David Backes will appear before the Department of Player Safety.

The Boston Bruins forward is facing supplementary discipline as a result of an interference call on Detroit Red Wings center Frans Nielsen during Tuesday's contest. Backes was whistled for a two-minute minor on the play.

In 47 games this season, Backes has notched 11 goals and 16 assists.

Backes' last suspension came in 2014.

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Nearly every team in the NHL has at least one contract it would like to get rid of. For some teams, that deal is a significantly bigger albatross. Here is every team's worst contract, not including players on LTIR, graded from 1-10 (10 being the worst) based on the following criteria:

• Cap hit
• Years remaining (current season not included)
• Age
• Player's value
• Player's expected value over duration of contract
• Ease with which a team could dispose of contract

The deals are grouped into three tiers, starting with the stuff of general managers' nightmares.

Worst of the worst

Thirteen-year contracts never seem to end well, and not even halfway through, Parise's deal is already brutal. Injuries have held him back over his entire tenure with the Wild, and seem to have rapidly aged him. He has just five goals this season. Grade: 10/10

Yes, Price plays behind a dreadful Montreal Canadiens team, but it's ignorant to think his game hasn't fallen off too. An injury-prone, declining goaltender heading into the back nine of his career with a $10.5-million AAV would handcuff the smartest GMs in the league, never mind Marc Bergevin. Grade: 9/10

Ryan hasn't been the player he was for Anaheim since coming to Ottawa, but the last two seasons have marked a new low. On the bright side, Ryan's massive salary will help the Sens reach the cap floor if they ultimately deal Erik Karlsson. Grade: 9/10

Eriksson never jelled with the Sedins like Jim Benning hoped he would. Nor has he really jelled with anyone else, for that matter. Grade: 9/10

Lucic is already a caveman in today's NHL. He's too slow to keep up in a game dominated by youth and speed, and with each coming season, he'll fall further behind. Grade: 9/10

Though still serviceable, Seabrook's play declined sharply this year. He's trending in the wrong direction on a team doing the same. Grade: 9/10

Ladd's deal was disastrous from the get-go. He still managed to score 23 goals last year, but had only eight assists. His production has dipped even more this year, and it's hard to imagine he'll ever return to being the player he was in Winnipeg. Grade: 9/10

Nielsen is still a decent two-way center, albeit slightly overpaid. However, as he approaches his mid-30s, this contract could become ugly, fast. Grade: 8/10

Staal never had much offensive flair, but the shutdown defensive ability he was known for has deteriorated over the last few years, and it's unlikely he'll rebound. Grade: 8/10

Dubinsky can still play an in-your-face defensive role, but those types of players generally make a couple million, not $5.85M. Grade: 8/10

Bad, but tolerable

While Okposo was decent in his first season with Buffalo, he's dropped off this year. He's relatively young as far as the players on this list, however, and though it's a long contract, he could have a couple 50-point seasons left in him. Grade: 6/10

Backes is still a strong defensive forward, but can he remain as such while contributing offensively into his mid-30s? Probably not. Grade: 6/10

Brouwer doesn't give the Flames anything, really, but $4.5 million isn't ridiculous money, and this deal can be disposed of fairly easily. Grade: 6/10

Martin has played more AHL games than NHL games this season, and he'll likely be buried in the minors again next year. At least that'll be the end of it. Grade: 6/10

Though Spezza's play has cratered, the Stars only have to deal with it for one more season. Grade: 6/10

MacDonald definitely isn't worth $5 million, but he's still playing top-four minutes on a playoff team, so he must be doing something right. Grade: 5/10

After three sensational seasons as Chicago's backup, Darling's first campaign as a starter has been a nightmare - he lost his job to Cam Ward. He's got lots of term left to bounce back, but it looks unlikely. Grade: 5/10

Callahan still does things to help the Lightning win. Those things shouldn't cost $5.8 million. Grade: 5/10

As the Devils' captain, Greene clearly provides something beyond what he brings on the ice, but $5 million is a hefty price. Grade: 5/10

Though Orpik is as mean as they come on the back end, that shouldn't result in such a high cap hit. However, he should be serviceable for one more year. Grade: 5/10

Brown is having a major bounce-back season after four poor years in a row. Can he do this again? Grade: 4/10

Perry is no longer the $8-million player he once was, but he's still capable of 50-60 points. Grade: 4/10

Best of the worst

Considering the speedy Hagelin is the Penguins' worst contract, it's no surprise they've won back-to-back Stanley Cups. Grade: 3/10

Martin is probably Toronto's 14th-best forward, but this contract could easily be buried in the minors if necessary. Grade: 3/10

Allen hasn't proven he can be a legitimate starting goalie for a full season. While he's shown flashes, at this point he's more of an expensive, quality backup. Grade: 2/10

Goligoski might be miscast as a 23-minute D-man in Arizona, but he still produces offensively despite having few scoring options to move the puck to at forward. Grade: 2/10

The Jets just signed Kulikov this past offseason, and while $4.3 million seems steep for a sixth defenseman, they'll have the former first-rounder through his prime years. Grade: 2/10

Presently, Luongo is one of the most cost-effective goalies in the league. Whether he can maintain his elite play into his 40s remains to be seen. Grade: 2/10

Bonino is one heck of a third-line center, and $4.1 million doesn't hamper David Poile much at all. Grade: 2/10

Unsurprisingly, the best worst contract in the NHL belongs to the team that just became a team this year. Tatar wasn't producing like a $5.3-million player in Detroit, but there's plenty of time to right the ship in Vegas. Grade: 1/10

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
(Salary information courtesy: Cap Friendly)

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If you weren't a big hockey fan before Tuesday night, taking in the madness that ensued in the NHL would have probably been enough to change that.

Permanently.

You name it, the nine-game slate had it: fights, natural hat tricks, overtime winners, historic winning and point streaks extended. It really was one of the wildest and most exciting nights of the 2017-18 season.

After such a prestigious night, we've taken the opportunity to compile a ranking of most notable highlights for your viewing and reading pleasure.

Here's a look at the five best performances from Tuesday:

5. Steve Mason, 34-save shutout, win

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

In his first start in almost two months, Mason was simply sensational for the Winnipeg Jets, stopping all 31 shots he faced to record his first shutout of the year and 34 of his career.

Mason's tenure in Winnipeg hasn't exactly gone to plan, but if can he can string together a few performances like Tuesday night's, the Jets' investment of $8.2 million over two years won't seem like the complete waste it has for most the season.

Nevertheless, without Mason between the pipes Tuesday, Winnipeg's neat-and-tidy shutout win could have looked a whole lot different.

4. Torey Krug, 4-point night

While a player a little farther down this list stole the show for the Boston Bruins, Krug had an unreal game of his own. Two goals, two assists, and three shots on net in just over 20 minutes of ice time is more than good enough for the Boston blue-liner to make the list.

Here's a look at Krug's first-period rocket, which he scored only 37 seconds into the game:

Krug is heating up at just the right time for the surging Bruins, racking up nine points (three goals, six assists) over his last four games.

3. Patrik Laine, natural hat trick

Laine's teammates might want to be weary of how close they get to the 19-year-old, as his hands and stick are surely red-hot from his torrid scoring pace over the last few games.

In addition to registering his team's only three goals against the New York Rangers on Tuesday, Laine is now riding a nine-game point streak in which he's tallied 13 goals and six assists over that span.

Check out Laine's laser from the first period, his 36th goal of the campaign:

The Finnish sensation would go on to score two more on the night, setting a new career high in goals with 38. Quite the night, indeed.

2. Nick Bjugstad, hat trick

Speaking of hot, Florida Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad is on a pretty decent run of his own, registering five goals and seven assists over his last 11 games, including a hat trick against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

Here's Bjugstad's first goal of the night:

Sure, Laine's hatty was also impressive, but he played in less minutes, took less shots, and scored his third on an empty netter. So the edge, performance-wise, goes to Bjugstad and his three-goal night.

1. Brad Marchand, 5-point night, hat trick, OT winner

As much as opposing Atlantic Division teams won't like to admit it, Bruins forward Brad Marchand really can do it all. A point he hammered home Tuesday with a performance for the ages.

If five points, a natural hat trick, and game-winning overtime goal wasn't enough of an evening, Marchand's OT goal was the 11th of his career, moving him into first on Boston's all-time OT winners list.

Boston has been one of the hottest teams in the league all season long, and after a look at Marchand's Tuesday night showing, you can start to understand why.

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What's wrong with Braden Holtby?

The Washington Capitals netminder was yanked from Tuesday's game against the Anaheim Ducks after allowing three goals on nine shots.

Heading into Tuesday's game, Holtby had a .908 save percentage and a 3.00 goals-against average on the season, but those numbers will surely take a hit after his most recent outing.

Unfortunately for Holtby and the Caps, this kind of performance hasn't been an irregular occurrence these days. He's been especially shaky as of late, going 5-5-4 with a .886 save percentage in his last 14 games.

Holtby is a year removed from taking home the William M. Jennings Trophy, and two years on from winning the Vezina Trophy. However, if he doesn't regain his past form come springtime, it could be another early playoff exit for the Capitals.

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The Nashville Predators set a franchise record with their ninth straight victory by defeating the Dallas Stars 2-0 Tuesday night, the team announced.

The Preds now lead the Western Conference with 95 points - just one back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first in the NHL.

Here's a closer look at their win streak:

In total, the Predators have outscored their opponents 39-18 over the last nine games. While there is still lots of regular-season hockey to be played, Nashville is red hot and seems primed for another deep playoff run this spring.

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Have yourself a night, Brad Marchand. Wow.

The Boston Bruins super pest everyone loves to hate was out to silence his critics Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, notching five points, a natural hat trick, and the game-winning overtime goal.

Not too shabby, especially given Marchand's overtime goal was the 11th of his career, a mark which stands as the most OT winners by a player in Bruins' history.

Marchand now has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in his last six games.

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It was a wild night in Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Wild scored four goals in 3:28, setting a new franchise record for the four fastest goals in franchise history, according to the team's public relations department.

It all went down early in the second period. Nino Niederreiter notched his 16th tally of the year 23 seconds into the frame, followed by this Zach Parise goal, which was set up by beautiful passes from Jared Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu:

Daniel Winnik continued the goal fest with his sixth of the season, then the red-hot Eric Staal broke in and buried his 36th of the campaign just 15 seconds later.

For some Wild fans, it happened all too fast.

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Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele left Tuesday's game against the New York Rangers with an upper-body injury and will not return, the team announced.

Scheifele started the contest and played 10:44 before exiting late in the second period for further evaluation. He did not return for the third and the team subsequently ruled him out for the remainder of the game.

The Jets pivot missed 16 games earlier in the season with another upper-body injury. Through 50 games this campaign, he has 21 goals and 30 assists.

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Reinforcements are on the way for the reeling Philadelphia Flyers, as head coach Dave Hakstol announced Tuesday that winger Wayne Simmonds will be making his return to Philly's lineup Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"He’s a big part of our team," coach Hakstol said. "He looked good. Nice to have him back in our lineup."

A big part of the team, indeed. In addition to his 37 points in 59 games this season, Simmonds is a key contributor for the Flyers at both ends of the ice, playing heavy minutes, chipping in on special teams, and playing with an aggressive edge that has become his trademark.

Simmonds has been dealing with an upper-body issue since getting injured on Feb. 18 in a game against the New York Rangers. He has not suited up for any game action since.

The Flyers have lost three straight but will look to right the ship when they meet the Penguins for a clash of Metropolitan Division heavyweights Wednesday night in Philly.

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