Sitting on a stool inside a South Surrey, British Columbia, conference room last November, with a group of young male hockey players staring back at him, Brock McGillis lobbed a simple question at the Under-18 Semiahmoo Ravens.

"What is something you like doing away from hockey that you don't typically share with the boys?" asked McGillis, the first openly gay men's pro hockey player.

After gentle prodding, a player spoke up to say he likes to spend his free time making "dirty rap songs" - boom, the ice was broken. Others shared their love for drawing, woodworking, airplanes, luxury cars, fishing, and anime cartoons. One player sheepishly confessed to being a "big Lego guy."

"Legos! That's the first time I've gotten that answer, anywhere," McGillis said.

McGillis has experienced different versions of this revelatory interaction many times over the past few months. His 100-day Culture Shift tour, which includes talks with more than 100 minor-hockey teams spread across the seven Canadian NHL markets, aims to change language, behavior, and attitudes.

He challenges teenage players to embrace what makes them unique within a sport that typically promotes conformity. In Calgary, a player told McGillis about his hobby making candles - and how his teammates are selling them.

"I have this saying: Normal doesn't exist. We're all a bunch of weirdos, and that's a beautiful thing," McGillis said last week during a break in the tour, which is scheduled to wrap in Toronto on Feb. 5 and return next season.

McGillis played in the Ontario Hockey League, briefly in the now-defunct United Hockey League, a pro league in the Netherlands, and at Concordia University in Montreal. The former goalie came out in 2016 and has since dedicated his working hours to LGBTQ activism and relaying his personal story. Now 40, he's the co-founder of the queer-led nonprofit Alphabet Sports Collective, and was recently named one of The Hockey News' 100 people of power and influence within the sport.

Here are a few things we learned while sitting down with McGillis.

The ripple effect

After his retirement in 2010, McGillis began training elite athletes in Sudbury, Ontario. He hid his sexuality for about five years at work in part because he was afraid of being blackballed by local sports associations. Then he got a phone call from a hockey mom who wanted to set him up on a blind date.

"What's her name?" McGillis asked.

"Steve," the mom replied.

McGillis' clients already knew his secret. He thought about coming out to them, but opted to observe their behavior instead. He noticed they'd freeze up and apologize any time they used homophobic language. McGillis was encouraged by this, though he wondered how they acted with him not around.

At a conditioning session when McGillis wasn't present, a player, upset at another trainer's demands to keep running, expressed his frustrations. "This is so gay," he said. An older player told the younger player his remark was unacceptable and anybody who speaks like that should do 50 pushups.

Keeping teammates accountable in this way became a trend in the area.

"That older player, on that day, on a random track in Sudbury, in 2015, did something he thought was so small. But he was creating a shift. And that shift had a ripple effect," McGillis said. "Because every shift we create - big or small - leads to something else."

McGillis came out not long after hearing that story. Thousands of people have reached out for counsel since then. Many have summoned the courage to come out themselves. Another ripple effect.

"Pick a topic: Racism. Homophobia. Misogyny. Ableism. Bullying. Mental health," McGillis said. "Whatever it is, a shift can happen."

How to create shifts

McGillis believes there are three easy ways to create a shift within big groups:

• Humanize the issue

• Create an accepting environment

• Break conformity

To start his talks, McGillis asks the group if they know anyone from the LGBTQ community. Typically, 90% raise a hand - and he wants the teenagers to think about that person in their life as he relays his own story. For years, he himself used slurs, adopted a hyper-masculine attitude, and dated girls. He battled depression. All because he was never comfortable being his true self.

What might your sibling, friend, classmate, or teammate be thinking? And feeling?

McGillis noticed the vast majority of hockey players dress, walk, talk, and act similarly. In other words, they conform to norms of hockey culture.

Creating an accepting environment, one that celebrates differences in outside interests, skin color, sexual orientation, and whatever else, can lead to a break in conformity, which can lead to people feeling empowered to speak out about injustices. These open-minded environments, McGillis says, can be fostered at the grassroots, intermediate (junior or college), and pro levels.

"We need to embrace individuality," McGillis said. "This cultlike mentality we have in hockey culture is problematic. It leads to things like the 2018 world juniors team." McGillis decries the silence from Hockey Canada and teammates who may have witnessed the alleged sexual assault at the center of an ongoing scandal.

Evolving at slow pace

In some ways, a lot has changed since McGillis came out.

Luke Prokop, a third-round draft pick of the Nashville Predators, is now the first out gay player under NHL contract. Player agent Bayne Pettinger, Alphabet Sports Collective's other co-founder, is out too. Seattle Kraken athletic trainer Justin Rogers counts as yet another trailblazer. All three received overwhelming support at the time of their personal announcements.

Pride warmup jerseys and Pride Tape have been overall positives for hockey and the LGBTQ community. However, controversies surrounding their NHL usage have dominated headlines. With most steps forward, there's a step back.

"We have to see all the dark to push towards the light," is how McGillis puts it.

Is he generally optimistic about the future?

"We have a ways to go to continue to evolve the culture. But people want to evolve it. Adults want to. Kids want to. They're receptive. I've seen it firsthand lately," McGillis said. "One of the biggest things I'm realizing is that nobody wants to be the villain. When you teach people the impact they're having - positive or negative - nobody wants to be the one making a negative impact.

"It's the best sport in the world," he added. "So let's make the best version of it on and off the ice."

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

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When does it become trade season in the NHL?

Early January, apparently.

We got a bombshell last week, with the Flyers trading top prospect Cutter Gauthier to the Ducks for NHL defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick. This Thursday marks 50 days until the March 8 trade deadline.

Let's take a look at six intriguing players who may be changing teams. Each section below includes a summary of the latest media reports; the player's on-ice value; and three potential landing spots.

Jake Guentzel, winger

Key report: Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported over the weekend that "no determination has been made" on Guentzel's future in Pittsburgh. Guentzel, who'll turn 30 before next season, is a pending unrestricted free agent. The Penguins are trying to win a fourth Stanley Cup with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. However, they already have four 30-somethings (Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell) locked up through at least 2026-27.

On-ice value: If there was some form of standardized testing for hockey smarts, Guentzel would ace it, probably finishing in the top 10 in the entire NHL. The unassuming 5-foot-11, 180-pound winger's hockey IQ is that high.

Guentzel always finds his way to the most dangerous areas of the ice. As of Monday, he was first in the league in expected goals per game (0.70), third in inner-slot shots per game (1.54), seventh in scoring chances generated off the cycle per game (1.83), and tied for 10th in rebound chances per game (0.34), according to Sportlogiq. It's all led to 19 goals and 27 assists in 42 games.

Guentzel, a two-time 40-goal scorer, is on pace for 37 tallies, and his 36 even-strength points rank fifth in the NHL. Bonus: he's responsible defensively.

What's tricky about Guentzel is that he's played the vast majority of his 9,500 career minutes alongside Crosby, an all-time great. Teasing out what Guentzel can bring to the table on another line for a different team is the chief challenge for front offices thinking about trading for him. Two other challenges: He has a 12-team no-trade list, according to CapFriendly, and he won't be cheap in terms of salary cap hit ($6 million) and acquisition cost (hefty trade package).

Three good fits: Guentzel should reel in something to the effect of one NHL player, one first-round pick, and one decent prospect. The package would grow, of course, if the trade included an extension. The Hurricanes and Oilers both need another finisher on the wing. The Canucks have been linked to Guentzel in part because president Jim Rutherford, general manager Patrik Allvin, and coach Rick Tocchet all know him well from their Pittsburgh tenures.

Elias Lindholm, center

Key report: The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun wrote in late December that it was his understanding there have been no recent conversations between Lindholm and the Flames. The insider also noted Lindholm hasn't been told he's definitely on the move. Still, Calgary appears headed for a retool/rebuild, and acquiring assets for the 29-year-old pending UFA would accelerate things.

On-ice value: Lindholm, in his sixth season in Calgary and 11th overall, is a top-of-the-lineup center whose stock has fluctuated over the past few years.

He peaked in 2021-22. Flanked by Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, Lindholm recorded his first and only point-per-game season. He scored 42 times (his previous high was 29) and finished second in Selke Trophy voting. That trio, dismantled during the 2022 offseason, was dominant wire to wire.

Lindholm has come back down to earth of late. His underlying numbers have declined, and this season, he's pitched in eight goals and 21 assists in 44 games while playing mostly with Yegor Sharangovich, Andrew Mangiapane, and Jonathan Huberdeau. He remains a trusty impact player. The 2013 fifth overall pick leads all Flames forwards in average ice time (20:45) and blocked shots (37) and is enjoying a career year in the faceoff circle (56% win rate).

Lindholm isn't an elite first-line center. On a legitimate Cup contender, he's a strong second-line guy attached to a manageable cap hit ($4.85 million).

Three good fits: If the Flames decide to move Lindholm, they should be able to fetch a first-rounder and either a prospect or a young NHLer. The Bruins have looked better than expected down the middle after losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, yet Lindholm would be a welcomed upgrade, and Boston has its 2025 first-rounder to trade. Meanwhile, the Avalanche and Jets - two other presumed buyers in need of a top-six center - have first-round picks in both 2024 and 2025. Colorado, with underqualified Ross Colton currently occupying the 2C spot on the depth chart, is the tidiest fit on paper.

Noah Hanifin, defenseman

Key report: Hanifin told Sportsnet last week that, as paraphrased by writer Eric Francis, "it's still quiet on the contract front." For context: The blue-liner was close to signing a long-term extension months ago, then talks broke off. Calgary exited the offseason with five notable pending UFAs on its roster - Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov. Backlund re-signed in late September. Zadorov was traded in early December.

On-ice value: With Hanifin on the ice for five-on-five action, the 2023-24 Flames have accounted for 57% of the goals scored (41 for, 31 against). With him off the ice at five-on-five, they've accounted for 44% of the goals (50-64).

Hanifin's regular partner - Tanev, the shot-blocking machine - has certainly influenced those lopsided on/off percentages. However, there's no denying that 21-18-5 Calgary has been a far better team when Hanifin's out there skating, moving the puck, killing plays, and operating with poise and veteran savvy.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and set to celebrate his 27th birthday next week, Hanifin already has 642 games of experience to his name. He's slowly but surely polished his skills to a point where he can now be used in virtually any game situation. He would be a good second-pair guy for the right team.

Hanifin's making $4.95 million and owns an eight-team no-trade list, per CapFriendly. His extension, in Calgary or elsewhere, seems to be trending toward a lengthy term and a cap hit between $7 million and $8 million.

Three good fits: A straightforward Hanifin trade - no salary retention or extension - should net the Flames something along the lines of a first-rounder, a second-rounder, and a low-end NHLer. The Stars and Maple Leafs come to mind. Dallas' blue line thins out after Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley, though money would be tight. Toronto could slot Hanifin behind Morgan Rielly, although, again, there are money issues. The Coyotes, meanwhile, were linked to Hanifin in November. Arizona has oodles of cap space and, amazingly, no NHL defensemen signed for next season. Would Hanifin agree to a sign-and-trade?

Trevor Zegras, center

Key report: Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported last week that Ducks GM Pat Verbeek "has mentioned Zegras' name in conversation with teams this season, though it remains unclear how far (if at all) those talks advanced." That nugget came on the heels of drawn-out contract negotiations in the fall. It's safe to say Verbeek, who didn't draft Zegras or (now-former teammate) Drysdale, may not see Zegras as one of Anaheim's long-term core pieces.

On-ice value: For the next six weeks or so, Zegras' value is, well, nothing. Hurt for more than half of the season thanks to multiple injuries, he's currently nursing a broken ankle. He's accumulated four goals and seven points in 20 games.

That said, the recovery timeline provided by the Ducks gives Zegras a decent chance at returning before the deadline, which means there's a short window for him to be dealt midseason. The creative center is different from the other five players discussed in this story because he'll still be a restricted free agent after the expiry of his current deal ($5.75 million per year through 2025-26).

What's interesting about Zegras is that the hype surrounding him and his game hasn't matched his on-ice contributions. He's supremely skilled, has graced the cover of a video game, and is undoubtedly one of the sport's top personalities. But, through 200 games, he's shown himself to be an offense-only perimeter player who puts up around 65 points every 82 games.

So, it may seem like he's on a superstar trajectory, but he's not. He's yet to give us a reason to buy that narrative yet. He's only 22, though, so there's time to grow. And, if he doesn't level up significantly over the next handful of years, 65 points is still valuable second-line production.

Three good fits: It feels like if Zegras moves, the trade details will look similar to the recent Philadelphia-Anaheim swap: a young NHLer and a second-rounder traded for a blue-chip prospect. The Canadiens have made a habit of acquiring high-pedigree forwards in their 20s who could use a change of scenery (Sean Monahan, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook). The Predators have the right playing style and a long-term role for Zegras. The Blackhawks have about a dozen roster holes to fill and about a dozen desirable picks and prospects to flip.

Elvis Merzlikins and John Gibson, goalies

Key reports: Merzlikins, 29, confirmed this week that he's requested a trade out of Columbus. Gibson, 30, was the subject of trade-request reports in back-to-back offseasons (he/his agent denied both reports), and the idea of him leaving Anaheim has been rumored for years. Both play for non-playoff teams and would be near the top of the list for clubs looking for goalie help.

On-ice values: There are many similarities between Merzlikins and Gibson.

Both goalies fell on hard times over the past few years after posting stellar numbers to start their careers. Both have played in terrible defensive environments and failed to hold up their end of the bargain since signing huge deals; for Merzlikins, $5.4 million a season for five years, expiring in 2026-27, and for Gibson, $6.4 million a season for eight years, expiring in 2026-27. Both have younger goalies nipping at their heels. Both have rebounded this season (Merzlikins more so). Both own 10-team no-trade lists.

Starting goalies rarely change hands. But there may be GMs out there who convince themselves that one of these netminders simply needs a fresh start.

Three good fits: A trade involving Merzlikins or Gibson would almost certainly involve salary retention. A goalie might go the other way. It would be complicated. So, let's forget about what a package might look like and focus on the teams. The Devils, Hurricanes, and Oilers are all in win-now mode and need better starting goalies. The most intriguing aspect of a trade of this kind isn't the upside; it's the downside. Goaltending is such an unpredictable position, and what New Jersey, Carolina, and Edmonton have now might ultimately be a better bet than spending assets to take a chance on one of these veteran netminders - despite how tempting it might be to mix things up.

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

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the NHL universe, there are two sets of All-Stars.

There's the midseason All-Stars - the 44 players picked to participate in All-Star Weekend, set this year for Feb. 1-3 in Toronto. One representative for each team is chosen by the league. Another 12 players are voted in by fans.

Then there are the lesser-known end-of-season accolades for the 12 players chosen as first- or second-team All-Stars by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Each "team" in this case includes one center, one left wing, one right wing, two defensemen (any handedness), and one goalie.

The selection process for the first set of All-Stars is inclusive and done with entertainment in mind. It's for fun. The second set, which is unveiled during the annual awards ceremony, is exclusive, formal, and very much real in the sense that the results can impact a player's Hockey Hall of Fame candidacy.

Using the positional designations listed on NHL.com, here's who I'd slot into the NHL's First Team and Second Team spots if votes were due this week:

Center: MacKinnon, who's been on a tear for months, is a Hart Trophy favorite. McDavid's second in points (53) among centers despite appearing in just 33 games. I strongly considered Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, and Jack Hughes for Second Team, but none of them have been quite as outstanding as McDavid. (Gun to my head, Crosby's third.) Props to Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Aleksander Barkov for two-way brilliance. As usual, the position is rich in superstar talent.

Left wing: Panarin was the obvious choice for First Team. I picked Forsberg over Jesper Bratt, Zach Hyman, and Jake Guentzel because the Swede has posted similar numbers with a bit less dynamic talent around him in Nashville.

Right wing: Kucherov was easily the First guy, whereas Pastrnak had a serious challenger in William Nylander. In the end, the degree to which Pastrnak powers Boston's offense (18 points clear of Brad Marchand, his linemate and the Bruins' second-highest scorer) gave him the edge. If I were to fill five teams, I'd go Nylander 3; Mikko Rantanen 4; Brock Boeser 5.

Defensemen: Hughes is a Hart candidate, and Makar has been fantastic, so finalizing the First Team wasn't difficult. For Second, Dobson was a no-brainer, while I debated between Morrissey, Rasmus Dahlin, and Evan Bouchard for the last spot. What tipped the scales: Winnipeg's outscored the opposition 40-18 (!) at five-on-five when Morrissey's been on the ice.

Goalie: Similar to the defensemen, two goalies were a cut above the rest. Since Hellebuyck's underlying numbers are slightly better than Demko's, I gave him the First spot. Other starting netminders worthy of a shoutout here: Connor Ingram, Cam Talbot, and Ilya Sorokin. And, of course, props to the two-headed beast that is Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark in Boston.

What's behind Quick's resurgence?

Jonathan Quick had nothing to prove coming into this season.

He was a three-time Stanley Cup champion who won twice as the starter in L.A. and once as the backup in Vegas. He was named playoff MVP in 2012. He finished in the top five in Vezina Trophy voting three times. He revolutionized the position by popularizing the reverse vertical horizontal, or RVH, post-play technique.

After signing a one-year, $825,000 deal (plus bonuses) with the Rangers this past offseason, he was expected to be Igor Shesterkin's mentor and not much more. After all, he turns 38 later this month and will be skating off into the sunset sooner rather than later.

Instead, Quick has flourished in New York. He owns a .917 save percentage and has saved 0.61 goals above expected per 60 minutes of action, according to Sportlogiq. How good are those marks in today's offense-first NHL? Among the 54 goalies who've logged 700 or more minutes, Quick is tied for 10th in SV% and ranks seventh in GSAE/60.

The No. 1 reason behind Quick's resurgence: his health. No. 2: his positioning.

Quick's playing deeper and much tighter to the goal line under the tutelage of Benoit Allaire, the Rangers' director of goaltending and a legend in goalie circles. In doing so, Quick's been less reliant on his trademark aggression and athleticism, letting the game come to him. Thus far, he's being beaten on the pass less frequently.

"Benoit is very big on simplifying a goalie's game. He's very big on being disciplined in your crease. Overall, he doesn't want his goalies to move all that much," said Rob Gherson, a pro goalie turned goalie coach who worked alongside Allaire in 2005-06 as a member of the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack.

"And when you play deeper and stand your ground, the net disappears," Gherson said. "It's an illusion that messes with shooters' heads."

Gherson, a minor leaguer from 2004-09, explained how playing tighter to the goal line widens a goalie's margin of error. The position is about responding to what's unfolding in front of you. You can't be constantly chasing the puck.

Especially, in Quick's case, when your physical attributes have dwindled.

"For goalies who play aggressively, I think of them almost like baseball players with really long swings," he said. "When you're on, you're really good. But when something gets out of alignment, you really struggle. So, playing deeper and moving less - like Quick is doing in New York - means, naturally, fewer things can go wrong. Playing deeper makes everything more consistent."

Fantilli primed for big second half

The early Calder Trophy conversation has been dominated by Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard, who leads all rookies in goals, assists, and points. Sure, Brock Faber - the minute-munching defenseman for the Wild - has commanded some peripheral attention, but the debate's been pretty boring.

Watch for that to change in the second half thanks to Adam Fantilli.

Consider this: the Blue Jackets center was dealt a suboptimal hand to start his career. His first coach, Mike Babcock, was fired before training camp; Columbus has failed to meet expectations as a team; and, up until recently, his second coach, Pascal Vincent, had limited his usage and deployment.

The 13-19-8 Blue Jackets are still a mess. However, Fantilli has responded to Vincent taking the training wheels off by posting eight points in his past 10 games. His season total - 24 in 40 games - is first among rookies not named Bedard. Fantilli, 19, also trails only Bedard in goals (11), expected goals (10.8, according to Evolving Hockey), shots on goal (99), and shot attempts (209).

The Michigan product looked like a future franchise cornerstone as a prospect and has delivered early on. He's a full-package player with explosive skating, a lethal shot, defensive chops, an athletic build, and a physical edge. He's already established himself as an annoying forechecker and threat off the rush; his quickness is on full display every time he blazes through the neutral zone with the puck on his stick (which is often).

"The one thing we don't talk about enough is his mental strength," Vincent said prior to Columbus' mid-December win in Toronto. "He's a very mature young man and he's got this swagger about him. He's got this confidence."

"He's like a sponge," the coach added of Fantilli, who he doesn't envision hitting the so-called rookie wall. "He's really coachable. He's a big component of our future and our present right now. He's been adjusting really, really well."

Parting shots

Jonathan Huberdeau: New season, new coach, same results. After posting 115 points in 80 games during his final season in Florida, Huberdeau has recorded just 72 points in 117 games in Calgary. (For context: that's the equivalent of 49 points in 80 games.) This season, the 30-year-old winger is 11th among Flames in points, and he's still poor defensively. It's truly shocking how quickly things have gone off the rails. The worst part is, Huberdeau's in Year 1 of an eight-year deal carrying a $10.5-million cap hit. Breaking even in a trade (Calgary would have to retain salary) appears virtually impossible, and the bonuses baked into his contract make a buyout pointless. The Huberdeau contract is the NHL's worst - and it isn't particularly close.

Hurricanes circling: It took a while to get here, but the Hurricanes look like themselves again, which means order has been restored in the NHL. Carolina's underlying numbers are excellent, their special teams are strong, and their forecheck-heavy style is producing wins. Also in typical Canes fashion, Rod Brind'Amour's goalies can't stay healthy and the forward group needs at least one more finisher. A preseason favorite to contend for the President's Trophy and challenge for the Stanley Cup, 22-13-4 Carolina has lost only once in regulation in its past 12 games. The team is second in the Metropolitan Division and, with a second half packed with home dates, there's a chance it can catch up to the Rangers, who're currently five points ahead.

Righty-lefty data: Recently stumbled upon a research paper on handedness among NHLers. The most interesting finding from the paper (which has not been peer-reviewed by an academic journal) is that, on average, the United States produces far more right-handed shooters than Canada, Russia, and Europe. From 1967 to the present, righties have accounted for 46.7% of all American NHL forwards and defensemen compared to 37.4% of Canadian skaters, 25.7% of Russian skaters, and 25.3% of European skaters. "Clearly, there are (many) more players susceptible to shoot right when they are from the USA than when they are from anywhere else in the world," the study concludes. The authors speculate that the righty bias can be partly attributed to higher American participation in youth baseball, where righties rule the batter's box.

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 © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your Seattle Kraken!"

The rapper Sir-Mix-A-Lot introduced the NHL's newest team to 47,313 fans gathered inside T-Mobile Park and those watching on television Monday. The game-ready Kraken players, eye black and all, then strutted a catwalk flanked by fire and flying fish before halting for the national anthem. The Vegas Golden Knights, the league's second-newest team, were positioned nearby.

The scene was a bit on the nose for a Seattle-based outdoor game. But that's the allure of the Winter Classic; it's a celebration of hockey and the host city.

This particular Classic doubled as a celebration of the league. Pitting seven-year-old Vegas against third-year Seattle on New Year's Day was a victory lap of sorts for the NHL. And why not: both franchises have been wildly successful.

So successful, in fact, that every time commissioner Gary Bettman is in front of a microphone, he's asked about expanding beyond 32 teams. Bettman tends to respond with two messages: Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Houston, and Quebec City are all clearly interested, and expansion isn't atop the priority list.

"I don't have a formal expansion process on the horizon," Bettman told Bally Sports Southwest on Dec. 18. "But, we always listen when people are expressing their interest to us, and it's very flattering to know there are so many places that would also like to have an NHL team."

What Bettman hasn't said in these interviews is informative too. He hasn't outright dismissed expansion or changed the subject - he's left the door open.

"We take meetings, we listen, but we're not about to say, 'If you want an expansion team, submit your application by X date.' We're not doing that," he told reporters in mid-November, according to NHL.com's Bill Price. He added, "At some point, somebody may create a proposal that we find so intriguing that we decide to explore it and maybe pursue it. But that's not what we're doing now."

Translation: It's definitely possible the NHL will expand past 32 teams one day.

Should it, though? Let's discuss the cases for and against expansion.

The case for expansion

The NHL's public relations department noted earlier this week that league business was "stronger than ever" in the calendar year of 2023 and that revenues for the 2023-24 season are projected to "exceed $6 billion."

Pro sports leagues want to always tout growth, and expansion can help a mature league like the NHL grow. Expansion, at a basic level, puts money in owners' pockets, gives broadcast partners more inventory, and creates jobs for the players' association.

Win-win-win.

"If it starts with a capital 'B,' the owners are going to be interested and excited. Very, very excited," one assistant general manager for an NHL team said of the potential value of expansion fees. NHL sources were granted anonymity to freely discuss league business.

Expansion fees don't count toward hockey-related revenue, or HRR, which means the players wouldn't get a kickback from, say, a $1-billion entry fee. Still, one veteran agent sees plenty of long-term upside: 23 new jobs per team, and the immense opportunity untapped markets can provide.

"We're in the entertainment business. We can't forget that," said the agent, who represents some of the sport's biggest names. "Players should be into this idea of expanding again. It'll grow the game, grow revenues over time."

Vegas paid $500 million to enter the league in 2017. Seattle paid $650 million four years later. The small-market Ottawa Senators were recently purchased for $950 million by Michael Andlauer, who in turn sold his 10% minority interest in the big-market Montreal Canadiens at a reported $2.5 billion enterprise value. In late 2023, both Forbes and Sportico estimated the average value of an NHL team at roughly $1.3 billion - a 29% jump over 2022.

The NHL's in a sweet spot. Franchise values are through the roof. There's proof of concept in Vegas and Seattle, which have quickly become key revenue generators and, thanks in part to favorable expansion draft rules, highly competitive teams. (Heck, there's no better advertisement for expansion than the Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup in Year 6.) And, with several markets to choose from and no shortage of motivated rich people (nine groups submitted bids for the Senators), the league has power and leverage.

"Bettman is concerned about growing franchise values over time," said David Carter, a University of Southern California professor and a longtime sports industry consultant. "So, if you bring on a team and that team is financially stable - if it has enough money to be competitive on the ice and run a strong business operation - that team will elevate the other boats in the league."

A better question might be: Why wouldn't the NHL want to capitalize on this moment of growth? The league ballooned from 21 to 28 teams in the 1990s. This could be another boom - from 30 to 34 during the 2010s and 2020s.

"At some point, you reach a tipping point where expanding again becomes too much. But the interest in hockey right now is very strong," said Chris Gear, the former longtime chief legal officer and assistant GM for the Vancouver Canucks. "The NHL might be wise to strike while it's hot."

Gear, who now runs a consulting agency and law firm called Blackfin Sports Group, mentioned an interesting wrinkle: less travel. With two more teams, one per conference, the NHL could regionalize its divisions better to reduce costs, lessen the physical and environmental toll of air travel, and promote rivalries. (As for balance, the locations that Bettman commonly cites give the league options. Houston and Salt Lake City could join the Western Conference, while Atlanta and Quebec City could join the East.)

One NHL GM said he isn't opposed to adding a pair of teams, as long as the expansion draft rules remain favorable. That may sound counterintuitive (why would a rival GM want to lose two good players?). However, the executive explained that if the existing owners are going to accept an infusion of cash through fees, they should be OK with handing over some NHL-caliber talent.

Expansion would force dozens of players previously in lower leagues into the NHL. This could lead to a watered-down product (as discussed in the next section), but it may also create an environment that caters to true superstars.

"Goal-scoring is up. Maybe that's directly related to the widening of the gap between the very top and very bottom of the league, player-wise," Gear said of the jobs created by recent expansion. "More goals create more excitement, which adds eyeballs and sponsors. Expansion could be seen as a good thing for the product. It really depends on your frame of reference."

The case against expansion

The first counterargument to expansion is the Arizona Coyotes. Unstable throughout their 27-year run in the Phoenix area, the franchise is currently playing out of a 4,600-seat arena on the Arizona State University campus.

The team is finally competitive on the ice, but the search for a permanent, appropriately sized building is dragging on, and the players' union is losing patience.

As NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh puts it, NHL players deserve an NHL rink.

"There's lots of rumors about two more expansion teams coming. I would say three expansion teams. The first one, really, is Arizona - trying to figure out what's going on with Arizona," Walsh, who's in his first full season, said in November during a keynote interview at the PrimeTime sports conference.

He later added: "You can't have 31 teams playing in a full arena and then one playing in a college arena where you're the second citizen, where you're the second tenant."

That last remark hits on the anti-expansion crowd's main talking point: How can the NHL consider expansion if one of its franchises is a prime candidate for relocation? (Pro-expansion types would respond: OK, that's fair. How about two expansion teams and the Coyotes relocate?)

The quality of the on-ice product is critical to the overall health of the league. By diluting the talent pool, expansion may make games less competitive and entertaining. The best league in the world should have high standards.

In talking with 15 people for this story, the general sentiment was that the on-ice product has been largely unchanged since Vegas and Seattle arrived. It's perhaps slightly worse. However, growing to 33 or 34 teams would add 23 or 46 roster spots that would be filled by players currently in the minors. It's impossible to know for sure, but the league may already be up against the talent threshold.

"The game is growing and there's more countries playing and producing high-end players, so maybe overall there's a bigger talent pool to draw from and that balances everything out," Gear said. "But, I do think you want to be careful. If you expand too many times, too quickly - before that pool of players broadens enough - you might just be watering down the league a little bit."

One assistant GM wondered about the trickle-down effect. For instance, most first-round picks don't immediately make the jump to the NHL in the current 32-team climate. At 34 teams, depth-seeking GMs might feel like the 28th overall pick is the best option to fill out their roster, even though there's a chance that playing in the NHL as a teenager will hurt his development.

More food for thought from an NHL GM: The league has perfect symmetry - 32 teams, 16 per conference, eight per division, and half of the clubs make the playoffs. Expanding would throw off this tidy setup and probably lead the NHL to alter its playoff format, which the league consistently touts as the best.

Expansion wouldn't affect the way a fan follows their favorite team. But it would affect how they follow the rest of the league. The more teams and players, the harder it is to keep up. The average NHL fan in 2024 probably can't name more than three Columbus Blue Jackets players. Expand further and the average fan's connection to rival teams becomes even weaker.

One NHL player sees both sides. If you want to grow the game, you grow the business. At the same time, the NHL shouldn't expand for the sake of expanding. It's a slippery slope, he said, if you're chasing money. The player added that the league can't dismiss what makes the NHL great, whether it's the history of the Original Six or the modern parity and intense competition.

The final counterargument cited by sources is that just because the Golden Knights and Kraken have crushed it, that doesn't mean the markets expressing interest now will do the same. Quebec City has an NHL rink - but not enough corporate dollars. Salt Lake City has an impressive prospective owner in Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith - but a small population. Atlanta is a massive market - but the NHL has already given it two chances. Houston appears to check off the boxes for ownership, market size and demographics, and a building, making it the lone city that doesn't face a significant hurdle.

Carter believes the NHL won't expand haphazardly. Bettman and his staff will be thorough and diligent. Still, the professor notes there's always risk involved in bringing a new owner, market, and team into the fold during a boom period.

"They're not just looking at money, but ultimately, money is what drives the day," Carter said. "The problem can be if the NHL allows for money to be virtually the only thing. That's when they run into trouble. They have to have owners who fulfill a strategic imperative for the league."

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

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Whenever an NHL franchise unveils a fresh jersey, logo, or full getup, an avalanche of analysis follows. Practically everyone serves up a take, from hardcore fans to casuals. That's passion and what fandom's all about.

People who make a living in the sports branding space have strong opinions, too.

Ahead of Monday's Winter Classic in Seattle, theScore asked two sports design gurus to rate and review six of the latest unveilings across the NHL.

Bill Frederick is creative director for Fanbrandz, a sports branding agency. Todd Radom, co-author of "Fabric of the Game: The Stories Behind the NHL's Names, Logos, and Uniforms," is a freelance designer and branding expert.

Golden Knights (Winter Classic)

How does a franchise based in the Mojave Desert that debuted in 2017 create a sharp look suitable for the wintery, nostalgia-soaked Winter Classic?

By developing a story based on what a local NHL team would have looked like in a bygone era, apparently. Vegas' Winter Classic aesthetic is heavy on the Wild West of the early 1900s: cowboy hats, horses, and gambling in a dark saloon.

The end product is a fairly straightforward white, green, and gold jersey. It's regal and leathery. The stylish crest - a large "V" with curly accents - is the draw.

"Top to bottom, this thing is huge," Radom said of the crest. "But it fills the space nicely and it's going to look great on broadcasts. It's very wearable."

"The Knights are using restraint here," Frederick added. "They certainly could have put the team name in front of or arched across the 'V.' I'm sure it was a real option. They must have just come back from that meeting and said, 'Let's just do the 'V,' we're good with that.' And that was definitely a good choice."

Radom envisions this faux-back look being a quick mover on retail racks.

"I can see this being very popular," he said. "I was struck a couple of years ago while I was in Vegas with how deeply invested their fans are, seeing as it's not a traditional hockey market. I remember getting into an Uber and there's Knights stuff just all over the vehicle, inside and out. So, I would imagine the market is probably as saturated as it could be with that core look, given their success on and off the ice so far. Adding this jersey to the stable is brilliant."

Seven stars mark the jersey's collar, one for every Vegas season to date.

Frederick's rating: 8.5 out of 10
Radom's rating: 8 out of 10

Kraken (Winter Classic)

Unlike Vegas, Seattle has an NHL past, and this look (which is the subject of a trademark infringement lawsuit) is a direct nod to the Seattle Metropolitans, the first American team to win the Stanley Cup back in 1917.

The felt crest is quite similar to the championship squad's (though "Kraken" snakes the inside of the red "S" logo, not "Seattle"). And it jumps off the old-school barber-pole stripe design thanks to two colors unique to the Kraken brand (midnight blue and ice blue) and a classic off-white called vintage cream.

Both Frederick and Radom noted how this jersey strikes a wonderful balance. It's not overly vintage or overly modern. It's quirky but not too quirky or weird.

"The letterforms in the 'S' just make it look fantastic," Frederick said. "It looks just like an old sweater you might see at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. It looks like it got sewn on by somebody who was making jerseys back then."

Added Radom: "I love the color scheme of the team to begin with. And I love the fact that this combines Seattle's NHL history - which has this gigantic gap between teams - in a seamless way. It's a celebratory look. It's attractive. I would wear the hell out of it if I was walking around Seattle. It's awesome."

Frederick's rating: 9/10
Radom's rating: 9.5/10

Oilers and Flames (Heritage Classic)

These looks, rocked outdoors Oct. 29 in Edmonton, can be discussed together. They're both 1950s throwbacks, and the Oilers won the Battle of Alberta on the ice (5-2) and in the design studio.

The Oilers' digs feature a slick and unique oil drop, tasteful banner lettering, along with player numbers on the left sleeve, and the event logo on the right shoulder. The brown pants and gloves complement the jersey's colors very well.

"It looks vintage. It doesn't look forced," Radom said. "My benchmark with throwbacks is always something like this: Does this look like it was done on a computer in 2022, or whatever, trying to look like 1946, or does this look organic? This Oilers jersey succeeds because it looks very organic and real."

Frederick appreciates how player numbers are also set inside the oil drop. "That's a really nice touch," he said of a design choice rare to hockey jerseys.

The Flames' look is, in a word, standard. Basic vintage jersey stuff. Sharp yet uninventive. The hockey-lace neck tie is a microcosm: simple, clean, classic.

"If you're trying to convey the idea of vintage hockey, there's nothing better than the laces. It's a crutch to some degree - a stereotype that's often leaned into. But sometimes vanilla ice cream tastes really good, right?" Radom said.

Neither expert hates Calgary's look - or loves it.

The crest lacks nuance, Radom noted. The lettering is "kind of cliched and somewhat expected." Some black outlining within the crest would add a bit of contrast and give the team name and flaming "C" logo a bit of separation.

"When you eliminate black from it, which has been part of their color scheme along the way, you lose a little something," he said. "If you're trying to look vintage, you're probably not going to have three colors. You're going to have two. That's the classic, Original Six look. But, in this case, it's problematic."

Frederick agreed.

"I also wonder if the outline on the 'C' logo gets a little busy in there," he said. "On the back end of it, around the flame part, it's really all clogging up."

Frederick's rating: 7.5/10 for Oilers; 8/10 for Flames jersey, 6/10 for crest
Radom's rating: 8/10 for Oilers; 6.5/10 for Flames

Rangers (new third)

Officially called the New York City Nights third, this jersey is in many ways a typical Original Six alternative. The main color (navy blue) doesn't shock the system. The crest is familiar (albeit very large). There are few elements overall.

"They're not doing anything particularly adventurous. Which is OK. It gives the team another tool for the toolbox over the course of a long season," Radom said of the Rangers, who'll show off their new toy 10 times in 2023-24.

The red, white, and blue striping on the waist and sleeves was incorporated to represent the hustle of the Big Apple, particularly the lights of streaking traffic and Madison Square Garden. But both experts see holes in the city-nights theme.

"The waist striping is absolutely right on brand, but I'm surprised they went with those thin stripes on the arms," Frederick said. He called the execution of the theme a "stretch." Radom wondered if the designers simply fell in love with the theme, then failed to reconsider when the execution was meh. "That's an instance where maybe the tail is wagging the dog," he said.

All that stated, there's a neat Easter egg hiding on the jersey's back collar: "BLUESHIRTS" is laid out on an NYC subway tile pattern. Thoughtful detail.

Frederick's rating: 7/10
Radom's rating: 7/10

Hurricanes (Whalers Night)

Both experts salivated over this last look, which is an ultimate throwback.

The Hurricanes have never worn the Whalers' classic white jersey and will slip them on only once this season: Feb. 10 as part of their annual Whalers Night. (The franchise relocated from Connecticut to North Carolina in 1997.)

What gets Frederick and Radom so amped: the Whalers logo is as beautiful as ever. The "H" formed from negative space between the whale's tail and the "W" is one of those golden design nuggets that decades later still delights.

"It's great that 'Hurricanes' has an 'H' like 'Hartford.' It works," Frederick said of a happy coincidence. "Through the years, this logo has always come up in the top 10 best sports logos of all time. It's clever but not overly clever. It's a very appealing graphic. It's simple. It's awesome. I love everything about it."

"If anything gets a 10 out of 10," Radom added, "it's this and the Canadiens."

A bonus of Whalers Night: Hurricanes players will wear waist-to-ankle hockey pants (also known as Cooperalls) during pregame warmup.

"Shoot it into my veins, baby," Radom said of the early-80s fad. "I love it."

Frederick's rating: 9/10
Radom's rating: 10/10

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In his preseason meeting with reporters back in September, Kings president Luc Robitaille said his club was "in that bucket of 8-10 teams" with reasonable Stanley Cup aspirations.

The franchise icon's assessment was totally fair. The Kings weren't necessarily the preseason favorites to come out of the Pacific Division, let alone the Western Conference. Yet finishing atop the Pacific, winning playoff series, and - gulp - appearing in the Cup Final wasn't a deranged idea either.

It's now late December and no team has impressed quite like Los Angeles.

It probably doesn't seem that way on the surface, seeing as the Kings rank eighth in points, fifth in points percentage, and don't have a single player in the top 40 in scoring or in the conversation for an end-of-year award. But in my view, this L.A. team has asserted itself as a true alpha dog in the West.

Under fifth-year coach Todd McLellan, the 2023-24 Kings have allowed the fewest goals per game. They've smothered attackers, allowing the fewest expected goals, shots on goal, and slot shots, according to Sportlogiq. They've allowed the second-fewest inner-slot shots and third-fewest shot attempts. They've ground the opposition down, ranking third in penalty-kill percentage and fourth in offensive-zone puck possession suppression.

The Kings have also been pretty deadly with the puck. They generate the sixth-most goals per game by attacking in waves - early and often. They have the best one-through-four center depth, are a league-high plus-15 in the first period, and own a league-average power play. The only significant negative storyline has been center Pierre-Luc Dubois' surprising lack of production.

It'd be a stretch to label these Kings a "sleeping giant," considering their 18-7-4 record, which includes a stunning 13-1-1 road mark. However, they may be better than we thought - an undercover juggernaut playing a well-balanced brand of hockey that usually translates to series wins come playoff time.

Watch out.

Matthews versus (young) Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin, the greatest goal-scoring artist of all time, ceded the title as greatest goal-scorer of the moment to Auston Matthews a few years ago. There was obviously no ceremony, but he definitely passed the imagined torch. Everybody, even the legendarily durable Ovechkin, becomes the old guy at some point.

The contrast between the snipers is as stark as ever in 2023-24.

Matthews, 26, leads the NHL with 26 goals in 29 games, including a mind-bending 12 in his last eight outings. He's on pace for a career-high 72 goals.

Ovechkin, 38, is tied for 182nd with six goals in 30 games, including just one in his last 15 outings. He's on pace for a career-low 16 goals.

Matthews is no longer the young whippersnapper. He hit 500 career games in late November. That milestone had me wondering about Matthews' trajectory and how his numbers stack up against those of early-career Ovechkin.

Here's the high-level breakdown:

It's important to note that the NHL product was in a different place when Ovechkin was in the early stages of his career. On the whole, Matthews has competed in a more offense-friendly environment to start his career. (Case in point, the average NHL game during Ovechkin's fourth season featured 5.58 goals, while the average game during Matthews' fourth season featured 6.04.)

Caveat out of the way, it's amazing to see Matthews outpacing young Ovi in goals - albeit by a small margin. The American's been more productive than the Russian away from the power play, too, having recorded 242 of his 325 total goals in even-strength action. (Young Ovi scored 208 of 313 at evens.)

Shot profiles are another layer. Young Ovi both racked up shots on goal at an insane rate (more than five per game!) and capitalized on a high percentage of his shots. Matthews, an extremely versatile attacker, also shoots the puck a ton but is relatively selective and better at keeping goalies guessing.

Matthews' scoring rate through 510 games is frankly astonishing. To repeat: He's outpacing young Ovi, who's now chasing Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. Injuries may end up being Matthews' archnemesis since he's in his eighth season now, and Ovechkin hit 510 games in his seventh. Good health is a chief reason why Ovechkin's accumulated 827 goals and counting.

Duchene flourishing in Texas

Apologies to fans of Ryan O'Reilly, J.T. Compher, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Cam Talbot, but Matt Duchene's been the biggest success story from the 2023 class of unrestricted free agents. The crafty center is killing it for the Stars.

In case you forgot, the Predators bought out the last three years of Duchene's seven-year, $56-million contract on June 30. A day later, Duchene - who turns 33 in January - inked a one-year, $3-million deal with Dallas, his fifth team.

Two months on, Duchene is third in team scoring with 29 points in 30 games. Those aren't empty-calorie points, either. Six of Duchene's 11 goals count as game-winners. This week alone, he's assisted on an overtime goal (Monday versus the Kraken) and scored an OT goal (Thursday versus the Canucks).

It's been an odd 31 games for Dallas. They're tied with the Avalanche for the Central Division lead despite underwhelming performances from goalie Jake Oettinger and top defenseman Miro Heiskanen. In general, the lack of blue-line depth is a huge issue for a team built to contend for the Cup this season.

Duchene's presence has offset some of the messiness. He's changed the complexion of the forward group by driving the second line with Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. Together, they've outchanced the other team 155-118 and outscored them 21-11, according to Natural Stat Trick. The only line in the league credited with more goals? Pittsburgh's trio of Sidney Crosby between Jake Guentzel and Bryant Rust (23 goals in similar minutes).

Dallas' Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Joe Pavelski line has been one of hockey's best for years. Jamie Benn-Wyatt Johnston-Evgenii Dadonov can be super effective. This Duchene-led group adds another headache for the opposition.

Parting shots

Nolan Patrick: Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman quashed social media rumors Wednesday by reporting Patrick has not officially retired. Yet, Patrick's career arc won't be any less sad if he files retirement papers in a few days, months, or even years. Patrick, the second overall pick in 2017, has appeared in only 222 total games for the Flyers and Golden Knights because of health issues, including migraines. The 25-year-old missed all of last season and remains a free agent 30 games into this one. (He also sat out the entire 2019-20 season.) There's an alternative universe where he's healthy, reaches his potential as a two-way center, never gets traded to Vegas via Nashville on the same day in 2021, and is a key member of a Flyers team on the rise. It's truly unfortunate.

Three-goalie life: I can't recall a time when so many NHL teams consistently carried three healthy goalies on the 23-man roster. At the holiday roster freeze, the tally is six, which is roughly one-fifth of the league. For the vast majority of the season, the trend has been pushed by four squads: the Canadiens, Sabres, Hurricanes, and Red Wings. "There's some challenges there," Wings coach Derek Lalonde said earlier this month when asked about the pros and cons of carrying three guys. "I think it takes the right individuals."

Unlike the other squads, Montreal is rebuilding. Coach Martin St. Louis is in a position where he can experiment with varying workloads and hopefully find a goalie (or goalies) of the future, and if they lose games along the way, so be it. Ironically, the Habs have the highest save percentage of the bunch, with their netminders - Sam Montembeault (14 starts), Jake Allen (12), and Cayden Primeau (6) - combining for a .902 team SV%, good for 13th out of 32 teams. Meanwhile, the Wings are 17th, the Sabres 28th, and the Canes 31st.

Relaxed Gretzky: Man, it's been super neat having the Great One back in our lives. It was one thing for him to join the "NHL on TNT" panel in 2021. It was another thing for him to actually take his job as an analyst seriously. And now, two-plus years into the gig, it's obvious Gretzky is fully embracing life in the public eye again. The man who's had a one-of-a-kind existence is opening up the story vault. Recently, he spun a great yarn on TNT about the last time he visited the Hockey Hall of Fame and nailed an appearance on comedian Theo Von's popular podcast. Gretzky, 62, told tale after tale for almost an hour straight. I found this Hulk Hogan story charming:

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 © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

BUFFALO - Bill Armstrong settled into a chair in KeyBank Center's empty and dark press box last week, his iPhone and a large Starbucks cup resting on the ledge in front of him. Hours from hosting a Coyotes-Sabres game, the arena was silent save for the sounds of skates, sticks, and pucks on the ice below.

Armstrong, the Coyotes' general manager since fall 2020, watched his team's morning skate through black-rimmed glasses. Or, more broadly, he kept a close eye on Phase 2 of his plan to revive a long-languishing franchise.

Phase 1 saw Armstrong tear down most of what the previous regime built. His initial phase focused on building blocks - revamping the Coyotes' hockey operations department, accumulating as much draft capital as possible, and developing some of those picks into everyday NHL players.

The second phase, which began this past offseason, revolves around being competitive - every night, no matter the opposition. It's about progress, even in defeat. After a thrilling comeback victory over the Senators on Tuesday, the Coyotes occupy the Western Conference's second wild-card spot thanks to a 16-13-2 record.

"Phase 3 is making the playoffs," Armstrong said between sips of coffee. "The other part of Phase 3 is consistency. Can you be consistent year after year?"

Off the ice, the consistency question is existential. The Coyotes, currently the secondary tenant in a 4,600-seat arena on Arizona State University's campus, desperately need a permanent home. Tempe residents shot down an arena and entertainment district proposal in May, leading ownership to pivot to a plot of land in Phoenix. According to reports, no arena deal is imminent.

With the team playing well, the off-ice drama and subsequent relocation chatter can be put aside for a moment. Here's why the Coyotes - a laughingstock for years - are finally headed in the right direction under Armstrong and head coach Andre Tourigny.

'Sit there and evaluate'

The Coyotes hired Armstrong a month after getting eliminated in 2020's expanded playoff tournament, the team's first and only postseason berth since 2012. The rookie GM picked the brains of his peers around this time, and the best advice came from his old boss, Blues GM Doug Armstrong (no relation).

"Sit there and evaluate," Doug Armstrong told Bill, a Blues amateur scout, scouting director, and assistant GM for 16 years. "The greatest thing you can do is evaluate for a full year to get a good understanding of where you are."

Armstrong mostly followed that plan. He finalized just one notable trade in his first nine months on the job - Derek Stepan to Ottawa for a second-round pick - before he flipped the switch. He rattled off nine trades around the 2021 draft and free-agency period. Fast-forward to the present, and Armstrong's Coyotes have made 35 trades and used 36 draft picks over a three-year, three-month span.

That's a ton of activity considering the NHL forced Arizona to forfeit a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 first-rounder for violating combine testing protocol under former GM John Chayka. (The club also wasted a 2020 fourth on Mitchell Miller, renouncing his draft rights after public backlash to a bullying incident.)

These trades and picks go hand in hand because the roster was never going to be a quick fix. Armstrong knew his best, and perhaps only, chance at building a sustainable winner was to draft in high volume. In Phase 1, he retained salary three times in trades and acquired several retirement-bound players, including Shea Weber and Jakub Voracek ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, not only for the picks but also for financial reasons. Other teams needed to move money to fit under the salary cap ceiling, while the Coyotes needed to reach the cap floor.

Over the past three drafts, Arizona selected double the amount of players in both opening two rounds - six in the first and six in the second. Over the next three drafts, the team has three firsts and a whopping 10 seconds.

"Did I think we could generate that many picks? No. No. No, no, no, I didn't," Armstrong said. "But I'm a big fan of the second-rounders. Back in St. Louis, we had drafted (impact NHLers) Jordan Kyrou and Vince Dunn in the second, so I knew if you had a good staff, you could do some damage in that area."

Being in Phase 2 now, Armstrong signaled this past offseason that there's a finish line to the aggressive pick accumulation when he used a second to acquire promising defenseman Sean Durzi from the Kings. Can Armstrong definitively say the Coyotes are done absorbing other teams' bad business?

"Oh, it's over," Armstrong said with a laugh. "Yeah, it's done."

Brick-by-brick core

Over the past decade, under Chayka and Armstrong, the Coyotes have, to put it mildly, lowered the bar. They've rarely been competitive, at times icing lineups more worthy of the AHL than the NHL. It's been depressing to watch from afar.

Nevertheless, the seemingly endless rebuild has produced a robust core, led by the four originals - forwards Clayton Keller (acquired in the 2016 draft), Lawson Crouse (acquired in a 2016 trade), Nick Schmaltz (2018 trade), and Barrett Hayton (2018 draft). Forward Matias Maccelli (2019 draft) and defenseman J.J. Moser (2021 draft) joined them during the 2021-22 season.

All six skaters are 27 or younger and under team control for multiple years.

The core's third layer consists of four newcomers - forward Michael Carcone (2021 free agent), forward Logan Cooley (2022 draft), goalie Connor Ingram (2022 waiver claim), and Durzi (2023 trade). The rookie Cooley has flashed superstar potential. Ingram, picked up in October 2022, may be the long-term answer between the pipes. Durzi, an excellent puck-mover, has flourished in an elevated role. Carcone, the AHL's top scorer last year, has broken out this season.

It's been a grind. But those 10 players represent the present and future.

"Each year, you bring more people into that core," said Crouse, the second-longest-tenured Coyote and an alternate captain. "We've done a great job with having a great locker room. We have a bunch of guys who want to be here and perform well and play their best. In the long run, that's a recipe for success."

As defenseman Travis Dermott explained, an NHL player must check two boxes to become a core piece for a franchise. One, the player must be wanted, and two, the player must be invested. He can't have one foot in and one foot out.

"There's no little cliques among the team," said Dermott, who also played in Vancouver and Toronto. "The superstar guys aren't just hanging out with the superstar guys - they're hanging out with everyone. The Euros are mixing in with the group - it's not their own little group. And that's pretty rare to see."

Tourigny impact

In talking with a handful of people around the league about Arizona's trajectory, one theme emerged: Tourigny, the third-year bench boss, has been arguably the biggest single driver of on-ice success. He's a core member, too.

"He's a very good teacher of the game. He's very good at communicating," Crouse said of Tourigny, who's tasked with coaching the NHL's fifth-youngest roster. "Nothing's given and everything's earned with him."

Added Dermott: "He's got the respect of everybody on our team. He's hard on you. If you take a shift off, a practice off, you're going to hear about it. But that's what keeps guys honest. On the other side of the coin, he's the one cracking the most jokes, and he's the one making sure guys have smiles on their faces. You don't see that too often from a head coach. He's personable."

Tourigny said he wants the Coyotes - who sit 19th in the league in goals for per game and 11th in goals against per game - to play "in-your-face type of hockey." He's taught his skaters to apply pressure in the neutral zone so the opponent can't get organized and attack in numbers or with speed.

Of course, Arizona's 2.87 goals-against rate is also a byproduct of Vezina Trophy-caliber goaltending. Ingram boasts a .919 save percentage in 20 games, and his 0.58 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes is seventh among 35 goalies with at least 800 minutes played.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes' offensive identity consists of three pillars. They want to play with pace. They want to control the flow of play in the offensive zone. And they want to funnel pucks to the net from high-leverage spots in the zone.

"We're not a team who will shoot from anywhere," Tourigny said. "We're more a team who will hold onto the puck to create a better opportunity."

While there's progress to be made, the underlying data is starting to align with the pillars. On a per-game basis, the Coyotes rank 22nd in rush chances (up from 30th last season), third in offensive-zone possession time (22nd), second in slot passes (28th), and 29th in slot shots (30th), according to Sportlogiq.

Competent special teams are another marker of a club on the rise, and Arizona owns the 12th-ranked power play and 16th-ranked penalty kill. A strong indicator of a team still very much getting its act together: a poor five-on-five expected-goals share (the Coyotes rank 24th at 47.9%).

Tourigny's contract expires after the 2026-27 season, and Armstrong's after 2028-29, according to reports. Clearly, ownership is invested in the duo.

They were given plenty of runway for Phase 1. The intensity and pressure will ratchet up through Phases 2 and 3. Phase 4, which involves winning playoff series and challenging for the Stanley Cup, is merely a dream at this point.

The Coyotes aren't one or two pieces away from being a complete team, and not all of their high picks will blossom into everyday NHLers. There are 31 other clubs attempting to maintain or build a sustainable winner at all times.

In other words, nothing's guaranteed.

But, for the first time in forever, there's hope in the desert - on the ice, anyway.

"What I said in my opening press conference is true to this day," Armstrong said from his perch inside KeyBank. "They said, 'How do you change this organization?' I go, 'Just get one good player at a time and stack them on top of each other.' It's really about the players on the ice. It changes everything."

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Amid Detroit's chaotic 6-5 overtime loss to San Jose on Thursday, Patrick Kane reminded the hockey world why he earned the nickname "Showtime."

Kane, who inked a one-year deal with the Red Wings last week, recorded eight shot attempts in his debut. He failed to register a point but rang the post on a partial breakaway in the third period. He skated well, winning races to loose pucks on multiple occasions. The 35-year-old was his usual crafty and measured self in a playmaking role, too; his chemistry with former linemate Alex DeBrincat was apparent from their opening shift together. He logged nearly 17 minutes of even-strength and power-play action.

Kane's return to the NHL was extremely encouraging. It was also a reminder of the unique path Detroit is on.

Unlike the Atlantic Division's other upstart clubs - Ottawa, Buffalo, and Montreal - the Wings haven't picked in the top three of the draft during their rebuild despite bottoming out in similar fashion. While Dylan Larkin, DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, and Kane (if he continues to play well) are all top-of-the-lineup players, the Wings lack a bona fide superstar.

They don't have a Tim Stutzle equivalent up front nor a Rasmus Dahlin-Owen Power combo on the back end. (Yeah, we'll leave Juraj Slafkovsky out of this.)

Instead, Detroit - comfortably ahead of Ottawa, Buffalo, and Montreal in the standings - has filled key lineup spots with trusty vets in or past their primes.

"When you sign with us, you're signing up for trying to build something," Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said earlier this week about integrating so many moving parts. "You can see a decent young core. They can envision themselves being part of it. They want to be here. Even Patty (Kane). He wanted to be here. DeBrincat and (Jeff) Petry in the offseason through some trades. It speaks volumes about what we're trying to build and do."

This strategy of finding outside help shifted into high gear this past offseason. On top of DeBrincat and Petry, general manager Steve Yzerman brought in J.T. Compher, Klim Kostin, Christian Fischer, Daniel Sprong, Shayne Gostisbehere, Justin Holl, Alex Lyon, and James Reimer. The average age of the entire haul, including Kane: 29.5. Talk about a lot of mileage - and depth.

Top scorers Larkin and DeBrincat are tied for 29th and 37th, respectively, in league-wide points. Yet, the Wings as a team rank second in goals per game.

"We have a lot of top-end skill in a lot of different places," Raymond told theScore. "Our biggest advantage is our depth - the way we have four really good lines who can play (consistently). We have seven really good D-men as well."

The influx of vets puts Detroit in a fascinating position for 2023-24: It appears to be a club with a relatively high floor (almost guaranteed to finish in or just outside of the playoffs) and relatively low ceiling (one playoff series win?).

That isn't bad. It's just different compared to what's happening elsewhere.

Carlsson's slow burn with Ducks

The tricky part about analyzing Leo Carlsson's much-discussed load-management plan with the Ducks is that alternative realities don't exist. It's impossible to know if a regular schedule of games, versus the lightened load Carlsson's currently taking on, would have been better or worse for the rookie.

The comparison simply can't be made.

Disclaimer out of the way, the plan - in which Carlsson appears in roughly two games per week until the midpoint of the season while focusing on building strength and speed through off-ice training - has been hugely successful.

Carlsson has contributed eight goals, including three against the Flyers on Nov. 10, plus five assists while appearing in 18 of Anaheim's 26 games. He's attacking and playmaking with confidence while skating for 18:20 a night. Impressively, the second pick in the 2023 draft is third among rookies in points per game (0.72), trailing Connor Bedard (0.84) and Connor Zary (0.75).

"He's going to be elite," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, whose club has faced off against Carlsson three times already, told reporters this week. "Big, long guy that's only going to get stronger. He's a great skater, and he's got silky hands. He's an intelligent player with a skill set that's off the charts."

Couldn't agree more. Carlsson, who's listed at 6-foot-3, 194 pounds, reminds me of Aleksander Barkov. If that seems like heady praise for a kid barely acclimated to the NHL and turning 19 later this month, well, it is.

Truthfully, my initial reaction to the news of the Ducks' load-management plan was cynical. I thought general manager Pat Verbeek might be babying a young player suiting up for a rebuilding team. By limiting his games, it could look like he was trying to suppress Carlsson's future earning potential and trying to lose more often to increase draft lottery odds. I was clearly wrong.

Carlsson and his agent have been open about how they're generally on board with the plan - which, by the way, isn't for every team or high-end prospect. In Carlsson's case, though, maybe a slower burn is in fact the perfect pace.

Anderson battling prolonged cooler

Josh Anderson has always been a player who catches the eye. He's 6-foot-3, 224 pounds, can skate like the wind, and can really wire the puck. He delivers body checks and fights here and there. His physical gifts are notable.

Those gifts haven't completely disappeared this season. But his scoring touch has. Anderson, who's potted between 17 and 27 goals in each of his seven full NHL seasons, is on pace for just three. Through 26 games, the Canadiens' winger has one lonely goal into a vacant net.

On that one scoring play, Anderson slung the puck from below the hashmarks in Montreal's zone and into Seattle's open cage. It brought a smile to Anderson's face, but it comes with an asterisk. The last time he scored on a netminder was March 13 - 31 games ago.

What a baffling stretch for a guy with a career shooting percentage of 11.1%.

Anderson's generated a total of 91 shot attempts, 51 of which have been marked as a shot on goal. That shots-on-goal rate (7.1 per 60 minutes) is indeed lower than his career average; however, to Anderson's credit, he's racked up a respectable 7.47 expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick.

So, there's a decent amount of plain ol' bad puck luck baked into Anderson's prolonged cooler. He's hit several posts and been robbed a few times, most notably by Jacob Markstrom during a mid-November game against Calgary.

Still, this isn't a bad week or month. One-third of the season is over. Anderson scored on just 1.6% of his shots for Columbus in 2019-20 - an anomaly for his career - but he was battling injury. Right now? He's apparently fully healthy.

Parting shots

Sid the (old) Kid: The Penguins' trainwreck of a power play (seven goals on 71 man-advantage opportunities) is rightfully attracting everybody's attention. So much so that it's overshadowing captain Sidney Crosby's stellar age-36 season. The 23rd-oldest player in the league sits third in five-on-five points, with 20 in 25 games (he trails buddy Nathan MacKinnon and teammate Jake Guentzel). Crosby, who's in the "wow, he can still do that" stage of his career, is winning faceoffs and recording takeaways at career-high rates. The Pens are outscoring the opposition 29-18 with him on the ice at five-on-five.

"I've always believed that Sid's defensive game flies under the radar, probably because his offensive game is so dynamic," Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan said prior to a recent game in Buffalo. "No one ever really speaks about his commitment to playing defense. But he's a detailed guy. He's a student of the game. And I think he understands that it's essential to winning."

Happy Claim Day: Next Tuesday marks one year since the Kraken claimed Eeli Tolvanen off waivers. Shortly after the claim, former Predators executive David Poile wondered aloud if losing Tolvanen would come back to haunt Nashville (the club foolishly thought he'd pass through waivers). Spoiler alert: Poile's instincts were spot-on. Tolvanen, 24, has excelled in Seattle, producing 52 points in 89 regular-season and playoff games. He's currently tied for third on the team with 17 points. The 30th overall pick in 2017 boasts a wicked shot. He's a valued member of the power play. His defensive metrics are solid. And he's relatively inexpensive at a $1.45-million cap hit. Good on the Kraken and good for Tolvanen, who didn't get a fair shake in Nashville.

Smart Cats: The 15-8-2 Panthers once again look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. But what's jumped off the page when watching them this season is that they evaluate NHL players as good as any team in the league. I intentionally included the word "NHL" above because although Florida's draft-and-develop record is fine, they've acquired established (and sometimes undervalued) NHLers at an exceptionally high rate. Aleksander Barkov is the lone homegrown forward in the top six. Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett all arrived via trade, and Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues were signed as free agents. The blue line was built out similarly: one homegrown talent (Aaron Ekblad) among the four top performers. Brandon Montour - acquired via trade. Gustav Forsling - waivers. Oliver Ekman-Larsson - free agency. All credit to GM Bill Zito and his pro scouting and analytics groups. The Panthers are doing a bang-up job identifying talent.

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 © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL passed the quarter mark of the 2023-24 season earlier this week.

As expected, goal-scoring continues to rule. The per-game average (6.3) is tied with 2022-23 and 2005-06 as the highest of the 21st century.

As expected, comeback wins are prominent. There were 62 third-period comebacks through Monday, tied for third-most at this stage of a season.

Expected is cool. Unexpected is better.

Let's check in on four unexpected trends at the team and player levels.

Pens' power play a mess

The Penguins last scored on the power play three weeks ago Saturday.

Over nine games, Pittsburgh's heavily used top unit, led by future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson, has failed to convert on 21 man-advantage opportunities while allowing a goal against.

Overall, the Penguins have bagged only seven goals in 59 opportunities. Their 11.9% success rate - down 10 percentage points from last year - ranks 27th in the NHL.

It's perplexing given the personnel. The top unit also features Jake Guentzel, perhaps the most underrated offensive player of his generation, and one of Bryan Rust, Reilly Smith, or Rickard Rakell.

So, what gives? Just about everything.

For instance, in five opportunities against the Rangers on Nov. 22, Pittsburgh had trouble completing basic tape-to-tape passes and struggled to enter the offensive zone with control of the puck. When the Pens did manage to set up, New York predicted every move, leading to blocked shots and easy clears.

The zone-entry problem lingered against Toronto three days later. The Pens tried dumping the puck in, but penalty killers beat them on the retrieval. They tried to force seam passes high in the offensive zone - no dice.

One major theme throughout the 0-for-21 drought: the net-front guy is barely a factor. He often fails to take away the goalie's sightlines, and not enough pucks are getting to the net overall. The action's too much on the perimeter, making life easy on the penalty kill. There are no rebounds.

All that said, I don't think Pittsburgh's power play is hopeless.

The personnel's too talented to be this bad for a full season, and the 11-10-1 Pens are actually generating a decent amount of power-play offense. Pittsburgh ranks fourth in PP shot attempts per 60 minutes, fifth in PP shots on goal per 60, and second in PP expected goals per 60. Further: Pittsburgh ranks 30th in the league in total PP time. Drawing an extra penalty or two every game would relieve the pressure on each opportunity and, in a perfect world, help build momentum.

Each member of the top unit looks frustrated. They're probably overthinking it. If I were coach Mike Sullivan, I'd either sub in Kris Letang for Karlsson or have the star blue-liners co-run the top unit. Shuffling the deck is worth a try.

Reinhart pushing for Rocket

Sam Reinhart and Nikita Kucherov are currently tied for second in the NHL with 15 goals. Interestingly, Reinhart tops Kucherov and 17-goal man Brock Boeser in a different category: percentage of team goals scored.

Reinhart's scored 21.7% of all Panthers goals - a remarkably high rate 23 games into the season. (He has 13 assists, too.) The only player challenging for the Rocket Richard Trophy with a higher percentage than Reinhart is Frank Vatrano, whose 14 tallies account for 22.2% of Ducks goals.

Reinhart, a career 14.6% shooter, is hitting on an absurd 25.9% of his shots; he's skating a career-high 20:41 a game; and seven of his goals have been scored on the power play.

So, yes, Reinhart's 82-game pace - 53 goals, or 20 more than his previous best - is deceiving. He's riding the percentages a bit.

Still, the 6-2, 193-pound forward generally comes by his production honestly. He's a true master of the fundamentals.

Coaches at all levels instruct forwards to stop at the net at the end of a rush - Reinhart does this every single time. He's strong on his skates, takes very efficient routes in all three zones, and cycles the puck extraordinarily well.

He has what coaches call a "good stick," especially on special teams. He extends his stick into passing and shooting lanes on the penalty kill and, as shown in the clip below, subtly presents it to teammates on the power play:

Also of note: Reinhart's name consistently shows up on leaderboards for individual expected goal and inner-slot shot generation, suggesting the 28-year-old often attacks from the offensive zone's most dangerous areas.

He does benefit from playing on a line with Aleksander Barkov, but that's true for anyone who skates with the Finnish center. Regardless, there's no denying Reinhart has asserted himself in the final year of a three-year deal carrying a $6.5-million average annual value. Time for a hefty raise.

Bruins dominating again

Projecting the 2023-24 Bruins wasn't an overly controversial process.

Impact forwards Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Taylor Hall, and Tyler Bertuzzi all departed, and the magic of last year's record-breaking regular season vanished, so Boston logically appeared ready to take a major step back. Making the playoffs in an improved Atlantic Division was certainly possible but not preordained.

Oh, how wrong - horribly wrong! - most of us were.

Boston's 15-4-3 with a plus-19 goal differential through 22 games. This year's team isn't quite as dominant as last year's, and has lost four of its past seven, but the Bruins mostly look like a Stanley Cup contender and currently hold the Atlantic's No. 1 seed.

As for where the consensus projection whiffed, let's start with the core.

Bergeron, arguably the greatest defensive forward of all time, was a massive loss. But two forwards (David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand), two defensemen (Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm), and two goalies (Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman) are all either smack in the middle of their primes or near the end. We probably didn't give that enviable top of the lineup enough credit.

The coach is also still around, and Boston's been one of - if not the best - puck-support team in the NHL under Jim Montgomery. They worked in numbers on offense and defense all of last year and continue do this season.

We definitely underrated the quality of Boston's goalies and top-six centers. Having Ullmark or Swayman in net every game means the opposition never gets a break - an elite netminder for all 82 is a massive trump card in this shared workloads era. Meanwhile, Pavel Zacha (Pastrnak and Marchand's main center) and Charlie Coyle have filled in admirably for Bergeron and Krejci.

Lastly, the rookie class is notable. Five first-year players have appeared in 10 or more games and each is pitching in, led by forward Matthew Poitras. Teams of Boston's ilk don't usually receive a shot in the arm like that.

Talbot-Copley is all Kings need

The Kings opened the season with the least amount of money devoted to goaltending, with Cam Talbot and Pheonix Copley making a combined $2.5 million, or 3% of total cap dollars. I called it the Adin Hill Won the Cup Effect.

Talbot's cap hit this year ($1 million) is lower than Copley's ($1.5 million), though Talbot already secured a $1-million bonus by appearing in 10 games. L.A. will happily deal with that bonus charge on next year's cap sheet considering the value Talbot, 36, is offering right now.

Analytics company Sportlogiq awards a "quality start" whenever a goalie posts a positive value in its goals saved above expected metric. So far, Talbot has 10 quality starts in 14 tries. His .928 all-situations save percentage ranks second among 27 NHL goalies who've logged 700 or more minutes.

Including Copley's minutes, the Kings have the league's sixth-best team save percentage through 20 games. The .913 rate is a huge upgrade on last year's debacle between the pipes: an .889 rate that tied for 26th out of 32 teams and that was spread across four goalies, including two who made around $5 million.

What should be most encouraging is the play in front of Talbot and Copley. Coach Todd McLellan's skaters are on average surrendering very few shots, and the ones they do surrender tend to be from medium or long range. The skaters are insulating the goalies.

That lockdown style is conducive to winning in both the regular season and playoffs - as reigning Cup champion Vegas and Hill showed.

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

And the winner of the Patrick Kane sweepstakes is: Detroit.

Kane, 35, reportedly agreed to a one-year, $2.75-million deal with the 11-6-3 Red Wings on Tuesday, after many others - including the Maple Leafs, Sabres, Stars, and Bruins - expressed interest in acquiring the unrestricted free agent. Kane appears ready to return to NHL action after spending six months recovering from hip surgery.

Here are four takeaways from the Wings' big splash.

Flexibility and familiarity wins

With at least a handful of teams lining up to speak with Kane, the forward essentially had his pick of the scenario he felt most comfortable with.

Most money? Most years? Best usage/deployment? Best chance to win?

Above all else, Detroit offered flexibility and familiarity.

Prior to the signing, the Wings had an open spot on their 23-man roster and roughly $5 million in cap space. This flexibility allowed general manager Steve Yzerman to add a player of Kane's caliber without subtracting from the group.

Now coach Derek Lalonde can insert a top-six winger into a lineup that's produced the third-most points in the Atlantic Division. Kane, meanwhile, joins a group hungry to snap a seven-year playoff drought.

The familiarity component is twofold: First, Kane knows the Michigan area well after suiting up for the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons in the mid-2000s. Second, Kane is reuniting with old linemate and buddy Alex DeBrincat. The pair skated on the same line for a large chunk of DeBrincat's five-year run in Chicago and were highly productive as a tandem. Kane assisted on 72 of 160 goals DeBrincat scored with the Blackhawks.

DeBrincat was traded to Detroit from Ottawa in July and immediately signed a four-year, $31.5-million extension. The sharpshooting winger leads the Wings with 12 goals in 20 games. He's played the majority of his five-on-five shifts with center Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond (though he did spend Sunday's 4-1 win over Minnesota alongside center J.T. Compher and Michael Rasmussen).

Lalonde will presumably prefer that Kane isn't matched up against the opposition's best defenders to start his tenure, so if DeBrincat and Kane indeed play together, Compher should be their center. He's capable of acting as the second line's defensive conscience, allowing Larkin to drive Detroit's attack on the top line with Raymond.

Bounce-back year not guaranteed

This is a low-risk move for the Wings because it's for one year, the cap hit is fine, and it didn't necessitate another transaction, as noted above.

On the other hand, there's some mystery here: This signing could end up a dud because Kane is coming off hip resurfacing surgery. None of the NHLers who previously underwent the same procedure - Nicklas Backstrom, Ryan Kesler, Ed Jovanovski - looked the same upon returning. Financially, there's little downside because Kane's deal can be transferred to long-term injury reserve if it doesn't work out.

Both things - low-risk move, dud possibility - can be true at the same time.

Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, is one of the most decorated players in NHL history. He's a future first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer with plenty of individual hardware, notably Conn Smythe and Hart Trophies. He's accumulated an incredible 1,237 points in 1,180 games.

He also turned 35 earlier in November and is coming off the least productive season of his career - 57 points in 73 games split between the Blackhawks and Rangers. Will Kane, fixed hip and all, return to his 2021-22 form of 92 points in 78 games? Or have his skills truly diminished over time?

Kane's always been an elite stickhandler and passer, and his vision is off the charts, but he's never been a particularly reliable defensive player. If he isn't putting up points, whether at even strength or on the power play, he isn't useful. Again, while the risk is low, this isn't a guaranteed home run.

Tantalizing best-case scenario

Kane's career earnings are north of $115 million. Money's always a factor, but it's not the only one this late in his career. Winning was clearly a priority.

I don't see the Wings as a Cup contender, but they certainly look like a playoff-caliber team through the season's first quarter. Maybe that's enough for Kane, who's seen a handful of lower seeds go on deep runs during his career. Or maybe he believes Detroit's being slept on as a contender - and that he can be Lalonde's missing piece.

The signing's best-case scenario is, in a word, tantalizing.

If Kane experiences no hip issues, if he hits it off with DeBrincat again, if the Wings keep progressing ... the fit could be tremendous.

Detroit may rank fourth in the NHL in goals per game right now, but the roster needed an upgrade at top-six wing, and Kane's playmaking style fills a specific void.

While the Wings rank ninth in the league on the power play, there's room for Kane on a top unit currently featuring Larkin, Compher, Raymond, David Perron, and Shayne Gostisbehere. Kane's all-world vision, passing ability, and years of experience should find a home on the right flank.

The Wings have an 8-13 record in overtime/shootout games over the past two seasons. Kane can help with that: He's masterful in OT and has the second-most shootout goals in the league since debuting in 2007-08.

Bonus: He's always been clutch in the playoffs.

Perhaps most crucially given his age, Kane can hide a little bit. Detroit's top three centers - Larkin, Compher, and Andrew Copp - are all capable of shouldering a heavier defensive load when Kane's on the wing. That means he can go out and create.

Another stage of the 'Yzerplan'

Yzerman, a Wings franchise icon and the GM since April 2019, took a slow and steady approach to the first few years of his tenure. He refused to rush any part of the rebuilding process.

Then, in the 2022 offseason, Yzerman added veterans, including Perron, Copp, and goalie Ville Husso. He took his foot off the gas ahead of the 2023 trade deadline - opting to sell instead of buy - before adding another group of vets this past offseason: DeBrincat, Compher, Gostisbehere, and others.

Pursuing and ultimately landing Kane was a natural next step. If you're a Wings fan, the best part is Yzerman still has a few million dollars left for midseason deals, assuming Detroit doesn't tumble down the standings over the next couple of months.

The first person I thought about when I heard Kane was off to Detroit was Larkin; the captain and Michigan native must be thrilled. The only time Larkin, a 2014 first-rounder, has appeared in the playoffs was 2015-16 - his rookie season and the final leg of Detroit's 25-year postseason streak.

There've been many lean years since, but now the Wings are off to a terrific start, and the short-term future projects to be much brighter if Kane's effective.

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.