It's been an up-and-down season for Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry.

The 29-year-old played in the AHL after struggling through the first half of the schedule. Recalled in early March, he rattled off four straight wins. On Sunday, he got his first shutout of the season in a 1-0 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Reviewrecently wondered if Jarry had done enough to save his career with the Penguins. He doubted his recent performance would improve his value in this summer's trade market.

Madden believes the Penguins can't afford to keep Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic, who has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $2.5 million. Jarry is signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $5.375 million.

Buying out Jarry would only count as $1.747 million against the Penguins' salary cap for next season. However, that cap hit rises to just over $5 million in 2026-27 and $4.5 million in 2027-28, dropping to just $797,000 annually for the remaining three years of the buyout.

Turning to the New York Islanders, RG.Org's Marco D'Amico cited sources claiming the Edmonton Oilers looked into acquiring Jean-Gabriel Pageau before the March 7 trade deadline.

D'Amico indicated Oilers GM Stan Bowman sought to bolster his depth at center with someone who'd be more than a playoff rental. Pageau, 32, is signed through next season with a cap hit of $5 million. He also has a 16-team no-trade list.

The Islanders reportedly spurned the offers because they didn't want to retain salary and weren't interested in a return of draft picks. That could remain their position with Pageau if the Oilers or other clubs make trade inquiries this summer.

Speaking of the trade deadline, Scott Powers of The Athletic thinks some teams might be kicking themselves for not offering the Chicago Blackhawks a first-round pick for Ryan Donato.

The 28-year-old center is enjoying a career-best performance with 29 goals and 59 points in 72 games. He's reportedly sitting on a three-year contract offer worth $4 million annually.

Powers believes Donato could be interested in returning to the Boston Bruins if he goes to market. He's a Boston native who began his career with the Bruins. The Blackhawks hope he'll recognize that the top-six minutes and power-play time he's getting in Chicago won't be available to him on better clubs.

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The Florida Panthers have earned their reputation as one of the NHL’s best teams, getting to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of the past three seasons, making it to the Cup final in each of the past two seasons, and of course, winning their first Cup in franchise history last season. And for much of this year, the Panthers have been at or near the top of the Atlantic Division. Obviously, there’s a whole lot to like about this Florida team.

That said, there are some worrisome aspects of the Panthers this year. On Sunday, we saw one of them, as they lost to the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 to fall to third place in the Atlantic. Florida is now 0-3-0 against the Habs this year – and this is a Montreal team that the Panthers could wind up facing in the first round of the playoffs this year if Florida wins the Atlantic and the Canadiens remain in a wild-card spot.

In addition, scratch the surface a bit, and you’ll find other data that suggests the Panthers might be ripe for an early-round upset. For one thing, Florida has got five standings points via shootout wins this season. If you acknowledge that shootout wins can easily be shootout losses half the time, the Panthers’ current point total could be at or near 88 points, which is very close to the fourth-place Ottawa Senators.

To be sure, we’re not here to tell you the Panthers are a lock to be sent packing in the first or second round. They’ve made some great additions via trade this season, and they were a deep and skilled group before those trades were made. But with only a couple weeks left in the regular season, there’s an increasing sense that Florida has squandered its chance to win the Atlantic. And that may be what sinks their season well in advance of the Eastern final.

Indeed, the Panthers have got another game against the desperate Canadiens Tuesday, and they’ll also take on Ottawa (who they’re 1-1-0 against this season), the Detroit Red Wings twice (who they’re 0-1-0 aganst), the Buffalo Sabres (who they’re 2-1-0 against) and the Lightning (who they’re 2-1-0).

This is to say that it’s entirely possible the Panthers do not win the division and slide down as low as third place in the Atlantic. And given that Florida’s road record of 20-15-1 is worse than their home mark of 24-11-2, losing out on home-ice advantage could be the factor that ends their season well before they when they hope.

Can the Panthers win the Cup for the second straight season? Stranger things have happened. But this regular season has been far from perfect for Florida, and the way things shake out in the next two weeks could set the table for them being eliminated before they can get out of the second round. And if they do get sent packing prematurely, nobody should say it’s a full-on shocker.

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The NHL’s coaching carousel continues to spin, with the Philadelphia Flyers firing coach John Tortorella this week. Tortorella was replaced on an interim basis by associate coach Brad Shaw, increasing the number of interim coaches to three. 

Let’s look at each interim coach’s situation and offer a guesstimate of which ones are likely to stay with their current team.

In alphabetical order of teams:

1. Boston Bruins

After replacing the fired Jim Montgomery in mid-November, veteran coach Joe Sacco was given the interim reins of the Bruins. But Sacco was unable to turn Boston’s season around, as he’s posted a 22-25-6 record since taking over, and Bruins GM Don Sweeney dismantled much of the roster at the NHL trade deadline.

For that reason, Sacco probably won’t be the choice to coach the Bruins beyond this season. But despite some rumors, Tortorella isn’t the solution. Tortorella has a very short shelf life behind the bench, and the Bruins don’t require a whip-cracker like him.

Rather, we see current Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan as the likely coach of the Bs. Sullivan is expected in many circles to part ways with the Pens at the end of the year, and picking Sullivan – who has already worked as Boston’s coach in 2003-04 and 2005-06 – makes much more sense for the Bruins. 

In any case, don’t expect Sacco to stick around Beantown much longer. He’s a placeholder coach, and Boston hasn't changed for the better under his guidance. Sweeney will almost assuredly want a more proven bench boss, and that isn’t Sacco at this stage.

2. Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks moved in a different coaching direction in the first week of December when they fired coach Luke Richardson and made Anders Sorensen their interim bench boss. Since Dec. 7, Sorensen has generated a 13-27-7 record as the Blackhawks have sunk to the bottom of the Central Division and second-last place in the NHL. 

But really, what coach could’ve done any better with the dog’s breakfast of a lineup created by Chicago GM Kyle Davidson? This organization is still in the early stages of a full rebuild, and they are going to continue to be a non-playoff team for the foreseeable future. So, our bet is that Sorensen has the interim tag removed from his job title, and he becomes the permanent coach in the Windy City. 

Sorensen’s ability to be a teacher is exactly what the Blackhawks need right now, and continuing to change coaches won’t help Chicago in the short or long term.

The Hawks can keep Sorensen around as the roster continues to be tweaked, and maybe a couple of years down the line, they can go with an experienced coach to take the organization to a higher level. For now, though, Sorensen is the right choice for the Blackhawks’ current predicament.

3. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers gave Shaw the reins after dismissing Tortorella, and Shaw is only going to get another seven games to prove he’s the right man for the job. Philadelphia indeed looked energized in the first two games after the Tortorella Era ended, but let’s be realistic – there’s just not enough of a sample size for Shaw to demonstrate he should be Philly’s coach beyond this season.

As we said earlier this week, there’s no shortage of candidates for Flyers GM Daniel Briere to consider, whether it’s an in-house candidate like AHL coach Ian Laperriere or an outside candidate like NCAA coach David Carle.

Some have suggested current Vancouver Canucks coach and former Flyers star player Rick Tocchet might be the right man for the gig in Philadelphia, but if we’re being honest, we don’t see Tocchet choosing to come in and have the pressure of leading the Flyers to the playoffs when they aren’t close to being at that level, and who's to say Tocchet won't just be back in Vancouver next season.

It’s a shame for Shaw to have so little time to prove himself in Philly, but the coaching business is far from fair. Thus, we don’t think Shaw is going to be the Flyers’ coach after this year is over.

It’s not the right situation to go with someone with relatively little time running his own NHL team, although Carle is in the same boat in that regard. However, Carle’s success at the collegiate level is what is making him an odds-on favorite to land the job in Philadelphia (or another market). The Flyers are probably going to go in a different direction at season’s end, and Shaw will likely latch on to another team as an assistant coach.

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NHL star left winger Brad Marchand made his debut with the Florida Panthers Friday night, but his contract status – that makes him a UFA at the end of this season – has already started speculation as to where he could wind up playing next year and beyond.

Here are five teams we could see Marchand playing for after this season:

1. Boston Bruins

Let’s get this out of the way first: Marchand OK’d a move out of Boston, but there was no sense he or the Bruins had burned bridges with each other. So, if he doesn’t find an option that’s to his liking, Marchand could elect to return to Beantown.

He’ll be 37 years old by the time he signs a new contract, so his next deal could be his last NHL deal. But if Boston can get the money right – somewhere in the area of his current annual salary of $6.125 million – it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him return to the Bruins.

Marchand served Boston well as their leader on the ice and off of it, and although he probably would’ve wanted to spend his entire career with the same team, he could, in theory, win a Stanley Cup with the Panthers, then find a way to come back to his first NHL home.

Stranger things have happened than a return to Boston for Marchand, and he might decide that a few months away from the Bruins was too long and return to the Bs at the first chance he gets.

2. Colorado Avalanche

The Avs are one of the odds-on favorites to win the Cup this season, but if the Panthers repeat as Cup champions, Marchand could choose to play with fellow East-Coast Canadian Nathan MacKinnon on a Colorado team that will have the cap space to sign him for at least a couple of seasons.

Like all the teams on this list, the Avalanche could use Marchand’s grit and playoff experience, and playing in the relative calm of Denver may be exactly what Marchand wants at this stage of his career.

Marchand would help out the Avs’ second line, and Colorado has enough cap space to get a deal done that will satisfy Marchand’s pride. Closing out his career with the Avs would allow Marchand to satisfy his competitive drive, and the Avalanche would be thrilled to land someone with the pedigree Marchand can boast of.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

This one is admittedly more of a long shot, as the Penguins are still going to be a fringe playoff team next season. But the opportunity to play alongside another East-Coast Canadian legend in Sidney Crosby would no doubt appeal to Marchand, and the Pens would welcome Marchand as they try to win another Cup in the Crosby Era.

Marchand has been a thorn in the side of just about every opponent, so the chance to make him a Penguin would be a no-brainer for Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas. But the Pens would almost assuredly have to make more notable moves to assure Marchand that he’s not going to be the only new face with the Penguins.

Marchand might want to change out his Black-and-Gold Bruins colors for a similar set of colors in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins could offer him the chance of a lifetime when it comes to playing on the same side as clear-cut Hockey Hall-of-Famers in Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Okay, before you get snippy, hear us out: let’s assume the Maple Leafs falter early in the playoffs once again this spring. In the wake of that disappointment, there will likely be a massive change in Toronto – and what better way to effect significant culture change than to sign a proven winner and Leafs-haunter in Marchand?

He’d have to acclimate to playing in the huge hockey fishbowl that is Toronto, but it’s not as if Marchand isn’t used to that in Boston.

The Leafs might be a bigger long-shot than Pittsburgh on this list, but if Marchand values playing in another Original Six market where hockey is everything, he could spend his remaining few seasons in Toronto and be an integral part of what could be something special. The Leafs would be motivated buyers for him, and he’d fill an obvious need for grit and spunk.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Panthers were clearly Marchand’s choice to play for this season, but if Florida can’t find a way to re-sign him, perhaps the other Sunshine State team can make him a member of the Lightning.

Like the Panthers, the Bolts will be tight to the salary cap ceiling, but Lightning GM Julien BriseBois always seems to find a way to land big fish, the way he did last summer when he signed star left winger Jake Guentzel. So, Marchand could be one of the final pieces of the puzzle in Tampa next year.

The Lightning can sell Marchand on the no-tax state of Florida and the opportunity to stay on the East Coast. We don’t see Marchand agreeing to take a huge pay cut to play in any market, but in Tampa Bay, his dollars would go further, and he’d have the luxury of great weather all year long. Thus, his current experiment with the Panthers could keep him in Florida but in another market. 

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As the NHL regular season nears an end, we’ve got a good idea of the Stanley Cup front-runners once the playoffs arrive.

On Friday, we looked at moneypuck.com odds to break down which teams were battling for a wild card post-season spot. This time around, we’re analyzing the teams that look the most likely to win it all.

In the Eastern Conference, it starts with five teams who have a 100 percent shot at making the playoffs – the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. After that, the Metropolitan Division seems to be the easier path to the Cup final, as the Hurricanes have the best Cup odds – 13.4 percent – in the NHL. The Capitals have the next-best Cup odds at 10.2 percent.

We know going in that the Atlantic Division will be a tougher road, and that’s reflected in the Cup odds for the Lightning (9.6 percent) and the defending-champion Panthers (8.6 percent). But the Maple Leafs – the current second best team in the Atlantic – are relatively disrespected, with only a 3.9 percent chance to win it all.

There’s a similar preference going on in the Western Conference, where MoneyPuck believes the easier road to the Cup goes through the Pacific Division. The current Pacific leader – the Vegas Golden Knights – have the West’s best odds to win the Cup at 11.4 percent. 

However, the powerhouse teams in the ultra-competitive Central Division have the next-best odds, with the Dallas Stars at 10.8 percent, the Central-leading Winnipeg Jets at 10.5 percent, and the Colorado Avalanche at 5.7 percent.

MoneyPuck doesn’t give much stock to other Pacific teams, as the Edmonton Oilers come in at only a two percent chance to win it all. And the Los Angeles Kings are given a 6.2 percent chance to win the Cup.

But before we get to the playoffs, we need to see which teams will jockey for top spots in their respective divisions. To that end, the Tankathon site ranks the difficulty of teams’ remaining schedules, and the Capitals have the second-easiest schedule in the league, followed by the Stars with the third-easiest and the Oilers with the eighth-easiest.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have the 10th-hardest schedule, followed by the Jets with the 12th hardest, the Hurricanes with the 13th hardest, the Golden Knights with the 16th hardest and the Kings with the 17th hardest.

So, in sum, the teams in the Atlantic and Central divisions will have the most difficult road to the Cup, and the Metro and Pacific teams will have the easiest road to winning it all.

But don’t kid yourself – there’s a good reason why the best team still has only less than a 14 percent chance to win the Cup. It’s going to be a brutal path forward for any and every playoff team, and even the front-runners will need good health, good fortune and timely great play if they’re going to outlast the rest of the field and emerge as this year’s champs.

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The development path for an NHL defensemen can be quite long, having to add multiple elements to their game. For some, the transition happens almost seamlessly, like Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes or Miro Heiskanen, but for others, a season or two before it all clicks in is expected. Recently, defensemen like Thomas Harley, Brock Faber and Rasmus Sandin have taken advantage of developing in other leagues before becoming impact players in the NHL. 

It’s quite rare for a defenseman to burst onto the scene and dominate, but these five defensemen are doing just that.

Jackson LaCombe, Anaheim Ducks

LaCombe was the 39th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and would spend four years at the University of Minnesota. The decision to stay for all four years proved to be a wise one, as it allowed him to mature and refine his game before joining the Ducks organization, who were in a massive rebuild. 

His rookie season saw him average 19:23 of ice time, scoring two goals and 17 points. His sophomore campaign has seen him reach new heights, and it likely could get even better. The 24-year-old has scored 13 goals and 41 points, ranking in the top 10 in goals among NHL defensemen. 

The Ducks are among the youngest teams in the NHL, and it’s partially why LaCombe has recorded just 28 assists. As the young Duck forwards get older and gain more experience, they’ll be able to turn LaCombe’s playmaking into goals. The Ducks are building a star-studded defensive core, headline by LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger.

Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators

Sanderson’s route to the NHL was quicker than LaCombe’s, spending just two seasons at the University of North Dakota. The fifth overall pick would make his NHL debut in the 2022-23 season, scoring four goals and 32 points in 77 games. Although the offensive numbers were quite impressive for a 20-year-old rookie defenseman, Sanderson had a plethora of issues in his own end.

His sophomore season saw improvements both offensively and defensively, earning an eight-year, $64.4-million contract extension per Puckpedia. While many argued that the contract was handed out too soon, Sanderson has put those critics to rest, scoring seven goals and 48 points in 70 games, averaging 24:23 of ice time and earning a nod to Team USA’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster, where he scored a goal in the final. 

Thomas Chabot had been the Senators' No. 1 defenseman for quite some time but the play of Sanderson has changed things. The turning of the leaf began in the 2023-24 season and it’s come into full effect this season. The next step for Sanderson’s development is to be more aggressive and seek out his shot, but with the tools Sanderson has at his disposal, there’s no reason why he can’t be a double-digit scorer each year.

Alex Vlasic, Chicago Blackhawks

Vlasic followed a similar route to LaCombe, playing three years at Boston University. He never had his offensive breakout during his NCAA days, and it’s likely why he was never selected to play for Team USA’s world junior team. Despite that, the 43rd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft was a defensive stalwart, using his 6-foot-6 frame to his advantage.

The 23-year-old spent the 2022-23 season playing with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL, where he tapped into his offensive game for the first time. He replicated that production in his first full season, earning himself a six-year, $27.6-million contract extension, and now, in the 2024-25 campaign, he's flourishing. 

His four goals and 28 points, coupled with his defensive game, have allowed him to average 23:27 minutes of ice time on a Blackhawks blue line that will soon feature Artyom Levshunov, Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro and Sam Rinzel. Korchinski and Levshunov will likely be the offensive contributors on the backend, but if Vlasic can add more offense to his game without sacrificing his defensive game, the Blackhawks will be a difficult team to play against. 

Simon Edvinsson, Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings have been incredibly patient with Edvinsson, first allowing him to develop in the SHL before keeping him in the AHL for an additional two seasons. Heading into his first full campaign, Edvinsson had 25 games of NHL experience and has now revolutionized the Red Wings’ blueline.

Moritz Seider’s following seasons after winning the Calder Trophy were underwhelming. Playing alongside Ben Chiarot, the pair struggled greatly in the consistency department. Although the pair have still spent most of the season together, Seider’s best results are when he plays with Edvinsson. Seider’s expected goals percentage with Chiarot is 41.96 percent, and with Edvinsson, it’s 48.57 percent.

Edvinsson is a tremendous skater and offensive player for a 22-year-old listed at 6-foot-6, and as his ice time grows, the offensive numbers are sure to follow.

Dante Fabbro, Columbus Blue Jackets

Fabbro is the oldest player out of the five – already 26 years old – but since he was claimed off of waivers by the Blue Jackets, he’s revived his career. During his tenure with the Nashville Predators, Fabbro never averaged over 20 minutes of ice time, and in 52 games with the Blue Jackets, Fabbro is averaging nearly 22.

He’s set a career-high in goals, recording six goals and 20 points, proving to be the perfect partner for Zach Werenski, a Norris Trophy candidate this season. 

Gustav Forsling was a surprise breakout candidate for the Florida Panthers, and Fabbro looks to be following the same trajectory as an astute defender with good feet and puck-moving ability. 

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We’re fast approaching the final couple of weeks of the NHL regular season, and the playoff races are at a boiling point.

If there’s one thing that’s clear now, it's that the battle for a wild-card spot is shrinking by the day. 

The Eastern Conference is still more competitive, while the Western Conference playoff race has come down to only a few teams. But in the cases of both conferences, the final playoff seeds won’t be decided until the final days of the season. That means there will be much more drama in the next month and intense contests from here on out.

As it stands, there are a handful of teams that did challenge for a playoff spot earlier this season but are more or less now out of the playoff mix, according to moneypuck.com odds. We’re talking about the Utah Hockey Club (0.8 percent chance of making the playoffs), the Detroit Red Wings (3.9 percent) and Columbus Blue Jackets (16.8 percent). A minor miracle will have to happen for just one of these teams to make it into the post-season, let alone all three teams.

Utah started to make things really interesting earlier in March but is 4-4-2 in their last 10 games, falling to 10 points behind the red-hot St. Louis Blues. The Blue Jackets and  Red Wings are a hot streak away from getting back into the race, but considering Columbus is 2-7-1 in their last 10 games and Detroit is 3-7-0, it’s not looking great despite only being two and three points behind the Montreal Canadiens, respectively.

In the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames (18 percent) and Vancouver Canucks (19.2 percent) have a better shot at making the playoffs than Utah but need almost everything to go right in their final games.

Their fate is not entirely in their own hands, because the two teams currently above the Flames and Canucks are both looking likely to make the playoffs.

The surging Blues (73.1 percent) and Minnesota Wild (92 percent) are looking like safe bets to make it into the playoffs. One of them would need to totally fall apart to open up the door for Calgary or Vancouver to get in.

Although the Wild fell out of the top three in the Central Division because of injuries to star left winger Kirill Kaprizov and center Joel Eriksson Ek, they’re still two points ahead of St. Louis, seven ahead of Vancouver and eight ahead of Calgary.

St. Louis won eight games in a row to get to this point – they were out of a playoff spot two weeks ago but now have a five-point cushion with two more games played than Calgary. 

There is even less certainty in the race for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The first wild-card spot is coming into focus. The Ottawa Senators lead the Canadiens by six points and sit eight points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for third place in the Atlantic Division, so they look pretty set to end their seven-season playoff drought and face the top team in the Atlantic. Funny enough, as of March 28, MoneyPuck gives the Senators a slightly higher chance of making the playoffs (98.6 percent) than the Edmonton Oilers (97 percent).

One On One: General Manager Steve Staios' Additions Help To Reset The Ottawa SenatorsOttawa Senators general manager Steve Staios deserves credit for the players he has brought in over the last calendar year.

The Canadiens, New York Rangers and New York Islanders are still in the thick of things. Montreal holds the second wild-card spot by one point over the Islanders and Rangers, but the Blueshirts played one more game. 

MoneyPuck currently gives the Habs the best shot of earning a playoff spot at 34 percent, followed by the Rangers (26.1 percent) and the Isles (22.8 percent). These teams – and Columbus or Detroit if they turn red-hot for a final push at the post-season – should give NHL fans a thrilling finish to the regular season.

NHL Power Rankings: Jets Take Back No. 1 As Worst Clubs Near The Chopping BlockWelcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.

Another valuable site, tankathon.com, ranks the teams with the most difficult remaining schedules. The Red Wings have the toughest schedule, so they’re not getting much help at all. 

After that, the Islanders have the third-toughest schedule, the Canucks’ is fourth-toughest, the Blue Jackets’ is ninth-toughest and the Blues’ is 10th-toughest. 

At the opposite end of that spectrum, the Senators have the fourth-easiest schedule, only playing three teams currently in a playoff position in their final 11 games.

In any case, there could be some upsets ahead, and the other big battle – for positioning at or near the top of the four NHL divisions – will also come down to the wire.

You can say what you will about the league’s points system, but you can’t argue that it doesn’t do what it’s tasked to do – to keep as many teams in the playoff hunt for as long as possible. 

We’ll have to wait a while longer before the post-season picture is complete, but until then, we’ll be treated to high-stakes hockey virtually every night. That will make for high drama from now right through the Cup final.

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Part of what makes Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal-scoring record so compelling is that the two players are polar opposites in some ways yet stunningly similar in others. 

Gretzky played 1,487 career NHL games, finishing with 894 goals. After being held off the scoresheet in Minnesota on Thursday, Ovechkin has played 1,482. He’s at 889.

As far as the differences go — besides hailing from opposite sides of the world, Ovechkin is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds, a big hitter as well as a powerful shooter.

Gretzky’s biggest asset was his brain. Slippery and cerebral, he checked in at six-feet and 185 pounds, often with an enforcer like Dave Semenko or Marty McSorley on his wing to help create open ice for him.

While Gretzky’s goal-scoring record has stood up for more than a quarter-century, scoring was really just a sideline for The Great One.

His true calling card was his setup ability. Gretzky’s 1,963 career assists are more than 50 percent higher than second-place Ron Francis (1,249) and nearly double the NHL’s active leader, Sidney Crosby (1,058), who’s currently 10th all-time. 

Here's more on the distinct paths that Ovechkin and Gretzky have taken up the NHL’s goal-scoring mountain.

Gretzky: Younger

After starting in the WHA as a 17-year-old, Gretzky was 18 years and eight months old when he made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 10, 1979.

He wrapped up on April 14, 1999, at 38 years and nearly three months. 

As for Ovechkin, his Sept. 17 birthday made him one of the oldest players in his 2004 draft class. He was born two days too late to qualify for the famed class of 2003. 

Then, the 2004-05 full-season lockout eliminated any opportunity for Ovechkin to play in the NHL as a 19-year-old. He was 20 years and two weeks old when he finally made his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005 — almost two full years older than Sidney Crosby, who played his first game on the same day.

Ovechkin started this season at age 39 and is showing no sign of slowing down. His 36 goals rank him fourth in the NHL in 2024-25.

Ovechkin's Chances Of Breaking NHL Goals Record Against Crosby Are HighAlex Ovechkin is nearly the NHL’s top goal-scorer ever – and the likelihood he cements that status against Sidney Crosby continues to grow.

Ovechkin: Quicker

Ovechkin introduced himself in his very first game, scoring twice in the Capitals’ 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. By the 15-game mark, he was already up to 12 goals and had five two-goal games. He finished his rookie season with 52 goals and won the Calder Trophy.

Gretzky’s reputation preceded him thanks to his 110-point year in the WHA, but he didn’t log his first NHL goal until his third game — a 4-4 tie against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 14, 1979. 

His first multi-goal night came against the New York Islanders in his 10th game, and at Game 15, he was sitting at six goals. But Gretzky picked up steam as the year went on, finishing with 51 goals in 78 games and tying Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings for the league lead in points. Because he had already played a pro season, Gretzky was ruled to be ineligible for the Calder Trophy.

Gretzky: Streakier

In his third NHL season in 1981-82, Gretzky set the single-season record with 92 goals in 80 games. That record still stands, and the closest challenger was – Gretzky again, with 87 goals in 1983-84. Then comes Brett Hull at 86.

Gretzky’s goal-scoring slowed significantly in the later part of his career. He won five goal-scoring titles, all during his time with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s, and scored at least 40 goals in each of his first 12 seasons. 

After that, the closest he came was 38 goals in 1993-94. That’s the year he passed Gordie Howe with his record-setting 802nd goal. He played five more seasons before hanging up his skates at No. 894.

Ovechkin: Steadier

Ovechkin also peaked in his third season, with 65 goals – tied for 24th all-time. While he didn’t match Gretzky’s dizzying heights early in his career, he has only dipped below 30 goals once – and that was the 56-game 2020-21 season, his 16th year. 

All told, Ovechkin has 19 seasons with at least 30 goals, 13 with more than 40 goals, and nine goal-scoring titles. Both players have had five 50-goal seasons, but Gretzky cracked 60 goals five times, while Ovechkin only did it once.

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Kickstart the weekend with The Hockey News Big Show, where we explore some of the biggest NHL and hockey topics.

Here’s what Katie Gaus, Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos discussed in this episode:

How Well Will Brad Marchand Fit In With Panthers? by The Big Showundefined

0:36: The Philadelphia Flyers fired coach John Tortorella. What do we think of Tortorella’s comments on Tuesday and the subsequent decision by the Flyers to move on?

6:20: Who do we think should be the next coach in Philadelphia, and will Tortorella end up coaching elsewhere by next season?

8:14: The St. Louis Blues are on an eight-game winning streak. What has stood out about St. Louis during this run, and should teams be genuinely concerned about meeting them in the first round?

11:10: Brad Marchand is slated to make his debut with the Florida Panthers on Friday against Utah Hockey Club. Do we like Marchand on the second line with Sam Bennett?  

13:14: When Matthew Tkachuk returns to the Panthers’ lineup, who becomes a healthy scratch?

14:58: Alex Ovechkin is now just six goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. Do general sports fans realize this is going on? Is the NHL doing enough to promote this Great Chase?

19:11: Day 1 of the NCAA men’s hockey national championship is in the books. These eliminations mean we have many players who could turn pro now that their seasons are done, but one of the biggest names to watch is MSU goalie Trey Augustine. Do we think Augustine will sign to go pro or return for his junior season at MSU?

20:51: What other prospects are you keeping an eye on now that their seasons are over?

23:17: We return to our weekly look at Ryan and Michael’s top eight Stanley Cup contenders. Starting with Ryan's list, which squad moved the most on his list and why?

24:55: Michael shares which team moved the most on his top eight Cup front-runners list and why.

29:10: What series in the Western Conference will be the toughest?

30:35: True or false: do we think Matvei Michkov is secretly happy Tortorella is fired?

32:52: Without looking, who has a better save percentage for the Dallas Stars: Jake Oettinger or Casey DeSmith?

34:22: Which fan base should be more concerned about their team next season: Boston or Detroit?

36:22: Is Kadri the Calgary Flames' best-ever free-agent signing? 

37:55: Sidney Crosby is the first player in NHL history to record 20 point-per-game seasons. Will anyone currently playing in the NHL ever beat this?

Watch the full episode here.   

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The Philadelphia Flyers fired John Tortorella on Thursday, replacing him with Brad Shaw on an interim basis. 

Tortorella, 66, had a year remaining on his contract. Following a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, he expressed frustration over the Flyers' recent decline in the standings, sounding like he wasn't keen to continue coaching a rebuilding team. 

Under Tortorella, the Flyers exceeded expectations since last season. They narrowly missed the post-season last year despite management's hesitant rebuilding approach and the lack of experienced goalie depth following Carter Hart's mid-season departure.

They were still in the chase this season. However, trading away Scott Laughton, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost and Erik Johnson gutted their roster depth, which was further weakened by a recent injury to blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen. They wound up tumbling down the standings and out of contention. 

Finding a suitable replacement will be management's off-season priority. 

The Hockey News’ Adam Proteau and Jonathan Bailey suggested David Carle of the University of Colorado as a candidate. Before Tortorella’s firing, Philly Hockey Now's William James suggested the same. Ben Kuzma of The Vancouver Province wondered if Canucks coach Rick Tocchet might land behind the Flyers' bench.

TSN's Pierre LeBrun mentioned Carle and Tocchet, pointing out that the latter is the only current NHL coach on an expiring contract, though it comes with a club option for next season. He wondered if Joel Quenneville might be part of the Flyers' search.

LeBrun also cited interim coaches Joe Sacco in Boston and Anders Sorensen in Chicago. He mused about Peter Laviolette's future if the New York Rangers miss the playoffs. The Hockey News’ Sam Carchidi and Proteau also wondered about AHL Lehigh Valley coach Ian Laperriere as an option.

Tortorella Gone, But Many Flyers Problems RemainJohn Tortorella has a lot of redeeming qualities, including the fact he develops a culture with his hard-driving, old-school style.

Before his firing, Tortorella felt the Flyers had to improve their goaltending after this season. He indicated Hart's departure last season left the position in turmoil, relying on inexperienced goaltenders Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov. As a result, the Flyers have one of the league's worst goals against per game (3.45).

Kevin Kurz of The Athletic believes Fedotov's future with the Flyers is in doubt. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $3.275 million, a 5-13-3 record, a 3.21 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage. 

Back To The Future: Flyers Plagued By Same Old Goalie IssuesFor most of the last four decades, the Philadelphia Flyers have been the poster child for mediocre-to-poor goaltending.

The Flyers will find the market is thin this summer for free-agent goaltenders with starter experience. The notables include the oft-injured Fredrik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes, Jake Allen of the New Jersey Devils, and Vitek Vanecek of the Florida Panthers. 

John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks is the only noteworthy goalie in the trade market. He carries an average annual value of $6.4 million through 2026-27 and a 10-team no-trade clause. The 31-year-old Gibson might not be keen to swap a rebuilding team in Anaheim for one in Philadelphia.

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