As we approach the new year, let's review the biggest stories that summarized the NHL in 2022:

10. Senators go up for sale

It didn't come as a surprise that the Ottawa Senators were officially put up for sale in November. Longtime owner Eugene Melnyk died in April and left the team to his two daughters as part of a massive estate.

But what is surprising is the likely new face of the Senators: Ryan Reynolds. The Canadian-born actor is widely expected to buy a minority stake in the club along with whichever bidding ownership group purchases the franchise.

While Reynolds doesn't have deep enough pockets to buy the team himself, having one of the most prominent pop culture figures as part of the team can only be a good thing for the Senators and the NHL. If Ottawa can finally secure a plan for a new downtown arena, things will really be looking up for the club in 2023.

9. Kessel sets ironman record

Nice guy, tries hard, loves the game, NHL ironman. That's Phil Kessel for you.

Kessel, of all players, played in his 990th straight contest in October, passing Keith Yandle for the NHL's all-time consecutive games played record. He's still going, too, at 1,020 straight entering Saturday.

In a way, Kessel's dry humor, lack of commitment to off-ice training, and pedigree as a two-time Stanley Cup champion make him the perfect man to hold the ironman belt.

There really aren't any active threats to Kessel's crown, either. Brent Burns has played in 715 straight games, but he's two and a half years older.

8. Deprivation of international best-on-best continues

Hockey fans starved for an international best-on-best tournament will have to keep waiting to get their fix.

First, the NHL was supposed to take part in the 2022 Winter Olympics before COVID decided otherwise. Then, after plans for a February 2024 World Cup of Hockey began to take shape, the NHL postponed it until at least 2025 because of the "current environment." In translation, it's being pushed back due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

There hasn't been a best-on-best international hockey tournament since the 2016 World Cup. Sure, the circumstances have made things challenging, but it will be truly disappointing if hockey fans never get to see Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby as teammates.

Here's an idea: If it's too difficult for the NHL and NHLPA to get the whole world involved, why not try and organize a Canada-United States rivalry series to be played in September? That would be some first-class entertainment.

7. Josi flirts with 100 points

Roman Josi nearly pulled off the unthinkable in 2021-22: reaching 100 points as a defenseman. He ended up with 96, the most by a blue-liner since Phil Housley's 97 in 1992-93.

Only five defensemen have ever registered triple-digit points in a season: Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Paul Coffey, Al MacInnis, and Brian Leetch. The fact that Josi nearly joined them in an era that's so much more difficult to score in compared to the '70s, '80s, and early '90s is incredible.

6. Matthews hits 60-goal mark, joins 50-in-50 club

While Auston Matthews didn't enjoy the same postseason success as Cale Makar, he still deserves plenty of recognition for his efforts in 2022. The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar became the first player since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12 to score 60 goals in a season. He did it, remarkably, in just 73 games.

Matthews got off to a slow start after undergoing offseason wrist surgery, scoring just seven times in his first 17 games in 2021-22. But then he exploded, scoring 51 goals over his next 50 games. Accomplishing the feat midseason doesn't put him in the "official" 50-in-50 club, but it's still impressive nonetheless. He's just the 13th player ever to accomplish the feat and the first since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96.

5. Makar's sensational run leads Avs to Stanley Cup

Makar was a man possessed in 2022. There's a case to be made he was the best player of the calendar year.

First, he won the Norris Trophy after racking up 28 goals and 86 points in 77 regular-season games, including 60 points in 54 games once the calendar flipped to January. But he was even better in the playoffs, recording eight goals and 21 assists in 20 contests en route to winning the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.

With the feat, Makar joined Bobby Orr and Nicklas Lidstrom as the only players ever to win the Norris and Conn Smythe in the same year. That's some elite company. To top it off, Makar become the fastest defenseman in league history to reach 200 career points back in November.

It was only a matter of time before the Avalanche won the Cup, but Makar was undoubtedly their most important player.

4. Shane Wright's draft slide

Shane Wright entered the 2021-22 campaign as the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft. After all, he took the OHL by storm as a 15-year-old in 2019-20 when he tallied 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games. The pandemic wiped out his 2020-21 campaign, and he just didn't dominate in his draft year the way many expected him to despite putting up 32 goals and 94 points in 63 games.

But even on the day of the draft, it still felt there was a 50/50 chance the Montreal Canadiens would select him with the No. 1 pick. So, while it came as a surprise that the Habs passed on him, it wasn't completely unexpected. But when the New Jersey Devils and the Arizona Coyotes both went in different directions, it caught the entire hockey world off guard.

To make matters even juicier, Wright didn't hide his discontent with Montreal's decision. When he stepped up on stage after the Seattle Kraken drafted him fourth overall, he gave the Canadiens' draft table an intense staredown. Of course, it was only fitting when Wright scored his first NHL goal against the Habs in December.

3. The Mitchell Miller fiasco

The Boston Bruins created a self-inflicted, unmitigated public relations disaster when they signed Mitchell Miller to an entry-level contract in November. The Arizona Coyotes drafted Miller in the fourth round in 2020 even though he admitted in court in 2016 that he bullied a Black developmentally disabled classmate. Arizona renounced the pick shortly thereafter.

Miller frequently called Isaiah Meyer-Crothers the N-word and "brownie" during years of harassment while they grew up together in Ohio. In one incident, Miller and another classmate tricked Meyer-Crothers into eating a piece of candy they had wiped along the inside of a urinal. Meyer-Crothers had to be tested for hepatitis, HIV, and STDs.

Bruins president Cam Neely said he was under the impression it was just an isolated incident, but if the organization had done even a shred of research, it would've learned it was much more serious than that.

Firstly, the Bruins didn't consult the NHL. Shortly after the signing, Gary Bettman said Miller may never even be eligible to play in the league. Secondly, they didn't ask their own players about the decision; Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Nick Foligno, and others all condemned the move. And most importantly, the organization never spoke to Meyer-Crothers or his family before signing Miller.

If the Bruins had talked with the Meyer-Crothers family, they would've learned about Miller's lack of remorse for his actions. According to Isaiah's mother, Miller never said he was sorry to Isaiah outside of a court-mandated letter until the Bruins told him they wouldn't sign him unless he apologized. "It's empty," Isaiah's mother said. Isaiah himself detailed Miller's years of harassment in a harrowing statement of his own.

The Bruins parted with Miller just two days after signing him, although he's technically still under contract with the club.

But because they failed to do even the bare minimum research, Meyer-Crothers had to relive his trauma. The Bruins should be ashamed of themselves for that.

2. The Gr8 Chase

Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record is so historic that he even trademarked the catchphrase "THE GR8 CHASE." Breaking Gretzky's record - which was once thought as untouchable - is now a matter of when, not if.

Ovechkin began the calendar year with 754 career goals. He entered Saturday's clash with the Montreal Canadiens at 803, just 91 back of Gretzky.

2024 seems to be the most likely year that Ovechkin will pass Gretzky, but the entire hockey world will be on notice to see much more ground he can make up in 2023.

1. Flames' offseason overhaul

The 2022 offseason was a roller coaster of emotions for Calgary Flames fans. First, Johnny Gaudreau left as an unrestricted free agent, stunning the entire hockey world by signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Then, Matthew Tkachuk - one year away from being a UFA - told the Flames he wouldn't sign a long-term extension.

General manager Brad Treliving essentially had two options: justifiably blow it up and start a rebuild, or say "screw it" and go all-in.

Treliving did the latter, and we applaud him for it. First, he traded Tkachuk for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar - as well as prospect Cole Schwindt and a first-rounder, to boot - from the Florida Panthers to keep the Stanley Cup window open. He also signed both centerpieces to eight-year extensions.

But Treliving wasn't done there. In an effort to upgrade the middle of the ice, he spent a first-round pick of his own to get rid of the final year of Sean Monahan's contract and used that newfound cap space to land the last big UFA in Stanley Cup champion Nazem Kadri.

On paper, it appeared Treliving might've made the Flames an improved team - a remarkable turn of events considering the hand he was dealt. But on the ice, they currently find themselves fighting for their playoff lives after winning the Pacific Division a season ago.

Treliving's offseason moves put the Flames squarely in win-now mode. But if they can't turn things around in 2023, the future in Calgary looks bleak.

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We split our best bets Thursday night. The Buffalo Sabres handled the Detroit Red Wings on home soil, but the New York Rangers were unable to hold on to their lead in Tampa Bay and eventually lost to the Lightning in a shootout.

We'll set our sights higher and aim to end the year in style with a couple plays for the weekend ahead.

Predators (-165) @ Ducks (+135)
Dec. 30, 5 p.m. EST

The Anaheim Ducks have a strong case as the league's worst team. They rank dead last in regulation wins, goals against, goal differential, and shot suppression.

Anaheim is outshot by nearly 10 per contest. That clearly makes it very difficult to win games - especially when going up against a high-end goaltender.

That'll be the case Friday against Juuse Saros - or Kevin Lankinen - and the Nashville Predators.

Saros was a Vezina finalist a season ago. While his numbers are down a little bit this year, his .914 save percentage is still way above the league average of .900. Saros also grades out well in goals saved above expectation, having stopped 11.8. That slots him just below all-world goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

If the team elects to rest Saros and go with Lankinen, my confidence remains high. Lankinen only started eight games, but his GSAE per start ranks near the top of the league. Even if there's some regression, he's playing well enough to do the job against Anaheim.

The Predators - like basically every team - should be able to dominate the run of play and get a significant edge in chances.

For the Ducks to prevail, they'll likely have to convert their shots at a high clip. I don't see that happening against Saros or Lankinen. Look for the starter - whoever it may be - to lock things down between the pipes and ensure all the advantages the Predators have are reflected on the scoreboard.

Bet: Predators in regulation (+100)

Wild (TBD) @ Blues (TBD)
Dec. 31, 6 p.m. EST

The St. Louis Blues have come out of another one of their miserable spells and, on the surface, appear to be righting the ship.

They own a 5-2-3 record over the last 10 games and are right back in the thick of the playoff race.

I think this run has largely been smoke and mirrors, though. The Blues controlled just over 43% of the high-danger chances and expected goal share over the last 10 games.

St. Louis ranks 27th in both categories, surrounded by the likes of Anaheim, the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Arizona Coyotes. That's not company you want to be keeping if you have playoff aspirations.

Although Torey Krug isn't the player he once was, he produced at a 45-point pace this season and is one of the only true puck-movers the Blues have on defense. His absence will be felt.

The Minnesota Wild are hardly stomping opponents right now, but they sit at least 10 slots ahead of the Blues in high-danger chance share and expected goal share at five-on-five.

Minnesota also sits third in expected goal generation on the power play over the last 10 games. It's one of the few teams that could really cause problems for the Blues' strong penalty kill.

While the Wild lost a whopping nine of the last 10 games against the Blues, I think they'll leave St. Louis with a result.

Bet: Wild (expected line: -110)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Thursday night was a great one for our shot props, as we swept the board with a clean 3-0 mark.

Timo Meier, Jason Robertson, and Cale Makar - all of whom were priced at -125 or better - took care of business for us to keep the prop train rolling.

Let's try and build on it with three more plays for Friday night's small slate.

Dougie Hamilton over 2.5 shots (-175)

The New Jersey Devils always heavily rely upon Dougie Hamilton. With top-four defensemen John Marino and Ryan Graves injured, he'll have even more responsibility on his plate.

Hamilton has registered 8.3 shot attempts per contest through three games without both defenders. He's also averaged around 24 minutes per contest during that span, which is a couple of minutes higher than his usual workload.

The shoot-first blue-liner will be given every opportunity to make his mark on the game, and the matchup is better than it looks on the surface.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have really struggled defensively of late. Believe it or not, only the Anaheim Ducks have allowed shots at a higher rate over the last 10 games.

It's also worth noting the Penguins have given up shots in bulk to opposing defenders all season long. Just four teams - including Arizona, Anaheim, and Columbus - have allowed more shots per game to defensemen.

Expect Hamilton to generate more than his fair share of attempts.

Roman Josi over 4.5 shots (+110)

I generally prefer to back Roman Josi on home ice. His volume is noticeably better in Nashville, which has been the case for some time. That being said, I can make an exception here since he's playing in Anaheim.

Whether you focus on the full season or the last 10 games, the Ducks have been the league's worst team at preventing shots at five-on-five. They're also a subpar penalty-killing team and are prone to taking penalties.

Add it all up, and they're the best team in the league to target for shots. Josi ranks sixth in the league in shot attempts and in the top 10 in shots on target, so he's the kind of guy who can really pop in a spot like this.

He's shown that versus Anaheim over the past year and change, registering five shots or more in three of four meetings dating back to last season.

I expect his success to continue against a horrendous Ducks team that's showing no signs of tightening up defensively.

Jared McCann over 2.5 shots (+115)

Death, taxes, and backing Jared McCann against the Edmonton Oilers. He has a very strong history against them dating back to his time in Pittsburgh, having hit the over in five consecutive meetings.

More important than the past, though, is the present. McCann leads all Seattle Kraken forwards in shot attempts over the last 10 games. He's at his best when playing opposite Jordan Eberle, which should be the case in this game.

At five-on-five, McCann averages nearly 16 attempts per 60 minutes when skating on a line with Eberle. He has a higher shooting output with Eberle than any of the other forwards he's skated with regularly this season.

McCann also sits second on the Kraken in power-play shot attempts. He's a focal point on the man advantage as well, giving him extra opportunities to pile up shots.

I think +115 is a very good price for McCann in this spot.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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We're counting down the top 10 NHL players of the 2022 calendar year. Our list is forward-heavy, and the margins between our chosen few are slim, but we factored regular-season and playoff stats along with individual achievements into our criteria.

This ranking is separate from our preseason top 100 countdown and doesn't factor in career-long pedigree. For example, Victor Hedman, a consensus top defenseman for several years now, sat ninth on our list in October based on his sterling reputation but didn't qualify here after a pedestrian calendar year by his standards.

Let's get started.

10. Mitch Marner, Maple Leafs

2022 stats: 84 GP, 42 G, 75 A
Accolades: First-team all-star
Signature moment: Breaking Leafs' point streak record

Marner was one of the league's most productive players in 2022, ranking fourth in total and even-strength while leading all players with 3.63 points per 60. The Maple Leafs star also averaged the sixth-most ice time among forwards, as key roles on Toronto's power play and penalty kill supplemented his minutes. There's no question Marner is one of the league's most electric game-breaking talents, but his play over the past few seasons has proven he belongs in the conversation of best all-around right-wingers as well, evidenced by back-to-back first-team all-star nominations at his position. Marner is in tough to win individual awards considering his most frequent linemate hogged a good chunk of them last year - more on him later - and needs to have sustained playoff success, ideally beyond a seven-game first-round series, to ascend the ranks on this list.

9. Nikita Kucherov, Lightning

2022 stats: 78 GP, 37 G, 79 A
Accolades: N/A
Signature moment: Walking Aaron Ekblad in Game 1 of second round

Kucherov missed all but three games in the 2021 portion of last season, but when the 29-year-old returned to the ice after the calendar flipped, he reminded everyone how special he is, finishing 2022 ranked second behind only Connor McDavid with 1.49 points per game across 78 contests. He's also top 10 among his peers in primary assists and points per 60 at five-on-five. But the playoffs are when Kucherov has really earned his stripes, as he led the Lightning in scoring for the third postseason in a row with 27 points in 23 games as they fell two wins short of a three-peat this past spring. A run of serious injuries since he captured the 2019 Hart Trophy and Art Ross have made some forget just how prolific Kucherov is, but he's still here and as good as he's ever been.

8. Kirill Kaprizov, Wild

2022 stats: 86 GP, 55 G, 62 A
Accolades: N/A
Signature moment: Playoff hat trick

Some questioned whether Kaprizov was worth a $45-million extension after his 55-game rookie season in 2020-21, and just over a year later, it's easy to argue he's underpaid. The Wild winger has blossomed into a bona fide superstar, finishing 2022 ranked fifth in goals and third in points. He also put up a team-leading seven tallies in six games as Minnesota bowed out in the opening round of the playoffs. Kaprizov is equally capable of scoring or setting up teammates, and his underlying numbers at both ends of the ice are terrific, slotting 11th in goals above replacement (GAR) - a metric developed by Evolving-Hockey to encapsulate a player's on-ice contributions in a single number - over the past two seasons.

7. Igor Shesterkin, Rangers

2022 stats: 61 GP, 39 W, .928 SV%, 2.19 GAA
Accolades: Vezina Trophy, First-team all-star, Hart Trophy finalist
Signature moment: Stunning assist in Game 6 vs. Penguins

Shesterkin was the easy choice to represent goaltenders on our list. The reigning Vezina winner leads all at his position for the year save percentage (.929) while sitting second in goals against average (2.19) and goals saved above average (25.43), and third in shutouts (6). His 2021-22 campaign was an all-timer between the pipes, and it's no wonder he earned all but three first-place votes for goalie of the year on top of getting some love in the MVP race. Shesterkin's heroics masked the Rangers' major defensive deficiencies through the regular season and all the way to the Eastern Conference Final - an improbable playoff run featuring a .929 save percentage in 20 contests and two Game 7 victories from the Russian netminder. Shesterkin has taken a slight step back in the opening third of 2022-23, but his overall contributions for the calendar year were more than enough to make our list.

6. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche

2022 stats: 71 GP, 37 G, 61 A
Accolades: Stanley Cup
Signature moment: Tying goal in Cup clincher

Missed time due to injuries places MacKinnon 19th in points for 2022, but the Avalanche dynamo jumps up to fifth on a per-game basis at 1.38. Although he's one of the game's top regular-season producers, 2022 was all about the playoffs for MacKinnon, and he delivered in spades. The Nova Scotia native led the postseason with 13 goals and added 11 assists to help Colorado steamroll its competition and capture its first Stanley Cup since 2001. With MacKinnon on the ice at five-on-five across 20 playoff games, the Avalanche owned 63% of shot attempts, 61% of expected goals, and a plus-10 goal differential - dominant numbers that back up the eye test on how badly he wanted to win hockey's biggest prize.

5. Matthew Tkachuk, Flames/Panthers

2022 stats: 86 GP, 46 G, 75 A
Accolades: Second-team All-Star
Signature moment: Goal in Panthers debut

Some may be surprised to see Tkachuk listed - especially in the top five - but the numbers don't lie: The 25-year-old is second to McDavid in points in 2022, sits fourth in GAR over the past two seasons, and boasts off-the-charts defensive metrics. Tkachuk also gets bonus points for being a content goldmine. Whether he's chirping opponents, dropping the gloves, or scoring between the legs, the Panthers' unicorn winger can draw attention in a wide variety of ways and is one of few players across the league with an off-ice personality to match his often brash on-ice antics. While he may have crushed the dreams of many Flames supporters when he commandeered a trade out of Calgary, that sort of player movement creates a palpable buzz for fans of other fanbases and can help the game's popularity grow.

4. Leon Draisaitl, Oilers

2022 stats: 85 GP, 52 G, 64 A
Accolades: N/A
Signature moment: Four assists in Game 3 vs. Flames

If Draisaitl played anywhere but Edmonton, he'd be a short-list candidate to challenge McDavid for the notion of best player in the world. Instead, they're Oilers teammates - and often linemates - so Draisaitl is stuck playing second fiddle. We'll give him his due here, though, as he was unquestionably one of the league's best players in 2022 in any circumstance. The German playmaker has grown into a perennial 100-point lock and scored the seventh-most goals (52) from Jan. 1 onward while logging a whopping 22:06 per night. Draisaitl entered a new echelon of superstardom this past postseason, putting up Herculean numbers while battling a major ankle sprain. Even while having his injury targeted, Draisaitl managed 32 points - the sixth-highest playoff total in the post-lockout era despite not even reaching the final.

3. Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs

2022 stats: 82 GP, 57 G, 56 A
Accolades: Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, "Rocket" Richard, First-team All-Star
Signature moment: 60th goal

Matthews comes in third on our list after authoring the NHL's first 60-goal season in a decade. The Maple Leafs pivot was particularly dominant during his Hart Trophy campaign from January through April, registering 40 goals and 73 points in 46 games before putting up nine points in yet another first-round exit. But Matthews' collection of trophies from the NHL Awards makes up for the playoff disappointment in our eyes, and it's nearly impossible to argue he doesn't deserve a top-three spot on this list when he ranks first in goals, even-strength goals, and GAR in 2022 while sitting sixth in points per game and eighth in points overall.

2. Connor McDavid, Oilers

2022 stats: 85 GP, 56 G, 82 A
Accolades: Art Ross, Hart Trophy finalist, Second-team All-Star
Signature moment: Overtime series winner vs. Flames

We all know McDavid is the world's best player and a transcendent talent on a fast track to becoming one of the all-time greats. We aren't arguing any of that by placing him at No. 2 on our list - our No. 1 candidate simply accomplished more in 2022. McDavid was still sensational, capturing his fourth scoring title at the end of the regular season before racking up 33 points in the playoffs. He's carried his blistering pace into 2022-23 and is by far the leading point-getter over the past 12 months with 138 - 17 clear of second place. McDavid has reached a LeBron James or Mike Trout-esque level of excellence where he has to do something otherworldly for fans to feel like he's done something above the absurd standard he's set, but hockey lovers should rejoice in watching him try night in and night out.

1. Cale Makar, Avalanche

2022 stats: 88 GP, 24 G, 70 A
Accolades: Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, Norris Trophy, First-team All-Star
Signature moment: Unstoppable solo effort vs. Blackhawks

No player achieved more than Makar in 2022. He's only the third defenseman in history to win a Cup, Norris, Conn Smythe, and Calder Trophy - joining legends Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch - reaching the remarkable feat at 23 years old. Makar also became the fastest blue-liner to record 200 regular-season points, besting Sergei Zubov's mark by 12 games. If those accomplishments weren't enough, Makar led all rearguards in goals, points, average ice-time, power-play points, and GAR over the past year. It's difficult to tab any player a future Hall of Famer after just four seasons, but Makar's 2022 was so impressive it may have sealed the deal.

(Stats source: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)

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Connor Bedard once again took center stage during Team Canada's 11-0 thrashing of Austria at the world juniors Thursday night.

The projected 2023 first overall pick tied Jordan Eberle for the most all-time career goals by a Canadian at the world juniors after scoring his 13th and 14th in the host nation's second straight victory.

Bedard's first goal of the contest came from a very sharp angle in the second period, and he went on to match Eberle's feat while getting knocked down late in the final frame.

The 17-year-old tied another Canadian world juniors record for most points in a single game Wednesday versus Germany after putting up a hat trick and four assists.

Bedard chipped in with six more points Thursday, giving him 27 total in just 12 career games at the world juniors. He has now taken sole possession of second place on Canada's all-time points list and is only four back of Eric Lindros for the lead.

Despite Bedard's dominance, teammate Logan Stankoven was named Canada's player of the game after recording one goal and three assists against Austria.

It took about 14 minutes for the first goal to be scored, but the Canadians never looked back after Dylan Guenther capitalized on his team's first power-play opportunity.

Canada netted four goals in each of the next two periods and outshot Austria 47-12 overall. Goaltender Ben Gaudreau earned the shutout after being pulled from Canada's tournament-opening loss to Czechia.

Ten different players lit the lamp for Canada in the rout. Zach Dean, Nolan Allan, Adam Fantilli, Nathan Gaucher, and Tyson Hinds each scored their first goal of the tournament, while captain Shane Wright and Joshua Roy also tallied for the reigning gold medalist.

Austria had been outscored 20-0 by its opponents entering Thursday's matchup and surrendered 11 goals for the second time this tournament.

Bedard's next chance to break Eberle's record will come Saturday against Sweden, while Austria will take on Germany on Friday.

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New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere will be a healthy scratch Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Blueshirts head coach Gerard Gallant said, according to USA Today's Vincent Z. Mercogliano.

Gallant dropped Lafreniere to the fourth line for Tuesday's game against the Washington Capitals, which New York lost 4-0.

"I want him to be better," Gallant previously said when asked to explain the demotion. "He's got some chances to play with good people, and he's played well at times, but it's the inconsistency."

Lafreniere struggled Tuesday night, registering only one shot on goal and committing a pair of giveaways in only 13:14 of ice time. He's notched four assists in his last seven games but managed only four shots on goal in that span with none in three of those contests.

The 21-year-old forward has collected only five goals and 12 assists across 36 contests this season. He's in his third campaign with the Rangers, who drafted him first overall in 2020.

Many experts viewed Lafreniere as a generational talent when he was a prospect. He's shown flashes of his potential at the NHL level but hasn't had sustained success. The former QMJHL superstar has produced 36 goals and 33 assists in 171 career NHL games after hitting triple digits in points for the Rimouski Oceanic in consecutive campaigns.

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