Winnipeg Jets sniper Kyle Connor won't return to Sunday's contest after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome, the team announced.
The incident occurred in the opening minute of the second frame. Connor remained down on the ice for several moments but was eventually helped to his feet and down the tunnel by teammates Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey.
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 11, 2023
Jets center Mark Scheifele immediately dropped the gloves with Strome in Connor's defense. Strome was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for kneeing.
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 11, 2023
Connor led the Jets with 17 goals and 28 points in 25 games heading into Sunday's action. The 27-year-old registered three shots on goal in just under eight minutes of ice time before his departure.
Detroit Red Wings veteran David Perron has been offered an in-person hearing for cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub during Saturday's tilt, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.
The date and time of the hearing have yet to be announced, but Perron could face a suspension greater than five games since the meeting is in person, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The incident occurred Saturday in the first period of Detroit's 5-1 loss following a scary injury to Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin. Perron hit Zub in the head after the Senators blue-liner fell on top of Larkin at the end of the sequence. Referees handed Perron a match penalty for intent to injure.
Following the play on Dylan Larkin, David Perron has been assessed a 5-minute match penalty for intent to injure. pic.twitter.com/lMwCKuKVDh
Zub remained in the game, while Larkin didn't return to the contest.
Perron has amassed seven goals and 13 points in 26 games this campaign, his second season in Detroit. He signed a two-year, $9.5-million contract as a free agent with the Red Wings in July 2022.
The 35-year-old was previously fined $5,000 for cross-checking then-Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
A scary scene unfolded in the Motor City on Saturday night involving Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, who was forced to exit the game near the end of the opening period against the Ottawa Senators.
During a netfront battle, and with Detroit on the power play, Senators forward Mathieu Joseph appeared to punch Larkin in the back of the head, sending the captain into Parker Kelly. Larkin then fell to the ice, and Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub proceeded to fall on top of his legs.
Scary play as Dylan Larkin heads to the dressing room following this net front play. pic.twitter.com/FCgFRf6q8v
Larkin remained face down and motionless for several moments as he was attended to by medical staff. He was eventually able to get up and was helped down the tunnel. A stretcher was brought out onto the ice, but Larkin didn't require it.
The Red Wings later ruled Larkin out for the remainder of the contest, which they lost 5-1. Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde had no update on Larkin's condition postgame, according to MLive's Ansar Khan.
Red Wings veteran David Perron went after Zub in the aftermath of the incident. Perron was assessed a match penalty and was tossed from the game for intent to injure.
Following the play on Dylan Larkin, David Perron has been assessed a 5-minute match penalty for intent to injure. pic.twitter.com/lMwCKuKVDh
Joseph and Kelly both earned minor penalties for roughing.
The Senators held a 1-0 lead prior to Larkin's exit, but Red Wings forward Patrick Kane scored his first goal with his new team before the opening frame expired.
Larkin has a history with head and neck injuries.
The 27-year-old was knocked out for the final eight games of the 2020-21 campaign after taking a cross-check to the neck by Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn. Larkin had to wear a cervical hard collar for eight weeks during his recovery.
In the first contest of the 2021-22 season, Larkin took a check from Joseph - who was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the time - that sent him into the boards head-first. Larkin retaliated by punching Joseph in the face and was suspended one game as a result.
New York Islanders coach Lane Lambert was feeling a little biblical after his team fumbled a three-goal lead en route to a 5-4 overtime loss to the woeful San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
"We had the game under control with eight and a half minutes left," the bench boss bemoaned postgame. "To lose that hockey game is sin."
The Islanders held a 4-1 advantage midway through the third period, but Sharks winger Kevin Labanc cut into the deficit with a tip-in 12 minutes into the frame.
All was quiet until the final three minutes of the game when Tomas Hertl scored twice in a 1:41 span with the goalie pulled to complete his first hat trick of the season. William Eklund struck in the dying seconds of overtime to secure the Sharks' improbable comeback victory.
The Islanders dominated everywhere but the scoresheet during the defeat, dictating 69.8% of the scoring chances and 68.7% of the expected goals at five-on-five while outshooting San Jose 37-32 at all strengths, per Natural Stat Trick.
New York has been outscored 34-17 in the third period so far this campaign. Tuesday's collapse marked the sixth time this season the Isles have surrendered three goals in the final frame.
Islanders forward Brock Nelson described his team's play versus San Jose as "unacceptable," according to Newsday's Andrew Gross, while captain Anders Lee was displeased with New York's lack of execution.
"This is our game sometimes, unfortunately," Lee said. "We played a really good hockey game and messed it all up in the last four minutes. Just unhappy with this, it just can't happen anymore. We really gotta figure this out."
The Sharks, meanwhile, were far more jubilant after improving to 7-17-2 on the campaign.
"I couldn't be prouder of them and I couldn't be happier for them," head coach David Quinn said, per NBC Sports. "There's a lot of real happy faces in there tonight and there have been a lot of happy faces lately."
Hertl seemed to be feeling particularly loose coming off the heels of his three-goal outing.
"I would lie if I don't like f-----g (scoring) - sorry - if I don't like to score a hat trick," he said, according to San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng.
The Islanders fell to 10-7-7 on the campaign with the loss, good for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. Their next opportunity to turn things around will come Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Man, has the 2023-24 Calder Trophy race been fun so far or what?
One thing has become clear through the first two months of the season: No one is interested in just handing Connor Bedard the hardware. He's going to have to work for it.
There are four new faces on the list this time around as some rookies have caught fire while others have faded into the background a bit. Let's see where the first-year class stands heading into the long winter months.
5. Marco Rossi, Wild
Andre Ringuette / National Hockey League / Getty
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ATOI
22
8
14
16:10
Rossi isn't the only Wild rookie making a name for himself this season, but we'll have more on that later.
The 22-year-old Rossi currently ranks second among all rookies in both goals and points, trailing only Bedard. Rossi has done most of his work at even strength, pacing the Wild with seven goals and tying frequent linemate Mats Zuccarello with a team-leading 13 points. Perhaps it isn't a surprise then that Rossi sits third among all first-year players in goals per 60 minutes (1.46) and points per 60 (2.71) at five-on-five this campaign.
Rossi began the season on Minnesota's third line but was elevated to the top line early last month. He's taken up a consistent position between Kirill Kaprizov and Zuccarello, and the trio has been a strong one for the Wild, dictating 63.6% of the expected goals while outscoring opponents 6-2 at five-on-five.
The 2020 ninth overall pick's emergence becomes even more impressive when considering how much he's overcome throughout his young NHL career. A healthy Rossi's arrival is great news for hockey fans everywhere - especially those located in Minnesota.
4. Joseph Woll, Maple Leafs
Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
SV%
GAA
SO
14 (8-5-1)
.915
2.82
0
The Maple Leafs have fallen short of expectations in 2023-24, but could you imagine how much worse their position in the Atlantic Division would be without Woll?
The rookie wrestled the starting job from an abysmal Ilya Samsonov and has usually given Toronto quality goaltending. That can't be an easy job, either, given the injuries the team has suffered on its back end. He's faced the 14th most shots against (459) out of all goalies this season, but every netminder ahead of him has played in at least one more game. In addition, Woll has seen the ninth most high-danger shots (105)at five-on-five but owns a respectable .829 save percentage in those situations. He's also registered a sparkling .917 save percentage on the penalty kill.
The 25-year-old ranks within the league's top 20 goaltenders (and first among rookies) in both goals saved above average (4.75) and goals saved above expected (7.43) at all strengths, while his save percentage is tied for 16th among all netminders to make at least five starts.
Woll has helped plug a ton of holes for the Maple Leafs, but his life should get easier if general manager Brad Treliving sticks to his plan of acquiring another capable blue-liner.
3. Luke Hughes, Devils
Rich Graessle / National Hockey League / Getty
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3
14
19:54
Hughes' bread and butter is his offense, which he's already demonstrated in spades for the Devils this season. He currently leads all rookie defensemen in goals and points and is tied with Rossi and Logan Cooley for the second most points among all first-year skaters. He also paces the rookie class in goals above replacement (7.2) and wins above replacement (1.1).
The 20-year-old is on track for 52 points, which is two more than what Moritz Seider got in 2021-22 when he won the Calder Trophy. If Hughes hits the 50-point mark, he'd be just the fourth rookie blue-liner to do so in the salary-cap era, joining Seider, Cale Makar, and older brother Quinn Hughes.
The only thing stopping Hughes from being the highest-ranked defenseman on this edition of the rankings is his workload. He isn't matching up against opponents' best players on a nightly basis, but Hughes is performing well in his relatively sheltered minutes, which is really all he can do. New Jersey has dictated 58.3% of the shot attempts, 62% of the scoring chances, and 57.4% of the expected goals with Hughes on the ice at five-on-five. The Devils have been outscored 15-13 with Hughes off the bench, but their goalies have had a rough go this campaign.
There's an opportunity for Hughes to step into a larger role with Dougie Hamilton out indefinitely. Let's see what he can do with more on his plate.
2. Brock Faber, Wild
Rich Graessle / National Hockey League / Getty
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10
23:10
Faber might be the league's most underrated rookie, so we're doing our part to end that narrative by putting him No. 2.
The 21-year-old rearguard paces all first-year players in average ice time, and those minutes haven't been easy ones: Faber has consistently matched up against other teams' top lines while shining in a shutdown role. Despite his tough assignments, he leads the rookie class as a plus-7 and ranks sixth among all NHL blue-liners in defensive goals above replacement (3.5).
His team has struggled this season, but Faber's impact can't be undersold. Minnesota has dominated with the youngster on the ice at five-on-five, controlling 56.6% of the expected goals while outscoring teams 23-14. For comparison, the Wild have been outscored 30-26 with Faber on the bench. Added to his plate are 2:38 minutes of shorthanded ice time per contest, as well as a bigger role on the power play under new head coach John Hynes. Faber rewarded Minnesota with his first point on the man advantage Sunday.
It's no wonder the Wild trust Faber - he's given them no reason not to. Good defense usually doesn't get the job done when it comes to Calder Trophy voting, but Faber currently ranks third among all rookie defensemen in points. If the Wild can turn things around and re-enter the playoff picture, Faber will be key to their success.
1. Connor Bedard, Blackhawks
Bill Smith / National Hockey League / Getty
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ATOI
23
11
20
19:22
We figured it wouldn't be long before Bedard ended up back in the top spot on these rankings. Excuse us for spreading the love a little last month. Putting him No. 1 every time would get a bit boring - for us and for you.
Bedard really forced our hand this time around. The 2023 first overall pick is handily winning the rookie scoring race; he's three goals and six points clear of his peers in second place, and he paces the pack with a whopping 16 even-strength points. Few things paint the picture of his potential and talent clearer than when he became the youngest player since 1944 to record a four-point night in early November.
The 18-year-old is on pace for around 40 goals in his first NHL campaign, which sounds impressive because it is. Only two other players have hit that plateau in their first season in the 2000s: all-time goals record-chaser Alex Ovechkin (2005-06) and two-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews (2016-17).
Luckily for the Blackhawks, Bedard has also proved more than capable of putting their offense on his back. He's accounted for about a fifth of Chicago's 56 goals this season, and he's only been held without a point on seven occasions. His consistency becomes even more admirable when you realize Bedard had a healthy Taylor Hall on his line for like, only 30 seconds.
The NHL projects the salary cap will be around $87.7 million in 2024-25, the league announced during Monday's Board of Governors meeting, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
That estimation lines up with the range Gary Bettman provided ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. In early October, the NHL commissioner informed owners that very preliminary projections suggested the cap would increase to an amount between $87 and $88 million for next season.
The salary cap remained stuck at $81.5 million from 2019 to 2022 before rising by $1 million in each of the last two campaigns. General managers have $83.5 million at their disposal this season.
The latest projection represents an increase of $4.2 million.
Detroit Red Wings fans are going to have to be a little patient while waiting for Patrick Kane's first game donning the Winged Wheel.
The newly signed winger is aiming to make his Red Wings debut within the next 7-10 days, he said Wednesday, according to EP Rinkside's Sean Shapiro. Kane added that Detroit's clash against his hometown Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 5 is his earliest return date, but his first game will more likely be against either the San Jose Sharks next Thursday or the Ottawa Senators next Saturday.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion underwent hip resurfacing surgery in June and inked a one-year, prorated $2.75-million deal with Detroit on Tuesday. He hit the ice with his new teammates for morning skate in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
Kane made it clear that his delayed debut isn't because of any issues from his surgery.
"Health wise, I was cleared for contact ... almost two months ago," he explained. "It's just probably more at this point getting up to speed with the team, having a few practices, and just kind of getting acclimated with everything more so than the condition of the hip. The hip feels good. ... I think we're just easing into it and making sure I'm ready to go instead of just kind of throwing me into the fire."
Kane hasn't played since May 1 when the New York Rangers were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils in the opening round of the playoffs. He put up 21 goals and 57 points in 73 games last season for the worst statistical campaign of his career, but he was dealing with a nagging hip issue throughout the year.
The 35-year-old said he feels "a lot better" thanks to the surgery.
"Just the ability to put weight on the right leg and being able to weight shift side to side," he said. "Also just my lateral movement is so much better. ... I think I'm in a good spot. Obviously you never know how long it's going to take to get up to speed here - especially in the NHL.
"I'm hoping it's pretty quick. Hopefully after a couple games it's just out of my mind and I can just play the game."
Heading into Wednesday's action, the Red Wings were third in the Atlantic Division with a 11-6-3 record, which was attractive to Kane when he was deciding on his next landing spot.
"They're really building something that I think is going to have a lot of success here, so I'd like to be part of that, especially starting this year," he said. "They're in a playoff spot now and they've been playing really well as of late. I'd like to jump in there and help them make the playoffs."
By signing in Detroit, Kane also reunited with former Chicago Blackhawks linemate Alex DeBrincat. Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said he will likely play the two of them together once Kane is ready to see if they can rekindle their chemistry, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen.
Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy thinks there's a lot his team can gain in the long run from its current three-game losing streak.
"I think the mindset in here - or at least one that I'm trying to take - is, adversity is good," he said after practice Wednesday. "I think it's something that we didn't really have much (of) last year. This is a bit of a change of pace in here.
"You get used to winning so much that the losses, they hurt. They feel a lot different than maybe how they used to feel when they're so few and far in between. ... We're gonna learn a lot more about ourselves with this and as this season progresses."
Boston fell to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 on Monday to extend its latest skid. The Bruins usually excel at keeping the puck out of their own net, but they've been outscored 17-8 over their past three losses, which were all in regulation.
The Bruins set new NHL records for most wins (65) and points (135) in a single season in 2022-23. Boston only lost three consecutive games once en route to claiming the Presidents' Trophy as the league's best regular-season team, but it salvaged a point from one of those losses. The last time Beantown lost three straight regular-season games in regulation was April 2022.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery shared McAvoy's mindset.
"In a lot of ways, we've welcomed this kind of adversity," he said. "We knew it was gonna come. We knew we weren't a 14-1-3 team, and that's just being honest. We're also not a team that gives up 17 goals in three games. We've gotta get back to who we are."
Montgomery noted that the Bruins' struggles really started about six or seven games ago.
"It gets back to checking," he said. "I think we've just been an easy team to play against here."
Despite their latest losses, the Bruins still sit on top of the Atlantic Division with a 14-4-3 record, three points clear of the Florida Panthers despite playing one fewer game.
"There's no need to panic, but this is not our standard, so we don't want to see it go on any further," McAvoy reasoned.
Boston's next chance to get back into the win column comes Thursday against the struggling San Jose Sharks.
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin gave head coach Dean Evason a vote of confidence less than two weeks ago amid the team's underwhelming start to the campaign. Then Guerin fired him on Monday.
The executive explained his change of heart while introducing John Hynes as Minnesota's new bench boss on Tuesday.
"The coaches can't go out and execute for the players and play, but I just, I didn't feel like it was going to come back. ... I think it had just gotten to that point where - almost no matter what they did - the guys were having a hard time executing and generating offense," Guerin said. "Something had to change. 'You can't trade 23 players' is the old saying. I just had that feeling that it wasn't going to come back."
When asked to explain what "it" was, the GM elaborated.
"It's a little bit of everything. It's the confidence, it's the swagger, it's the ability to make plays," Guerin said. "The feeling that when you step out on the ice, you're going to accomplish something. ... There's just that it factor, and you feel it and you know it."
The Wild fired Evason and assistant coach Bob Woods after starting the campaign 5-10-4. Minnesota has one less victory than the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks, the only team beneath the Wild in the Central Division. Heading into Tuesday's slate, Minnesota was seven points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Wild have made the playoffs in each of the last four campaigns.
Hynes' first game as head coach of the Wild is mere hours away, but he has prior experience stepping behind a team's bench midseason. He came in for the Predators in January 2020 and Nashville went 16-11-1 to close out the campaign under his direction. The Arizona Coyotes eliminated the Preds in the qualifying round of that year's expanded playoffs.
The veteran coach outlined his plan for the reeling Wild on Tuesday.
"I think you have to come in and, first and foremost, it's important to get to know the players," Hynes said. "It's on the fly, but I believe when you come into this situation, everybody's hurting. It's a tough situation. ...
"It's first 'who,' then 'what.' I think when it comes to the 'what' side, it's really just pinpointing simple things. You're not going to come in midseason and make wholesale changes, but I think you want to work on identity, you want to work on the mindset of the team. You come in and make some slight tweaks."
With that strategy, Guerin believes the Wild will be able to right the ship with Hynes at the helm.
"The slate's clean for the guys. It's a new day, it's a new voice, they're going to get a new message. ... I know these players really well, their buy-in level is really high," Guerin said. "If they can make this team better or be better, they'll do it. ... I think they'll listen to John right away."
Rookie defenseman Brock Faber seems ready to hear that message.
"We have a playoff hockey team in here," he said, per The Athletic's Michael Russo. "This is a wake-up call for all of us."
