Canadiens GM Kent Hughes open to trading Jeff Petry

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes may be new to his post, but he's already examining some of his options as he likely finds himself staring down a rebuild.

Defenseman Ben Chiarot has already been mentioned in recent trade rumors, and Hughes added fellow blue-liner Jeff Petry into the mix Sunday.

In an interview with La Presse's Guillaume Lefrancois, Hughes said he and Jeff Gorton, Montreal's executive vice president of hockey operations, recently met with the struggling Petry to address his future.

"We are aware of what's going on in your life. It's not the ideal situation for playing. At the same time, you are a part of this team. If there's an opportunity for a trade that works for both sides, we will trade you," Hughes said of their message to the veteran, as translated by theScore.

"But until that ideal situation presents itself, you are part of the Canadiens, and you have to give maximum effort."

Hughes said Petry didn't request a trade.

The Canadiens are at the bottom of the league with an 8-29-7 record, which is a far way to fall after the team made the Stanley Cup Final last season.

"I would say we're viewing it as we're open to everything," Hughes said of the organization's position with the trade deadline approaching, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

"We don't feel this immediate need to get everything done at the trade deadline," he added.

Petry has registered one goal and five assists in 37 games this season, a significant drop from the 2020-21 campaign when he put up 42 points over 55 contests.

The Michigan native was key to Montreal's playoff run last year. He posted six points while averaging over 24 minutes of ice time across 20 games.

Petry is playing out the first season of a four-year contract carrying a $6.25-million cap hit. His deal includes a 15-team no-trade list, according to CapFriendly.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Wild sign Greenway to 3-year extension with $3M AAV

The Minnesota Wild inked forward Jordan Greenway to a three-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $3 million on Monday.

Greenway has 13 points in 33 games so far this season while averaging 14:29 of ice time. The 6-foot-6, 231-pound winger ranks third on the Wild in hits with 82.

The 24-year-old is currently playing out the final season of a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of $2.1 million, according to CapFriendly.

The Wild selected Greenway in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He has 30 goals and 68 assists in 243 career NHL games, all with Minnesota.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

2022 NHL All-Star Skills Competition adds 2 new, Vegas-inspired events

A heavy helping of Sin City flair will feature in this year's skills competition during NHL All-Star Weekend.

The league announced the addition of two new outdoor events that will take place on the iconic Las Vegas Strip.

In the Fountain Face-Off, players will take a boat out into the city's famous Bellagio fountains. There, they will shoot pucks at a series of targets, and a head-to-head final will determine the victor. The crown will go to whoever accomplishes the feat in the fastest time. The league says it anticipates that the spray coming off the fountain will make this competition more difficult.

All-Stars will also play a game called 21 in '22, which is hockey's take on blackjack, the popular casino card game. A portion of Las Vegas Boulevard will be shut down to make room for a giant rack that holds a full deck of oversized cards. Players must successfully shoot pucks at the cards to achieve a score of 21 in the least amount of shots possible. Whoever wins two rounds will be crowned the "Puck Shark."

The skills competition will also include tried and true events like Fastest Skater, Save Streak, Hardest Shot, Accuracy Shooting, and the Breakaway Challenge, which will make its first appearance since 2016.

Anaheim Ducks rookie Trevor Zegras wasn't selected for the All-Star tournament, but the NHL invited him to compete in the Breakaway Challenge. Retired goaltender Manon Rheaume, the first woman to play in an NHL game, and actor Wyatt Russell will also participate.

Meanwhile, three-time Olympic medalist Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson will take part in the Fountain Face-Off.

The winner of each event will earn $30,000.

The All-Star Skills Competition kicks off on Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The All-Star Game will take place the following day.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Art Ross odds update: Best bets to lead the NHL in scoring

The race for the Art Ross promises to be a good one. Five players have at least 58 points, while nobody has amassed more than 62.

We've seen very little separation to date and, with the way things are shaping up, the quest for the Art Ross could come down to the wire.

Let's take a look at the current oddsboard from Barstool Sportsbook, as well as the best way to attack the market.

PLAYER ODDS GP POINTS
Connor McDavid -106 39 58
Leon Draisaitl +150 40 61
Jonathan Huberdeau +300 45 62
Alexander Ovechkin +800 45 58
Nathan MacKinnon +5000 31 43
Mikko Rantanen +5000 40 53
Steven Stamkos +5000 44 51
Nazem Kadri +6000 40 59
Kirill Kaprizov +10000 39 52
Auston Matthews +10000 37 45
Timo Meier +10000 40 47

Note: only listing players with odds 100-1 or shorter

Best bet: Connor McDavid (-106)

Sometimes the best bets are the simplest ones. I think that's the case here with Connor McDavid. He's a hair behind Leon Draisaitl in the points-per-game race, but I think the tables will turn in time. McDavid is the better playmaker, and he's generating scoring chances at a higher clip. Draisaitl is definitely the better finisher, but he could be in for a bit of regression while I think McDavid's increased volume can help him score a little more - whether he converts at a high clip or not.

Fade: Nathan MacKinnon (+5000)

I don't see how Nathan MacKinnon enters this race. He was already at a disadvantage in games played, and his recent injury won't help matters. His point-per-game output would have to be enormous to come close to making up lost ground already. I'm not sure he matches McDavid or Draisaitl in points per game, let alone soars past them to the extent necessary to get back in the mix.

Best value: Jonathan Huberdeau (+300)

I don't think Jonathan Huberdeau - or anyone - will best the Oilers' duo, but the Florida Panthers' star forward probably has the best chance. He's the current leader in total points, he plays for the league leaders in goals scored, and he's in a very top-heavy division. He'll see a lot of the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, and Detroit Red Wings. All four of those teams rank in the bottom seven in goals against per game, which will undoubtedly help Huberdeau's cause.

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL Monday best bets: Oilers to stay hot in Ottawa

We ended last week on a high note by going 2-0 with my weekend preview picks.

We'll try to pick up where we left off as we look at the best way to attack tonight's five-game slate.

Oilers (-205) @ Senators (+170)

The Oilers are heating up in a big way. They've won four consecutive games and have outscored opponents 18-9 in that span, good for an average differential of 2.25 per contest.

They're playing some of their best hockey in months, which isn't surprising given the current state of the roster. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman recently returned to the lineup, while the addition of Evander Kane gives them another weapon on the wing.

As such, the Oilers can balance their lines and trot out potent duos of Connor McDavid and Kane on line one, Leon Draisaitl and Jesse Puljujarvi on line two, and Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman on line three.

While the Oilers still have holes throughout their roster, very few teams can match up against that kind of scoring depth up front. Slowing down even two of those lines is a tall order for most teams, including the Senators.

Ottawa is a poor team at the best of times, and with Josh Norris and Drake Batherson out of the lineup, the Senators are paper-thin up front. Their team defense isn't going to help mitigate those issues; nor is their inconsistent goaltending.

The Senators are a hard-working team, but that's only going to take them so far against the dynamic attack Edmonton can trot out.

I expect the Oilers to pick up another victory tonight, and I don't think it'll take more than 60 minutes.

Bet: Oilers in regulation (-140)

Ducks (-110) @ Red Wings (-110)

The Ducks are staying afloat in the standings - thanks in large part to John Gibson - but they're not playing great hockey right now.

At five-on-five, Anaheim has controlled just 43.7% of the expected goals over the last 10 games. That ranks near the bottom of the league, sandwiched between the Blue Jackets and Coyotes.

The Red Wings haven't been world-beaters in that category, but they have certainly fared better than the Ducks. Their xG share is 48.35% over the same spell, which slots them just below the Penguins and Jets; much better company.

Detroit has faced the Maple Leafs, Penguins, Predators, and Stars over the last handful of games as well, so coming close to 50% is respectable.

I see them having an edge in the run of play tonight against the Ducks, especially given the schedule spot. This will be Anaheim's fourth road game in six nights and their fifth since last Monday. The Ducks have had a successful road trip to date, and I could see this being a letdown spot as they try to get back home.

Priced as a near coin flip, I like the Wings to take care of business in their building.

Bet: Red Wings (-110)

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

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Kraken have won just 14 times in 44 games. What’s gone so wrong?

Jordan Eberle sat in front of a computer screen this past Friday, fielding questions from familiar voices while sporting a Seattle Kraken baseball cap.

Over Zoom, New York-area reporters asked the former New York Islander about the Kraken's inaugural season and life on the West Coast. In one response, Eberle made an apt comparison between his old and current teams.

"We didn't really have that juggernaut offensive talent, and we weren't going to outscore teams," Eberle said of those well-structured Islanders squads.

"And we're no different here," he said of the 14-25-4 Kraken.

Joel Auerbach / Getty Images

For various reasons - including a dearth of goal scoring - Seattle sits 30th in the NHL standings, besting only the woeful Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens in points percentage. If the Vegas Golden Knights were a tidal wave that engulfed the sport, the Kraken have been a cold shower and a startling reminder of how elusive on-ice success can be for a brand-new franchise.

With help from Kraken forward Yanni Gourde, Root Sports TV analyst JT Brown, and HockeyViz.com's Micah Blake McCurdy, let's take a look at what's gone wrong so far and what to keep an eye on moving forward.

The glaring issue

Steph Chambers / Getty Images

After the dust settled on an offseason of roster building through the expansion draft and free agency, the Kraken opened their first-ever training camp with a lineup that, on paper, looked primed to challenge for a playoff spot in Year 1.

The team featured a promising goaltending tandem of Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger, a well-rounded defense corps anchored by 2019 Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano, and a solid yet unremarkable collection of forwards. They had the hockey world believing the Kraken would be imbalanced, yes, but also competitive.

"I pegged them as being very weak offensively and very strong defensively," McCurdy said. The season preview he wrote for his website predicted the Kraken would finish third in the Pacific Division, behind Vegas and the Calgary Flames.

And here we are, just past the midway point of the season, and Seattle is already being counted out by predictive models at MoneyPuck.com, The Athletic, and McCurdy's HockeyViz.com. The Kraken - whose latest loss came Sunday against the New York Rangers - have dug a hole so deep that they've been given a roughly 0% chance of making the playoffs by all three models.

The primary source of disappointment through 44 games? Goaltending.

The Kraken's team save percentage is .876 - a shockingly poor rate given the Grubauer-Driedger duo had been widely celebrated as a strength before the season, even if it was unlikely Grubauer would replicate his Vezina-caliber performance from 2020-21. (For context, the 1999-00 Tampa Bay Lightning and '99-00 Atlanta Thrashers at .876 and .877, respectively, count as the last teams to finish an NHL season with a save percentage below .880.)

Christopher Mast / Getty Images

Kraken skaters have ostensibly done a bang-up job limiting the quantity and quality of shots fired toward their netminders during five-on-five action. Evolving Hockey ranks Seattle second in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes, second in shot attempts against per 60, second in unblocked shot attempts per 60, and second in shots on goal against per 60.

Those underlying numbers suggest the goalies (including third-stringer Joey Daccord, who's appeared in four games) simply aren't holding up their end of the bargain. Gourde, for one, disagrees with that line of thinking, insisting the Kraken's forwards and defensemen haven't provided nearly enough support.

"I don't see it that way," the veteran center told theScore this past Friday. "We weren't playing solid as a team. Most of the time, (the goalie is) the last layer. If you're not playing well in front of them, it's easy to make them look bad. I don't think it's on them. As a whole, we weren't satisfied with our game."

You'll notice Gourde used the past tense in the above quote. That's because, at the time of our conversation, the Kraken had won four of six, with Grubauer posting single-game save percentages above .900 in four of his five appearances. It was the best stretch of the season for the entire group.

"The goalies been excellent lately, and they give us confidence," said Gourde, who's third in team scoring with 23 points in 36 games. "Every single night, we know we have a chance to win, and that's really helpful."

As Eberle noted, the Kraken aren't built to regularly outscore the opposition, and they've largely lived up to that characterization. Jared McCann may lead the team with 18 tallies, but he's outside the NHL's top 25 in goals, while Eberle (12) and Gourde (10) are the only other Seattle players in double digits.

The Kraken are scoring 2.6 goals a game, which makes the calculus pretty easy in a league where the typical contest features six total goals scored. "If you're going to play that way, you don't have much margin for error," McCurdy said. "Because if your goalie lets in a bad goal, that's the whole game."

The underlying problems

Christopher Mast / Getty Images

In contrast to Eberle's old Isles teams - who played responsible, straight-line hockey under coach Barry Trotz - Seattle has been too inconsistent from shift to shift, period to period, and game to game under bench boss Dave Hakstol.

Often, the Kraken have either started poorly and then been unable to find that next gear to mount a comeback (as evidenced by the club's 3-18 record when trailing after the first period) or started well and then been unable to keep the lead. "Teams always talk about 'finding a way to win' even when you're not at your best," Brown said. "That's one thing that Seattle hasn't been able to do."

This is a particularly concerning trend from the first half because the Kraken's team identity is supposed to be grounded by an all-for-one, one-for-all mentality. Whether it's forwards backchecking hard, defensemen taking care of the puck, or the special teams following the pre-scout and executing in-game, attention to detail is hugely important within Hakstol's system.

"Knowing how much talent there is in this league, and how difficult it is to win in this league," Gourde said, "you have to think about your own end first."

Christopher Mast / Getty Images

General manager Ron Francis made a few debatable selections during the expansion draft by choosing a largely defensive-minded crop of players. What's interesting in hindsight is that Francis didn't have a bunch of all-around, two-way forwards sitting there waiting to be picked. "Maybe two or three, with Eberle and McCann, and they got them both," McCurdy said.

"After that," McCurdy continued, "you have to choose guys who have an obvious flaw of one kind or another in their game. You can choose guys who are weak offensively and who are strong defensively, or you can choose guys who have some finishing talent and who are weak in their own end."

Gourde and free-agent signee Jaden Schwartz are two other Seattle forwards who have offensive pop. Like Eberle and McCann, they could easily assume a prominent role elsewhere in the NHL. And while the production could be better from these four quality NHLers, they're not necessarily the problem. Instead, a lack of elite talent to lead the attack is what's ailing the Kraken.

"The Kraken basically have a second line and then three third lines. And that's what you get when you're putting your team together from an expansion draft, right?" McCurdy said with a laugh.

The positive spin

Christopher Mast / Getty Images

The sky isn't falling in Seattle.

"If we have this same conversation at the end of the season and look at the splits - first half, second half - I think it's going to look a lot different," Brown said.

That bounce-back prediction is in part reliant on the Kraken's 23 players settling in, both individually and as a group. Let's not forget, they're still relatively new to the city, organization, and Hakstol's system. It's reasonable to expect the Kraken to look more cohesive in the back half of the schedule.

Brown, who played six full NHL seasons as a forward for the Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, and Minnesota Wild, also believes Seattle's goaltending is slowly moving in the right direction. And, when asked for a breakout pick in the coming months, he tapped Joonas Donskoi, the versatile ex-Colorado Avalanche winger who has 14 assists but no goals in 43 games.

"Once he gets the first one, it's going to turn around for him," Brown said.

As for the big picture, McCurdy notes outside observers can't forget the fact that the Kraken clearly have a concrete plan in place - an internal idea of how to build a sustainable winner. Francis was conservative in the expansion draft, and aside from signing Grubauer and Schwartz in free agency, put his phone away in the offseason. This patient approach has positioned Seattle nicely from a financial standpoint, which is extremely valuable in the salary cap era.

Christopher Mast / Getty Images

With five pending unrestricted free agents on the roster, it's likely Francis adds to his prospect pool and/or draft pick haul in the leadup to the March 21 trade deadline. Giordano, the No. 1 defenseman and captain, is the most appealing trade chip, and he's made a significant impact on the Kraken in a short time.

"Guys like that, they haven't been around this league for this long for no reason," Gourde said of Giordano, 38 years old and undrafted. "It's not about luck, it's about work ethic, and he brings it every day. Seeing what he does every single day, I think he can inspire a lot of people on our team, and hopefully, some of the guys take that and build a little bit on their own."

Ultimately, the Kraken are attempting to build a winning culture from scratch. Exactly like Vegas five years ago. This time, however, the process is taking longer than a few months - which is normal, given the circumstances.

"I'm not going to go out there and say they're going to win 20 straight and somehow earn a playoff spot," Brown said. "But it's all about being competitive. That should be the main goal, especially for an expansion team."

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL Power Rankings: Picking each team’s midseason MVP

This is the ninth edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2020-21 season. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.

In this edition, we pick the MVP for each team as we hit the midway point of the season.

1. Colorado Avalanche (32-8-3)

Previous rank: 3rd

Sorry, Nazem Kadri, but there's no way the Avalanche's midseason MVP isn't Cale Makar. The 23-year-old blue-liner is on pace for nearly 40 goals this season. He'd join Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey as the only defensemen ever to accomplish the feat.

2. Florida Panthers (31-9-5)

Previous rank: 1st

Jonathan Huberdeau has long been a superstar, but he's hit a new level this season. The Panthers winger has played his way into the Hart Trophy conversation and currently leads the league in points and assists.

3. Carolina Hurricanes (31-9-2)

Previous rank: 2nd

Frederik Andersen has been exceptional, but the MVP has to be Sebastian Aho. The star center is Carolina's best all-around player and leads the squad in points.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning (29-10-6)

Previous rank: 4th

The back-to-back defending champs deserve a lot of credit for overcoming a ton of key injuries, but Tampa Bay would be nowhere without Andrei Vasilevskiy. He's registered a .922 save percentage and 12.9 goals saved above average across 35 appearances this season.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins (27-11-7)

Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / Getty

Previous rank: 6th

Where would the battered yet triumphant Penguins be without Kris Letang this season? His 40 points in 41 games rank second among all Pittsburgh skaters, behind just Jake Guentzel. The 34-year-old plays a demanding 25:44 of ice time a night, which is sixth-most among all NHL defensemen.

6. Minnesota Wild (27-10-3)

Previous rank: 8th

Kirill Kaprizov is Minnesota's MVP by a landslide. Some teams are easier to pick for this assignment.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (27-10-3)

Previous rank: 5th

Even though Jack Campbell is beginning to look just a little bit more human as of late, there's something to be said about his performance this season. He's authored a tidy .926 save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average in 30 appearances. The newfound No. 1 starter role looks great on the 30-year-old late bloomer.

8. New York Rangers (29-13-4)

Previous rank: 7th

There's no way the Rangers are where they are without Igor Shesterkin. The poised netminder leads the league in goals saved above average (22.59) while playing behind a squad that ranks near the bottom of the league in expected goals against and high-danger scoring chances allowed.

9. Boston Bruins (25-14-3)

Previous rank: 9th

Brad Marchand probably looks at all the columns about the Bruins' aging core and their closing contention window and laughs. The 33-year-old has an outlandish 47 points in 37 games and is on pace to eclipse the 40-goal mark for the first time in his illustrious career.

10. St. Louis Blues (26-13-5)

David Berding / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Previous rank: 12th

The Blues have several options here - the sign of a well-rounded team - but we're going with Ryan O'Reilly. The captain is still the heart and soul of the squad, is arguably the best defensive center in the league, and has tallied a respectable 29 points in 40 games.

11. Vegas Golden Knights (26-16-3)

Previous rank: 13th

As good as Chandler Stephenson has been this season with linemates Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty missing so much time, we have to go with Shea Theodore. The 26-year-old defenseman is second on the team with 31 points in 41 games and is logging 23:18 per contest.

12. Washington Capitals (24-12-9)

Previous rank: 10th

Surprise, surprise, the Capitals' MVP is Alex Ovechkin. It feels like the 36-year-old is going to break the record for most amount of records broken in a single season. His climb up the NHL's all-time goals list is required viewing; with 29 goals already this season, he's just eight away from passing Jaromir Jagr for third place.

13. Calgary Flames (21-13-6)

Previous rank: 18th

If this is how it ends for Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary, then he's going out in style. The revitalized 28-year-old, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, leads the Flames with 52 points in 40 games. He already surpassed his point total from last season and is only six points away from matching his performance in 2019-20.

14. Nashville Predators (27-14-4)

Previous rank: 11th

Juuse Saros should be a Vezina Trophy finalist and has been the catalyst for Nashville's resurgence this season. The netminder owns a .927 clip and a whopping 20.6 goals saved above average so far.

15. Edmonton Oilers (22-16-2)

Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Previous rank: 20th

Both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are tearing it up, but we're giving the edge to McDavid. Opponents still fear No. 97 more, and his defensive metrics are a bit better than No. 29's.

16. Anaheim Ducks (23-16-8)

Previous rank: 17th

Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras have both been great, but the main reason the Ducks are still in the playoff picture is John Gibson. The netminder has posted a .922 save percentage in 32 games and ranks fourth in the league in goals saved above expected.

17. Los Angeles Kings (23-16-7)

Previous rank: 14th

Tip your cap to Drew Doughty. He leads all Kings defensemen with 23 points in 27 contests, good for a breezy 0.85 points per game rate. The Kings also control a stellar 60.6% of the shot attempts with the 32-year-old veteran on the ice at five-on-five. Doughty has pulled all this off while eating the most amount of ice time per contest (25:32) in Los Angeles.

18. Dallas Stars (23-17-2)

Previous rank: 18th

Age simply isn't a factor for Joe Pavelski. The 37-year-old paces the Stars in assists and points, and he's just outside the top 10 in league scoring.

19. New York Islanders (15-16-6)

Previous rank: 22nd

Ilya Sorokin has arrived. The wins are hard to come by this year, but Long Island's starter of the future has done all he can with a .923 save percentage and 2.37 goals against average.

20. Vancouver Canucks (19-19-6)

Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / Getty

Previous rank: 19th

Many of Vancouver's forwards are having down years, but J.T. Miller is not one of them. He's posted 44 points in 42 games while playing multiple positions and being asked to drive different lines. If the Canucks decide to trade him before the deadline, they'll get a haul.

21. Winnipeg Jets (18-16-7)

Previous rank: 15th

The Jets are stumbling quite a bit, but the last person who should take the blame for their struggles is Kyle Connor. The 25-year-old leads all Winnipeg skaters with 24 goals, 20 assists, and 44 points. For comparison, Pierre-Luc Dubois has the second-most points on the team with 32 in the same amount of games.

22. San Jose Sharks (22-20-3)

Previous rank: 21st

Timo Meier? More like Timo Fire. The 25-year-old is in the midst of a career season with 47 points through 40 games and is posting sparkling underlying offensive numbers to boot.

23. Detroit Red Wings (19-20-6)

Previous rank: 23rd

Rookies Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider have been exceptional, but captain Dylan Larkin gets the nod. The 25-year-old center is having a huge bounce-back year, collecting 41 points in 40 games.

24. Chicago Blackhawks (16-21-7)

Previous rank: 25th

Patrick Kane is the club's leading scorer and perhaps the obvious choice - and has been for much of the past 15 years - but we're going to give it to Alex DeBrincat and his 26 goals, which is more than double the total of Chicago's runner-up.

25. Columbus Blue Jackets (20-21-1)

Jamie Sabau / National Hockey League / Getty

Previous rank: 24th

The Blue Jackets struggle to generate offense, so the fact Zach Werenski is on pace for 50 points as a defenseman earns him the crown.

26. Seattle Kraken (14-26-4)

Previous rank: 31st

Things haven't exactly gone to plan in the Kraken's inaugural season, but Jared McCann has proven to be a savvy expansion pick. He leads Seattle with 18 goals and 28 points.

27. Ottawa Senators (13-21-4)

Previous rank: 28th

Drake Batherson was playing great before his injury, but we're going with Thomas Chabot. He's not having his finest season points-wise, but he averages an NHL-high 27:08 per game and his underlying numbers are off the charts.

28. Buffalo Sabres (14-23-7)

Previous rank: 29th

Rasmus Dahlin has taken a major leap in his development in his first full season under head coach Tony Granato. The 21-year-old has been an offensive catalyst from the back end, as he's on pace for nearly 60 points.

29. New Jersey Devils (15-23-5)

Previous rank: 26th

Not many expected Jesper Bratt to be New Jersey's top offensive player this season, but here we are. The 23-year-old winger is on pace to shatter his career bests across the board, operating at a near point per game pace 40 games into the season.

30. Philadelphia Flyers (14-22-8)

Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Previous rank: 27th

Captain Claude Giroux is having another fine season despite the team's struggles, posting 35 points in 41 games. Will he waive his no-movement clause ahead of the deadline? If so, the Flyers will get a nice return.

31. Arizona Coyotes (10-29-4)

Previous rank: 30th

He doesn't have a whole lot of help up front, but Clayton Keller is putting together a quality offensive season with a team-leading 35 points through 43 games.

32. Montreal Canadiens (8-29-7)

Previous rank: 32nd

It's hard to find anything positive from Montreal's season, but Nick Suzuki has posted strong defensive metrics and leads the team in points.

(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Price hoping to play this season: ‘It’s part of my identity’

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price says he's hopeful he'll be able to suit up at some point this season.

Price is still rehabbing a knee injury that's kept him out of action since last summer's Stanley Cup Final. He addressed the media for the first time this season on Sunday.

"It's definitely an objective for me this season," Price said on returning to the Canadiens, per Sportsnet's Eric Engels.

"It's part of my identity," Price added, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu.

On top of his injury, Price voluntarily entered the NHL's player assistance program in October. He exited after one month.

"It was very difficult," Price said. "I was in a position where I definitely needed to reach out and it was a trying time for sure. ... It was one that needed to be made, and ultimately it was successful. Very thankful for the help that I got."

The Canadiens sit dead last in the NHL standings and overhauled their front office this season. Price would be an attractive trade chip for contending teams in need of help in goal if he's healthy enough to play, but the former MVP says he's committed to Montreal.

"Me and my family are very happy here," he said. "We're settled in. This is our home. There's a reason I signed the contract I did here with a no-movement clause. As of right now, I have no plans to be anywhere else."

Price is under contract at $10.5 million per season until 2026. He waived his no-movement clause prior to the Seattle Kraken expansion draft but wasn't chosen.

The 34-year-old has spent his entire career with the Habs after they selected him fifth overall in 2005. He's one of the most decorated goaltenders of his generation, with Hart and Vezina Trophies on his resume along with a .917 save percentage across 707 career contests.

Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.