Vezina Power Rankings: Shesterkin separating from pack

In our fourth edition of the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy power rankings, we have a couple of newcomers as well as a new netminder on top.

5. John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks

Debora Robinson / National Hockey League / Getty

Previous rank: N/A

RECORD GAA XGA/60 SV% HDSV% GSAA
15-10-8 2.49 2.97 .922 .859 13.81

The Ducks have been a pleasant surprise this season and Gibson is finally getting the chance to backstop an overall solid team. Anaheim has struggled mightily over the past few years, and while there have been improvements, Gibson has been making up for some of the defensive woes that have plagued the team. He ranks third in the league with 17.93 goals saved above expected, while the Ducks give up the seventh-most shots per game in the NHL (33.2).

4. Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Previous rank: 3

RECORD GAA XGA/60 SV% HDSV% GSAA
23-8-6 2.21 2.48 .923 .827 14.81

Jarry finally has the benefit of backstopping a fully healthy Penguins lineup after the club battled numerous ailments throughout the majority of the first half of the season. His dominant play helped keep his team in games early on, and he's still not slowing down. He's won 13 of his last 17 contests and will certainly be looking to keep it up down the stretch.

3. Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators

Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / Getty

Previous rank: N/A

RECORD GAA XGA/60 SV% HDSV% GSAA
24-11-3 2.35 2.75 .927 .866 21.57

Saros has been a model of consistency since taking over the crease from Pekka Rinne in Nashville. He's as solid as they come and gives the Predators a legitimate shot to win every single time he's in the crease. The team wasn't expected to be too competitive this year, but Saros' play is keeping them afloat in the standings.

2. Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes

Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Previous rank: 4

RECORD GAA XGA/60 SV% HDSV% GSAA
24-6-0 2.01 2.72 .929 .825 16.52

Andersen had a scorching hot start to the season with the Hurricanes but came back down to earth a little bit. Unfortunately for the rest of the NHL, he's heating up again. He's won 13 of his last 14 starts and has allowed over three goals just once during that span. The well-rounded Hurricanes tend to make life a bit easier for Andersen, but he's a big reason the club is firmly sitting atop the Metropolitan Division.

1. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers

Brad Penner / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Previous rank: 2

RECORD GAA XGA/60 SV% HDSV% GSAA
22-5-2 2.10 2.98 .937 .871 25.67

Is the trophy Shesterkin's to lose at this point? The Rangers continue to hover near the top of the league standings, and so much of their success hinges on the goaltender's play. He ranks first in the league with an astute 25.67 goals saved above average and ranks second with an impressive .871 high-danger save percentage. It's even fair to say Shesterkin has a legitimate shot at the Hart Trophy if he keeps it up in the second half of the season.

Honorable mentions: Jack Campbell, Jacob Markstrom, Andrei Vasilevskiy

(Analytics source: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)

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Report: McDavid, Makar among Fastest Skater participants

Two of the NHL's most electrifying players will battle for the title of fastest skater at the upcoming All-Star Skills Competition in Las Vegas.

Connor McDavid and Cale Makar will headline the event along with six other speedsters, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reports.

Here's the reported list of competitors:

Player Position Team
Cale Makar D Colorado Avalanche
Dylan Larkin F Detroit Red Wings
Connor McDavid F Edmonton Oilers
Adrian Kempe F Los Angeles Kings
Chris Kreider F New York Rangers
Jordan Kyrou F St. Louis Blues
Evgeny Kuznetsov F Washington Capitals
Kyle Connor F Winnipeg Jets

McDavid is a three-time winner, having taken the title every year from 2017-2019, and he can break Mike Gartner's all-time record for victories in the event if he prevails. New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal defeated McDavid in 2020, and there was no event last year.

Makar was a finalist for the Norris Trophy in 2021 and won the Calder in the previous campaign. He's captivated the hockey world this season, with his elite skating ability leading to several jaw-dropping goals.

Kreider entered Tuesday's slate tied for the league lead with 31 goals. Larkin was the competition's victor back in 2016.

The skills competition will be held Friday night before the All-Star tournament takes place Saturday afternoon.

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Report: Coyotes willing to take on more contracts for future assets

The Arizona Coyotes' continued rebuild could benefit cap-strapped contenders ahead of the trade deadline.

"The Coyotes have let it be known that they're willing to take on contracts or money in exchange for future assets, just as we saw them do with a few transactions over the summer," TSN's Chris Johnston reported on Tuesday's "Insider Trading."

In Arizona's first offseason under general manager Bill Armstrong, the club took on a bevy of undesirable contracts. The Coyotes traded for Andrew Ladd, Shayne Gostisbehere, Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, and Anton Stralman without giving much of anything. Instead, Arizona acquired several draft picks and prospects in exchange for taking these unwanted contracts.

Johnston also noted that the length of the contract and the type of player the Yotes are receiving would play a factor in these negotiations. Ladd and Gostisbehere are the only two aforementioned players signed beyond this season, and both their contracts expire after 2022-23.

Arizona currently has $7 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

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Eric Staal named captain of Canada’s men’s Olympic team

Longtime NHL player Eric Staal is the captain of Canada's men's Olympic team, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.

Rounding out the Canadians' leadership group in Beijing are forward David Desharnais and defenseman Maxim Noreau, who will serve as assistant captains.

"The opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics is very special, and being named captain is an honor and something I take a lot of pride in,” Staal said. "David and Maxim are great leaders and players, and they are deserving of this recognition. Our entire team is excited for the opportunity to be a part of Team Canada, and we look forward to competing for a gold medal in Beijing."

Staal, 37, signed a professional tryout contract with the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate on Jan. 13 to help him assess his physical conditioning in hopes of making Canada's Olympic roster. He last suited up for an NHL game in July when the Montreal Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.

He made the most of his AHL stint, registering three assists and two goals in four contests.

Desharnais, 35, currently plays for HC Fribourg-Gotteron in the Swiss National League, where he's put up 32 points in 38 games so far in the 2021-22 season.

Noreau played for Canada at PyeongChang 2018. He logged seven points in six games en route to the Canadians' bronze-medal victory. The 34-year-old plays for the Zurich Lions of the Swiss National League, where he has 25 assists and six goals in 39 games this season.

Staal, meanwhile, played for Canada when the country won the gold medal during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. A veteran of 1,293 NHL games, he scored 441 goals and 593 assists across stints with the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Wild, Buffalo Sabres, and Canadiens.

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NHL Tuesday best bets: Expect goaltending battle in Nashville

Monday night was a mixed bag. The Detroit Red Wings came through for us against the Anaheim Ducks, but the Edmonton Oilers were unable to extend their winning streak in Ottawa.

We'll aim for better with our best bets for tonight's massive 11-game slate.

Canucks (+150) @ Predators (-180)

This game has under written all over it. At five-on-five, the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks both rank in the bottom half of the league in expected goal generation over the last 10 games. Each offense is potent, but neither will overwhelm its opponent with high-danger chances on an average night.

But what really stands out to me is the goaltending matchup. Even if the two sides generate more opportunities than usual, each team has a high-end netminder to help clean up the mess. Juuse Saros owns a remarkable .927 save percentage and has saved 19.1 goals above expectation, which ranks fourth among all goaltenders.

Although Thatcher Demko's numbers this season aren't as strong as Saros', he has played at an elite level for quite some time. Demko owns an absurd .935 save percentage since Bruce Boudreau took over as head coach in early December. He is routinely keeping the Canucks in games (or downright stealing them), which you love to see when you're backing a game to be low-scoring.

The cherry on top is that these teams' previous meetings this season were very low-event games. Both went under the number and featured an average of just 20 high-danger chances per contest. That's very low.

Don't expect many goals in this one.

Bet: Under 5.5 (-125)

Flames (-125) @ Stars (+105)

The Calgary Flames hit a rough patch, but they appear to be coming out of it. They have won three of their last four games and outscored opponents 15-7 in that stretch.

Four games is four games. However, their underlying numbers suggest this breakout was a long time coming.

At five-on-five, Calgary generated 117 high-danger chances over the last 10 games. That ties the team for fourth in the NHL. The Flames have been just as effective at prevention, allowing fewer high-danger opportunities than every club except the Bruins, Kraken, and Wild.

Combine the Flames' prowess at both ends of the rink and it's no surprise their share of high-danger chances (61.26%) leads the NHL over the last 10 games.

The Dallas Stars (50.78%) are no pushovers; however, their numbers don't hold a candle to what the Flames are putting up right now.

Also working in Calgary's favor is Braden Holtby's absence. The Stars will turn to Jake Oettinger as a result, and he is struggling mightily with a woeful .885 save percentage over his last nine starts.

Couple Calgary's strong five-on-five performance with a clear edge in goal and I like the Flames to stay hot.

Bet: Flames (-125)

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

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Eric Staal named captain of Canada’s men’s Olympic team

Longtime NHL player Eric Staal is the captain of Canada's men's Olympic team, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.

Rounding out the Canadians' leadership group in Beijing are forward David Desharnais and defenseman Maxim Noreau, who will serve as assistant captains.

"The opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics is very special, and being named captain is an honor and something I take a lot of pride in,” Staal said. "David and Maxim are great leaders and players, and they are deserving of this recognition. Our entire team is excited for the opportunity to be a part of Team Canada, and we look forward to competing for a gold medal in Beijing."

Staal, 37, signed a professional tryout contract with the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate on Jan. 13 to help him assess his physical conditioning in hopes of making Canada's Olympic roster. He last suited up for an NHL game in July when the Montreal Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.

He made the most of his AHL stint, registering three assists and two goals in four contests.

Desharnais, 35, currently plays for HC Fribourg-Gotteron in the Swiss National League, where he's put up 32 points in 38 games so far in the 2021-22 season.

Noreau played for Canada at PyeongChang 2018. He logged seven points in six games en route to the Canadians' bronze-medal victory. The 34-year-old plays for the Zurich Lions of the Swiss National League, where he has 25 assists and six goals in 39 games this season.

Staal, meanwhile, played for Canada when the country won the gold medal during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. A veteran of 1,293 NHL games, he scored 441 goals and 593 assists across stints with the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Wild, Buffalo Sabres, and Canadiens.

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NHL Tuesday player props: 3 shooters to back

We have a jam-packed NHL card to work with today as 22 of the league's 32 teams will be in action.

There is no shortage of props to work through and, thus, plenty that stand out. Let's dive into three of my favorites.

Aleksander Barkov over 3.5 shots (-134)

Whatever you think of the Rangers as a whole, the reality is they aren't good at preventing shots. At five-on-five, they've allowed 61.66 attempts per 60 over the last 10 games, with only the Canadiens, Sharks, Sabres, and Blackhawks faring worse. Put simply, the Rangers are a team to target with shot props.

Perhaps no total is more appealing than Barkov's; the Finnish star has registered at least four shots on goal in six consecutive games. With last night's contest being a blowout, he only had to play 17 minutes, which should help keep the Panthers star fresh for this back-to-back situation. Expect Barkov to stay hot in a smash matchup.

Mark Scheifele over 2.5 shots (-118)

Scheifele is quietly starting to heat up. He ranks second on the Jets behind only Kyle Connor in both shot attempts and shots on goal over the last 10 games. He's actually been a little more productive on the road, too, going over the number in six of his last 10 while averaging 3.1 shots per contest.

Scheifele isn't an automatic hit, but he's certainly someone who can be relied upon in the right matchup. I would classify a date with the Flyers as such. They've allowed 33 shots per game over the last 10. Without the likes of Sean Couturier and Ryan Ellis, they don't have high-end defensive players to slow down the opposing team's best weapons.

Jakob Chychrun over 2.5 shots (-125)

Chychrun is a sneaky good play tonight. He's been a shooting machine since returning to the lineup, attempting a team-high 36 shots through just six games. That kind of volume makes him a threat to hit on any given night.

While the Avalanche are one of the league's elite teams, they do give up a fair amount to defenders. They concede 9.5 shots on goal per game to defensemen, which slots them 24th in the league. Colorado is susceptible to blue-liners, and Chychrun is shooting more than anybody on the Coyotes. I think this total should be at 3.5.

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

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