Forward Devin Shore will be out for seven-to-10 days after suffering a lower-body injury during Monday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Jim Montgomery announced postgame.
Shore's injury occurred in the same game in which Alexander Radulov made his return to the lineup after a six-game absence. The Stars recently lost defenseman John Klingberg for a month due to a hand injury.
Shore isn't a household name league-wide, but he entered Monday in a tie for fourth on the team in points with 11 and had enjoyed success skating on the team's top line alongside Tyler Seguin.
The 24-year-old was Dallas' second-round pick in 2012.
Arizona selected Chychrun 16th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old has already logged 118 career NHL games across two seasons, scoring 11 goals and adding 23 assists.
BUFFALO - Nobody was supposed to be talking about the Vancouver Canucks this season. Thanks to "The Alien," "The Flow," "Bo," and sidekicks "Goldy" and "Shotgun Jake," the opposite's the case.
But introducing that cast of characters to NHL fans required saying goodbye to the franchise's stars. While April's simultaneous farewells to Henrik and Daniel Sedin put a bow on the most successful two decades in club history, the twins' exit also signaled the end of an agonizing transition from Generation X to Generation Z.
"They were great players for the organization for a long time but, with their retirement, it's given some other players an opportunity to step up and fill that void," Canucks general manager Jim Benning told theScore on the weekend.
Heading into Monday night's game with the Rangers in New York, the 10-6-2 Canucks have scored more goals than 27 teams and sit alone atop the Pacific Division. It's a strange sight considering that the roster's wildly incomplete and the team's underlying numbers aren't pretty.
But one undeniable truth has emerged in Vancouver: In the Sedins' absence, the kids are running the show - and they're damn good.
"We knew it was going to be a challenge here, with Hank and Danny being gone," said Bo Horvat, the blossoming two-way center and potential future captain. "To lose them was definitely tough, but we have guys that are stepping up and taking their spot."
To properly understand the monumental task Benning and head coach Travis Green are undertaking in the post-Sedin era, recall Vancouver's pitiful recent performance.
From 2015-16 through 2017-18, the Canucks were legitimately the worst team in the league, ranking last or near the bottom in several key statistical categories:
CATEGORY
CANUCKS
NHL RANK
Points %
44.1
31st
Corsi for %
47.6
26th
Shooting %
8.3
29th
Save %
90.7
23rd
Power play %
17.2
28th
Penalty kill %
78.7
29th
So, how are these Canucks doing it, and what might their early-season success say about Vancouver's long-term prospects?
The 1-2-3 punch
OK, about those first few nicknames: Transcendent rookie center Elias Pettersson is "The Alien," or "Petey"; "The Flow" is sophomore sharpshooter Brock Boeser; and "Bo" is Horvat, the trusty leader.
In the wake of Pettersson's blistering start - including 10 goals and seven assists in 12 games, and a spot in the imaginary GIF Hall of Fame - he's already being mentioned in the same breath as Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Peter Forsberg, Patrice Bergeron, and (wait for it) Wayne Gretzky. That's some out-of-this-world company.
"He's going to turn out to be his own player. I'm not going to compare him to anybody," Benning said. "But I can tell you this about him: He has that awareness out there where he seems to know where all the players are on the other team and where all of his teammates are when he has the puck on his stick."
Pettersson's been the talk of the NHL since notching a goal and an assist on opening night. He's already running Vancouver's first power-play unit. And he just turned 20 on Monday.
Lanky at 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds, there's a fluidity to his game; he slithers around the ice, dodging defenders and goalies with deceptive body language and puck protection. Off the rush, at a standstill, moving laterally - whatever the circumstance, he's a threat to unleash his exceptional shot, find an open teammate with a clever pass, or deke through the defensive structure.
"It seems like every game he comes up with something that's unexpected. That's why he's so fun to watch," Benning said. "You can never know, on any given night, what trick he's going to pull out of his bag."
Check out the video above to watch his latest circus act on loop. That behind-the-back, off-the-skate dangle in overtime provoked audible gasps inside KeyBank Center in the dying moments of Saturday's matinee against the Sabres.
"Oh, it was just nasty," linemate Jake Virtanen remarked. "... We see it all the time from him in practice. It's still pretty insane to see it because it's in the game. I don't think I or anyone else would try it."
Though Pettersson suffered a concussion on a hit from Michael Matheson in the Canucks' fifth game, the injury hasn't cramped his style. The 2017 fifth overall pick continues to finesse his way into prime scoring areas while showcasing surprising defensive chops.
"He's as good defensively as he is offensively. And he competes," defenseman Erik Gudbranson said of Pettersson, who's drawn seven penalties. "I'm extremely impressed with that. The way he supports his D-men in his own end is really good and he fights to get into position."
Horvat added: "The stuff he does away from the puck is what has impressed me the most. ... His shot and his point-getting, and his playmaking ability aside, he is creating offense by being in the right position and having a good stick."
With Pettersson and Boeser years away from unrestricted free agency and Horvat under contract through 2023, the Canucks have three foundational forward pieces - "engine players," as Benning puts it - under team control for the foreseeable future.
Boeser, nursing a groin injury at the moment, demonstrated in his injury-plagued rookie season that he's capable of consistently contending for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. As long as he can stay on the ice, there's no reason The Flow can't hang with Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews, Gen Z's premier snipers, for the next decade-plus.
And at center, Pettersson's flamboyant style draws attention away from blue-collar Horvat, the squad's leading scorer two years ago and a nine-goal, 16-point man already. The thick pivot is beloved within the organization because he's responsible in all three zones.
"I think when Bo's playing his best, he's strong on his faceoffs, he's good in his own zone, and he's a horse to play against, and it results in scoring chances as well," Green said.
Jennifer Hefner / Getty Images
Since the defensively minded Jay Beagle and Brandon Sutter have managed to appear in a combined 18 games, Horvat's been deployed as the Canucks' shutdown center. The 23-year-old's offensive-zone faceoff rate (43.4 percent) hasn't dipped this low since 2015-16.
“Young players that are wired like Bo feel like they've got to do it all to help the team win, and we've talked to him about that a lot," Green said. "... The emergence of Petey, and Beagle and Sutter going down, it's kinda forced him into that role a little bit. But that's how we envision him playing long term."
Look at the past 10 Stanley Cup-winning groups and you'll find that every single lineup boasted at least three drivers up front. Think Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel/Staal in Pittsburgh for three Cups; Toews, Kane, and Hossa in Chicago for three; Kopitar, Carter, and Brown/Richards in Los Angeles for two; Bergeron, Krejci, and Marchand in Boston in 2011; Backstrom, Kuznetsov, and Ovechkin in Washington last season.
You don't win a championship with just three impact players - the core is bigger than that, and there are 23 names on the roster - but Vancouver may have something special brewing. Pettersson, Boeser, and Horvat each fill critical roles, and time is on their side.
The (incomplete) supporting cast
If the Canucks hope to ride this current wave a little while longer, they must evolve, because the league's fourth-youngest roster is beating the odds. Despite ranking in the bottom five in virtually all shot-related statistics - including Corsi, scoring chances, and high-danger attempts - and owning a negative goal differential, Vancouver's got a .611 points percentage.
Pettersson, Boeser, and Horvat need support, this season and in the future, from all over the depth chart.
“We’re a team that needs to have everyone playing well. We’re not going to just have 13-14 play well (and find success)," Green said following the Sabres game. "When we have our whole team playing well and buying in, we find ways to win."
The Canucks are dangerously thin on defense and in goal due to injuries and, frankly, a lack of talent. Beyond Chris Tanev and Ben Hutton, the back end's something of a patchwork. In another two or three years, Quinn Hughes and Olli Juolevi should be on the blue line with Thatcher Demko between the pipes, and the trio should be making an impact. But during the first season of the post-Sedin era, that area of the roster remains an unlikely source of help or inspiration.
That offers Vancouver's lesser-known forwards a chance to shine. Twenty-three-year-old Nikolay "Goldy" Goldobin and 22-year-old "Shotgun" Virtanen are taking advantage, and not a moment too soon for their NHL careers. Both players are 2014 first-round picks, and they're running out of time to impress Canucks management and coaches with Goldobin on an expiring contract and Virtanen a season behind.
Goldobin, acquired from the Sharks at the 2017 trade deadline, has found a home in the lineup early this season. He's recorded eight assists, already a career high, and seems to be developing some chemistry with Pettersson in an extended audition on the rookie's wing: Four of those helpers came on Pettersson's goals, and they've linked up somehow on seven of Goldobin's nine points, including the Russian's lone marker.
“That’s one of the reasons why we traded for him," Benning said of Goldobin's match with a skilled center. "... We liked his ability when he has the puck, to make plays and bring offense to our group. There are some things as a player that he needed to work on, and he’s working on those things and he’s gotten better."
In Virtanen's case, the Canucks gave him something specific to work on over the summer, telling the 6-foot-1, 208-pounder to find a way to hit the net more often.
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images
So far, so good: 80 percent of his shot attempts have counted as shots on goal (up from 66 percent in 2017-18), and he's scored seven times after putting up a career-high 10 goals in 75 games last season.
With the Sedins' even-strength and power-play time up for grabs, Virtanen has a golden opportunity to make himself indispensable to a forward group desperate for some versatility.
"Jake can shoot the puck. He has a good release on his shot," Benning said. "He's a unique player because, for a guy his size, he's fast. He can get in on the forecheck and disrupt the play. He can get to the net."
Speaking of that shot: In August, a Vancouver radio host joked about shotgunning (chugging a beer from a hole punctured in the side of a can) every time Virtanen scored this season. For a dedicated but win-starved Canucks fan base, that joke turned into a legitimate movement.
Beginning with Virtanen's goal in the season opener, dozens of people have taken the #ShotgunJake challenge and documented it on social media.
"If people are having fun watching us play hockey, then that’s really what we're working towards," said Gudbranson, who's right in the middle of the old and new guard at age 27. "If he can keep going, beer sales are going up, I guess."
If Virtanen and Goldobin keep making headway, the Canucks could discover that they've already added a pair of wingers to their core. Along with the Big Three, plus Beagle and fellow veterans Loui Eriksson and Antoine Roussel, the Canucks could slowly but surely be developing a respectable four-line group.
For now, the Canucks are young, loose, and promising over the long term, while enjoying every minute of this unexpected and probably unsustainable short-term ride.
"At the core, we're a bunch of buddies playing on a hockey team. We try to keep it that way," said Gudbranson.
"We had our own expectations. We've set our goals that are achievable and we've prided ourselves on getting better every day and every single game."
Bottoms up.
John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.
The designation comes just one game after Arvidsson returned from injured reserve following a three-game absence due to a lower-body injury.
The 25-year-old apparently sustained the upper-body injury late in the third period of Saturday night's game against the Dallas Stars when he crashed into the boards after being slashed by defenseman Esa Lindell, according to The Athletic's Adam Vingan.
Arvidsson crashed into the boards after being slashed by Esa Lindell. The broadcast showed Arvidsson flexing his left hand as he got up.
Arvidsson's placement on injured reserve means he'll miss at least a week, which comes at a busy time for the Predators as the club will play four times over the next six days.
Jack Campbell will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus and miss the next four-to-six weeks, the team announced Monday. The injury occurred during the club's 1-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.
The news comes with Jonathan Quick already sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus of his own two weeks ago.
In a corresponding move, the Kings recalled Cal Petersen from the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League. The 24-year-old has had a rough go this season, going 2-3-1 with a 4.29 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage in the AHL.
Campbell had fared admirably in Quick's absence, posting a 5-7-0 record with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
Consider Wayne Gretzky on board the Elias Pettersson hype train.
The Great One dished out some high praise when asked about the Vancouver Canucks phenom, saying he sees a lot of similarities between his game and Pettersson's.
Gretzky on Pettersson part deux: Comparisons are what sports are all about. From my point of view he has a lot of my similarities. His hockey sense and play making abilities are as good as any one right now.
Pettersson has burst onto the NHL scene after dominating the Swedish League last season, living up to the immense hype and then some with 10 goals and 17 points in his first 12 games.
While a Calder Trophy is on the horizon for the 2017 fifth overall pick, Pettersson's got a long way to go to match Gretzky, who notched 137 points and won the MVP in his rookie season.
The NHL has reached a tentative non-class settlement in the concussion lawsuit filed by former players, the league announced Monday.
The lawsuit, filed in 2016, alleges that the NHL promoted a style of play that led to head trauma while failing to adequately warn players about the risks of such injuries or improve measures for preventing them.
The NHL agreed to a maximum settlement of $18,922,000, to be distributed as follows:
The NHL settlement, according to docs: $16,910,800.00. Here's how it breaks down financially: pic.twitter.com/DHr6EuxqHA
The league noted that it doesn't acknowledge liability for the players' claims.
"However, the parties agree that the settlement is a fair and reasonable resolution and that it is in the parties’ respective best interests to receive the benefits of the settlement and to avoid the burden, risk, and expense of further litigation," the NHL's statement said.
A deadline has apparently been set for the NHL and NHLPA to agree on the next potential World Cup of Hockey.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Monday that the two sides have until the end of January to schedule the tournament or else there won't be enough time to put it together by September 2020, according to Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com.
Daly recently stated that September 2020 is the ideal date for the next edition of the tournament, which was successfully rebirthed in 2016. However, there is potential for a significant roadblock along the way:
Daly said NHL and NHLPA are talking about the CBA “regularly.” Each has the option in September to reopen the agreement in 2020. NHL does not want a World Cup amid labor uncertainty. @PrimeTimeSE#PTSEleven
The NHL and NHLPA both have the option to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement in September 2019, which would trigger a renegotiation before the 2020-21 campaign. Surprisingly, this isn't uncharted territory, as the NHL announced a lockout just two days after Canada claimed gold in 2004.
Canada also took the title in 2016 - an event that was considered a hit in large part due to the team's dominance on home ice along with the young Team North America squad that provided tremendous entertainment value.
Every Monday, theScore will offer a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing five moves you should make. Ownership percentages (as of Nov. 11) and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.
Scoop up David Rittich
Team: Flames Position: G Ownership: 19 percent
David Rittich is on the verge of stealing the Calgary Flames' No. 1 job from Mike Smith, despite the latter's strong showing Sunday. Rittich owns a .935 save percentage and a 1.91 goals-against average compared to Smith's .877 save percentage and 3.51 goals-against average. At the very least, Rittich has played himself into a timeshare and needs to be owned in all leagues.
The smooth-skating rookie defenseman logged 29:26 in Dallas' first game without Klingberg. While that tilt did enter overtime, Heiskanen is primed for a significantly larger role with the Stars' top puck mover expected to be out of the lineup for a month. Not only will Heiskanen garner more ice time at even strength, but he's also been promoted to the team's top power-play unit.
Heiskanen was already gaining confidence prior to Klingberg's injury, tallying three points in his last four games.
Drop Kasperi Kapanen
Team: Maple Leafs Position: RW Ownership: 55 percent
It's safe to drop Kapanen for now, but he can be re-added once Matthews returns - assuming he regains his role on Matthews' wing.
Buy low on William Nylander
Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Team: Maple Leafs Position: C/RW Ownership: 71 percent
The Maple Leafs have reportedly begun testing the trade market for unsigned forward William Nylander. If he isn't signed by Dec. 1, he will be forced to sit out the entire season, giving the Leafs a tight deadline.
Now would be the time to buy low on Nylander in fantasy. Such a move should only be made if you're comfortably near the top of your league standings given the risk that he won't play at all in 2018-19.
If Nylander's owner in your league is near the bottom of the standings, they may be willing to trade the dynamic forward for a fraction of his actual value.
Give Neal Pionk a chance
Team: Rangers Position: D Ownership: 26 percent
If you're looking for help on defense and Heiskanen is already owned in your league, turn to Neal Pionk. The 23-year-old has three goals in his last four games and has found himself quarterbacking the New York Rangers' top power-play unit.
Pionk may not be a permanent fix, but New York has been red-hot lately, and the second-year blue-liner could continue to benefit.
This is the fourth edition of theScore's 2018-19 NHL Power Rankings, which will be published every two weeks during the regular season. It was compiled by editors Josh Gold-Smith, Craig Hagerman, and Josh Wegman.
1. Nashville Predators (13-3-0)
The Predators are still at the top of the NHL food chain, riding a five-game win streak and recording eight victories in their last 10. Nashville boasts the league's best record along with the best goal differential (plus-21), and, remarkably, they're undefeated in eight road contests so far this season. -- Gold-Smith
Previously: 1st
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (12-4-1)
The Lightning are 5-2-0 since our last edition of these rankings, and reigning Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman picked up where he left off in his return from injury Saturday, scoring a beautiful end-to-end goal. Tampa Bay lost that game to the Ottawa Senators, but it's clear the Lightning are still one of the NHL's most dominant clubs. -- Gold-Smith
Previously: 2nd
3. Minnesota Wild (11-4-2) ▲
Minnesota's recent rise hasn't gotten enough attention, as a resurgent Devan Dubnyk and a stellar penalty kill have helped the team ascend in the standings. The Wild have won 10 of their last 12 games and went 5-2-0 on a seven-game road trip, proving they're a deep and dangerous outfit from top to bottom. -- Gold-Smith
Previously: 8th
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (11-6-0) ▼
The Maple Leafs are tied for the third-best goal differential in the NHL and boast the fourth-best record, impressive accomplishments considering they're without the injured Auston Matthews and holdout William Nylander. Toronto didn't look good in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, but on the whole, the Leafs have shown they can be more than competitive without two significant pieces, and that bodes well for them. -- Gold-Smith
David Rittich has been perhaps the biggest reason for Calgary's success of late. If he continues to provide the Flames with elite goaltending, they should have no trouble contending for a playoff spot. -- Gold-Smith
Previously: 19th
6. Winnipeg Jets (10-5-1)
Darcy Finley / National Hockey League / Getty
Winnipeg has given no reason to doubt that they remain one of the NHL's elite clubs despite having played fewer games than some of their counterparts. The Jets' power play is the most efficient in the league at this point, and they have one of the NHL's deepest rosters. -- Gold-Smith
Previously: 6th
7. Boston Bruins (10-5-2) ▲
Jaroslav Halak's strong play in the crease has helped the Bruins immensely, and they've proven to be resilient in a variety of ways early on. Despite a slew of injuries, Boston remains in the hunt in the Atlantic Division. -- Gold-Smith
Previously: 10th
8. Vancouver Canucks (10-6-2) ▲
There's no denying the Canucks have obliterated expectations early on. Elias Pettersson has been unreal, and although the club is now without Brock Boeser again, Vancouver is a team that opponents need to take seriously. -- Gold-Smith
Previously: 22nd
9. Montreal Canadiens (9-5-3)
Another team that's far exceeded expectations is the Canadiens. There's a long way to go, but no one would've predicted Montreal would lead the entire league in 5-on-5 goals at this point. Trade acquisitions Max Domi and Tomas Tatar are making major contributions, and even though Carey Price has been bad lately, the Canadiens are one of the NHL's biggest early-season surprises. -- Gold-Smith
Previously: 9th
10. Buffalo Sabres (9-6-2) ▲
Sara Schmidle / National Hockey League / Getty
The Sabres have been one of the most fun teams in the league to watch so far, pulling off a late-game comeback to stun the Canucks on Saturday. Jeff Skinner has excelled in his new surroundings, and Rasmus Dahlin is looking more comfortable at the NHL level with each passing game. -- Gold-Smith
Previously: 15th
11. Philadelphia Flyers (9-7-1) ▲
The Flyers have been nearly perfect over the last two weeks, going 5-0-1 in six games. Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier have been driving the bus, with Giroux posting 11 points and Couturier chipping in eight in that span.
Brian Elliott, meanwhile, is having a bit of a resurrection, having gone perfect in four games while posting a .960 save percentage and a 1.12 goals-against average. -- Hagerman
Previously: 27th
12. Dallas Stars (9-6-2) ▲
Dallas has been solid in its last six games, going 4-1-2 with wins over the Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Capitals, and Sharks. The Stars haven't quite blown the doors off, rocking a plus-one goal differential in those games, but they've been without top forward Alexander Radulov.
Now, with Radulov appearing ready to return, the club is about to endure a stretch of at least a month without John Klingberg. It'll be interesting to see how Dallas responds without its top defender. -- Hagerman
Previously: 18th
13. New York Rangers (8-7-2) ▲
They may not be in the playoff conversation, but there's no getting around the fact that the Rangers have been red hot of late. The team has rattled off five wins in its last six contests.
New York is getting contributions throughout its lineup, including from budding defenseman Neal Pionk, who scored his first three goals of the season in consecutive games from Nov. 4 to Nov. 9. Of course, it's also worth noting that Kevin Hayes, Jimmy Vesey, and Mika Zibanejad have all combined for 20 points in six games. -- Hagerman
Previously: 29th
14. Columbus Blue Jackets (9-6-2) ▼
The Blue Jackets' last two weeks have been a mixed bag, with big wins over the Sharks and Stars combined with deflating losses to the Red Wings and Kings. Sergei Bobrovsky looks to be returning to his Vezina-caliber form, having allowed just one goal against in four of his past five games. Then there's Seth Jones, who hasn't missed a beat since returning from injury, posting eight points in 10 games. -- Hagerman
Previously: 11th
15. San Jose Sharks (9-6-3) ▼
Brandon Magnus / National Hockey League / Getty
It seems the Sharks haven't quite hit their stride yet. The team sits in the middle of the pack in the NHL in goals for, in the bottom third in goals against, and Erik Karlsson has yet to score a goal with his new club.
The Sharks have too much talent for things not to straighten out, but for now, they're playing like an average hockey club. -- Hagerman
Previously: 12th
16. Washington Capitals (7-6-3) ▼
There's a lot to like about the Capitals early on, as they have the second-best power play and Alex Ovechkin is still scoring in bunches. However, they're struggling to keep the puck out of the net.
Washington now has a minus-two goal differential thanks to a 4-1 loss to the Coyotes on Sunday, its penalty kill is among the worst in the league, and Braden Holtby possesses a measly .900 save percentage. That's not good. -- Hagerman
Previously: 14th
17. Pittsburgh Penguins (7-5-3) ▼
The Penguins' offense had dried up prior to a 4-0 win over the Coyotes on Saturday, managing to find the back of the net just seven times in five games. One golden nugget for Pittsburgh is that Sidney Crosby is back doing his thing, having put up three goals and five points in six games. -- Hagerman
Previously: 4th
18. St. Louis Blues (6-6-3) ▲
The Blues are playing marginally better after goaltender Jake Allen suggested the team had hit rock bottom last week. The team has won three of its last five contests, spearheaded by Ryan O'Reilly, who's recorded points in 10 straight games. -- Hagerman
Previously: 21st
19. Carolina Hurricanes (7-7-3) ▼
The Hurricanes have hit a bump in the road after a blistering start, having lost five of their past six games while averaging just over two goals for per game.
Sebastian Aho has gone goalless in his last 12 games, and no Hurricanes player has managed more than two goals over the past two weeks. On the bright side, the club is still firing the puck at a ridiculous rate, averaging over 42 shots per game over its last six contests. -- Hagerman
In Edmonton's last four games, all losses, the two have combined to score four of the team's six goals, with Draisaitl alone scoring three times. The club is 2-5-0 in its past seven, but it's not time to panic yet. -- Hagerman
Previously 13th
21. Colorado Avalanche (8-6-3) ▼
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
The top-line reliant Avalanche will ride the highs and lows of their dynamic trio. Colorado is 1-4-1 in its last six games, and Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog have combined for five goals in that span. Considering the Avs count on their top line for over 50 percent of their offense, that's clearly not enough. -- Wegman
Previously 5th
22. Detroit Red Wings (7-8-2) ▲
The Red Wings have bounced back from a 1-7-2 start, winning six of their last seven games. Jimmy Howard has been stellar between the pipes, Dylan Larkin has carried the offense, and Dennis Cholowski has played himself into the Calder conversation, non-Pettersson division. -- Wegman
Previously 31st
23. Florida Panthers (6-5-3) ▲
It's amazing how a competent goaltender can ignite a club. The Panthers have won four straight games since Roberto Luongo returned from injury, and the 39-year-old netminder is off to one of the best starts of his career, sporting a .952 save percentage and a 1.42 goals-against average in limited action. -- Wegman
Previously 28th
24. Ottawa Senators (7-8-3) ▲
The Sens pulled off an impressive win against the Lightning on Saturday, but responded with an ugly defeat at the hands of the Panthers on Sunday. It'll be a season of peaks and valleys in Ottawa, but probably more of the latter. -- Wegman
Previously 25th
25. New York Islanders (8-6-2) ▼
Andy Marlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Barry Trotz has done a nice job implementing some much-needed structure into the Islanders, but the lack of overall talent is starting to show, as they've dropped three straight games. -- Wegman
Previously 23rd
26. Arizona Coyotes (8-7-1) ▼
Arizona is 6-2-1 since Alex Galchenyuk made his Coyotes debut, but is just 1-2-1 since Antti Raanta went down with an injury. Aside from Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Galchenyuk and Raanta are easily the club's two most important pieces. The Coyotes could compete for a playoff spot in the wide-open Pacific Divison, but - perhaps more so than other teams - they'll need good health in order to do so. -- Wegman
Previously 20th
27. Vegas Golden Knights (7-10-1) ▼
During Vegas' miraculous inaugural season, pundits predicted it'd only be a matter of time before the Golden Knights began to look like a true expansion team. They may have been a year off. -- Wegman
Previously 24th
28. Anaheim Ducks (7-8-3) ▼
The Ducks get out shot by an average of 37-25 per game. It doesn't take an expert to point out that's not a winning recipe. If Anaheim makes the playoffs, it'll be because John Gibson is in the Hart Trophy conversation. -- Wegman
Previously 26th
29. New Jersey Devils (6-8-1) ▼
Despite a surprising playoff appearance a year ago, the Devils are beginning to look like a squad that lacks any game-breaking talent outside of Taylor Hall, which is exactly what they are. -- Wegman
Previously 16th
30. Chicago Blackhawks (6-8-3) ▼
Joel Quenneville's firing hasn't yielded the results Stan Bowman had hoped for, as the Blackhawks are 0-2-0 with Jeremy Colliton behind the bench. Regardless, a coaching change was never going to make up for the team's total lack of depth. -- Wegman
Previously 17th
31. Los Angeles Kings (5-10-1) ▼
A coaching change hasn't made the Kings any younger or faster. Shocking! -- Wegman
