The Washington Capitals superstar took sole possession of fifth place on the NHL's all-time goals list, putting away his 732nd tally to surpass Marcel Dionne.
"Having a big, physical first night with the Rangers isn't where we want to be this year," Wilson said Wednesday, according to The Athletic. "We have a lot of goals. I want to score goals. I want to be a leader. I want to take on more responsibility and get our team to the playoffs and hopefully more."
The last two meetings between the Capitals and Rangers were tense. Wilson punchedPavel Buchnevich while he was down on the ice and rag-dolled a helmetless Artemi Panarin during a testy contest on May 3. When the squads squared off again two days later, then-Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith and Wilson got into a tussle.
The Rangers made some additions this offseason to get tougher up front, mainly Ryan Reaves, who's available for tonight's clash after nursing a lower-body injury, and Barclay Goodrow.
"They got a lot of new faces, new personnel that I'm sure are going to try and make an impact on the game. ... If you ask them, this is a big rivalry now so we will expect that," Wilson added, according to Samantha Pell of The Washington Post.
New Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant said in August that emotions won't "overtake" his team regardless of what Wilson has in store.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is scheduled to be in attendance for the potentially heated matchup, according to The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir.
The game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET in Washington.
Alex Ovechkin has been ruled out for the remainder of the Washington Capitals' final preseason game of the year after sustaining a lower-body injury, the team announced Friday.
The Capitals star seemed to be in some pain after laying an awkward hit on Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny midway through the first period. He was slow to get up but limped off to the locker room on his own while appearing to favor his left leg.
The Ontario government has announced its decision to loosen capacity limits in certain indoor and outdoor settings where proof of vaccination is required, allowing professional sports teams in the province to hold 100% capacity at their home games this season.
Before the change, indoor sports venues were only able to operate at 50% capacity up to a limit of 10,000, while the province set the capacity for outdoor sporting events at 75% with a maximum of 30,000 fans.
"As we continue to see more Ontarians roll up their sleeves with over 22 million doses administered, our government is cautiously lifting capacity limits in select settings where we know proof of vaccination requirements are providing an added layer of protection to Ontarians," Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott said in a statement.
The Leafswill open their season on Oct. 13 when they host the Montreal Canadiens, while the Raptors will kick things off at the Scotiabank Arena against the Washington Wizards on Oct. 20.
"Throughout the process of re-opening our venues to fans ... health and safety has been our shared top priority and we are overjoyed to see this day arrive when we are able to welcome a full venue to cheer on the Maple Leafs and Raptors," Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Michael Friisdahl wrote in a statement. "We look forward to a safe and enjoyable season."
The Senators' campaign begins on Oct. 14 at the Canadian Tire Centre versus the Maple Leafs.
The Vancouver Canucks are now the only NHL team in Canada not welcoming a full house. British Columbia is currently allowing 50% capacity at Canucks games.
"I have a full year," Forsberg said, according to The Athletic's Adam Vingan. "I feel like you have to play your contract out."
Forsberg is entering the final season of a six-year, $36-million deal. With the Swedish scoring threat not in any rush to sign on the dotted line, his agent, J.P. Barry, reportedly told The Athletic that talks regarding a new contract haven't begun with the Predators.
"The only thing I can worry about is playing as good as I possibly can and help the team win," Forsberg said. "At the end of the day, that's going to put me in the best spot for any negotiations."
The 27-year-old has recorded 385 points across 497 games as a Predator, ranking second among all Nashville skaters since joining the league during the 2012-13 season.
The Predators are potentially staring down a complex offseason following the 2021-22 campaign, as Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm are both set to become unrestricted free agents.
Ekholm has discussed an extension with the Predators all offseason, TSN's Pierre LeBrun said Thursday on "Insider Trading." However, the 31-year-old defenseman and his agent will reportedly shelve negotiations if he isn't signed by the start of the season.
The incident occurred in the second period of Wednesday's exhibition game in Winnipeg. Coleman received a minor penalty for boarding on the play, while Harkins left the game for concussion protocol but managed to return.
Coleman will miss Calgary's final preseason contest Friday, as well as his official debut as a Flame in the team's season opener on Oct. 16 against the Edmonton Oilers. However, he'll be allowed to suit up for Calgary's home opener against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 18.
This is the first time Coleman has received supplemental discipline in his NHL career. The 29-year-old signed a six-year deal with the Flames this offseason.
The NHL is returning to an 82-game regular season for 2021-22, which can only mean one thing: More games equals more ice time for the league's biggest stars, which means more points. It's simple math.
Regardless of their final point totals, these five players will certainly feature on every highlight reel as the top contenders in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.
Panarin had a monster year in 2020-21. With 58 points in 42 contests, he was on pace to score 113 points in 82 games. Despite missing 14 games, he finished tied for 13th in league scoring and trailed only Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in points per game for the second straight season.
Panarin, 29, has led the Rangers in points in two consecutive campaigns and holds the reins of a young squad facing heightened expectations. Expect the Breadman to thrive under new head coach Gerard Gallant, who helped the misfit Golden Knights reach unexpected heights.
An angry MacKinnon is a scary MacKinnon. After leading the Avalanche with 15 points in 10 playoff games, the 26-year-old ended the year royally ticked off thanks to a third straight second-round exit. In his own words, MacKinnon is entering his ninth NHL campaign and hasn't "won shit."
The intense star is clearly motivated and looks primed to unleash his wrath on the Central Division. He has 212 points in 216 career games against his current Central opponents.
MacKinnon ranked fourth with 1.35 points per game last season and averaged the same production in 2019-20. His 65 points in 48 contests translated to a 111-point pace across 82 games, and he remained the most crucial component of the Avalanche's power play. After finishing third in power-play points in 2020-21, he should continue to feast on a division that featured three of the league's 10 worst penalty-killing units last season in the Blues, Blackhawks, and Predators.
A Hart Trophy finalist in three of the last four seasons, MacKinnon seems poised to guide the defending Presidents' Trophy winners to a big year.
After the Russian star led all players in postseason scoring en route to the Lightning's second straight Stanley Cup win, 2021-22 will mark the official return of regular-season Kucherov.
It's been a while since the 28-year-old winger played a non-playoff contest, so here's a refresher on how that usually goes. Kucherov notched 85 points in 68 games in 2019-20, leading the Bolts and ranking seventh in the NHL. He put up an absurd 128 points in 82 games the year prior, a showing that won him the 2019 Art Ross and Hart trophies. All told, he's averaged more than a point per game since the 2016-17 campaign.
Extrapolating somewhat, his 32 points in 23 playoff contests last year translates to 114 points over 82 games. That's despite a 12.9% shooting percentage below his regular-season average of 14.9%.
Even a return to a stronger Atlantic Division shouldn't faze him too much. Kucherov has 27 career points across 26 contests against the Maple Leafs and Sabres, 29 points in 25 games against the Red Wings, and 31 points in 27 outings against the Senators.
With an incredible 84 points in 56 games last season, Draisaitl would have won his second straight Art Ross Trophy if not for McDavid.
An absolute workhorse, Draisaitl played the third-most minutes among all forwards last season, trailing only Patrick Kane and Mitch Marner. The 25-year-old has played at a 1.5 points-per-game pace for the past two seasons and looks primed to do it again; the Pacific Division features four teams that finished among the league's bottom 10 in goal differential last season.
The German star has also proven he's more than McDavid's running mate. The two freakish forwards spent far more time apart at five-on-five than they did together in 2020-21, and Draisaitl performed better in some categories without McDavid than McDavid did without Draisaitl. The Oilers scored 58% of the goals at five-on-five when Draisaitl was on the ice without McDavid, but they broke even with 31 goals for and 31 goals against when McDavid played at five-on-five without Draisaitl, according to Natural Stat Trick.
There's plenty of overlap in the arguments for Draisaitl and the player who takes No. 1 on this list, so let's move on. Bet you can't guess who it is.
There are no hot takes to be found here. There's simply no way McDavid and Draisaitl don't belong at the top of this list, and McDavid has the edge after eclipsing 100 points in a shortened campaign. It can be argued that the North Division featured weaker goaltending and defense than the rest of the league last season, but was it really all that bad? After all, the Canadian squads were the only ones that had to defend against Edmonton's terrifying duo.
Regardless, McDavid made history by notching 105 points in 56 games - an outlandish 154-point clip over 82 contests. That doesn't happen by accident. Now, the 2021 Art Ross Trophy and Hart Trophy winner gets to feast on the likes of the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks; he already has 75 points in 56 career games against the California teams.
McDavid led the league in power-play points last season, while Draisaitl finished first in power-play goals with 15. The Oilers boasted the league's top power play in 2020-21, and their success on the man advantage depends entirely on the pair's connection. Luckily for Edmonton, neither player should have much trouble following a return to the Pacific. The Flames, Ducks, Canucks, and Sharks were all firmly in the middle of the pack on the penalty kill last season.
Further fueling the McDavid supremacy argument is the Oilers' free-agency addition of Zach Hyman. The forechecking aficionado put up 33 points in 43 contests with the Maple Leafs in 2020-21 and was a vital part of their top six. With Hyman on the ice at five-on-five, Toronto controlled 52% of the shot attempts and 63% of the high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.He'll undoubtedly provide a boost for Edmonton's forward corps and can only make McDavid - and Draisaitl - even more dangerous.
It certainly looks like the Art Ross Trophy will be heading to Edmonton for the third straight year.
With the NHL returning to an 82-game schedule, players will have more chances to reach historic moments compared to last year's 56 contests.
Who's going to hit the 1,000-point mark next? How long will it take Alex Ovechkin to climb the all-time goals list this season (spoiler alert - not long)?
Here are six major milestones up for grabs this year. Buckle up, it's going to be a fun ride.
Fleury: On his way to 500 career wins
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Much-adored Chicago Blackhawks netminder Marc-Andre Fleury is just eight victories away from adding his name to the exclusive 500 career wins club. Once he pulls it off, he'll join Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur as the only goalies to accomplish the feat.
Catching Roy and Brodeur, who have 551 and 691 wins, respectively, seems to be out of the cards for now. However, Fleury has 132 more victories than Carey Price, who's his closest competition among active netminders.
Ovechkin: Top 3 on all-time goals list
Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / Getty
Another year, another potential breakthrough for Ovechkin. He was on the cusp of being in the top five on the all-time goals list last season, but the Washington Capitals superstar fell just short. He potted 24 taillies in 2020-21 to bring his career total to 730, just one goal behind Marcel Dionne in the No. 5 spot.
Clearly, Ovechkin will score more than one goal this season, so he's a lock for the top five. Beyond that, he needs 12 goals to surpass No. 4 Brett Hull, but why stop there? Ovechkin can overtake Jaromir Jagr for sole possession of No. 3 on the list if he scores 37 goals.
Ovechkin has recorded fewer than 37 goals in a season just four times in his career - one of those came during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign and another during last season's pandemic-altered schedule. The career-worst 24 goals he scored in 2020-21 would have put him on pace for 44 tallies over 82 games.
Additionally, with three more game-winning goals, Ovechkin can pass Phil Esposito for No. 3 on that all-time list.
Ovechkin's even got a shiny new contract that starts in 2021-22. He went off for 56 goals in the first year of his new deal the last time he signed on the dotted line. Sure, that was during the 2008-09 season and he isn't that young anymore, but it isn't wise to doubt the 36-year-old's abilities.
Expect Ovechkin to be on this list again next campaign as he chases Wayne Gretzky's goal record.
Spezza, Backstrom, and Getzlaf: 1,000 points
Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / Getty
You get 1,000 points, and you get 1,000 points, and you get 1,000 points!
Getzlaf is the closest of the trio to the milestone. Last campaign, the Anaheim Ducks captain posted 17 points across 48 games to reach 982 career points. Even though his best playing days are behind him, it's looking like he'll achieve the mark barring any injuries in 2021-22. Also in Getzlaf's sights is the Ducks' all-time scoring record as he's seven points away from passing Teemu Selanne for first place.
Next up is Backstrom, who's 20 points away from hitting 1,000. Ovechkin's right-hand man scores about 70 points a season, and his career average of 0.97 points per game puts him 10th among active NHL players, per Hockey Reference. In short, Backstrom's a shoo-in to get into the 1,000-point club. The only thing that could make it better is if he reaches the landmark with an assist on a milestone goal for Ovechkin.
Finally, Spezza only needs 30 points to hit the mark. Endearingly nicknamed "Vintage," the 38-year-old has rediscovered his scoring touch while playing for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. In two campaigns with the club, he's produced at roughly a 40-point pace over an 82-game season. Spezza's 0.56 points per game in 2020-21 was the most among skaters averaging less than 12 minutes of ice time per contest who played in at least 10 games. If he keeps it up, passing 1,000 points shouldn't be a problem.
Marchand: Top 10 on all-time shorthanded goals list
Mike Stobe / National Hockey League / Getty
Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is a menace in all situations, but especially on the penalty kill. He's currently 20th on the NHL's all-time shorthanded goals list with 31, but he'll tie Theo Fleury and Dirk Graham for ninth if he scores four more.
Although his career average is three shorthanded goals per season, this feat is entirely attainable for Marchand this year. He potted four shorties across 53 contests in 2020-21, which is a six-goal pace over an 82-game season. He's registered five shorthanded tallies in a campaign twice in his career. The only time he's failed to score on the penalty kill in a season was when he played just 20 games during the 2009-10 campaign.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this milestone is the fact he's the only active NHL player in the top 70. Patrice Bergeron and Andrew Cogliano, who each have 20 shorthanded goals, are Marchand's closest competition among current NHLers.
Maurice: No. 5 all time in coaching wins
Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / Getty
The all-time leader in losses as a head coach is also approaching the top five in wins.
Winnipeg Jets bench boss Paul Maurice is 21 victories away from passing Al Arbor for the No. 5 spot on the coaching victories list. Once he does, he'll trail only Ken Hitchcock, Barry Trotz, Joel Quenneville, and Scotty Bowman, which is pretty decent company.
Maurice began his coaching career in 1995 and is also only 44 contests away from joining Bowman, Quenneville, and Trotz as the only people to coach 1,700 NHL games.
Prior to landing in Winnipeg, the 54-year-old also spent time with the Carolina Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Hartford Whalers.
Sabres: New playoff drought record
Kevin Hoffman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Who said all milestones have to be good?
The Buffalo Sabres are on a seemingly inevitable collision course with the longest NHL playoff drought ever. The Sabres haven't made the postseason since the 2010-11 campaign, and a return to the absolutely stacked Atlantic Division this year certainly isn't going to do them any favors. Buffalo looks even more primed to miss the big dance for an 11th straight year when you add in the fact it won't have Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, and (probably) Jack Eichel in the lineup.
Last season, the Sabres tied two other teams for the longest playoff drought. The Florida Panthers shook off their demons in 2011-12 after a 10-year absence, while the Edmonton Oilers did the same in 2016-17.
The Chicago Blackhawks are getting their captain back for the team's first preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Jonathan Toews was forced to miss the 2020-21 campaign due to chronic immune response syndrome. He last suited up for a game on Aug. 18, 2020, when the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Blackhawks in the playoff bubble.
"We want to get everyone in, and he's one of them. It'll be a step up in the load, being in a real game ... so we'll see," head coach Jeremy Colliton said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Ben Pope.
As training camp opened last week, Toews said he was taking his recovery "one day at a time" and wasn't yet firing on all cylinders.
Chicago positioned Toews between Dominik Kubalik and Philipp Kurashev at practice. Since it's still the preseason, the lines were missing other roster regulars such as Patrick Kane.
The Blackhawks will play six preseason contests, including two games each against the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild. Their preseason slate ends on Oct. 9.
The NHL has revealed a handful of key dates for the upcoming season, so break out your calendars.
The trade deadline is set for March 21, and the playoffs will kick off on May 2. The 2022 NHL Draft will take place July 7-8 in Montreal, while the free-agency signing period opens on July 13.
Here are the most important events:
Date
Event
March 21
Trade deadline (3 p.m. ET)
April 29
Final day of regular season
May 2
Stanley Cup Playoffs begin
June 30
Last possible day of Stanley Cup Playoffs
July 7
Round 1 of 2022 NHL Draft
July 8
Rounds 2-7 of 2022 NHL Draft
July 13
RFA/UFA signing period begins (12 p.m. ET)
The puck drops on the 2021-22 NHL season on Oct. 12. If all runs smoothly, there will be a Feb. 3-22 break for the 2022 All-Star festivities and Winter Olympics.
