Former San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski is looking forward to his return to the Bay Area on Saturday, but understands there will be some discomfort in coming back to the place he spent the first 13 years of his NHL career.

"I think it'll be weird," Pavelski said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "Probably seeing the jersey will be the hardest part. It'll be awkward in a lot of ways."

Pavelski, who signed a three-year, $21-million deal with the Dallas Stars in July, thought he'd be staying put in San Jose until it became clear the two sides couldn't agree to a deal.

"I always had a feeling that something would probably work out. Until it didn't, I didn't have any reason to think it wouldn't."

The Sharks have been a Stanley Cup contender through most of the decade, but have struggled immensely this season and recently fired head coach Pete DeBoer. When asked about the team's trying campaign, Pavelski admitted his disbelief.

"I am surprised they're struggling a little bit," Pavelski said. "I would have thought they'd be a little bit more successful this year. But that's just the way it goes. There are just teams like that."

Pavelski has played the fourth-most games in Sharks history (963) and ranks second in goals (355) and third in points (761). The veteran winger has tallied eight goals and 18 points through 44 games with the Stars this season.

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Arizona Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta departed Friday's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes with a lower-body injury, the team announced.

Raanta stopped 25 of 28 shots through two periods but was replaced by Adin Hill at the start of the third frame.

Head coach Rick Tocchet did not offer an update on Raanta's status following the 3-0 loss, according to The Athletic's Craig Morgan.

Coyotes starter and Vezina Trophy candidate Darcy Kuemper remains sidelined with a lower-body injury he suffered on Dec. 20. Arizona ranks second in the league with a team save % of .922, and a prolonged period without its top two netminders could prove costly in a tight Pacific Division race.

The 30-year-old Raanta has been stellar in a backup role for Kuemper, posting a 2.66 goals-against average and a .921 save % through 19 starts this season.

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty has been selected for the NHL All-Star Game for the first time in his career.

The 31-year-old winger joins the Pacific Division roster and replaces Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg, who is expecting the imminent birth of his child, NHL Public Relations announced Thursday.

Pacioretty is having a career season and leads Vegas in both goals (20) and points (45) through 47 games. He was one of the eight candidates on the Pacific Division ballot for the "Last Men In" fan vote.

Silfverberg leads the Ducks with 15 goals this season and is on pace for a career-best 29 tallies. The All-Star selection also marked his first. Anaheim is now without a representative at this year's event.

Pacioretty joins head coach Gerard Gallant, who was chosen to man the bench for the Pacific Division.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman Martin Marincin to a one-year contract extension worth $700K, the team announced Friday.

Marincin has gone pointless in 13 games with the Maple Leafs this season.

Toronto acquired the 27-year-old from the Edmonton Oilers in 2015 and he has appeared in 129 regular-season games since.

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Artemi Panarin is off to a hot start in his tenure with the New York Rangers, and now the forward has surpassed a record set by The Great One.

Panarin's 61 points this season are the most by a Rangers player through their first 43 games with the franchise since Wayne Gretzky put up 59 points over the same span in 1996-97.

The 28-year-old Panarin signed a seven-year, $81.5-million contract with the Rangers last summer, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league.

He's quickly shown his worth, as he leads the team with 24 goals and 61 points. The Rangers' second-leading scorer, Ryan Strome, has 41 points.

Despite sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 21-18-4 record, the Rangers are still in the mix for the playoffs, sitting six points behind the second wild-card spot.

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Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

We've thus far enjoyed a great week on the ice with a 6-2 record, including a pair of generously priced underdogs coming through.

It started with a 0-1 night on Monday, but hopefully, you stuck to the script.

There's always more money to be won. Here's a look at the weekend action:

Game betting

Ottawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings (Friday)

Generally, you should save your money rather than wager it on a matchup between two of the league's worst teams. But there's value in backing the Senators in Detroit at close to even money. Ottawa is bad, but the Red Wings are a lot worse. Detroit has won just 11 games this season, and three came in the first week of the campaign. The Senators have had a tough road schedule but are 3-0 away from home against the bottom four teams in the East. They've already defeated the Red Wings twice this season and offer way too much value at such a short price.

Vancouver Canucks at Buffalo Sabres (Saturday)

The Sabres are 6-2 since the beginning of 2019 in home games with a start time of 5 p.m. or earlier, including a 3-0 record in 1 p.m. contests like Saturday's. Buffalo has also won seven of its last nine on home ice, losing only to the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canucks have been dominant at Rogers Arena but aren't the same team on the road, losing four in a row, and nine of their last 12, away to Eastern Conference teams. The Sabres continue to be undervalued and, with a lookahead line of -115, are definitely worth backing in Saturday's matinee.

Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators (Saturday)

It won't be long before #TankForLafreniere starts trending in Montreal, if it isn't already. The Canadiens got off to a strong start this season but injuries and sloppy defensive play have derailed their campaign. They've lost eight in a row by just one goal (excluding empty-netters), so they're playing competitive hockey and starting to get healthy. This will be the second game in as many nights for the Senators, who have lost 10 of their last 11 on home ice in the latter leg of a back-to-back. Take the Habs as likely short favorites.

Boston Bruins at New York Islanders (Saturday)

The Islanders haven't won at home against the Bruins since November 2013. Boston has won eight in a row, and 11 of its last 12, on the Island. New York has lost four of its last five on home ice after opening the season 13-2-1, while the Bruins seem to have rediscovered their scoring touch. Back Boston to make it nine straight road wins over the Isles.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Philadelphia Flyers (Saturday)

It's hard to go against the Lightning right now. Winners of nine in a row, their first-half struggles are clearly a thing of the past. However, the Flyers have been absolutely dominant at home this season, posting a league-best 14-2-4 record. Getting them at +120 (lookahead line) is too much value to pass up.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers (Sunday)

The Maple Leafs have scored four or more goals in each of their last five road games, and seven of their last eight, while the Panthers have scored at least five goals in five of their last six at BB&T Center. Defense will be an afterthought Sunday night in the Sunshine State.

Game props

Arizona Coyotes at Carolina Hurricanes (Friday)

This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Coyotes, who flew north to Carolina following last night's loss in Tampa. The first-period under has hit in nine of Arizona's last 10 road games played on no days' rest and represents great value here at plus money. The Hurricanes are one of the league's higher-scoring teams in the opening frame but the first-period under has cashed in three of their last six on home ice following a run of six consecutive overs.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers (Sunday)

As mentioned above, the Maple Leafs score in bunches on the road, just as the Panthers do at home. We're doubling, tripling, and quadrupling down on the over, with the Maple Leafs' and Panthers' team totals over 3.5, as well as over 1.5 goals in the first period.

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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