Vancouver Canucks star winger Brock Boeser is tired of being the subject of seemingly endless trade speculation.

While his club is spiraling through a 2-7-1 stretch and fans call for changes throughout the organization, Boeser said the rumors are getting old.

"Yeah, it does," Boeser told The Athletic's Thomas Drance prior to the Canucks' 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. "I had some people bring it to my attention yesterday a bit.

"I was confused. I think it's just people looking for an answer out in the social media world with the team struggling, especially now. That's part of it."

Boeser is in the final year of a three-year, $17.625-million bridge deal signed in 2019, and he'll be a restricted free agent this offseason. Vancouver drafted him in the first round in 2015, and the 24-year-old has recorded 218 points over 270 games.

If anything, Boeser believes he's part of the solution going forward.

"I personally don't think I'm going to get traded," Boeser said. "I feel like I'm part of the core here and a big piece. That's just how I feel.

"At the end of the day, I can't worry about that stuff. I just have to go out and perform. It's been a tough stretch for me personally, and obviously for the team. And I set high expectations for myself to go out there and produce and help the team win. Lately, it's been tough.

Boeser is off to a slow start this season, with eight points through 17 contests.

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Leon Draisaitl is on a historic pace nearly a quarter of the way into the NHL season, but the Edmonton Oilers superstar doesn't think he'll keep it up.

Through 19 games, Draisaitl has collected 20 goals and 20 assists. That projects to 86 goals and 86 assists in 82 games.

"I guess it's a little crazy to think that I'm going to score 50 goals in 50 games," Draisaitl said when asked what it would mean to him if he could accomplish the feat after the Oilers defeated the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday. Draisaitl scored two goals and added two assists.

"Obviously, right now, pucks are going in for me, but this is a tough league to score in so I don't expect to hit that stat at all. Obviously going to keep shooting - if they go in, great. I know there's going to come times where they're probably not going to go in."

He's the first Oilers player besides Wayne Gretzky to record 40 points prior to the 20-game mark in a season, according to Sportsnet Stats. Draisaitl is also the first NHL player to record 40 points through 19 games since Mario Lemieux scored 44 and Jaromir Jagr scored 41 during the 1995-96 campaign.

Since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, Draisaitl ranks second in the league with 339 points in 228 games. He trails only teammate Connor McDavid, who has 354 points in 217 contests. Brad Marchand and Patrick Kane each have 277 points, though Marchand did it in 218 games to Kane's 222.

Asked to discuss the idea of an 82-goal season, Draisaitl said it's a nearly impossible task.

"You expect me to score 82 goals this year? That's not gonna happen," Draisaitl laughed. "Obviously playing with 97 (McDavid) makes it a lot easier - a lot more free ice out there with him. But I don't expect that of myself. That's not anything that's realistic, I think."

Draisaitl leads the NHL in points (40) and goals (20) and ranks second in assists (20).

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Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons received a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy on Wednesday.

McAvoy, Boston's top blue-liner, was forced to exit the game, but Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said postgame the 23-year-old "is good" after getting stitches.

"Let's hope he wakes up feeling good tomorrow and is ready to go Friday," Cassidy said.

Girgensons, 27, has never been suspended in his eight-year NHL career.

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Wayne Gretzky knows a thing or two about winning the Stanley Cup, and he likes what he's seeing from the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Great One's high praise for the clubs doesn't entirely relate to their on-ice performances, but what he's able to see from the groups off the ice and how they're interacting with one another.

"I went for lunch with Leon Draisaitl, Connor (McDavid), and Darnell Nurse and it reminded me so much of me, Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey having lunch together," Gretzky said Wednesday on Sportsnet 590 The Fan's "Real Kyper and Bourne show." "That they were teasing each other; Leon was disappointed that Connor's passes weren't as good as he thought they should be. And you know what? That's what makes teams successful. That they can tease each other and be on the same page and that ultimately they want to win a championship."

Edmonton's McDavid and Draisaitl are two of the best hockey players in the NHL, while the Maple Leafs boast a stacked group highlighted by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander.

Despite all the star power and dominating the regular season, neither team has been able to achieve any success in the playoffs. Since the 2015-16 season, the Oilers have won one playoff round while the Leafs haven't been victorious at all.

"I remember I left lunch and I said to my wife, 'You know what? This team is so much closer to winning than people understand because these guys are so close and they want to win so badly for each other and I love that,'" Gretzky said. "To me, that's even better when in the locker room these guys are all on the same page. And I feel watching the Leafs play that they have that same camaraderie. It's us, and we're together, and we don't care who scores."

After finishing as the top two teams in the North Division last year, the Maple Leafs currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division while the Oilers are in second in the Pacific Division. The Oilers haven't won the Cup since 1990; the Leafs are searching for their first ring since 1967.

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The Vegas Golden Knights have their triggerman back.

Max Pacioretty is in the team's lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nashville Predators, the team announced. He's missed the last 17 games with a fractured foot.

The 33-year-old sniper has two goals and an assist in two games this season. He led Vegas with 24 goals last year.

Pacioretty is skating in his usual spot on the team's top line with Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone.

The Golden Knights have been beleaguered by injuries and COVID-19 absences this season. The team is still without Nolan Patrick, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, and Alec Martinez, while the recently acquired Jack Eichel is recovering from neck surgery.

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Former Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois isn't quite sure what to expect from his first game back in Columbus since being traded to the Winnipeg Jets in a blockbuster shakeup last January.

When asked if he'd thought about the reception he might receive from the fans when the Jets square off against the Blue Jackets on Wednesday night, the 23-year-old laughed and said, "a little bit."

"It's been almost a year now, but I'm expecting some people still to maybe be unhappy, disappointed," Dubois said in a media scrum before the game. "If they're happy, that's great. If they're not happy and booing me, I've heard it before."

Dubois has highly anticipated his return to Columbus ever since the team traded him (along with a 2022 third-round pick) to Winnipeg in exchange for forwards Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic.

"I circled this date on my calendar. Not because of the players involved, but because it's my first time being back. I saw the news about (Laine's) father this week, I’m really sorry about that," Dubois said. "We're all feeling for him. Hopefully I get to play against him in Winnipeg."

Laine, who remains sidelined with an injury, is dealing with the death of his father Harri and is unavailable for the contest.

Dubois added it "definitely feels weird" being on the visitors' side of Nationwide Arena.

"Tonight, I think it might take a little part of the warm-up, maybe first shift, second shift (to adjust), and then after that, it'll be just a normal game."

The Blue Jackets selected Dubois third overall in the 2016 draft and he put up 159 points in 239 career games with the franchise.

Dubois called the end of his tenure in Columbus "complicated" and "choppy," but he once again stayed away from revealing any more details as to why he requested a trade.

"It wasn't a decision made because of someone or some things. I felt like it was the right time to move on, and I’m happy here in Winnipeg. It's going well, I've learned a lot, and I'm gonna keep learning," he said. "It was just time for something new."

Dubois has returned to form with the Jets to start the season, registering 10 goals and six assists in 18 games.

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Tuesday was a huge bounce-back night on the ice. I posted six shot props on Twitter, five of which were winners. Naturally, the one I wrote up in the best bets article was the one that lost.

Nevertheless, the 5-1 night brought our record on shot totals to 33-16. Let's keep the ball rolling tonight.

Pierre-Luc Dubois over 2.5 shots (-110)

Dubois has attempted 48 shots - and hit the target 30 times - over the last 10 games at five-on-five alone. He's averaging 6.2 attempts and 3.9 shots on goal across all game situations. He recorded at least three shots on goal seven times in that span. Put simply, he's shooting a ton.

Now he draws a very juicy matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is an extreme pace-up spot. The Jackets rank 29th in shots against per 60 over the last 10 games at five-on-five. They play fast, high-event games. Dubois will benefit from that.

So, we're looking at a trigger-happy player in a shot-friendly environment. If that's not enough to get you on board, there's also the good old-fashioned revenge narrative. Dubois is going up against his former team for the first time since being traded to the Winnipeg Jets. That could put a little extra pep in his step.

Ryan Hartman over 2.5 shots (-115)

You don't think of Hartman as an offensive dynamo, but he's quietly playing some very productive hockey.

Hartman has piled up 60 shot attempts over the last 10 games and is tied with Kevin Fiala for the team lead in shots on goal (35) over that time.

Like Dubois, he now finds himself in a pace-up spot against a team bleeding shots. The New Jersey Devils have not defended well of late. Over the last 10 games, they rank 30th in shot attempts and shots on goal against per 60 minutes of five-on-five play.

Having played at least 16 minutes in 10 straight, and centering the top line at even strength, Hartman finds himself in a prime spot to take advantage of the matchup.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews hasn't quite found his groove yet after missing all of the 2020-21 campaign with chronic inflammatory response syndrome.

"I'm definitely not satisfied or happy with where (my game) is at. Just got to keep working and stay patient and try to build up more energy, more pace, more speed on the ice," he said Tuesday after the Blackhawks' 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Ben Pope.

Toews has failed to score a goal in 19 games so far this season - a drought he had never experienced in his lengthy career. The last time the 33-year-old lit the lamp in an NHL game was Aug. 18, 2020, against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Edmonton playoff bubble.

"It's been a while since I've seen a puck go in, obviously. Definitely like scoring goals," Toews said, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "So I'd like to get going in that area. Just got to keep working through it. I'm not really sure what else to say at this point."

Toews is at least feeling comfortable enough to set up plays, with eight assists under his belt in the early goings of the year.

"Mentally, I feel confident with the puck and feel like I can make plays, and there's just times when you can't take chances," he said, per Pope.

With Toews on the ice at five-on-five, Chicago has controlled less than half of the shot attempts and high-danger chances while being outscored 12-7 so far this campaign, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The Blackhawks have scored the fourth-fewest goals in the league (41) and own the third-worst goal differential (-21).

Chicago currently sits second-last in the Central Division, ahead of just the listless Arizona Coyotes, with a record of 6-11-2. The franchise fired head coach Jeremy Colliton earlier this month and has since gone 5-2-0 with interim bench boss Derek King at the helm.

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