All posts by Brandon Maron

Jets’ Dubois: Upcoming contract about more than money, term

Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois is a restricted free agent this summer, but he isn't putting too much thought into contract negotiations just yet.

Asked Friday if Winnipeg is a team he could see himself signing with long term, Dubois gave a measured response.

"Yeah, it is," he said. "But at the same time, you know, I haven't really thought about that, we haven't talked about it with the team ... there's been no, really, discussion, so it's not something that I've put that much thought into.

"I've enjoyed my two years here - I like the guys, I like the group, I like the team. I've had a fun two years, so yeah, it is somewhere I could see that. But like I said, I haven't - I know it's hard to believe me - I haven't put that much thought into it. That's what these next four-to-five months are for, and we have time."

The 23-year-old is wrapping up his second season with the Jets after they acquired him in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets early last year. He's scored career-high 28 goals and added 31 assists in 79 games this season.

Dubois - who joined Winnipeg after requesting a trade from Columbus - pointed out that money and term aren't necessarily his top priorities when it comes to signing a long-term deal.

"It's not easy. It's tough. Especially now, if you think of a long-term deal; I could have a family, and I could be in the last years of my career at that point," Dubois said. "So it's not just 'what do you want now?' It's 'what do you want six years from now and five years from now and eight years from now?'"

He continued: "Everybody has different motivations ... It's not an easy decision to make; it's not just 'here's money and here's years.' If it was that, I wouldn't have taken a risk two years ago and asked for a trade out of Columbus. It's a very important and very tough decision to make, and that's why I said these next four-to-five months will be important to think about everything and all the different scenarios possible."

Dubois is coming off a two-year, $10-million deal he inked with the Blue Jackets. He's two years from unrestricted free agency.

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Fleury not thinking retirement yet: I’d like to play ‘at least another season’

Marc-Andre Fleury isn't ready to hang up his skates just yet.

"I would like to play at least another season. I decided that recently," Fleury said, according to La Presse's Katherine Harvey-Pinard. "I still love to play, I still have fun, the body's holding up - most of the time. But yes, one more season, and we'll see after."

The veteran goaltender is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Chicago Blackhawks acquired him from the Vegas Golden Knights during the summer and dealt him to the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline.

The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is still keeping pace as one of the league's best goalies. He has a .910 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average in 52 games this season, with a .921 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average in seven games since joining the Wild.

The 37-year-old has appeared in the most contests out of all active goaltenders (935). He won the Stanley Cup three times while with the Pittsburgh Penguins and helped guide the Vegas Golden Knights to a finals appearance in the club's inaugural season.

Fleury ranks third in NHL history with 517 wins, trailing Patrick Roy by 34 for second place.

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Gaudreau notches most even-strength points since Jagr in 1995-96

Johnny Gaudreau's spectacular season just won't stop.

After recording two goals in a 5-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, the 28-year-old has reached 85 even-strength points on the season. The last player to record more was Jaromir Jagr when he had 95 during the 1995-96 campaign.

Only 17 other players in NHL history have recorded over 85 even-strength points in a single season, according to The Canadian Press' Darren Haynes.

Gaudreau was quick to credit his teammates when asked about the feat postgame.

"Playing with some good players, obviously," Gaudreau said, according to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson. "You don't do that by yourself."

Gaudreau has set a career high in goals (38), assists (69), and points (107) and still has six games left. He also leads the NHL with a plus-61 plus-minus rating.

The big night didn't stop there. Gaudreau, who's spent his entire career in Calgary, also became the fifth player to record 600 points with the Flames, according to StatsCentre. He joins Jarome Iginla, Joe Nieuwendyk, Theo Fleury, and Al MacInnis.

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Price appreciates cheers in season debut: ‘It made me feel really wanted’

Carey Price made his season debut at the Bell Centre on Friday night and the raucous Montreal Canadiens fans made sure to shower him with cheers throughout the evening.

The 34-year-old received a thunderous ovation when he was introduced in the pregame lineups.

Fans also packed into the arena early to cheer him on during warmups.

"It was a lot of fun. Obviously, it was heartwarming. Made me feel really wanted," Price said postgame. "It was definitely emotional but I was able to stifle that and stay focused because I wanted to play well tonight."

Price had been sidelined all season long due to offseason knee surgery and subsequent rehab. He also spent a month in the NHL's player assistance program in October.

The Canadiens lost 3-0 to the Islanders on Friday. Price allowed two goals on 19 shots but looked sharp in his first game action in months. Ilya Sorokin posted a 44-save shutout for the Islanders.

With only seven games remaining on their schedule, head coach Martin St. Louis said it's entirely up to Price how much he'll play over that span.

“If Carey wants to play, he’s going to play," St. Louis said, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu.

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Horvat to miss at least 2 weeks, Hoglander out indefinitely

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat will miss at least the next two weeks, the team announced Friday.

Horvat will be re-evaluated at the end of the month for the lower-body injury he suffered vs. the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night. He took a slap shot off his leg and did not return.

Nils Hoglander will also be out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle/groin injury. There's no timeline for his return.

The Canucks' regular season is set to end on April 29 with seven games remaining on their schedule. The club is clinging to playoff hopes, sitting in fifth place in the Pacific Division.

Horvat has 31 goals and 21 assists in 70 games this season.

Hoglander has 10 goals and eight assists in 60 games this year. He's been out of the lineup since March 15.

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Lehner away from Golden Knights due to health issue with family member

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner has returned to Las Vegas due to a health issue with one of his family members, the team announced.

Vegas, which is currently on the road, is scheduled to play the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

It's not known when Lehner could rejoin the team. The Golden Knights added that they're looking forward to him returning "as soon as possible."

Vegas is in a tight playoff race with seven games remaining on its schedule. The club is one point behind the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division.

Lehner, 30, has a 23-16-2 record this season with a .907 save percentage and 2.82 goals-against average.

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Knies won’t join Maple Leafs yet, will return to Minnesota next season

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies has informed the club that he will return to the NCAA next season, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"Minnesota and coach (Bob) Motzko have a great program, so we know he will continue to develop as he has," Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. Dubas added that his team's pitch wasn't too aggressive because the option to go back to Minnesota "was a great one."

The 19-year-old just wrapped up his freshman year with Minnesota, which lost in the semifinals of the Frozen Four. He managed 15 goals and 18 assists in 33 games during the regular season.

Knies’ advisor Matt Federico said that Toronto has no reason to be concerned about his future with the organization, Friedman added.

The Maple Leafs selected Knies with the 57th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. He also represented the U.S. at the Olympics and the world juniors this year.

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Watch: Hartman gives Evander Kane middle finger after scrum

Ryan Hartman wasn't having any of Evander Kane's antics during the Minnesota Wild's 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

Kane went after Wild star Kirill Kaprizov late in the contest, which drew a crowd. Hartman came to Kaprizov's defense and got mixed up with Kane.

Hartman was seen giving Kane the middle finger as the scrum was breaking up. Officials gave the pair game misconducts: Kane received a two-minute minor for roughing and a two-minute minor for cross-checking, while Hartman just received an additional roughing minor.

Hartman didn't back down from calling Kane out postgame, either.

"It goes to show, we had five guys in there. They didn’t have one guy in there to help him," Hartman said, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo. "I don’t think any of their guys are going to defend him.”

Hartman added that if he gets fined for his obscene gesture towards Kane on the way off the ice, it will be "well worth it."

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Doughty undergoes wrist surgery, done for season

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty underwent successful wrist surgery on Monday and will miss the rest of the season, the team announced.

Los Angeles expects him to make a full recovery and be ready for next season.

Doughty has been out of the lineup since March 7. He was enjoying a solid campaign for the Kings, scoring seven goals and adding 24 assists in the 39 games he skated in.

Injuries have hampered the Kings all season long, with defensemen Mikey Anderson and Sean Walker currently on long-term injured reserve.

L.A. is in the thick of the playoff race in the Pacific Division despite the injury battle. The club is currently in third place with a 38-26-10 record.

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Power excited to make Sabres debut in hometown vs. Maple Leafs

The Buffalo Sabres will finally get to see Owen Power in NHL action on Tuesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The first overall pick of the 2021 draft and Mississauga native is even more excited that he gets to make his debut in his hometown.

"I think it's extremely special. Anyone's NHL debut is a really special moment, but to be able to have it in my hometown with all my family here, I think just makes it that much better," Power said Monday, according to TSN.

"I think just go out there and play my game. Like I said, I know it's gonna be an adjustment, but I don't think I need to change the way that I play. I think I'll adjust on the fly and just go out there, play my game, and have fun."

Power just wrapped up his second season at Michigan, where he scored three goals and added 29 assists in 33 games. He also represented Team Canada at the Olympics, managing one assist in five games.

Sabres head coach Don Granato noted how incredible he feels to see how Power's jumped from team to team over the past couple of years and stayed on the top of his game. He also represented Canada at the world juniors and world championship.

"If you think of how many teams he's been on in the last two years and the pressure's he's had on him or the hype he's had on him for the last two years, it just rolls off him," Granato said. "He handles it pretty well - especially when he puts his hockey gear on."

This is how the team's defensive pairings looked at practice Monday:

Power became the NHL's third defenseman to be taken first overall in the NHL since 2007. The Sabres selected Rasmus Dahlin in 2018, and the Florida Panthers took Aaron Ekblad in 2014.

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