In the fourth edition of theScore's Norris Trophy Power Rankings, the five defensemen remain unchanged, though there's a new blue-liner in the top spot. To view the previous rankings, click here.

ATOI = Average time on ice
SCF% = Percentage of scoring chances generated while player was on the ice at 5-on-5
HDCF% = Percentage of high-danger scoring chances generated while player was on the ice at 5-on-5

5. Erik Karlsson, Sharks

Karlsson has gone on quite a run since the last edition of these rankings, collecting 11 assists in his last eight games before missing three contests with a lower-body injury. His scoring-chance metrics are off the charts, but they're inflated by a 64.6 offensive zone start percentage (OZS%). Nonetheless, Karlsson is proving he's still among the game's elite in his first season with the Sharks - as if there was any doubt.

4. Kris Letang, Penguins

Letang ranks third in the NHL in average ice time and logs over five minutes more per game than any of his Penguins teammates. He shoulders plenty of responsibility on Pittsburgh's blue line and his scoring-chance metrics are still impressive despite starting most of his shifts in the defensive zone. Letang has surprisingly been a Norris finalist just once in his career, but a big second half could put him right in the thick of things.

3. Brent Burns, Sharks

Like Karlsson, Burns' deployment has played a major role in his boosted scoring-chance metrics as he owns a 68.6 OZS%. But he leads all defensemen in points and is tied for second among blue-liners with 54 takeaways. He's been sensational during San Jose's 15-5-2 run, racking up 26 points in 22 games.

2. Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs

Rielly has picked up just six points in 10 games since the last edition of these rankings, coinciding with the Maple Leafs' recent skid and bumping him out of the top spot. It wouldn't be surprising, however, to see him back at No. 1 later in the season. Rielly is projected to play alongside the club's newest addition in Jake Muzzin, a major upgrade from the aging Ron Hainsey.

1. Mark Giordano, Flames

Giordano's exceptional play is enough to deserve Hart Trophy consideration, though it likely won't surface. His 47.9 OZS% shows the trust Flames head coach Bill Peters has in him, and his scoring-chance metrics signal how effectively he drives play. Giordano has easily been the most complete two-way defenseman in the NHL this season, which is remarkable considering he turned 35 in October.

Honorable mentions: Mattias Ekholm (Predators), Thomas Chabot (Senators), John Carlson (Capitals)

(Advanced stats courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)

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Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson has been placed in Stage 2 of the NHL and NHLPA's Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program, the league announced Tuesday.

The treatment is in relation to "his ongoing issues with alcohol abuse," the release states. Under the terms of the program, Watson will be suspended without pay until he is cleared by administrators.

Watson was suspended for 27 games in mid-September 2018 - later reduced to 18 games - when he pleaded no contest to a domestic assault charge in late July after being arrested in June.

Earlier this month, Watson opened up about his mental health and struggles with sobriety in a detailed Instagram post.

In 34 games with the Predators this season, Watson's posted seven goals and 13 points.

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In the fourth edition of theScore's Calder Trophy Power Rankings, four of the five players from the last edition remain the same, with one freshman returning to the list for the first time since November. You can read the previous installment here.

ATOI = Average time on ice
SCF% = Percentage of scoring chances generated while the player was on the ice at 5-on-5
HDCF% = Percentage of high-danger scoring chances generated while the player was on the ice at 5-on-5
Courtesy: Natural Stat Trick

5. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Montreal Canadiens

Kotkaniemi isn't lighting up the scoresheet with gaudy offensive production - he's recorded five points in 11 games so far in 2019 - but his hockey sense is on full display each and every time he's on the ice. Montreal's sheltered him well with 62 percent of his draws coming in the offensive zone, but the 18-year-old does a good job ensuring the puck stays in the attacking end and has shown all the traits of a top-six center for the Habs.

4. Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators

Tkachuk has hit a bit of a wall production-wise, but he and veteran Mark Stone flank Ottawa's best line on a nightly basis. The rookie ranks top-two among Senators in both SCF% and HDCF% alongside Stone, and it's hard to imagine a better two-way winger from whom Tkachuk could learn the ropes.

3. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars

Heiskanen continues to be the workhorse among rookie skaters, ranking first in ice time by a long shot at just over 23 minutes per contest. His passing and skating abilities gained some well-earned exposure over All-Star weekend, an event he's bound to attend for years to come.

2. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres

Since our last running of this series, Dahlin has collected six points in eight games and exceeded his average ice time by nearly a full minute over that span. His skill set makes his game appear effortless even at the NHL level and he's just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.

1. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

It's unfair to the others on this list, but Pettersson is practically cemented in the No. 1 spot. Despite two separate injury stints, the 20-year-old leads the rookie scoring race by 19 points and is fresh off his first All-Star nod. He's on pace for 79 points - should he stay healthy - and is well on track to claim Vancouver's first Calder Trophy since Pavel Bure swept the Canucks fan base off its feet with a 60-point debut season in 1991-92.

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Kendall Coyne Schofield will join NBC's broadcast of Wednesday's matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins as an analyst, the company announced.

Coyne Schofield will contribute to pregame and intermission coverage and will also join longtime broadcaster Pierre McGuire between the benches for additional analysis.

The 26-year-old Olympic gold medalist stole the show at the All-Star Skills Competition this past weekend in San Jose, Calif., opening the eyes of the hockey world with a blazing 14.346-second lap time in the Fastest Skater event.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kendall Coyne Schofield will join NBC's broadcast of Wednesday's matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins as an analyst, the company announced.

Coyne Schofield will contribute to pregame and intermission coverage and will also join longtime broadcaster Pierre McGuire between the benches for additional analysis.

The 26-year-old Olympic gold medalist stole the show at the All-Star Skills Competition this past weekend in San Jose, Calif., opening the eyes of the hockey world with a blazing 14.346-second lap time in the Fastest Skater event.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It took a couple of weeks of trade talk, according to general managers Rob Blake and Kyle Dubas, but on Monday, the Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs finally agreed on the first big trade of 2019.

Impact defenseman Jake Muzzin is off to Toronto in exchange for AHL forward Carl Grundstrom, the rights to prospect Sean Durzi, and the Leafs' first-round pick in the 2019 draft.

"When he joined Los Angeles coming out of junior, they were at the same stage that we’re at now," Dubas said of Muzzin and the Leafs during a conference call. "He had that experience of seeing a team mature from being a team that wanted to contend, to contending, and then ultimately winning."

Sitting at opposite ends of the standings, Dubas and Blake made a straightforward deal that - as anti-climactic as it sounds - could be a win-win for both franchises.

What this means for the Leafs

The Leafs' top pairing of Morgan Rielly and Ron Hainsey, locked in all season long, appears to be toast.

Dubas wouldn't confirm it, saying head coach Mike Babcock would need to speak with the affected players first. However, it's safe to assume the left-handed Muzzin, who'll turn 30 on Feb. 22, will slide into Hainsey's spot on Rielly's right side Friday when the Leafs come off their bye week for a road game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Muzzin, an all-around defender who won the 2014 Stanley Cup alongside Drew Doughty, is a gigantic upgrade on the 37-year-old Hainsey, whose rapid decline in 2018-19 frustrated Leafs fans to no end.

Here's an educated guess at Toronto's revamped defense pairings, assuming everybody is healthy - Jake Gardiner is out with back spasms at the moment. Hainsey would slide down the depth chart but not out of the lineup:

A penalty killer, minute muncher, and puck mover with strong possession numbers, Muzzin is exactly the type of defenseman the Leafs - who own the league's fourth-best offense, but can sometimes leak scoring chances - needed.

Goalie Frederik Andersen may be the greatest beneficiary of this trade, given Muzzin's defensive ability. On second thought, perhaps this is Rielly's big break. It's amazing, really, that he's having a Norris Trophy-caliber season and is about to start skating with a legitimate running mate.

"I think he's an elite defenseman," Blake said of Muzzin moving to the Eastern Conference. "He's going to bring the physical aspect, but he has poise and patience to make plays. I think the adjustment will come naturally for him because he's a top defenseman."

The cost for Muzzin isn't negligible, so Dubas doesn't look like a thief by any means. Still, considering his track record and contract - Muzzin's signed through next season at $4 million per year - and the fact that the draft pick will most likely be in the mid-to-late 20s, it's a smart, cap-friendly bet.

Muzzin, a 2007 fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has 51 goals and 162 assists for 213 points in 496 career games, all in a Kings uniform. He was born two hours west of Toronto in Woodstock, Ontario.

What this means for the Kings

Speaking of term, Blake wouldn't budge when a reporter asked if the Kings are shopping or taking calls on players under contract past this year.

Los Angeles' record through 50 games (20-26-4, rivaling only the woeful Ottawa Senators), and Blake's willingness to ship out useful players months ago, suggests most - if not all - the names on the roster may be on the table.

But neither of the players acquired from the Leafs will join the NHL club immediately. "We’re at the bottom of the league," Blake said. "We made this deal for the future of the organization."

In Grundstrom, the Kings are receiving a first-year Marlies winger with top-nine NHL potential. "His compete, his effort, and work have been mainstays," Blake said of the 21-year-old Swede. "His sense and his poise is above average and (he’s) a strong skater."

Meanwhile, Durzi is an unsigned late bloomer still playing in the OHL for the Guelph Storm. The 6-foot, 196-pound defenseman was drafted in the second round by the Leafs in 2018, his second year of eligibility. Blake likes the 20-year-old's hockey IQ and skating ability.

The Kings, who won two titles in three years to start the decade, have fallen on tough times after failing to adapt to a faster style of play. Blake has been able to get his team nine selections in the 2019 draft - one pick per round, plus the Leafs' first and a fifth-rounder from the Arizona Coyotes.

The main takeaway

By pulling the trigger on a deal of this magnitude four weeks away from the trade deadline, Dubas made life difficult for rival GMs looking to bolster their blue lines in the leadup to Feb. 25.

All of a sudden, Dougie Hamilton, the other prized defenseman said to be available, is a white-hot commodity. Some would argue the Carolina Hurricanes should command a hefty return regardless. But now, with Muzzin off the market, the price for Hamilton will be steeper.

In the same breath, the pressure is completely off Dubas and the Leafs. Barring a major injury or a last-minute desire to go all-in on the 2018-19 season, the Muzzin trade may be the only significant move necessary. Expect improvements around the edges of the roster, not more fireworks.

On Monday, Dubas alluded to the organization's multi-year contention plan, reiterating what he's noted in the past about the type of players his club desires. "Our preference was to acquire players who did have some term on their deals," he said.

Muzzin certainly accomplishes that. And, based on Blake's tone during his conference with the media, the rebuilding Kings will miss his play and presence - and potentially other key pieces of their Cup-winning core as they move to restock the cupboard.

"Terrific player, terrific person," Blake said. "(Muzzin) took a huge step in leadership over the last few years here. Very difficult day here for us to move players that have brought so much to this organization."

John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.

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