We have a small three-game slate ahead of us Wednesday on the eve of the All-Star break.

Let's take a look at three ways to attack it.

Brady Tkachuk: Over 3.5 shots

Tkachuk came through for us last time out, soaring past his over with an eight-shot performance. We're going right back to the well in a fantastic matchup versus the Red Wings.

Detroit has won its fair share of games lately but certainly not because of its defense. The Red Wings rank 30th in five-on-five shot suppression over the past 10 contests and have allowed at least 30 total shots in nine of them. Win or lose, their goaltenders are seeing a ton of rubber.

I fully expect that to be the case again here. Believe it or not, the Senators are first in five-on-five shot generation over the last 10. They're creating a lot of offense, and Tkachuk is at the forefront.

Nobody on the Senators has more shots or chances in that span, whether it be at five-on-five or on the power play.

Tkachuk has registered four shots or more in 65% of his games this season. Given the Red Wings' inability to limit shots of late, he's in a prime spot to get there again.

Odds: -145 (playable to -160)

Alex DeBrincat: Over 2.5 shots

DeBrincat has cooled off of late, going over his total in just three of the past 10 games. Even still, his season outputs remain very encouraging. He has recorded three shots or more in 57% of his games and a whopping 69% when playing in Detroit.

I expect his home success to continue Wednesday night against the Senators. He's back on the top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, which should lead to extra usage relative to what he has seen lately.

DeBrincat has also generated shots at a higher rate with Larkin than other centers like J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp, even though Larkin is much more of a shooting (and scoring) threat.

I expect DeBrincat to have some extra pep in his step squaring off against his former team. He has faced the Senators three times this season, going over his total in two of them.

He attempted six shots in the lone defeat, which is in line with his season average at home - where he has been so successful - and generally enough for DeBrincat to get the job done.

The Red Wings haven't played in a few days, and this is their last game before the break. Every point is needed in a heated playoff race, so expect the Red Wings to give their top players as much ice as they can handle.

Odds: +103 (playable to -125)

Adrian Kempe: Under 3.5 shots

This line is too high for me. Kempe is averaging 3.1 shots per game (3.0 on the road) and owns a 36% hit rate for the season.

He's not exactly on an upward trajectory, having averaged 2.6 shots over the last 10 games while falling short of his total in eight of them.

Yet Kempe's line still sits at 3.5 heading into a road contest against the stingy Predators. They have been one of the league's best defensive sides since the calendar flipped, ranking near the top in expected goals suppression while routinely playing in low-event games.

The Predators aren't going to give Kempe much room to breathe at five-on-five. While they aren't in fine form killing penalties, they don't take many of them.

Head coach Andrew Brunette is likely to go with the best-on-best mentality, which means Kempe should see plenty of the Ryan O'Reilly line and Roman Josi pairing. It may be sweaty, but the Predators are well-equipped to keep Kempe under this number.

Odds: -145 (playable to -160)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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The Vancouver Canucks signed general manager Patrik Allvin to a multi-year contract extension on Wednesday.

Allvin took over in Vancouver in early 2022, becoming the first Swede in NHL history to hold a GM title. He's overseen a swift turnaround, as the Canucks pace the NHL standings at 71 points after missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.

"The privilege of staying on to continue what we started here with the Canucks means so very much to me and my family," Allvin said in a statement. "While our group has taken many positive steps forward, the job is not done. We will continue to push and put in the work necessary to build a championship-caliber team."

Some of Allvin's notable moves in Vancouver include signing J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser to new contracts, trading away former captain Bo Horvat, and acquiring blue-liners Filip Hronek and Nikita Zadorov in separate deals.

Allvin also appointed Rick Tocchet as head coach last January to replace Bruce Boudreau. The Canucks are 53-23-9 since the switch.

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New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury is listening to trade offers for forward Kaapo Kakko, sources told TSN's Darren Dreger.

Kakko, who will turn 23 in February, was the second overall pick in 2019. He's in the final season of a two-year, $4.2-million contract before hitting restricted free agency this summer.

The Finnish winger has managed six points in 28 games this season while averaging 13:27 per contest. Kakko set career highs in goals (18), points (40), and shots on goal (125) in 2022-23.

The Rangers sit first in the Metropolitan Division and are expected to be buyers ahead of this year's trade deadline. New York has approximately $5.2 million in flexibility, according to CapFriendly, and center appears to be an area of need for the team after Filip Chytil was recently ruled out for the rest of the season.

Drury has made big swings at recent deadlines. He acquired Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko in 2023 and moved several picks in 2022 to land Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano.

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Sitting on a stool inside a South Surrey, British Columbia, conference room last November, with a group of young male hockey players staring back at him, Brock McGillis lobbed a simple question at the Under-18 Semiahmoo Ravens.

"What is something you like doing away from hockey that you don't typically share with the boys?" asked McGillis, the first openly gay men's pro hockey player.

After gentle prodding, a player spoke up to say he likes to spend his free time making "dirty rap songs" - boom, the ice was broken. Others shared their love for drawing, woodworking, airplanes, luxury cars, fishing, and anime cartoons. One player sheepishly confessed to being a "big Lego guy."

"Legos! That's the first time I've gotten that answer, anywhere," McGillis said.

McGillis has experienced different versions of this revelatory interaction many times over the past few months. His 100-day Culture Shift tour, which includes talks with more than 100 minor-hockey teams spread across the seven Canadian NHL markets, aims to change language, behavior, and attitudes.

He challenges teenage players to embrace what makes them unique within a sport that typically promotes conformity. In Calgary, a player told McGillis about his hobby making candles - and how his teammates are selling them.

"I have this saying: Normal doesn't exist. We're all a bunch of weirdos, and that's a beautiful thing," McGillis said last week during a break in the tour, which is scheduled to wrap in Toronto on Feb. 5 and return next season.

McGillis played in the Ontario Hockey League, briefly in the now-defunct United Hockey League, a pro league in the Netherlands, and at Concordia University in Montreal. The former goalie came out in 2016 and has since dedicated his working hours to LGBTQ activism and relaying his personal story. Now 40, he's the co-founder of the queer-led nonprofit Alphabet Sports Collective, and was recently named one of The Hockey News' 100 people of power and influence within the sport.

Here are a few things we learned while sitting down with McGillis.

The ripple effect

After his retirement in 2010, McGillis began training elite athletes in Sudbury, Ontario. He hid his sexuality for about five years at work in part because he was afraid of being blackballed by local sports associations. Then he got a phone call from a hockey mom who wanted to set him up on a blind date.

"What's her name?" McGillis asked.

"Steve," the mom replied.

McGillis' clients already knew his secret. He thought about coming out to them, but opted to observe their behavior instead. He noticed they'd freeze up and apologize any time they used homophobic language. McGillis was encouraged by this, though he wondered how they acted with him not around.

At a conditioning session when McGillis wasn't present, a player, upset at another trainer's demands to keep running, expressed his frustrations. "This is so gay," he said. An older player told the younger player his remark was unacceptable and anybody who speaks like that should do 50 pushups.

Keeping teammates accountable in this way became a trend in the area.

"That older player, on that day, on a random track in Sudbury, in 2015, did something he thought was so small. But he was creating a shift. And that shift had a ripple effect," McGillis said. "Because every shift we create - big or small - leads to something else."

McGillis came out not long after hearing that story. Thousands of people have reached out for counsel since then. Many have summoned the courage to come out themselves. Another ripple effect.

"Pick a topic: Racism. Homophobia. Misogyny. Ableism. Bullying. Mental health," McGillis said. "Whatever it is, a shift can happen."

How to create shifts

McGillis believes there are three easy ways to create a shift within big groups:

• Humanize the issue

• Create an accepting environment

• Break conformity

To start his talks, McGillis asks the group if they know anyone from the LGBTQ community. Typically, 90% raise a hand - and he wants the teenagers to think about that person in their life as he relays his own story. For years, he himself used slurs, adopted a hyper-masculine attitude, and dated girls. He battled depression. All because he was never comfortable being his true self.

What might your sibling, friend, classmate, or teammate be thinking? And feeling?

McGillis noticed the vast majority of hockey players dress, walk, talk, and act similarly. In other words, they conform to norms of hockey culture.

Creating an accepting environment, one that celebrates differences in outside interests, skin color, sexual orientation, and whatever else, can lead to a break in conformity, which can lead to people feeling empowered to speak out about injustices. These open-minded environments, McGillis says, can be fostered at the grassroots, intermediate (junior or college), and pro levels.

"We need to embrace individuality," McGillis said. "This cultlike mentality we have in hockey culture is problematic. It leads to things like the 2018 world juniors team." McGillis decries the silence from Hockey Canada and teammates who may have witnessed the alleged sexual assault at the center of an ongoing scandal.

Evolving at slow pace

In some ways, a lot has changed since McGillis came out.

Luke Prokop, a third-round draft pick of the Nashville Predators, is now the first out gay player under NHL contract. Player agent Bayne Pettinger, Alphabet Sports Collective's other co-founder, is out too. Seattle Kraken athletic trainer Justin Rogers counts as yet another trailblazer. All three received overwhelming support at the time of their personal announcements.

Pride warmup jerseys and Pride Tape have been overall positives for hockey and the LGBTQ community. However, controversies surrounding their NHL usage have dominated headlines. With most steps forward, there's a step back.

"We have to see all the dark to push towards the light," is how McGillis puts it.

Is he generally optimistic about the future?

"We have a ways to go to continue to evolve the culture. But people want to evolve it. Adults want to. Kids want to. They're receptive. I've seen it firsthand lately," McGillis said. "One of the biggest things I'm realizing is that nobody wants to be the villain. When you teach people the impact they're having - positive or negative - nobody wants to be the one making a negative impact.

"It's the best sport in the world," he added. "So let's make the best version of it on and off the ice."

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

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With the NHL All-Star draft set to commence Thursday at 6 p.m. ET, four members of our hockey editorial team tried to get inside the minds of the All-Star captains and take their best guesses about how the draft will play out.

Here are the results:

Team Matthews

Captain: Auston Matthews
Assistant: Morgan Rielly
Celebrity: Justin Bieber
Editor: Kyle Cushman

The Biebs' influence is felt greatly here. As a diehard Maple Leafs fan, it's no surprise that the pop star helped construct a team that will undoubtedly be the crowd favorite in Toronto. With Matthews and Rielly already headlining the leadership group, and the squad's first two picks being used on Nylander and Marner, all four Leafs representatives are on the same team. The hometown boost could prove to be a great advantage.

Team McDavid

Captain: Connor McDavid
Assistant: Leon Draisaitl
Celebrity: Will Arnett
Editor: Josh Gold-Smith

McDavid may or not be aware that he was the centerpiece of the All-Connor team we assembled over the summer. But, given the fact that two other stellar namesakes are in this talent pool, it would only be right to see the Oilers superstar select both Connors from the Jets. Nabbing the players ranked second (Reinhart) and third (Pastrnak) in NHL goal-scoring this season would ensure plenty of lamp-lighting for McDavid's crew, too.

Team MacKinnon

Captain: Nathan MacKinnon
Assistant: Cale Makar
Celebrity: Tate McRae
Editor: Josh Wegman

There's no way MacKinnon would let his friend, offseason training partner, and fellow Nova Scotian Crosby get past pick No. 3 here. While it's a shame Canadian hockey fans are yet to see Nate and Sid star together in a best-on-best international tournament, this All-Star game could provide a fun glimpse of their chemistry. With a slew of other dynamic players on the roster, goal-scoring won't be an issue for Team MacKinnon, either.

Team Hughes

Captain: Quinn Hughes
Assistant: Elias Pettersson
Celebrity: Michael Buble
Editor: Kayla Douglas

Much like Auston Matthews, who won't surprise anyone if he takes the three other Maple Leafs in the pool, Hughes will clearly look to bring his Canucks teammates into the fold. Picking a goalie in the first round would be a mild surprise, but given the way Demko's played this season, it might be necessary to ensure the Vancouver quartet isn't broken up. This result would also be a tough break for Bjorkstrand, as the player taken last won't win a brand-new car as in past All-Star drafts.

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The Ottawa Senators won't let their position in the standings stop them from being aggressive at the trade deadline.

The Eastern Conference's last-place club is among the teams interested in Calgary Flames defenseman Chris Tanev, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

Tanev, 34, is in the last year of his contract with a $4.5-million cap hit.

Despite his age, the Senators view Tanev as a foundational fit but would likely require an extension to be in place before pulling off a trade, Dreger added.

Tanev has recorded nine points in 46 games for the Flames this season while averaging 19:40 per contest. He's known as one of the better pure shutdown defensemen in the league, as his defensive metrics are strong and he ranks fifth in the NHL with 135 blocked shots.

He also shoots right, which could make him a good fit for Ottawa's left-handed-heavy blue line.

Ottawa has reportedly listened to offers for Jakob Chychrun, a lefty defenseman who's most often tasked with playing on his off side. However, Chychrun called the trade rumors "ridiculous."

The Senators rank 30th in the NHL in goals against per game and haven't finished higher than 20th since they last made the playoffs in 2016-17. Tanev would certainly help in that regard.

It may be out of Ottawa's hands, though. Tanev's contract contains a 10-team no-trade list, so he'll have a say in where he ends up if he does get traded.

The Maple Leafs have also shown interest in the Toronto native, as general manager Brad Treliving attempted to pull off a trade for both Tanev and Nikita Zadorov earlier in the season before the latter was ultimately dealt to the Vancouver Canucks.

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Sat and Israel are joined by Gene Principe (1:00) to break down the red hot run that Edmonton finds themselves on heading into the All Star break with 16 straight wins. The guys discuss the overall success of Canadian hockey markets this season and the restored faith that the Stanley Cup may return north of the border soon. Irfaan Gaffar then joins the guys (27:00) and gives his take on the recent Nikita Zadorov trade rumours and what else the Canucks could be looking to move in and out at the upcoming trade deadline. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Satiar Shah and Israel Fehr discuss what weaknesses this Canucks team has and how this upcoming trade deadline should be focused on mitigating those. The potential of trading someone like Zadorov could be on the table and the guys discuss what other possibilities and targets are out there for Vancouver. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.