Ranking the 5 best trade-acquisition debuts from Tuesday’s action

For a newly acquired player, there's nothing more satisfying than making a strong first impression with your new teammates. Several players made debuts with their new clubs Tuesday night, and for the most part, they came as advertised.

5. Pontus Aberg, Oilers

Aberg was a low-risk, high-reward acquisition by the Oilers, but it didn't take long for him to show off his untapped offensive potential, setting up Jesse Puljujarvi's goal with a nifty assist. Aberg didn't get much ice time in Nashville, but could continue to flourish with an expanded role in Edmonton.

4. Paul Stastny, Jets

If Stastny's willingness to lift his no-trade clause to come to frigid Winnipeg didn't win over the hearts of Jets fans everywhere, then his debut performance certainly did.

The veteran center displayed an impressive two-way game, picking up a goal, an assist, a plus-2 rating, and won 74 percent of his faceoffs in Winnipeg's 6-5 loss to the Predators.

3. Evander Kane, Sharks

The Sharks pumped the Oilers 5-2 on Tuesday night, and Kane's multi-point effort was a massive reason why. Though it's obviously still early, his first game was a strong indication that his north-south, physical style will fit in well with the Sharks. Patrick Marleau left a void when he bolted for Toronto this offseason, and Kane seems like a prime candidate to be his late replacement.

2. Ryan Hartman, Predators

Though Winnipeg's deadline-day addition of Stastny definitely drew more attention, Nashville's under-the-radar pickup of Hartman would prove to be the difference in a crucial meeting between the two teams. The speedy forward scored the game-winning goal with one minute left in regulation, giving his new team a huge victory over a fellow Central Division powerhouse.

1. Tommy Wingels, Bruins

It's hard to make a better impression on your teammates than what Wingels did on Tuesday night. Brought in to be nothing more than an energy player in the bottom six, Wingels provided that and more, picking up a goal and an assist in Boston's 4-3 overtime win against the Hurricanes.

The Bruins are going to need unheralded players to step up in the absence of Patrice Bergeron, and Wingels did his part in his Bruins debut.

Missed the cut: Tomas Tatar (Golden Knights), Derick Brassard (Penguins), Joe Morrow (Jets).

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Wild coach believes Staal would be MVP candidate if he played in Toronto

Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau doesn't believe Eric Staal is getting the credit he deserves.

"If (Staal) was playing in Toronto, he'd be up for MVP, I'll tell you that right now," Boudreau told The Athletic's Michael Russo following Staal's five-point night Tuesday against the Blues.

Given Staal's performance of late, and his overall numbers, it's hard to argue, considering that Minnesota is one of the league's smaller markets. The veteran center has quietly amassed 33 goals and 31 assists in 63 games in what has been a sensational encore to his bounce-back season a year ago.

Following a disastrous 39-point campaign in 2015-16, Staal signed a three-year, $10.5-million contract with the Wild, making him one of the most cost-effective players in the entire league.

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Predators score 3 straight in 3rd to top Jets in wild Central Division clash

Tuesday's marquee matchup between the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets certainly lived up to expectations.

The two Central Division heavyweights combined for 11 goals, with the Predators ultimately coming away with a 6-5 win after three straight goals in the third period - the game-winner scored by newcomer Ryan Hartman with one minute left on the clock.

Related: Western arms race: Who's better, the Predators or Jets?

The Jets' big deadline acquisition, Paul Stastny, played a substantial role as well, netting a goal and an assist in his Winnipeg debut.

By securing two points, the Predators extended their lead over the Jets to four points in the Central, holding one game in hand. The two clubs have two more meetings this season, and appear to be on a collision course for a postseason matchup as well. Should that be the case, hockey fans are in for quite a treat.

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Blues continue free fall with 7th straight loss

The St. Louis Blues are picking a really bad time to be playing their worst hockey of the season.

St. Louis lost it's seventh straight game and ninth since the All-Star break Tuesday night, getting completely embarrassed by the Minnesota Wild in a lopsided 8-3 contest.

Over the seven-game stretch, the Blues have been badly outscored 29-10.

The latest loss continues an awful month for Mike Yeo's men, as the Blues have managed only three wins since the calendar flipped to February, allowing 41 goals while struggling to generate much offense - especially lately.

One of the main reasons for St. Louis' tailspin has been its inability to bury the biscuit, as the Blues have managed only 36 goals in their last 12 games, which included a goalless stretch of 150:23.

Entering the season, St. Louis was considered a dark-horse pick to take home the Cup. But, as it stands, the Blues find themselves on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture looking in.

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Blue Jackets’ Anderson out up to a month with knee sprain

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without winger Josh Anderson for approximately four weeks, as he'll be sidelined with a knee sprain, the team announced.

Anderson was injured late in Monday's contest versus the Washington Capitals.

The 23-year-old signed a three-year contract with the Blue Jackets in October, and has produced 18 goals and 11 assists in 61 games this season.

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Report: Kucherov could play Wednesday vs. Sabres

Say it with us, Lightning fans: "Everything is going to be OK."

Related: Kucherov leaves game vs. Maple Leafs with upper-body injury

However, it didn't exactly seem that way Monday night when Tampa forward Nikita Kucherov left the game with an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return.

Luckily enough, the injury to the NHL's top point getter is not believed to be serious, and he could even be ready for the Lightning's next game against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith.

Kucherov is having an All-Star season in which he currently paces the league in points with 82.

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Look: Islanders fans get ‘Snow Must Go’ billboards posted

New York Islanders fans might not have the on-ice product they had hoped for this year, but at least they can run a solid GoFundMe campaign and draw some major attention to their displeasure with general manager Garth Snow.

Related: Islanders' Lee defends GM following 'Snow Must Go' campaign

The billboards were put up near Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Monday night after a successful social media campaign raised over $2,500.

New York currently sits four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card playoff spot, but hasn't made a trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 1984.

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Report: Vancouver to host 2019 NHL Draft

The NHL draft will be coming north of the border for the first time since 2009, as Vancouver is set to host the 2019 event, according to Sportsnet's Irfaan Gaffar.

An announcement is set for Wednesday, where the Canucks are expected to make the report official.

This year's draft will be in Dallas at American Airlines Arena on June 22 and 23.

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