Arizona Coyotes forward Taylor Hall is embracing his warm welcome to the desert.

Hall, traded to Arizona by the New Jersey Devils on Monday, appreciated the city of Glendale's enthusiasm when told about billboards already in place to herald his arrival.

"That's awesome," Hall said, according to NHL.com's Alex Kinkopf. "That's one of the great things about what's going on here is that there seems to be a buzz building."

The Coyotes haven't made the playoffs since 2012, but the team sits atop the Pacific Division entering Wednesday's action and appears all-in on cementing its status as a contender.

"It's everything that I could've wanted with a midseason trade, to be honest," Hall said.

The 28-year-old has made the postseason just once in nine NHL campaigns, and he admitted Arizona's current position makes it an optimal fit.

"Not every day can you jump that many spots in the standings," he said. "I'm joining a group that's playing well, and I don't want to speak for anyone else, but hopefully, there's another level that we can get to while holding the top spot that we have in the standings."

Hall assisted on the winning goal in his Coyotes debut Tuesday, helping his new club capture its 20th victory of the season.

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Santa Claus is coming to town. He's making a list and checking it twice, and going to find out who's naughty or nice.

A simple glance at the standings doesn't always tell the whole story of which NHL teams have been kind to bettors this season, and which clubs have been naughty.

A few teams can expect to be spoiled on Christmas morning, while Santa will forgo visiting others altogether.

Nice list

New York Islanders

Barry Trotz is the closest thing to Santa Claus in the NHL. He's followed up an incredibly successful first season as head coach of the Islanders with an even more impressive one, starting the year 22-8-2. New York has been the most profitable team to bet on this season, returning $1,117 to the $100 bettor. There's no situation in which the Isles haven't been profitable: They've posted a 15-5 record as favorites and won seven of 10 as 'dogs.

In addition to turning a healthy profit on a night-to-night basis, the Islanders are rewarding bettors who backed them before the start of the season. They're set to comfortably surpass their 91.5 point total and should be a virtual lock for the playoffs after being even money to clinch.

Forward Brock Nelson gets an extra-special present this Christmas, too, after scoring three overtime goals.

Colorado Avalanche

A hair behind the Islanders, the Avalanche have been the league's second-most profitable team.

The darlings of the Western Conference have been a consistently safe bet. With an average line this season of -109, oddsmakers aren't overvaluing Colorado either. The Avs are 10-4 as favorites (+$425) and 11-8 as 'dogs (+$571). The fact they've been underdogs more than favorites shows there's been value in backing them through the first three months of the season.

After closing at 7-2 to win the Central Division on Oct. 1, the Avalanche are now 3-2 to claim top spot ahead of the Blues. They currently trail St. Louis by three points (albeit with two fewer games played).

Washington Capitals

Your Christmas would be paid for if you'd picked the right spots to bet the Capitals. They've been a cash cow as underdogs, posting a 7-1 record for a profit of $683. To a lesser extent, the Caps have also returned a profit as favorites, and there's another gift that keeps on giving: Overs are 12-4 in games played in Washington this year.

The Caps are also rewarding futures-market bettors. They could play below .500 hockey the rest of the way and still clear their point total, and they're 2-5 to win the Metro Division after closing at 7-2 on October 1.

Naughty list

Tampa Bay Lightning

Has there been a more frustrating team to back this season than the Lightning? I've lost count of how many times someone's told me, "They're too talented not to turn it around."

The average Tampa Bay line so far this season has been minus-172. That's the highest line average in the NHL, a full five points ahead of the Bruins and 19 over the third-worst Golden Knights. This is an overvalued team that was barely above .500 a week ago. Obviously, people are betting the Lightning enough that their record and performance don't matter for books, and that's a scary thought.

The Bolts have been 'dogs just twice all season, beating the Leafs at +100 and losing to the Capitals at +109. They've been favorites of -200 or more a staggering 10 times and are just 5-5 in those games, sinking your bankroll if you mindlessly indulged.

The Lightning would have to post a 36-14 record the rest of the way in order to go over their preseason point total. To cash tickets for anyone who backed them at -1100 to make the playoffs before the season started, Tampa will seriously need to turn things around.

New Jersey Devils

If you tend to be sucked in by preseason hype, then it's fair to assume you've been burned by the Devils this year in more ways than one.

Though they were dubbed winners of the offseason, that's about the only win they've managed. They've been the least profitable team to be on all year - if you bet a cool hundy on every New Jersey game this season, you'd have lost $1,194 already.

The Devils are 3-9 as favorites and 7-13 as 'dogs. They were 6-1 to win the division at the start of the season (shorter odds than the Islanders) and -110 to make the playoffs. In order to go over their projected point total, they need to finish the year 33-17 - no easy feat given that they just traded their best player.

Nashville Predators

If betting favorites is your thing, the Predators are not your favorites. Among Western Conference teams, only the Golden Knights have been favored more often than Nashville, which is 11-14 when laying juice. Betting $100 on every one of those games would have drained $1,254 from your bankroll already. That's the worst return on investment of any NHL team as favorites this season.

The Predators have somewhat made up for it by going 5-1 as 'dogs, which is why they're lower on the naughty list, but bear these numbers in mind. Oddsmakers can't figure out this Nashville team, so keep taking advantage until they do.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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There's something inherently special about the World Junior Championship.

The once overlooked yearly showcase of the best young players in the country has blossomed into a tradition unlike any other. For two weeks, the world stops to watch the stars of tomorrow in junior hockey's most prestigious international tournament.

The 2020 edition begins in the Czech Republic on Boxing Day, the first time in three years the tourney is being held outside of North America.

The favorites

Canada is priced as the betting favorite to claim gold but the gap between it, the United States, and Russia, is marginal at best.

Of the three favorites, Canada was the only country not to medal at the 2019 edition of the tournament, losing to eventual champions Finland in the quarterfinals. It was the first time ever that the Great White North failed to medal on home soil.

Out for revenge in 2020, Canada enters the tournament with a ridiculously talented group of forwards that includes seven first-round picks and the likely top two picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield. From top to bottom, there isn't a forward group in the tournament that can match what Canada will bring to Ostrava.

Russia is armed with a deep forward pool with 2019 world juniors scoring leader Grigori Denisenko and Vancouver Canucks prospect Vasili Podkolzin leading the charge offensively. However, it lacks the same depth of star power that Canada possesses. USA will rely heavily on Wisconsin teammates Alex Turcotte and Cole Caufield, but with the Americans returning just one forward from 2019, they're a significant step behind Canada and Russia on offense in terms of experience.

What the Americans lack up front, they make up for on the blue line. Returning defensemen K'Andre Miller and Mattias Samuelsson will lead an impressive, albeit undersized, group on the back end, with a wealth of skating and offensive ability. The unit should provide an important helping hand to a forward group that's about to be thrown into the fire.

Russia will rely on Montreal Canadiens prospect Alexander Romanov, who was named the best defenseman at the 2019 tournament, to carry its blue line. Romanov, who is capable of taking over a game, might be one of the most important players at the tournament. He'll be asked to log a ton of minutes and play in just about every situation for a Russian team that lacks depth on the back end. Daniil Zhuravlyov is a power-play specialist, but otherwise, Russia's options are a bit underwhelming.

The Canadians, on the other hand, will have one of the most experienced defensive units in the Czech Republic. Goaltending is the only thing that can hold Canada back. Olivier Rodrigue is having a terrific season with the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats, but there's no clear-cut starter in goal for the Canadians. As such, the most important position on the ice is Canada's biggest question mark.

That's where the USA and Russia hold a significant edge over the Canucks. Spencer Knight, the 13th pick in the 2019 draft, is having another stellar campaign and should provide the Americans with the excellent netminding they've become accustomed to.

Russia will likely turn to Yaroslav Askarov, a consensus top-10 pick in 2020. The Omsk native is looking to become the first 17-year-old to start for the Russians at the tournament since Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2012. Askarov led his country to first place at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and is set to become the first goalie selected inside the top 10 of the NHL draft since Carey Price in 2005. He's performed admirably at every level for both club and country and should have no problem claiming the starting job despite his age.

Pricing Canada as favorites is justifiable, though the Canadians have been derailed by bad goaltending in the past at the world juniors. If Rodrigue carries his excellent junior campaign into this tournament, there might be no stopping Canada. The USA is a much scarier side to back given its lack of experience, though Knight could mask a lot of its issues. Russia possesses high-end talent and offers terrific value at 4-1 as it aims to end a lengthy drought at this tournament, having not won gold since 2011.

The rest

Always the bridesmaid, Sweden has finished as runners-up 11 times, and have won gold just twice in the history of the tournament. The Swedes have a ton of talent up front, including a pair of highly touted 2020 prospects in Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond. Their defensive corps is loaded with skill, highlighted by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rasmus Sandin, but the unit was dealt a blow with the news that Adam Boqvist won't be released by the Chicago Blackhawks to join the Swedes in the Czech Republic.

The gap between Sweden's high-end talent and its depth players is fairly large, and that's a big part of the reason why the club generally seems to falter in the latter stages of the tournament. There are also question marks in goal, but you could do worse at 9-2.

It almost feels wrong to include the defending champions among "the rest," as Finland looks to become the first nation to win back-to-back gold medals since Canada's run of five straight golds between 2005 and 2009.

Finland brings back an exceptional roster loaded with NHL draft picks and 2020 eligible prospects. There's no question this team can compete with anyone, but the question is whether Colorado Avalanche prospect Justus Annunen - who's piecing together a terrific first half of the season with Karpat - can replicate the success Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had in goal for the Fins last year. If Annunen can fill the void, then 11-2 odds are criminal and need to be scooped up.

Being placed in Group A also works in Finland's favor, as the club avoids Canada, Russia, and the USA until the quarterfinals at the earliest. If the Fins top their group, they likely won't see any of those three teams until the semifinal.

As the host nation, the Czech Republic can't be disregarded, but the fact that it's playing the tournament on home ice was certainly baked into the odds. The Czechs haven't medaled at the world juniors since 2005 and their roster pales in comparison to the nations above them when it comes to elite talent, depth, and experience.

Switzerland offers the best value on the board at 50-1. The Swiss were a goal away from beating Canada last year and stunned Sweden 2-0 in the quarterfinals, en route to a fourth-place finish. They're expected to return as many as ten players from their 2019 team, providing them with a dangerous blend of talent and experience.

Beyond the Swiss, there are no real candidates to shock the world and claim gold. Slovakia's had a pair of third-place finishes at the tournament, while neither Germany or Kazakhstan have ever managed a podium finish.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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Justin Williams may be coming back to the NHL after a season-long hiatus.

The 38-year-old, who was captain of the Carolina Hurricanes last season and spent two years with the club, is in contact with the team about potentially returning.

"There has been talk back and forth between his camp and the Carolina Hurricanes," TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading." "That certainly would be the team of choice, the front-runner for Justin Williams, if he decides to come back."

During the offseason, Williams decided that he was going to step away from hockey, but the forward did not formally announce his retirement from the NHL.

"It's not 100 percent decided at all, but he's been ramping up his skating, skating by himself the last three-to-four weeks," LeBrun added.

Williams recorded 23 goals and 53 points with the Hurricanes last season and helped guide them to the Eastern Conference Final.

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Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has started a post-surgery rehabilitation program in consultation with the Winnipeg Jets, according to the Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre and Jason Bell.

Byfuglien is working with medical staff at an independent clinic, but there's been ongoing communication with the Jets, including recommendations for his treatment, which are being pursued, sources told McIntyre and Bell.

With the two sides working together again, McIntyre and Bell believe it could potentially lead to an on-ice return for the 34-year-old later this season. However, a team spokesperson said Byfuglien's standing with the club is still the same.

"To our understanding, he has progressed to the stage of doing rehab. However, his status with the team remains unchanged," a Jets spokesman said Tuesday. "He is doing rehab at an outside clinic. He is still under suspension."

Byfuglien was suspended by the team without pay in September after he failed to report to training camp as he reportedly mulled retirement. The Minneapolis native then underwent ankle surgery in October. Byfuglien battled multiple lower-body injuries last season but was deemed fully healed following a routine player exit physical in April.

However, Byfuglien's camp is arguing his ankle never fully recovered from last season. If the defenseman had no intention of retiring but was deemed unfit to play to begin the season due to a hockey-related injury, he likely would've been able to collect his salary on long-term injured reserve.

The NHL Players' Association reportedly filed a grievance last month challenging the Jets' suspension of Byfuglien, who is currently being denied his $8 million salary this season (he's also owed $6 million next season). The arbitration hearing still has no set date, according to McIntyre and Bell.

Byfuglien's recovery from surgery was expected to take around four months, which means the Jets could potentially have clarity on his future before the trade deadline. The club would have enough cap space to accommodate his $7.6-million cap hit if he returns.

Sitting in third place in the Central Division, Winnipeg could use the cap space to be big buyers at the deadline if they find out Byfuglien will not be returning in 2019-20. If he decides he wants to play this season, the Jets hold his playing rights.

Even in an injury-riddled campaign, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound blue-liner was still highly effective last season, tallying 31 points in 42 games.

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