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Ottawa Senators Defenseman Jake Sanderson Takes His Offensive Production To A New Level

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When Jake Sanderson signed an 8-year, $64.4 million extension with the Ottawa Senators in September 2023, it raised eyebrows across the NHL – primarily outside of Ottawa. Critics questioned whether the young defenseman deserved such a big deal after only 77 games in the league.

Mar 30, 2025: Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (85) skates up ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena (Imagn Images)

With just four career goals and 32 points, some wondered how Sanderson could already be getting paid close to what superstar defenseman Cale Makar makes with the Colorado Avalanche.

This season, as that hefty new contract has kicked in, no one is talking in negative terms anymore.

When former Senators GM Pierre Dorion signed Sanderson to that contract, there was already a lot to like about the player, in particular a powerful skating stride that serves him so well in both short and long races for the puck—often erasing the rookie mistakes he'd sometimes make. Dorion was banking on the belief that the next-level, higher-end offensive production, his one missing ingredient, would eventually come as he continued to get more comfortable in the league.

He was right. So right.

On Saturday night, Sanderson had a goal and an assist to help lead the Senators past the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, 3-0. That gave him 53 points on the season and briefly moved him into the top ten in NHL scoring among defensemen, one spot ahead of former Senator Erik Karlsson (Sanderson slipped to 11th later in the day).

This new spike of offence has been a nice add-on to all the other things Sanderson does well. For example, in the past two games, some of the moves and breakout passes Sanderson managed to pull off to get the Senators out of heavy forecheck trouble were truly outstanding.

Sanderson now has 28 points in his past 28 games, a run that began in late January as we began to approach the NHL 4 Nations tournament. So he's almost doubled his points percentage (0.53) from the first 47 games this season, when he put up just 25 points. As the Sens stumbled into March on a five-game losing slide, Sanderson's breakout has been a game-changer in bolstering Ottawa’s playoff hopes.

Back in early February, Sanderson foreshadowed his imminent improvements in a conversation with The Hockey News.

"Yeah, at the start of season, I wasn't feeling myself," Sanderson said. "Right now, I feel pretty good. My energy is really good on the ice. I haven't scored in a while, but I'm getting a lot of chances, and that's all I can ask for. So, you know, they're gonna go in eventually."

Perhaps being talked about for a best-on-best tournament and then actually playing in it isn't bad for a 22-year-old's confidence. Sanderson described the 4 Nations experience as "life-changing," and maybe sometime this summer, he'll have a chance to reflect on individual accomplishments. But right now, he's all about helping the team get to the playoffs.

"We're confident where we are right now," Sanderson told the media last week. "We know we're playing good hockey. So at the end of the day, if we're losing, honestly, we're just beating ourselves. But yeah, like I said, we feel pretty confident right now."

Even with the full focus on the team at the moment, the way Sanderson is playing now makes it impossible not to notice the individual excellence. In Saturday's victory over Florida, Sanderson even made a little history, becoming the first defenseman in Ottawa Senators history with a four-game home goal streak.

With Sanderson not even through the first year of his contract and now locked up in Ottawa until 2032, his deal is already highly club-friendly. Based on the way the past two months have gone, we're betting it won't be much longer before it's regarded as one of the very best contracts in the NHL.

Sens Headlines:

One On One: GM Steve Staios' Additions Help To Reset The Ottawa Senators

What's Going On With The Injury To Brady Tkachuk?

Battle of Ontario: Debating Who Would Win A Senators-Leafs Playoff Series

North Dakota Fires Brad Berry, Unofficial Member of Ottawa's Player Development Team

Hockey News, Sport

Alex Ovechkin is now the NHL’s greatest goalscorer. It’s debatable what else he is

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Alex Ovechkin is now the top goalscorer in NHL history.Photograph: Adam Hunger/AP

“He’s definitely a very, very, very good player,” the Washington Capitals’ director of amateur scouting, Ross Mahoney, told reporters on the night of the NHL entry draft in June 2004. He was talking about Alex Ovechkin, who the team picked first overall that night. “How good will he be?” Mahoney asked. “Time will tell.” Now, nearly 21 years later, time has had its say. On Sunday afternoon in a game against the New York Islanders, Ovechkin scored his 895th goal, passing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL scoring record, a tally that had stood since 29 March 1999 and that few believed would ever be broken.

Had things been slightly different in 2004, we might have been having this conversation a year ago. The NHL season after Ovechkin’s draft – the 2004-05 campaign – never happened, replaced instead by a long dispute between the league and the players’ union. Ovechkin bided his time in Russia, where he played 37 games with Dynamo Moscow. Finally, in autumn of 2005, he stepped on to NHL ice for Washington and, as Mahoney – and everyone else – expected by that time, he proved immediately to be a very good player. Ovechkin scored two goals in his first game, the first of an eventual 52 on the season (alongside 54 assists).

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That rookie year tally included what is still regarded as one of the most impressive, and improbable, goals of all time. During a game against the Phoenix Coyotes, Ovechkin somehow scored while sliding along the ice on his back, facing away from the Coyotes net. “It was unbelievable,” Auston Matthews, who was eight at the time and at the game that night, later recalled. “Nobody really cheered, they really couldn’t get their heads wrapped around what just happened. It was pretty crazy.” Also not cheering was the coach standing behind the Coyotes’ bench that night: Wayne Gretzky.

When Ovechkin helped bring the Stanley Cup to Washington in 2018, the first in the team’s history, he fulfilled the expectations that had followed him for his 12 NHL seasons to that point. And it certainly seemed like he knew it. Nobody celebrated with the Cup quite like Ovi did – nor, frankly, has anyone done it with the same reckless abandon since. The Cup also meant that Ovechkin solidified himself among the greats – as a man capable of scoring, but also winning. On that count, until Ovi began to close in on Gretzky’s goal record, he was most closely compared to Sidney Crosby, who entered the NHL a season after Ovechkin. The two have never been exactly stylistically identical, yet their points totals have tracked along eerily similar trajectories for the entirety of their careers. But until the Caps’ Cup, Crosby – with three championships – was usually regarded as the more accomplished player overall. While Ovechkin’s goal record may not fully balance things out, it seems fitting that, with it, the two players will likely be regarded in the long run as equals – the best examples of what the NHL has to offer.

Related: Et tu, Wayne: Gretzky’s legacy in Canada takes hit over 4 Nations snub

On the ice, anyway. Elsewhere, Ovechkin’s astonishing playing career may always be accompanied by an asterisk: a note about his unsavory, full-throated support for Vladimir Putin. In 2017, Ovechkin launched Putin Team, a social movement that, as he wrote in an Instagram post at the time, “unites people who are proud of their country and want to make Russia stronger.” It went on to say that Putin Team was for people who valued Putin’s “trust in and respect for his people, his fairness [and] righteousness, and the fact that he really cares.” Ovechkin recruited other Russian athletes to the cause, including Crosby’s longtime Pittsburgh Penguins teammate, Evgeny Malkin. In a separate post at the time, Ovechkin wrote that “I never hid my relationship with [Putin], always openly supported him.” Indeed, Ovechkin stood alongside Putin in his Instagram profile photo.

In 2022, after Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin was less open about the closeness of that relationship, but fell well short of criticizing the Russian leader. Unlike fellow Russian NHLer Artemi Panarin – who said, among other things, that Putin “no longer understands what’s right and what’s wrong” – Ovechkin only said that he didn’t want to see anyone get hurt or killed in the conflict and that he hoped “it was going to be over and we are going to be living in a good world.” As for whether he still supported Putin, Ovechkin said, “Well, he’s my president, but [like] I said, I’m not in politics, I’m an athlete.”

Obviously, that’s never really been true for Ovechkin, but it also feels increasingly that it can’t be true for anyone. When Ovi started out, perhaps athletes could more easily separate their sport persona with the world beyond the game. But over the course of the two decades of Ovechkin’s career, the political and cultural environment has changed significantly, as has the broad perspective of past actions. Now, nobody is free from scrutiny, and whatever dotted line that some athletes once tried to draw between politics from sports in the past, is now gone. Even Gretzky isn’t immune. Where for decades Gretzky was considered untouchable, his own recent close association with a controversial politician, Donald Trump, has undermined his greatness in the eyes of many of his fellow Canadians. The Great One is now, as they say, The Great Once.

Ovechkin is still great, as far as the hockey goes. That’s undeniable. But just as on his draft day only time could tell how great a player he’d be, history will now dictate how great he is ultimately considered to have been. When he talked to reporters after the game in Phoenix in 2006 where Ovechkin scored his greatest goal, Gretzky said it was “pretty nice.” “He’s a phenomenal player ... He deserves all the accolades he’s getting.” That’s still true. But by the same token, he will deserve everything else, too.

Hockey News, prohockeytalk

Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record by scoring his 895th

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NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Ovechkin has broken Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most goals in NHL history by scoring the 895th of his career.

The Washington Capitals’ captain made history Sunday against the New York Islanders by beating fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin on a power play in the second period. Ovechkin had never scored on Sorokin before, making his countryman the 183rd different goaltender he has beaten.

Just as they did after he scored No. 894 minutes earlier, teammates mobbed the 39-year-old Russian to celebrate the accomplishment, which replaced a record that had stood for 31 years.

Gretzky’s total of 894 goals had long seemed unapproachable. Ovechkin passed it even after missing 16 games in November and December because of a broken left leg, a testament to his durability and a knack for putting the puck in the net consistently for two decades. He surpassed 40 goals this season for a 14th time — two more than Gretzky and also the most in league history.

Even before this, Ovechkin owned the NHL records for power-play goals, shots on goal and the most goalies scored against, now adding Sorokin to that list. Only Gretzky has more multi-goal games, and Ovechkin earlier this season became just the sixth player with 700 goals and 700 assists, joining Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito.

Ovechkin last moved up the all-time goal-scoring list Dec. 23, 2022, when he got Nos. 801 and 802 to tie and pass Howe.

The chase by the Great 8, a nickname honoring his jersey number, captured attention from North America to Ovechkin’s native Russia, where billboards and goal-counters cheered on and tracked his effort. It helped Ovechkin that his team is one of the best in the NHL this season, defying expectations.

Gretzky broke Howe’s record a little over 31 years ago, since he scored 802 on March 23, 1994. He added 92 more before retiring in 1999 after a total of 1,487 games over 20 seasons.

Even with this one falling to Ovechkin — which he has said he is excited about — Gretzky holds 55 NHL records, and two seem truly untouchable: 2,857 total points and 1,963 assists, the latter of which is more than anyone else has in goals and assists combined.

For NHL playoff goals, which do not count toward the record, Gretzky has the most (122). Ovechkin has 72. Gretzky also had another 56 in the World Hockey Association regular season and playoffs, while Ovechkin has 57 from his time in the KHL, Russia’s top league.

Returning to Russia to play in front of family and friends is an option at some point for Ovechkin, who has one season left after this one on the five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021, which took him through age 40 to give him enough time to chase Gretzky’s record. Instead, he got it done earlier than just about anyone could have realistically expected.

Hockey News

Canadiens: Express Visit In Nashville

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Samuel Montembeault blanked the Predators in December - Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

After nabbing a 3-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers last night, the Montreal Canadiens will try to win a fifth game in a row when they take on the Nashville Predators on Sunday night. The hosts are on the opposite end of the spectrum, having lost their last five games in regulation. The Habs have bounced back after a five-game losing streak and are now 5-3-2 in their last 10 games, while the Preds are 2-8-0 in the same span.

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The two teams have crossed paths once this season so far, with Montreal blanking Nashville 3-0 with Samuel Montembeault. Jake Evans, Patrik Laine, and Joel Armia had scored on the night.

There is no confirmation of who will be in the Canadiens' net and no pregame media availability. Montembeault was on duty last night, but I believe he'll be there if he says he’s good to go. He has a 4-1-0 record against Nashville with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage, while Jakub Dobes has never taken them on. Juuse Saros will be manning the home net; he has a 5-1-1 record against Montreal with a 2.89 GAA and .929 SP.

The Canadiens have not confirmed if Josh Anderson will be back in action. He missed Saturday night’s game for family reasons, and given the timing, it’s highly likely his wife has or is giving birth to the couple’s first child. Oliver Kapanen, who filled in for him on Saturday, played well, and Martin St-Louis said he could see the progress in his game after the months he spent in the SHL. After the game, Brendan Gallagher gave the youngster the man of the match’s glasses as a welcome back.

Up front, Patrik Laine is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against Nashville. With 11 points in 25 games, he’s the only Hab who has hit double digits. Brendan Gallagher is in second place with nine points in 17 games, and Joel Armia is third with an eight-point output in 19 games. Cole Caufield only has seven points, but he got them in the same number of games.

On the other side, Steven Stamkos has 50 points in 52 duels against the Canadiens, Ryan O’Reilly is in second place with 27 points in 30 games, and Jonathan Marchesseault completes the top three with 17 points in 21 games. Barry Trotz went all out on the free agency market last Summer, but the results have been disastrous. The Predators are 30th in the league with 62 points, and the GM will need to be creative this Summer if he wants to turn things around.

Even if they are going through a tough stretch, the Preds have won six of the last ten duels between the two teams. While Montreal has got a four-point lead in the second wild card spot, now is not the time to take their foot off the pedal. The Columbus Blue Jackets, the Detroit Red Wings, and the New York Islanders are all in action on this busy Sunday in the NHL. According to Moneypuck.com, Montreal has a 74.2% chance of making the Spring dance.

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. 

Hockey News

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-2 Loss to the Canucks

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Apr 5, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) checks Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier (61) during the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

The Anaheim Ducks wrapped up their brief two-game Western Canada road trip with a Saturday matinee against the Vancouver Canucks. The Ducks were coming off of a decisive 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Calgary Flames on Thursday and fared even worse on Saturday, as they dropped their third game of their last four by a score of 6-2.

Takeaways from the Ducks' 4-1 Loss to the Flames

The Canucks entered Saturday having gone winless in their previous three games and hoping to remain within shouting distance of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. They were without top centers Elias Pettersson and Filip Chytl in this game.

Jacob Trouba is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and missed this game. He was replaced by Oliver Kylington, who played his third game as a Duck. Nikita Nesterenko drew back into the fourth line after he was scratched on Thursday in favor of Brett Leason.

Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks and saved just 20 of the 26 shots he faced, but he didn’t stand much of a chance on any of the six goals he let in, as the shots he faced were consistently screened, tipped, or the result of a lapse in coverage.

In the Vancouver crease stood Thatcher Demko, who saved 30 of 32 shots in this game.

Apr 5, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) and defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) defend against Anaheim Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom (21) during the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

Here are my notes:

Pavel Mintyukov-Mintyukov was easily the most positively impactful Ducks blueliner in this game. He was the only defenseman killing rush attacks in the neutral zone with clever tactics to bait breakout passes to seemingly open outlets before he closed in and caused a turnover.

He was breaking up pass attempts with clever stick checks and was poised yet aggressive with the puck on his stick, looking to create much-needed offense from the offensive blueline and the rush.

Trevor Zegras-Zegras had a tough outing in Calgary, seemingly outmatched by their speed and willingness to crowd the Anaheim crease. However, he bounced back nicely in this game and was far more active on both the forecheck and with the puck on his stick.

He displayed a willingness to curl and support his defensemen when the Ducks were regrouping to build speed from his end and into the neutral zone so that he could attack downhill through the middle of the ice, where he’s the most dangerous.

Rush Defense-Rush defense was a significant issue for the Ducks in the 2023-24 season where forwards would do well to backcheck, but there was a lack of communication and failure to pick up opposing trailers entering the zone. That issue popped up again on Vancouver’s first goal of the game, the one that ignited their stretch of five goals in 4:30.

Special Teams-The Ducks now have the worst power play in the NHL, converting at a 12.4% clip. They could stand to take aspects of what made the Canucks successful on both their man-advantages in this game. Chief among them was movement. Whether it was Quinn Hughes activating to find Conor Garland on the backdoor or Brock Boeser sliding from the goal line to the bumper for a high tip, Vancouver predicated their power play on player movement.

The Ducks power play has been too stagnate for too long. Leo Carlsson, specifically, could stand to activate more to find soft ice away from the puck and render himself more of a consistent scoring threat.


The Ducks will travel back home on Monday to host the Edmonton Oilers, as their remaining schedule is down to six games on the season.

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Hockey News

Canucks Gameday Preview #77: Wrapping Up A Back-To-Back Against The Golden Knights

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Feb 22, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) makes a save against Vancouver Canucks center Dakota Joshua (81) during the third period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Vancouver Canucks (35-28-13) wrap up their three-game home stand on Sunday when they face the Vegas Golden Knights (46-22-8). This is the first of two games between these Pacific Division rivals this month, as they are also scheduled to face off on the final day of the regular season. Like every game down the stretch, this is a must-win for Vancouver, as a loss would see their playoff odds drop below 1%. 

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

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Sunday's game will not be an easy one, as the Golden Knights still have plenty to play for. While Vegas has already clinched a post-season berth, they are competing for the top spot in the division and home ice for at least the first two rounds. Overall, it is going to be a tough test for the Canucks, and one they will need to pass if they still have plans of qualifying for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Players to Watch:

Aatu Räty:

Aatu Räty has been making the most of his recent call-up. He continues to be dominant in the faceoff dot and has shown he can be an impactful third-line center at the NHL level. If Räty can win his matchup and keep delivering faceoff wins, it will go a long way in helping Vancouver take down the Golden Knights. 

Brett Howden:

One player on Vegas' roster who isn't discussed enough is Brett Howden. The 27-year-old has filled in nicely as part of the top six and, like Räty, is having success in the faceoff dot. With points in five of his last season, Howden could easily find the scoresheet Sunday night. 

Vancouver Canucks (35-28-13):
Last 10: 4-4-2

Quinn Hughes: 16-56-72
Brock Boeser: 25-23-48
Elias Pettersson: 15-30-45
Conor Garland: 19-26-45
Jake DeBrusk: 24-20-44

Vegas Golden Knights (46-22-8):
Last 10: 7-3-0

Jack Eichel: 27-66-93
Mark Stone: 19-47-66
Tomáš Hertl: 31-28-59 *Injured
Shea Theodore: 7-47-54
Pavel Dorofeyev: 33-17-50

Game Information:

Start Time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. 

The Hockey News
Hockey News, International

Anton Lundmark ‘Shocked’ By Panthers’ Contract Offer

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Former Florida Panthers captain Olli Jokinen was Anton Lundmark's coach this season in Timrå. © James Guillory-Imagn Images

Two years ago, Anton Lundmark was playing in a semi-professional regional league in the third tier of Swedish hockey. This season, at age 23, he made his SHL debut with Timrå IK, where he scored five goals, had four assists and zero (!) penalty minutes in 53 regular-season and playoff games.

And yet, somehow, the Florida Panthers were impressed with what they saw and signed the 6-foot-4, 192-pound winger to a one-year entry-level contract, which will take effect next season. The news left many scratching their heads and asking, “Who?”

The offer even caught Lundmark off guard, according to Finnish media outlet MTV Uutiset.

“I spoke to him (on the day of the announcement), and you could say that he was shocked himself,” said Timrå GM Kimmo Kapanen. “He didn’t really understand what had happened.”

However, Kapanen seemed less surprised and was quick to praise Lundmark.

“He has worked incredibly hard and has earned this opportunity,” Kapanen added. “He has all the necessary tools.”

Oliver Kapanen On Leaving Habs: “It Feels Good To Return” To TimråOliver Kapanen On Leaving Habs: “It Feels Good To Return” To TimråOn Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens announced that 21-year-old Finnish center Oliver Kapenen was being loaned to Timrå IK, the SHL club that he signed with in May. Kapanen already went to the Swedish team’s training camp in August and played pre-season games in September before the Canadiens’ camp. 

The Panthers are no-doubt impressed by Lundmark’s work ethic and possibly see him eventually using his size to carve out a role as a fourth-line winger. Zero penalty minutes in 53 games for a player in that role is a bit surprising, though.

“Anton is a robust forward who has elevated his game rising through the professional hockey ranks in Sweden,” Florida GM Bill Zito is quoted in the NHL club’s announcement. “We look forward to his continued development in our organization.”

Timrå, which was coached this season by Finnish ex-NHLer Olli Jokinen, finished sixth in the 14-team SHL before being eliminated by Frölunda HC in the quarterfinals.

In addition to Lundmark, the team is expecting to lose its leading scorer, 24-year-old Filip Hållander, to the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer. Oliver Kapanen, the son of the club’s sports manager, played most of the season in Timrå on loan from the Montreal Canadiens and will probably be gone next season as well.

Report: Filip Hallander Headed Back To NHL Next SeasonReport: Filip Hallander Headed Back To NHL Next SeasonSwedish center and left winger Filip Hållander is headed back to the NHL next season, according to Swedish media outlet Exprssen.
Hockey News

St. Louis Blues Call Up Top Prospect From AHL

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The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have recalled forward Dalibor Dvorsky from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. 

Dvorsky was sent back down to the Thunderbirds on April 3 but is now heading right back to the Blues' roster. The 19-year-old forward will look to impress during his latest opportunity with the NHL squad from here.

Dvorsky made his NHL debut for the Blues on March 23 against the Nashville Predators. During the contest, the young forward had 10:40 time on ice. 

Down at the AHL level this season with the Thunderbirds, Dvorsky has been very impactful. In 59 games, he has 20 goals, 24 assists, and 44 points. He was also named to the AHL All-Star Classic due to his strong play.

Dvorsky will now aim to take advantage of receiving another shot on the Blues' roster from here. The 2023 tenth-overall pick is one of the club's most promising prospects and has the potential to blossom into a top-six forward at the NHL level later down the road. Thus, all eyes will be on him during this latest chance on the Blues' roster. 

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Hockey News, The Hockey News

Alex Ovechkin And Four Other NHL Stars Are Drinking From The Fountain Of Youth

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Alex Ovechkin and Marc-Andre Fleury (Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)

Alex Ovechkin has chased down Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record by remaining productive long into his career.

Now 39, Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s record on Friday by scoring 188 goals in 334 games since his 35th birthday in the fall of 2020. That’s the sixth-most overall during that timeframe.

By contrast, Gretzky scored just 67 goals in 265 games from his 35th birthday on Jan. 26, 1996 through his retirement in April of 1999, at age 38. Once he passed Gordie Howe with No. 802 in 1994, there was a significant drop-off in his production.

On Friday, Ovechkin also became the second-oldest player in NHL history to score 40 goals in a season. Gordie Howe did it as a 40-year-old in 1968-69. The way Ovi’s going, he could take a real run at tying that record next year if the spirit moves him.

But this season, Ovechkin’s not the only NHL greybeard who’s doing great things. Here are four others who also seem to be drinking from the Fountain of Youth, listed in order of age.

Marc-Andre Fleury - Age 40

The Minnesota Wild stopper has let it be known that he’s bowing out at the end of this season. And while his workload has been reduced, the first-overall pick from 2003 is still delivering quality minutes during his farewell tour. 

In 23 appearances during his age-40 year, Fleury is 12-9-1 with a 2.78 goals-against average and .903 save percentage. The next stop for the three-time Cup champ: the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Brent Burns – Age 40

When Burns signed an eight-year contract extension at an $8 million cap hit in the fall of 2016, it was widely assumed that the San Jose Sharks were buying high.

Burns won his Norris Trophy at the end of that season before his new deal kicked in. And by the end of Year 5, the rebuilding Sharks were happy to retain a third of the money in order to offload the contract to Carolina.

Burns turned 40 in March. He may not be hitting 70 points anymore, but he’s still averaging well over 20 minutes a game on one of the league’s best puck-possession teams. 

Whatever mysterious potions the bearded one might be carting around in his famous backpack, Burns’s regime is working for him. He recently moved into fourth-place all-time on the NHL’s consecutive-games-played list, at 919. 

Only one other defenseman is ahead of him, Keith Yandle (989). Burns could pass him if he plays just one more year.

Streak aside, it won’t be surprising if Burns has multiple suitors if he decides to test the waters as a UFA this summer.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Age 38

Vlasic signed his big extension in San Jose just a few months after his old partner, Burns, on July 1, 2017 — at a slightly lower cap hit of $7 million a season. As more of a stay-at-home type, he’s had some injury challenges over the years. But this season, Vlasic passed Mark Giordano to become the NHL player with the most blocked shots since tracking began in 2005-06.

That achievement speaks volumes about the physical sacrifices that Vlasic has made throughout his career. 

He has one year remaining on his deal and will most likely want to play it out. It will at least provide one year of insurance for his blocks record, as John Carlson and Alex Pietrangelo are still active and sit third and fourth in the all-time blocked-shot rankings.

Sidney Crosby – Age 37

Sid the Kid is the 13th-oldest skater in the NHL this season. But like Ovechkin, his motor simply isn’t slowing down. 

His 1,682 career points are 64 more than second-place Ovechkin among active players. And with his hat trick in Pittsburgh’s win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday, Crosby just hit the 30-goal mark for the fourth-straight year and the 13th time in his career. 

Last week, Crosby set a record by logging his 20th  point-per-game season — which spans his entire career.

If he gets a point against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, he’ll extend his current point streak to 13 games. That would be a record for a player who’s 37 or older.

Crosby’s workload isn’t changing, either. His average ice time this season is 20:24, just 16 seconds below his career average of 20:40.

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Pittsburgh Penguins Assign Joona Koppanen To Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

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Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned forward Joona Koppanen to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, it was announced Saturday. 

Koppanen, a product of Tampere, Finland, has split time this season between the NHL and the AHL, collecting one goal in six games with Pittsburgh while putting up seven goals and 22 points in 55 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. 

Drafted by the Boston Bruins in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Koppanen has appeared in 15 career NHL games with the Penguins and the Bruins. Across that time, he has scored one goal and added an assist for two points.

With Koppanen being assigned to the AHL once again, he will play a big role for the Penguins as they look to go on a deep playoff run. Still just 27, Koppanen's play could earn him some interest if he hits free agency.