Carolina Hurricanes forward Evgeny Kuznetsov felt the love from his new fans after burying his first goal with the club in Thursday's win over the Florida Panthers.
Kuznetsov fired a wrister past Sergei Bobrovsky in the second period and broke out his patented bird celebration in front of a raucous PNC Arena. He was named the game's first star after the victory.
"I just want to say thanks to the fans. I almost cry a little bit," Kuznetsov said after the game, per Bally Sports.
"It's been a long time for me, I've been dealing with some big issues. That support is huge for me. My wife was here tonight, kids watching, parents. So that's all for them."
Thursday marked Kuznetsov's fourth game with the Hurricanes since being acquired from the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline. The 31-year-old played 11 seasons in the U.S. capital but has endured a difficult 2023-24 campaign. Kuznetsov entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February and was then placed on waivers.
He believes landing in Carolina has been the reset he needed.
"It's been phenomenal for me," Kuznetsov said. "I'm living my best days, trying to take it day-by-day. I'm enjoying it."
The Chicago Blackhawks and former forward Corey Perry reached a settlement after the player and NHLPA alleged his contract was improperly terminated, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.
The Blackhawks are expected to receive a small charge to their salary cap, Seravalli adds. Perry was eligible to file a grievance but didn't.
Chicago signed Perry to a one-year, $4-million deal last June but terminated his contract after only 16 games, citing unacceptable conduct. After taking time off to receive help, Perry signed a one-year pact with the Edmonton Oilers for the remainder of the current season.
The 38-year-old has recorded seven points in 20 games since joining the Oilers.
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov had some high praise for Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon ahead of Wednesday's marquee matchup, calling his former teammate the best player in the world.
Zadorov's comments came in response to a question about how MacKinnon compares to the league's two most recent Hart Trophy winners - Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.
"If I were to build a team, I would build around (MacKinnon) over those other two guys," he said. "Because he's a winner. He won the Stanley Cup."
MacKinnon helped Colorado win a championship in 2022, eliminating McDavid's Edmonton Oilers along the way in the Western Conference Final.
The Avalanche star has built a strong case for his first Hart Trophy this season with a league-leading 113 points in 66 games entering Wednesday.
McDavid's won three MVPs and five scoring titles since entering the NHL in 2015. He sits third with 103 points this season after a career-high 153-point output last year.
Matthews leads all skaters with 54 goals this season and ranks 10th with 80 points, but he hasn't enjoyed the same level of playoff success as MacKinnon and McDavid.
Welcome to the fifth in-season edition of theScore's 2023-24 Vezina Trophy rankings, a monthly look at the top goaltenders across the NHL.
This month features a pair of newcomers, including one in the top three. Meanwhile, an injury to one of this season's top contenders might seal up the hardware for the netminder occupying the top spot for the third month in a row.
Shesterkin appears on this list for the first time since November, and no goalie has been hotter than the 2022 Vezina winner lately. Since our previous edition on Feb. 7, Shesterkin has won nine of 11 starts, recording three shutouts and a .951 save percentage. He also leads the league with 17.25 goals saved above expected over that span.
His hot stretch has vaulted him into the top 10 in wins, save percentage, and goals against average on the season. He has a long way to go to fully erase his uncharacteristically average start to the campaign, but this is a good start. If he maintains his February form and the Rangers remain atop the Metropolitan Division, Shesterkin will surely garner some consideration for hardware.
4. Jeremy Swayman, Bruins
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Previous rank: 5th
Record
GAA
SV%
GSAA
GSAx
21-7-8
2.49
9.20
15.74
19.31
Statistically, Swayman has overtaken Linus Ullmark as Boston's No. 1 option between the pipes. The Bruins' star duo is clearly quite fond of each other - as evidenced by their routine post-win hugs - but the amicable time split is a blessing and a curse in Swayman's Vezina Trophy candidacy. It's great for Swayman and the Bruins that he appears comfortable being the guy for a top team with only 125 games of NHL experience, but sharing the crease is a major deterrent to winning the Vezina.
Ullmark, of course, accomplished the feat in 2023, but his numbers were far superior to his peers'. Swayman doesn't have the same sort of edge this time around. Still, he's earned his spot on this list by ranking top 10 in all the criteria above. A Vezina Trophy could very well be in Swayman's near future, but not quite yet.
3. Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: N/A
Record
GAA
SV%
GSAA
GSAx
32-12-2
2.30
.918
15.88
18.41
Bobrovsky's resurgence since last year's playoffs has been nothing short of remarkable. After carrying the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final with one of the most lights-out goalie heaters in recent memory, the 35-year-old has produced his best regular season since signing his much-maligned megadeal in 2019. Bobrovsky has played a huge role in transforming the franchise from a Cinderella story to the top team in the Eastern Conference.
He hadn't made our list before now, but like Shesterkin, Bobrovsky's taken his game to a new level over the past month. His numbers since Feb. 7 are nearly identical to his Rangers counterpart, but the Panthers' netminder has better stats over the course of the season, sitting top five in wins, save percentage, and goals against average. Bobrovsky already has two Vezina wins in his 14-year career. At the rate he's going, he's making a decent case to become the 13th goalie in league history to earn a third.
2. Thatcher Demko, Canucks
Derek Cain / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Previous rank: 2nd
Record
GAA
SV%
GSAA
GSAx
34-13-2
2.47
.917
15.93
24.79
Demko's marvellous season hit a major roadblock recently, as he's been ruled out two-to-three weeks with a knee injury. His absence will either severely hinder his Vezina odds or bolster his case by showing how important he is to Vancouver's success if it struggles while he's out.
Demko's case has been cut and dry since October: He's among the league leaders in every major statistical category and is the backbone of a first-place team. He still has a tremendous chance to be a finalist by the summer, but his upcoming stretch in the press box may have ruined any hopes of usurping our No. 1 candidate.
1. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets
Darcy Finley / Getty Images
Previous rank: 1st
Record
GAA
SV%
GSAA
GSAx
30-14-3
2.30
.922
24.2
35.77
It's Hellebuyck's award to lose now. He leads the league in save percentage, goals saved above average, and goals saved above expected while sitting top five in starts, wins, and shutouts. The Jets are a strong defensive team, but Hellebuyck is far and away their MVP as they chase down the Central Division title.
According to Evolving-Hockey's standing points above replacement metric, which assigns a total value to an individual player's contributions to his team's success, Hellebuyck is the best goalie in the league at 11.9 this season. The runner-up, Joey Daccord of the Kraken, is at 8.9. Bobrovsky (8.6), Swayman (8.5), Demko (7.1), and Shesterkin (5.7) all rank in the top 15, but Winnipeg's backbone is in a class of his own and should be rewarded accordingly at season's end.
Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson earned a game misconduct during the third period of Tuesday's blowout against the Chicago Blackhawks after joining a scrum in an attempt to fight counterpart Petr Mrazek.
Gibson skated the length of the ice following a tussle between Radko Gudas and MacKenzie Entwistle in which Mrazek had intervened.
Former NHLer Anson Carter and the Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment group formally requested the league commences the expansion process to bring a franchise to the Atlanta area on Tuesday.
"I have no doubt that the best league in the world will thrive in its return to Metro Atlanta," Carter said in a statement. "I have been in dialogue with NHL commissioner (Gary) Bettman since 2019 about an expansion team returning to the Fulton County Metro Atlanta market, knowing that franchise decisions are exclusively decided by the NHL Board of Governors."
The NHL has left Atlanta twice. The Flames resided in Georgia from 1972-1980 before moving to Calgary, and the Thrashers played there from 1999-2011 before relocating to Winnipeg.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly noted in September that the Atlanta area is better equipped to house a NHL franchise now than it was before.
"I think times have changed pretty dramatically and the market demographics have changed pretty dramatically since the first time we went there and then again in 1999," Daly said.
Bettman has stated repeatedly that expansion from 32 teams isn't a priority for the NHL, but Atlanta's request for a team is the second the league has received this season after Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith expressed his interest in bringing a team to the state.
Ottawa Senators blue-liner Jakob Chychrun survived the deadline without being moved but knows his name will continue to serve as potential trade bait going forward.
"The trade deadline is over, but people are already talking about the summer. It's not like the chatter is going anywhere," Chychrun told The Athletic's Ian Mendes. "It's the reality of the situation with my contract with having one year left. We'll see what happens with my situation moving forward."
In January, Chychrun called trade rumors "ridiculous," but they persisted leading up to the deadline as the Senators fell further out of the playoff race.
"I really don't know what else I can do. I can only focus on the things I can control. And that's easier said than done sometimes," he said. "That's something as a professional that I'm going to deal with and try to not let it affect me."
Chychrun was dealt to the Senators from the Arizona Coyotes before the 2023 deadline after more than a year of speculation on his future. His arrival was supposed to help a rebuilding Ottawa squad become a playoff contender, but the club sits 28th in the league standings. The soon-to-be 26-year-old said some team success could've erased uncertainty about his future with the organization.
"What's disappointing is not the (trade) talks," he said. "It's the way the season has gone for us as a group. If things were different, none of this would be going on. That's the most frustrating thing for me. We all had such high hopes for this group, and we haven't lived up to those expectations. That's the toughest pill to swallow."
Chychrun's notched 36 points in 74 games since joining the Senators. He's under contract through 2025 at a $4.6-million cap hit and has a 10-team no-trade clause, according to CapFriendly.
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet doesn't believe whatever forced Thatcher Demko to exit Saturday's win over the Winnipeg Jets is much of a concern.
Demko left the game with 13 minutes remaining in the second period, and was replaced by Casey DeSmith. The Canucks ruled Demko out for the remainder of the game during the final frame, but didn't specify the injury.
"I don't think it's serious," Tocchet said postgame, noting he hadn't spoken with team doctors yet, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji.
The Canucks are off until Wednesday and only play two games this coming week, which Tocchet believes will benefit Demko.
"The schedule kind of sets up for that and we're confident in Casey," he said. "We're going to have to manage it. There's lots of time to get him some rest."
Demko's start Saturday was his 50th of the season, one off the NHL lead. He's been one of the main contributors to Vancouver's success this season, and entered action against Winnipeg with a 34-13-2 record, a .917 save percentage, and five shutouts.
The Canucks managed to beat the Jets 5-0 for their fourth win in a row.
Linus Ullmark was well aware of rumors suggesting he was on the trade block over the past few weeks, and now that the deadline's passed, he's thrilled to still be a Boston Bruin.
"Oh, thank God, yes," Ullmark said following Saturday's win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa. "It's tough. You try to act tough beforehand. You don't want to show anything. You don't want to show any emotion. It's kind of like in the playoff situation as well. But it is tough on players. This is the first time when I had to go through and actually being rumored about.
"I've always felt safe. But then once it actually starts picking up more and more and more, you hear those outside noises, it takes a toll on you. There's this emotional part of it. Then you start thinking about your family. Then there's all these questions that you just don't have any answers to. So yes, I'm very happy that it's over with. I'm very glad and happy to be here."
Reports surfaced Friday that the Bruins had a trade in place to send Ullmark to the Los Angeles Kings, but the reigning Vezina Trophy winner nixed the move. After the deadline passed, Boston general manager Don Sweeney said he wasn't aggressively shopping Ullmark.
Ullmark has posted inferior numbers to partner Jeremy Swayman this season and was considered possibly expendable with only one year left on his contract.
"This is the team that I want to be in," Ullmark said. "I'm very fortunate to be part of this group. Ever since Day 1, I've loved it here. I'm very happy with where I am right now."
Ullmark entered Saturday with a .909 save percentage in 32 appearances and made 38 saves on 39 shots to lead Boston over Pittsburgh.
"He was our best player. Wasn't close," head coach Jim Montgomery said. "He was really good. Glad he's still a Bruin."
While the New Jersey Devils didn't find a permanent solution in goal like many fans hoped before Friday's trade deadline, general manager Tom Fitzgerald said the moves he made set the club up to strike in the offseason.
"I hope (our players) see that it's an opportunity for us to set ourselves up this summer to have the cap space for a position of need and, to be quite honest, be big-game hunting," Fitzgerald said, per NJ.com's Ryan Novozinsky.
The Devils have been in the market for a No. 1 goalie and were linked to possibly landing Calgary Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom before trade negotiations stalled. Instead, Fitzgerald acquired Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens and swapped Vitek Vanecek for Kaapo Kahkonen.
Allen is signed through next season at a retained $1.925-million cap hit, while Kahkonen is set to hit the open market this summer, giving the Devils more financial flexibility than they had with Vanecek signed through 2025.
"We're looking at a potential tandem that maybe could rate up there in the league if I was able to land one of these big fishes," Fitzgerald said, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "(Trading Vanecek) allows us to be able to be in on anything next summer and have the flexibility with what we believe will be available in the offseason."
With a lack of impact goaltenders available in free agency, the Devils will likely have to go the trade route to reinforce their crease. New Jersey is projected to have approximately $21.3 million in cap space this summer, according to CapFriendly, and currently has 14 players signed.
Poor goaltending is the primary reason New Jersey is six points back of a playoff spot, as the club's .882 all-situations save percentage ranks 31st.
