All posts by Josh Gold-Smith

Habs’ St. Louis steps away indefinitely for family reasons

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis is taking an indefinite leave from the team for family reasons, Montreal announced Saturday.

Assistant coach Trevor Letowski will handle head coaching duties in St. Louis' absence.

St. Louis joined the Canadiens as bench boss in his first NHL coaching role of any kind when they fired Dominique Ducharme in February 2022. The rebuilding squad has gone 70-94-21 with St. Louis at the helm.

Montreal entered Saturday 25-30-11, tied for last place in the Atlantic Division by points percentage (.462) with the Ottawa Senators.

St. Louis had a Hall of Fame playing career primarily with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He racked up 1,033 points over 1,134 games, helping the Bolts win the Stanley Cup in 2004. The Hall inducted him in 2018.

Letowski is a former NHL forward who spent 10 years behind OHL benches following his on-ice career. He also coached in three World Junior Championships as an assistant, winning gold on Ducharme's staff in 2018.

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Hart Trophy Rankings: Nate’s got that dog in him

An intriguing MVP battle has gotten significantly tighter in recent weeks. A remarkable run earlier in the winter briefly made Auston Matthews a Hart favorite in some circles, but he's come back down to earth since then.

Numerous metrics continue to favor a certain player in Colorado who's led this race for a while despite the Herculean efforts of some other superstars.

Here are our top five candidates now that we're more than three-quarters of the way through this NHL season with just over a month to go until the 82-game slate concludes.

xGF% = Expected goals for percentage

5. David Pastrnak

Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP G A ATOI xGF%
68 41 54 19:59 52.52

Pastrnak has been productive since our last edition of these rankings on Feb. 9, notching eight goals and 12 assists in 17 games. But others both on and off this list have been more impactful lately, so he's become a fringe MVP candidate despite having a commendable season.

The Boston Bruins winger sits in the top five in the NHL in goals and points on the campaign, both in all situations and at even strength. He's posted 14 more goals, 21 more assists, and 36 more points than his closest teammates. These disparities represent the strongest argument in his favor.

Pastrnak's underlying numbers have been favorable both for the season as a whole and more recently. He boasts a 56.25 xGF% since our last edition, along with expected goals for percentages around 52% in both timeframes. The fact that he's slid further down these rankings is mostly due to his competition.

4. Auston Matthews

Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty
GP G A ATOI xGF%
64 55 27 21:02 54.66

It's time to acknowledge two things: Matthews belongs among the most worthy Hart contenders, but he's not one of the front-runners. The Toronto Maple Leafs sniper is on pace for 70 goals (rounding up from 69.6) this season, and he was the MVP with "only" 60 tallies in 2021-22. Fast-forward two years and Matthews now leads the "Rocket" Richard Trophy race by nine.

The American center has been scoring at a white-hot pace for much of the campaign. From Jan. 16 through Feb. 29, he lit the lamp 20 times in 18 games while adding 10 assists before managing only two goals and two assists in his last six contests. Matthews' two-way game has been stellar, though. He ranks fourth in the NHL in standings points above replacement, wins above replacement, and goals above replacement for the season. So it's not just the goal-scoring rate that's inserted him into the Hart conversation.

Matthews has also put the Leafs on his back in 2023-24, scoring 20 more goals than William Nylander, who sits second on the squad. Matthews has buried 40 of his goals at even strength, which leads the league. However, he's only registered about half as many assists as club leaders Nylander and Mitch Marner, who have 51 apiece. It's hard to justify a Hart case for someone who doesn't even lead his team in points, but he's done enough at both ends of the ice to be a contender.

3. Nikita Kucherov

Winslow Townson / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP G A ATOI xGF%
65 39 73 21:52 51.87

Kucherov racked up another five points Thursday night, and it was the sixth time this season he's collected at least four in a game. The Tampa Bay Lightning forward is tied for second in the league in assists and occupies that spot outright in the points race. He also sits third in even-strength points in 2023-24.

The Russian has 19 more assists and an impressive 39 more points than any other Lightning skater on the campaign but only has three more goals. To Kucherov's credit, he's tied for sixth in the NHL in SPAR, he's tied for seventh in WAR, and he ranks seventh in GAR.

The Bolts haven't been dominant lately, but Kucherov keeps producing in bunches. If the MVP race was exclusively about underlying numbers, Matthews might have the edge over Kucherov for this spot. He ranks higher than the Lightning catalyst in all the key metrics, particularly since our last edition. But we all know it's about more than that, and the majority of Hart voters will likely (and understandably) prioritize counting stats - points specifically - over analytics.

2. Connor McDavid

Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP G A ATOI xGF%
62 25 81 21:31 62.33

McDavid remains a serious candidate due to his elite play, but he's still not doing quite enough to lead the race. The Edmonton Oilers superstar tops all NHL skaters in assists and points since our last edition by wide margins (14 and eight, respectively), though he's scored only four times in those 18 games. McDavid leads all NHL skaters in helpers on the season, ranks third in the Art Ross Trophy race, and sits second in even-strength points despite having played fewer games than his rivals.

In addition to his offensive exploits, McDavid's underlying figures have been almost supernatural. Only teammate Evan Bouchard has a better five-on-five xGF% (62.73) among NHL skaters who've logged at least 1,000 minutes in those situations in 2023-24, and McDavid's SCF% on the season is also north of 60 (61.79). He's up over 60% in both categories since our last edition, too.

McDavid ranks second in SPAR, WAR, and GAR behind only our No. 1 contender. The Oilers captain and three-time MVP won't come anywhere close in 2023-24 to matching the 64 goals and 153 points he piled up last season. But he impacts the game in myriad ways, and that's reflected in statistics across the board.

1. Nathan MacKinnon

Michael Martin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP G A ATOI xGF%
67 42 73 22:50 56.74

MacKinnon has come very close to claiming the Hart several times, but it's becoming more and more clear that this is his year. The Colorado Avalanche dynamo is pacing the league in points - both in all situations and at even strength - but his status as the front-runner goes far beyond that.

The Nova Scotian center isn't just leading the three "above replacement" categories; he's doing so handily. Simply put, he has been by far the best all-around skater in the NHL this season. Need more evidence?

The 28-year-old is doing the heavy lifting for the Avalanche with eight more goals, 17 more assists, and 25 more points than any other Colorado skater. That's pretty hard to do on a team that includes Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar.

MacKinnon is also logging more ice time than any of his counterparts on this list, and he trails only Rantanen among all NHL forwards in ATOI. Voters will be hard-pressed to conjure up a reason not to hand MacKinnon the hardware at this point, and an MVP win would be well deserved for the two-time runner-up and three-time finalist.

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey)

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Coyotes deal Dumba to Lightning

The Arizona Coyotes traded defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2027 fifth-round pick, the teams announced Friday.

Dumba is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $3.9-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.

The 29-year-old was in his first season with the Coyotes, who signed him as a free agent in August. Dumba spent the previous 10 campaigns with the Minnesota Wild after they drafted him seventh overall in 2012.

The Lightning needed defensive help with Mikhail Sergachev out long term due to injury.

Dumba hasn't produced offensively since erupting for 14 goals and 36 assists in 2017-18. He occupied a second-pairing role with the Coyotes and figures to crack Tampa's top four with Sergachev missing significant time.

The Saskatchewan-born rearguard has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time in every season since 2016-17.

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Predators trade Trenin to Avalanche in 3-player deal

The Nashville Predators dealt forward Yakov Trenin and the rights to defenseman Graham Sward to the Colorado Avalanche for blue-liner Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 third-round pick, the clubs announced Thursday.

Trenin most recently played on the Predators' second line alongside Colton Sissons and Cody Glass. Trenin notched 10 goals and four assists in 60 games with Nashville this season.

The Russian is in his fifth NHL campaign. He collected a career-high 17 goals with the Predators in 2021-22. They drafted him 55th overall in 2015.

Sward has 15 tallies and 58 helpers across 58 games with the WHL's Wenatchee Wild this season. Nashville selected the 20-year-old 146th overall in 2022 but didn't sign him to an entry-level deal.

Hanzel has produced 13 goals and 37 assists over 58 contests with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds in 2023-24. The Avalanche drafted the 21-year-old in the sixth round of the 2023 draft.

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Panthers sign Forsling to 8-year, $46M extension

The Florida Panthers inked defenseman Gustav Forsling to a maximum-term, eight-year extension, general manager Bill Zito confirmed Thursday, according to team content manager Jameson Olive.

The new pact carries an average annual value of $5.75 million, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Forsling, whose current cap hit is $2,666,667, is the Panthers' top blue-liner. He has blossomed since Florida nabbed him off the waiver wire from the Carolina Hurricanes in January 2021.

The 27-year-old doesn't play as much as second-pairing anchor Brandon Montour - who leads the team in average ice time by about a minute and a half over Forsling - but the Swede has been the Cats' most productive rearguard in 2023-24.

Forsling entered Thursday leading the squad in assists (22) and points (31) through 62 games while logging 21:47 of ice time per contest. His underlying numbers have been tremendous as well.

The Panthers also extended forward Jonah Gadjovich for two years Thursday. His new deal will carry a $775,000 cap hit, per Friedman.

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Senators trade Tarasenko to Panthers for picks

The Ottawa Senators dealt Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers for a conditional fourth-round pick in this year's draft and a third-round selection in 2025, his former club announced Wednesday.

The conditional pick will become a 2026 third-rounder if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup, and Ottawa is retaining 50% of the forward's $5-million cap hit.

The Russian is a pending unrestricted free agent and had a no-trade clause he would've had to waive to approve the swap, per CapFriendly.

Tarasenko was one of the top players available ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline. The 32-year-old winger has proven he can still produce offensively, notching 17 goals and 24 assists in 57 games with the Senators this season.

Ottawa signed Tarasenko to a one-year contract last July. He finished last season with the New York Rangers, who acquired him from the St. Louis Blues. He represented the Blues, who drafted him 16th overall in 2010, for parts of 11 campaigns.

Tarasenko's best years came between 2014 and 2019. He scored at least 33 goals in each of those five seasons, racking up 40 in 2015-16. However, shoulder injuries (and three separate surgeries) hindered him until he bounced back with 34 goals and a career-high 82 points in 2021-22.

The Panthers entered Wednesday with the league's best record at 43-16-4.

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Capitals sign Sandin to 5-year, $23M extension

The Washington Capitals inked defenseman Rasmus Sandin to a five-year contract extension at an average annual value of $4.6 million, the club announced Wednesday.

Sandin would've been a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at season's end. The Swede, who turns 24 on Thursday, has 20 points - including 17 assists - in 52 games with the Capitals in 2023-24.

He also posted 20 points in 52 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season before being traded to Washington in February 2023.

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Report: Pens hope Guentzel trade in place by Wednesday night

The Pittsburgh Penguins hope to have solidified a deal to send Jake Guentzel elsewhere by Wednesday evening, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

Pittsburgh is eyeing a first-round pick, a young NHL player, and prospects in exchange for the potent winger, and the club is open to receiving quality over quantity, Dreger adds.

Guentzel is expected to be dealt as a rental rather than with an accompanying contract extension, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.

The pending unrestricted free agent is now the best player available ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline. He's a two-time 40-goal scorer and has 22 tallies and 30 assists over 50 games this season.

In late February, it was reported several teams were interested in Guentzel, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights.

Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas called Guentzel trade talk "pure speculation" in January. However, it was later reported that he was listening to offers on all non-core players. Dubas subsequently left the door open for a Guentzel swap by not ruling out the possibility.

The trade deadline is 3 p.m. ET on Friday.

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Predators sign Novak to 3-year extension

The Nashville Predators inked forward Tommy Novak to a three-year contract extension at an average annual value of $3.5 million, the club announced Monday.

Novak was a pending unrestricted free agent whose current cap hit is $800,000, according to CapFriendly.

The center, who'll turn 27 on April 28, has notched 13 goals and 21 assists in 51 games this season. He posted 17 and 26, respectively, over 51 contests in 2022-23.

Novak has carved out a role as Nashville's third-line pivot in his third NHL campaign. He played 27 games with the Preds as a rookie in 2021-22, collecting a goal and six assists.

Despite averaging only 14:22 of ice time in his current role, Novak has been one of the NHL's top point producers at five-on-five since Jan. 1, 2023. He has 45 points in those situations over the 96 games he's played in that span. That total is better than that of Brad Marchand, Mika Zibanejad, Nick Suzuki, Bo Horvat, and others.

The Predators drafted Novak 85th overall in 2015.

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Crosby focusing on winning, not trades for fading Penguins

Don't tell Sidney Crosby his struggling Pittsburgh Penguins should go into sell mode with the trade deadline approaching.

Following Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the future Hall of Famer gave a gruff response when asked if the bigger picture was starting to set in amid a three-game losing skid.

"The deadline date hasn't changed, and we still need to get points, so I don't know what picture you're talking about, but it's the same situation it was yesterday," Crosby said.

A late February report indicated the Penguins would listen to trade offers on all non-core players. A day later, club president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas left the door open when asked whether he'd deal two-time 40-goal scorer Jake Guentzel.

Pittsburgh was on the outside of the playoff picture looking in at the time and has fallen further out of the race since. The Pens entered Monday with an 18% chance of reaching the postseason, according to MoneyPuck.

They came into the week sitting second last in the Metropolitan Division and 10 points back of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with four games in hand on the Tampa Bay Lightning, who occupied that position.

The Penguins have several pending unrestricted free agents who could be trade candidates if the team waves the white flag on the season. That list includes veteran forward Jeff Carter and backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic.

Guentzel, another pending UFA, is injured but expected back about a week after the March 8 trade deadline.

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