Despite a last-place finish in the NHL standings this year, Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill still has faith in head coach Phil Housley.
The Sabres held their end of the year press conference on Wednesday, during which Botterill said Housley would return as the team's head coach next season.
"One-hundred percent, Phil Housley will be our coach next year," Botterill said. "I have certainly enjoyed working with Phil. The way I want to put the team together, the way he wants to play, it's a good mix."
Housley is coming off his first year as a head coach in the league after serving as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators from 2013-2017.
While the team won't make any changes behind the bench, Botterill did hint at potential changes to the team's core players.
"There certainly has to be change, and there will be change," Botterill said. "When you finish where we did, you have to look at everything, and that includes even changing up our core players."
The Sabres finished the year with a record of 25-45-12 and now have the best odds (18.5 percent) at landing the first overall pick in the draft.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League decided Wednesday to resume its postseason in the wake of the Humboldt Broncos bus accident that claimed 15 lives last Friday, according to Sportsnet's Roger Millions.
Hockey was put on hold after the horrific accident, but the decision to complete the season was made with the full support of the Broncos' team and staff, according to Farhan Lalji of TSN.
The team's bus was struck by a tractor trailer as the team was traveling to play its SJHL semifinal against the Nipawin Hawks.
Dates for the remaining games have yet to be announced.
At the end of a disastrous 2017-18 season for the Edmonton Oilers, general manager Peter Chiarelli faced plenty of questions Wednesday about how he plans to erase those bad memories.
Many expected Edmonton to contend for the Stanley Cup this season, yet a lack of talent surrounding Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, along with a dreadful campaign from goaltender Cam Talbot, sunk the Oilers to 23rd in the league standings.
Chiarelli faces tremendous pressure to turn things around quickly, and the veteran executive is counting on his club to be back in the postseason in 2018-19.
"I expect this team to be in the playoffs next year and that's what we're going to strive for," Chiarelli said at a press conference.
One method for Chiarelli to potentially bring in new blood would be dangling his higher-than-expected first-round draft pick, which should be inside the top 10 selections.
"I would put that pick in play. It would have to make sense. I wouldn't rule it out." Chiarelli on the #Oilers 1st-round selection at the #NHLDraft this June
Elsewhere this offseason, Chiarelli has to sort out new contracts for a few restricted free agents, most notably blue-liner Darnell Nurse and last summer's trade acquisition, Ryan Strome.
Aside from lifting that beautiful silver chalice we all know and love as the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy is the piece of hardware players covet most at season's end.
The award is handed out to the playoff MVP, with recent winners including superstars like Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, and Evgeni Malkin.
With the playoffs only a few hours away, Las Vegas oddsmakers have chimed in with their favorites to be named 2018's postseason MVP.
Check out the updated odds from Bodog released Wednesday:
Player (position)
Team
Odds to win
Pekka Rinne (G)
Predators
17-2
Andrei Vasilevskiy (G)
Lightning
14-1
Marc-Andre Fleury (G)
Golden Knights
18-1
Filip Forsberg (F)
Predators
18-1
Tuukka Rask (G)
Bruins
18-1
Nikita Kucherov (F)
Lightning
20-1
Sidney Crosby (F)
Penguins
22-1
Connor Hellebuyck (G)
Jets
22-1
Patrice Bergeron (F)
Bruins
25-1
Evgeni Malkin (F)
Penguins
25-1
William Karlsson (F)
Golden Knights
30-1
Alex Ovechkin (F)
Capitals
30-1
Frederik Andersen (G)
Maple Leafs
35-1
Auston Matthews (F)
Maple Leafs
35-1
John Gibson (G)
Ducks
40-1
Anze Kopitar (F)
Kings
55-1
Devan Dubnyk (G)
Wild
66-1
Sergei Bobrovsky (G)
Blue Jackets
75-1
Eric Staal (F)
Wild
75-1
Martin Jones (G)
Sharks
80-1
Taylor Hall (F)
Devils
100-1
Claude Giroux (F)
Flyers
100-1
Nathan MacKinnon (F)
Avalanche
100-1
Three Hart Trophy candidates at 100-1 could be worth a little sprinkle. Good luck!
There's really no denying it: The Vegas Golden Knights took the NHL by storm this season, becoming the first expansion team in 38 years to qualify for the playoffs.
Their reward for their historic Pacific Division crown? A first-round matchup with a Los Angeles Kings squad that's hungry to avenge its bitterly disappointing 2016-17 campaign, and also has more success over the last eight seasons than most franchises achieve over decades.
All credit's due to the Knights, who have done a lot more than just win games for the Las Vegas community, but the bubble is about to burst on their dream season. Here's why:
L.A.'s smothering penalty kill
Vegas finished tied for ninth in the NHL in power-play proficiency at 21.4 percent, scoring 53 of its 268 goals (20 percent) on the man advantage. Point being, the Knights rely on power-play scoring.
The problem is, they're going up against the stingiest penalty-killing group in the league in the Kings, who are tops in PK efficiency at a sparkling 85 percent, allowing just 39 goals on 260 chances. Only the San Jose Sharks allowed fewer (34).
Vegas' speedy core - snipers William Karlsson, Erik Haula, and Reilly Smith - scores many of its goals on the man advantage, so L.A.'s ability to snuff out power-play opportunities could be an X-factor - especially with penalty-killing specialists like Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Drew Doughty playing the lion's share of the shorthanded minutes for John Stevens' group.
If the Kings can impose their will on the PK, the Knights might be enjoying the Nevada golf courses a lot sooner than planned.
Finger jewelry will do the talking
Gerard Gallant and George McPhee have done an admirable job of building a winning lineup, but their pieced-together roster doesn't have the advantage of a core of players who have won multiple rings together.
The Kings boast a group in Jon Quick, Jeff Carter, Kopitar, and Doughty that played a key role for the Cup-winning teams in 2012 and 2014. Add in the rest of the Kings' rings, and L.A. ices a nightly lineup with 17 combined to Vegas' three, which are all owned by ex-Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
How many rings players are rocking is far from the be-all and end-all in picking a team to pull off an opening-round upset. But at the time of year when games get tighter and clutch players make names for themselves, boasting a lineup stacked with battle-tested players who have lifted Lord Stanley multiple times can't hurt.
Knights may have peaked too soon
There's something to be said for a team hitting its stride too early. With all the club's accolades from its inaugural campaign, no one would hold it against the Knights if they entered Wednesday night without a sense of urgency.
Not to mention, Vegas lost seven of its last 13 games down the stretch, while the Kings are playing some of their best hockey, winning five of their last eight and punching their playoff ticket for the seventh time in nine seasons.
The Knights have had a campaign for the ages, breathing life into a league that has been complacent in its expansion of the sport. But that'll mean very little, or nothing, when the puck drops on the Golden Knights and Kings, because L.A. knows what it takes to win at this time of year.
Vegas peaked early with its Pacific Division win, and will be in tough against a battle-tested group that has played a lot of playoff hockey in recent years.
Former NFL chief operating officer Tod Leiweke has been named CEO and president of the prospective NHL franchise expected to arrive in Seattle in the near future, he confirmed at a press conference Wednesday.
Leiweke's brother, Tim, is leading the charge for the $600-million renovation of KeyArena as head of the Oak View Group.
Tod has prior experience in the Pacific Northwest as the former CEO of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, and is excited to be involved.
"It's an incredible thrill to come home, Leiweke said, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. "Not just for me but for my family."
Seattle's group proposal to the NHL is still under review, though its expected to be awarded the league's 32nd franchise in June at a cost of $650 million. The goal is to have the team on the ice for the 2020-21 season.
Apparently needing 40 stitches in your ear warrants a good amount of time to recover, as Boston Bruins forward Riley Nash will miss Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night, the team announced Wednesday.
Nash has been out of the lineup since taking an errant point shot in the ear from teammate Torey Krug on March 31 against the Florida Panthers, missing the final five games of the season.
Prior to getting his ear split open, Nash was having a career year, registering 15 goals and 26 assists in 15:25 of ice time per night. His status for Game 2 is still unclear.
Stamkos sat out the club's final three games of the regular season as he dealt with a lower-body injury suffered April 1 versus the Nashville Predators.
The 28-year-old was listed as day to day as he recovered, but the Lightning managed to win two of three down the stretch to clinch the top spot in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with 113 points.
In 78 games, Stamkos recorded 86 points - his highest total since 2011-12.
With a quick glance at the matchups set to make up the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, few pop off the page like the impending tilt between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers.
The Pennsylvanian rivals routinely combine for high-octane, entertaining games throughout the regular season, and the last time they met in the playoffs - Round 1 in 2012 - it was anarchy. Philly jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, winning Games 2 and 3 with eight goals apiece, only to allow 10 in Game 4 before advancing two games later.
Aside from the absurd rate in which both teams found the back of the net, three Penguins players received suspensions for extracurricular activities, then head coach Dan Bylsma was fined $10,000, and Claude Giroux was deemed ready to take over Sidney Crosby's spot as top player in the world. Ha.
Six years later, it would be foolish to expect the same sort of goonery, but don't be surprised if the Pens and Flyers engage in another constantly entertaining, offense-friendly battle.
It's no grand revelation, but the Penguins can put the puck in the net. Their arsenal of firepower has led to back-to-back Stanley Cups, and a tie for the third-most goals for this campaign (270). Evgeni Malkin led the charge with 98 points this season, besting teammates Phil Kessel (92) and Crosby (89), as they all finished in the league's top 10 in scoring. Throw a healthy Kris Letang in to the mix, and Pittsburgh is as dynamic as ever.
But, the Flyers are one of few teams that present a group of superstars potentially capable of matching the Pens' relentless output.
Philadelphia opted to try Giroux on the wing this season, and it paid immediate dividends, as the captain recorded a personal-best 102 points and should earn some consideration for the Hart. Sean Couturier (76 points), and Jakub Voracek (85) also had career years, while the top defensive pairing of Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere combined for 106 points.
Both teams have the weapons to consistently light the lamp, and considering Pittsburgh's depth and goaltending advantage, it will be paramount for Philadelphia's stars to find ways to create offense.
Outgunning Crosby & Co. is a tall task, but Philadelphia enters the postseason with one regulation loss in its last 10 games, with Giroux earning 19 points in those contests. That may instill some confidence in the Flyers' faithful, but the Penguins won all four regular-season games, pouring in five goals each time.
So all things considered, how does each group of All-Star-caliber players stack up?
Pittsburgh's biggest advantage is it can spread Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel on three different lines, and have them join forces for one hell of a power play. Philadelphia began the year with its big three together, but have since decided to spread the wealth, separating Voracek from Giroux and Couturier.
Here's a look at the difference in numbers on the top line with and without Voracek, who was third in the league with 65 assists this season.
Regardless of the right winger, Couturier and Giroux manage to control both shots and goals for at even strength very well, but up head to head with Crosby's line, posting those numbers would be nothing short of extraordinary.
Crosby, as usual, has gone through his fair share of wingers this season, but enters the playoffs on a line flanked by Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel. Here's a look at the numbers they've put forth, as well as Malkin and his linemates.
Combo
TOI
CF%
GF%
Rust-Crosby-Guentzel
268:52
58.63%
58.82%
Hagelin-Malkin-Hornqvist
294:22
57.41%
64.29%
Both units have limited minutes together, but have heavily dictated play. That Pittsburgh can roll out a unit so dominant even with Crosby on the bench, may leave the Flyers in serious trouble.
At even strength, the Penguins appear to hold the advantage, so what about the power play?
Unfortunately for the Flyers, things aren't looking much better. Philadelphia's top unit is undoubtedly dangerous, with Giroux, Voracek, and Gostisbehere landing seventh, ninth, and 10th, respectively, in regular-season power-play points. Who else is on that list, though? That would be Kessel, Crosby, and Malkin, who ranked first, third, and fourth.
To nobody's surprise, the Pens' power-play efficiency led the league at 26.2 percent. Ominously, the Flyers finished the season killing penalties at a woeful 75.8 percent clip, good for 29th in the NHL.
Based on the excitement of the rivalry and abundance of superstars on both sides, this Penguins-Flyers rematch should easily be one of the most entertaining series of the opening round, it just appears Philadelphia will have to battle the misfortune of pulling one of a handful of teams that can match or overpower its offensive abilities.
Still, these are the Stanley Cup Playoffs. An overtime hero can emerge from anywhere, and a goalie can single-handedly win or blow a series, so the door remains open. And based on the history of these teams, something bizarre is bound to occur. It may not be Jaromir Jagr in Flyers colors, or the teams combining for 45 goals in four games, but be ready to expect the unexpected.
How do you up the ante of playoff hockey? Put a little money on the line.
With the Vegas Golden Knights set to host their first-ever playoff game Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings, the bookies have prepared a few prop bets prior to puck drop:
Will either team score in the first 10 minutes of the game?
