Starting now, every NHL goaltender is going to look a little thinner as the league's new streamlined goalie pants became mandatory Saturday.

Several netminders have expressed concern about the tighter, more form-fitting gear, which they've had an opportunity to test out in games before this weekend.

Related - Crawford: Better ice, not smaller goalie gear, increases scoring

Arizona Coyotes netminder Mike Smith was the most vocal critic.

"I think to have an equipment change midseason, it's crazy, especially in the goaltending position," he said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "It's nuts that it can't wait until the beginning of next season."

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray likened the new pants to "skinny jeans," according to Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

The NHL originally planned to make the new pants compulsory prior to the start of the season, but senior director of hockey operations Kay Whitmore told Rosen that safety concerns delayed the mandatory rollout.

Goalies who refuse to don the new equipment will be subject to a two-game suspension, their teams will be fined $25,000, and the offending club's equipment manager will be docked $1,000, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.

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Welcome to the highlight reel, Michal Neuvirth.

The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender made one of the best saves of the season Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings, recovering after biting on a Dustin Brown fake to absolutely rob him with the glove midway through the first period.

Neuvirth stopped all 18 shots he faced over the first 40 minutes, but no save was better than this one.

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Steve Mason wasn't starting Saturday, but he still had to keep his head up.

The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender got up close and personal with Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kevin Gravel, who was hip-checked into the Flyers' bench by Radko Gudas.

Nobody appeared to be hurt on the play, and Mason seemed to get a kick out of it.

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There's nothing like a Saturday in Central Park.

The Calgary Flames apparently shared that sentiment, as they held practice at one of the outdoor rinks in New York's most famous public space ahead of Sunday's game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers.

Here's what it looked like when the drills began:

Hydration is always important, and even more so in the elements.

The Flames drew a decent crowd, considering they're in enemy territory.

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Some big names could be on the move before March 1, but there are several less productive players who could still provide value to buyers looking to add ahead of the trade deadline.

From veteran forwards to seasoned blue-liners, more than a handful of reasonably priced options abound for teams looking to bolster their playoff-ready rosters.

Here are five under-the-radar players who might find new homes before the clock strikes 3 p.m. ET on deadline day:

Mike Ribeiro

Ribeiro went unclaimed on waivers Saturday, so he's not exactly in high demand, but his value should rise closer to the deadline as teams get a better idea of where they stand.

The 36-year-old center has certainly flown under the radar with only four goals and 25 points, but he's only a season removed from a 43-assist, 50-point campaign.

He's a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $3.5 million, and that figure shouldn't be too cumbersome for teams looking to add depth down the middle.

Patrick Eaves

There's a ton of parity in the league at the moment, and that's essentially led to crickets in terms of significant trades, because so many teams aren't sure whether they'll be buyers or sellers.

The Dallas Stars are one of those teams, sitting third-last in the Western Conference but only four points out of a playoff position.

If they bottom out and decide to sell, Patrick Eaves would have to be considered a trade candidate, considering his status as a UFA, his age (32), and his team-friendly cap hit of $1 million.

The fact that he's on pace for a career year - leading the Stars with 19 goals - doesn't hurt his value, either.

Drew Stafford

When you look at Stafford's production this season as a whole, it's not very impressive, but the Winnipeg Jets' notoriously streaky forward was putting together a nice run before an injury forced him to miss the last six games.

He's posted only 12 points in 34 contests, but eight of those points came in the last 13 games he played prior to getting hurt.

He's nearing a return, and if he picks up where he left off upon retaking the ice, he'll be a possible trade target as a pending UFA who's proven he can contribute.

The Jets are only two points out of a playoff spot, so they may opt to hold on to him, but, should they falter in the weeks ahead, Stafford could garner some interest despite his $4.35-million cap hit.

Brian Gionta

The Buffalo Sabres won't admit it, but let's be honest - they're not really in contention this season, sitting eight points out with effectively seven teams to leapfrog if they hope to claim a playoff berth.

That means, barring a February surge, general manager Tim Murray will look to do what he did at last year's deadline, when he dealt versatile forward Jamie McGinn to the Anaheim Ducks.

McGinn was a pending UFA, just like Sabres captain Brian Gionta is this year. The latter is 38 years old, but he can still score on occasion, and teams might covet his wealth of experience.

Dennis Seidenberg

The New York Islanders have resurrected their season under new head coach Doug Weight, but it's still going to be an uphill battle to qualify for the postseason.

If they deem the playoffs a lost cause come deadline time, Dennis Seidenberg would likely be discussed considering his ultra-affordable cap hit of $1 million, and his status as a steady defenseman with plenty of playoff experience, including a Stanley Cup championship with the Boston Bruins in 2011.

He's 35, and the offensive production hasn't quite been there this season, but Seidenberg could be a reliable bottom-pairing addition for a team looking to solidify its blue line.

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It's the most wonderful time of the year! Nope, it's not the holiday season - it's Super Bowl season!

We all know that the two weeks leading up to the Big Game are the busiest two weeks of the betting season, and they are also the most fun. Props, props and more props. Some of the more interesting proposition wagers available for the Super Bowl are of the cross-sport variety. Let's take a look at a few of those NHL versus Super Bowl LI crossover props.

Connor McDavid total points at Montreal vs. total interceptions in Super Bowl LI (William Hill US)

The NHL's leading scorer, Connor McDavid, and his Edmonton Oilers teammates will be in Montreal on Sunday afternoon to battle the Canadiens in a nationally televised game in Canada. You can expect the young Oilers to come out flying, draw some penalties using their speed and test the below average penalty kill of the Habs (No. 23 in the NHL at 79.2 percent). McDavid will likely be involved in every goal scored by Edmonton - the big question is can they score more than one or two.

In the football game, despite the expectations of the game being an all-out air assault by both teams, there shouldn't be a lot of interceptions. Tom Brady, incredibly, only tossed two picks all season and the New England defense is not known for grabbing balls out of the air.

There may be a deflected ball that falls into a defender's hands at some point, but one interception is about all we can expect from these two teams. Connor McDavid has a much higher ceiling in this matchup.

Pick: Connor McDavid total points at Montreal

Calgary Flames at New York Rangers total goals in the first period vs. Matt Bryant total field goals made in Super Bowl LI (Sportsbook.ag)

The New York Rangers are the second highest scoring team in the National Hockey League at 3.35 goals per game. Simple math says the Rangers are likely good for one goal in the opening period versus the Calgary Flames on Sunday afternoon. The Flames, on the other hand, rank No. 21 with only 2.58 goals per game. That is less than one goal per period so we'll use the overflow from the Rangers and handicap this as a 1-1 game after the first period.

Matt Bryant, on the other hand, could be in for a big day in the field goal department. The Patriots employ a very effective bend-but-don't-break defensive system that really tightens up when opposing teams get into the red zone. The Falcons will get their share of offensive yardage Sunday, but they will be held to fourth down kicks three or four times. There has even been some betting action on Matt Bryant as Super Bowl MVP based on the Patriots' ability to keep teams out of the end zone (currently at 10/1 at William Hill US in Nevada after opening at 100/1).

Pick: Matt Bryant total field goals

Alex Ovechkin total shots on goal versus Los Angeles Kings (-0.5) vs. totals sacks in Super Bowl LI (William Hill US)

Gone are the days when Washington Capitals' sniper Alex Ovechkin would wind up and fire the puck on net every time he crossed the blue line. Ovie is averaging right around 3.9 shots on goal per game this season - he's more efficient and most will agree he is now a better "team player". However, Ovechkin still has the potential to hit the ice in front of a massive Sunday afternoon NBC audience and pepper the net from all angles. Ovie's ceiling for shots on goal, on any given night, could potentially be as high as 8-10.

Atlanta's defense is not good - let's just be brutally honest. The only chance the Falcons are going to have at slowing down Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday is to get a fierce pass rush on virtually every play from scrimmage. Bill Belichick and Pats' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels are fully aware of this fact and will attempt to get the ball out of Brady's hands quickly, using the speed and elusiveness of their wide receivers to gain big chunks of yardage. Don't expect many five-step drop backs from the Patriots' quarterback this Sunday.

The Patriots have a very good defense, but they are not big on the pass rush. The Pats have only recorded three sack thus far in the playoffs and their 34 during the regular season ranked them in the lower half of the league.

You can expect one or two sacks from each team Sunday which will put the total number right around Alex Ovechkin's season average for shots on goal per game (3.9). Ovie has a much higher ceiling and should be considered the big favorite in this matchup.

Pick: Alex Ovechkin total shots (-0.5)

Vegas Golden Knights total points during 2017-18 season (-20.5) vs. Devonta Freeman total rushing yards in Super Bowl LI (Westgate LV Superbook)

As much as everyone in Las Vegas is excited about getting a professional sports franchise, it's an expansion team so expectations should be very low for their first year. The last time the NHL expanded was for the 2000-01 season when the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild were welcomed to the league. The Jackets finished their first season with 71 points and the Wild were even worse with 68.

The current league rules allow for more team points with the extra point being awarded for a shootout victory, but you still must assume the Golden Knights will finish somewhere near the bottom of the league next season. The worst teams in the NHL, even with the extra shootout points, are generally around the 70 point mark. We can give the Golden Knights a few extra points due to the "Vegas factor" and estimate 75 points in 2017-18.

With the -20.5 being put on the Golden Knights that means we will need 55 rushing yards out of Devonta Freeman. Although the Patriots are very good against the run (third in the NFL during the regular season at 88.6 yards allowed per game), Freeman is a dynamic running back who will only need to bust off one big run in order to cover this number. At just under 74 yards per game during the regular season, Freeman won't have to come anywhere near his season average in order to take down the expansion Golden Knights.

Pick: Devonta Freeman total rushing yards

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Frank Corrado might finally be freed.

The Toronto Maple Leafs placed the seldom-used defenseman on waivers Saturday and claimed blue-liner Alexey Marchenko off the wire from the Detroit Red Wings, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Chris Johnston.

Corrado never managed to carve out consistent playing time since the Leafs claimed him off waivers last season. He appeared in only two games for Toronto this year after getting a 39-game look in 2015-16.

The 25-year-old Marchenko recorded six points in 30 games this season for the Red Wings, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2011.

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Mike Ribeiro isn't in high demand.

The Nashville Predators center went unclaimed on waivers Saturday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Ribeiro was placed on the wire by the club Friday, after reportedly requesting a trade.

The 36-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent carrying a cap hit of $3.5 million. He has 25 points in 46 games this season.

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The Nashville Predators filed a rather surprising transaction Saturday morning.

The club assigned goaltender Juuse Saros to its AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, while recalling netminder Marek Mazanec.

Saros went 5-3-2 with a 1.79 GAA and a .941 save percentage in 10 starts for the Predators, spelling veteran No. 1 netminder Pekka Rinne.

The 21-year-old - widely regarded as the Predators' top goaltending prospect - has also excelled in the AHL, going 11-2-0 with a 1.76 GAA and .938 save percentage in 13 games with the Admirals this season.

Mazanec, on the other hand, has struggled to a 4.73 GAA and .839 save percentage across four games with Nashville in 2016-17. He's 12-10-0 with a 2.61 GAA and .910 save percentage in 23 AHL contests.

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The Florida Panthers finally have two of their best players back, and it might just be enough to save their season.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored the eventual game-winner in his 2016-17 debut Friday night to beat the Anaheim Ducks after missing more than 50 games with a leg injury, while Aleksander Barkov set up the goal in his first appearance of the calendar year.

It was the Panthers' third straight victory in what's been a turbulent campaign in Sunrise. Gerard Gallant was fired in late November, and things have actually been worse under interim head coach and general manager Tom Rowe, even including this latest run.

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The Panthers are 12-10-9 since Rowe stepped behind the bench, or seven games under .500 for those who value true wins and losses. They were 11-10-1 in 22 games before Gallant was dismissed.

But, despite a failure to pick up where they left off last season, the Panthers are alive in the wide-open Eastern Conference playoff picture.

The team sits two points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild-card spot, and while they have the worst goal differential among East playoff contenders, the Panthers are only two points back of the Boston Bruins for third in the Atlantic with a pair of games in hand.

Those postseason aspirations will only be further bolstered by the returns of two of their most productive offensive players.

The 23-year-old Huberdeau notched 20 goals and 59 points last season, ranking third on the team in the latter category. Barkov, 21, led the club with 28 goals in 2015-16 and has 28 points in 37 games this season.

Florida is in dire need of scoring, meanwhile, ranking fifth-worst in the NHL with 2.33 goals per game.

Huberdeau and Barkov will obviously help the Panthers improve in that area, and the offensive boost might be enough to catapult them back into the playoff picture.

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