Washington Capitals veteran Max Pacioretty is making his season debut Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils, his club announced.
Pacioretty hasn't suited up in an NHL game in almost one year after tearing his Achilles tendon twice in five months.
The winger played just five games last campaign as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. His 2022-23 debut was delayed until Jan. 5 following his recovery from offseason surgery to repair the ailment, but he aggravated the issue two weeks later. Pacioretty scored three goals before his tenure in Raleigh was cut short.
He signed a one-year deal with a $2-million cap hit - plus an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives - with the Capitals as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Heading into Wednesday's game, Pacioretty had amassed 326 goals and 645 points (including 164 on the man advantage) across 855 games. The 35-year-old has eclipsed the 30-goal mark six times over his 15-year NHL career.
Washington's offense has struggled in 2023-24. The Capitals entered Wednesday owning the league's second-worst goals per game rate (2.34), and fourth-worst power play (12.2%).
For Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, placing Ilya Samsonov on waivers is a necessary step to getting the struggling netminder back on track.
"Obviously, we know Ilya is going through a difficult time," the executive said Tuesday. "When you go through this, you kinda look at a couple of options. You keep doing what you're doing and try to work through it, or you do something different. This plan, we looked at it, and I felt strongly that we had to do something different to help Ilya."
"This isn't punishment," he added. "We need him to get back to where he's capable of getting back to, and he wants to get there. If you knew exactly all the ways to fix things, you would do it, right?"
Samsonov owns an .862 save percentage and 3.94 goals-against average to go along with a 5-2-6 record this campaign. The 26-year-old ranks last among all goalies in goals saved above expected (-12.5) and second last in goals saved above average (-14.95) at all strengths, according to Evolving Hockey.
The Maple Leafs put Samsonov on the waiver wire Sunday, two days after he surrendered six goals on 21 shots during Friday's overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Russian has since been loaned to the AHL, but Treliving confirmed the plan isn't for Samsonov to appear in any games for the Toronto Marlies at this point.
"We're using this week to get him some one-on-one time," he said. "He'll be working with (Marlies goalie coach) Hannu Toivonen back in Toronto, our development team, our performance team off the ice. Really, it's a physical and a mental reset where he can get away from preparing for the next game and all the pressures that come with it.
"To me, a lot of what we're seeing here is, the mental drives the bus a little bit. It's hard to correct the physical - and maybe the technical side - when there's a lot going on. I think there's a lot going on with him. We're trying to let the air out of the balloon a little bit, give him a bunch of support, and just let him reset."
The Maple Leafs called up Marlies goalie Dennis Hildeby on Monday. He's now Toronto's only option behind veteran Martin Jones with rookie Joseph Woll still on the shelf.
Treliving offered a humorous response when asked if he'd consider looking at alternatives outside the organization.
"The manager always has to do his job of continuing to look at ways to improve the team. Now having said that, I checked outside, the goaltender tree was empty. I couldn't pick one off there today. So we'll see with a little bit of sun, maybe they grow a few more."
The Maple Leafs will take on the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
It may be a new year, but the podium on these rankings is the same as December's edition. Those three guys have just been great, OK?
That being said, two new names are on the list this time. We've got to keep things fresh somehow.
Here's how the Calder Trophy race is shaping up three months into the 2023-24 campaign.
5. Connor Zary, Flames
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We've gotta give Zary his flowers because he's doing great work.
Unlike the rest of the rookies on this list, Zary wasn't on an NHL team to start the 2023-24 campaign. He earned a call-up to the Flames on Nov. 1 after logging 10 points in six games with the AHL's Calgary Wranglers, and he hasn't looked back. Since making his NHL debut, he ranks fourth on the Flames in points and fifth in goals.
Zary is trailing in the rookie scoring race thanks to the delayed start to his campaign. However, he owns the second-best point-per-game rate (0.65) out of all first-year players to appear in at least 15 contests this season. Zary leads Calgary in goals above replacement (6.7) and wins above replacement (1.1) while ranking among the top four rookies in both metrics.
The 22-year-old has spent most of his ice time alongside Nazem Kadri, and his presence has provided a much-needed boost for the veteran. Prior to Zary's debut, Kadri logged just two points in the first nine games of the season. But he's racked up 24 points in his last 27 outings.
Many expected Matt Coronato to be the Flames' most impactful rookie, but Zary has stolen the show.
4. Adam Fantilli, Blue Jackets
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Welcome to the regular-season rankings, Fantilli.
Yeah, December belonged to the No. 1 guy on this list, but it also belonged to Fantilli. He led all rookies with seven goals in 14 games over the last month while ranking second with 13 points. For those who don't feel like doing mental math, that means all but four of his goals and 10 of his points came in December. It feels pretty safe to say he's starting to find his way in the NHL.
Thanks to his wintery outburst, Fantilli sits second among rookies in goals and points on the season. He's also got a good shot to add to his total due to his recent promotion to the top line. The 19-year-old has slotted in as the Blue Jackets' No. 1 center since Dec. 14, with usual pivot Boone Jenner sidelined by a jaw injury. Fantilli's been up to the challenge so far, racking up three goals and seven points in eight games while averaging almost 17 minutes of ice time.
The 2023 third overall pick scored in back-to-back contests and is currently enjoying a four-game point streak. Fantilli can continue staking his claim as a potential Calder finalist if he can build off that momentum in the new year.
3. Luke Hughes, Devils
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Hughes is the first rookie to be named one of the NHL's stars of the week this season, and the honor was well-earned.
The 20-year-old's been a monster since coming out of the holiday break. Hughes amassed five points in his last three contests, and he became just the second rookie defenseman in Devils history to have a three-game goal streak, joining Barry Beck, who accomplished the feat in 1977-78. One of those goals was a spectacular end-to-end tally in the final two minutes of regulation against the Blue Jackets on Dec. 27 en route to the Devils' 4-3 overtime win. Two days later, Hughes became the first rookie rearguard to record a three-point night this campaign after he helped torch the Ottawa Senators in a 6-2 victory.
Hughes leads all rookie defensemen in goals and points while ranking fourth in the latter category among first-year skaters. He also sits third in the class in goals above replacement (7) and wins above replacement (1.1), as well as fourth in offensive goals above replacement (4.7).
The Devils will need even more from Hughes with stud defenseman Dougie Hamilton out indefinitely, but his latest pop of offense is a promising step in the right direction. Barring a disaster, Hughes will likely be a Calder finalist in a few months' time off the back of his production alone.
2. Brock Faber, Wild
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Faber's Calder case is starting to gather steam, and for good reason. He ranks third among all rookie defensemen in points and paces the entire first-year class in average ice time, nearly four minutes clear of Simon Nemec, the second-busiest player.
The 21-year-old had even more responsibility heaped onto his plate in December. Minnesota had to go seven games without blue-line stalwarts Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin due to injuries and heavily leaned on Faber to overcome their absences. Faber averaged 29:38 of ice time over that span and saw over 30 minutes of action in four of those outings. He also played 33:25 during the Wild's 4-3 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 21, the highest ice time total of any player this season.
Despite his increased workload, the youngster was a plus-4 when both Brodin and Spurgeon were out of the lineup, while Minnesota amazingly went 6-1-0. Wild fans, say, "Thank you, Faber."
Given his poise and maturity, it's sometimes hard to believe Faber is just a rookie. The Minnesota native leads the Wild in goals above replacement (7.7) and wins above replacement (1.2) and seems primed to be a No. 1 defenseman for years to come. He's been outstanding, but it's still not enough to make him the Calder favorite.
1. Connor Bedard, Blackhawks
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In case there was any doubt, Bedard is him. He's just that guy.
Case in point: The overtime winner he scored on Connor freakin' Hellebuyck that secured a 2-1 victory for Chicago (he potted the other goal, too) on Dec. 27. It was his first career overtime goal, but you'd think it was his 100th given how sick it was. Oh, andBedard netted a Michigan goal in his 33rd NHL game. Gross, dude.
It's been business as usual for Bedard, who still paces all rookies in goals and points - he's four goals and 10 points ahead of Fantilli in second place. But Bedard reached a new level in December. The 2023 first overall pick led all first-year players with 15 points (eight of which came in a five-game point streak) in 15 contests this past month, and he's very close to having a point-per-game campaign as a rookie. The Blackhawks have 46 contests remaining on their 2023-24 schedule, and Bedard could end the season with 79 points if he continues to play at a point-per-game pace the rest of the way. If he hits the 80-point mark, he'd be the first rookie to do so since Mat Barzal in 2017-18.
It would be nice if the Blackhawks went out and got Bedard another linemate to play with, as he's seeing an astonishing amount of ice time with veteran forward Nick Foligno, which isn't, um, ideal. Still, the 18-year-old is proving capable of driving Chicago's attack on his own, leading the team in all offensive categories.
Kaprizov appeared to sustain the ailment after taking a pair of cross-checks to the back from Winnipeg Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon during the third period of Saturday's contest. The Russian departed the game and was unable to suit up for Sunday's rematch against the Wild's Central Division rivals.
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) December 30, 2023
The 26-year-old also got hurt in Winnipeg last season. He missed around one month with a lower-body injury after getting tangled up with Jets blue-liner Logan Stanley.
Kaprizov leads the Wild with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 34 games this season.
The Wild also lost goaltender Filip Gustavsson to a lower-body injury during Saturday's outing. Minnesota placed him on injured reserve Monday. He's set to undergo an MRI on Tuesday and is expected to miss at least a couple weeks, per Russo.
Minnesota currently sits in seventh place in the Central Division with a 16-15-4 record.
Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams can empathize with disheartened fans as the team continues to underperform in 2023-24, but the executive is standing by his squad.
"We're not where we need to be," he said Saturday prior to the Sabres' clash against the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to The Buffalo News' Lance Lysowski. "I understand frustration, but I truly believe in this group. I truly believe in the players, and I also believe that we will come out the other side better for it. It's adversity, it's frustration, and we need to push through."
"All of us certainly expect us to be playing at a higher level and I believe we will be," he added. "I understand that people are going to be frustrated with me, frustrated with the coaching staff, but that's part of the deal."
Buffalo narrowly missed the playoffs by one point last campaign and seemed primed to snap its lengthy 12-year postseason drought in 2023-24. However, the Sabres have struggled through the first three months of the season. They currently sit in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a 14-18-4 record and are eight points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The bulk of fans' ire has been directed at head coach Don Granato, who has been serenaded by chants pushing for his firing. Despite rumors that Granato may be on the hot seat, Adams gave the bench boss a vote of confidence.
"In terms of my belief in Donnie Granato, I have a lot of faith in him," he said. "I have a lot of trust in him. He's one of those types of coaches that he looks at every situation to how he can help individual players perform at their best and then how do we get (there) collectively as a team?
"And I think he's done a lot of great things during his time as head coach here, and now we're all going to just keep pushing each other to be better."
Sabres captain Kyle Okposo and forward Tage Thompson also expressed support for Granato earlier in December. Granato is in his fourth season behind the Sabres' bench and has amassed a lackluster 97-106-25 record.
Buffalo announced prior to Saturday's game that Granato will be unavailable due to illness. Adams said he expects Granato to also miss Sunday's contest against the Ottawa Senators, but he could return for Thursday's clash versus the Montreal Canadiens.
Beleaguered Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov is doing his best to stay positive despite his struggles this season.
"The last three games, I didn't see a lot of luck. ... It's easy to put your head down and just cry and be sad," he said following his team's 6-5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, per Sportsnet. "I'm sad about this, but I need to continue to work. Maybe next game, maybe next three games, the luck is back."
Samsonov made just 15 saves on 21 shots Friday night and conceded 4.4 goals above expected at all strengths, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Maple Leafs outshot the Jackets and held a two-goal lead on two separate occasions, but Johnny Gaudreau sealed Columbus' comeback in overtime.
"Tough game for me, bad result," Samsonov said. "I don't know, a lot of emotion right now after the game. I need to prepare for the next game, this game's over. If you start thinking too much, it's probably worse. It's (my) first game after Christmas break, just head up, continue to move."
The Russian owns an .862 save percentage this campaign, which is the worst clip by a Maple Leafs goalie through his first 15 starts of a season since Allan Bester in 1989-90 and the lowest by any NHL netminder since Dan Cloutier in 2006-07, according to Sportsnet Stats.
Only Carolina Hurricanes netminder Antti Raanta (.855) has a worse save percentage among the 60 goalies who have made at least 10 appearances this season.
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe suggested he wanted more out of the whole team after Samsonov's latest setback.
"We gave up 21 shots, so I don't know how poor defensively we were, but we made bad mistakes at bad times that you can't make," he said. "That's what we've got to do better. Play that game over 100 times, we probably win it 99 times, but you can't make those types of mistakes with the way Sammy's going through it right now."
Keefe added, "We've got to support him better if we want to win the game, but we score five, we should win that game nearly every time."
The Maple Leafs will turn to third-string goalie Martin Jones on Saturday against the Hurricanes. Promising rookie Joseph Woll remains unavailable due to an ankle injury. 22-year-old Dennis Hildeby is enjoying a remarkable campaign with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, but this is his first full season in North America.
"It's the NHL, we need saves, we need points, and we need wins," Keefe said, per The Hockey News' David Alter. "So I'm sure (general manager Brad Treliving) is going to consider everything."
The Maple Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division with a 17-9-7 record.
"You can imagine what it felt like," Barzal continued. "It wasn't fun. It was 2-0, 3-0, had a couple looks in their end and then back the other way and they would score."
The matchup was goalless heading into the second frame. Islanders head coach Lane Lambert called a timeout to settle his team when Rickard Rakell and Jake Guentzel broke the deadlock, but the latter quickly netted his second goal of the game once play resumed.
Evgeni Malkin scored the next two tallies before Radim Zohorna capped off a six-goal middle stanza for the Penguins.
"Just a weird lull in the second period that obviously cost us the game," Barzal lamented. "A sold-out rink like that tonight in front of our fans, it's unacceptable."
The loss marked the Islanders' worst defeat since falling 7-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 25, 2017.
Islanders captain Anders Lee was disappointed in New York's inability to turn the tide.
"I think the concerning part is just our lack of ability to stop the bleeding and have a response," he said. "They're going to have moments where they pop one or two quick, but to let it get to where it got, it's just not a part of our DNA. It was tonight, and that's the part that's frustrating the most."
In Pittsburgh's dressing room, Kris Letang was the man of the hour.
The veteran defenseman factored in on all but one of the Penguins' goals and logged five assists in the second period alone, becoming the first blue-liner in NHL history to record that many helpers in a single frame.
"That's an unbelievable feat when you think about it," Penguins bench boss Mike Sullivan said, per The Associated Press' Scott Charles. "Especially in today's game when the parity in the league is so high. Against a good team like the Islanders, it's not an easy thing to do. Couldn't be happier for him. Obviously, he's an elite player for us."
When the final horn sounded, Letang had tied the record for the most assists (six) by a rearguard in a single game, joining Gary Suter (1986), Paul Coffey (1986), Ron Stackhouse (1975), Bobby Orr (1973), Pat Stapleton (1969), and Babe Pratt (1944).
Letang's son, Alex, seemed to have a gut feeling that Wednesday's game would be a big one.
"Alex was actually talking to me before I left this morning," Letang said, according to team beat reporter Michelle Crechiolo. "He said, 'I'm gonna watch the entire game.' I'm like, 'No, no, no - we have to get going on the ice tomorrow morning.' He was like, 'No, I really want to watch this one!'
"So, I hope he got to see it all. I think he's going to be pretty pumped."
Detroit Red Wings veteran David Perron thinks his six-game suspension for cross-checking Ottawa Senators blue-liner Artem Zub is a little steep.
"Obviously, I got the guy a little high," Perron told reporters Friday. "I understand there was some discipline that needed to be done there, it just felt like on my side it was pretty excessive for the comparables, the history, my career - a lot of things, really, that played into it."
Perron earned the ban for his actions during Detroit's 5-1 loss to the Senators on Dec. 9. The sequence began when Ottawa forward Mathieu Joseph caught Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin in the back of the head during a netfront battle, pushing him into Senators winger Parker Kelly. Zub then fell on top of Larkin's legs while he remained face down and motionless on the ice. Perron reacted to the scene by going after Zub.
Referees assessed Perron a match penalty and tossed him from the game for intent to injure. The 35-year-old said Friday that he thought Zub was the main culprit for the incident, adding that he "would not have just randomly jumped someone."
"(Larkin was) motionless, not moving at all there," Perron said. "Definitely not easy for me to go through that, turn around and see our captain down on the ice. I think, as a whole, throughout the league, you're trying to respond to these types of incidents."
The NHLPA appealed Perron's suspension on Dec. 12, but the three-hour hearing wasn't held until Tuesday - five games into the winger's ban.
"Right now, it's more for record and money, but that's what's disappointing for sure. ... You want to be there for your team to play the games," he said.
Perron forked over just under $150,000 as a result of his suspension. The league had never previously suspended him in his career, but he received a $5,000 fine for cross-checking during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Zub stayed in the contest versus Detroit, while Larkin exited and missed the Red Wings' next four games. Joseph didn't face any supplemental discipline.
Larkin recently expressed concern over how the NHL has handled discipline this campaign, saying, "It's hard to feel safe out there" as questionable plays have largely gone unpunished.
Perron is now finished serving his suspension and will return to the lineup when Detroit takes on the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.
"I'm just looking forward to getting back, honestly, and helping out any way I can," he said. "I know I can make a difference as far as the energy in the room, on the ice, on the bench. Just keep the guys kind of looking ahead."
Perron has seven goals and 13 points in 26 games this season. Detroit went 1-5-0 in his absence.
Though his Philadelphia Flyers are red-hot, head coach John Tortorella isn't allowing himself to look too far down the road.
"Don't even start asking me those questions," he said when asked about the possibility of battling for a playoff spot down the stretch. "We're in end of December. You don't know what your team is until the end of January, you really don't. I'm not even going there."
After many expected the Flyers to be among the league's worst teams heading into the campaign, they're currently sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division with an 18-10-3 record. Philadelphia's .629 point percentage is the ninth highest in the NHL. Tortorella's squad has gone 7-0-1 in December and is the only team in the league without a regulation loss this month.
Philadelphia missed the postseason by 17 points during Tortorella's first year behind the bench last campaign. The Flyers haven't made the playoffs since 2020, when the New York Islanders eliminated them in the second round.
One area of improvement for the Flyers is that they're scoring first more often. They've potted the game's first goal in 16 of 31 contests this season after opening the scoring just 32 times in 2022-23. Philadelphia owns a sparkling 15-1 record when scoring first this campaign.
Tortorella won the Stanley Cup in 2004 while piloting the Tampa Bay Lightning to the franchise's first-ever championship. He owns an all-time record of 56-64 in the playoffs.
The Flyers haven't lifted Lord Stanley's Mug since 1975. They last appeared in the Stanley Cup Final in 2010, falling to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
Philadelphia will be chasing its fourth straight victory against the Nashville Predators on Thursday.
Devils forward Timo Meier is aware he isn't playing up to his standards during his first full season in New Jersey.
"I'm hard on myself. I have high expectations," he told reporters Thursday, according to NHL.com's Amanda Stein. "We have high expectations as a team. Definitely not happy with my play, but you've got to learn from it. Sometimes those situations can make you better as a player, make you stronger."
Meier has amassed just five tallies and 11 points in 23 contests so far this season, good for an 18-goal, 39-point pace during an 82-game season. He hasn't fallen short of the 20-goal mark since the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign when he lit the lamp 12 times in 54 outings.
The 27-year-old hasn't been fully healthy, though. He missed seven games in November due to a lower-body injury and has yet to record a point in the nine outings since his return Dec. 1.
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff suggested Tuesday that Meier's ailment is still having an impact on his skating. However, Meier wasn't ready to pin the blame for his underwhelming performance on any lingering issues.
"It's a long season. There are times where you have some bumps and bruises," he said, per team beat reporter Sam Kasan. "But that's never an excuse. I feel ready to play."
"When things aren't going your way, just go back to the basics," Meier continued. "Focus on playing well defensively, playing hard, getting yourself into the game. Maybe it's a hit, a blocked shot. Maybe it will build your confidence and your play. And it will lead up to offensive production."
Ruff said Thursday that he'd only sit Meier if he looks as though he's being hampered physically by his injury, according to NJ.com's Ryan Novozinsky. The bench boss previously benched Meier for the third period of a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers in October.
New Jersey won the Meier sweepstakes prior to last season's trade deadline, acquiring his services from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a package that included forward Fabian Zetterlund, prospects Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk, and a conditional first-round pick in 2023 and 2024.
Meier enjoyed his first 40-goal campaign in 2022-23 and signed an eight-year extension with an $8.8-million cap hit to stay with the Devils this past offseason, making him the highest-paid forward in New Jersey.
