"We wanted to work with him, but he wanted to go home," McPhee said.
Shipachyov tallied one goal in the only three games he played with the Golden Knights after agreeing to a two-year, $9-million contract during the offseason.
Mathew Barzal's NHL career didn't get off to a promising start like many other greats, but to both his and the New York Islanders' credit, patience seems to be producing results.
Barzal was plucked 16th overall by the Islanders in the 2015 draft - the infamous McDavid, Eichel year - with a pick that swapped between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers before landing with New York.
After tallying 57 points in 44 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League in his draft year, he returned for his third season in the WHL and took a leap forward posting 27 goals and 88 points in 58 games, while also representing Canada at the world juniors.
Then came the 2017 campaign where he got his first true taste of the NHL. Barzal had an impressive training camp and made enough of an impression to earn a roster spot with the Islanders to begin the year.
Unfortunately for Barzal, it was an experiment that didn't last long. After just two games, while playing a combined 19:30 of ice time with no points to show for his effort, the former first-round selection returned to the Thunderbirds. It was at this point where Barzal deployed a tremendous work ethic to get back to the big stage.
Barzal - serving as the team's captain - tallied 79 points in 41 games, finishing just shy of a two points per game pace. He also returned to Canada's world juniors squad where he finished with eight points in seven games, while serving as an alternate captain, en route to a silver medal.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
His stellar season continued as he tallied another 25 points in 16 playoff games, aiding the Thunderbirds to an Ed Chynoweth Cup victory and earning playoff MVP honors.
With this new-found confidence, Barzal came into training camp determined to cement himself a spot on the Islanders' roster. As fate would have it, he did just that. He was pointless in his first five games of the season, but after some fine tuning, he is now setting the league ablaze.
Over the past 10 games, Barzal has gone pointless just once, tallying three goals and 14 points, including a monstrous five-assist game during the Islanders' 6-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
His 14-point output has pushed him into a tie for second in rookie scoring with Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser - putting him just three points back of rookie scoring leader Clayton Keller.
What's more impressive - and a sign of Barzal's professional growth - is he's earned the confidence of his coaches. Barzal is slotted on the club's second line alongside Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd and manning the point on their top power-play unit. In fact, during the team's recent 2-1 loss to the Oilers, Barzal played 18:59 minutes - the third-most among Islanders forwards, behind only John Tavares and Josh Bailey.
Further to that, Barzal is gaining confidence in himself, which was clear when he pulled off a ridiculous deke on Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom Tuesday night.
Things might not have gone as planned to begin his career, but after an incredible three weeks, Barzal looks to be a rising young talent in the NHL.
He is considered day to day with the injury, Babcock confirmed, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton, meaning the 20-year-old will be watched closely heading into the weekend as the Maple Leafs will tangle with the Boston Bruins in a home-and-home battle Friday and Saturday.
Prior to Wednesday, Matthews had played all 98 of the Maple Leafs' games dating back to last season, in which he has tallied 50 goals and 88 points.
While it's been well documented that Matt Duchene has wanted out of Colorado for some time now, just how long he's been waiting to be dealt has been kept on the down-low - until now.
Following the three-way trade that sent Duchene to the Ottawa Senators and Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators, Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic explained that Duchene formally asked to be traded last year.
"Matt, last Christmas, he asked me if I could move him just for a fresh start," Sakic said, according to Stephen Whyno of The Assoicated Press. "I just told him: Be patient."
Duchene told reporters in January that he was open to a trade, stating he understood that it was part of the business and something that could potentially happen. Evidently it appears he was more than open to a trade.
In all, it took just under 11 months for Duchene to get what he truly wanted. Sakic, however, noted that Duchene is "relieved" and "excited to go to Ottawa," while reiterating the move was the best thing for the Avalanche.
After more than a year of speculation as to where and when the Colorado Avalanche would trade Matt Duchene, those questions have been answered. Ultimately it's the Ottawa Senators that landed Duchene, but not without a large helping hand from the Nashville Predators.
The three clubs came together to make a blockbuster deal that largely addresses the needs of each, but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, some general managers make the grade over their colleagues.
Predators: A-
While they didn't get their initial target, the Predators have to be happy walking away with a different potential No. 1 center in the form of Kyle Turris.
In late June it was reported that the Predators - along with the Columbus Blue Jackets - had presented offers to the Avalanche in an attempt to acquire Duchene. While that trade never came to fruition, in Turris they get an equally capable center.
In fact, Duchene (0.74) holds only a slight edge over Turris (0.70) in the area of points per game over the last four years.
In return, the Predators sacrificed a second-round pick in next June's draft along with prospects Samuel Girard and Vladislav Kamenev, both of whom were second-round selections by Nashville in the 2016 and 2014 drafts respectively.
What might be most noteworthy to the Preds is that they completed the deal without giving up any of their top-4 defensemen and, after finalizing the swap, were able to ink Turris to a friendly six-year, $36-million extension. Even with all of their top guns signed through next season the club will still have more than $9 million in cap space.
Senators: C+
The Senators got their guy.
After reports that the club had been aggressively pursuing Duchene, Pierre Dorion was able to make it all work. The final price tag was Turris, prospect Shane Bowers, goaltender Andrew Hammond, a first-round pick in 2018, and a third-round pick in 2019, all for a player who has one more year on his contract at $6 million.
In Bowers, the Senators also sacrifice their first-round selection from this past June's draft. The team is able to rid themselves of Hammond though, who - despite his brilliance two years ago - was making $1.5 million while playing in the AHL.
It's a pretty penny to give up for Duchene, meaning it will be up to the team's newest member to prove he was worth it.
Avalanche: A+
Love or hate how Joe Sakic handled the Matt Duchene-trade saga, but what can't be argued is the incredible haul he was able to get for the former first-round pick.
In all, the Avalanche acquired three prospects, one goaltender, and three selections in the next two drafts.
It's an abundance of riches and one that makes it clear as to why Sakic waited so long to pull the trigger on a deal, despite how many were on the table recently.
Told there were at least 5 occasions where the Avs were close to a deal with Duchene in past several months. Past deals better? Never know.
The Avalanche get younger, remove their biggest distraction (though it doesn't seem to have impacted their play on the ice this season), bolster their prospect pipeline, and free up a large chunk of salary.
As with trades of this magnitude that include picks and prospects, it might be years before the true winner of the deal is known, but in the meantime one can't help but tip their hat to the Avalanche.
Turris was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the season and, according to his agent, was seeking a seven- or eight-year deal worth roughly $6 million per season during contract talks with the Senators back in early October.
Since joining the team during the 2011-12 season, Turris has tallied the most goals (117) and second-most points (274) among all Sens players, while dressing in 407 games.
For general managers planning to get in on the John Tavares sweepstakes this coming summer, the beginning of the 2017-18 season has been bittersweet.
The New York Islanders captain has been on a goal-scoring rampage over the last couple weeks. He has positioned himself among the hottest players in the league through the first month of the season, which is sure to raise his asking price this offseason.
Tavares has already tallied two hat tricks and in all has collected 12 goals and 17 points in 13 games in a contract year. His hot start - whether or not he maintains this torrid pace - puts him in a good position to not just surpass last season's totals of 28 goals and 66 points, but also his career year in 2014-15 when he finished second in league scoring with 38 goals and 86 points.
The Mississauga, Ontario native is in the final season of a six-year, $33-million contract that has seen the Islanders get tremendous bang for their buck.
However, Tavares is soon to get his due. He will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career - unless he re-ups with the Islanders - and given his body of work and the current contracts of the game's best centers, he could very well score one of the league's wealthiest deals.
Connor McDavid is, of course, at the top of the totem pole. His $12.5-million cap hit over eight years trumps all deals, but it might not be far off from what Tavares could command.
At 27 years of age, wisdom would suggest Tavares is in his prime and likely to demand a max eight-year deal - and rightfully so. As for what his cap hit should look like, consider the five top-earning centers in the league as of next season:
Player
Cap Hit
Age at Signing
PPG in Contract Year
McDavid
$12.5M
20
1.22
Toews
$10.5M
26
0.89
Eichel
$10M
21
0.93
Kopitar
$10M
28
0.91
Malkin
$9.5M
26
1.06
Since breaking into the league, Tavares has paced Evgeni Malkin, Jonathan Toews, and Anze Kopitar in points. Additionally, Tavares plays all situations, wins more than half of his faceoffs, and boasts a Corsi For rating of 53.12 this season.
At his current pace, Tavares would tally 75 goals and 107 points in 82 games. That number is sure to drop, at least in the goal-scoring department as he is currently rocking a shooting percentage of 26.1 percent, more than double his career average.
He's on course to take a career-high 290 shots, and even if Tavares regresses to his career average shooting percentage the rest of the way, that would still see him record 43 goals - the highest mark of his career.
Tavares is on pace to finish well below his average assists total, but given that he's averaged 41 helpers over the last four seasons, chances are he will finish with a respectable number. If he can come close to that total, a career year may be in the cards.
Given that teams tend to overpay in free agency - should Tavares get there - it's reasonable to expect Tavares to put pen to paper on an eight-year, $80-million contract, especially if his blistering pace continues.
We're nearly a month into the NHL season and while there remains a large chunk of hockey to be played, a handful of stars are struggling off the hop.
A number of the game's upper echelon players are struggling to put the puck in the net. Whether it be due to bad luck or bad performance, some players have simply been snake-bitten.
Here are eight players still searching for their first goal of the season:
Brent Burns
Last season, Burns paced the league with 320 shots on goal, setting career-highs with 29 goals and 76 points.
To begin this campaign, however, Burns has been limited to just six assists in 10 games. That being said, he has still thrown 43 shots at the opposition - good enough for a share of 11th in the NHL so far. It should be just a matter of time before he gets into the goal column.
Erik Karlsson
The fact Karlsson has yet to collect his first goal of the season is not a slight, but simply an observation.
The Ottawa Senators captain has played just six games - missing the beginning of the season as he nursed a foot injury - and while he has picked up nine assists, he is still searching for his first goal.
Karlsson's averaging just under three shots per contest and already has three multi-point games. Goal No.1 is coming sooner than later.
Dustin Byfuglien
Byfuglien continues to log insane minutes for the Winnipeg Jets, but doesn't have a goal to show for his time on ice.
The 32-year-old has five assists in seven games, but no goals to his credit. What's more surprising is that Byfuglien has taken just 18 shots so far, an average of 2.57 per game. Last season, he finished 22nd in the league with 241 shots on goal, an average of over three per contest.
To begin the 2017-18 campaign, the 34-year-old is logging an average of just 13:07 minutes of ice time per game, nearly three minutes fewer than last season. He's also been moved to the wing from his native center, tallying just five assists in 11 games.
He might need to score more goals to earn the ice time, but might need more ice time to score goals. It's a tricky situation.
Henrik Sedin
Henrik has never been known as a goal scorer and the Vancouver Canucks are transitioning into a younger squad, but still, the fact he's gone goalless is a bit surprising.
Sedin has just three assists through 10 games, but what's more shocking is he's logging the eighth-most ice time among the team's forwards - even Derek Dorsett is seeing the ice more.
The Sedins are getting older and their careers are surely winding down, but no one expected their production to drop so drastically.
Sebastian Aho
The Carolina Hurricanes are struggling to find offense to begin the season and subsequently Sebastian Aho is without his first goal.
After tallying 24 in his rookie campaign, Aho could be falling victim to the infamous sophomore slump. That being said, he is still playing on the team's top line and is logging the third most ice time on the club among forwards. He should break the goose egg in time.
Kyle Okposo
Behind a struggling club, you're sure to find struggling players.
Look no further than the Buffalo Sabres and Kyle Okposo. The team has gone 3-7-2 to begin the year and Okposo has just two assists in 10 games to boot. He's averaged just over 23 goals per 82 games over the last three seasons so it's unlikely he goes too long without a goal. Both he and the Sabres could really use some.
Ryan Johansen
Johansen's knack for scoring goals has really dropped off over the last two seasons. He's posted back-to-back 14-goal campaigns, yet, has still topped the 60-point plateau each time.
Despite being goalless, he still centers the Predators' top line and his linemate, Filip Forsberg, has already tallied eight goals through 11 games. Johansen's glaring issue appears to be the fact he has mustered just 16 shots through 11 games.
He mans the top line and the team's top power-play unit, the theme here seems clear: shoot the puck and good things might happen.
The Montreal Canadiens held on to top the New York Rangers 5-4 on Saturday night, giving the lowly club two victories in their last three games. After it strung together a seven-game losing streak, it was certainly a step in the right direction.
There were a lot of takeaways from the victory. First and foremost, the Canadiens once again proved they can produce offense. For the second time in three games, the team punched five goals past the opposing netminder, after crushing the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Tuesday night.
On the other end, however, Carey Price continued to struggle to keep pucks out of the net. While he picked up his third victory, he still conceded four goals on 26 shots.
It was the sixth time in 10 games and the fifth time in his last six outings that he has given up at least four goals. Early on, Price is rocking a 3.64 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage.
His poor play is even more surprising given that October has historically been the month he's played his best hockey, especially over the past four seasons.
Year
Record
Goals-against average
Save percentage
2016-17
5-0-0
1.40
.954
2015-16
7-2-0
2.01
.936
2014-15
7-1-1
2.48
.920
2013-14
6-5-0
2.02
.939
Sure, the players in front of him certainly deserve some of the blame, but the Canadiens have also - through their 3-7-1 start - allowed the fourth-fewest shots per game (28.8) and have been among the league's best possession teams, ranking third in Corsi For with a 54.4 mark.
Further to that, Price has the 32nd-ranked low-danger save percentage and high-danger save percentage (at all strengths) among all 33 goalies who have played at least five games this season.
Going forward, the Canadiens will need to prove they can still score at a more consistent clip. Though they scored five goals on both Tuesday and Saturday, they were shut out 4-0 by the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. And prior to their five-goal outing against Florida, they only scored 13 goals in their previous eight games.
Price is unlikely to remain as poor as he has been to kick off the year. There's a reason he's a Hart and Vezina Trophy winner. But if he doesn't get things sorted out soon, it might not matter how much the offense improves.
San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton has officially moved into a tie for 20th on the NHL's all-time points list.
The 38-year-old collected his second goal of the season against his former club, the Boston Bruins, to pick up his 1,398th point to bring him level with Edmonton Oilers great Jari Kurri.
Thornton originally looked to have accomplished the feat Monday after recording an assist, but a stat change saw the helper removed to bring him back into 21st.
Thornton needs 11 more points to move up the list again where he will match Dale Hawerchuk and his 1,409 points.
