Every Stanley Cup contender would love to acquire a superstar talent ahead of Monday's trade deadline. But, let's face it, that's not happening.

Below, we run down dream fits between available players and contending teams that straddle the line between the best-case scenario and what's realistic.

For this particular exercise, any NHL team in the top 10 in points percentage is considered a "Stanley Cup contender." OK, here we go ...

Colorado Avalanche

Did the Avalanche already find their dream fit? On Monday, the NHL's top team acquired Josh Manson from the Anaheim Ducks, adding a dash of physicality to a blue line that's stacked with elite skaters and playmakers.

Injuries are starting to pile up for Colorado, complicating general manager Joe Sakic's life ahead of the deadline. If captain Gabriel Landeskog is ultimately deemed out for the rest of the regular season, Sakic will have enough salary-cap space to pursue a big-ticket forward like Claude Giroux or Brock Boeser.

At the moment, given the uncertainty with Landeskog, Sakic's measured approach to player acquisition, the Avs' wide-open contention window, and the Manson trade, we think it's more likely the GM goes after two mid-tier forwards, starting with the Chicago Blackhawks' Energizer Bunny, Brandon Hagel.

A high-compete winger with scoring touch, Hagel would add a little spice to a tremendously fast and skilled forward group. Equally important, his contract ($1.5-million cap hit this year and next) is good value. The extra season would make the steep acquisition price worth it for the Avs.

As for a second target, the Avs could try to pry Nick Paul from the Ottawa Senators.

Carolina Hurricanes

Through 59 games, the Hurricanes are second in the league with a .737 points percentage. They're a well-coached squad with no glaring weaknesses.

That said, if GM Don Waddell were to nitpick, he'd surely identify the defense corps as an area that could be upgraded in one respect: offensive pop. Tony DeAngelo is the club's lone offensively minded defenseman and he's currently injured, with a return timeline set for late March/early April.

That leads us to John Klingberg. The 29-year-old smooth-skating Dallas Star could be a wonderful complement to DeAngelo and Brett Pesce on Carolina's right side. Adding Klingberg would probably send Ethan Bear to the press box, which, while unfortunate for Bear, would be a sign of enviable depth.

The Canes don't typically chase pending UFAs at the deadline, and the team doesn't have the cap space right now to absorb Klingberg's $4.25 million AAV. However, the timing is right for the organization to step out of its comfort zone. Waddell has enough picks and prospects for an enticing deal, and there are bottom-feeding clubs that could take on some of Klingberg's salary.

Florida Panthers

Do the Atlantic-leading Panthers need to add anything? Not necessarily. Should they? Absolutely.

Florida has been firing on all cylinders all season long, but we're of the opinion that they should go big-game hunting and land Giroux. The 34-year-old All-Star is the biggest name available and could easily be the most impactful. Giroux has 42 points in 56 games for a lowly Philly squad this season, and it's fair to assume he'd be raring to go for a contending team playing high-stakes hockey down the stretch.

It would be very entertaining for the Panthers to build a Globetrotter-type offense, and they have the assets to make a trade work for both sides. Florida doesn't have much draft capital this year, but it has all of its picks in 2023, along with quality roster players (Patric Hornqvist, Frank Vatrano, Lucas Carlsson) and high-profile prospects (Grigori Denisenko, Owen Tippett) to build a desirable package for the career-long Flyer.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs' deadline philosophy, at least in the eyes of fans and pundits, has drastically shifted of late. At first, Toronto appeared poised to pursue an impact forward, but it's become clear that the club needs to concede fewer goals to have any realistic chance in the Atlantic Division playoff gauntlet.

Adding a goaltender is one potential solution. However, finding a suitable and available netminder within a time crunch is easier said than done. Another idea is acquiring a blue-liner (or two) who would make Toronto's slot more difficult for opponents to breach.

We're of the mind that Kyle Dubas should call up old colleague Lou Lamoriello and pry Scott Mayfield from the New York Islanders. The Leafs need a player who can help clear the dangerous areas of the D zone and insulate whichever Toronto goalie gets his confidence back first. Mayfield is a stay-at-home, stabilizing presence on the back end and a clear upgrade over Timothy Liljegren, Justin Holl, and Travis Dermott.

Mayfield also makes only $1.45 million through 2023. That may make it difficult to convince the Islanders to move him, but what a difference it could make for a slumping Toronto squad.

New York Rangers

The Rangers have more room on their books than any contender and should try to catch lightning in a bottle while Igor Shesterkin is playing out of his mind. New York could benefit from shoring up its third defensive pairing, but its clearest need is a top-six winger, specifically to play the right side on a line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome.

Rickard Rakell's a terrific candidate. He'd be a rental, yet he carries a modest $3.79-million cap hit. He drives play offensively and has the skill set to complement Panarin's elite hockey IQ and playmaking. It's hard to view New York's attack as a problem, but Rakell would be replacing Dryden Hunt on the second line. That's a clear improvement. The Ducks winger could also add some firepower to a second power-play unit that lacks experience.

Calgary Flames

The heart says bring back former captain Mark Giordano for a Cup run, but the Flames made the 38-year-old expendable this past offseason for a reason: They're set on the back end. The Flames might be set everywhere, for that matter, and having already acquired Tyler Toffoli, they'll probably be quiet at the deadline.

For the sake of this exercise, though, we see a match between Calgary and Calle Jarnkrok. The versatile, tight-checking forward is the type of player whose strengths seem to be maximized by Darryl Sutter's schemes and systems, and he would fortify one of the club's bottom-six center spots. Making him even more attractive to the cap-strapped Flames, Jarnkrok accounts for only $2 million against the cap before hitting unrestricted free agency this summer.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Boy, the Penguins certainly could use a sharp-shooting winger.

The top forward line of Sidney Crosby between Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust is rolling, but the Evgeni Malkin-centered second line is decidedly not.

If he's available, Dominik Kubalik of the Blackhawks makes a ton of sense. The 26-year-old Czechia native may be having a down year, but he's armed with a wicked shot and has plenty of experience sharing the ice with stars like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. A pending RFA with arbitration rights, Kubalik scored 30 goals in 68 games in 2019-20 as an NHL rookie.

Picking up Kubalik wouldn't be groundbreaking. But that's OK. The Pens could make two or three medium-sized deals instead of one whopper in order to deepen their lineup while preserving their upcoming first-rounders. Don't forget, the Pens are in limbo: Malkin, Rust, and longtime No. 1 defenseman Kris Letang are all set to become UFAs at season's end.

Boston Bruins

Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk, and Mike Reilly are all fine players, but there's simply too much on Charlie McAvoy's plate as the Bruins' No. 1 D-man. The club needs to upgrade its blue line heading into the playoffs.

Boston's top target should be Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes. Yes, Chychrun suffered a lower-body injury over the weekend - ironically against the Bruins. And yes, it will sideline him for 2-4 weeks, which is not ideal. Yet the fit is still there.

A three-zone defenseman who can play both sides, Chychrun moves the needle like McAvoy. He's 23 and under contract through the 2024-25 season at a team-friendly $4.6 million AAV. He would boost Boston's chances of winning this year and then help keep the contention window open.

There also seems to be a fit from a transactional perspective. Forward Jake DeBrusk has requested a trade out of Boston, and the Coyotes - deep in a rebuild and about to start playing in a 5,000-seat arena - are on a desperate search for NHL-caliber players under team control. DeBrusk is a 25-year-old pending RFA who could flourish with a change of scenery.

Of course, the package going to Arizona would include several impact pieces, namely a first-round pick. The Bruins have their firsts in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning GM Julien BriseBois has been aggressive at each of the past two trade deadlines, shipping out first-round picks to nab the role players he wants. Back-to-back Stanley Cup rings indicate his strategy works.

Tampa Bay doesn't have many flaws, but BriseBois seems to prioritize targeting flexible players that can be deployed in all situations. Andrew Copp of the Winnipeg Jets would fit the bill as the Bolts look to become the first franchise to three-peat since the Islanders in the early 1980s. He's on an expiring contract ($3.64 million AAV), and his current club is swiftly falling out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

Copp is in the midst of a career offensive season, so Tampa would have to pony up to get him. Regardless, the 27-year-old can play center or wing and has a history of strong advanced metrics at both ends of the ice. He's also a physical presence and could anchor a battle-tested, pain-in-the-ass third line in between veterans Patrick Maroon and Corey Perry.

St. Louis Blues

Marco Scandella played 19:53 against the Jets on Sunday night, lining up mostly alongside Colton Parayko on the Blues' top defense pairing. Important context: St. Louis doesn't have any star blue-liners injured.

Scandella is a perfectly capable NHLer, but he shouldn't be facing stiff competition for a third of the game. And that's precisely why Ben Chiarot would be a fantastic fit for the Blues. The battle-tested Montreal Canadien could be slotted on Parayko's left side while Torey Krug and Justin Faulk do their thing as an overqualified second pair and Scandella moves down the depth chart.

The Blues rank in the top 10 in several key categories, including goals for per game, goals against per game, power-play percentage, and penalty-kill percentage. They're a quality squad with a diverse group of forwards and two goaltenders in Ville Husso and Jordan Binnington who can hold down the fort.

What's missing is defensive depth, and acquiring pending UFA Chiarot - for a package starting with a first-rounder or A-level prospect - would fix that issue.

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Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun will miss two-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday.

Boston Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort hit Chychrun awkwardly into the boards Saturday night.

The 23-year-old is among the top players rumored to be moved ahead of the March 21 trade deadline. The St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Bruins are reportedly among the serious contenders for his services.

Chychrun has recorded 21 points in 47 games this season. He's signed for three more years at a $4.6-million cap hit.

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Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has been suspended two games for cross-checking Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during Sunday's contest, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

The incident occurred during the third period of the Maple Leafs' 5-2 defeat at the Heritage Classic. Matthews cross-checked Dahlin in the neck area as the pair got in a dustup in the Sabres' crease.

Matthews and Dahlin were each assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking on the play. Dahlin was able to stay in the contest.

While acknowledging that Matthews didn't intend to injure Dahlin, the Department of Player Safety posited that his actions aren't typically used as a routine way to gain body position over an opponent.

The league also argued that the retaliatory force Matthews used warranted the supplementary discipline even though the 24-year-old had never been fined or suspended in his NHL career up until now.

"You're just battling in front of the net," Matthews said after the game, according to ESPN's Kristen Shilton. "I felt like I kind of rode up his shoulder and his shoulder pack rolled up a little bit. That's hockey; you're competing out there."

Matthews will forfeit $116,402.50 in salary as a result of the suspension.

The Maple Leafs will now be without their leading scorer against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday and the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

Matthews paces all NHL skaters with 45 goals in 56 games. He was a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy in each of the past two campaigns.

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Amid a four-game losing streak and a 4-9-1 slide since Jack Eichel's highly anticipated debut, Vegas Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson has seen enough.

"There's not much to say," Stephenson said, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger. "It's the same old story until we can figure it out, and it's a big enough reality check. I'd think guys would be woken up by now."

Stephenson added: "I'm sick of it. I think everybody is sick of it. So, until we figure it out, I don't know. Everybody has to dig deeper, grab their nuts, and just work. That's the bottom line."

Vegas is dealing with injuries to several key players, including captain Mark Stone and starting goaltender Robin Lehner. The team is virtually out of the Pacific Division race and is clinging to a one-point lead over the Dallas Stars for the second Western Conference wild-card spot with four extra games played.

The Golden Knights return to action Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets.

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The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are less than two months away. While it's likely a team +1600 or shorter ultimately gets its hand on the trophy, there are still a few dark horse sides with potential.

Let's take a look at three long shots - to varying degrees - that could surprise when the tournament begins.

Boston Bruins (+2000)

There's too much meat on the bone here for a team with so much high-end talent and experience. I know they have to get through a ridiculously tough Atlantic Division bracket to have any shot at a trophy, but crazier things have happened. This team is extremely well-rounded.

Offensively, they seem to be hitting their stride. Jake DeBrusk has held up his end of the bargain on the top line, which has allowed the Bruins to pair Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak on the second unit. That essentially gives them two top lines. Craig Smith and Charlie Coyle spearhead a solid third line as well, which has been especially hot of late.

Boston's team defense is remarkably good; no team in the league has conceded high-danger chances at a lesser rate during five-on-five play. They're also stout on the penalty kill.

When all else fails, they can be comfortable relying on Jeremy Swayman between the pipes. The 23-year-old has established himself as the team's No. 1 option in goal, and not just because Linus Ullmark has been inconsistent. Swayman owns a rock-solid .926 save percentage and sits eighth among starters in goals saved above expected per start.

This team is above average in every area of the game and they're battle-tested. If they can add another piece or two at the deadline, they'll be an extremely difficult side for any team to out.

Washington Capitals (+2700)

The Capitals have stumbled a bit of late. I wouldn't be quick to write them off, though.

They are 12th in the NHL in points percentage despite the fact they've spent very little of the season anywhere close to full health. Nicklas Backstrom has appeared in 27 of 60 games, T.J. Oshie has appeared in 26, and Anthony Mantha has dressed just 15 times. The Capitals haven't had one member of the second line healthy for even half of their games, let alone all three.

Not only have the absences of those players impacted the Capitals at five-on-five, but they've taken some jolt out of the power play. It can't be overstated how important it is to have them healthy.

Dating back to last season, they've helped the Capitals control better than 52% of the expected goal share at five-on-five. Backstrom and Oshie, in particular, really help out on the power play as well.

I think we're going to see a different Capitals team now that they're healthy again. There are also rumblings they're eying a Calle Jarnkrok-type forward at the deadline, which would provide some much-needed depth on the third line.

I'm not saying the Capitals are world-beaters or that they can match some of the other big-name teams. However, they do have a very good top six and a healthy power play, while Vitek Vanecek has quietly given the Capitals fantastic goaltending of late. They have the pieces to cause some problems in the playoffs.

Washington also figures to benefit from an easier path to the conference finals. With respect to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, and New York Rangers, the Caps have a better chance of getting through that group than the bracket featuring the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Bruins.

Los Angeles Kings (+3500)

The Los Angeles Kings are going through a bit of a tough spell right now. Drew Doughty, Viktor Arvidsson, Matt Roy, Dustin Brown, Mikey Anderson, and Andreas Athanasiou, among others, are out of the lineup with varying timelines to return.

If the Kings can get most of those guys back by the playoffs, the Kings have sneaky potential. Hear me out.

They are a fantastic five-on-five team. They rank fourth in the NHL in shot share, sixth in expected goals share, and eighth in terms of high-danger chances. Whichever metric you prefer, the Kings grade out highly. That's important, especially because officials tend to put the whistles away come playoff time. A lot of each game is played at full strength and the Kings are at their best in that game state.

Anze Kopitar spearheads a very good top line while Arvidsson, Phillip Danault, and Trevor Moore have combined to create a shockingly good second unit. Los Angeles has controlled ~59% of the shot attempts, 61% of the expected goals, and ~63% of the actual goals with that trio on the ice. Suffice to say, the Kings' top six is a problem.

They're also a great defensive team. While the goaltending hasn't been as good of late, Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen have both taken the ball and run with it at different points of the season. There's reason to believe they can be stable enough when the chips are down.

This team doesn't have much flash or appeal to the average observer. But they're solid and, outside of the Calgary Flames, every team in their division appears flawed. They could cause some headaches in the coming months.

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

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What home ice is worth is a tough enough question, but it becomes even more of a guessing game when the contest is being played at a neutral site in the middle of a CFL field. The Buffalo Sabres were the host team in Sunday's Heritage Classic despite playing in the home country of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Did it matter in the end, though? They beat the Leafs anyway.

As for our bi-weekly list of moneyline prices we'd be willing to bet, underdogs were the order of the day Sunday as we went 5-1 for better than seven units.

The Montreal Canadiens, tantalizingly priced throughout this season, were overvalued when they opened as favorites to the Seattle Kraken. Sure enough, the Kraken came away with the win, penalizing anyone getting overly excited about the Habs' recent run of good play.

Elsewhere, the Penguins, Islanders (twice), Devils, and Canucks joined the ranks of rare valuable favorites in the past three days. The first three won in that role. Vancouver didn't.

Finally, the market's souring on the Oilers caused them to again find their way onto our betting card. For the second straight time, Edmonton rewarded its backers with a win as a home underdog, this time against the Lightning. However, the Oilers' foray into underrated territory might have come and gone.

Strangely, there's just one game on the board for Monday night - a fairly priced barn burner between the Coyotes and the Senators. But with three more weeknights of games, there'll be other opportunities to find value. A night off never hurt anyone.

The recipe

Before the 2021-22 campaign, we devised a three-part series on how to use the regular-season point-total market to create team ratings, how to interpret home-ice advantage, and then how to use those to create your own moneylines.

We made a small adjustment to our formula last week, moving this season's on-ice predictive metrics to 75% of our total rating. While our ratings are weighted to this season, basing 25% of the ratings on preseason "priors" allows us to place more emphasis on team metrics without going all-in on what's happened this campaign. That's important because this season is still a relatively small sample size that includes some tainted results from when COVID-19 ravaged lineups.

The stabilization of rosters at the All-Star break has meant that underdogs, or favorites that aren't favored by enough, are priced that way because of less quantifiable reasons, like public perception or short-term variance. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that our guide is up nearly 30 units despite a 66-80 record. A 45.2% win rate is just fine when the vast majority of plays are on plus-money pups.

The cheat sheet

What follows is my fair price on the matchups (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I would need to bet either side. I just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. On games I've projected to be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make it a worthwhile wager. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a side playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and 3% for without travel.

Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.

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After yet another embarrassing late-game collapse, Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux was unflinchingly honest about his team's season.

"It's been probably the worst year since (I've been) here," Giroux told reporters after Philadelphia's 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. "It's been a tough year. Obviously, a lot of injuries, but I'm not going to start making excuses. It's been a long year."

He added: "There's still some meetings and some things to talk about with the management and see what the game plan is, not just for this year, but for the future."

The Flyers have an 18-30-11 record this season after winning six of their first 10 games.

As a result, Giroux, who's a pending unrestricted free agent, is one of the top available names ahead of the March 21 trade deadline. The 34-year-old has registered 18 goals and 24 assists in 56 games while playing out the final season of an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $8.275 million.

Despite recording his 900th point in his 999th career NHL game Sunday, Giroux's achievements were quickly overshadowed.

The Flyers held a 3-2 lead late in the third period when Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman took an interference penalty. The Habs then tied the game with a shorthanded tally with just over 40 seconds left in the game before forward Cole Caufield delivered the final dagger in overtime.

"We're gonna have to keep finding ways to get players to understand that you can play the way you want to play, or you can play winning hockey," interim head coach Mike Yeo said postgame. "Again, I think there were things that you can look at. Our defensive game is getting better, blah, blah, blah, that's nice. That's what you have to do. That's what you’re supposed to do.

"And there's a way to play with the puck where you're not turning it over and giving free ice and giving freebies to a team that obviously has skill. We still refuse to do that."

Yeo added that he's willing to take players' ice time away, demote them to the fourth line, or scratch them entirely, including veterans, in order to get his message across.

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