The New York Islanders wanted a reunion with former winger Thomas Vanek.

After his contract was bought out by the Minnesota Wild this offseason, the veteran forward signed on with the Detroit Red Wings, but not before his former club threw in their two cents.

According to Newsday's Arthur Staple, the Islanders reached out to Vanek in free agency prior to his signing with the Red Wings.

Vanek, of course, spent a partial season with the Islanders in 2013-14 following an early-season trade with the Buffalo Sabres. As fans recall, Vanek found success on the Island, scoring 44 points in 47 games, often seeing shifts alongside captain John Tavares.

But Vanek's tenure with the Islanders was short lived, as he was shipped to the Montreal Canadiens at that season's trade deadline.

Not long after, the Islanders saw a move of their own, shifting from Nassau Coliseum to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn - the often slagged arena that has been criticized for its poor sight lines and its long distance from the Long Island fan base.

"When I was here a few years back, I would've stayed in a heartbeat if we'd stayed on the Island," Vanek told Staple prior to Sunday's match between the Islanders and Red Wings. "It was a good team, they're still a good team. Every team loses guys, what I know is (the Islanders) moving (to Brooklyn) had turned some guys off."

Part of what convinced Vanek to sign in Detroit was the chance to reunite with Frans Nielsen, who also signed with the Red Wings this summer. Nielsen made his NHL debut with the Islanders in 2006 and spent the next 10 seasons with the club.

"Franny signing (in Detroit) made it an even easier choice," Vanek told Staple.

As for Vanek, he's rediscovered his scoring touch in Motown, notching 11 points in 14 games so far this season, while the club in Brooklyn is left to wonder what could have been.

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Buffalo Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges will be out of the lineup for the long term.

He's out "weeks" with a non-displaced fracture in his foot, head coach Dan Bylsma told reporters Sunday.

Gorges was hurt blocking a shot in Thursday's win over the New York Rangers, and missed Saturday's loss to the Boston Bruins.

The veteran ranks fifth on the Sabres in average time on ice, and has just a single point in 23 games.

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Johnny Hockey is a quick healer.

Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau said he's ready to return to the lineup Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks, less than three weeks after having surgery to repair his broken finger.

Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan confirmed the decision moments after Gaudreau's proclamation.

Gaudreau was injured after receiving more than a dozen slashes to the hands from the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 15, the last of which came courtesy of Eric Staal.

The Flames star was ruled out for six weeks after undergoing the procedure two days later. He's missed the last 10 games.

Gaudreau posted five goals and six assists in 17 games prior to the injury.

He signed a six-year contract extension worth a reported $40.5 million in early October.

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Toronto Maple Leafs farmhand Garret Sparks returned to action Saturday after being suspended by the team for making violent and sexist remarks on Facebook.

"It's been a lot to deal with," Sparks said, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "I understand what I did."

Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe said what happened was part of the education of a professional athlete. Sparks started for the club Saturday, stopping 27 of 30 shots in a 3-2 loss.

While the Marlies and Leafs believed Sparks' intentions were in the right place, the goaltender acknowledged his mistake and the lessons he learned.

"I should know the difference between what I can and can't say. It's just holding myself to a higher standard of professionalism."

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Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Sunday, Dec. 4 (advanced stats courtesy of Corsica.Hockey):

Triple Threat

• C Artem Anisimov (43K), LW Artemi Panarin (63K), RW Patrick Kane (91K), Blackhawks (vs. Jets): Both teams will be playing on the second half of a back-to-back in this matchup, but at least Chicago played at 1 p.m. ET Saturday. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has an .879 SV% and a 3.51 GAA on the road this season.

• C Bryan Little (43K), RW Patrik Laine (41K), D Dustin Byfuglien (49K), Jets (at Blackhawks): Little skated on the team's top line Saturday with C Mark Scheifele out and will do so again if Scheifele is once again a no go. Blackhawks netminder Scott Darling will start on back-to-back days for the first time in his NHL career. C Jonathan Toews, perhaps the best defensive forward in the game, will not play.

• C Ryan Johansen (63K), LW Filip Forsberg (64K), D P.K. Subban (50K), Predators (vs. Flyers): The Predators are averaging 3.67 goals per game in their last six contests. The team should be able to pad that number against the Flyers, who will start either Steve Mason on back-to-back days or rookie Anthony Stolarz.

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET - Andrei Vasilevskiy (76K), Lightning (at Hurricanes): It's a mystery why Vasilevskiy is so cheap. He is 6-2-1 with a .930 SV% and a 2.24 GAA. Carolina does rank third in xGF60 (expected goals for per 60 minutes) at 5v5, but Tampa should still be able to come out on top.

• BARGAIN - Anaheim's starter (at Flames): Whether Randy Carlyle decides to start John Gibson (75K) on back-to-back nights, or opts for backup Jonathan Bernier (75K), both are great options in Squad Up. Calgary's anemic offense generates the sixth-fewest scoring chances for per 60 minutes at 5v5.

• FADE - Edmonton's starter (vs. Wild): For some reason, Jonas Gustavsson (96K) and Cam Talbot (94K) are the first- and third-most expensive goaltenders on Sunday's slate. This is strange considering Edmonton is allowing the fourth-most SCA60 (scoring chances against per 60 minutes) at 5v5 this year. The Wild are no slouch offensively.

• CONTRARIAN - Carey Price (86K), Canadiens (at Kings): Most Squad Up players will likely turn to Anaheim's starter or Vasilevskiy thanks to their low cost. Price's matchup isn't good considering Montreal has been historically terrible playing in the state of California. As the best goaltender on the planet, Price is always capable of a shutout and 86K isn't going to handcuff you.

Bargain Plays

• LW Jason Zucker (31K), Wild (at Oilers): Zucker has a goal and five assists in his last five games while skating on the Wild's second line. He should be able to extend his five-game point streak against the Oilers, who have the fourth-highest xGA60 (expected goals against per 60 minutes) at 5v5 in the NHL.

• C Rickard Rakell (35K), Ducks (at Flames): Rakell has flourished in a role alongside C Ryan Getzlaf and RW Corey Perry. He has 10 goals and four assists in 16 games this season. Calgary has the third most xGA (expected goals against) at 5v5. The red-hot play of G Chad Johnson is the only thing standing in the way of a huge day.

• D Jeff Petry (25K), Canadiens (at Kings): Petry has a very high floor for someone with the minimum price tag. He has 40 shots, 49 hits and 47 blocks on the season. He should be able to pick up multiple hits and blocks considering Montreal will likely spend more time without the puck than with it against the Kings.

Top Fades

• C Anze Kopitar (71K), Kings (vs. Canadiens): Kopitar has been quiet to start the season, but his salary hasn't adjusted accordingly. He had two points in his most recent outing, but he and the Kings will be in tough against Carey Price.

• LW Tomas Tatar (53K), Red Wings (at Islanders): Tatar has done nothing this year. He has just eight points in 25 games. You can find this type of production from 25K players.

• RW Kris Versteeg (41K), Flames (vs. Ducks): The same goes for Versteeg; he has just eight points this season - albeit four in his last five games. Safer options can be had at 41K.

Contrarian Options

• C Leon Draisaitl (50K), Oilers (vs. Wild): Those seeking an Oilers center will most certainly turn to Connor McDavid, but Draisaitl provides a more affordable alternative. He is currently playing RW on McDavid's line and has 13 points in his last 10 games.

• LW Viktor Arvidsson (45K), Predators (vs. Flyers): Those stacking Nashville's top line will likely opt to go with Filip Forsberg, considering both are listed at LW and the latter has more of a proven pedigree. Arvidsson is having a breakout season and his 75 shots on goal give him a high floor.

• RW Blake Wheeler (63K), Jets (at Blackhawks): Scheifele's injury has left Bryan Little to center the top line. In a corresponding move, head coach Paul Maurice has opted to move Wheeler from RW to C on the second line. Most players on Squad Up won't want to draft a player playing out of position, but Wheeler has the skating ability and creativity to make those around him better playing down the middle.

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Few expected the Columbus Blue Jackets to be within striking distance of the NHL's best record more than a quarter of the way through the season, but here we are.

John Tortorella's club now sits three points back of the league-leading New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks, with three games in hand on both following a 58-shot performance and shootout victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night.

The Blue Jackets have gotten a little bit of luck early on, but much of their success has been well deserved.

Here's how they've done it:

Scoring aplenty

The cannon has been getting a workout.

Related: Blue Jackets set franchise record with 10-goal destruction of Canadiens

Only the Rangers have scored more goals per game (3.65) than the Blue Jackets, who've poured in an average of 3.13 in 23 contests. It's been a marked improvement from 2015-16, when Columbus ranked 18th with 2.6 goals per game over the full season.

The Blue Jackets also boast the league's second-best power play so far, scoring at a 23.8 percent clip. Columbus' power play is the NHL's best on home ice, where it's converted 10 of 30 opportunities.

Strong play in their own end

Sergei Bobrovsky struggled last season and was limited to only 37 games due to injury, but he's been one of the NHL's best goaltenders early on this season.

Bobrovsky is 13-5-2 with a 2.08 GAA, a save percentage of .929, and three shutouts, all while shouldering a heavy workload by appearing in 20 of Columbus' 23 games.

He's had help, too. The Blue Jackets have allowed the 11th-fewest shots on goal per game, and the sixth-fewest goals per contest at just 2.22.

Respectable possession numbers

Tortorella has Columbus playing a different game than in seasons past - and it's paying off.

The Blue Jackets rank ninth in the NHL in 5-on-5 shots for percentage (51.66), meaning they're out-shooting opponents and controlling play.

They're eighth in the league in shots per game (30.9) and 12th in even-strength Corsi For percentage (50.64), which shows they're not only generating shots on net, but also creating more shot attempts than they've allowed.

The Blue Jackets also have the fifth-best offensive zone-start percentage, meaning only four teams are taking faceoffs in the opponent's end more often than Columbus.

There is one concerning trend amid the Blue Jackets' hot start, however. Their PDO is sixth in the NHL (101.75), and that figure - which combines the primarily luck-driven categories of shooting percentage and save percentage - typically regresses over time when it's above 100.

Still, there are some definite signs of improvement in Columbus, and if they can be sustained over the full 82-game schedule, a playoff berth could certainly be within reach.

(Statistics courtesy: Corsica.hockey, NHL.com)

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For the first time in 10 days, the Tampa Bay Lightning won a game. And they're feeling pretty good about it.

Led by Ben Bishop - who hasn't done much leading so far this season - the Lightning defeated the Washington Capitals 2-1 in a shootout. Bishop stopped 34-of-35 shots, finishing with a save percentage above .910 for only the second time in eight games.

"(Saturday) was a big step in the right direction," Bishop said. "Now we have to take another one."

The Lightning were losers of four in a row and five of six before taking down Washington.

"Big win," Brian Boyle said, according to The Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith. "Stop the bleeding."

Victor Hedman said the Lightning finally played the way they know they're capable of, calling the game one of the team's most complete of the season.

"Just the effort, the compete level, desperation - everything was outstanding," he said.

Tampa Bay's right back at it Sunday at 5 p.m. ET against the Carolina Hurricanes. And Jon Cooper's club is likely thinking that's a good thing.

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Anders Nilsson is a lot more than a Buffalo Sabres goaltender.

The 26-year-old is enjoying a strong season - he has a .934 save percentage in eight games and seven starts - but he's making headlines for sporting a pride flag in support of the LGBT community on the back of his helmet.

Nilsson spoke about the flag with The Buffalo News' John Vogl, saying gay friends and witnessing their struggle was the impetus behind the decision.

"Life hasn't been easy for them growing up," Nilsson said. "It's time that hockey starts to pay some attention to that.

"This summer, I thought, why not be the first goalie to put (the pride flag) on the helmet and raise some awareness?"

Nilsson was the recipient of very high praise from Wade Davis, a former NFL player who came out after his playing career was over and who now serves as director of the You Can Play organization.

"Anders Nilsson is courageous beyond the understanding of many," Davis said. "He is taking a risk on multiple fronts and is standing up for something that he believes in, knowing the backlash that could come his way. He's my hero."

Nilsson said a lot's been done by You Can Play, hockey, and by the sports world in recent years, but much work needs to be done. With the flag on his helmet, he's doing his small part to keep progress moving forward.

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Eric Semborski feels like he owes the Chicago Blackhawks some money.

The 23-year-old had the Saturday of all Saturdays, after it appeared to be any other regular Saturday. Working at the Philadelphia Flyers' practice facility in Voorhees, N.J., Semborski got a call from a member of the Chicago Blackhawks - they needed a goalie.

Corey Crawford couldn't make the club's 1 p.m. ET start against the Flyers - he had appendicitis. Chicago's minor-league team was in Grand Rapids, Mich., and the Blackhawks had no salary cap space to work with.

Enter, Semborski.

"Oh, Chicago needs a goalie," is what Semborski was told on the phone, writes NHL.com's Adam Kimelman, after he was asked about his time in the crease over the years.

"Go home, get your stuff, and if they're going to use you, they'll call you," Semborski was told.

His phone rang shortly after, and that's when Semborski realized he had to get his gear and head to the Wells Fargo Center; to the Blackhawks' dressing room, specifically. And he showed up late, not wearing a suit or tie, after being stuck in traffic, Kimelman writes.

Sleeping with the enemy - in a good way

"We let him slide," said Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling, who got the start against Philly, adding the digs at Semborski's expense were meant to lighten the mood and make him feel welcome. Semborski's a Flyers fan, after all.

Watching the Blackhawks beat the Flyers in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final "was one of the hardest things I ever watched," Semborski told The Chicago Sun Times' Mark Lazerus.

"That's all forgotten," Semborski added. "I'm a Hawks fan today."

Yeah, there are no more hard feelings.

"They put my number on the board and said I was throwing in 200 bucks for the holiday party," Semborski said about his tardiness. "That was pretty good. I told them, 'You'd better take credit, because that's all I've got.'"

On the topic of money: Semborski didn't collect a dime from the Blackhawks. Hopefully he got to take home Corey Crawford's No. 50 jersey, which had Semborski's name sewn on it before the former Temple University goalie took to the rink for pregame warmup.

"I should be paying them," Semborski said of "the best 20 minutes of my life."

And as those 20 minutes came to an end, he stopped a wrist shot by Patrick Kane, the 2016 Art Ross Trophy winner, one of the few pucks not to find the net. That's a story to keep in your back pocket.

"Dream come true," Semborski told CSNPhilly.com's Jordan Hall.

And it happened on Semborski's father's 58th birthday.

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