Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews was forced to leave Monday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes late in the third period after taking a knee to the back of his head.

Matthews stayed down for a considerable amount of time before leaving the ice. He did not return for overtime.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe offered no postgame update on Matthews' status.

Matthews leads Toronto with 31 goals and 53 points in 40 games this season.

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Pierre Dorion's phone has apparently been blowing up lately.

The Ottawa Senators general manager received several calls over the NHL All-Star break as his club gears toward selling at the trade deadline, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

"Teams around the league, I'm told, over the last three or four days, have made Ottawa a popular target for phone calls," LeBrun said Monday. "And I'm told that the Senators were a popular team to reach out to as far as checking out a team that is gonna be a seller."

Ottawa entered Monday 13th in the Eastern Conference in points percentage.

The Senators' potential trade chips include forwards Chris Tierney, Zach Sanford, Nick Paul, Tyler Ennis, defenseman Josh Brown, and goaltender Anton Forsberg. All six players are pending unrestricted free agents.

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Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith will be back in the crease soon after yet another stint on injured reserve.

Smith will start against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night after missing the last eight games with a thumb ailment, he told reporters Monday, including The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

The Oilers activated the soon-to-be 40-year-old off IR earlier Monday. He was a full participant in practice and served as the No. 1 netminder during the session.

Meanwhile, the Oilers placed goaltender Mikko Koskinen in COVID-19 protocol on Monday.

Smith has been limited to six appearances this season due to injuries. He last played on Jan. 5, and eight days later, the club said it expected him to miss one-to-two weeks. The veteran also got hurt in late October, had a setback in November, then landed on long-term IR before returning in late December.

The Oilers signed Smith to a two-year deal at a $2.2-million cap hit in July.

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The Florida Panthers signed goaltender Mack Guzda to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday.

Guzda, 21, is one of the OHL's top goaltenders this season. In 16 contests with the Barrie Colts, he recorded an 11-4-1 record alongside a .925 save percentage. He also had a 5-4-1 record with a .915 save percentage in 10 games with the Owen Sound Attack.

"Guzda has been a standout goaltender in the Ontario Hockey League this season," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. "We are excited about his growth and are thrilled that he will continue his development in our organization."

Multiple NHL teams had reportedly expressed interest in signing the goaltender, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Florida already has a crowded crease at the NHL level with Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. The club traded top goalie prospect Devon Levi to the Buffalo Sabres during the offseason in a deal to acquire Sam Reinhart.

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The men's tournament begins in just two days. While the NHL disappointingly - yet understandably - chose not to send its players to the Olympics, there'll still be plenty of familiar names participating.

Let's look at how the tournament is shaping up and what we can expect from each team.

Russia is favored in this tournament, and for good reason. The Russians are icing a veteran-heavy team with an abundance of players who have played games in the NHL. They have plenty of skill up front, with the likes of Nikita Gusev, Vadim Shipachyov, and Mikhail Grigorenko leading the charge. Arseni Gritsyuk is in the midst of a breakout season in the KHL and is a wild card to provide some real scoring pop.

Russia's defensive core looks to be in good shape as well. Including Slava Voynov, four defensemen have spent time in the NHL.

I don't see many weaknesses on this roster, and the fact many of them have played together in the KHL should allow Russia to hit the ground running. For example, there are seven players from CSKA Moscow.

Many see Finland as the team most likely to give Russia a run for its money, and it's easy to see why. The Finns feature plenty of former NHLers in their lineup, including Valtteri Filppula, Leo Komarov, and Markus Granlund. They also have Sami Vatanen heading the defense. This team probably won't score a ton of goals, but they'll play structured and responsible hockey. That'll allow them to stay in every game they play - even against more high-powered opponents.

I'm not sure Canada is getting enough respect in this market. The Canadians have a nice mix of former NHLers trying to fight their way back into the league (Eric Staal, Josh Ho-Sang, etc.) and impact prospects close to making their mark as professionals (Owen Power, Mason McTavish). It might take a little time for this team to gel and for the coaching staff to find everyone's optimal role, but there's enough talent for them to make noise in this tournament. This will be a scrappy and motivated group.

Sweden will be stung by a lack of NHL players. The Swedens don't have as deep of a talent pool to pick from as a team like Canada, and they don't have the luxury of stacking former NHLers who have familiarized themselves with one another from playing together - a la Russia. Sweden's best hope for a medal is for its goaltending to get hot and allow them to slip by some more talented teams.

Czechia has real potential to surprise in this tournament. The Czechs might well have the best player in David Krejci, who just last season was a near point-per-game player with the Boston Bruins. The team has some others with NHL experience as well, including long underrated two-way winger Michael Frolik. The big question mark is in goal. If Czechia's goaltending can hold up against some of the stiffer opponents, it can make a real run.

What Switzerland lacks in raw talent it could make up for in teamwork, structure, and familiarity. Like Russia, the Swiss have stacked guys who play for the same club. That should lead to less of an adjustment period than most countries. Their best hope of surprising in this tournament is playing smart, low-event games and squeezing out just enough offense to get by.

The U.S. is following a similar formula as Canada. It doesn't have as much talent in the way of former NHLers, but the lineup does feature a few high-end prospects. Matty Beniers and Jake Sanderson were both high first-round picks, while Matthew Knies looks like one of the steals of the 2021 NHL Draft. The hope is that those kids can provide some game-breaking ability while the rest of the veterans scratch and claw their way through games. However, goaltending is a significant question mark.

Germany might not medal, but it will be competitive. With Dominik Kahun and Tobias Rieder headlining the forward group, the Germans have some speed and scoring ability that can threaten opponents, plus a big, rangy defense that could provide some physicality to keep opponents to the outside. They also have one of the more underrated goaltenders in Mathias Niederberger, who I think deserves the bulk of the workload. Germany will be a tough out.

Slovakia looks thin on paper. The team will be relying on former NHL top prospects Marko Dano and Tomas Jurco to provide offense, while 17-year-old blue-liner Simon Nemec will get his first taste of big-stage hockey. I don't know how much of an impact he'll be able to make right now - it's a lot to ask of a kid - but the experience should serve him well. He's the future of Slovakian hockey.

Generally, Denmark is a team built around team speed, but I'm not sure it'll have much success playing that way in this tournament. The roster is aged, with eight forwards 32 or older. Mikkel Boedker (32), Frans Nielsen (37), and Co. have put together strong careers, but they just don't have the speed or skill to make plays at a high level anymore. This team will struggle.

The Latvians are a hard-working team that relies on effort plays and goaltending to grind out wins. They might well steal a game unexpectedly, but I don't think they have the horses to enjoy sustained success playing the way they do.

Lastly, we have China, who'll be hard-pressed to win a game. The hope is that team familiarity - every player's home club is HC Kunlun Red Star - will allow the team to be more than the sum of its parts. Spencer Foo, Brandon Yip, and Ryan Sproul are probably China's best bets to produce some much-needed offense.

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

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On Jan. 14, the visiting Coyotes could be had on the moneyline for as high as +500 against the Avalanche. It was one of the five highest moneyline payouts in the last 20 years. Arizona took a brief third-period lead but lost in a shootout, leaving intrepid underdog bettors just short of a reward for their betting bravery. However, it was a reminder that, even in defeat and at a certain price, there's no such thing as a bad bet.

Sure enough, on the second-to-last night before the All-Star break, the Coyotes returned to Colorado priced at +450 on the moneyline. This time, it took a late game-tying goal for Arizona to force overtime and a subsequent shootout. But unlike three weeks prior, the Coyotes won in a shootout victory. Underdog bettors rejoiced, and there's reason to believe it was a sign of things to come in a season where favorites have won at an unheard-of clip.

The recipe

Before the season, we provided a three-chapter series on how to use the regular-season point-total market to create team ratings, how to interpret home-ice advantage, and how to use that information to create your own moneylines.

When the NHL took its hiatus around Christmas, we shared my 2021-22 season ratings, which use the metrics I deem important to predict future success. Considering all the lineup inconsistency across the league this season, we held firm for the next six weeks, using a 50-50 split between those ratings and the preseason priors via the regular-season point-total markets.

Since the NHL adjusted its COVID-19 testing policies after the All-Star Game, we'll move to a 60-40 split, slowly putting more emphasis on team metrics for this season while not going all-in on what's happened, given how many games have been played with mismatched roster strength.

The cheat sheet

The following includes my fair price on the games (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet either side. I only need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. For games I project to be closer to a coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough for a worthwhile wager. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and a 3% consideration for a team on the second leg of a back-to-back without travel.

Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.

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The NHL is back! While there are only a couple of games on tonight's schedule, there is still plenty of value on the board, particularly with shot props.

Let's look at the best way to attack this slate.

Mitch Marner over 2.5 shots (-125)

Mitch Marner has picked things up as a shooter since returning to the lineup. He has attempted 40 shots over a seven-game span. Of those attempts, 27 hit the net. That's good for an average of 3.86 shots on goal per contest.

Considering the success he's enjoyed as a shooter - he scored in all seven games - Marner should have the confidence to continue firing pucks on net whenever he has the chance.

The Carolina Hurricanes are a strong defensive team, but I'm not going to be scared away here. Marner's shot volume is rising, he routinely plays 20 minutes a night, and he'll get cushier usage on home soil. Oh, and Sheldon Keefe should have no problem leaning on his best players, given they just had a handful of days off to rest and recover.

Jesper Bratt over 2.5 shots (-118)

Jesper Bratt has skated on a line with Jack Hughes for a while now. With Hughes in COVID-19 protocol, I think the natural reaction is to lower your expectations for Bratt offensively. That may not be a good idea, at least in terms of his ability to pile up shots.

The reality is Bratt has been a much more prolific shooter when away from Hughes. Bratt averages a little more than 12 shot attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-five play with Hughes on his line. Without Hughes? It's a different story. Bratt generates more than 17 attempts per 60 minutes when Nico Hischier is his centerman. And it just so happens Nico will be centering Bratt this evening in Ottawa.

Expect Bratt to take advantage.

Brady Tkachuk over 3.5 shots (+100)

Brady Tkachuk is one of the best shot generators in the league right now, particularly on home soil. Tkachuk has amassed 73 shot attempts and 51 shots on goal over his last 10 home games. That's a whopping 5.1 shots per contest, and a lot better than his usual average of 3.5.

The Devils are missing their two best play drivers in Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, and they aren't exactly the stoutest defensive team at the best of times.

Tkachuk figures to be the prime beneficiary, especially with more of the offensive workload getting put on his shoulders while Josh Norris and Drake Batherson are sidelined.

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

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Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin was added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list Monday.

The 35-year-old missed the first 34 games of 2021-22 following offseason knee surgery. He's produced five goals and eight assists in 12 contests since making his return in early January.

Pittsburgh recalled forwards Michael Chaput and Valtteri Puustinen in corresponding moves.

The Penguins resume their regular-season schedule Tuesday against the Boston Bruins.

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