St. Louis Blues forward Kevin Hayes vigorously denied having anything to do with Cutter Gauthier refusing to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers before the club traded the talented prospect's rights to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.
Anthony SanFilippo, a writer and podcast host for Crossing Broad - a Philadelphia-based sports blog - speculated to his co-host that Hayes' "fingerprints are all over this" and later wrote that sources told him Hayes was "very influential" with Gauthier.
"Yeah, I think it's complete bullshit, honestly," Hayes said Tuesday, according to Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I think those two guys acted like complete pieces of shit, to be honest, making shit up. Now, I'm going to bed and waking up with death threats and people want my family dead. ...
"And people that are happy that my brother's dead," he continued. "I think it's completely insane that this guy can say something like that. I honestly heard it and started laughing. Who the f--k am I to have influence on if a kid plays for an NHL team or not? I don't have that influence."
Hayes spent four seasons with the Flyers before they traded him to the Blues in June. The 31-year-old played four years at Boston College, where Gauthier is currently starring as a sophomore.
The 19-year-old winger is fresh off leading the United States to a gold medal at the world juniors while pacing the squad with 12 points in seven games. The Flyers traded his rights to the Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick Monday night.
Philadelphia general manager Daniel Briere later revealed Gauthier told the organization he didn't want to be a Flyer. The GM added that the team never got an answer as to why.
The Flyers drafted Gauthier fifth overall in 2022.
The St. Louis Blues inked forward Nathan Walker to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $775,000, the club announced Tuesday.
Walker has played all but two of his 32 games this season with the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. He posted 13 goals and 16 assists in those 30 contests.
St. Louis called up the 29-year-old on Jan. 1. He scored a goal in the Blues' 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday for his lone point after being held off the scoresheet in a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Walker originally signed with the Blues in July 2019. He's split time between the NHL and AHL squads since then.
The Welsh-born Australian has also suited up for the Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers. The Capitals drafted him 89th overall in 2014, making him the first Aussie ever selected by an NHL team.
"If we want to be a playoff team, that's a game we've got to win, find a way to win," he said. "It wasn't good enough."
"I felt like we were just not dialed in enough and (there are) just no excuses for that," he added.
Flames head coach Ryan Huska had a more succinct view.
"They were hungrier and harder than we were," he said.
Colin Blackwell scored twice for the Blackhawks, including the goal that made it 4-2 and would be the eventual game-winner. Nazem Kadri replied with his second tally of the contest, but that's as close as Calgary would get.
Chicago was playing its first game without Connor Bedard, the first overall pick in this year's draft who leads all rookies in scoring. The 18-year-old is also pacing his club in terms of offense, leading all three primary categories - including points by 10.
But the Blackhawks were severely undermanned even before Bedard landed on injured reserve with a broken jaw. Chicago is missing eight of its top 12 forwards including Taylor Hall, plus top defenseman Seth Jones. They played Sunday's game with only 11 forwards, and currently have more salary on injured reserve than on the active roster.
The Flames were playing their third road game in four nights. They went 2-2-0 on the trip, losing back-to-back against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Blackhawks on the weekend after beating the Nashville Predators on Thursday and topping the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
Calgary fell to 17-18-5 on the season with Sunday's defeat. They're only two points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but they've played four more games than the Edmonton Oilers, two more than the St. Louis Blues, and one more than the Seattle Kraken.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the verge of getting William Nylander under contract for the next eight seasons.
"The Maple Leafs fly home from San Jose on Sunday and we could see this as soon as Monday," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said on the latest edition of "Saturday Headlines."
"I do believe the (average annual value) for Nylander is going to be around $11.5 million a year," Friedman continued. "Now, obviously there's going to be a ton of debate about this. I think quite simply it came down to one fact: The Toronto Maple Leafs wanted to keep the player, they think he's a good player and a big part of their future, and this was the price that it took to get him for eight years, and that's what they're going to do."
Nylander notched two goals and an assist in the Leafs' 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
"Obviously, that would be a dream to stay (in Toronto) - I mean, to play for such an organization," he said postgame when asked about the possibility of signing long term. "And I call Toronto home. So I think that'd be a very special feeling."
Nylander is one of the NHL's highest-profile pending unrestricted free agents. He leads all pending UFAs in assists (33) and points (54) through 37 games this season. Only Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart has racked up more goals than Nylander among that group in 2023-24.
The 27-year-old Maple Leafs star is in the final season of the six-year pact he inked with Toronto on Dec. 1, 2018. It carries a cap hit of $6,962,366, according to CapFriendly.
Nylander is in his ninth campaign with the Maple Leafs, who drafted him eighth overall in 2014.
Jack Hughes wasn't in the New Jersey Devils' lineup for their 6-4 defeat to his brother, Quinn, and the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
Hughes went down the tunnel late in the third period of New Jersey's 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday and didn't return.
The apparent play where Jack Hughes suffered an injury tonight late in the 3rd period & did not return. Wrist? Knee? We’ll have to see, but he was in some discomfort for sure in the non-contact play. #NJDevilspic.twitter.com/Amec3bpvFN
On Friday, Devils head coach Lindy Ruff had no update when asked about Hughes postgame.
The 22-year-old star entered Saturday leading New Jersey with 45 points despite missing five games due to injury earlier in the season. He has 15 goals - which ranked second on the club - in 32 contests.
Hughes was one of 32 players named to All-Star rosters on Thursday. Quinn also earned a nod.
On Saturday, the Devils placed Timo Meier - who's been out since Dec. 30 - on injured reserve retroactive to that date. They recalled forward Max Willman from the AHL's Utica Comets in a corresponding move to account for Hughes' absence.
Brad Marchand wants to make sure people don't forget about Sidney Crosby in a discussion of the NHL's elite.
The Boston Bruins winger believes the Pittsburgh Penguins star and another Nova Scotian center, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, are the cream of the crop in terms of two-way play.
"I think (Crosby is) still obviously one of the best in the world, but he’s not really getting the credit he deserves right now,” Marchand said, according to NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin. “A lot of the attention is on the younger guys, but if you look at the details of the game, and full 200 feet, he’s by far the best player in the league, him and (MacKinnon).”
Crosby earned his ninth All-Star nod Thursday when the league revealed the first 32 players heading to the festivities in Toronto next month. MacKinnon also cracked the initial list amid a Hart Trophy-worthy season.
Marchand acknowledged that much of the attention at the All-Star Game will be on younger players like the league's leading goal scorer, Auston Matthews, and three-time Hart winner Connor McDavid. But the Bruins winger lauded Crosby for the success he's had playing a different style.
“He’s not as flashy as some of the higher-end guys,” Marchand said. “He’s direct. He plays safe but he plays hard and direct. He plays a winning game. I think he’s learned how to play the right way that you need to play in playoffs to have success. He plays that the entire season. He’s not trying to beat somebody one-on-one every time he gets the puck. He tries to find open space and find the open man, he moves it quick.”
Marchand typically trains with Crosby and MacKinnon in the summer. All three hail from Nova Scotia; the latter two are from Cole Harbour, while Marchand is from Hammonds Plains.
Crosby scored the eventual game-winner for the Penguins midway through the third period of a 6-5 victory over the Bruins on Thursday night. He netted the decisive tally about eight minutes after Marchand tied it while shorthanded. Crosby also collected a pair of assists, while Marchand's marker was his second of the contest.
Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard was forced to exit Friday's game against the New Jersey Devils after a hit by opposing defenseman Brendan Smith midway through the first period.
Bedard didn't play another shift in the opening frame and the Blackhawks ruled him out for the remainder of the game at the start of the second period.
The 18-year-old entered Friday's action leading all rookies in goals, assists, and points. He's scored 15 times and added 18 helpers in 38 contests.
Bedard earned his first All-Star nod Thursday. Those festivities will take place from Feb. 1-3 in Toronto.
The NHL's MVP race is starting to take shape now that the calendar has flipped to 2024.
A few of our previous contenders from earlier in the season are still in the hunt, but two perennial candidates who were on the outside looking in for much of the campaign's early stages are now leading the pack.
Conversely, Auston Matthews is pacing the league with 30 goals in 35 games, 11 more tallies than William Nylander's notched this season. But Nylander leads the Toronto Maple Leafs with six more points than his American teammate, so it's tough to give Matthews significant Hart consideration when he's not even leading his team in the points department.
Likewise, Sebastian Aho has been one of the NHL's most productive players since we last examined this award on Dec. 8. The Carolina Hurricanes star has 10 more assists and 16 more points than his closest teammates. However, Aho is still on the fringes of the league scoring race, and his underlying numbers aren't as strong as the others over the campaign.
Here are our top five MVP hopefuls at this juncture:
xGF% = Expected goals for percentage at five-on-five
5. David Pastrnak
Kirk Irwin / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
37
23
30
19:45
51.22
Pastrnak's bid has taken a hit, as his underlying numbers have been subpar since our last edition. But the Boston Bruins' dynamo has built up huge disparities between his own production and that of his teammates, with eight more goals, eight more assists, and 18 more points than any of them.
Despite posting xGF and scoring chances for percentages below 50 over his past 12 games (47.04 and 49.67, respectively), those numbers remain above the threshold (including an SCF% of 53.44) over the balance of the season.
Pastrnak no longer has as ironclad of a case as the others listed here, but he'll be in the conversation as long as he keeps carrying a Bruins team that impressivelyremains near the top of the league standings.
4. Artemi Panarin
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
37
24
29
19:50
55.74
Panarin has cooled off a bit since he led this race a month ago, but the New York Rangers' catalyst is still providing plenty of value. He has four more goals, two more assists, and15 more points than any other Blueshirts skater this season.
The 32-year-old has collected eight tallies and eight helpers in 13 games since our last edition, and his underlying numbers have been excellent, both in that span and for the season. Over Panarin's last 13 games, his five-on-five xGF and SCF percentages of 56.73 and 58.2, respectively, are essentially consistent with his rates in those categories over the balance of the campaign.
Panarin continues to sit among the NHL's top scorers and point producers while averaging what would be his most ice time since 2019-20.
3. Nikita Kucherov
Mark LoMoglio / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
39
27
37
21:44
52.44
Kucherov's candidacy should be no surprise, consideringhe leads the NHL in points while ranking among the league leaders in both goals and assists. The Tampa Bay Lightning winger could've been the front-runner if not for two superior candidates who've been more productive lately while authoring better underlying numbers than the Bolts veteran.
However, Kucherov has a strong case. The 30-year-old has 10 more goals, four more assists, and a whopping 24 more points than his closest Lightning teammates. His 34 even-strength points have been bested by a single NHLer (more on him later), and his average ice time is better than all but three other forwards in the league.
Kucherov's analytic figures aren't too shabby, either. Tampa Bay has controlled 54.94% of the scoring chances with the Russian playmaker on the ice at five-on-five in 2023-24.He also ranks tied for seventh among NHL skaters in goals above replacement.
2. Connor McDavid
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
33
14
39
21:20
61.92
Two things hindered McDavid's case earlier on: The Edmonton Oilers' woes and the fact that the superstar (perhaps understandably) wasn't meeting the sky-high standard he'd set in recent years. Well, order has been restored to the universe as the Oilers are back in the playoff picture, and McDavid is once again playing on an otherworldly level.
He's not scoring goals at his typical rate, but the reigning MVP and three-time winner is still making a major impact.McDavid now ranks fourth in the NHL in GAR.Leon Draisaitl and others have come close to matching McDavid's production in certain respects over the years, but the latter has 12 more assists and 11 more points than his closest teammates this season.
Only our new No. 1 candidate has more even-strength points than McDavid and Kucherov, who are among those tied for second in that category.That and the fact that McDavid has vaulted up to second in the league in both assists and points (tied in the latter) is especially commendable, considering he's played fewer games than his counterparts due to his late-October injury. Whether McDavid will be able to get back on the throne remains to be seen, but the Oilers captain's status as a legitimate Hart contender in 2023-24 is no longer in question.
1. Nathan MacKinnon
Michael Martin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
39
22
42
22:53
56.96
MacKinnon's performance this season had been overshadowed by that of Cale Makar, who until recently had earned some serious MVP consideration of his own. But it's the Colorado Avalanche center - not the defenseman - who's been in another stratosphere lately.
Over the last month, in particular, MacKinnon has been on an absolute tear. He leads all NHL skaters in points by far since our last edition, with 28 in 13 games.Only 13 of those came at even strength, but he leads the league with 38 even-strength points on the season. The 28-year-old has also averaged more ice time in all situations this season than any NHL forward aside from teammate Mikko Rantanen, who leads by five seconds.
MacKinnon has 16 more points than the closest Avalanche skater (Rantanen) and five more assists than the second-ranked Makar. The blue-liner missed five games due to injury, but those disparities are still impressive, considering how much firepower Colorado possesses. MacKinnon has dealt with injuries himself in the past, but he's played every game for the Avalanche this season, leading the NHL in assists and sitting in a tie with Kucherov for the most points.
What's even more impressive is how dominant MacKinnon has been in terms of the underlying numbers. In addition to his stellar xGF and SCF percentages (the latter being 59.48 at five-on-five), he leads all NHL skaters in GAR.Those factor into two-way play, effectively illustrating why MacKinnon is the new Hart front-runner.
Craig Berube believes Jordan Kyrou's comments about him weren't malicious, even though they caused fans to boo the forward.
"Listen, I've got no issue with it," the former Blues head coach said on "The Ray & Dregs Hockey Podcast" on Wednesday. "He got caught off guard and didn't know what to say. He's young. A lot of these young guys get asked questions at the time and they're not thinking like they should think and it's tough for them."
The Blues fired Berube last Wednesday. The next day, Kyrou was asked about the ex-bench boss and said, "I've got no comment. He's not my coach anymore." Blues fans then booed Kyrou during a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators later that evening.
Kyrou got emotional when discussing the situation after the game. He said it was "definitely the toughest game I've probably played," and that he understood why the fans got upset given how it may have seemed. But the 25-year-old insisted he meant no harm.
Berube was pleased to see Kyrou respond with a goal and two assists in a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars two days later.
"I was happy for Jordan," Berube said, adding that Kyrou reached out to him amid the controversy. "He came back and had a good game against Dallas, a very good team. So he performed well, and he'll be fine."
Kyrou racked up a career-best 37 goals while adding 36 assists over 79 games in 2022-23. A season earlier, he notched 27 tallies and a career-high 48 helpers in 74 contests. However, even after his multi-point outing against the Stars, Kyrou has only six goals and 15 assists over 31 games in 2023-24.
The Blues conclude a two-game visit to Florida when they face the Panthers on Thursday night. The Tampa Bay Lightning walloped St. Louis 6-1 on Tuesday.
Jacques Martin took a measured approach after the Ottawa Senators coughed up a three-goal lead and fell 4-3 to the Arizona Coyotes in his return behind the bench Tuesday night.
"The effort was there, it's just that we need to understand a couple areas (of improvement)," the Senators' head coach said postgame. "I'll break down the video and make sure that we have three or four areas (Wednesday) that we need to be better on Thursday night."
The Senators scored three times in the first period but allowed a goal in the second and three more in the third, including two in a 33-second span and then Michael Kesselring's winner with 3:33 remaining.
"It's going to be a process," the bench boss said. "It's not going to happen all in one day, but I think what I want to see is a progression as we move along here."
Despite Ottawa's strong start in the defeat, Arizona held a 13-7 advantage in shots on goal in the opening frame and ultimately prevailed 38-22 in that department. The Coyotes dominated possession as well, with 67.03% of the expected goals at five-on-five in the first period (despite trailing 3-0) and 70.26% of them in the game, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Things don't get any easier for Ottawa, as the Senators conclude their five-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
The Senators fired previous head coach D.J. Smith on Monday, replacing him with Martin and franchise icon Daniel Alfredsson as an assistant. Martin guided the club from 1995-96 through 2003-04. He then led the Florida Panthers for three seasons and the Montreal Canadiens for two more full campaigns before they fired him in his third.
