No Patrice Bergeron, no David Krejci, no problem for David Pastrnak.
Although the Boston Bruins lost their top two centers to retirement in the offseason - plus key left-wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Taylor Hall departed via free agency and trade - Pastrnak hasn't skipped a beat. After finishing second in Hart Trophy voting last season thanks to a 61-goal, 113-point campaign, Pastrnak is currently on pace for 60 goals and 131 points in 2023-24.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery is among those who are surprised Pastrnak's been able to maintain his elite production.
"I thought that he would have a harder time producing without Bergy and obviously Krejci to work with," Montgomery said Wednesday, per the Boston Globe's Conor Ryan. "But I do know, at my year-end meeting with him I said, 'There's gonna be a lot more put on you next year.'
"Because we figured (Bergeron and Krejci) were moving on. And he just looked and he goes 'Yeah, I'm expecting it. Don't worry about it.' That's what he said to me. And now I don't worry about it."
It hasn't all been unfamiliar for Pastrnak. He's currently playing on a line with long-time running mate Brad Marchand at left wing, and Pavel Zacha - who played left wing opposite Pastrnak for most of last season - at center.
Pastrnak has altered his game a bit, though. While he's still one of the game's most lethal snipers, he's improved his passing, as evidenced by his 13 helpers through 15 games. He's on pace for a career-high 71 assists.
"Pasta's become more of a puck possession guy," Montgomery said. "I think it's a little bit intentional, understanding that it's going to take a while to create the kind of creativity that naturally happens when you play with a Krejci or a Bergeron because they're such intelligent hockey players."
The Bruins as a whole have shown no signs of regression despite their key offseason departures. After setting the NHL record for wins and points last season, their .867 points percentage is the league's best in 2023-24.
Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal is calling for a more concentrated effort from him and his teammates following a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.
"As a group, it just doesn't look like we've completely bought in to how we want to do things, and it's going to look like that," Staal said, per Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer. "It's going to be a .500 club that wins some games and loses some games and kind of ho-hum. It's getting a little frustrating. We're going to need to have everyone. I have to be better, our line's got to be better, contributions from everyone. It's got to start soon."
The Canes entered 2023-24 as one of the league's top Stanley Cup favorites after a busy offseason that saw them land Dmitry Orlov and Michael Bunting, among others. But the club has got off to an uneven 9-7-0 start to the campaign.
Staal says the physical effort is there, but the effort to play the team's high-pressure, north-south game is lacking.
"The effort's not terrible," Staal said. "The effort of the way we want to play is what's holding us back. The edge that you have in the NHL is you kind of know where the puck's going because that's the way we do things, and it seems right now we're just not really sure what's going to happen. It starts to look like that sloppy stuff you see in the neutral zone when the puck's bouncing around and guys are swirling around and looping around.
"It's a less direct game than the Hurricanes know and love, and I'm sure the fans love to watch. Tonight, they didn't look like they really love that game, and I don't blame them."
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour echoed his captain's thoughts.
"He knows," Brind'Amour said. "He's the one that's put this in place for a long time. It's not enough. It's not consistent enough. It's hard enough to win anyway, and it kind of makes it harder on ourselves. Just getting off a little, trying to be too cute here and there."
Staal is in his 12th season with the Hurricanes and his fifth wearing the "C" on a full-time basis. While he's better known for his abilities on the defensive side of the puck, Staal, who finished fourth in Selke Trophy voting last season, has only mustered one goal and four assists in 16 games.
Zadorov is coming off an impressive performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Hall of Fame game in which he scored a goal and laid a massive hit on Tyler Bertuzzi.
However, Zadorov only played 15:33 in the shootout loss, the second-lowest mark among Flames defensemen and nearly half of the 28:27 that ice-time leader Rasmus Andersson logged.
The Maple Leafs are, coincidentally, among the teams Zadorov would welcome a trade to, reports TSN's Chris Johnston. Zadorov's contract doesn't contain a no-trade list. Toronto general manager Brad Treliving was the GM of Calgary when the Flames traded for Zadorov in 2021 and re-signed him in 2022.
Zadorov's tallied five points in 12 games while averaging 18:10 per contest this season. His 6-foot-6, 248-pound frame would make him appealing for teams looking to add size to their blue line, but he's also posted strong underlying numbers over the last three campaigns.
Evolving-Hockey
A left-handed shooter, Zadorov has also shown the ability to play both sides in his 11-year NHL career.
The 28-year-old is in the last year of his contract with a $3.75-million cap hit. He's one of three key defensemen for the Flames who can become an unrestricted free agent at season's end, joining Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev.
Calgary reportedly paused extension talks with all of its pending UFAs after a poor start to the season. The Flames are now 4-7-2 on the year.
The Buffalo Sabres drafted Zadorov 16th overall in 2013. He played for the Sabres, Avalanche, and Blackhawks before joining the Flames.
Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen was taken to the hospital as a precaution after going headfirst into the boards Thursday night against the Seattle Kraken, the team announced.
Lehkonen was alert, responsive, and had full movement, the team added.
Really scary play here. Lehkonen goes head-first into the boards after contact with Oleksiak. Just the smallest shove by Oleksiak threw him off balance. No penalty on the play.
Thankfully, Lehkonen was able to skate off, but he was moving very slowly and went down the tunnel. pic.twitter.com/uvtpRw5S7F
Lehkonen was able to skate off the ice on his own power.
"He's the last guy you want to see go down," teammate Andrew Coglianotold reporters postgame. "He's the ultimate warrior out there, he's a great teammate. You never want to see that."
The 28-year-old winger tallied a career-high 51 points in 64 games last season and entered Thursday with three goals and four assists in 11 contests in 2023-24.
Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard tallied two goals and two assists in his team's 5-3 victory on Thursday night, becoming the third-youngest player in NHL history with a four-point game. He trails only Bep Guidolin and Hall of Famer Ted Kennedy, both of whom accomplished the feat in 1944.
Youngest players in NHL history with a 4-point game
Bedard also became the youngest player in Blackhawks history with a multi-goal game, besting Kirby Dach.
The 2023 No. 1 pick came out flying against the Tampa Bay Lightning, notching two goals and an assist in the first period alone. His effort was highlighted by this nifty give-and-go with Nick Foligno.
Head coach Luke Richardson came away impressed with Bedard's performance.
"He's been here for a dozen games now, and he's starting to really figure it out and use his skills at the best of his ability," Richardson said, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times. "It paid off for him and us tonight."
Bedard shrugged off his heroics and gave credit to his teammates.
"(For) all the points, I feel like other guys did great things and I got the benefit," Bedard said. "It's obviously nice getting on the scoresheet, but there's a lot that goes into it."
Veteran Taylor Hall handed Bedard the Blackhawks' player of the game chain.
The list of suitors for Patrick Kane appears to be narrowed down to around four.
The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings have entered the sweepstakes for the unrestricted free-agent winger, reports TSN's Chris Johnston. The Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers, who were previously reported to be interested, remain in the hunt.
Kane finished the 2022-23 campaign with the Rangers after the Chicago Blackhawks dealt him to New York at the trade deadline. He recorded five goals and seven assists in 19 regular-season contests with the Blueshirts before adding six points in seven playoff games. A reunion in the Big Apple would require some financial gymnastics, though, as the Rangers are right up against the cap ceiling.
Detroit, however, has $4.4 million in projected cap space - the sixth-most in the NHL, per CapFriendly. The Red Wings would also offer Kane the opportunity to reunite with former Blackhawks linemate Alex DeBrincat, who joined Detroit this past offseason.
Kane underwent hip resurfacing surgery on June 1 and was given a four-to-six month timeline. Although reports indicate his recovery is going well, the procedure has proven to be difficult to rebound from. Nicklas Backstrom was the latest player to have the surgery before Kane and he's not expected to suit up for the remainder of the season due to ongoing hip issues.
Kane, who turns 35 on Nov. 19, produced a 92-point campaign as recently as 2021-22. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has recorded 1,237 points in 1,180 career regular season games, as well as 138 points in 143 postseason contests.
Welcome to the second edition of theScore's 2023-24 Norris Trophy Rankings and the first in-season version. New rankings will be published once a month throughout the campaign.
These rankings focus on analytics and the all-around ability of defensemen rather than only points or reputation.
xGF% = five-on-five expected goals for percentage
5. Roman Josi, Predators
Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
12
2
6
24:34
53.6
Josi is doing a lot of heavy lifting for the Predators. With a thin forward group, the club counts on the 33-year-old to create offense from the back end, and he hasn't disappointed. Josi ranks second among Preds skaters and third among NHL defensemen in shots (42).
But he's also playing some of the best defensive hockey of his career. Josi's xGF% and expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.13) are the best since his Norris-winning campaign in 2020, and the latter stat ranks 22nd among blue-liners with at least 100 five-on-five minutes.
4. Drew Doughty, Kings
Len Redkoles / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
12
4
2
26:14
55.2
Doughty is turning back the clock. The 2016 Norris winner and four-time finalist is playing some of his best hockey over the last six seasons. Even at age 33 (he turns 34 in December), he continues to be a workhorse, leadingall NHL skaters in average ice time.
Doughty has been highly effective in his heavy minutes, as he's been on the ice for 17 goals for and nine against at even strength. Looking under the hood, his xGF% is in the top 50 at his position.
Doughty ranks tied for fourth among blue-liners in goals, although his 18.2% shooting percentage is due for some regression. However, the savvy veteran is exceptionally difficult to play against, and it's his superb 200-foot game that gives him the edge over other productive defensemen left off this list.
3. Miro Heiskanen, Stars
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
11
1
6
25:21
64.0%
The offensive production hasn't quite been there for Heiskanen, even though a 53-point pace is nothing to scoff at. But he deserves a spot this high on the list due to his play at both ends.
Heiskanen has been on the ice for 10 goals for and only six against at five-on-five, and his xGF% is best among qualified NHL defensemen. As one of the game's most prolific skaters, he excels at transporting the puck up ice and using his legs to thwart opposing threats. Heiskanen could challenge for a higher spot on our list if the production begins to follow his strong underlying play.
2. Cale Makar, Avalanche
Justin Berl / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
11
3
11
23:56
52.9
Makar has been his usual dynamite self offensively, as he's coming off an impressive three-assist night during Tuesday's win over the New Jersey Devils. He's been a threat in transition and walking the offensive-zone blue line.
However, even though his defensive game is underrated and has improved with time, it's been a bit more uneven to start the year than what we've become accustomed to. His xGF% is rather pedestrian from his lofty standards, and his defensive rating is minus-0.3.
The fact that Makar is capable of more, yet still ends up second on this list, shows just how special of a talent he really is.
1. Quinn Hughes, Canucks
Derek Cain / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
A
ATOI
xGF%
12
5
15
23:54
51.5
Hughes paces all NHL defensemen in points and is tied for the league lead in assists with his brother, Jack, and teammate Elias Pettersson. He vowed to shoot the puck more this season, and it's made an incredible difference. Hughes' 3.75 shots per contest is nearly double his previous high of 1.97.
However, the other aspects of his game have also been outstanding, which puts a sizeable gap between him and the rest of the pack. Hughes has vastly improved his defensive play and has only been on the ice for three goals against at five-on-five. While some of that is due to the strong goaltending the Canucks have received, his underlying numbers are also stellar.
Vancouver runs through Hughes. As great as Pettersson and Thatcher Demko have been this season, there's a strong case to be made that Hughes, named captain before the start of the campaign, is the Canucks' most valuable player and the key reason for their surprising 9-2-1 start. At this point, Hughes should be garnering Hart Trophy consideration, too.
Honorable mentions: Adam Fox (injured), Shea Theodore, Moritz Seider
Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin has been fined $25,000 for unprofessional conduct toward the officials during Monday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Cronin received a game misconduct for arguing with the referees about a disallowed goal.
Anaheim still came out with a 4-3 victory after Mason McTavish potted the winner in the waning seconds of the third period.
Cronin is an early contender for the Jack Adams Award, as the youthful Ducks are off to a surprising 6-4-0 start to the campaign despite finishing last in the NHL a year ago. Cronin was hired in June after spending the last five seasons as the head coach of the AHL's Colorado Eagles.
The Ottawa Senators parted ways with general manager Pierre Dorion after eight seasons on the job, owner Michael Andlauer announced Wednesday.
Andlauer said Dorian resigned and was relieved of his duties.
Steve Staios, who had been serving as the team's president of hockey operations, will take over as GM on an interim basis.
The Senators were stripped of a first-round pick earlier Wednesday for their role in the voided 2022 Evgenii Dadonov trade between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks. The Senators failed to properly inform the Golden Knights about Dadonov's 10-team, no-trade list when they dealt him to Vegas in the 2021 offseason.
"Why I inherited this is beyond me," said Andlauer, who completed his purchase of the club in September. "There is no reason for it to last that long."
Andlauer said he wasn't informed of a potential penalty for the voided Dadonov trade nor the investigation into Shane Pinto (who was suspended 41 games for sports gambling) when he bought the team.
"Maybe because the club was for sale and they didn't want to disrupt (the sale) to make sure the seller got the biggest price possible," said Andlauer, who paid $950 million for the franchise.
Staios, who played 16 seasons in the NHL, previously worked under Andlauer as president and GM of the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs.
Ottawa made the Eastern Conference Final in Dorion's first season on the job in 2016-17, but the club has failed to make the playoffs since. The Senators went 225-261-65 in Dorion's eight seasons, ranking 28th in the NHL in points. The team is 4-4-0 to begin 2023-24.
Dorion had the Senators in win-now mode upon taking over as GM. He traded away Mika Zibanejad in a deal for Derick Brassard in 2016, which helped the Senators reach the 2017 conference finals but proved to hurt in the long run. Dorion aimed to keep Ottawa's contention window open by landing Matt Duchene in a three-team deal in 2017 that gave the Colorado Avalanche the No. 4 pick in 2019 used to select Bowen Byram after Ottawa tumbled down the standings.
But after it was clear Ottawa's contention window closed, Dorion shifted into rebuild mode. It started with the 2018 Erik Karlsson blockbuster, which netted the Senators a package including the 2020 No. 3 pick used to select new franchise cornerstone Tim Stutzle.
After four years as sellers, Dorion looked to expedite the rebuild in a busy 2022 offseason that saw the team land Claude Giroux in free agency and Alex DeBrincat in a trade. It didn't work as planned, as the Senators finished eight points out of a playoff spot. Aside from flipping DeBrincat after he informed the team he wouldn't re-sign, Dorion kept the team mostly the same entering 2023-24, outside of signing Joonas Korpisalo to solve the team's goaltending issues.
Joe Thornton is finding ways to stay busy now that he's officially retired.
Thornton and Calgary Flames assistant general manager Brad Pascall will be co-GMs for Canada at the 2023 Spengler Cup, Hockey Canada announced Wednesday. Hnat Domenichelli - a former NHLer and current GM of HC Lugano in the Swiss National League - will be Canada's assistant GM at the tourney.
Thornton hasn't played since his 2021-22 campaign with the Florida Panthers and confirmed his retirement on Saturday.
Canada's roster at the Spengler Cup is typically made up of Canadians playing overseas in various European leagues. It's hosted annually by Swiss club HC Davos, with whom Thornton had stints during the 2004-05 lockout, the 2012 lockout, and the 2020 pandemic.
Thornton represented Canada numerous times on the international stage throughout his illustrious career. He won gold at the 1997 world juniors, the 2010 Olympics, and the 2004 and 2016 World Cups.
