com, The Athletic, and McCurdy's HockeyViz.com. The Kraken - whose latest loss came Sunday against the New York Rangers - have dug a hole so deep that they've been given a roughly 0% chance of making the playoffs by all three models.

The primary source of disappointment through 44 games? Goaltending.

The Kraken's team save percentage is .876 - a shockingly poor rate given the Grubauer-Driedger duo had been widely celebrated as a strength before the season, even if it was unlikely Grubauer would replicate his Vezina-caliber performance from 2020-21. (For context, the 1999-00 Tampa Bay Lightning and '99-00 Atlanta Thrashers at .876 and .877, respectively, count as the last teams to finish an NHL season with a save percentage below .880.)

Kraken skaters have ostensibly done a bang-up job limiting the quantity and quality of shots fired toward their netminders during five-on-five action. Evolving Hockey ranks Seattle second in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes, second in shot attempts against per 60, second in unblocked shot attempts per 60, and second in shots on goal against per 60.

Those underlying numbers suggest the goalies (including third-stringer Joey Daccord, who's appeared in four games) simply aren't holding up their end of the bargain. Gourde, for one, disagrees with that line of thinking, insisting the Kraken's forwards and defensemen haven't provided nearly enough support.

"I don't see it that way," the veteran center told theScore this past Friday. "We weren't playing solid as a team. Most of the time, (the goalie is) the last layer. If you're not playing well in front of them, it's easy to make them look bad. I don't think it's on them. As a whole, we weren't satisfied with our game."

You'll notice Gourde used the past tense in the above quote. That's because, at the time of our conversation, the Kraken had won four of six, with Grubauer posting single-game save percentages above .900 in four of his five appearances. It was the best stretch of the season for the entire group.

"The goalies been excellent lately, and they give us confidence," said Gourde, who's third in team scoring with 23 points in 36 games. "Every single night, we know we have a chance to win, and that's really helpful."

As Eberle noted, the Kraken aren't built to regularly outscore the opposition, and they've largely lived up to that characterization. Jared McCann may lead the team with 18 tallies, but he's outside the NHL's top 25 in goals, while Eberle (12) and Gourde (10) are the only other Seattle players in double digits.

The Kraken are scoring 2.6 goals a game, which makes the calculus pretty easy in a league where the typical contest features six total goals scored. "If you're going to play that way, you don't have much margin for error," McCurdy said. "Because if your goalie lets in a bad goal, that's the whole game."

The underlying problems

In contrast to Eberle's old Isles teams - who played responsible, straight-line hockey under coach Barry Trotz - Seattle has been too inconsistent from shift to shift, period to period, and game to game under bench boss Dave Hakstol.

Often, the Kraken have either started poorly and then been unable to find that next gear to mount a comeback (as evidenced by the club's 3-18 record when trailing after the first period) or started well and then been unable to keep the lead. "Teams always talk about 'finding a way to win' even when you're not at your best," Brown said. "That's one thing that Seattle hasn't been able to do."

This is a particularly concerning trend from the first half because the Kraken's team identity is supposed to be grounded by an all-for-one, one-for-all mentality. Whether it's forwards backchecking hard, defensemen taking care of the puck, or the special teams following the pre-scout and executing in-game, attention to detail is hugely important within Hakstol's system.

"Knowing how much talent there is in this league, and how difficult it is to win in this league," Gourde said, "you have to think about your own end first."

General manager Ron Francis made a few debatable selections during the expansion draft by choosing a largely defensive-minded crop of players. What's interesting in hindsight is that Francis didn't have a bunch of all-around, two-way forwards sitting there waiting to be picked. "Maybe two or three, with Eberle and McCann, and they got them both," McCurdy said.

"After that," McCurdy continued, "you have to choose guys who have an obvious flaw of one kind or another in their game. You can choose guys who are weak offensively and who are strong defensively, or you can choose guys who have some finishing talent and who are weak in their own end."

Gourde and free-agent signee Jaden Schwartz are two other Seattle forwards who have offensive pop. Like Eberle and McCann, they could easily assume a prominent role elsewhere in the NHL. And while the production could be better from these four quality NHLers, they're not necessarily the problem. Instead, a lack of elite talent to lead the attack is what's ailing the Kraken.

"The Kraken basically have a second line and then three third lines. And that's what you get when you're putting your team together from an expansion draft, right?" McCurdy said with a laugh.

The positive spin

The sky isn't falling in Seattle.

"If we have this same conversation at the end of the season and look at the splits - first half, second half - I think it's going to look a lot different," Brown said.

That bounce-back prediction is in part reliant on the Kraken's 23 players settling in, both individually and as a group. Let's not forget, they're still relatively new to the city, organization, and Hakstol's system. It's reasonable to expect the Kraken to look more cohesive in the back half of the schedule.

Brown, who played six full NHL seasons as a forward for the Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, and Minnesota Wild, also believes Seattle's goaltending is slowly moving in the right direction. And, when asked for a breakout pick in the coming months, he tapped Joonas Donskoi, the versatile ex-Colorado Avalanche winger who has 14 assists but no goals in 43 games.

"Once he gets the first one, it's going to turn around for him," Brown said.

As for the big picture, McCurdy notes outside observers can't forget the fact that the Kraken clearly have a concrete plan in place - an internal idea of how to build a sustainable winner. Francis was conservative in the expansion draft, and aside from signing Grubauer and Schwartz in free agency, put his phone away in the offseason. This patient approach has positioned Seattle nicely from a financial standpoint, which is extremely valuable in the salary cap era.

With five pending unrestricted free agents on the roster, it's likely Francis adds to his prospect pool and/or draft pick haul in the leadup to the March 21 trade deadline. Giordano, the No. 1 defenseman and captain, is the most appealing trade chip, and he's made a significant impact on the Kraken in a short time.

"Guys like that, they haven't been around this league for this long for no reason," Gourde said of Giordano, 38 years old and undrafted. "It's not about luck, it's about work ethic, and he brings it every day. Seeing what he does every single day, I think he can inspire a lot of people on our team, and hopefully, some of the guys take that and build a little bit on their own."

Ultimately, the Kraken are attempting to build a winning culture from scratch. Exactly like Vegas five years ago. This time, however, the process is taking longer than a few months - which is normal, given the circumstances.

"I'm not going to go out there and say they're going to win 20 straight and somehow earn a playoff spot," Brown said. "But it's all about being competitive. That should be the main goal, especially for an expansion team."

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

What's driving Nazem Kadri's outsized production this season?

"Everyone keeps asking me that, and I'm not exactly sure how to answer," the Colorado Avalanche center told theScore earlier in January.

Kadri has erupted for 51 points in 35 games to rank fifth in points and fourth in points per game among all NHLers. He's already set a career high in assists with 36. After some prodding, the vote-in All-Star offered a few thoughts on why he's enjoying a career year at age 31 in his 12th NHL campaign.

First, Kadri noted, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar truly believes the forward is a "difference-maker" and "game-changer." That faith has seen Kadri average a career-high 18:50 of ice time per game alongside a group of wingers with complementary skill sets - Andre Burakovsky on the left side and Valeri Nichushkin, Logan O'Connor, or J.T. Compher on the right.

Secondly, Kadri believes his skating has never been this explosive, his shot has never been this accurate, and his release has never been this quick. Interestingly, unlike virtually all of his peers, Kadri opted not to work with a skills or skating coach this past offseason - a departure from previous training habits.

"I've been doing this for a long time, and at some point, you start to understand your body and what you need and certain drills that work for you," Kadri said of his offseason training regimen, which featured regular skates with NHLers. "I try to apply that mentality to each and every practice, and it seems to be paying off."

My two cents: There appears to be finer precision in Kadri's game this season. His timing around the puck has been just right, and he seems to activate "attack mode" - angling to the net intent on scoring, marching through the neutral zone with purposeful strides, etc. - more frequently.

Kadri admitted to entering 2021-22 with "a bit of a chip on my shoulder." He was suspended for eight games last postseason after delivering a blindside hit on Justin Faulk in Game 2 of Colorado's first-round series against the St. Louis Blues. The Avalanche were eliminated before Kadri returned from his sixth career suspension - and third during playoff action - so he sagged into the offseason with his approval rating at an all-time low.

Among the criticisms - most of which were fair, given Kadri's suspension history - was a scathing Denver Post column. It ran under the headline, "Avalanche should cut ties ASAP with cheap-shot artist Nazem Kadri."

"Stupidity," Mark Kiszla wrote, "is a drug Kadri can't quit. The Avalanche gave him a second chance after he wore out his welcome in Toronto, but general manager Joe Sakic would be foolish to think Kadri is capable of meaningful reformation."

Needless to say, Kadri's career year couldn't have come at a better time for his reputation or his wallet (he's a pending unrestricted free agent).

"And those people aren't so loud now," Kadri said, talking in general terms about his critics. "It's funny how that works. All of those naysayers come out after something like that (Faulk hit) happens, then you have a big performance, and everyone kind of fades away. For me, that's fuel to the fire. I want to be able to make these doubters look like fools."

Kadri has one thing left to prove: That he can play smart and continue this level of production - or some variation of it, anyway - over a long playoff run.

Revisiting Laine-Dubois trade

Sunday marks one year since the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets swapped struggling, unhappy young forwards in a blockbuster deal. Center Pierre-Luc Dubois and a 2022 third-round draft pick went from Columbus to Winnipeg, while winger Patrik Laine and center Jack Roslovic went the other way.

It was hard to crown a winner at the time. Would the change of scenery help Dubois return to the trajectory of an elite two-way center? Would it help Laine rediscover the sharpshooting magic that allowed him to score 80 goals in his first two NHL seasons?

Even after a year, neither question has been answered fully - though Dubois is certainly closer to his ceiling than Laine is to his. (Roslovic's play, meanwhile, hasn't tipped the value of the trade beyond the future value of that third-round pick.) So, Winnipeg has made out better in the trade, but it hasn't necessarily hit a home run.

The 2020-21 season was disastrous for both Dubois and Laine. Quarantines, injuries, and the complications of joining a new organization contributed to the worst season of each player's career. The separator, then, is Dubois' strong performance so far in 2021-22:

Points aren't everything, especially for two 23-year-olds aiming to round out their respective games (more offense for Dubois, more defense for Laine). But the eye test and statistics both show clearly that Dubois has had a greater impact in all three zones of the ice. In fact, he's arguably been the Jets' best forward behind Kyle Connor.

Context is key, of course, and observers can't ignore what Laine has endured. The Finn suffered an oblique injury in early November. While he was sidelined, he traveled home to say goodbye to his father, Harri, who died on Nov. 21.

On the ice, Laine has mostly had weaker linemates than Dubois. The pairing of Boone Jenner and Jakub Voracek doesn't quite stack up to a duo of Connor and one of Nikolaj Ehlers, Evgeny Svechnikov, and Andrew Copp.

That said, the results at the one-year mark speak for themselves, and the Jets have squeezed more on-ice value out of the trade than the Blue Jackets.

It's probably best to judge trades five years after they occur, so we'll see how the next four seasons unfold. Laine and Dubois are both restricted free agents this summer and set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Fighting numbers up

After watching Nicolas Deslauriers and Kurtis MacDermid throw down during Colorado's game against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, I wondered if the recent rush of tilts I've seen was a trend or coincidence.

There have been 0.5 fighting majors per game this season, up from 0.46 in 2020-21. So, a small increase. But what about the per-game averages each season since 2010-11?

Fighting decreased significantly in the 2010s; the NHL went from an average of one fighting major per game to one roughly every three games. Over the past two seasons, however, the per-game average has crept back up.

Some theories as to why this may be: first, players are human, and some pandemic-related angst has been spilling onto the ice; second, empty or half-full arenas tend to breed energy-boosting acts - such as starting a fight; third, the addition of a 32nd team created 23 new roster spots league-wide, and some of those spots have been filled by less skilled, fight-happy players; fourth, there's been a small-scale swing back in the direction of brute physicality after a decade of obsession over skill and speed.

Though a span of last year's shortened season and this year's first half doesn't constitute a legitimate big-picture trend, the uptick in fighting is something to keep an eye on. As for the busiest fighters thus far, here's the leaderboard: Liam O'Brien (Arizona Coyotes, eight majors), Tanner Jeannot (Nashville Predators, eight), Mark Borowiecki (Predators, six), Deslauriers (Ducks, six), and Jacob Middleton (San Jose Sharks, six). Nashville has been particularly pugilistic with 27 fights, well ahead of second-place Arizona's 18.

Parting thoughts

Eastern playoff picture: The Eastern Conference standings are comically lopsided right now. Eight teams - four from the Atlantic Division, four from the Metropolitan - are firmly in playoff position with points percentages between .750 (Carolina Hurricanes) and .646 (Washington Capitals). From there, it falls off to .513 (Detroit Red Wings), .500 (New York Islanders and Blue Jackets), and so on. In other words, don't expect any thrilling playoff races out east.

Ryan Hartman: It sure looks like the Minnesota Wild have found Kirill Kaprizov's long-term center in Hartman, who thinks the game well, plays with an edge, and can really pick a corner. Hartman, 27, is a journeyman of sorts, having played for three NHL teams before joining Minnesota in 2019. The native of South Carolina has 16 goals and 14 assists in 35 games this season and carries a $1.7-million cap hit through 2023-24. He's a rare breed, too: a forward who's successfully moved from the wing to center. It's usually the other way around by the time a player reaches the best league in the world.

Montreal Canadiens: New Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes faces a unique challenge. His club isn't devoid of talent or weighed down by a bunch of immovable, albatross contracts. No, Montreal's roster is littered with guys who are in or around their prime, have been injured or haven't played well of late, and are signed for multiple years past this season (two examples: Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher). Keeping all of those pieces isn't the move for a rebuilding or resetting team. But the Canadiens have minimal leverage, so netting satisfactory returns via trade won't be easy either.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On Thursday, the Golden Knights welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Las Vegas for the final game in what's been a messy first half of the season for the club.

Vegas is first in the Pacific Division with a 23-15-2 record. However, the Knights, a preseason Stanley Cup favorite, rank 13th overall in points percentage. The team has been hammered by misfortune, already losing roughly 250 man-games to injury or illness. Meanwhile, superstar Jack Eichel, acquired from Buffalo in November, has yet to play a single shift for his new club after undergoing his long-awaited surgery.

All of this has forced head coach Pete DeBoer to project Vegas' future.

"We've played well enough without everybody in the lineup that I am optimistic that if we can get to full health here, we have the ability to really find another level," DeBoer said Tuesday in a phone interview with theScore.

DeBoer, 53, has been behind an NHL bench every season since 2008-09. He started in Florida, moved on to New Jersey and then San Jose, and then landed in Vegas two years ago. Only Colorado and Carolina own a better regular-season points percentage than the Knights in the DeBoer era, though both coach and franchise remain locked in on that elusive first Stanley Cup.

We caught up with DeBoer to discuss the state of the Knights and more.

(Note: The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.)

You're atop the Pacific Division with a plus-19 goal differential, but this season has been a journey thanks to a long list of injuries and COVID-19 absences. How would you evaluate your club's performance at what's roughly the halfway point of the season?

I'd use the word "resilient" in my evaluation. And I would say I still don't have a good handle on how good we are because of that. I've never had a year where we've had this many man-games lost to injuries. When you throw COVID-19 into it, which has hit us hard, (it hasn't been easy). And we haven't had good timing with it, either. It's been two or three guys every week instead of a large group where you get everybody back (at the same time). It's been a short lineup every night, and I think we've been resilient in our approach and in our ability to survive it.

When I look around the league, there are some teams that, in similar situations, have been buried. I'm looking forward to getting the injuries and COVID in the rearview mirror and seeing down the stretch what our team really has the opportunity to be.

What would you like to see your team improve upon in the second half?

Off the top of my head, we've got to defend better, from our goaltender (starter Robin Lehner has a .904 save percentage) through our team structure. That's what wins in the playoffs. That's what's always been foundational for us. We have to defend our net better. I think special teams can always use improvement. Those would probably be the two areas that jump out to me.

Take me back to November, when general manager Kelly McCrimmon acquired Jack Eichel. How did it all go down from your perspective? What kinds of thoughts ran through your head in those early moments?

I was looped in right from the beginning of the talks about Jack. A deal like that (involving three players, including a superstar, and three draft picks) doesn't get put together overnight. There's a long runway before you finally consummate something like that. I was looped in all along. I knew there was a possibility, but really, until the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed, as a coach, you don't let yourself go there because you don't want to get your hopes up. And there were other teams involved until the end.

When it finally happened and I got that call from Kelly, that's the first time you let your guard down and start thinking about what this guy could mean to our group and the importance of him. Obviously, with what we gave up, I think we all feel that we needed a true No. 1 center and a game-changing-type guy. They're really hard to find, and they're never available in their prime, so we're excited.

As a rival coach, you had an opinion of Jack as a player and person before he arrived in Vegas. I'm curious, now that you've worked with him on the ice and talked off it, what have you learned about Jack?

He's even more impressive once you get to know him. The package of skill and speed and size is really, really something. But, more importantly for me, is his determination to come back and prove to everybody that he's one of the best players in the world. You can feel that in the conversations with him. And that's exciting.

I know you get some version of this question fairly often, but I'll ask it anyway: What's the timeline for Jack's return? When are you expecting to finally plug him into the Golden Knights' lineup?

Well, he's been cleared to rejoin our group, but in a non-contact environment. All along, the time length from the surgeon who did the operation was no contact for at least 12 weeks, or three months. It'll be early-to-mid-February before we hit that threshold. And then, from there, it's really just based on how he's feeling and how comfortable he is, and how long it takes him to get back up to game speed. They said anywhere from three to five months. Obviously, we're hoping it's closer to three, but we don't know where that'll end up.

It's no secret that pieces will have to be moved to fit Jack's contract under the salary cap. The cap situation is what it is, players will be traded, waived, and/or scratched. How do you, as head coach, make sure all of this uncertainty doesn't become a distraction in the dressing room?

You know what, it's almost impossible for it not to be a little bit of a distraction. But it's no bigger of a distraction than the trade deadline, or if your team is in a slump and the rumors start. I think pro players at this level understand the landscape and are trained to deal with that. I don't really see it as an issue. I think, from the organization's perspective, it's a great problem to have - if we can get there - and that's too many healthy, really good players.

Do you feel lucky, in a way, to be a coach working for a management group that's historically been very aggressive with player acquisition? This is far from the first big splash the Knights' front office has made.

It was the single most attractive thing for me when I was speaking to them for the job - their all-in commitment to winning. It started Day 1, when Bill Foley, the owner, said the goal was to have a Stanley Cup within the first six or seven years. Everyone kind of rolled their eyes, but they've been to the Cup Final (in 2018 under former coach Gerard Gallant) and two conference finals (in 2020 and 2021 under DeBoer). We've been knocking on the door, and that's been the mandate since Day 1. A lot of organizations say that's the mandate, but they don't back it up. Here, their actions speak louder than words.

Center Chandler Stephenson leads the team with 37 points in 39 games. The knock on Chandler, at least in the past, has been that he's the beneficiary of great linemates. But there's definitely more to the story. Can you break down exactly what makes Chandler so effective?

One, I think Chandler's answered those questions about linemates this year because he's played with everybody. Mark Stone has missed significant time. Max Pacioretty has missed significant time. Those were his traditional linemates. He's answered those questions from Day 1 of this year with his production and what he's done with everybody (from Evgenii Dadonov to William Carrier to Mattias Janmark). His greatest asset is his speed. He has put-you-on-your-heels type of acceleration and speed. He's got a good competitiveness to him. He also came into the league as a fourth-line player and won a Stanley Cup in Washington, which gives you that foundation of the fourth-line workman-like identity. When you combine that with elite speed and skill, you've got a real good hockey player.

You guys hit the road next week, and the trip out east includes stops in Raleigh for a game against the Hurricanes, Sunrise for a game against the Panthers, and Tampa for a game against the Lightning. Has that three-game stretch become the new California? A gauntlet of sorts?

For sure. And you've seen the teams that have gone through (this) in the last month (struggle). There are a lot of O-fers on that trip. (Laughs). We've also got Washington on the front end of it, so it's a real test for us, and I'm excited to see how we respond to it. The last long trip we had out east was (Bruins), Islanders, Rangers, Devils. We ended up sweeping the trip. We're comfortable on the road, but this is a whole different test than anything we've had so far.

All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas is creeping up here. What's something you're looking forward to as not only the coach of the Pacific Division squad, but also as an ambassador for the host city and franchise?

Any time you get to coach in an All-Star Game, it's a great honor and it's a testament to your coaching staff and players, and this year, in particular, our training staff and our medical team. Without them, we wouldn't have been in a position to compete for first place when they decided who would coach in the All-Star Game. The thing I'm looking forward to the most - and I've coached in one before (in 2017 while with the Sharks) - is that it's in our hometown and our home rink and in front of our home fans. That's going to be extra special. The All-Star Game is always about enjoying the experience and making sure your family's around, so we'll try to do both of those things.

One last topic: I wanted to ask you about your longtime friend and coaching rival Paul Maurice. I assume you've touched base with Paul recently. How's he doing? And now that the shock has worn off, what do you make of his resignation from the Winnipeg Jets?

I've had some conversations with him. I check in with him fairly regularly. He's happy. I think the last few years, with COVID protocol and bubbles, have weighed on everybody, and particularly on him. When you combine that with the fact he's been doing this (level of coaching) for 26 years, he had the self-confidence to know what was best for him and his team. I think he's really happy with his choice. He sounds great when I talk to him. He's enjoying family time, which, in this job, you don't get an opportunity to do very often. I don't think he has any regrets.

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

About a month ago, Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba was connected with a youth hockey player in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The main topic of conversation wasn't the local NHL team, skill development tips, or Dumba's career. It was about how the player had been accused recently of "stealing stuff" from his own teammates.

"It's because he's the Black kid on his team," Dumba told theScore.

"He's been called racial slurs during games, and by his own teammates. Like, this is insane. For people to turn their cheek and have a blind eye (to these incidents), it's just really frustrating to our group. We see it every day."

Dumba relayed that anecdote earlier this week to help explain why the Hockey Diversity Alliance, in partnership with Budweiser Canada, chose to center its new #TapeOutHate campaign on raw examples of overt racism.

On Saturday, the HDA and Budweiser released a two-minute video spot highlighting the real-world abuse that many NHLers of color face on a regular basis:

Warning: Video contains graphic/offensive content

After a short introduction, the video starts by highlighting the kind of racist messages received by the players on social media, including a slur aimed at Dumba, who is Filipino Canadian.

Dumba later asks Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs if he'd consider enrolling his kids in hockey. Simmonds, who had a banana thrown at him in the middle of an NHL exhibition game in Ontario in 2011, replies: "If I knew she was gonna have to face the stuff I faced, probably not."

Uncensored and censored versions of the commercial, which was filmed in Toronto last August, have been posted and shared online. The commercial will also be shown on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday when Simmonds' Leafs and Nazem Kadri's Colorado Avalanche meet in the broadcast's prime-time slot.

"We wanted to keep things as raw as possible," Kadri said in an interview. "Sometimes, for people to understand, they've gotta see (the vulgar language). I feel like if most people watch it and read those comments, they're going to be disgusted. ... For us, it's about us trying to create awareness and have people see things through a different lens and a different perspective."

The HDA was formed in June 2020 in the wake of George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis police officer. Active players Dumba, Simmonds, Kadri, and Anthony Duclair, as well as ex-NHLers Akim Aliu, Trevor Daley, Chris Stewart, and Joel Ward, comprise the HDA's executive board. (Another founder, Evander Kane, has been on voluntary leave since last year.) The group's mission is "to eradicate systemic racism and intolerance in hockey."

The #TapeOutHate spot has been paired with HDA-themed hockey tape. The rolls of black tape (which are available for purchase online and, as of Jan. 22, at Canadian Tire stores) feature the words "RACISM HAS NO PLACE IN HOCKEY" in white lettering. Budweiser is funding the tape production by Renfrew Pro, with $1 from each purchased roll being donated to the HDA.

"The truth of the matter is that these are real stories," said Mike D'Agostini, a senior director of marketing at Budweiser. "These are real experiences that the players of the HDA experience - if not every day, then far too often. We felt like it was the right thing to do, to spread that message in the rawest form possible."

Over the years, at different levels of the sport, Dumba's been harassed in person and online. "Social media has become kind of a monster behind all of this," Dumba said. He has received hateful messages on Instagram and elsewhere - especially in the summer of 2020, after he delivered a speech condemning racism and then kneeled for the U.S. national anthem before a game in the NHL playoff bubble in Edmonton.

Dumba, 27, admits he feels numb to all the hate. "Which isn't right," he said.

"This is something that I've been dealing with for a long time," said Kadri, who's 31. "And for me to remember certain specific situations when I was 10, 11 years old - you know, this is 20 years ago - it must have had a pretty traumatic impact on me. It was definitely hurtful at the time, but, for myself, I think I had mental toughness to persevere. We're worried about the youth maybe not having that, this really affecting people long term."

The NHL is not involved in the #TapeOutHate campaign. After an initial partnership, the HDA broke off from the league in October 2020, saying the league was "focused on performative public relations efforts that seemed aimed at quickly moving past important conversations about race needed in the game."

Dumba said the NHL was "given several opportunities to be involved and participate and help spread this message," referring specifically to the #TapeOutHate campaign, "and they chose not to." He said the league is "scared to create real change and make real difference. At every turn." The blue-liner added: "It always has to be their idea or come from their people."

Asked about Dumba's remarks, a league spokesperson provided the following statement to theScore: "The NHL applauds our partner Budweiser and the Hockey Diversity Alliance for their efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity in the sport of hockey. This ongoing movement requires vision and commitment from every stakeholder in hockey. We welcome all who are using their voices and platforms to pursue these important goals and remain determined to continue to use ours and to do the work necessary to create real change."

Ultimately, both Dumba and Kadri said, the HDA would like to get on the same page as the league. In the meantime, the group is marching on.

"There's still racism in our game," Dumba said. "You see it, you hear these stories from these young kids, what they're going through. We've got to stay grinding on this and try tackling this all together."

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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