Just like most of the Toronto Maple Leafs' fanbase, superstar Auston Matthews is curious what top prospect Matthew Knies can bring to the table at the NHL level.
Knies is playing out his second season at the University of Minnesota, but is eligible to sign an entry-level contract with Toronto whenever his collegiate campaign ends. Many believe the Leafs could give him a chance to close out the regular season and perhaps suit up in the playoffs, and Matthews supports the cause.
"Yeah of course, I think there's always that intrigue this time of year," the reigning Hart Trophy winner told TSN.
Matthews added: "Hopefully the year he's had kind of gives him some confidence coming in and finishing his season, and seeing where that goes. Jumping in, it's quite a jump, but obviously he's a mature young guy and we'll do everything we can to help him out and give him the best opportunity to succeed."
There is no firm date on when Knies may become available. Minnesota is the top-ranked team in the NCAA, and is expected to make a deep run to the Frozen Four. The championship tournament runs April 6-8, and the Maple Leafs only have three regular season games after the end date - including one against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who will be Toronto's first-round playoff opponent barring a miraculous change in the Atlantic Division standings.
Knies was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft. He earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors this season after posting 41 points in 36 games, and is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top player.
The 6-foot-3 winger also represented the United States at the Olympics and world juniors in 2022.
The Maple Leafs are currently fifth in the NHL standings with 93 points.
Veteran center Brian Boyle officially retired Wednesday after suiting up in 14 NHL seasons.
The 38-year-old wasn't on a roster this season, but he played in 66 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. His next step will be joining NHL Network as a studio analyst.
Boyle was drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2003. His longest stint with any team came from 2009-14 with the New York Rangers, where he appeared in 355 games. He also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers.
The Massachusetts native racked up 252 points in 871 career games while tacking on 33 more in 124 playoff contests.
Boyle won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2018 for his dedication to the sport after overcoming a chronic myeloid leukemia diagnosis.
The results of the annual NHLPA Player Poll are in, and while most of the responses were predictable, there were a few eyebrow-raising trends.
Many of the top picks went back-to-back. Patrick Kane again earned the most votes for best stick-handler, Leon Draisaitl repeated as the best passer, Marie-Philip Poulin was once again considered the best women's hockey player, and Montreal's Bell Centre remained the most popular choice as the arena with the best ice.
The full poll can be viewed here. The players responded to 14 questions in total, down from 15 in 2021-22. Here are some of the results:
If you need to win one game, who's the goalie you'd want on your team?
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Player
Vote %
Andrei Vasilevskiy
52.3
Igor Shesterkin
4.8
Marc-Andre Fleury
4
Connor Hellebuyck
3.5
Ilya Sorokin
3.2
Vasilevskiy nabs most coveted goalie honors for the second straight year, increasing his vote share from 37.4% last season. Both the win and the increase are a bit surprising considering the Tampa Bay Lightning puck-stopper is being outplayed by numerous netminders in 2022-23.
In a must-win game, which forward do you think would be most impactful?
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Player
Vote %
Connor McDavid
59.3
Sidney Crosby
11
Nathan MacKinnon
8.4
NIkita Kucherov
2.3
Patrice Bergeron
1.5
Auston Matthews
1.3
No surprise here with McDavid destroying the field of forwards given his dominance both in 2022-23 and in his career as a whole. The NHLPA phrased this one as "which skater" last year, with McDavid and Crosby finishing one-two in that as well. But McDavid's total increased from the 42.2% he received in 2021-22, while Crosby's fell from 17.4%.
Who's the top defenseman in the game?
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Player
Vote %
Cale Makar
63.9
Victor Hedman
11.4
Roman Josi
6
Erik Karlsson
3.3
Rasmus Dahlin
2
Adam Fox
2
The results are pretty much as expected, with blue-liners getting their own separate query this time. Makar is having another outstanding campaign after claiming the Norris Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, and the Stanley Cup last season.
Who's the most complete player?
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Player
Vote %
Sidney Crosby
30.1
Patrice Bergeron
18.8
Aleksander Barkov
17.1
Connor McDavid
11
Nathan MacKinnon
4.7
Crosby also earned this distinction in 2021-22. Bergeron leapfrogged Barkov after placing third last year.
Who's the most underrated player?
Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / Getty
Player
Vote %
Aleksander Barkov
23
Tage Thompson
4.3
Mika Zibanejad
3.3
Sebastian Aho
2.9
Jesper Bratt
2.7
Brayden Point
2.7
This question wasn't asked in 2021-22. Barkov's win by a wide margin is well-deserved, and it's notable to see Zibanejad and Bratt cracking the top six.
Which player do you least enjoy playing against but would like to have on your team?
Andy Marlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Player
Vote %
Brad Marchand
36.5
Connor McDavid
15.6
Tom Wilson
8.1
Matthew Tkachuk
6
Victor Hedman
3.9
The NHL's most prominent pest claims this one for the second consecutive year, with McDavid and Wilson finishing right where they did one season ago as well. Marchand got more votes this time after garnering 26.4% in 2021-22.
Which NHL player is the best guy in the locker room?
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Player
Vote %
Marc-Andre Fleury
3.8
Kevin Hayes
2.7
Phil Kessel
2.7
Jakub Voracek
2.7
Nick Foligno
2.5
Ryan Johansen
2.5
This question wasn't asked last year, either. It was by far the most divisive this time around, with 181 different players earning votes. The range of responses - and Fleury's status as the game's most beloved player, for that matter - isn't shocking. But it's a bit unexpected to not see a player like Ryan Reaves get more love, especially considering he's now with his fifth team.
Bik and Dan break down the game as the Canucks fall 4-3 to the Golden Knights. Hear from Randip Janda following the game, Head Coach Rick Tocchet and players at the podium, and Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre!
This podcast was produced by Josh Elliott-Wolfe.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Dan and Bik break down Quinn Hughes' Norris calibre-season, where the Canucks could find themselves in the division next season, and more. Also, hear from Chris Faber of Canucks Army on Canucks prospects and much more.
This podcast was produced by Josh Elliott-Wolfe.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Dan and Bik are joined by Sportsnet's NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman to discuss the impact Rick Tocchet has had on the Canucks so far, what the priorities for the Canucks are this offseason, and more!
This podcast was produced by Josh Elliott-Wolfe.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The reigning Stanley Cup-winning head coach isn't going anywhere.
Jared Bednar signed a three-year contract extension to remain with the Colorado Avalanche through 2026-27, the team announced Tuesday.
"On behalf of the Kroenke family and the entire organization, we are thrilled to announce a long-term commitment to our head coach," Avalanche president of hockey operations Joe Sakic said in a press release. "Jared has done a tremendous job behind the bench and certainly deserves this extension and to continue as the leader of our team."
Bednar has a 281-190-52 record with the Avalanche. He's the winningest coach in the franchise's history, having surpassed the Quebec Nordiques' Michel Bergeron in January.
"Being able to lead this team over the last seven years has been a privilege," Bednar said. "I am grateful and excited to have the opportunity to continue building on what we've accomplished so far.
"Colorado has become home to me and my family, and I can't thank our ownership enough - Stan and Josh Kroenke - as well as Joe Sakic and (Avalanche general manager) Chris MacFarland, my coaching staff, and all of our players for their hard work and dedication. I look forward to continuing this process with them."
The 51-year-old was already under contract through the 2023-24 campaign.
Colorado is second in the Central Division with a 41-22-6 record. The Avalanche are one point behind the Dallas Stars for the division lead and have a game in hand.
Vancouver Canucks blue-liner Quinn Hughes is primarily viewed as one of the NHL's elite offensive defensemen, but he doesn't pay mind to those who think he's one-dimensional.
"I feel like my game's really good right now," Hughes said, courtesy of TSN. "I'm proud that I'm a plus. I'm playing a lot of minutes, and defensively, I've been trusted against the top lines. Anyone that says I'm a defensive liability, frankly, doesn't watch me play at this point."
Hughes is plus-16 through 65 games to lead a Canucks team that ranks 23rd with a minus-25 goal differential. He's markedly improved in that department over the past two years after finishing minus-10 and minus-24 in two seasons from 2019-21.
Among six Canucks blue-liners to play at least 500 five-on-five minutes this season, Hughes ranks second in expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.72) and third in shots against per 60 minutes (27.54).
The 23-year-old has managed to limit opponents' top offensive threats while averaging 25:23 per contest - sixth-most among NHL defensemen - and putting up 65 points, good for third among blue-liners behind Norris Trophy contenders Erik Karlsson and Josh Morrissey.
Hughes, however, thinks he still can improve.
"I thank as far as the numbers, I still haven't scored a lot. I've missed a lot of my chances, and I think that there's still lots of room to grow, to be honest with you," he said. "I'm happy with my game; of course, with those (individual) awards, you have to be on a team maybe that wins. But I feel like I'm right there with a lot of the guys, for sure."
Drafted seventh overall by Vancouver in 2018, Hughes has 230 points in 270 career games with the Canucks. He was named an alternate captain after Rick Tocchet replaced Bruce Boudreau as head coach midseason, and the dynamic rearguard said at the time he wants to grow as a leader while Vancouver finds a path to contention.
