Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby tested positive for COVID-19, head coach Mike Sullivan announced Wednesday.

Defenseman Brian Dumoulin also tested positive. Sullivan added that Crosby is displaying mild symptoms and Dumoulin is currently asymptomatic.

Symptomatic players are typically expected to miss at least 10 days.

Defensemen Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel were placed in the league's COVID-19 protocol Monday after testing positive. Kris Letang was present at practice Wednesday for the first time since testing positive on Oct. 23.

The Penguins have been dealing with COVID-19 cases since before the season even started.

Crosby missed the beginning of the campaign as he recovered from offseason wrist surgery and made his season debut Saturday.

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The Nashville Predators will raise Pekka Rinne's No. 35 to the Bridgestone Arena rafters on Feb. 24, 2022.

The recently retired goaltender will become the first player in franchise history to have his number retired.

Rinne, who turned 39 on Wednesday, ended his NHL tenure in July following a 15-year career spent entirely with the Predators.

The Finnish-born goalie was unquestionably Nashville's best-ever netminder and arguably one of the most accomplished in NHL history. Rinne leads the Predators in almost every category at his position, and his 369 career wins put him in a tie for 19th on the NHL's all-time list. He also sits in the league's top 20 in save percentage (.917) and shutouts (60).

Rinne provided prolonged stability in the crease and helped the Predators reach the playoffs 10 times, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016-17. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18 and was a finalist for the honor in three other seasons.

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We don't have quantity on the ice Wednesday, but there is plenty of quality.

This four-game slate features several of the league's hottest teams, with the Hurricanes (8-0-0), Oilers (7-1-0), and Blues (6-1-0) among those in action.

Let's get into our best bets.

Predators (+175) @ Oilers (-210)

The Predators enter play on a four-game winning streak. I don't like their chances of making it five in this spot. Wednesday will mark Nashville's third game in four nights, and the first two were taxing contests that went to overtime.

Now, with a quick turnaround, they take on a high-powered Oilers team that is built on fast-pace, high-event hockey. Not ideal.

Making matters worse is the Predators won't have their star goaltender, Juuse Saros, between the pipes to try and bail them out. Heck, they won't even have their veteran backup in David Rittich.

Instead, 24-year-old Connor Ingram will be tasked with slowing down Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and arguably the NHL's most potent offense.

Ingram did show well in his lone NHL game; however, he posted a sub-.900 save percentage in the AHL and SHL a year ago. This is not some highly touted, can't-miss prospect.

The Oilers should be able to control the run of play at five-on-five. They're a better team in that game state and have fresh legs.

If, for some reason, they still can't win the five-on-five battle, they're in good hands with the power play. They are the most prolific team, by far, on the man advantage, and Nashville is among the most undisciplined squads. I doubt the Preds will magically clean up their act with tired legs. If anything, they'll be more prone to reaching in and taking lazy penalties.

On top of all that, Filip Forsberg's status is in question after leaving last night's game with an injury. The Predators aren't going to control play so will rely on opportunistic scoring to hang around. Losing Forsberg would be a big blow for their ability to do that.

I like the Oilers to snap Nashville's winning streak in this one, and I think it happens with relative ease.

Bet: Oilers inside regulation (-130)

Setting the table

The Blackhawks (+140) could be a worthy 'dog if they start Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. His play is trending upward and Chicago is at home. The Hurricanes have been fantastic this season but are due for some regression. Their expected goal differential at five-on-five is +2. Their actual goal differential is +13. Oh, and Frederik Andersen isn't going to give them a .955 save percentage forever.

The Blue Jackets (+155) have been bet down quite a bit, but I still see some value on this line. The Avalanche are severely undermanned, playing without the likes of Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Andre Burakovsky. They're also expected to start one of the league's worst netminders in Jonas Johansson.

Lastly, the Kings (+120) and under 5.5 goals (-110) are my leans should Cal Petersen start in goal. The Blues have overperformed thus far and are without arguably their most important player in Ryan O'Reilly. I don't see many goals in this game with the likes of O'Reilly, Viktor Arvidsson, and Drew Doughty out of the lineup - if Petersen starts, that is.

Official plays: Oilers in regulation (-130), Blue Jackets (+155)

Wait and see: Blackhawks (+140), Kings (+120) and/or under 5.5 (-110)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Robin Lehner is calling on hockey players to step up after Kyle Beach came forward publicly about his alleged sexual assault by a former Chicago Blackhawks video coach.

"I just want more players to, whatever it is, take a stand. Because we, as players, we can bring change as much as anyone else," the Vegas Golden Knights goaltender said Tuesday night when asked if he feels he's carrying the weight of player advocacy.

"Again, it's difficult for me and I wish more people (step) up and fight, because it's for hopefully my kids, a lot of players' kids, we want them to succeed and play in this league. We want hockey and the NHL to be as good as possible."

Lehner has been an advocate for mental health awareness since he went public in 2018 about his experiences with bipolar disorder and addiction. The 30-year-old said he reached out to Beach last week and had a conversation with him.

Lehner, who was in talks with the NHL and NHLPA earlier in October to discuss changes to the league's approach to mental health, doesn't expect instant change.

"There's a process to it. It's not something that happens in a day. Recognizing you have a problem and then move on from there and try to pinpoint what can be done and, you know, to be honest, I had a lot of great talks with both NHLPA and the NHL before this all came to light with other things, and ... we can all do better," Lehner said.

"I'm not finger-pointing at anyone. I just want the new generation of players to have the safety around them to get help if they have an issue, whatever it might be, and, obviously, hopefully nothing like this ever happens again."

Lehner said stars often aren't as aware of potential issues as lesser-known players, but they're all responsible for educating themselves.

"I try to explain to people that fringe players - the third-liners, fourth-liners, guys that go up and down - it's been very different treatment in my experience through my, I think it's my 12th season now, what I've seen and what, say, star players get," Lehner said.

He added: "But sometimes it's unfair to put on the star players too, that they don't speak up enough, because to be quite honest, from what I've seen, they don't see a lot of the things that need to change. They get different treatment. I encourage everyone to talk to each other and have conversations. ... If we talk about culture or whatever, it needs to come from the players, honestly. Everyone needs to talk about it."

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In the first edition of theScore's 2021-22 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, we take a look at which goalies are off to hot starts early in the season.

GAA = Goals against average
xGA/60 = Expected goals against per 60 minutes
SV% = Save percentage
HDSV% = High danger save percentage
GSAA = Goals saved above average

5. James Reimer, San Jose Sharks

There's no chance anybody entered the season with Reimer on a list of the league's top netminders, but here we are. The 33-year-old has been fantastic for the Sharks and is one of the main reasons the club is off to a 6-3-0 start.

Reimer's .950 save percentage and 1.54 goals against average both rank second in the league, and his .957 high danger save percentage leads all goalies. Reimer has never been a true workhorse netminder - topping 40 games played just three times in 11 seasons - so his volume of playing time likely won't keep him on this list for too long. But for now, we have to give credit where it's due.

4. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers

Is Bobrovsky finally back?

The 33-year-old had been near the bottom of the league in multiple statistical categories since signing a monster contract with the Panthers in 2019, barely looking like his former Vezina-winning self. It's been a whole different story this season, as the Russian netminder owns a perfect 6-0-0 record alongside a dazzling .944 save percentage.

One of the only things that seemingly could've held this Panthers team back was its questionable goaltending. But, for the time being, Bobrovsky looks like he's back to being elite, which is scary for the rest of the NHL.

3. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers

Shesterkin signed a historic deal during the summer with the Rangers, receiving the largest second contract ever given to an NHL netminder. He had just 47 games under his belt at the time, but Shesterkin's talent in the crease is undeniable.

The 25-year-old, who's already established himself as one of the league's top goalies, doesn't have many holes in his game. He ranks second in the NHL with 7.72 goals saved above average, all while facing 32.5 shots per 60 minutes. Shesterkin will surely be in the Vezina conversation for years to come, and it'll only be a matter of time before he gets his hands on the trophy.

2. Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames

The Flames are one of the NHL's hottest teams early on, and a big reason for that is Markstrom's superb play. With three shutouts so far this season - including an impressive 45-save outing against the Penguins - it's no surprise that the 31-year-old is near the top of this list.

Markstrom sits No. 1 in the NHL with a .964 save percentage at five-on-five while also owning an impressive .900 high danger save percentage. This is the exact kind of play the Flames expected from Markstrom when they gave him a massive contract last summer. Some reliable goaltending could be Calgary's recipe for success after the team was plagued by inconsistency over the last few seasons.

1. Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes

Andersen's Hurricanes tenure couldn't be off to a better start. Carolina is the only undefeated team remaining in the NHL with a sparkling 8-0-0 record, and Andersen is responsible for seven of those victories.

He ranks first in the league with 8.61 goals saved above average and a .956 save percentage. After a rough campaign with the Maple Leafs last season, Andersen has rebounded nicely in his new home and is once again looking like one of the league's best netminders.

Honorable mentions: Mikko Koskinen, Elvis Merzlikins, Ilya Sorokin

(Advanced stats courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)

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The Jack Eichel sweepstakes is down to two.

The Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights are the two remaining finalists to acquire the Buffalo Sabres superstar, sources told ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

Additionally, the Flames and Knights are both OK with Eichel getting his preferred artificial disc replacement surgery, according to Kaplan.

Eichel missed the second half of the 2020-21 campaign due to a herniated disc in his neck. He's been adamant about having the artificial disc replacement surgery, but the Sabres have denied his preferred method as they want him to have a fusion surgery. ADR is a relatively new procedure that hasn't been performed on an NHL player before.

This disagreement caused significant friction between the two sides, leading to several trade rumors throughout the offseason. Ultimately, no deals came to fruition over the summer. Eichel showed up for Sabres training camp but failed his physical due to the injury and was stripped of his captaincy in the process.

Eichel wouldn't be cleared to play for at least three months following the artificial disc replacement surgery, Kaplan added. The ADR's recovery timeline is two months shorter than the fusion surgery's.

The 25-year-old would fill a massive hole for the Golden Knights, who lack a bonafide No. 1 center. Elias Lindholm has emerged as a catalyst down the middle for the Flames, but Eichel would give them a dynamite 1-2 punch.

Eichel has five years left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $10 million. Buffalo is reportedly unwilling to retain any salary in the deal. Both the Flames and Golden Knights are up against the cap, so a significant contract or two would have to go the other way in order for either team to swing a deal.

The Sabres selected Eichel second overall at the 2015 NHL Draft. His best season came in 2019-20 when he racked up 78 points in 68 games.

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Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff apologized to Kyle Beach during a press conference Tuesday.

The apology comes following the investigation into the Blackhawks' mishandling of Beach's sexual assault allegations in 2010, when Cheveldayoff was an assistant GM for Chicago.

"I want to begin by stating how sorry I am that this happened to Kyle and that he suffered as horribly as he did," Cheveldayoff said, per The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno.

"Kyle was failed by a system that should have helped him but did not," Cheveldayoff added, according to Jackie Spiegel of The Sporting News Canada. "I am sorry that my own assumptions about that system were clearly not good enough."

Cheveldayoff's comments to the media were his first since the NHL determined he wasn't responsible for the Blackhawks' inaction.

An independent investigation found that Blackhawks executives were told during a May 2010 meeting that then-video coach Brad Aldrich had behaved in a sexually inappropriate way toward a player, later revealed to be Kyle Beach.

However, per the investigation, the franchise didn't act on the information until reporting it to human resources three weeks later, days after the team won the Stanley Cup.

Cheveldayoff said "harassment allegations" were discussed in the meeting but he didn't know the full extent of what occurred.

"I left that meeting believing that the allegations would be dealt with by those above me," Cheveldayoff said, per CBC. "Three weeks later, upon learning that the individual was no longer with the organization, I further assumed the situation had been addressed."

Blackhawks president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, and head coach Joel Quenneville were at the 2010 meeting as well, according to the investigation. Bowman and Quenneville resigned from their positions last week.

Cheveldayoff was asked Tuesday how it felt to retain his position with the Jets while his former colleagues lost their jobs.

"I think everyone is paying prices at different levels," Cheveldayoff said, per ESPN's Kristen Shilton. "I'm fortunate I have an opportunity to be someone who still has a chance to make a change in the game and help grow and learn and try to make this a better and safer place so there isn't another Kyle Beach."

Jets owner Mark Chipman, who also spoke at the press conference, pledged to do his part to address similar situations within the league.

"I commit to you today that I will use my influence within the National Hockey League to acknowledge that there are systemic problems that require systemic solutions," Chipman said, according to The Athletic's Murat Ates.

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Carey Price may be ready to return to the Montreal Canadiens shortly after his time in the NHL's player assistance program concludes.

"We don't have confirmation yet, but we're expecting him in town soon," Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme said Tuesday, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "We don't have the exact date yet."

Players must spend a minimum of 30 days in the program, and Friday will be Price's 30th.

The goaltender voluntarily entered the program on Oct. 7. Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin said at the time that Price could be out longer than the 30-day minimum. One day before that, the Canadiens said they expected the netminder to miss the start of the season due to a non-COVID-19 illness.

Price excelled in last season's Stanley Cup Playoffs, posting a .924 save percentage over 22 games while leading the Canadiens to a surprise appearance in the championship round. The 34-year-old raised his game after struggling during the regular season.

Montreal will host the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

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