The 35-year-old missed the first 34 games of 2021-22 following offseason knee surgery. He's produced five goals and eight assists in 12 contests since making his return in early January.
One day after helping the Metropolitan Division win the NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas, Jack Hughes tested positive for COVID-19.
The New Jersey Devils center entered protocol Sunday after the afternoon test result following his flight back to New Jersey. He was pulled from Sunday's practice.
Hughes is the first 2022 All-Star to land on the list. The 20-year-old scored twice in the opening game against the Pacific Division on Saturday before adding a goal and an assist in the final against the Central. He also took part in the skills competition Friday night.
The American-born forward is having the best season of his young career. Hughes collected 12 goals and 15 assists over the first 28 games of this campaign, his third in the NHL.
"That's the juggernaut team for me," Brind'Amour said, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "That management (group) has done a great job in the way (it's) assembled that team. There's no weaknesses.
"They play to their identity, which all the top teams do," he added. "You’re going to get high-octane. You've got to be on your toes ... It’s a fun team to watch, not so much fun to play against."
The Panthers lead the Atlantic Division and are third in the NHL standings based on points percentage. Florida has the most points in the league at the break, but the club has played more games than most of the other top teams.
Still, Florida has been a force to be reckoned with this season. The team is tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the league lead with 4.09 goals per game and leads the NHL with 36.6 shots per contest. The Panthers haven't been great at suppressing shots or goals overall, posting the 20th-best rate of shots against and 16th-fewest goals allowed per contest.
However, Florida is dominating the possession game at five-on-five, ranking second in scoring chances for percentage and third in expected goals percentage in those situations, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Hurricanes sit atop the Metropolitan Division with five games in hand on the New York Rangers, who share Carolina's 64-point total. The Hurricanes are second in the overall standings by points percentage, with a narrow edge over the Panthers.
The NHL tabbed Claude Giroux as its All-Star MVP on Saturday.
The Philadelphia Flyers captain collected three goals and an assist over two games - including a pair of markers in the final - to lead the Metropolitan Division to the title.
Giroux is the third Flyer to earn the award, joining Reggie Leach in 1980 and Wayne Simmonds in 2017.
The forward's future in Philadelphia is unclear as he's a pending unrestricted free agent. Giroux has spent his entire 15-year career with the Flyers, who drafted him 22nd overall in 2006.
Giroux ranks second all time in games played, assists, and points for Philly. He also sits ninth in goals. The 34-year-old has 15 markers and 20 helpers in 42 contests this season.
The Boston Bruins will host the 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park, the NHL announced Friday.
The league also revealed that the Florida Panthers will host next year's All-Star festivities at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise.
Additionally, the Carolina Hurricanes' previously planned Stadium Series game at NC State's Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh is now scheduled for next year. That event was originally tabbed for 2021 before being postponed due to COVID-19.
If and when the Hurricanes are ultimately able to host the Stadium Series tilt, it would be Carolina's first outdoor affair.
Lastly, the NHL's Global Series will make its return in 2022-23 with games in Czechia, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland. Preseason contests will be held in Germany and Switzerland, while regular-season matchups will be slated for Czechia and Finland.
The remaining teams, dates, and unknown cities for these events will be revealed at a later time. The Winter Classic has taken place on New Year's Day on 13 of 15 occasions.
This will be the Bruins' fifth regular-season outdoor game and the second Winter Classic at Fenway.
The Panthers will host All-Star Weekend for the first time since 2003 when they did so in the same building, which was then known as the Office Depot Center. The club was awarded the 2021 All-Star Game, but that was postponed due to the pandemic. The Vegas Golden Knights got the 2022 event.
Alex Ovechkin tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, but unless that keeps him out long term, he'll still be vying for the Hart Trophy down the stretch.
Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl, on the other hand, has been in the MVP hunt this season, but he's no longer among the most deserving candidates due to his unspectacular underlying numbers and the superiority of his counterparts.
Here are our top five Hart contenders as we move further into the second half of the campaign:
5. Igor Shesterkin
Jared Silber / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
Record
SV%
GSAx
GSAA
29
22-5-2
.937
17.01
15.01
Shesterkin is pulling away as the Vezina Trophy favorite, and though he's not a top MVP challenger, the New York Rangers goaltender deserves to be on the fringes of the Hart discussion.
Chris Kreider's league-best goal total has obviously helped the Rangers climb to second place in the Metropolitan Division by points percentage, but Shesterkin has kept the club in games it's had no business being in.
New York ranks third-last in the NHL in shots per gameand has allowed more shots per contest than over half of the league's teams. Worse yet, the Rangers are last in scoring chances for percentage at five-on-fiveand have the fourth-worst expected goals for percentage in the same situations. Given those struggles, Shesterkin's excellence is even more commendable.
Despite his club's glaring weaknesses, Shesterkin leads all NHL netminders in goals saved above expected and ranks second in goals saved above average (both at five-on-five). New York wouldn't be a particularly competitive club without the 26-year-old's stellar play.
4. Auston Matthews
Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
39
29
22
20:47
62.3
Matthews won't get as much Hart consideration as others on this list due to the Toronto Maple Leafs' stable of skilled forwards. But the 24-year-old center has done most of the heavy lifting for his team in 2021-22 and has scored at a ridiculous clip lately.
Matthews has a whopping 22 goals over his last 22 games dating back to Nov. 24, with a seven-game scoring streak at the start of that run. He's tied for third in the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy race, and it's worth noting he's played fewer games than the three players above him.
While all of that is remarkable, what's keeping the American in the MVP picture is his takeover of his team's offense. Matthews has scored nearly 20% of Toronto's goals and notched a point on about one-third of them, tallying 12 more goals and 11 more points than his next-closest teammates.
Matthews also has a 61.97 scoring chances for percentage to go along with his sparkling expected goals for percentage, ranking fourth and third, respectively, among NHL players with at least 400 minutes at five-on-five.
3. Jonathan Huberdeau
Jared Silber / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
47
17
47
19:11
54.48
Huberdeau has been one of the NHL's preeminent playmakers for years, but he's been historically overlooked in MVP voting thanks to the presence of supremely skilled teammate Aleksander Barkov. The Florida Panthers have a deep supporting cast this season, but Huberdeau can no longer be a Hart Trophy afterthought.
The gifted winger has excelled in 2021-22, and he's proven his worth with Barkov missing over a quarter of Florida's gamesdue to injury. Huberdeau leads the NHL in assists and points at the All-Star break, albeit with more games played than everyone else in the top 10 in both categories. Still, few would have predicted this dominance before the season.
Huberdeau has been the biggest reason for his squad's success and is red-hot since the calendar flipped to 2022, totaling six goals and 20 assists across the last 16 games.
The 28-year-old has 16 more assists and 20 more points than his next-closest teammates. When Barkov was out in November and December, Huberdeau poured in 14 points over eight games. He's also collected 13 of his 17 goals (76%) and 43 of his 64 points (67%) at even strength while posting better underlying numbers than the Panthers captain.
2. Connor McDavid
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
41
23
37
22:40
57.97
When the Oilers temporarily fell out of the postseason picture with a seven-game winless streak in December and January, McDavid's status as the season-long Hart Trophy front-runner had to be reconsidered. Then Edmonton reeled off four straight wins and returned to the playoff mix, where it narrowly remains based on points percentage.
McDavid wasn't to blame for the skid, nor did he deserve all of the credit for his team's resurgence. But like it or not, modern Hart voters consider a playoff berth all but mandatory for MVP consideration; with Edmonton's postseason hopes far from certain, the club's Canadian superstar is not yet a lock for the Hart.
McDavid's analytic figures are superior to those of the No. 1 name on this list, but he hasn't carried his team the way Ovechkin has buoyed his. Still, that's not to say the Oilers captain hasn't been his usual dominant self. A deeper look at the 25-year-old's underlying numbers confirms he has, and that's why he's high on this list as usual.
But despite Draisaitl's flaws, the German's immense production hurts McDavid's Hart chances, especially considering how much more Ovechkin has had to do for his squad. And while Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals have struggled by their standards, they're firmly entrenched in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division.
McDavid is still arguably the NHL's most explosive player, and he gives Edmonton a chance to win every game. But the two-time MVP is no longer the top dog in the 2021-22 race.
1. Alex Ovechkin
John McCreary / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
46
29
29
21:51
52.41
To say Ovechkin's output at 36 years old remains impressive is a massive understatement. At the most basic level, the prolific winger has been one of the best players in the league in 2021-22. He's among the NHL leaders in goals, points, and average ice time among forwards, leads the league in shots on goal and even-strength goals, and is tied for the lead in even-strength points. The Russian sniper's possession figures are favorable, too.
Then there's his performance relative to that of his team, which is the ultimate indicator of value. He's scored over twice as many goals and 13 more points than his next-closest teammate, Evgeny Kuznetsov. Ovechkin has nearly 100 more shots on goal (213) than his countryman (121), who also sits second among Capitals skaters in that regard.
Those disparities are partly because of a slew of absences due to injuries and COVID-19, but Ovechkin has kept his team afloat when it's been shorthanded, and that's what being the MVP is all about.
Ovechkin had been the only Washington player to suit up for every game in 2021-22 before his positive test forced him to miss Wednesday's contest. The Capitals captain continues to average nearly 22 minutes of ice time, and his workload this season would be his highest since his fourth NHL season in 2008-09. Playing in his 17th campaign and despite his current health setback, the Hart Trophy is Ovechkin's to lose.
Verbeek is the Detroit Red Wings' assistant GM, a role he's occupied since May 2019.
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman brought Verbeek back to Detroit after the former teammates worked together with the Tampa Bay Lightning dating back to 2010. Verbeek had served as a pro scout with the Red Wings before joining the Lightning. The 57-year-old was also Team North America's director of player personnel at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
Tampa Bay hired Verbeek as director of pro scouting in June 2010, shortly after landing Yzerman. Tampa Bay then promoted Verbeek to assistant GM in July 2011.
Verbeek suited up for five teams, including Detroit, during his 20-year playing career. The former winger collected 522 goals and 540 assists over 1,424 games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999.
Anaheim's previous GM and executive vice president, Bob Murray, resigned in November and pledged to enter an alcohol abuse program following a team investigation into his professional conduct. Murray had been with Anaheim as an executive since 2005 and as GM since 2008.
McDavid is a three-time winner, having taken the title every year from 2017-2019, and he can break Mike Gartner's all-time record for victories in the event if he prevails. New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal defeated McDavid in 2020, and there was no event last year.
Makar was a finalist for the Norris Trophy in 2021 and won the Calder in the previous campaign. He's captivated the hockey world this season, with his elite skating ability leading to several jaw-dropping goals.
Kreider entered Tuesday's slate tied for the league lead with 31 goals. Larkin was the competition's victor back in 2016.
The skills competition will be held Friday night before the All-Star tournament takes place Saturday afternoon.
Eugene Melnyk does not agree with Ontario's current capacity restrictions for sporting events.
"It's my first game with empty seats," the Ottawa Senators owner told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch during his team's win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. "It's sad. I don't know who the people are that come up with these rules.
"They're misinformed and they're miscalculated. They should be challenged and they will be challenged."
Amid the surge of the omicron variant in December, the Ontario government reduced the maximum allowable capacity at sporting events and large entertainment venues to the lesser of 50% or 1,000 people.
Earlier in January, the province said it would allow the same locations to operate at 50% capacity or 500 people beginning Jan. 31, and restrictions would be eased to 50% capacity as of Feb. 21. The plan is to completely lift limits on March 14.
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as the NBA's Toronto Raptors and Scotiabank Arena, is in discussions with the province in hopes of lifting the restrictions, according to Garrioch.
The NHL postponed 14 Senators games - including eight home dates - this season due to COVID-19 issues. All of those matchups have been rescheduled, with five of them planned for after Feb. 21.
Devon Levi appears primed to represent Canada once again at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Levi, Edward Pasquale, and Matt Tomkins will be Canada's goaltenders, TSN's Darren Dreger reports. However, the team's brain trust won't submit its final roster yet in case injuries or COVID-19 protocol situations arise, Dreger adds.
On Saturday, Kent Johnson - the Michigan standout who the Columbus Blue Jackets selected fifth overall last year - was reported to be among the Canadians' forwards. One day later, Dreger clarified Johnson will be an alternate heading into training camp but could crack the squad if one of the above scenarios happens.
Levi excelled for Canada's silver medal-winning side at the 2021 World Junior Championship. He was named the event's top netminder after posting a .964 save percentage over seven games despite playing nearly the entire tournament with a fractured rib sustained in the opener.
The 20-year-old has also been stellar for Northeastern this season, going 16-7-1 with a .948 save percentage across 24 contests. The Buffalo Sabres landed Levi in the trade that sent forward Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers in July.
Pasquale has played the last three campaigns in the KHL, suiting up for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl for the last two. The 31-year-old appeared in three games for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19 and spent nearly a decade in the AHL after the Atlanta Thrashers drafted him 117th overall in 2009.
Tomkins is 14-8-0 with a .913 save percentage in 23 games with Frolunda in Sweden this season. The 27-year-old Ohio State alum spent four campaigns in the AHL and ECHL before going overseas. The Chicago Blackhawks selected him in the seventh round of the 2012 draft.
The Canadian roster will reportedly include Owen Power, the Sabres' No. 1 overall pick in 2021, as well as NHL veteran and current AHLer Eric Staal.
