Stars forward Patrick Sharp admitted to reporters ahead of the teams' clash Tuesday that when he's not watching or playing with his own team, he keeps an eye on the Maple Leafs.
"Whenever the Stars aren't on the ice, I am watching the Leafs," Sharp said, according to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. "They're exciting. Great for the league."
Markov's return from a 19-game absence with a lower-body injury will see him slotted with newly acquired Nikia Nesterov, according to TSN's Amanda Stein.
Nesterov was acquired by the club Thursday for blue-liner Jonathan Racine and a 2017 sixth-round pick.
Markov's return will provide a huge boost to the team as the 38-year-old currently leads all Canadiens defensemen in points per game this season, having posted 21 in just 31 games.
Now that business details have been ironed out, Alain Vigneault is setting his eyes on the prize.
The New York Rangers head coach's contract extension was made official on Tuesday. It's a deal that reportedly sees the final year of his current contract - for next season - scrapped in exchange for a thee-year deal that will pay him just over $4 million per season through 2019-20, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.
With his new deal in place, the Rangers bench boss is setting his sights on Lord Stanley.
"I feel I've never been more driven than I am at this point," Vigneault said, adding: "I'm working my butt off to win the ultimate thing," according to Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post.
Vigneault noted Tuesday that extension talks were first brought up by general manager Jeff Gorton last summer, but that real discussions didn't begin until about a month ago, according to Newsday's Steve Zipay.
Of course, it's certainly a smart move by the club, as Vigneault's .632 points percentage is the highest in franchise history among coaches with at least 100 games under their belt.
The Rangers have also won five playoff rounds under Vigneault's direction, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 and capturing the Presidents' Trophy in 2015, all since he took over for the 2013-14 season.
The NHL has returned from its All-Star break - and so has Squad Up, which will award a cool $75 in cash prizes in our latest Cashnado contest.
The winner will receive $21, which is some nice folding money for a few minutes of work. Prizes are paid out to 300th place - so even if you don't finish near the top, you still have a chance at taking something home. And best of all, the game is absolutely free! That's right, it costs you zero dollars to participate. You don't pay us - we pay you.
The path to riches, fame and glory is a simple one: download the Squad Up app, get your account set up and start playing contests immediately! Choose your five-player team consisting of one center, one right winger, one left winger, one defenseman and one goaltender, stay within the $300K cap, then sit back and watch as your players accumulate fantasy points.
Looking for some advice to get you started? Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Tuesday, Jan. 31 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
LW Jaden Schwartz (52K) & RW Vladimir Tarasenko (78K), Blues (vs. Jets): The Blues start the second half with a home matchup against the Jets and G Ondrej Pavelec. Pavelec has allowed at least three goals in each of his four starts at the NHL level this season, and he's yet to play on the road. St. Louis' top line owns a Corsi For rating over 55 percent and averages more than nine scoring chances per 60 minutes.
LW Artturi Lehkonen (34K) & C Tomas Plekanec (45K), Canadiens (vs. Sabres): The Canadiens will have the advantage of last change on home ice Tuesday, but the Sabres will do everything they can to match C Ryan O'Reilly's line against the LW Max Pacioretty and RW Alexander Radulov duo. This pair, with LW Paul Byron, played 23.4 percent of even strength minutes in Montreal's last game, most of any line.
C Kyle Turris (42K) & RW Bobby Ryan (42K), Senators (at Panthers): The Senators have been constantly juggling their even strength line combinations throughout games, but the top trio of Turris, Ryan and RW Ryan Dzingel played 16.59 percent of ES minutes last game, the most of any grouping.
Goalie Breakdown
TARGET - John Gibson (89K), Ducks (vs. Avalanche): Gibson was roughed up by the Edmonton Oilers for four goals on just 23 shots in his final start before the break, but he hadn't allowed more than two goals in any of his previous eight starts, picking up two shutouts. The Avalanche average just 49.63 shot attempts and 5.65 scoring chances per 60 minutes while on the road.
BARGAIN - Peter Budaj (75K), Kings (at Coyotes): Budaj has truly been one of the top stories in the NHL this season while filling in for the injured Jonathan Quick. His 40 starts are his most in a season since 2008-09, while with the Avalanche, and he has career bests in save percentage, goals against average, shutouts and wins. The team in front of him is a big reason why, but he never warrants the minimum salary.
FADE - Ondrej Pavelec (78K), Jets (at Blues): As mentioned above, Pavelec has picked up right he left off last season. He had been playing well in the AHL this season, but he again has proven incapable at the NHL level. He'll make his first road start of the season and doesn't warrant any consideration with a player of Tarasenko's caliber waiting on the other side.
CONTRARIAN - Jared Coreau (86K), Red Wings (vs. Devils): Coreau's been rather shaky this season, having allowed at least three goals in seven of his 11 games played this season. He allowed four goals to the Boston Bruins in his most recent start, but he was shelled with 49 shots. The Devils average just 52.42 shot attempts per 60
Bargain Plays
RW Pavel Buchnevich (28K), Rangers (vs. Blue Jackets) Buchnevich has played 54.19 minutes at 5v5 with C Mika Zibanejad and RW Rick Nash this season, with the trio owning a Corsi For rating of just 48.21 percent. They still average 59.79 shot attempts for per 60 minutes, playing at a very high pace. They're expected to outscore their opponents 2.79 to 2.46 per 60 minutes.
C Jori Lehtera (26K), Blues (vs. Jets): Lehtera comes with a low ceiling due to his low shot counts, but he plays exclusively with Tarasenko and Schwartz. The threesome played over 30 percent of the Blues' ES minutes together in their most recent game. Lehtera could pick up multiple assists with such a favorable matchup.
LW Miles Wood (25K), Devils (at Red Wings): Wood played just 12:17 in his most recent game, but he played 18.89 percent of New Jersey's ES minutes with C Adam Henrique and RW Michael Cammalleri. He had two goals and an assist with 10 shots on goal in his two games before the most recent outing.
Top Fades
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (54K), Coyotes (vs. Kings): Ekman-Larsson has registered more than two shots on goal in just one of his past 11 games. The Kings allow the fewest shot attempts per 60 minutes of all 30 teams, further limiting the impact OEL can make from the back end.
RW Jordan Eberle (56K), Oilers (vs. Wild): Eberle has been held below 15 minutes in each of his past two games, totaling just three SOG and no points. He doesn't have exposure to C Connor McDavid at 5v5 or on the power play. He'll be opposed by the league's top netminder in Devan Dubnyk.
LW Tomas Tatar (59K), Red Wings (vs. Devils): Tatar is priced among the top players at his position. He has three goals and five assists in January, but he totaled just 27 SOG in 13 games. His ice time has ranged from 9:07 to 19:12, representing far too much volatility at this salary.
Contrarian Options
C Joe Pavelski (80K), Sharks (vs. Blackhawks): Pavelski is tough to trust at a position-leading salary against the vaunted Blackhawks, but Chicago G Corey Crawford hasn't been his typical self, posting a .886 SV% over his past six games. Pavelski has just one assist in his past five games.
D John Klingberg (50K), Stars (vs. Maple Leafs): Klingberg's disappointing season has begun to turn around, as he has racked up four goals and five assists this month. He had tallied three shots on goal in three consecutive games, before being held to just one his last time out. The Maple Leafs allow 62.94 opponent shot attempts per 60 minutes when on the road, the second most in the league.
LW Jonathan Drouin (62K), Lightning (vs. Bruins): Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov wasn't on the ice for the team's morning skate, potentially opening the door for Drouin to have an expanded role. He had just one assist in his past three games, but he totaled 34 SOG in 12 games this month, with a high of seven.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators are somewhat surprisingly in position to challenge for a playoff spot, and both clubs will have their work cut out for them as play resumes following the All-Star break.
By way of having played the second-fewest games among all teams to date, the Maple Leafs and Senators are among four clubs with the busiest upcoming schedules, along with the Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders.
There are 69 days remaining in the NHL's regular season. Four teams (COL, NYI, TOR, OTT) will average more than a game every other night.
In other words, both teams have 35 games remaining on the schedule - all of which will be fit into the next 69 days. Toronto will play seven sets of back-to-back games, while Ottawa is in line for six.
The Senators and Maple Leafs rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in terms of point percentage, with the former chasing Montreal atop the Atlantic Division standings and the latter looking to overtake Boston for third spot.
And in terms of a wild-card spot, those aforementioned Islanders have put themselves in position to contend after a seemingly disastrous start.
A compressed schedule, therefore, may make things a bit more difficult for teams expected to be on the playoff bubble at best in 2016-17.
Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."
Calgary Flames
Plus: A win over the Senators prior to the All-Star break helped ease the stress of a previous four-game losing skid. Goals from Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan were both welcome sights in the 3-2 victory.
Minus: Despite the win, Calgary still finished the week 1-2-0, giving up 11 goals in that stretch. The Flames need to be better if they hope to maintain their current playoff spot, and that starts with goaltending.
Take: Gaudreau wasn't just the Flames' lone All-Star representative in Los Angeles; he was arguably the most dominant player at the event. The 23-year-old had four points in two games, along with a plethora of chances. He'll hope his offensive surge can translate back to regular-season play.
Edmonton Oilers
Plus: A 7-2-1 stretch before the break, highlighted by dominant wins over the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks, propelled Edmonton into a tie for the Pacific Division lead.
Connor McDavid also had an eventful weekend at his first All-Star event, capturing the fastest skater award.
Minus: Milan Lucic has found the back of the net just once in his last 16 games. The Oilers are rolling, but added contributions from their $6-million man would go a long way toward keeping momentum.
Take: Edmonton is red hot, averaging five goals per game in its last three. The team now has four games before its mandated bye week, and it'll be crucial to pick up points before the schedule gets even more condensed down the stretch.
Montreal Canadiens
Plus: He's still got it.
Shea Weber picked up his third straight hardest shot title at Saturday's skills competition. The 31-year-old also used his cannon to score two goals in Montreal's last four games.
Take: The Canadiens' grasp on the Atlantic Division is slowly slipping. The team now holds just a seven-point lead over the Senators, who have three games in hand. Don't look now, but this division race is far from over.
Ottawa Senators
Plus: Mike Condon. Outside of a rare seven-goal outing against the Blue Jackets just over a week ago, Ottawa's netminder has been a rock.
Minus:Derick Brassard has gone eight games since he last scored. The 29-year-old has just eight goals and 25 points on the year, one less in each category than New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad does in 23 fewer games. The trade seemingly has a clear winner - and it isn't Ottawa.
Take: Speaking of trades, the Senators pulled off what should be the first of many ahead of the deadline, acquiring Tommy Wingels from San Jose. Sure, it's not a big name or the top-six forward the Senators are looking for, but props to management for the minor upgrade and getting the trade train rolling.
Minus: It's a drum that warrants beating once again; the Maple Leafs will need to be better in back-to-back games. The club was uninspired in their latest attempt against the Flyers, but with seven more chances there's no room for fatigue.
Take: With games against the Stars, Blues, and Bruins this week, picking up points will be crucial. The Maple Leafs' offense should take advantage of playing two Western Conference clubs with poor goaltending. Meanwhile, Toronto can take advantage of its games in hand on the Bruins with a victory on Saturday.
Vancouver Canucks
Plus: Like Gaudreau, Bo Horvat had an inspired All-Star tournament, picking up four points in two games, and proving he's certainly a star on the rise.
Minus: The Canucks stumbled into the All-Star break, earning just two points against the bottom-feeding Avalanche and Coyotes. That included a disastrous 3-0 loss to Arizona that saw Vancouver go almost half the game without a single shot on goal.
Take: The Canucks remain within striking distance of a playoff spot. With just two remaining back-to-back sets and with its bye week approaching, Vancouver has one of the lighter schedules in February. It will be important to capitalize if the team wants to remain serious about a postseason berth.
Winnipeg Jets
Plus: Yes, the Jets' top line has been great all year, but lately it's Bryan Little who's been torching the opposition.
Little has nine points over his last five contests - nearly two per game - including four multi-point outings.
Minus: No matter who mans the net these days, pucks are still going in. The Jets have gone 3-5-1 in their last nine games, allowing at least three goals in each. Whether it's Ondrej Pavelec or not, someone needs to stop the puck.
Take: PatrikLaine appeared to have some All-Star jitters in his debut.
He couldn't replicate his superb time from the accuracy contest at the Jets' skills competition - which would have won him the All-Star event - and went pointless in the Central's crushing 10-3 loss to the Pacific.
The omission of Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Evgeni Malkin from the 100 Greatest NHL Players list was a glaring mistake, Kessel asserted Monday.
"He should be there, obviously," Kessel said, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I’m pretty sure he’s one of the top 100 players of all time. It is what it is. In my book, he is."
A quick look at Malkin's accomplishments suggests Kessel is definitely on to something:
Stanley Cup: 2009, 2016
Art Ross Trophy: 2009, 2012
Hart Memorial Trophy: 2012
Calder Memorial Trophy: 2007
Conn Smythe Trophy: 2009
Ted Lindsay Award: 2012
NHL First All-Star Team: 2008, 2009, 2012
Malkin, who sits third in the NHL with 54 points so far this season, could be adding to that list in the not-too-distant future.
Amid reports the relationship between the New York Islanders and Brooklyn's Barclays Center is heading for a split, team co-owner Jonathan Ledecky has discussed a possible return to the Veterans Coliseum, Nassau County executive Edward Mangano said in a statement, according to Robert Brodsky and Jim Baumbach of Newsday:
There is a path for the Islanders to return to the new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum where the best sight lines in NHL remain, improved attractive facilities for fans and athletes and room to add seats to accommodate the Islanders. While the decision remains with the Islanders we believe Long Island fans will make the Islanders successful in the new Coliseum.
The Coliseum served as the Islanders' home from 1972 - 2015, at which time it was vacated in favor of Barclays Center. A $130-million renovation has since begun, and a further retrofit could allow for an updated 15,000 seat home for the Islanders that would be more hockey friendly than their current home.
The Islanders and Barclays Center each have the ability to opt out of their lease agreement in January 2018. According to Brodsky and Baumbach, if the Islanders opt out, they can leave after the 2017-18 season or the 2018-19 season. If Barclays Center opts out, the team has to leave after the 2018-19 season.
After eight weeks away from the Ottawa Senators while his wife underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for throat cancer, Craig Anderson returned to the team Monday with a different outlook on the game he's fortunate enough to play for a living.
It makes you realize how lucky and fortunate we are to play a game we love. Win or lose, it's a hockey game, there's more to life. You learn that when you have kids, but when you go through something this traumatic and difficult, hockey is a job. I'm passionate about it, but at the end of the day, hockey will go on, whether I'm in it or not. You don't know how much time you have with someone. Life is precious.
Having said that, Anderson is looking to resume his duties as the team's starting goalie, and has been working with goaltending coach Pierre Groulx toward that end.
The time away, however, has basically put him back in training camp mode.
"Timing is everything," Anderson said. "I skated for a few days before coming in here, but nothing replaces actual shots. It's going to be a work in progress. I have to find a way to battle through it and get my game as quickly as possible."
Mike Condon will continue to start in the meantime, with Andrew Hammond serving as backup until Anderson is back in game shape. At that point, general manager Pierre Dorion will have a decision to make regarding who stays and who goes.
Anderson has appeared in 19 games for the Senators this season, posting a 12-6-1 record with a .924 save percentage.
