Who doesn't enjoy a little Wednesday night hockey?

Ja Rule was at Barclays Center to watch the New York Islanders defeat the Ottawa Senators.

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Tyler Myers' season is finished.

The Winnipeg Jets defenseman underwent knee surgery Thursday, and will also undergo hip surgery which will include a 16-to-20 week recovery, the team announced.

The 26-year-old will miss his anticipated return to Buffalo on Saturday, where he began his career.

Myers had appeared in all of his club's 73 games this season, posting nine goals and 27 points.

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Shane Doan appears to be leaning toward playing in 2016-17.

"Yeah, I probably would be," the Arizona Coyotes captain told "Burns & Gambo" on local radio station Arizona Sports 98.7 on Wednesday.

Doan said he's already talked to his family about his future and a collective decision will come at season's end.

"It's going to be a decision that I make personally, but at the same time, I'm very aware that my kids are getting older and my wife's been supporting me for a long time ... I'm cognizant of all that and I don't want to take that lightly."

The 39-year-old said the Coyotes haven't yet approached him about a contract for next season, but there's been no animosity between them.

"They've just been respectful in the way that they're saying that if it works for me to come back, then we'll talk then, and if it doesn't, they'll be supportive of whatever."

Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said in December that Doan is welcome to stay with the club "as long as he wants to."

Doan has spent his entire 20-year career with the Coyotes franchise after being drafted seventh overall by the original Winnipeg Jets in 1995.

He has 25 goals and 43 points in 64 games this season.

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The Carolina Hurricanes will welcome All-Star defenseman Justin Faulk back to the lineup Thursday when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Faulk has been sidelined since Feb. 23, missing the club's last 12 games and 18 of the past 19.

Carolina could use Faulk in the lineup, as it's lost five in a row and sits seven points outside the final playoff spot in the East.

The 24-year-old was enjoying a career year prior to his injury, matching a career best with 15 goals and 34 points in 55 games.

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Former Montreal Canadiens great Guy Lafleur believes it's pretty clear what his former team needs to do to get better.

Lafleur was at a charity event Wednesday where he insisted that changes need to come to the team's roster, while making a brash observation.

"The offseason? They have to get some better players (laughs)," Lafleur told Pro Hockey Talk. "The way I look at it right now, there’s no first line, second line, third line. I think they have four fourth lines."

Lafleur also questioned how the team could completely fall apart without its No. 1 goalie.

"It’s strange to see that one man could make a big difference because Carey Price doesn’t score any goals," Lafleur said. "Some of the guys, some of the leaders have to show up a bit more and they have to take charge."

After starting the season 9-0-0, the Canadiens sit sixth in the Atlantic Division, nine points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Who's the NHL's best defenseman - Erik Karlsson or Drew Doughty? Cast your vote on the banner below.

C | LW | RW | D | G (3/25)

Erik Karlsson is the NHL's best defenseman

Karlsson is more than just on track to lead all defenseman in scoring for the third consecutive season - his eye-popping numbers have him in the top five in NHL scoring. If he finishes there, he'll become just the fourth defenseman with multiple top-10 seasons. The 25-year-old defending Norris Trophy winner is seeing the ice for more than 29 minutes per game - tops in the league - thanks to an increased role as a penalty killer. Those critical of Karlsson's deficiencies as a prototypical shutdown defenseman overlook how his strong possession game keeps the Senators out of their own end and pushes the edge in shots on goal in Ottawa's favor.

Drew Doughty is the NHL's best defenseman

A defenseman's responsibilities extend beyond the offensive zone, which is why Doughty's plus/minus is over 20 points better than Karlsson's. Doughty's ability to control play makes him a true two-way star. That's not to knock the Kings blueliner's ability to generate offense - he's on pace to tally more points this season than he's had since 2009-10. He was also the linchpin of Canada's offering in Sochi in 2014 - one of the most dominant performances in Olympic history. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Doughty has proven himself to be a winner. He's sure to add a Norris Trophy to his mantle in the near future.

Who do you think is the NHL's best defenseman - Erik Karlsson or Drew Doughty? Cast your vote on the banner below.

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If the Colorado Avalanche beat out the Minnesota Wild for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, no one will say they don't deserve it.

Here's where things stand Thursday morning:

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

At first glance, Colorado appears to have the edge. The Avalanche have a game in hand on the Wild and two more regulation-or-overtime wins, which would break a tie if necessary.

However, the teams' schedules tell a different story.

Take a look at Colorado's final stretch:

Yikes.

The Avalanche face teams holding playoff spots in every one of their final nine games, including a road back-to-back against the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.

The Wild have it much easier:

Minnesota gets to face floundering lottery-bound Canadian teams four times, including a pair of home dates against the Calgary Flames.

The Wild even get one more game against the suddenly struggling Chicago Blackhawks, a team Minnesota hasn't lost to all season.

The games certainly aren't won and lost on the calendar, but the Avalanche face an uphill battle.

- With h/t to Micah Blake McCurdy

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