Devils’ Schneider will play vs. Panthers

The New Jersey Devils will get their No. 1 goalie back between the pipes on Thursday night with Cory Schneider getting the start against the Florida Panthers, the team announced.

Schneider has missed the team's last 16 games with a groin injury, having not played since Jan. 23 against the Boston Bruins.

The Devils have stayed afloat in Schneider's absence, having gone 9-7-0 during that time. The club sits with the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, just two points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division with a game in hand.

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NHL Awards watch: Where things stand as we hit the home stretch

We're now just over three quarters of the way through the season, so it's time once again to check in on the award races around the NHL. This edition was compiled by editors Josh Gold-Smith and Craig Hagerman. Our previous edition was assembled back in early January at the halfway point.

Hart Trophy - Nikita Kucherov

Previously: John Tavares

The Tampa Bay Lightning star is leading the Art Ross Trophy race with 82 points in 63 games, and he's tied for fourth in the hunt for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy with 33 goals.

Kucherov has been dominant virtually all season long, and along with Steven Stamkos, he's helped the Lightning remain at or near the top of the league since the fall.

There are certainly others worthy of consideration, like Evgeni Malkin, Taylor Hall, Nathan MacKinnon, Patrice Bergeron, and even Eric Staal, but considering the impact Kucherov's tremendous production has had on his club's unmatched success so far in the regular season, the Hart Trophy is his to lose. - Gold-Smith

Vezina Trophy - Andrei Vasilevskiy

Previously: Vasilevskiy

Several other netminders have made their case for goalie of the year, such as Pekka Rinne and Connor Hellebuyck, but Vasilevskiy still has the inside track.

The Lightning netminder paces the league in wins and shutouts, while rocking a .927 save percentage and a 2.34 GAA.

He's faced the third-most rubber this season and turned away the second-most shots. He's also been between the pipes for 37 of Tampa Bay's 43 wins this season, and aside from Kucherov, could be considered the club's 2017-18 MVP. - Hagerman

Norris Trophy - Victor Hedman

Previously: Drew Doughty

The Lightning are primed to win a bevy of individual honors, including the award for the NHL's best defenseman, for which it's hard to argue Hedman is undeserving.

John Klingberg has a legitimate case himself, leading all rearguards in assists and points for an improved Dallas Stars squad, and P.K. Subban's contributions with the best-in-the-West Nashville Predators deserve recognition, too. But Hedman has been both productive and instrumental to the Lightning's success when healthy while averaging nearly 26 minutes of ice time.

Others, like Doughty and Erik Karlsson (regardless of the Ottawa Senators' record) will always be in the conversation as well, but Hedman should take home the Norris for the first time in his career if he continues to play at an elite level for arguably the NHL's best team. - Gold-Smith

Calder Trophy - Mathew Barzal

Previously: Brock Boeser

With 18 games remaining, the New York Islanders phenom is just two points shy of matching Auston Matthews' 69-point output from his Calder Trophy-winning season last year.

Barzal sits 15th in league scoring, has outscored teammate John Tavares, and has put up 13 more points than his Vancouver Canucks rookie counterpart Boeser.

His vision and speed have been otherworldly, and with three five-point games this year, he's proven he can seamlessly take over a game at just 20 years of age. - Hagerman

Selke Trophy - Patrice Bergeron

Previously: Bergeron

The four-time Selke winner is on pace to challenge career highs in goals and points despite being slowed by injuries, and while his offensive production has been impressive, his defensive prowess at the center position remains unparalleled.

No forward in the NHL is as sound in all three zones as Bergeron, and there's no reason to bet against the Boston Bruins pivot being named the league's best defensive forward for a fifth time - Gold-Smith

Jack Adams Award - Gerard Gallant

Previously: Gallant

What else can be said about Gallant and the Vegas Golden Knights that hasn't already been said about their miraculous first season?

Vegas sits second in the NHL standings, just three points back of the Lightning, while holding a 10-point advantage and a game in hand on the San Jose Sharks, who sit second in the Pacific Division.

Gallant has his trail mix of players playing at an elite level and it's likely for that reason that the team made very few moves to improve the roster at the deadline. - Hagerman

GM of the Year - David Poile

Previously: Poile

The Nashville Predators general manager will become the winningest GM in NHL history with his club's next victory, and he won this award last year, but he's done enough this season to justify claiming it once again.

Poile pulled off one of the sneakier depth moves at the trade deadline, landing 23-year-old forward Ryan Hartman from the Chicago Blackhawks, and it paid immediate dividends.

His work last summer and this season has been well documented, namely signing Nick Bonino and trading for Kyle Turris. Throw it all together and he's put the Predators in position to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.

George McPhee has done impressive work with the Vegas Golden Knights, but he benefited from unprecedented expansion-draft rules. And while cases could be made for others such as Ray Shero of the New Jersey Devils and Kevin Cheveldayoff with the Winnipeg Jets, Poile is the NHL's best GM until proven otherwise. - Gold-Smith

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Lightning’s Gourde named Rookie of the Month for February

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for February on Thursday, the league announced.

The 26-year-old led all rookies with five goals and 16 points in 14 games. He narrowly beat out New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, who put up two goals and 16 points in 12 games, and Kyle Connor and Nico Hischier who each had 11 points in 12 and 14 games, respectively.

Gourde is one of four Lightning players who've hit the 20-goal mark this season and sits third in rookie scoring behind Barzal and Brock Boeser with 49 points.

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Lightning ink QMJHL standout Barre-Boulet to 3-year deal

The Tampa Bay Lightning have added another strong prospect to their already deep pool of young stars.

The team signed forward Alex Barre-Boulet to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced on Thursday.

The 20-year-old paces the QMJHL in scoring, averaging just under two points per game pace with 49 goals and 104 points in 57 games with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

Last season, Barre-Boulet led the QMJHL with 14 goals and 31 points in 20 playoff games.

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Lightning’s Kucherov out with upper-body injury vs. Sabres

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov is out with an upper-body injury for the Bolts' matchup against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday, according to Bryan Burns of the team's official website.

Kucherov left Monday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after playing just six shifts. Details of his ailment remain unclear at this point, but his agent Dan Milstein told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times that it is not a concussion, it is not hand-related, and nothing is broken.

The 24-year-old leads the NHL with 82 points heading into Wednesday's action.

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Bettman: Potential Seattle expansion draft would feature same rules as Vegas

If the NHL rewards Seattle an expansion franchise, it will face the same parameters as the Vegas Golden Knights when it comes to selecting a team, commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday, per TSN's Farhan Lalji.

In case you've forgotten the rules, each team was allowed to protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie - or eight skaters and one goaltender - leaving the Golden Knights to pluck one player per franchise to fill their inaugural roster.

Additionally, all first- and second-year players were exempt, while any roster player with a no-movement clause had to be protected unless they agreed to waive it.

Seattle's ownership group officially submitted it's application to the league - which included a $10-million fee - in early February and will kick off its season-ticket drive March 1.

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Jordan Staal thanks hockey world for support after passing of infant daughter

Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal and his wife Heather released a statement to thank friends, family, and the entire hockey community for the support they've received following the passing of their infant daughter Hannah.

Staal hasn't suited up for the Hurricanes since Feb. 18 and his status moving forward remains unclear during this difficult time.

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Vancouver to host 2019 NHL Draft

The city of Vancouver will play host to the 2019 NHL Draft, the Canucks' media relations department announced Wednesday.

In doing so, Vancouver will be the first Canadian city to host the draft since Montreal in 2009.

2019 will be a big year for Vancouver, which is already hosting the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships that year. The 2019-20 season will also be the 50th in Canucks' history.

"Returning the draft to Vancouver allows the entire NHL family to meaningfully participate in a highlight of the Canucks' 50-year anniversary celebration," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "The 2019 NHL Draft will provide another memorable moment for the Canucks and their fans while shining the spotlight on one of the world's most scenic cities and serving as the starting point for so many NHL careers."

Though it's still awfully early, American center Jack Hughes is considered the top prospect eligible for the 2019 draft at this stage.

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