A month after surprisingly resigning as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jim Rutherford has his eyes set on a potential return to hockey.

"I still got the bug," Rutherford told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

"I can tell you that I feel good, I have a lot of energy, I love the game. I’ve watched as many games as I can every night to stay in the loop. I have an emotional connection to the Penguins for obvious reasons, but I still have the bug to be with a team and try to contribute and make it better."

The 72-year-old still hasn't elaborated on why he left his position with Pittsburgh, simply citing personal reasons. Shortly after his resignation, the club hired Ron Hextall as general manager and brought in Brian Burke as president of hockey operations.

Rutherford had been general manager of the Penguins since 2014, helping lead the club to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017.

While a return to Pittsburgh doesn't seem to be in the books, Rutherford added he won't necessarily be actively looking for a front-office position and instead will wait to see if an opportunity comes his way.

"I’ve done this long enough, and I have a lot of friends in the game and a lot of respect for everybody, and I’m not looking to take somebody’s job," Rutherford said. "So I’m not going to be making phone calls and saying that I’m looking for a job that somebody already has.

"It’s a place where most people would like to get to in their life. You can work if you want, but you don’t have to. I don’t have any more things to accomplish in the league, but I do think I have a lot to offer to a team in the right situation."

Rutherford won the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award in 2016 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019. He also previously spent 20 years as general manager of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.

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Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner was a healthy scratch for the third straight game Thursday night, but the 28-year-old doesn't think watching from the press box will help him break out of his lengthy slump.

"I don't think you learn anything extra by not being out there, but, obviously, this situation is maybe not that straightforward in the fact that 'lessons being learned' is maybe more of a vague concept," Skinner said Friday, according to The Athletic's John Vogl.

Skinner, who's in the second season of an eight-year, $72-million contract, has yet to score and has just one assist through 14 games. He skated with the club's taxi squad during Thursday's practice.

Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger said Thursday that he doesn't have a doghouse and that he'll continue to work with Skinner to find his potential. The 5-foot-11 winger understands Krueger's decision and insists it hasn't impacted how he views his future with the club.

"I try and help the team win as much as I can," Skinner said. "That's my main focus. Obviously, the coach is trying to do that, too. ... He has 23 other guys to worry about. He has a team to coach. I just have to play hockey.

He added, "I love being a Sabre. I love the city of Buffalo. I wouldn't have chosen to stay here if that wasn't (the) case, so that answer is simple."

The Sabres could certainly use Skinner's offensive touch. Buffalo ranks 27th in scoring this season and sits last in the East Division through 17 games.

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St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko is nearing his long-awaited return.

Head coach Craig Berube said Friday that there's a "good chance" Tarasenko will make his season debut on the Blues' upcoming road trip, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac.

The 29-year-old sniper hasn't suited up in a game since Aug. 14, as he underwent shoulder surgery shortly after. He played only 10 contests last season due to a separate shoulder procedure in October 2019 but eclipsed the 30-goal mark in each of his five previous campaigns.

Tarasenko skated alongside David Perron and Brayden Schenn during Friday's practice and competed in contact drills.

The Blues begin a six-game road trip against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. It wraps up back in the Bay Area on March 8.

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Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews did not take part in Friday's practice and is considered day-to-day with a hand injury, the team announced.

Matthews' status for Saturday's game against the Edmonton Oilers currently remains unclear.

The 23-year-old appeared to be in discomfort after going hard into the boards on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame that Matthews has battled a wrist ailment all year.

"We don't think it's anything more at this point than what he's been dealing with virtually all season," Keefe said.

Matthews, who leads the NHL with 18 goals, is likely considered a front-runner for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.

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Welcome to the sixth edition of "Looking North," our weekly Friday dive into the all-Canadian division. This installment dates back to Feb. 19.

The rundown

Are the Edmonton Oilers for real? Time will tell if this is just another short-lived hot streak, but Connor McDavid and Co. appear to have found their rhythm two months into the season. The Oilers have won eight of their last nine contests and sit second place in the North division.

The Montreal Canadiens' fall from grace culminated in the firing of former head coach Claude Julien on Wednesday as the club hopes to rediscover its dominant form from the season's opening 10 games. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Canucks' campaign continues to slip away. The club went winless last week, collecting just one point while falling further down the standings.

The Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs continue to find ways to win, while the Calgary Flames are still trying to discover their identity. The Ottawa Senators, who routed the Flames 6-1 on Thursday, have won three straight and are playing their best hockey of the season.

The stars

Forward: McDavid strengthened his bid for a second Hart Trophy, pacing all skaters in the division in both goals (five) and points (eight) last week. The Oilers captain stole the show in the latest installment of the Battle of Alberta, lighting up the Flames for five points, which included a natural hat trick.

Defenseman: Thomas Chabot has been the Senators' best player this season, and his elite abilities have catalyzed the club's first three-game winning streak this season. The 24-year-old rearguard played just under half the contest and set up the game-winner in the Sens' second of two victories over the Canadiens last week. Chabot added two more assists in the team's thrashing of the Flames as Ottawa owned 61.33% of scoring chances at five-on-five with him patrolling the ice.

Goalie: The Oilers have been a different team since Mike Smith returned to the crease earlier this month. The veteran puck-stopper is red-hot, allowing just four goals (.953 save percentage) over his last three starts - all wins. Smith's 32-save shutout against the Canucks on Thursday punctuated what's been an invaluable stretch of play to the Oilers.

Canadian of the week

Good for Matt Murray. McDavid may have stolen the show with his offensive bona fides, and Smith was easily the top puck-stopper last week, but Murray should be recognized for bouncing back from a dreadful start to his campaign. The Senators netminder, who hadn't won consecutive games this season, earned a victory in all three of his starts last week, authoring a .929 save percentage across those outings.

The moments

Nylander's heroics

William Nylander has been criticized for his lack of involvement at times this season, but the dynamic winger silenced his critics with a heroic performance against the Flames on Wednesday. With the Leafs in danger of being shut out for a second consecutive game, Nylander pounced on a loose puck late to force overtime.

Nylander put his incredible skill on display again in the extra frame to secure the Leafs' victory. The 24-year-old became the fourth player in franchise history - and first since 1995 - to score the tying goal with under two minutes to play in regulation and the overtime winner in the same game, according to NHL Public Relations.

Oilers storm back on Canucks

The Oilers and Canucks are heading in opposite directions, and the latter is running short on time to reverse course. Vancouver jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame Tuesday night before surrendering four straight goals - including three in the final period - to lose in regulation. Tyler Ennis delivered the dagger with just under seven minutes to play.

Unfortunately for the Canucks, this debacle wasn't an isolated incident. Vancouver has owned at least a 2-0 lead in three of its last five losses.

No-look, no problem

McDavid's aforementioned natural hat trick against the Flames was highlighted by another moment of magic. His second came at the start of the middle period as No. 97 put his hands, vision, and lightning-quick release on full display.

The question

Now that Claude Julien has been directed to the exit in Montreal, will the hammer continue to drop on North Division coaches? Flames bench boss Geoff Ward and Canucks head coach Travis Green are certainly far from safe.

It was reported in January that the Canucks intended to re-sign Green, whose contract is up after this season. A lot has changed over the last month, however, and as the losses continue to pile up, something may eventually give. The Flames turned their campaign around after Ward took over coaching duties last season, but the honeymoon period may be over. If Ward can't help Calgary carve out an identity in the coming weeks, a new voice might be needed in the Flames' locker room.

Quote of the week

Matthew Tkachuk didn't mince his words when assuring fans and pundits that the sibling rivalry between him and brother Brady won't play out on the ice the way they'd like it to.

"Anybody that thinks we're going to fight is an idiot," Tkachuk said prior to Thursday's outing between the Flames and Senators.

Unfortunately for fans, a 6-1 beatdown wasn't enough to push Matthew over the edge, and their father seems happy to keep it that way. "They're brothers, they're best friends," former NHLer Keith Tkachuk said earlier in the week. "(My wife) Chantal wouldn't like it and I wouldn't like it."

The Flames and Senators square off eight more times this season, including four games in the next nine days, but don't hold your breath for an old-fashioned showdown between the Tkachuk brothers.

Stat of the week

McDavid's five-point night against the Flames was his second such outing of the season. The franchise pivot clinched the natural hat trick with his fifth point in just 13:27 of ice time. He finished with only 17:33 thanks to the lopsided score.

Games to watch

The red-hot Oilers are just four points back of the Maple Leafs for first place entering a three-game set in Edmonton this week. The sides have split the season series at two wins apiece, with three of the four contests being decided by just one goal.

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Among the handful of major NHL awards handed out each year by a voting body, the Vezina Trophy tends to be the most predictable and straightforward.

Historically, Vezina voters - the league's general managers - have valued three main things: a heavy workload, winning, and a strong save percentage. Every Vezina winner in the past 10 non-lockout seasons has started at least 53 games, won at least 31 games, and owned a save percentage of at least .922.

That said, the uniqueness of this season calls for some mental gymnastics.

Teams are playing just 56 regular-season games, and coaches are giving extra starts to the backup in many instances to better tackle the condensed schedule. What's more, the league-average save percentage has dipped under .910 for the first time in 12 seasons while goalies exclusively face shooters from their division.

Do the GMs simply prorate their usual criteria? Or, do voters, on aggregate, adopt a more nuanced approach to the "best goalie of the year" debate?

Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy, Vegas' Marc-Andre Fleury, Chicago's Kevin Lankinen, Florida's Chris Driedger, and the Islanders' Semyon Varlamov are all popping off the page this season.

Here's each netminder's baseline statistics and how they rank among the 29 goalies who have started at least 10 times through Thursday night's action:

Let's dig deeper to account for shot quality, seeing as no two team environments are exactly the same. (Case in point: The Blackhawks' loose defensive structure is in stark contrast to the Islanders' lock-it-down style.)

Here's a breakdown of the same five goalies in the key categories of goals saved above expected (GSAx) and goals saved above average (GSAA) from Evolving Hockey:

Vasilevskiy, the award's 2018-19 winner, appears to grade out the best based on what's presented above, though Fleury - who hasn't seen the crease quite as often as Vasilevskiy - carries great intrigue. He has gaudy stats and a tidy narrative. Fleury has never won a Vezina despite sitting fifth all time in goalie wins, so the affable 36-year-old is about as "due" as they come.

Meanwhile, Lankinen is building a convincing case for the Calder Trophy, Driedger is outduelling partner Sergei Bobrovsky in a big way, and Varlamov is playing arguably the best hockey of his career on a 10-6-3 Isles club.

Keep an eye on Colorado's Philipp Grubauer, Los Angeles' Cal Petersen, and New Jersey's Mackenzie Blackwood as the season chugs along. All have been fantastic so far, too, and could soon challenge the other five.

At any rate, good luck with this one, GMs. I don't envy you.

Fleury's resilient - again

Speaking of Fleury, he's managed to reclaim the Golden Knights' net following a bubbled postseason in which he appeared in only four of 20 games.

Remember, Fleury was also at the center of a firestorm set off by his own camp. (You may remember Fleury's agent tweeted an image depicting his client being impaled by a sword labeled "DeBoer," as in coach Pete DeBoer.) In the offseason, it felt like Fleury's name was constantly in the rumor mill.

The early-season bounce back is impressive, and it reminds me of a conversation with Pascal Vincent, Fleury's Quebec junior coach.

Back in early 2004, Vincent watched a young Fleury struggle with "more than a few weeks" of confidence issues. Fresh off an all-time gaffe at the world juniors, the Pittsburgh Penguins returned Fleury - the 2003 first overall pick - to Vincent's Cape Breton Screaming Eagles following 22 NHL games.

"He's wearing the Team Canada jersey and he wants to win the gold, and even though you win as a team and lose as a team, he felt responsible, and that crushed him," recalled Vincent, who's now the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets' AHL affiliate.

Fleury, then 19, was so down he told Vincent he didn't believe he was as talented as the lesser-known junior goalies. The coach countered with a pearl of wisdom: that one moment won't define your career - unless you allow it to.

"I just had to let him be and (let him) go through his feelings," Vincent said. "Let him know that, 'Hey, I'm here. We believe in you. We're just going to wait for you to believe in yourself again, the way you should, and things will be fine. Don't worry about it. It sucks, it's not great. You feel the way you feel because you care so much. But we're here. And we'll be here this year, next year, in 10 years.'"

That lost confidence and joy - which is so prevalent in Fleury's demeanor on and off the ice - was eventually rediscovered, and life reverted back to normal.

"Looking back today and (on) what he's accomplished, I think what happened at that time was probably a blessing in his life," Vincent said.

Fleury's a grown man now, and these are two different situations, but there's some symmetry between Fleury's current bounce back and his arc in 2004.

Cats, Huberdeau sneaky good

Years of mediocrity and a lackluster showing in the bubble made the Florida Panthers easy to dismiss in the lead up to the season. Yet, 19 games in, the Cats are atop the Central Division with 28 points and sit third overall in points percentage. It's true they've already played Detroit six times, winning four, but the Panthers are also a combined 4-2 in their six meetings with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars, who met in the Stanley Cup Final last year.

Captain Aleksander Barkov has been lauded over his career for his two-way wizardry and has been praised again during this hot streak - rightfully so. Conversely, Jonathan Huberdeau, Barkov's longtime running mate, hasn't been properly credited throughout his career. The 27-year-old has been overshadowed, not only by Barkov, but also by his peers in bigger markets.

Huberdeau currently ranks eighth in league scoring with seven goals and 16 assists. He's the main facilitator on a lethal power play and is producing at a point-per-game pace on the wing for a third consecutive season.

"The people who have played with him over the years definitely realize how good he is," former teammate Vincent Trocheck said ahead of 2020 All-Star Weekend. "It's crazy to think this is his first All-Star Game. He's been in the league for eight years, and he's an outstanding player. He's probably deserved it six out of those eight years."

Huberdeau's 0.83 points-per-game rate since his 2012-13 debut is tied with Brock Boeser, Jake Guentzel, and Joe Pavelski for 42nd (minimum 100 games). That group is one notch below Jonathan Toews and Vladimir Tarasenko and one notch ahead of Alexander Radulov, Patrik Laine, and Kyle Connor.

Pretty solid company for the oft-overlooked star.

Forward TOI rabbit hole

On Monday, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner logged a career-high 26:41 of ice time in a 3-0 loss to the Calgary Flames. On the winning squad, Elias Lindholm clocked in almost a minute higher at 27:32.

Even though forwards typically don't see more than 22 minutes a night, Marner and Lindholm's ice times didn't seem to register as a league-wide story. At first glance, it looks like two top players earning a few extra shifts. No big deal. On second thought, 26:41 and 27:32 is a ton of ice time during a game that ended in regulation, no matter the underlying circumstances.

Is this a new trend? An anomaly? Let's parse the data to find out.

In 2019-20, two forwards (Leon Draisaitl and Jack Eichel) averaged 22 or more minutes, while nine averaged between 21 and 22, and 13 more averaged between 20 and 21. So far in 2020-21, four forwards (Marner, Connor McDavid, Patrick Kane, and Draisaitl) are averaging 22 or more minutes a game, while six are averaging between 21 and 22, and 14 are averaging between 20 and 21. That's two additional forwards in the 22-plus tier.

Let's check in on individual-game ice time.

A forward eclipsed the 26-minute mark on 15 occasions this season, whereas the 26-minute mark was eclipsed 41 times in 2019-20. That's a 26-minute forward in 2.6% of all team games this campaign versus 1.9% last season.

Since there have been only 291 games in 2020-21, it's too early to label nights like Marner's and Lindholm's a legitimate trend. Still, there appears to be something about this weird year that's leading to high-TOI games for select forwards. Perhaps it's because every game carries more weight in a shortened campaign, or maybe coaches want to push stamina limits.

Karlsson's double whammy

Frans Nielsen passing through waivers and Jeff Skinner getting scratched three times refueled the classic cap-era debate about the NHL's worst contract.

There are plenty of exorbitant cap hits out there. There are plenty of overcommitments to term as well. But it's the pile of double whammies - drawn-out, expensive deals for players providing little value or hope of value to the organization - where you'll find the worst of the worst.

Skinner, at $9 million through 2026-27, is certainly in the running for the (dis)honor. Matt Duchene and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who make $8 million and $7 million, respectively, through 2025-26, are both cringeworthy. Bobrovsky, at $10 million through 2025-26, is perhaps worse than all three.

Yet, the worst contract might belong to Erik Karlsson, at $11.5 million through 2026-27. Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, was on the trajectory of a first-ballot Hall of Famer before inking a massive, $92-million ticket with the San Jose Sharks in June 2019. But his game has tanked, in large part due to major injuries. He's a shell of his former self.

To put Karlsson's albatross contract into perspective, it eats up more than 14% of San Jose's allotted room under the $81.5-million upper limit. Armed with a no-move clause, he's locked in for another six years.

At the opposite end of the spectrum lives Conor Garland, whose expiring two-year deal is arguably the best non-entry-level, non-star contract in the NHL.

Last year, the Arizona Coyotes winger - who makes $775,000 annually - finished first among forwards in Cap Friendly's cost-per-point analysis. This year, he paces all players (including those on ELCs), making an efficient $43,055 per point (18 points in 19 games) in a first-line role with Arizona.

3 parting thoughts

Kirill Kaprizov: The Minnesota Wild stud and rookie scoring leader has delivered on the hype. Kaprizov's a mesmerizing player whose intensity, smarts, puck skills, and edgework are all pluses on the scouting report.

Dress code: Between the informal looks in the bubble, the Canucks going casual, and the Bruins reliving the 1990s at Lake Tahoe, how long until it's game over for the game-day suit and tie? I understand the "look good, play good" sentiment, but I'm in favor of the sport continuing to let its hair down.

L.A. Kings: Surprise! The rebuilding 9-6-3 Kings are in a playoff position in the West Division. It's been a statement first 18 games for 31-year-old Drew Doughty, and you've gotta respect the Michael Jordan-level pettiness.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's monthly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer. You can follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) and contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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