It’s extremely frustrating for the athletes, many of whom were either gearing up for the playoffs or already in the midst of an intense playoff push, but it’s also hard on the coaches. With around a dozen unfinished regular-season games hanging unsettlingly over their heads, their players are being forced to stay at home and away from the rink. No one is sure how, or when, things will ultimately play out....
The New Jersey Devils, who had just the fifth-best odds of landing the No. 1 pick, won the lottery, which determines the order for the first 15 picks in the 2017 NHL Draft. The lottery was held Saturday, April 29, in Toronto; the draft will be held June 23-24 in Chicago. MORE: When, how to watch the 2017 NHL Draft In early mock drafts, Nolan Patrick is considered to be the top pick, but he’s far from the consensus top prospect that McDavid and Matthews were....
New Jersey won this year’s draft lottery and will likely pick Jack Hughes, the top player available at this draft who brings the kind of talent and intrigue a team could build a franchsie around. The Rangers also hit the jackpot by getting the second overall pick and, in turn, the chance to select Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko, the next best available. Beyond Hughes and Kakko, both of whom possess the ability to transform their respective franchises, the 2019 draft class brings a lot of talent at every position and from a variety of different leagues and programs....
The Athletic’s James Mirtle reported that Toronto, which has managed to fix some of its salary cap issues in the offseason, is determined to get a deal done before the start of the season. But as has always been known, it won’t be cheap. While the Maple Leafs supposedly wanted to ink Marner to a max-term deal that would pay over $10 million a year for eight years, the 22-year-old reportedly didn’t want to sign for that long and countered with a three-year bridge deal that carries an AAV of $10 million....
After spending the past five years playing in the KHL, Kovalchuk completed his return to North America on Saturday when he agreed to terms with the Kings on a three-year contract that will pay him $6 million per season. The Kings were one of the frontrunners for his services from the beginning and are as logical a fit as there was anywhere in the NHL. Even though it has been years since they have gone on a deep run in the playoffs, the Kings are still a team that sees itself as a contender and, after a pitiful offensive showing in the playoffs (which followed another mediocre regular season), were in need of any potential impact talent it could find....
The two got in over three other highly regarded candidates (Braden Holtby, Henrik Lundqvist and Craig Anderson) which means there will likely by a fair bit of grumbling by those fanbases. Some of it will be deserved. MORE: Islanders are for real | Skills competition details Not all of it, though, especially in the case of Fleury. As Sean Gentille pointed out, if you look past the name, it’s hard to argue against Fleury’s merits....
The Coyotes forward played one shift Tuesday against the Red Wings in Detroit before he left the ice to fly back to Phoenix, where his girlfriend was giving birth to their first child. By getting the single shift in, Kessel was credited with a game played, keeping his ironman streak for most consecutive NHL games played intact. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo set up a charter flight for Kessel to return to Arizona once he got off the ice in Detroit....
Sometimes, the Stanley Cup playoffs show us things that we totally expected. Game 3 is one of those things. Let’s start with the Lightning and Devils, a series that probably shouldn’t be close (and it may not be, but for now, it is). The Lightning did what they were supposed to do, scoring a bevy of goals and holding serve on home ice at Amalie Arena, sending the series to New Jersey with the Devils in a 2-0 hole....
On Tuesday, the Blue Jackets defenseman showed his heart is still in perfect condition. MORE: Canadiens score first-period goal with 14 guys on ice Werenski saw on Twitter that a fan wore a shirt displaying a photo of Werenski’s brutal facial injury to Game 4 of the Blue Jackets-Penguins Stanley Cup playoff series, Werenski rewarded the fan by giving him an autographed jersey, according to Fox Sports Ohio. The fan was seen with the autographed jersey at the game....
Earlier this week, Washington needed saving, a guiding light. The Capitals were trailing 2-0 to begin their postseason campaign, and the Blue Jackets seemed to figure out Philipp Grubauer and Washington’s defense. Holtby answered the call. “You don’t ever want to be in that situation as a team,” Holtby said after stopping 39 shots, including six in overtime, to help the Capitals take a 3-2 series lead. “It’s one of those things where you just try and do your job....
By now, you know the numbers: Pittsburgh has ended Washington’s season in the second round each of the last three years. Open it up to all-time meetings, and the Penguins have won nine of 10 — a six-game victory in the first round of 1994 the only exception. Pittsburgh has won five Stanley Cups in its history; all five included a series victory over Washington along the way. You get the picture....
The second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft made his presence felt Thursday, netting two goals in a memorable third period. Svechnikov’s first score came as he drove around Capitals defenseman John Carlson and flicked the puck past Braden Holtby to get Carolina on the board. NHL PLAYOFFS 2019:Series preview | Eastern Conference preview Just over two minutes later, Svechnikov was back at it, receiving a dazzling feed from Lucas Wallmark and netting a one-timer from the circle past Holtby....
The event: Game 7. The time: 7 p.m. CDT The giveaway: A rally towel with the No. 7 on it. The seventh Game 7 in franchise history. That’s a whole lot of sevens. So it’s fair to say it wasn’t a coincidence that No. 7, Pat Maroon — who just happens to be a St. Louis native — scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime to send the Blues to the Western Conference finals....
“I know we have one more game, and come back for Game 7,” Hertl said after the team’s 5-2 win, via ESPN. “I believe it. We’re a better team than them.” San Jose has home-ice advantage but it is down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series with the Golden Knights. The Sharks won Game 1 of the series convincingly, but lost the next three games after Vegas came out with authority in each showing....
Not only did Bishop allow all four goals in Dallas’ 4-1 defeat, but in the span of 38 seconds, he was hit in the collar bone by a slapshot leading to two St. Louis goals and was benched for backup Anton Khudobin. The Stars entered the third period down 2-1 with the game completely within reach until the 7:32 mark when a Colton Parayko slapshot found one of the few unpadded areas on Bishop’s body....
On Monday, the Canadiens ended months of speculation over the future of left wing Max Pacioretty, shipping him to the Vegas Golden Knights. In return, the Canadiens received winger Tomas Tatar, prospect center Nick Suzuki and a 2019 second-round pick formerly owned by the Blue Jackets. Pacioretty, 29, joins center Ryan O’Reilly and left wing Jeff Skinner among notable trade candidates who were dealt this summer. On July 1, the Sabres shipped O’Reilly to the Blues....
Reebok designed the neon outfits, which will be worn during All-Star Weekend, Jan. 23-25, in Columbus. Brian Jennings, the NHL’s chief marketing officer and executive vice president, called the jerseys “modern” and “cutting edge.” MORE: NBA All-Star uniforms Other people were more skeptical. You can watch the official unveiling below.
Earlier this week, it was the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators. On Dec. 3, it’ll be the Los Angeles Kings, who are playing the Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 25. The Kings released a teaser on Saturday morning: Looks like they'll be going heavy on the silver. Solid idea. MORE: The best of outdoor games
After a weekend in which 210 players were drafted, clubs will have more decisions to make, and they don’t have lots of time to do it. Free agency begins in earnest Tuesday, and any needs that weren’t addressed during the two-day draft — either in picks or trades — will have to be taken care of on the open market. The ceiling for next season’s salary cap was set Friday at $69 million — up from $64....
The NHL’s youth movement is in full swing. More than ever, the league’s youngest players double as its most vibrant, marketable stars — and there are plenty. Such an embarrassment of riches is on full display in Sporting News’ NHL 25 under 25 series, a comprehensive ranking of the best NHL players under the age of 25 heading into the 2018-19 season. Between Aug. 20-24, we’ll reveal our picks in increments of five, counting down from No....
