On the Fly, NHL Roundtable: 3 post-trade deadline predictions

Welcome back to another edition of On the Fly, theScore's roundtable series. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, we're making three predictions for the final few weeks of the regular season.

Maple Leafs will finish 30th

Justin Cuthbert: It's Toronto, of course. Though maybe it's Calgary.

It was Toronto and another Albertan city until about 10 days ago, before Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd McLellan simply had enough. You can't blame the failures of an organization on one dude, but the Oilers have simply been a different team since banishing Justin Schultz. Check out the performances since. They're not finishing with a 20 percent chance at Auston Matthews.

The Flames will have a much tougher schedule than the Maple Leafs. But what should separate these two teams in the end, aside from the Flames' four-point bulge, is that Calgary already has proven goal-scorers capable of stealing points, while the eyes of those in skill positions on the Maple Leafs are still wide.

And while Garret Sparks has been good, and Jonathan Bernier has been better of late, it's simply not possible to make up a deficit scoring one or two goals, max, each night.

McDavid will win the Calder

Navin Vaswani: With all due respect to Chicago Blackhawks forward Artemi Panarin, the Oilers employ the NHL's best rookie: Connor McDavid. And by the time the season ends, McDavid, who missed three months due to a broken clavicle, will have closed the gap enough to win the Calder Trophy.

You can see it when McDavid's on the ice - he's on another level. He possesses phenomenal speed and his hockey sense is clearly higher than his peers'. And he only turned 19 in January, while Panarin, 24, spent parts of seven seasons in the KHL.

This isn't a knock on Panarin - he's an excellent hockey player playing on an incredible team. But McDavid's better, and no rational Blackhawks supporter can say otherwise.

McDavid had 17 points in 12 games in February - four more points than Panarin's put up in any month. He's got three points in two games in March. As the Oilers play out another lost season, McDavid's the reason to watch. He's the rookie of the year. (And the Philadelphia Flyers ruin everything.)

Lightning will win the Atlantic

Ian McLaren: With Steven Stamkos locked in for at least the rest of the season, the Jonathan Drouin distraction pushed off to the sidelines, and a now relatively healthy roster, the Tampa Bay Lightning are once again the team to beat in the Atlantic Division.

Stamkos has been red-hot since general manager Steve Yzerman declared he would not be traded, while a return to health for key players further down the lineup gives Tampa a depth up front that is difficult to handle.

Even though Drouin wasn't flipped prior to the deadline in order to shore up the roster for a long playoff run, the Lightning have almost caught the cross-state rival Florida Panthers for first place in the division, and will do so before the end of the season.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Rangers summon Hellberg after Lundqvist injury

Though head coach Alain Vigneault assured reporters that goaltender Henrik Lundqvist wasn't dealing with "anything serious" after Thursday's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, it appears the New York Rangers are being extra cautious with the 34-year-old.

The Rangers recalled goalie Magnus Hellberg from the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday and announced Antti Raanta will get the start that night against the Washington Capitals, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.

Lundqvist left during the second period of Thursday's game to treat neck spasms after a collision with defenseman Ryan McDonagh, but was apparently well enough to throw the net off its moorings in frustration shortly after the collision.

Hellberg, 24, is sporting a 22-16-2 record with a .919 save percentage in 40 games with Hartford this season.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

By the Numbers: Comparing Jagr to Gretzky, Messier, Howe

With an assist Thursday, Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr reached another incredible milestone, tying Gordie Howe for third on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,850 career points.

Jagr reached point No. 1,850 in fewer games than both Howe and Messier - No. 2 all-time - but like both, reached the milestone past age 40. The No. 1 player is a completely different story - as Wayne Gretzky caught Mr. Hockey at age 28 in 1989.

Reaching 1,850 points

Player Age Games Seasons
Gretzky 28 780 11
Jagr 44 1611 22
Messier 42 1691 25
Howe 51 1767 26

While Gretzky, in most cases, remains an outlier - the longevity of the other three players' careers is one of the biggest factors in their scoring success. Despite all having long careers, the oldest all four players finished an NHL season at the same age was at 36. Although Gretzky clearly outpaced the others during his 20s, it's striking how all four produced at a similar pace later in their careers.

Age 36 season

Player Year GP G A P
Howe 1963-64 69 26 47 73
Gretzky 1996-97 82 25 72 97
Messier 1996-97 71 36 48 84
Jagr 2007-08 82 24 46 71

Howe may be most famous for playing at an advanced age, retiring at age 51, but that came after a nine-year absence from the NHL. He retired from the Detroit Red Wings in 1971, but signed in the WHA in 1973, and went on to rack up 508 points over six seasons while playing with sons Mark and Marty.

It's hard to say how many more points a healthy Howe would've added in another nine seasons, but you can ask a similar question about Jagr. He missed prime-production years due to three separate lockouts during his career, and took a three-year stint in the KHL from 2008 to 2011.

Taking retirement seasons out of the equation, it's hard to equate the impact of the production lost by NHL games missed due to work stoppages and/or playing in rival leagues for all four legendary forwards.

Player Potential Games Missed
Howe 478 (WHA -1973-79)
Jagr 396 (KHL - 2008-11; Lockouts - 1994/2004-05/2012)
Messier 114* (WHA - 1978-79; Lockout - 1994)
Gretzky 114 (WHA - 1978-79; Lockout - 1994)

* - Messier announced retirement following 2004-05 lockout, but was believed to be retiring after 2003-04 season.

But enough about the past, the question now becomes how high Jagr's totals can climb. The Czech Republic native has repeatedly stated he doesn't want to retire, and even if he's only half as productive next season, he would still likely catch Messier's mark of 1,887 points.

Projections based on points per game

Season PPG Proj. Pts Career Total
2015-16 .787 62 1864
2016-17 .394 32 1896

With or without a sharp decline, becoming just the second player to reach the 1,900-point mark seems incredibly realistic for the winger, barring injury. If Howe could rack up multiple, 100-point seasons in the WHA in his late 40s, would a few more 50-point campaigns out of Jagr be that far-fetched?

We'll have to wait and see.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL Rumor Mill – March 4, 2016

Updates on Jonathan Drouin and Travis Hamonic, plus speculation on Ondrej Pavelec’s future with the Jets.  SPORTSNET: Chris Johnston reports the entry-level contract of suspended Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin won’t be tolled forward a season. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league “(hasn’t) previously had a practice of allowing clubs to toll […]

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2016

Another milestone for Jagr, Julien ties a Bruins franchise coaching record and more in your NHL morning coffee headlines.  SUN-SENTINEL.COM:  Jaromir Jagr’s first-period assist during the Florida Panthers 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche was his 1,850th career NHL point, tying him for third on the all-time list with the great Gordie Howe. Jagr is […]

Canucks blow another lead after 40 as home struggles continue

If NHL games were 40 minutes long, the Vancouver Canucks would be one of the best teams in the league.

Vancouver blew a 2-0 lead Thursday night, and a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, losing their third straight game, a 3-2 decision to the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks have now lost 11 games when leading after two periods, according to The Province and Canucks Army's Jeff Paterson.

And Vancouver's home struggles continue in a big way:

Vancouver's 11 home wins are better than only the Toronto Maple Leafs' nine. Not good. And, once again, the Canucks couldn't muster much offense. They scored two or fewer for the third straight game, and have two goals or fewer in seven of their past nine games. It's bleak:

With 60 points in 63 games, the Canucks are only four points out of the Western Conference basement.

Meanwhile, goaltender Ryan Miller, obviously frustrated with a lack of support, was furious after the game because he believed Sharks forward Tomas Hertl's goal in the second period, which got San Jose on the board, was deflected with a high stick.

With the Minnesota Wild picking up two points Thursday in Toronto, the Canucks are now 10 points back in the wild-card race. It's possible, but becoming more unlikely by the day.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

VIDEO: King drops Subban, then Scrivens with fake before scoring

The Montreal Canadiens' season, captured in one goal.

Everything was looking good, P.K. Subban had the puck at center ice. He inexplicably lost his footing - it happens - and saw Los Angeles Kings forward Dwight King poke the puck past him, through his legs.

King had a partial breakaway, Alex Galchenyuk racing off the bench to try and cut him off. King beautifully faked a slap shot, getting Canadiens goalie Ben Scrivens to his knees, and then went five-hole to score.

It was the game-winning goal. Of course. The Kings won 3-2.

Subban had a goal and an assist and played a game-high 28:48. But nobody will be talking about that.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Remember, we are all Canucks!