As the one-year anniversary of the blockbuster trade that brought Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators approaches, general manager Pierre Dorion remains pleased with his investment.
"(I'm) very happy with how it turned out. Obviously, from a team (perspective), we would have liked to have more success, but the player is exactly as advertised," Dorion told reporters Monday. "He's a No. 1 center, he can carry the load, he can play against the other team's best lines.
"I think his production has been there. I think he's been a big part of why our power play is so successful this year. I think he brings tremendous leadership qualities. He's someone that can do a lot offensively. We've also seen him play some penalty kill."
The Senators parted with forward Kyle Turris, goaltender Andrew Hammond, prospect Shane Bowers, a conditional first-round pick in 2018, and a 2019 third-rounder to bring Duchene to Ottawa in a three-team trade Nov. 5, 2017.
But as Dorion indicates, while Duchene owns an impressive stat line since joining the Senators - he posted 49 points in the 68 games that followed the deal, and has 11 points across 10 games this season - it hasn't always translated to the win column. At the time of the trade, Ottawa owned a 6-3-5 record and went 22-40-6 the rest of the way.
Most troubling to pundits was the inclusion of the Senators' first-round pick. Ottawa retained the option to defer the pick to 2019 if the team had a top 10 selection, and the Senators decided to do so in order to draft agitating forward Brady Tkachuk fourth overall. The risk is that some draft-lottery misfortune and another poor finish - the Senators wound up 30th overall last year - could cause the franchise to lose out on budding superstar Jack Hughes come June.
But in the here and now, with the Senators at .500 this season, Dorion seems satisfied with last year's megadeal.
"We're really finding out that Matt Duchene is really a complete player, and as a human being, I can't say enough great things about him," Dorion added.
Duchene, 27, can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
As the one-year anniversary of the blockbuster trade that brought Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators approaches, general manager Pierre Dorion remains pleased with his investment.
"(I'm) very happy with how it turned out. Obviously, from a team (perspective), we would have liked to have more success, but the player is exactly as advertised," Dorion told reporters Monday. "He's a No. 1 center, he can carry the load, he can play against the other team's best lines.
"I think his production has been there. I think he's been a big part of why our power play is so successful this year. I think he brings tremendous leadership qualities. He's someone that can do a lot offensively. We've also seen him play some penalty kill."
The Senators parted with forward Kyle Turris, goaltender Andrew Hammond, prospect Shane Bowers, a conditional first-round pick in 2018, and a 2019 third-rounder to bring Duchene to Ottawa in a three-team trade Nov. 5, 2017.
But as Dorion indicates, while Duchene owns an impressive stat line since joining the Senators - he posted 49 points in the 68 games that followed the deal, and has 11 points across 10 games this season - it hasn't always translated to the win column. At the time of the trade, Ottawa owned a 6-3-5 record and went 22-40-6 the rest of the way.
Most troubling to pundits was the inclusion of the Senators' first-round pick. Ottawa retained the option to defer the pick to 2019 if the team had a top 10 selection, and the Senators decided to do so in order to draft agitating forward Brady Tkachuk fourth overall. The risk is that some draft-lottery misfortune and another poor finish - the Senators wound up 30th overall last year - could cause the franchise to lose out on budding superstar Jack Hughes come June.
But in the here and now, with the Senators at .500 this season, Dorion seems satisfied with last year's megadeal.
"We're really finding out that Matt Duchene is really a complete player, and as a human being, I can't say enough great things about him," Dorion added.
Duchene, 27, can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Rasmussen will play his 10th NHL game Tuesday, effectively burning the first year of his entry-level contract and putting to rest the possibility he would be reassigned to the WHL's Tri-City Americans.
Detroit selected Rasmussen with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft. He's picked up one assist across nine appearances this season.
Amid complaints from goaltenders across the league about the new specifications for their equipment, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly isn't considering backtracking.
For the 2018-19 season, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to new specifications for goaltender chest protectors, making them more form-fitting to help increase scoring across the league. Despite the early gripes, Daly said the new equipment standards will not be reverted.
"Some of the concerns we're hearing now, they may grow in number, because you may hear somebody else do it, so you do it, too," Daly told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "But I don't think we'll ever reach the point where we'd consider making changes."
"I like to not overreact to things," Daly said. "I don't think that some of the concerns we're hearing about currently are really reflective of a large majority of goaltenders."
The league has seen an increase in goals this season, with the average rising to 6.18 goals per game, up from the 2017-18 mark of 5.94.
Fabbri hasn't suited up for the Blues since February 2017, when he suffered a knee injury. He then missed the entire 2017-18 campaign after re-injuring his ACL. The 22-year-old also sat out the start of this season because of a groin injury.
In three appearances with the AHL's San Antonio Rampage this season, Fabbri has recorded one goal and one assist. He was the Blues' 21st overall pick in 2014.
Schneider was assigned to New Jersey's minor-league club earlier in October. He missed the beginning of the campaign as he continued to recover from his May hip surgery and has yet to suit up for the Devils this season.
In three appearances with the AHL's Binghamton Devils, Schneider came away with one win and an .897 save percentage.
Backup Keith Kinkaid held down the fort in Schneider's absence, going 5-2-1 with a .925 save rate.
The NHL announced on Monday a multi-year gaming partnership with MGM Resorts International to become the league's first official gaming and resort destination partner.
The agreement grants MGM access to the NHL's intellectual property, including league and team logos, and proprietary gaming data.
"The new sports betting landscape presents a unique opportunity for fan engagement utilizing technology and data that are exclusive to our league," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
"As a leading global gaming operator and entertainment company, MGM Resorts is the perfect partner for us to begin our transformative entry into this space. Fan engagement, technological advancement and innovation are paramount to our progressive approach and will be at the forefront of everything we do."
Monday's announcement only became possible after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law in May that banned sports betting.
"Combining MGM Resorts' world-class sports betting operations and technology with the NHL's top-level competition, iconic brands and cutting-edge data will further transform the rapidly growing sports betting marketplace and solidify our position at the forefront of the industry," MGM chairman and CEO Jim Murren said in a statement.
#NHLPA will share 50% of revenue generated from this partnership with MGM Resorts. To be clear: this is fixed revenue, #NHL is not getting a cut of the book itself.
Speaking Monday, Bettman left open the possibility of future partnerships, as he noted the agreement with MGM is not exclusive, according to Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas.
Bettman downplayed the likelihood that opening the door to sports betting could have a negative impact on the league's players.
"I've never worried and don't worry about the integrity of our game," Bettman said. "It has been strong even when the majority of gambling was not through legal sportsbooks."
Earlier this month, the New Jersey Devilsannounced an independent partnership with William Hill US, which in part will place a sports betting lounge inside the Prudential Center, the Devils' home arena. In September, the Vegas Golden Knights became the first NHL club to announce a betting partnership in an agreement with William Hill US.
Winnipeg Jets blue-liner Jacob Trouba hit Matthews on Saturday, which resulted in an injury similar to the one he suffered last season, though on the opposite shoulder.
On the hit: "I knew (Trouba) was coming but I was just trying to get a shot off and trying to score a goal. Obviously he took the body -- which is what you're supposed to do -- and it caught me at a weird angle."
His shoulder ailment in 2017-18 forced Matthews to miss 10 games. If his four-week recovery timeline holds up this time around, he could miss up to 14 contests for a team that's started the 2018-19 campaign 8-3-0, largely due to Matthews' offensive contributions.
In 11 games, Matthews has recorded 10 goals and six assists.
During the regular season, theScore's NHL Power Rankings will be published every two weeks. This latest edition is the second of the regular season. It was compiled by editors Sean O'Leary, Josh Wegman, and Cory Wilkins.
1. Nashville Predators (8-3-0) ▲
Even with Pekka Rinne on the shelf, this is the most dangerous team in the league. The Predators could use an uptick in depth production, but with Filip Forsberg playing the way he is - nine goals in his last seven games - a lack of secondary scoring hasn't been much of a problem thus far. - O'Leary
Previously: 5th
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-2-1) ▲
First off, we're gonna go ahead and declare Tampa's 7-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes an anomaly. Prior to that stunning result, which came on the latter half of a back-to-back with Andrei Vasilevskiy on the bench, the Bolts had won five of six, and they still stand as one of the NHL's most complete rosters. - O'Leary
Previously: 12th
3. Toronto Maple Leafs (8-3-0) ▼
The high of back-to-back wins over the Winnipeg Jets was diminished by the loss of Auston Matthews, but Toronto is still in good shape thanks to a rather notable offseason signing. A resolution on the William Nylander front would make it even easier to cope. - O'Leary
Previously: 1st
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (6-1-2) ▲
Evgeni Malkin has 18 points in nine games, and the Penguins just went 4-0 on a cross-Canada trek during which captain Sidney Crosby collected eight points of his own. Don't sleep on Pittsburgh. - O'Leary
Previously: 17th
5. Colorado Avalanche (7-3-2) ▲
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Avs' top line is playing at a ridiculous level right now, but lost in the excitement of Colorado's high-powered offense has been the team's consistency between the pipes. Semyon Varlamov and Philipp Grubauer have combined for a .942 save percentage at five on five while allowing just 27 goals through 12 games. - O'Leary
Previously: 8th
6. Winnipeg Jets (7-4-1) ▲
The Jets haven't completely hit their stride just yet, and Patrik Laine hasn't scored an even-strength goal through 11 contests. Perhaps an excursion to Finland will help this Cup contender and its top sniper. - O'Leary
Previously: 19th
7. Carolina Hurricanes (6-4-1) ▼
Carolina is controlling over 61 percent of shots at five on five, and its high-tempo, fun-loving approach has become must-watch hockey. Unfortunately for the Canes, they've yet to find a reliable answer in goal, which appears to be the only thing preventing this club from storming its way into the top tier of the Eastern Conference. - O'Leary
Previously: 2nd
8. Minnesota Wild (6-2-2) ▲
After a slow start, Minnesota has reeled off five consecutive wins to make a push in the crowded Central Division. As usual, Devan Dubnyk has been the Wild's best player, while the early resurgence of Zach Parise - who has 11 points in 10 games - has helped the offense. - O'Leary
Previously: 26th
9. Montreal Canadiens (6-2-2) ▲
Who saw this coming? The Habs are playing a relentless brand of hockey and it's yielded positive results early on in a year when almost everyone expected them to be a basement dweller. Let's see how long they can keep it up. - O'Leary
Previously: 13th
10. Boston Bruins (6-3-2) ▼
Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Boston's won six of its last 10 on the strength of its scorching top line, but questions remain about both the club's forward depth and in goal, where Tuukka Rask has managed a measly .902 save percentage in his first six starts this year. - O'Leary
Previously: 3rd
11. Columbus Blue Jackets (6-4-0) ▲
The Blue Jackets are off to a good start despite Sergei Bobrovsky's .872 save percentage and 3.87 goals-against average. Just imagine how dangerous this team will be once one of the league's top goaltenders starts playing like himself. - Wegman
Previously: 18th
12. San Jose Sharks (6-3-2) ▲
Many pundits listed the Sharks as Stanley Cup contenders after the addition of Erik Karlsson, and we're starting to see why. The club is 4-0-1 in its last five games, with tasty home matchups against the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers on the docket this week. - Wegman
Previously: 16th
13. Edmonton Oilers (6-3-1) ▲
Critics were calling for Todd McLellan's job after an 0-2 start, but the Oilers have now won six of their last eight games, including victories over the Jets, Bruins, Predators, and Washington Capitals. - Wegman
Previously: 27th
14. Washington Capitals (5-3-2)
The league's best power play has helped hide some of the Capitals' even-strength struggles so far this season. It would be foolish to think the defending champs can't work out the kinks. - Wegman
Previously: 14th
15. Buffalo Sabres (6-4-1)
Kevin Hoffman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Sabres are 3-0-1 in their last four games, but face an uphill battle in the suddenly deep Atlantic Division. - Wegman
Previously: 15th
16. New Jersey Devils (5-2-1) ▼
The Devils are receiving more and more offensive contributions from players not named Taylor Hall, which should help them continue to fill the win column as long as Keith Kinkaid remains stellar between the pipes. - Wegman
Previously: 4th
17. Chicago Blackhawks (6-3-3) ▼
Everyone was writing off the Blackhawks before the season began, but Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Co. are proving there's still plenty left in the tank. However, only one of Chicago's wins has come against a team with a record above .500. - Wegman
Previously: 7th
18. Dallas Stars (5-5-0) ▼
The Stars continue to be one of the most perplexing teams in the NHL, given their high-end talent but relative lack of success. It's possible Dallas is just taking time to adjust to new bench boss Jim Montgomery. - Wegman
Previously: 6th
19. Calgary Flames (5-5-1) ▼
The Flames have received awful goaltending from Mike Smith in the early going, so it wouldn't be shocking to see David Rittich receive more starts as the team tries to spark a turnaround. - Wegman
Previously: 10th
20. Arizona Coyotes (5-5-0) ▲
Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The offensive dam has finally broken for the Coyotes, who just finished smashing the Lightning to push their win streak to three games. Arizona appears equally strong in its own end, as both Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper have proven difficult to beat. - Wilkins
A strong start to the season for the Canucks - a squad many picked as a favorite to lead the draft lottery - will now be tested by a host of injuries. The good news is both their young stars, Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, are back in the lineup after spending some time sidelined. - Wilkins
Previously: 11th
23. New York Islanders (5-4-1) ▼
Big wins over the Flyers and Los Angeles Kings were essentially nullified after key losses to the Sharks and Anaheim Ducks, but the biggest takeaway for the Islanders is that new coach Barry Trotz has straightened out the team's goaltending. Thomas Greiss and new face Robin Lehner have both put up solid numbers, a nice bounce back after netminding proved to be New York's biggest weakness a year ago. - Wilkins
Previously: 20th
24. Vegas Golden Knights (5-5-1) ▲
The magic of last season appears to be gone for the Golden Knights. Most troubling is the team's apparent inability to score. The free-agent departures of James Neal and Perron could come back to haunt general manager George McPhee. An injury to Max Pacioretty only makes things more challenging. - Wilkins
Previously: 25th
25. Ottawa Senators (4-4-2) ▼
Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photo / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Senators have slowed after a strong start to the season, losing their last three games. Still, the team is exceeding preseason predictions and is providing a look at what's to come in talented young players Thomas Chabot and Max Lajoie. - Wilkins
Previously: 21st
26. Anaheim Ducks (5-5-2) ▼
You can only spend so much time in your own end before it's reflected in the loss column. That's the case with the Ducks, who have dropped five in a row and are being outpaced by an average of 14 shots each night. A litany of injuries doesn't help either. - Wilkins
Previously: 9th
27. Philadelphia Flyers (4-7-0) ▼
No team has allowed more goals than the Flyers, and it's difficult to imagine that stat improving even with the return of Michal Neuvirth. To make matters worse, Philadelphia's offense has dried up as it's dropped its last three games and scored just two goals in the process. -Wilkins
Previously: 22nd
28. Florida Panthers (2-4-3) ▲
While James Reimer is a reliable backup, the Panthers need to hang on as they await Roberto Luongo's return from injury. Fortunately, the team has had some success in doing so, picking up points in four of its last six contests. The Panthers now head to Finland for a two-game series versus the Jets. - Wilkins
Previously: 30th
29. New York Rangers (3-7-1)
Based on expectations, the Rangers' record through the early parts of the season isn't too surprising. Rookie coach David Quinn has made a quick transition to the NHL, while star talents Mats Zuccarello, Mika Zibanejad, and Henrik Lundqvist are still showing up. There's just a shortage of depth. That will come as New York continues down the rebuild road. - Wilkins
Previously: 29th
30. Los Angeles Kings (3-7-1) ▼
A slow start to the season has head coach John Stevens on the hot seat. While it appeared a turnaround could come with the return of Dustin Brown, another injury to star netminder Jonathan Quick took the wind from those sails. - Wilkins
Previously: 23rd
31. Detroit Red Wings (2-7-2) ▼
An ugly October has Red Wings fans looking toward the Jack Hughes lottery. A banged-up blue line hasn't helped matters. While the wins aren't coming, there have been some bright spots, particularly rookie defenseman Dennis Cholowski, Detroit's first-round pick from the 2016 draft. - Wilkins
