Part of what makes Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal-scoring record so compelling is that the two players are polar opposites in some ways yet stunningly similar in others. 

Gretzky played 1,487 career NHL games, finishing with 894 goals. After being held off the scoresheet in Minnesota on Thursday, Ovechkin has played 1,482. He’s at 889.

As far as the differences go — besides hailing from opposite sides of the world, Ovechkin is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds, a big hitter as well as a powerful shooter.

Gretzky’s biggest asset was his brain. Slippery and cerebral, he checked in at six-feet and 185 pounds, often with an enforcer like Dave Semenko or Marty McSorley on his wing to help create open ice for him.

While Gretzky’s goal-scoring record has stood up for more than a quarter-century, scoring was really just a sideline for The Great One.

His true calling card was his setup ability. Gretzky’s 1,963 career assists are more than 50 percent higher than second-place Ron Francis (1,249) and nearly double the NHL’s active leader, Sidney Crosby (1,058), who’s currently 10th all-time. 

Here's more on the distinct paths that Ovechkin and Gretzky have taken up the NHL’s goal-scoring mountain.

Gretzky: Younger

After starting in the WHA as a 17-year-old, Gretzky was 18 years and eight months old when he made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 10, 1979.

He wrapped up on April 14, 1999, at 38 years and nearly three months. 

As for Ovechkin, his Sept. 17 birthday made him one of the oldest players in his 2004 draft class. He was born two days too late to qualify for the famed class of 2003. 

Then, the 2004-05 full-season lockout eliminated any opportunity for Ovechkin to play in the NHL as a 19-year-old. He was 20 years and two weeks old when he finally made his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005 — almost two full years older than Sidney Crosby, who played his first game on the same day.

Ovechkin started this season at age 39 and is showing no sign of slowing down. His 36 goals rank him fourth in the NHL in 2024-25.

Ovechkin's Chances Of Breaking NHL Goals Record Against Crosby Are HighAlex Ovechkin is nearly the NHL’s top goal-scorer ever – and the likelihood he cements that status against Sidney Crosby continues to grow.

Ovechkin: Quicker

Ovechkin introduced himself in his very first game, scoring twice in the Capitals’ 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. By the 15-game mark, he was already up to 12 goals and had five two-goal games. He finished his rookie season with 52 goals and won the Calder Trophy.

Gretzky’s reputation preceded him thanks to his 110-point year in the WHA, but he didn’t log his first NHL goal until his third game — a 4-4 tie against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 14, 1979. 

His first multi-goal night came against the New York Islanders in his 10th game, and at Game 15, he was sitting at six goals. But Gretzky picked up steam as the year went on, finishing with 51 goals in 78 games and tying Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings for the league lead in points. Because he had already played a pro season, Gretzky was ruled to be ineligible for the Calder Trophy.

Gretzky: Streakier

In his third NHL season in 1981-82, Gretzky set the single-season record with 92 goals in 80 games. That record still stands, and the closest challenger was – Gretzky again, with 87 goals in 1983-84. Then comes Brett Hull at 86.

Gretzky’s goal-scoring slowed significantly in the later part of his career. He won five goal-scoring titles, all during his time with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s, and scored at least 40 goals in each of his first 12 seasons. 

After that, the closest he came was 38 goals in 1993-94. That’s the year he passed Gordie Howe with his record-setting 802nd goal. He played five more seasons before hanging up his skates at No. 894.

Ovechkin: Steadier

Ovechkin also peaked in his third season, with 65 goals – tied for 24th all-time. While he didn’t match Gretzky’s dizzying heights early in his career, he has only dipped below 30 goals once – and that was the 56-game 2020-21 season, his 16th year. 

All told, Ovechkin has 19 seasons with at least 30 goals, 13 with more than 40 goals, and nine goal-scoring titles. Both players have had five 50-goal seasons, but Gretzky cracked 60 goals five times, while Ovechkin only did it once.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Kickstart the weekend with The Hockey News Big Show, where we explore some of the biggest NHL and hockey topics.

Here’s what Katie Gaus, Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos discussed in this episode:

How Well Will Brad Marchand Fit In With Panthers? by The Big Showundefined

0:36: The Philadelphia Flyers fired coach John Tortorella. What do we think of Tortorella’s comments on Tuesday and the subsequent decision by the Flyers to move on?

6:20: Who do we think should be the next coach in Philadelphia, and will Tortorella end up coaching elsewhere by next season?

8:14: The St. Louis Blues are on an eight-game winning streak. What has stood out about St. Louis during this run, and should teams be genuinely concerned about meeting them in the first round?

11:10: Brad Marchand is slated to make his debut with the Florida Panthers on Friday against Utah Hockey Club. Do we like Marchand on the second line with Sam Bennett?  

13:14: When Matthew Tkachuk returns to the Panthers’ lineup, who becomes a healthy scratch?

14:58: Alex Ovechkin is now just six goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. Do general sports fans realize this is going on? Is the NHL doing enough to promote this Great Chase?

19:11: Day 1 of the NCAA men’s hockey national championship is in the books. These eliminations mean we have many players who could turn pro now that their seasons are done, but one of the biggest names to watch is MSU goalie Trey Augustine. Do we think Augustine will sign to go pro or return for his junior season at MSU?

20:51: What other prospects are you keeping an eye on now that their seasons are over?

23:17: We return to our weekly look at Ryan and Michael’s top eight Stanley Cup contenders. Starting with Ryan's list, which squad moved the most on his list and why?

24:55: Michael shares which team moved the most on his top eight Cup front-runners list and why.

29:10: What series in the Western Conference will be the toughest?

30:35: True or false: do we think Matvei Michkov is secretly happy Tortorella is fired?

32:52: Without looking, who has a better save percentage for the Dallas Stars: Jake Oettinger or Casey DeSmith?

34:22: Which fan base should be more concerned about their team next season: Boston or Detroit?

36:22: Is Kadri the Calgary Flames' best-ever free-agent signing? 

37:55: Sidney Crosby is the first player in NHL history to record 20 point-per-game seasons. Will anyone currently playing in the NHL ever beat this?

Watch the full episode here.   

Subscribe to The Hockey News Big Show on your preferred platform.

The Philadelphia Flyers fired John Tortorella on Thursday, replacing him with Brad Shaw on an interim basis. 

Tortorella, 66, had a year remaining on his contract. Following a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, he expressed frustration over the Flyers' recent decline in the standings, sounding like he wasn't keen to continue coaching a rebuilding team. 

Under Tortorella, the Flyers exceeded expectations since last season. They narrowly missed the post-season last year despite management's hesitant rebuilding approach and the lack of experienced goalie depth following Carter Hart's mid-season departure.

They were still in the chase this season. However, trading away Scott Laughton, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost and Erik Johnson gutted their roster depth, which was further weakened by a recent injury to blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen. They wound up tumbling down the standings and out of contention. 

Finding a suitable replacement will be management's off-season priority. 

The Hockey News’ Adam Proteau and Jonathan Bailey suggested David Carle of the University of Colorado as a candidate. Before Tortorella’s firing, Philly Hockey Now's William James suggested the same. Ben Kuzma of The Vancouver Province wondered if Canucks coach Rick Tocchet might land behind the Flyers' bench.

TSN's Pierre LeBrun mentioned Carle and Tocchet, pointing out that the latter is the only current NHL coach on an expiring contract, though it comes with a club option for next season. He wondered if Joel Quenneville might be part of the Flyers' search.

LeBrun also cited interim coaches Joe Sacco in Boston and Anders Sorensen in Chicago. He mused about Peter Laviolette's future if the New York Rangers miss the playoffs. The Hockey News’ Sam Carchidi and Proteau also wondered about AHL Lehigh Valley coach Ian Laperriere as an option.

Tortorella Gone, But Many Flyers Problems RemainJohn Tortorella has a lot of redeeming qualities, including the fact he develops a culture with his hard-driving, old-school style.

Before his firing, Tortorella felt the Flyers had to improve their goaltending after this season. He indicated Hart's departure last season left the position in turmoil, relying on inexperienced goaltenders Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov. As a result, the Flyers have one of the league's worst goals against per game (3.45).

Kevin Kurz of The Athletic believes Fedotov's future with the Flyers is in doubt. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $3.275 million, a 5-13-3 record, a 3.21 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage. 

Back To The Future: Flyers Plagued By Same Old Goalie IssuesFor most of the last four decades, the Philadelphia Flyers have been the poster child for mediocre-to-poor goaltending.

The Flyers will find the market is thin this summer for free-agent goaltenders with starter experience. The notables include the oft-injured Fredrik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes, Jake Allen of the New Jersey Devils, and Vitek Vanecek of the Florida Panthers. 

John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks is the only noteworthy goalie in the trade market. He carries an average annual value of $6.4 million through 2026-27 and a 10-team no-trade clause. The 31-year-old Gibson might not be keen to swap a rebuilding team in Anaheim for one in Philadelphia.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby wrote his name in the NHL history books once again on Thursday. 

With a goal against the Buffalo Sabres, Crosby became the first NHL player ever to record 20 seasons where he’s averaged at least one point per game. He broke the tie with Wayne Gretzky, who had 19.

Crosby has 80 points in 72 games this season, 17 more points than the second-leading scorer on the Penguins, Rickard Rakell. Crosby missed two games before the 4 Nations Face-Off, meaning he can only play a maximum of 80 matches this season.

The 37-year-old could still break some massive franchise records set by another all-time great, Mario Lemieux.

Lemieux is the Penguins' leader in goals with 690 and points with 1,723. Crosby gained the lead in the assist column earlier this season and currently has 1,058 helpers.

It’ll take some time for Crosby to beat Lemieux in goals and points, but he’s well within reach. He could even get it done before his next two-year contract expires.

Crosby only needs 48 more points to become Pittsburgh’s all-time points leader. He’s more than capable of setting that record in the first half of next season.

In every season where Crosby has played at least 40 games, he scored at least 47 points. As long as he stays healthy, he won’t break a sweat on his way to becoming the franchise’s point leader. If we use his 1.11 points-per-game average from this season, he’s projected to record eight more points this season and break Lemieux’s record 36 games into 2025-26.

Penguins Crosby Joins Exclusive Club With Another 80-Point Season Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored a first-period goal against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, March 27, securing his 14th 80-point season.

Breaking the goals record will be a bit more of a challenge. 

Crosby has 618 career goals, 73 away from breaking Lemieux’s 690-goal marker. In the next two seasons, Crosby will have to get close to 40 goals in each of those campaigns to become the club’s all-time goal leader. 

Last season, he scored 42 goals, his most since the 44 he recorded in 2016-17.

The goal to give him the point per-game record was his 26th of the year. In the season's final eight games, he’s on pace to score two or three more goals. He’ll have to return to his production from last season if he wants any chance to break the record, but at this point, it’s tough to doubt what Crosby can do.

As for the team, they lost 7-3 to the Sabres, sit 26th overall in the NHL standings and are projected to miss the playoffs for the third straight season.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article 

Man, Jake DeBrusk must have been much better than we all thought. Ever since he's left the Boston Bruins, they've gone to the dogs.

Well, not really. When the calendar turned to 2025, the Bruins were in third place in the Atlantic Division, firmly in possession of a playoff spot. Since then, disaster. They've not only foundered, but they traded away franchise stalwarts Brad Marchand and Brandon Carlo for futures.

Yes, they have a ton of cap space this summer. But so do a lot of other teams. Yes, they have a decent core of players signed long-term, but that might just prompt them to continue chasing a contender status that just isn't there.

This is a team that looks destined to be in the mushy middle, which is kind of the worst place in the NHL, for a few years.

Today's video column has more.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Welcome to a new episode of rapid-fire NHL and hockey topics on The Wraparound.

Here's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:

Which Bottom-10 NHL Team Is Closest To Contending? by The Wraparoundundefined

0:00: Who could replace John Tortorella as the Philadelphia Flyers’ coach of the future?

5:33: Was Jakob Chychrun’s extension a smart long-term bet by the Washington Capitals?

8:25: What Wayne Gretzky record is most likely to be broken next?

10:28: Is Bobby McMann one of the most valuable players for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

12:55: What decision has been the most regrettable for Barry Trotz as GM of the Nashville Predators this season?

19:27: What bottom-10 team is closest to contending?

22:16: With Dylan Holloway’s breakout season, will more teams be inclined to send out offer sheets to eligible RFAs this summer?

25:44: Which trade deadline acquisitions have been the best and worst fits?

30:02: Can Lindy Ruff be a part of an eventual turnaround for the Buffalo Sabres?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

Welcome to a new episode of rapid-fire NHL and hockey topics on The Wraparound.

Here's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:

Which Bottom-10 NHL Team Is Closest To Contending? by The Wraparoundundefined

0:00: Who could replace John Tortorella as the Philadelphia Flyers’ coach of the future?

5:33: Was Jakob Chychrun’s extension a smart long-term bet by the Washington Capitals?

8:25: What Wayne Gretzky record is most likely to be broken next?

10:28: Is Bobby McMann one of the most valuable players for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

12:55: What decision has been the most regrettable for Barry Trotz as GM of the Nashville Predators this season?

19:27: What bottom-10 team is closest to contending?

22:16: With Dylan Holloway’s breakout season, will more teams be inclined to send out offer sheets to eligible RFAs this summer?

25:44: Which trade deadline acquisitions have been the best and worst fits?

30:02: Can Lindy Ruff be a part of an eventual turnaround for the Buffalo Sabres?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

John Tortorella has a lot of redeeming qualities, including the fact he develops a culture with his hard-driving, old-school style.

But he was the wrong fit for the Philadelphia Flyers, who dismissed the 66-year-old coach Thursday toward the end of another disappointing season.

The Flyers are still a bad team, but maybe the players will develop quicker without the fear of being benched if they make a mistake. That was a Tortorella trademark, and it didn’t seem to sit well with the players or management.

A young, rebuilding team like the Flyers needs someone who can nurture players, get the most out of their potential.

That wasn’t a strength – or the MO – of the no-nonsense Tortorella.

In three years under Tortorella, the Flyers went 97-107-33 and missed the playoffs each year. The team overachieved for most of last season, then collapsed near the end, losing eight straight and blowing a playoff spot.

Despite the addition of wunderkind Matvei Michkov, the team has regressed greatly this season. The Flyers are 28-36-9, have lost 11 of their last 12 and have the NHL’s fourth-worst winning percentage.

The Flyers will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season, matching the worst span in franchise history.

Biggest Issue

Worse, the younger players – other than Michkov and Noah Cates – didn’t develop.

Former first-round picks Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost were traded because of their struggles.

Promising defensemen Cam York, who made a gaffe in Tuesday’s 7-2 loss in Toronto and was subsequently benched the rest of the game, and Jamie Drysdale have been extremely inconsistent.

Right winger Owen Tippett, a team cornerstone at 26, has taken a step backward. The goalies and the defense have been abysmal. Ditto the overall offense.

Tortorella sounded like he had packed in the season after Tuesday’s shellacking in Toronto.

“I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season,” he told reporters.

Maybe he meant he just hates coaching when there is nothing at stake, which is understandable. But it came across as a man who was fed up and had thrown in the towel on the season. Not a good look for the team’s leader.

Two days later, he was fired and replaced by interim coach Brad Shaw.

Yes, Tortorella won a Cup in Tampa Bay ages ago, but his teams have not been in the post-season in six of the last 10 years. Including time in Vancouver and Columbus, he has gotten past Round 1 once in the last 10 years. Those aren't great results.

Dismal Times

Flyers GM Danny Briere said all the obligatory things after Tortorella was dismissed. He called it a “very difficult decision,” saying Tortorella played a “vital role” in the rebuild and “set the standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer.”

From here, it means missing the playoffs, not having a true No. 1 or No. 2 center, watching too many young players regress and again searching for the dependable goalie.

Other than that, the Flyers resemble the franchise’s 1973-74 and 1974-75 Stanley Cup champs.

That’s not a slap at the current team. They try hard. They rarely get outworked. But they just don’t have the talent to compete.

Flyers Vs. Penguins: Who Will Be Cup Contenders Sooner?Remember when the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins rivalry was arguably the best in the NHL, matching hated cross-state rivals who were usually among the league’s elite?

Now the attention is focused on Briere, who needs to be active in the trade and free-agent markets, and do well in the draft. He has seven picks in the first two rounds in June. With the way some of those previous top choices have panned out (with other GMs in charge), maybe it’s time to deal some of those picks for established players?

Tortorella is gone, but the other problems – a lack of talent at key positions, failure to develop promising prospects – haven't gone away.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

The misery is over. At least it is for John Tortorella.

Two days after losing 7-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs — the second straight seven-goal loss during a losing streak that has stretched on for six games — the Philadelphia Flyers coach is done for the season. The Flyers have nine games remaining, but Tortorella won’t be coaching them.

Associate coach Brad Shaw takes over interim coaching duties. He coached 40 games for the New York Islanders in 2005-06, going 18-18-4, and he was an associate or assistant coach in St. Louis, Columbus and Vancouver before joining the Flyers in 2022-23.

“Today I made the very difficult decision to move on from John as our head coach,” said GM Daniel Briere. “John played a vital role in our rebuild. He set a standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer. John’s passion on the bench was only equaled by his charitable work in our community. As we move into the next chapter of this rebuild, I felt this was the best for our team to move forward. I’d like to thank John for his tireless wok and commitment to the Flyers.”

Is John Tortorella Still The Right Coach For Flyers’ Rebuild?When the Philadelphia Flyers resume their schedule Saturday afternoon against the powerful Edmonton Oilers, there are a couple of interesting things about their remaining 25 games.

Tortorella was hired in Philadelphia in 2022-23, taking over a rebuilding team that had already moved on from previous captain Claude Giroux. In his first season, the Flyers finished with the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. But last season, he exceeded expectations — and temporarily flirted with a playoff spot — as the team missed out on a wild card spot by just four points.

This year, however, he could not build on that success.

The Flyers, who have gone the past 14 games without a regulation win, have the worst winning percentage in the East. It doesn’t help that they were sellers at the trade deadline, having moved veterans Scott Laughton, Andrei Kuzmenko and Erik Johnson. But either way, it appears that even Tortorella was growing tired of all the losing.

John Tortorella: "This falls on me, I'm not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season where we're at right now...but I have to do a better job."#Flyerspic.twitter.com/M3LJbWdadB

— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) March 26, 2025

“It’s my job to prepare this team in this type of situation. I haven’t done a good enough job in the past couple of games,” Tortorella said following the blowout loss to the Leafs on Tuesday. “When you’re in this type of situation where you’re losing all the time and there’s nothing at the end of the tunnel for you, there’s certainly going to be some frustration. But this falls on me.

“I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season with where we’re at right now, but I have to do a better job. So this falls on me.”

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Hockey’s a high-speed, physical game, so injuries in the NHL are virtually unavoidable. But not all injuries are created equal.

Some are easier to play through with the help of doctors and therapists, while others can force even the most determined athlete to the sidelines.

Now that we’re into the last month of the NHL’s 2024-25 regular season, injury news takes on extra importance. It also catches fans’ attention when top stars, such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, are out of action — especially without much explanation about their status or return date.

Here’s an overview of where the teams with playoff aspirations are sitting, injury-wise, as of Wednesday, March 26.

Atlantic Division

The seeding here is wide open for the defending Stanley Cup champs and two serious challengers.

The Florida Panthers are hoping that Matthew Tkachuk and newcomer Brad Marchand will be able to step in seamlessly when they get the doctors’ thumbs-up and are expecting Dmitry Kulikov to return before the playoffs begin. Marchand could play as soon as Friday against the Utah Hockey Club.

For the moment, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs’ rosters are looking pretty complete. None of the Lightning’s key players has missed more than a handful of games this year, although big defenseman Erik Cernak left Tampa Bay’s 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins late in the first period on Tuesday.

Metropolitan Division

The seeding is probably set for the Metro’s top three teams. The Washington Capitals should face the second wild-card team in Round 1, while the Carolina Hurricanes currently hold home-ice advantage against the New Jersey Devils. 

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe will be hoping his team can stay alive long enough for Dougie Hamilton to get back into action — possibly after the first round. Jonas Siegenthaler could return after the end of the regular season, but Jack Hughes is ruled out after his shoulder surgery. Also, Jacob Markstrom hasn’t been his usual self since coming back from his MCL sprain in early March. He’s now 1-5-1 since rejoining the team.

The Hurricanes dodged a bullet when Seth Jarvis avoided injury after crashing hard into the boards in Los Angeles on Saturday. Andrei Svechnikov has now missed seven games with an upper-body injury, but the good news is he skated as an extra forward on Tuesday. 

Eastern Conference Wild Cards

The Ottawa Senators look reasonably safe in the first wild-card spot. They’re also pretty healthy, and Brady Tkachuk continues to perform at a high level.

For the second wild card, it looks like a five-horse race. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets saw Sean Monahan and Erik Gudbranson return to action in their 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders on Monday. 

The Islanders are still without Semyon Varlamov, who has been sidelined since November. They’re hoping Mat Barzal can return soon after a two-month absence due to a knee issue.

The Detroit Red Wings’ head of steam seemed to evaporate around the same time Andrew Copp headed for surgery in late February. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson is also now out of action, and trade acquisition Petr Mrazek left Monday's game against Utah with an injury as well.

That leaves the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens as the healthiest of the bunch. Kirby Dach remains sidelined, but Kaiden Guhle is with the Habs on their current road trip. He could be back in action soon.

Central Division

Like the Metro, the Central Division seeding looks pretty set. While the Winnipeg Jets battle the Capitals for the Presidents’ Trophy, the Dallas Stars have the inside track on home-ice advantage in the ‘Rantanen’s Revenge’ first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Jets have missed Neal Pionk since he went down two weeks ago and are now without Gabriel Vilardi as well. Both players are classified as week-to-week.

And while the Stars will most likely have to wait until the playoffs begin before Miro Heiskanen can get back to action, they were lucky that Roope Hintz missed just a handful of games and that Rantanen was just bruised and swollen after he got hit in the face by a puck on Monday.

The Avs are also now missing a key defenseman, with Josh Manson sidelined until late in the regular season. But what a boost it would be for Colorado if Gabriel Landeskog really is able suit up for the first time since he was handed the 2022 Stanley Cup.

Pacific Division

The Edmonton Oilers may benefit from taking a conservative approach to McDavid and Draisaitl’s injuries, if it means they’ll be fresher for a deep playoff run. But that caution needs to be balanced with more immediate concerns. 

Now seven points behind Vegas, first place is probably out of reach. But the Los Angeles Kings have been crushing their opponents ever since Drew Doughty got back into the lineup in January, and they now hold home-ice advantage as they look to flip the script in the playoffs’ most enduring matchup. 

The Kings are the best team in the league in their own barn, and have established their team chemistry. But Alex Turcotte missed Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the New York Rangers with an upper-body injury, and Tanner Jeannot took just one shift after a brief fight with Matt Rempe late in the second period. 

Meanwhile, the Oilers will be waiting at least another 10 days to get their first look at new acquisition Trent Frederic. Evander Kane could also make his first appearance of the year in the post-season. 

On Tuesday, the Golden Knights got Shea Theodore back into the lineup for their 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. But they lost their leading goal-scorer, Tomas Hertl, to a shoulder ailment after he went hard into the boards on Sunday, and his timeline’s unclear. Veteran Alex Pietrangelo, who declined Team Canada’s 4 Nations invitation due to ongoing health issues, also missed Tuesday’s game with what’s being called a lower-body issue.

Western Conference Wild Cards

The Wild have endured some of the worst injury luck in the league this year and now hold just a two-point lead over the St. Louis Blues after two straight losses. Jonas Brodin is now back in the lineup, and coach John Hynes indicated Tuesday that Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov are expected to start skating soon, which is good news. Marcus Foligno is also dealing with an upper-body issue that has kept him out for five games.

Despite losing Colton Parayko to injury, the St. Louis Blues are starting to look like playoff shoo-ins.

Behind them, the Calgary Flames are close to getting captain Mikael Backlund back after a two-week absence, and Utah is fully manned after dealing with several long-term injuries on the blueline earlier in the season. 

But the Vancouver Canucks can’t seem to maintain any positive momentum. Quinn Hughes appears to have raised his game to another level despite dealing with multiple injuries this year, and Thatcher Demko looked good in his return against the Devils on Monday. But Elias Pettersson (the $11.6-million forward) and Nils Hoglander were knocked out of Saturday’s loss against the New York Rangers. They went back to Vancouver for treatment as the Canucks continued their Eastern road swing.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.