Here's your latest look at the NHL from a betting and fantasy hockey lens on The Hockey News Cheat Sheet.

Which NHL Rookie's Making The Best Calder Trophy Case? by The Cheat Sheetundefined

Here's what George Nassios and Andrew McInnis discussed this week:

0:00: Will Connor Hellebuyck become the first goaltender since Carey Price to win the Hart Trophy?

4:15: Which rookie has made the best case in the second half of the season to win the Calder Trophy?

11:38: With the St. Louis Blues’ recent winning streak, is it worth betting on them to make the playoffs at +104?

14:19: Do the Washington Capitals deserve to have such strong odds of being successful in the playoffs?

18:23: Would you rather bet on the San Jose Sharks or the Chicago Blackhawks to finish last in the standings?

21:42: Should the Toronto Maple Leafs be favorites or underdogs to win a playoff series this season?

27:32: Are the Vegas Golden Knights flying under the radar as potential Western Conference final winners?

31:21: Is any other player capable of winning the Conn Smythe on a losing team this season?

34:28: Best adds and drop for the first round of fantasy hockey playoffs

Subscribe to The Hockey News Cheat Sheet on your preferred platform and come back on Wednesdays for the latest episodes.

Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Wild Wednesday Rewind looks at March 26, 1986, when Neal Broten set an NHL record for players born in the United States.

It went down in a Minnesota North Stars victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, when Broten recorded two assists. He ended up with a career-high campaign in scoring.

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.      

Welcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.

We’ve got our second NHL playoff clinch with the Winnipeg Jets, which defeated the Washington Capitals in overtime on Tuesday.

The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks were the first to be eliminated, while the Nashville Predators avoided being the third team with a win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken are next on the chopping block unless they can win their next couple of games, with the Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins likely to follow. Should the Bruins get eliminated, their eight-season post-season streak – tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the longest current streak – will end. 

Who gets in, however, will likely be determined in the final day of the regular season. This season has been wildly unpredictable, and as many as five teams from last year’s playoffs – Predators, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and Bruins – might miss the cut. Most egregious of all are Presidents’ Trophy Rangers, and also the Canucks and Bruins, both of which finished in the top four in their conferences.

1. Winnipeg Jets (49-19-4, +77. Previous: 2)

The Jets take back the top spot after beating the Caps in overtime after Nikolaj Ehlers was sprung on a breakaway during an untimely line change by the Caps. Ehlers is scoring at a point-per-game pace this season, and one wonders how many more points he could score if he was averaging more than 16 minutes per game. 

2. Washington Capitals (47-15-9, +75. Previous: 1)

Tuesday’s loss to the Jets was only the Caps’ third loss in March with a power play that converted on less than 10 percent of its chances. That’s pretty wild considering who’s on their top unit, though it didn’t stop Alex Ovechkin from getting one goal closer to Gretzky’s record.

3. Colorado Avalanche (44-25-3, +38. Previous: 4)

The Avalanche have lost only once in regulation in March, making them the best team this month. A slight cause for concern is Mackenzie Blackwood’s recent play – entering Tuesday’s game against the Red Wings, Blackwood had a .895 SP in March.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (43-24-4, +37. Previous: 3)

Impressive wins against the Jets and Tampa Bay Lightning by a combined 8-3 score were undone by losses to the Los Angeles Kings and Preds by a combined 10-3 score. There’s just always something about the Hurricanes that holds them back from being considered a serious Cup contender.

5. Dallas Stars (45-21-4, +55. Previous: 5)

When the Stars made the trade for Mikko Rantanen, it effectively put a huge target on their backs… or is a target on their face, considering how many of them have been hit by pucks? The Stars have just two regulation wins over the past two weeks, but no one’s panicking.

6. Los Angeles Kings (40-21-9, +28. Previous: 9)

Darcy Kuemper is quietly having a really solid season, and the Kings have risen from the dead following a five-game losing streak to go 9-1-0. Claiming second place in the Pacific in a first-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers would be huge because neither team is particularly good on the road, especially the Kings, who are 14-18-5.

7. Vegas Golden Knights (43-20-8, +51. Previous: 10)

The Knights have won four in a row averaging five goals per game, pushing them from sixth to fourth in goals-for per game. They’re a perennially good team, but it’s easy to forget that their offense isn’t usually this good, and it’s even more surprising considering the talent they lost over the past few seasons. The last time the Knights finished the season with a top-five offense was in the 2020-21 shortened campaign. Before that was in 2017-18 when they made the final.

8. Edmonton Oilers (41-24-5, +26. Previous: 8)

It’s going to be a tough week without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and they face a tough test Wednesday against the Stars. After a tough stretch where they lost five in a row in late February, the Oilers went 7-3-1 and lost only one game by more than one goal… to the Ducks, surprisingly enough.

Can The Oilers Prove They Are More Than A Two-Man Team? This Is Their ChanceOver the next couple of games at least, the Edmonton Oilers have a real shot at proving they are a lot more than just Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-25-5, +59. Previous: 7)

Connor Hellebuyck could be a unanimous winner for the Vezina, but note Andrei Vasilevskiy is the only other goalie with a save percentage above .920 with at least 20 starts. The Lightning are 34-19-3 when he’s in net and 7-6-2 when he’s not.

10. Florida Panthers (43-25-3, +36. Previous: 6)

A tough road trip for the Panthers, which went 2-4-0 with only one regulation win, though at least it was in a key battle against a divisional rival. It’s worth mentioning again just how important it is to win the Atlantic, avoiding a first-round matchup against the Leafs or Lightning and facing a wild-card team instead.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs (43-25-3, +21. Previous: 13)

The good news is the Leafs bounced back after a horrible loss to the Preds with a 7-2 win against the Flyers. The bad news is they have a pretty tough path to clinch the division with a road trip to California, playing seven of their remaining 11 games on the road and facing the Panthers two more times.

Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann Succeeded Where Many Undrafted College Free Agents FailedToronto Maple Leafs left winger Bobby McMann's accomplishments stand out at this time of year.

12. St. Louis Blues (38-28-7, +15. Previous: 15)

Shades of 2019? The Blues have a ton of momentum with seven straight wins and now sit four points clear in the second wild-card spot, breezing through the easiest part of their remaining schedule. They have one more road game in Nashville on Thursday before it gets tough, facing the Avs twice and the Jets one more time before the end of the season.

13. Montreal Canadiens (33-28-9, -23. Previous: 11)

Their confidence may be high and their offense excellent, but remain incredibly streaky. After going 3-0-1 with wins over the Panthers and Sens, they go 0-1-2 with 15 (!) goals allowed. They have to start getting better on the road – they’ve only had one road trip where they’ve won more than they’ve lost, and started their four-game road trip with a 6-1 loss to the Blues on Tuesday.

14. Ottawa Senators (37-28-5, +1. Previous: 12)

The 5-1 loss to the Avalanche showed just how far away the Senators are from really competing, but as long as their recent 1-3-0 slide doesn’t continue, I foresee playoffs in the Sens’ future. They’ve overcome a fascinating up-and-down season from Linus Ullmark, who can be brilliant in one stretch but disastrous in the next. He went 7-0-1 in December with only eight (!) even-strength goals allowed to 0-4-0 in February with a 4.35 GAA and then back on track with a 7-2-1 record in March.

15. Minnesota Wild (40-27-5, -8. Previous: 16)

No matter what happens to the Wild, the big positive is they’re playing with house money because no one expected them to be this good. We were robbed of a potentially extraordinary season from Kirill Kaprizov, and the Wild offense has suffered immensely, ranking 17th in goals prior to Kaprizov’s last game and 32nd since.

16. Calgary Flames (34-25-11, -20. Previous: 19)

What a show of resilience by the Flames, who have won four straight – all comeback wins. For a team that had a hard time scoring, they’re not having much trouble now with Nazem Kadri at the heart of it, scoring consecutive overtime-winners against the Isles and Kraken.

17. New Jersey Devils (37-28-7, +24. Previous: 14)

Sheldon Keefe sounded so frustrated in his press conference, he might’ve driven the bus that ran over Johnathan Kovacevic. They’ve lost four of their last five, though they’re not in danger of missing the playoffs with a seven-point cushion over the Islanders. Stranger things have happened, and there’s no jinx here, but Jacob Markstrom is now 1-5-1 with a .843 SP in March.

18. Utah Hockey Club (32-28-11, -13. Previous: 17)

Utah squandered Monday’s game against the Wings even though the two teams were trending in different directions, putting Utah three points behind the Canucks. They’ll need to come away with at least two wins in their upcoming road trip to stay in the race, which means they must win one game against the Panthers and Lightning in their upcoming back-to-back with only one goalie they trust.

19. New York Rangers (34-32-6, -2. Previous: 20)

Saturday’s win against the Canucks was such a misnomer because they were thoroughly outplayed by a tired, banged-up team playing a road game at 10 a.m. in their home time zone. Otherwise, it would be five straight losses and nine in their last 11 games. Without Igor Shesterkin, this is a lottery team.

20. Vancouver Canucks (33-26-12, -16. Previous: 18)

The injury to center Elias Pettersson couldn’t come at a more inopportune time as the Canucks fight for their playoff lives. Quinn Hughes is superhuman, but even he cannot accomplish this alone. Thatcher Demko’s return provided a spark in a 4-3 shootout win against the Devils, but they have three more road games on their six-game trip and sit five back from the red-hot Blues.

21. Columbus Blue Jackets (32-29-9, -8. Previous: 21)

Sean Monahan notched two assists in his return to play, and it was not a coincidence the Jackets also managed to stop their six-game losing streak. They needed some luck (and help from the referees) to beat the Islanders, and it’s kept their playoff hopes alive. They host the Canucks on Friday in a key game for both teams with major playoff (and power rankings) implications.

22. New York Islanders (32-28-10, -16. Previous: 22)

The Isles are giving up valuable extra points losing in overtime to the Flames and in a shootout to the Blue Jackets. Those two extra points had they won would’ve put them in a wild-card spot, a situation hardly imaginable for a team that can barely win three games in a row. Ilya Sorokin deserves a lot of credit – since Semyon Varlamov’s last game on Nov. 29, Sorokin, Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy are tied with 38 starts apiece, and no goalie has faced more shots than Sorokin.

23. Detroit Red Wings (33-32-6, -22. Previous: 23)

Since their seven-game winning streak, the Wings are 5-11-1 with the second-worst (!) points percentage in the NHL. Their play has dropped off so much that they went from holding a wild-card spot to being last among the five teams vying for that spot. Their goaltending is again a mess with trade-deadline acquisition Petr Mrazek suffering an injury.

24. Buffalo Sabres (29-35-6, -26. Previous: 27)

Impressive win over the Jets, and they ruined Dylan Cozens’ homecoming in a 3-2 win, but at this point, who cares, right? The Sabres are going to miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season, and since their last playoff appearance in 2011, they have the league’s worst points percentage and the fewest goals-for per game.

25. Pittsburgh Penguins (29-33-11, -53. Previous: 25)

Well, I see we’re back to Tristan Jarry’s old ways! Not that the Pens had much of a chance of making the playoffs anyway, but there was a glimmer of hope during his four-game winning streak. He was pulled Tuesday in a 6-1 loss to the Lightning, and Alex Nedeljkovic didn’t fare any better.

26. Seattle Kraken (30-36-6, -20. Previous: 24)

Fatigue must be a factor again for Joey Daccord, who passed last season’s career high in starts (46) and has a .877 SP in March, the second straight month where his save percentage has dipped significantly. He did something similar last season when his save percentages peaked in December and January and kept dropping over the final few months of the season. 

27. Anaheim Ducks (30-32-8, -33. Previous: 26)

The Ducks looked like they were trending up in February but have now lost seven of their last 11, including two games where they allowed seven goals. They are, however, on pace to post their best points percentage in six seasons.

28. Nashville Predators (27-36-8, -47. Previous: 29)

Two surprising wins against the Leafs and Hurricanes overshadow the bad news that Roman Josi will not return this season. They’re on pace for their fourth-worst points percentage in an 82-game season and the highest goals against per game in franchise history.

29. San Jose Sharks (19-42-9, -77. Previous: 31)

For a team that loses more games than anyone else, there’s still a lot of positive vibes. The latest is Luca Cagnoni, who earned an NHL call-up during an outstanding rookie season in the AHL as an undersized offense-first defenseman, the type that’s been all the rage following Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutson’s success.

30. Boston Bruins (30-33-9, -46. Previous: 28)

How did we get here? With a six-game losing streak and Jeremy Swayman doing his best Jordan Binnington impersonation – he really does live rent-free in Boston, doesn’t he – in an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Kings, the Bruins have to really think about where this team’s headed next season and beyond. Their eight-season post-season streak is in real danger.

31. Chicago Blackhawks (21-41-9, -61. Previous: 32)

A 7-4 win against the Flyers saves the Hawks from being at the bottom again. It’s still kind of amazing to me the Hawks have managed to win three consecutive games just once this season.

32. Philadelphia Flyers (28-36-9, -52. Previous: 30)

Zero regulation wins in March. Zero. They have three more chances to avoid that dubious honor with a three-game homestand, but who’s hopeful? They’ve allowed 14 goals in their last two games and a goaltending tandem that – wait, they have goalies?!

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.

Top-level NHL draft prospect Michael Misa tore the OHL apart with a season that rewrote the history books.

Misa finished atop the OHL scoring race with 134 points, 10 points more than second place. He had the most points per game among players with at least 25 games played – only his linemate, Igor Chernyshov, had a higher average, but he played just 23 games.

Misa’s 62 goals ranked second in the OHL behind Nick Lardis, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick from 2023. Misa also led the entire CHL in scoring and finished behind just Lardis once again as a goal-scorer. 

To say that Misa was the OHL’s best player this season would be an understatement. He was a force of nature. He’s in the conversation for the best player in the CHL with Gavin McKenna, a player discussed as a generational talent, although he’s 10 months younger than Misa.

This has come in the biggest season of Misa’s career thus far, his NHL draft year, when first overall is on the table.

“I just want to be the best player every time I’m at the rink,” Misa said earlier this season. “My determination on and off the ice. I’m a really coachable guy who is going to do everything it takes to win.”

When you consider players in their draft year, Misa’s season is even more impressive.

Since 2000, only Patrick Kane has had a higher-scoring draft year among OHLers, and Misa is tied with Kane for the most goals in a draft-eligible season. 

Kane spent most of his draft year as an 18-year-old while Misa just turned 18 last month. Among U-18 skaters, Misa’s scoring output ranks fifth since 1980, with only players like Eric Lindros and Dino Ciccarelli ahead of him.

Misa earned exceptional status as a 15-year-old coming into the OHL, so there were always sky-high expectations, but to put together a season like he has is truly special. 

Four forwards have been granted exceptional status in OHL history – Misa, Connor McDavid, Shane Wright and John Tavares. Among those players, only Tavares matched Misa’s 134-point output, although Tavares did it in his age-16 season before following it up with an 118-point performance as a draft-eligible player.

“I have always played up a year with the (2006-born players), and it just made sense for me to keep doing it,” said 2007-born Misa. “I want to keep challenging myself and putting myself in the best position to get better.”

2025 NHL Draft Rankings: Ferrari's Mid-Season Top 64It's 2025 NHL draft rankings time again as we're about to see the class playing some of its highest-level hockey.

Improving and developing his game in every facet has been a key point of emphasis for Misa since his youth hockey days. He wants his team to put the responsibility of being the best on his shoulders. 

Being the best isn’t just about scoring, though. It’s about putting forth solid efforts at both ends of the ice. 

“I’ve been PK-ing more this year and trying to focus on my defensive game as well,” Misa said. “It has been great because it’s opened my game up for more puck touches and chances to create offense.” 

Hockey IQ has always been one of Misa’s greatest strengths. He has all the physical tools from skating and a wicked shot to slick passing and handling ability, but his ability to read the ice, see how play develops and attack at the perfect moment has made him special. 

Many young players don’t understand until their mid-twenties that the more they play defense, the more puck touches and opportunities they get. That’s why Misa is such a complete, dynamic, and well-rounded player. He understands hockey better than many players already in the NHL. 

With the NHL draft approaching, Misa isn’t focused on going first overall, although he admits it would be special. The young center is focused on what is right in front of him, the OHL playoffs. 

Last year, he was a middle-of-the-lineup piece on a powerhouse team that won the Memorial Cup. This year, he wants to be the centerpiece to an OHL championship team. 

His journey to accomplish that goal will start Thursday as the Spirit take on the Erie Otters in the first round of the playoffs. Erie could welcome back Matthew Schaefer, the top contender for first overall who has been out since the world juniors with a broken collarbone. 

If it is Misa facing Schaefer in the first round, NHL draft fans will be glued to this series, as we could see the top two picks in June go head-to-head. Misa will be looking to assert himself and lead Saginaw on a long playoff run once again.

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.

Holding the Eastern Conference's first wild-card berth, the Ottawa Senators are close to securing their first trip to the post-season since 2017. Nevertheless, some fans and pundits are already pondering their potential off-season moves.

Julian McKenzie of The Athletic was recently asked about the Senators' biggest off-season need and how they might address it. He believes they could use a top-scoring right winger. 

Looking at the free-agent market, he indicated Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs would be the obvious choice. Given the Senators' cap situation, he considers the 27-year-old right winger too expensive, suggesting Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets and Mikael Granlund of the Dallas Stars would be more affordable options.

The Senators have a projected cap space of $18.444 million for next season, with 13 active roster players under contract. 

McKenzie also doesn't see the Senators (or anyone else) successfully signing away Leafs left winger Matthew Knies with an offer sheet. The 22-year-old power forward is in the final season of his entry-level contract. He pointed out the Leafs have $27.4 million of projected cap room for 2025-26. 

The Senators won't be signing Marner or Knies, but it would generate considerable headlines if they did. Landing one or the other would elevate the Battle of Ontario rivalry to levels not seen since the two clubs' memorable playoff clashes over 20 years ago.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings struggle to keep their playoff hopes alive. Their latest March swoon has some observers wondering what GM Steve Yzerman will do to bolster the roster this summer. 

The Red Wings are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season, six of those under Yzerman's watch. If he wasn't feeling any pressure in Hockeytown before the start of the season, he'll be feeling it by the end of it.

This could be the most crucial off-season of Yzerman's tenure as Wings GM. 

The Athletic's Max Bultman recently looked at the club's current slide and what it says about their off-season needs. He believes they need stability in goal, a difference-maker among their top-six scorers and depth on defense. 

Bultman listed Marner, Ehlers, Vancouver's Brock Boeser and Florida's Brad Marchand as possible free-agent targets. He also suggested Washington defenseman Jakob Chychrun as a free-agent blueline option, but he's since signed an eight-year extension with the Capitals.

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 St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens face off Tuesday with two of the NHL’s most valuable players since the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Blues center Robert Thomas and Canadiens center Nick Suzuki are largely responsible for their teams' rise in the standings to a wild-card spot in the past month. Both players are among the NHL’s top 10 scorers since the 4 Nations tournament, but their contributions, in particular, have led to some massive results.

The Blues occupy the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a three-point lead on the Vancouver Canucks. St. Louis was eight points behind Vancouver during the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

While it’s unfair to the team to say only Thomas carried them to where they are today, he has done much of the heavy lifting. Since Feb. 20, Thomas posted 14 assists and 19 points in 16 games. He got at least one point in 13 of those games, and he posted two or more points in four of them. The 25-year-old now has 42 assists and 60 points in 60 games this season. 

A Blues team that’s 16th in the league in goals-for per game (2.97) would be well out of a playoff spot were it not for Thomas’ contributions on offense. His point-per-game average is well above any other Blues player, considering he missed some time due to an injury this season.

While he’s still somewhat of a hidden gem outside of St. Louis, Thomas is doing everything asked of him. He’s a high-value performer at an average salary of $8.125 million per season.

In the Eastern Conference, the eighth-place Canadiens also are getting terrific contributions from captain Suzuki. Since Feb. 20, he has six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 13 games. The 25-year-old has also put up at least one point in 10 of those games, and six of them are multi-point nights. 

The Habs are 13th in goals-for per game, so Suzuki’s point production is necessary to where they are today. And his salary of $7.875 million also makes him a great bang-for-his-bucks type of player. 

The Blues and the Canadiens aren’t anywhere close to locking up a playoff spot. That means they’re almost certainly going to need more out of Thomas and Suzuki. But the good news for Montreal and St. Louis fans is that both players are ready, willing and able to drive offensive production and take the heat off the rest of the lineup.

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.

For most of the last four decades, the Philadelphia Flyers have been the poster child for mediocre-to-poor goaltending.

This year is no exception.

In their first full season without goalie Carter Hart since 2018-19, the Flyers are again near the bottom of the standings and again getting mostly subpar goaltending. Hart, who left the team about 14 months ago, is awaiting trial next month for an alleged sexual assault in 2018, and his lawyers say he will plead not guilty. The Flyers did not give Hart a qualifying offer last summer, and he became a UFA.

Samuel Ersson, 25, and Ivan Fedotov, 28, have had some spurts of impressive play, but for the most part, they and their defense have contributed to another disappointing season. The Flyers (28-35-9) will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season, matching a franchise record for futility.

To point fingers solely at the goaltending and defense would be unfair.  The offense has been awful: 25th out of 32 teams in goals scored (2.71 per game) and 30th on the power play (13.8-percent success rate).

The goaltending has been even worse. Flyers goalies are last in the NHL in save percentage (.880) and 28th in goals against (3.39 per game).

'Heartbeat' Of The Team

Flyers coach John Tortorella wasn’t using hyperbole when he said goaltenders are the “heartbeat” of a team’s success.

“It’s the water in Philly or something happens that everything gets screwed up,” Tortorella said earlier this season. “No one expected Carter leaving and forcing 'Ers' into this situation. Then it’s just a domino effect with these other guys… I’m not sure where it all goes, but it is what it is. We have to deal with it.”

So what in the name of Bernard Marcel Parent is the reason the Flyers have been a goalie graveyard for so long?

For every Bernie Parent, Pelle Lindbergh (whose career was cut short by his tragic death) or Ron Hextall, there were dozens of flops. And when they did find a goalie with elite potential – hello, Sergei Bobrovsky – they traded him in arguably the worst deal in franchise history.

The goalie carousel looked like it had finally stopped when Hart arrived in 2018-19. He brought stability and confidence to the team. As a rookie, he equalled an NHL record for most consecutive wins (eight) while under 21. He had a 2.83 GAA and .917 save percentage that season. In his first six years, he was mostly solid despite having a weak team in front of him.

Despite Appearances, Tortorella Loves Coaching Flyers Rookie StandoutIf you’ve watched the Philadelphia Flyers this season, you wouldn’t be faulted for believing that John Tortorella has had a miserable time coaching rookie Matvei Michkov.

The Issue Begins

When Hart left the team midway through last season – he was 25 at the time – goaltending became an issue for the Flyers.

Ersson, thrust into the No. 1 goalie spot, played gallantly in 2023-24 before being worn down by his extensive use. This year, he has been extremely inconsistent (3.00 GAA, .886 save percentage), looking more like a No. 2 goaltender than a reliable No. 1.

Fedotov, a 6-foot-7, 214-pounder, has been given a chance to show his Olympic success – he led Russia to a silver medal in 2022 – and strong KHL play would translate to the NHL. He hasn’t taken advantage of the opportunity, however. Witness his 3.21 GAA and .877 save percentage in 24 games this season.

So the Flyers’ rebuild has taken a significant step backward.

Oh, there are some promising goaltender prospects in the system, but they aren’t ready, and the fans are getting restless. That might cause GM Danny Briere to add a veteran goaltender in free agency, someone who can steady the ship as the team tries to become relevant.

Jake Allen, Frederik Andersen, Anton Forsberg, Ilya Samsonov, David Rittich, and Matt Murray are some of the veterans that are expected to be UFAs this summer.

Maybe Briere goes that route. Or maybe he stays with his unproven goaltenders and tries to spend money on free-agent centers, such as Sam Bennett or Ryan Donato, who also plays wing.

Whatever the Flyers do, they must soon find a goaltender – at some point – who is capable of avoiding the long losing streaks that have plagued them during their playoff-drought years.

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 week of 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:

Who Is The NHL’s MVP Since The 4 Nations? by The Big Showundefined

0:59: The battle for first in the Atlantic Division is tight. Which team needs first place the most? 

3:19: Would Matthew Tkachuk actually want to play against his brother, Brady Tkachuk, if the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators meet in the first round?

4:19: Which team do you think will ultimately earn the top spot in the Atlantic division?

6:43: The Blue Jackets announced Monday they activated Sean Monahan and Erik Gubranson off injured reserve. How will their returns affec the Blue Jackets’ playoff push?

9:16: The New York Islanders’ potential game-winning goal was disallowed because of goaltender interference. Was there interference or not?

11:29: Since the 4 Nations Face-Off, the top scorers are Roope Hintz, Sidney Crosby, Nick Suzuki, Robert Thomas and Connor McDavid. Who has been the MVP for their team most during this run?

14:01: McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are unlikely to play in any of the Edmonton Oilers’ three games this week. Can the Oilers prove they are more than a two-man team?

16:43: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle is travelling with the team on their four-game road trip. If Guhle comes in, who should the Canadiens take out?

19:20: The Pittsburgh Penguins' latest hot streak has kept them out of a guaranteed top-five draft pick. Has this "hot streak" actually done more harm than good for the Penguins?

21:56: Which team needs to change coaches?

25:25: Speculation has circulated for a while connecting Gavin McKenna - the consensus No. 1 pick for the 2026 NHL draft - to the University of Michigan. The rumor on the street is that Michigan could be offering something upwards of $100,000 annually for him to join them. How would McKenna making this move reshape the future of junior and college hockey?

30:21: The NCAA men’s hockey tournament begins on Thursday. The top four teams are No. 1 Boston College, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Maine and No. 4 Western Michigan. Is the national champion in this top four? Who is your pick? 

32:51: The Washington Capitals re-signed D-man Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year extension worth $9 million per season. Good or bad deal?

34:31: Gavin McKenna closed out his draft-minus-1 season with 129 points in 56 games. Sidney Crosby is the only CHL player to score more in a D-minus-1 season. Could McKenna be the best prospect since Sidney Crosby? 

36:42: ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that billionaire Dan Friedkin has gotten into the mix as an ownership option focused on bringing the NHL to Houston. Yay or nay to an NHL team in Houston? 

38:53: The referees robbed us all of a goalie fight between Darcy Kuemper and Jeremy Swayman on Sunday. Yes or no: should refs try to stop goalie fights to prevent injuries?

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The Washington Capitals re-signed Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year contract at $9 million per season, the team announced on Tuesday.

Chychrun, 26, nearly doubles his current $4.6-million cap hit with what will be the longest contract of his career. The extension and his improvement on the scoresheet come almost nine months after the Capitals acquired him from the Ottawa Senators.

"Jakob is a proven, dynamic defenseman in the prime of his career who has established himself as one of the premier blueliners in the NHL," Capitals GM Chris Patrick said in a press release. “He is a perfect fit with our culture and vision for the future, and we couldn't be more thrilled that he will continue to be part of our organization for the next eight years." 

Washington traded defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick to the Senators for Chychrun last July 1. 

Jensen is more defensive-minded than Chychrun, although he also has fast puck-moving ability as a right-hand shot for the Senators. The 34-year-old has 19 points in 60 games.

Chychrun, however, almost has as many goals as Jensen does points.

In 65 games for Washington, Chychrun has 18 goals and a career-high 43 points this campaign. He’s third in the NHL in goals among D-men, sitting behind the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski (20) and Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar (26).

While the plus-minus rating never tells the full story, Chychrun’s plus-24 rating is by far the highest of his career, and he has a 52.15-percent Corsi-for percentage at 5-on-5, meaning the Capitals generate more chances-for than against when he’s on the ice. Only John Carlson’s 53.72-percent share is higher among Capitals defensemen.

Washington’s coaching staff has allowed Chychrun to focus more on the offensive side of his game rather than defense by pairing him with defensive defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk – and it’s worked for the team overall, considering its 2.54 goals against per game is the third-lowest in the NHL. Chychrun has started almost 61 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone at 5-on-5, compared to 49.84 percent with the Senators last season and 50.20 percent in 2022-23 between the Sens and Arizona Coyotes, according to naturalstattrick.com.

Jakob Chychrun On What Went Wrong For Him With The Ottawa Senators Last Year: 'I Don't Know, I Didn't Trade Myself'Chychrun returned to Ottawa this week as the top-scoring defenceman on the top team in the NHL and reflected on his time with the Senators.

The blueliner was one of the many new faces the Capitals added in the off-season, including Matt Roy on defense, Logan Thompson in net and Pierre-Luc Dubois at center. With their help, Washington leads the NHL by two points and has a game in hand over the second-place Winnipeg Jets.

Chychrun has 532 NHL games under his belt and is now under contract through the 2032-33 campaign. The Capitals were the first NHL team this season to clinch a playoff berth last Friday, which means Chychrun could appear in the post-season for just the second time in his career. He played nine games between a play-in round and the Western Conference quarterfinal with the Coyotes in the 2019-20 bubble playoffs, recording a goal in nine games.

- Jonathan Tovell contributed to this report.

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More NHL expansion could be on the way. If it happens, the playoffs should expand as well.

American billionaire Dan Friedkin of The Friedkin Group, which owns soccer clubs AS Roma and a majority share of Everton, reportedly met with the NHL multiple times about a potential Houston franchise, according to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. This comes after past news about the interest in bringing a team back to the Atlanta area as well. That could bring the NHL up to 34 teams, with 17 in each conference, if interested owners in each city get their wish.

An offshoot of potential NHL expansion should be the Stanley Cup playoff format.

As it stands, half the NHL’s 32 teams make the playoffs. But if the NHL kept its 16-team structure after bringing on another expansion squad or two, that number would drop below the 50-percent mark. 

So, how could the league address its post-season in a 34-team setup?

From our perspective, there are a couple of options. The first would be along the lines of what the NBA does, which is assuring the top six teams in each conference of a playoff spot, with the top four teams in the wild-card race squaring off in a play-in tournament to decide the final two spots in the Eastern and Western Conferences. Another option could be a best-of-three series between the second- and third-place teams in the wild-card race for the second wild-card berth.

With the best-of-three-series option, 18 teams advance to the post-season – just over half – but only two teams in the East and West battle for the final spot in each conference’s quarterfinals. You’d have four teams fighting for two playoff spots in each conference with the NBA system. From this writer’s preference, an expanded NHL playoffs using the NBA format would be the right way to go, as there’s the potential for more upsets while keeping a thrilling end to the regular season.

The first and second teams in the wild-card race get two chances to advance anyway. They would face off, with the winner clinching the first wild-card spot. The loser takes on whoever wins in the No. 3 vs. No. 4 game for the second wild-card place.

If this wild-card play-in format happened this season, the potential matchups could have been full of drama. Ahead of Monday night’s games, the standings would have had the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens facing off in the East’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 game and the New York Rangers taking on the New York Islanders in the No. 3 vs. No. 4 match. In the West, the Minnesota Wild would battle the St. Louis Blues for the first wild-card spot, while the loser would take on the winner of a Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks contest for the second wild-card spot.

The NHL only introduced wild-card berths in 2013-14 as the league continued to evolve. If the league grows, it makes sense to continue to grow the playoff pool like what happened 45 years ago.

The NHL expanded to a 16-team playoff format in the 1979-80 season, when there were only 21 teams in the league. So this notion that there can’t be a majority of the league’s teams involved in the post-season flies in the face of the NHL’s history.

It's Clear NHL Expansion Isn't Ending Anytime Soon: 'I Don't Think We're Necessarily At That Ceiling'Unexplored markets — not a return to Canada — remain a focus when considering NHL expansion after Vegas and Seattle's successes spurred interest in other cities.

Ultimately, an expanded NHL playoffs is all about increasing the value of regular-season games, which would be true if the NHL adopted an NBA-style play-in system. In fact, all the teams that were in the wild-card race for most of the season but are running out of time would still have everything to fight for.

As of March 24, four teams trail the 10th-place Islanders by fewer than five points. In the West, the Utah Hockey Club is only one point behind the 10th-place Canucks, and the Minnesota Wild are only four points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the third spot in the Central Division – which would hypothetically make them safe from a play-in round. That means more teams are playing important games deeper into the regular season, and that’s what it’s all about.

If more NHL expansion ever happens, which would come with sky-high expansion fees, a revamped playoff system should come with it. Teams with the most regular-season success wouldn’t be affected by an increased playoff field, but games would matter more for more teams, and any way you look at it, that would be a success.

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