Not long after Pittsburgh Penguins' veteran forward Evgeni Malkin was suspended five games for his slash to the head of Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, it appears another player in the organization is headed for a similar fate.

On Friday, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) announced that Penguins' defensive prospect and Guelph Storm blueliner Quinn Beauchesne was suspended upon review for his slash to the head of London Knights' forward Ryan Brown in the waning minutes of their game. The incident happened just after a faceoff on a late London power play, and the Knights were beating the Storm, 4-3. 

London forward Brody Cook was also suspended upon review for his knee-on-knee hit on Guelph defenseman Noah Jenken during the first period. 

2 Penguins Make Best NHL Prospects ListThese two Penguins are being viewed as among the best prospects in hockey.

Beauchesne, 19, was selected in the fifth round (148th overall) by the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 6-foot, 187-pound blueliner showed some flashes of potential during September's Prospects Challenge in Buffalo as well as during training camp with his skating, his offensive smarts, and his physicality. 

He has seven goals and 31 points in 57 OHL games this season with Guelph, and the team has three games remaining before the end of their regular season. They have already clinched a playoff berth. 

The length of Beauchesne's suspension has not yet been announced, as he has yet to have his hearing with the OHL's Department of Player Safety. According to many OHL talking heads, it is expected to be a relatively lengthy suspension. 

Evgeni Malkin Suspended Five Games By NHL's Department Of Player SafetyEvgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games for slashing Rasmus Dahlin.

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WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Haydn Fleury scored his first goal in more than two years and added an assist, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele each had their 31st goal and the Winnipeg Jets edged the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Sunday.

Eric Comrie made 29 saves in his career-high 21st start of the season and first since Feb. 25 to give him a personal-best 11 wins. The victory also extended the backup’s winning streak to five games, the longest for a Jets goaltender this season. Starter Connor Hellebuyck had a four-game run in October.

Fleury gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead at 2:31 of the first period, scoring his first goal in his 64th game since signing with the Jets as a free agent in July 2024. Fleury last scored on Dec. 19, 2023, while with Tampa Bay. The assist was also the first of the season for Fleury, who has played in 25 games this season. He had seven assists last season in 39 games for Winnipeg.

Dalibor Dvorsky and Dylan Holloway scored for the Blues, who lost in regulation for the first time in March (6-1-1), snapping their seven-game points streak. Jordan Binnington stopped 13 shots.

SENATORS 7, SHARKS 4

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Drake Batherson scored twice, including the eventual game winner, as Ottawa beat San Jose.

With the game tied at 4, Batherson put the Senators (34-23-9) ahead with 6:52 remaining when an Artem Zub shot bounced in off him when he turned to protect himself.

Warren Foegele, Fabian Zetterlund, Tyler Kleven and Dylan Cozens also scored for Ottawa. Brady Tkachuk added an empty-net goal. Linus Ullmark, who was coming off a 23-save shutout against Anaheim, made his third straight start and stopped 19 shots.

Mario Ferraro, Tyler Toffoli, Collin Graf and Michael Misa scored for San Jose. Laurent Brossoit, making his first NHL start since April 18, 2024, made 17 saves for the Sharks (32-27-6).

DUCKS 4, CANADIENS 3

MONTREAL (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored with 2:30 left, Leo Carlsson had two goals and an assist and Anaheim beat Montreal to regain the Pacific Division lead.

Alone in front of the net, Gauthier took Jeffrey Viel’s behind-the-back pass and snapped a shot past goalie Jacob Fowler.

Troy Terry added a goal and two assists in his return from an upper-body injury to help Anaheim improve to 37-27-3 and move a point ahead of Vegas in the Pacific Division. Chris Kreider had two assists, and Lukas Dostal made 27 saves.

Terry missed nine games. He tied it at 3 with 4:21 left in the five-goal second period when his pass deflected off the skate of Montreal forward Josh Anderson and over Fowler’s shoulder.

Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist for Montreal, Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield also scored. Fowler stopped 24 shots in his second start since being recalled from the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket on Wednesday.

MAPLE LEAFS 4, WILD 2

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Bo Groulx scored twice and Toronto held on for a victory over Minnesota.

Morgan Rielly also scored and Matthew Knies added an empty-net goal for Toronto as Minnesota pushed to rally from a three-goal deficit after two periods.

Anthony Stolarz made 36 saves for the Maple Leafs, who have a win and a shootout loss in two games since losing captain Auston Matthews for the season with a knee injury.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice for the Wild. Jesper Wallstedt made 22 saves.

In a four-day span, the Wild earned just one point from three home games against non-playoff teams from the East — a shootout loss to the Flyers on Thursday and regulation defeats against the New York Rangers Saturday and Maple Leafs on Sunday.

OILERS 3, PREDATORS 1

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid had three assists, linemate Leon Draisaitl scored, but was injured soon after and Edmonton beat Nashville to end a two-game losing streak.

Draisaitl took a hard early hit from Ozzy Wiesblatt. The Edmonton star came back for a couple of shifts, but didn’t return for the start of the second period.

Matthew Savoie and Zach Hyman also scored for Edmonton, and Connor Ingram made 26 saves. The Oilers are 16-1-3 record in their last 20 games against Nashville.

Fedor Svechkov scored for the Predators, and Justus Annunen stopped 27 shots. They have lost six of eight.

KRAKEN 6, PANTHERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Bobby McMann had a power-play goal and added an assist in his second game for Seattle, and the Kraken beat the Florida Panthers 6-2 on Sunday night to move into the second wild-card spot in the West.

McMann had two goals and an assist in his Kraken debut Saturday night in a 5-2 victory in Vancouver. He went from Toronto to Seattle at the trade deadline, but was delayed because of a visa issue that was resolved Friday.

Against Florida, McMann scored his 22nd goal of the season and assisted on Jamie Oleksiak’s goal. Oleksiak also had two assists.

Two-time defending champion Florida is in danger of becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since Los Angeles in 2014-15. The Panthers are 11 points out of the final wild card in the East.

MONTREAL (AP) — Montreal forward Kirby Dach left the Canadiens’ game Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks because of an upper-body injury after a high hit from winger Jeffrey Viel.

Viel caught the unsuspecting Dach in Anaheim’s end three minutes into the first period after the Montreal forward swatted at the puck with his arm but missed.

Dach fell to the ice with his face in his gloves before gingerly making his way to the bench, and eventually to the dressing room. Viel was not penalized.

Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and forward Josh Anderson approached Viel later in the period, but Viel declined apparent requests to fight.

The hit came three days after Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas ended Toronto captain Auston Matthews' season with a knee-on-knee hit. Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected, then suspended five games for kneeing — the maximum the Department of Safety could levy because the hearing was by phone.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Drake Batherson scored twice, including the eventual game winner, as the Ottawa Senators beat the San Jose Sharks 7-4 on Sunday.

With the game tied at 4, Batherson put the Senators (34-23-9) ahead with 6:52 remaining when an Artem Zub shot bounced in off him when he turned to protect himself.

Warren Foegele, Fabian Zetterlund, Tyler Kleven and Dylan Cozens also scored for Ottawa. Brady Tkachuk added an empty-net goal. Linus Ullmark, who was coming off a 23-save shutout against Anaheim, made his third straight start and stopped 19 shots.

Mario Ferraro, Tyler Toffoli, Collin Graf and Michael Misa scored for San Jose. Laurent Brossoit, making his first NHL start since April 18, 2024, made 17 saves for the Sharks (32-27-6).

Both teams were playing the second game of back-to-backs and it showed at times.

Macklin Celebrini reached the 60-assist mark in 65 games, the fewest games by a member of the Sharks since Erik Karlsson accomplished the feat in 63 games in 2022-23.

Ottawa’s power play, which has struggled recently, went 2 for 3 with the man advantage.

Up next

Sharks: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

Senators: Visit the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

It's not said often, at least this season, where the St. Louis Blues looked this decisive against an opponent and lost.

But that's exactly what happened on Sunday afternoon at Canada Life Centre, when the Blues dominated most categories, yet fell 3-2 to the Winnipeg Jets in a critical game in the push for the playoffs.

These are the kinds of games that are an absolute must. Call them the classic four-point games (sorry, Andy Murray, but they are -- IYKYK).

The Blues put on a push from start to finish, but three critical errors all proved costly, and the Jets (28-28-10), who were tied with the Blues (27-31-10) in points coming into the game, not pull two ahead with a game in hand and gives St. Louis now five teams it has to jump over for that second wild card into the Western Conference with just 15 games to play and a six-point deficit coming in (pending other results Sunday night).

Dalibor Dvorsky and Dylan Holloway scored for the Blues, who outshot the Jets 31-16. Jordan Binnington made 13 saves.

Let's look at Sunday's observations:

* Falling behind by two on two preventable situations -- The Blues started this game on time and were actually playing well, with territorial edge but something we'll get to later on (net front traffic). However, the Jets broke out with one of their few transitions out of the zone, but the Jake Neighbours-Pavel Buchnevich-Jordan Kyrou line was slow in tracking back on the play, and it backed the Theo Lindstein-Colton Parayko D-pair in. 

The puck was coming in on the lefthand side, played into the oncoming D-man Haydn Fleury, who beat Binnington with a shortside wrister that you'd like to see stopped, but it could have all been preventable with more desperation staying connected by the forward group, and it came on Winnipeg's first shot at 2:31:

FLEURS' FIRST GOAL IN 817 DAYS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/U1FC6AJwvv

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) March 15, 2026

And against a defensively stingy team, which showed on Saturday in a 3-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche, it can absorb anything and everything but be structured enough to take away what can fuel your success.

And the Blues were at nearly three minutes to 42 seconds of offensive zone time, but another play that allowed a breakaway goal from Mark Scheifele at 7:51 made it 2-0, when the Jets center scooted by a puck that hopped past Pius Suter, and Cam Fowler was caught flat-footed on the play thinking Suter was going to get the puck, and Fowler could not recover to perhaps dive in and poke the puck away. Instead, Scheifele was off to the races from the right and went forehand, backhand upstairs on Binnington:

MR. DO IT ALL HIMSELF 😤 pic.twitter.com/hS1nQb2j02

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) March 15, 2026

So you're chasing a game you had no business chasing on two preventable plays.

* Blues pushed even harder but needed more net front -- The Blues gave the Jets little to nothing moving forward, and through two periods, the O-zone possession time was 6:28-2:51, a massive edge by the visitors.

Here's the issue, something that's been problematic for most of this season: net front presence.

No offense to Eric Comrie, who came into the game with a plus-3.00 goals-against average and below a .900 save percentage, but he is now 4-0-0 against the Blues in his career for a reason: not enough bodies at the net taking his eyes away.

The Blues generated 59 shot attempts and 31 on goal, but in my view, Comrie was able to see too many pucks. There was not enough traffic from the dots in, particularly in and around the crease, or else this could have -- and should have -- been a different outcome.

But you know why Winnipeg had an 8-7 edge in high danger chances? It's because the Jets made a more concerted effort to get to the front of the net.

* Another critical mistake after dominating -- The Blues pushed and pushed and pushed, and finally broke through when Dvorsky, a healthy scratch Friday against the Edmonton Oilers, was at the net and finished a Jonatan Berggren pass to make it 2-1 at 5:17 of the third period (BTW, Berggren is such an underrated passer of the puck):

Nothing the goalie could do about that. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/ieIs678Ku6

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 15, 2026

It was early enough that you could just sense the Jets were sort of holding on for dear life.

The territorial edge was growing. The Blues were controlling the puck for large swaths but again, didn't make a concerted effort to get to the interior.

Then came the grave error, the let-out for the Jets.

Suter, who typically has been responsible, was getting called for an offensive zone penalty and the Jets were playing with an extra attacker, Philip Broberg and Logan Mailloux were on the ice playing a high line. Connor is coming off the bench. That has to be recognized, and it's another breakaway and another goal, the dagger goal, at 11:53 to make it 3-1 and eliminate all the momentum the Blues generated:

KYLE FRICKIN' CONNOR AT YOUR SERVICE 🫴 pic.twitter.com/CoIG76iC4q

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) March 15, 2026

Now the Jets can really lock it down, and the Blues, to their credit, kept pushing and got it back to within one again ta 3-2 when Holloway was at -- you guessed it -- the net front and give the Blues some life with 50.7 ticks left on the clock:

Not over yet! pic.twitter.com/itF8La4hUE

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 15, 2026

However, there would be no repeat of the 'Winnipeg Miracle' like Game 7 last May for the Blues, who now are off until Wednesday when they face the Calgary Flames.

According to naturalstattrick, the Blues had a 53-24 edge in Corsi-for/against, 28-11 edge in scoring chances for/against and 11-4 in high danger for/against. Kind of tells you the difference in play.

It was a solid seven-game point streak (6-0-1), and five straight wins on the road but to come away with nothing in this game, that one stings.

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Roughly 19 hours after stepping off the ice following a dominant 3-1 home victory over the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, the Winnipeg Jets were right back at it Sunday afternoon.

Taking on the red-hot St. Louis Blues, the Jets came out firing, scoring the game's first two goals in the opening frame before shutting things down in the third period for a 3-2 home win, pulling to within four points of the final wild card playoff spot.

"It feels good," said Eric Comrie, who won his fifth-straight game. "Once again, I just try and do my job once my name gets called. Just trying to be ready whenever I get my chance, and I feel good right now. Switching to the white cage has been good so far, so I like that.”

Haydn Fleury found his first goal in 817 days - his first as a member of the Jets - to open the scoring just two-and-a-half minutes in. Picking up the puck and walking into the Blues' zone, Fleury ripped home a wrist shot past Canadian Olympian goaltender Jordan Binnington for the early 1-0 lead. 

Then, it was Mark Scheifele, whose solo effort gave the hosts a two-goal lead six minutes later. Picking up the puck off a bobbled play by the Blues on the Jets' blueline, Scheifele cut in to the St. Louis goal and fired his 31st of the year into the net past Binnington for the 2-0 lead.

After Winnipeg saw two unsuccessful power plays in the first period, the teams exchanged minors in the middle stanza, but neither was able to capitalize on the man advantage. The second period as a whole was a whole lot of nothing for either club. 

The Blues extended their shot lead to 15-10, but remained trailing the Jets entering the third.

Two of the league's very best teams since the Olympic break (12-3-3 combined), St. Louis entered the third period with a seven-game point scoring streak on the line. And they struck almost immediately, with Dalibor Dvorsky tapping home a three-on-one rush up-ice, to bring the Blues to within a goal of Winnipeg.

But the Jets did not turn over. 

It was Kyle Connor - who earlier saw Scheifele score his 31st of the year - who capitalized on a delayed Blues penalty, scoring on a six-on-five on a breakaway feed from Morgan Barron, restoring Winnipeg's two-goal cushion. 

With Binnington on the bench for the extra attacker, the Blues found a way to get one back. It was Dylan Holloway who jammed home a net front scramble with 50 seconds remaining in the game. 

But that was as close as the Blues would come, dropping their first game in regulation in eight tries. 

Comrie played spectacularly in goal for the Jets again, earning another win while turning aside 29 of St. Louis' 31 shots on goal. Binnington made 13 saves for the Blues. 

“We're a good team. We have a lot of talent in this room," Comrie said.

"We have maybe the best first line in the locker room. We have an unbelievable d-corps. Morrissey is one of the best defensemen, if not the best defenseman in NHL. We have Scheif, KC, we have the world's best goalie by far in Connor Hellebuyck. We have a really good team in this room. We have a lot of confidence in this room. We have a great coaching staff. We trust everyone in this room. We just know that we're going to go out there and give us the best foot forward. We have a very veteran team, and we're confident that we can get into the playoffs.” 

Next up for Winnipeg is the final test of the eight-game homestand, as the Nashville Predators roll into town for a 7:00 PM central affair on Tuesday night. That game will be another battle between Central Division playoff hopefuls, as just one point currently separate the two clubs in the standings. 

Where Sharks missed Alex Wennberg's veteran presence most in loss to Senators originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

OTTAWA — Here’s another area where the Sharks missed Alex Wennberg.

“You make a mistake, you try to correct it immediately, and then, you just compound it,” Collin Graf said after the Sharks’ 7-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday at Canadian Tire Centre.

Graf (51) was referring to this Tyler Kleven (43) goal, which gave the Senators a 4-3 lead in the second period.

The initial mistake was Graf’s turnover, forced by Warren Foegele (37). The compounding mistake was the defensive coverage, in a 3-on-3: In the end, Vincent Desharnais (5) and Shakir Mukhamadullin (85) covered Foegele, Graf was closing on Fabian Zetterlund (20), and nobody had Kleven. Desharnais had signaled Graf to cover the backdoor.

Tyler Kleven gives Ottawa the lead moments after Zetterlund tied it!! #GoSensGo

Zetterlund with the slick feed as he and Foegele have two points each. https://t.co/0ygPp1B9gipic.twitter.com/uZYmGtFL8C

— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) March 15, 2026

The Sharks — all NHL players, really — know this simple concept for winning hockey games. But the young Sharks are still working on their execution, at a high pace, of this concept. That’s what the better teams do more consistently than San Jose.

Read the full story on San Jose Hockey Now

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Capitals signed 19-year-old defenseman Cole Hutson to a three-year entry-level contract with an average annual value of $975,000.

The Capitals drafted Hutson in the second round in 2024, and he had 10 goals and 22 assists in 35 games for Boston University this season. He also represented the United States in the world junior championships in 2025 and 2026. When the U.S. won gold in 2025, he had three goals and eight assists, becoming the first defenseman to lead the tournament in scoring.

Hutson could represent the future of the Washington blue line after the Capitals, with their postseason hopes dwindling, traded John Carlson before this year's deadline.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

When the NHL introduced three-on-three overtime in 2015, the goal was clear: ignite excitement.

More open ice, faster pace, odd-man rushes, and sudden-death goals before a shootout — it was designed to inject unpredictability into the game. Initially, it delivered. Fans witnessed frantic, edge-of-your-seat action, with overtime periods often producing more drama than regulation itself.

Today, however, that chaos has taken an unexpected turn — and not for the better.

The current iteration of 3-on-3 overtime prioritizes possession over aggression. Teams rarely force plays; if an offensive opportunity isn’t immediate or obvious, the puck is frequently carried back to neutral ice or even returned to the defensive zone to reset. At times, the puck circles all the way back to the goaltender, creating a loop of cautious, low-risk play.

Nate Dogg delivers the shootout winner for the Avs 🐕 pic.twitter.com/L3fLg9A0lG

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 8, 2026

Enter, survey, retreat, reset — repeat.

The outcome is a slow, grinding version of sudden death that often feels more like keep-away than hockey.

⁉️ Is it time to change the rules for NHL overtime?🚨

Saturday night the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Philadelphia Flyers combined for ONE shot on goal in 5 min of 3on3 play.

🤷‍♂️Too much bringing the puck back. What was meant to be exciting back-and-forth action has turned… pic.twitter.com/X8P30VUHwD

— Petey (@spetershockey) March 15, 2026

A recent example illustrates the point perfectly: in the overtime matchup between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers, the five-minute period produced only one shot on goal, despite the abundant open ice that should have encouraged end-to-end action. Both teams spent the majority of the session cycling through the neutral zone, seeking the “perfect” opportunity rather than creating one.

The strategy is simple: if the opponent never touches the puck, they cannot score. But while this approach may be defensible from a coaching perspective, it undermines the very spectacle that 3-on-3 overtime was intended to create. For fans — the lifeblood of the sport — it is increasingly viewed as stale and unengaging.

Since returning from the Olympic break, 265 NHL games have required overtime. Only 170 of those ended with an overtime goal, roughly 64 percent, leaving a growing number of contests decided in shootouts — a method even more polarizing for purists.

The Case for a Compromise

The current format is five minutes of 3-on-3, a structure that has grown stale and predictable. A potential solution would be to extend overtime to 10 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey. This approach would provide half a period of full-strength, authentic hockey before resorting to the shootout, blending skill, strategy, and excitement in a way that better reflects the sport.

Such a compromise could satisfy fans, preserve competitive integrity, and maintain the thrill that made the 3-on-3 experiment promising in the first place. Whether the league is willing to embrace it remains uncertain, but the need for a more engaging overtime format has never been clearer.

Three-on-three was intended to create drama. Today, it often puts you to sleep. 

In the Montreal Canadiens’ defeat against the San Jose Sharks, Cole Caufield, who was back in the lineup after missing the previous game with an illness, scored his 38th goal of the season, a new personal best for the 25-year-old.

You're not going to BELIEVE who just scored on a Saturday Night 🚨

GOAL CAUFIELD BABY 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/rRzKlBINWn

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 14, 2026

With 17 games to go in the season, it appears to be a foregone conclusion that he will be the Canadiens’ first 40-goal scorer since Vincent Damphousse achieved the feat in 1993-94. Back then, seasons had 84 games, a length that will return for the next campaign. If Caufield keeps scoring at the same pace, he should have 48 goals in 81 games (since he missed a game).

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Caufield is currently tied in second place for most goals in the league with Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprisov, trailing Nathan MacKinnon, who currently has 44 lamplighters, on his way to a first Rocket Richard trophy win.

This is the Wisconsin native’s sixth season with the Canadiens, and he’s made tremendous progress under Martin St. Louis' tutelage. When he was drafted, he was seen as a sniper, but nowadays he plays a much more complete game. The five-foot-eight winger is now much more defensively responsible and has such an active stick that he can often create his own scoring chances by picking defensemen’s pockets.

Despite his small stature, he is not afraid to go into traffic to get the puck and to attack the net in close. In his earlier years, he would stay on the perimeter, taking one-timers from the faceoff spot in the offensive zone. He can still do that, but he has learned to mix things up, making him less predictable for the defence corps. Caufield now has 65 points on the season, only five away from his personal best, a number he should easily beat if he keeps the same pace.

While it raised a few eyebrows last season when St-Louis took him out of “his office” on the power play to give that spot to Patrik Laine, it ended up being a formative experience for the youngster, and it helped him diversify his game.

Still, it feels like Caufield has yet to reach his ceiling, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. With a $7.85 million cap hit for the next five seasons, he will soon be seen as a complete steal for the Canadiens, just like he was as a fifteen overall pick back in the 2019 draft.

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A Western Conference clash between the Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators closes out tonight's NHL slate.

It's go time for Edmonton down the stretch, and it’s time for the captain to lead the charge. That's why Connor McDavid highlights my Predators vs. Oilers predictions and NHL picks below. 

Predators vs Oilers prediction

Predators vs Oilers best bet: Connor McDavid anytime goalscorer (+105)

Connor McDavid is revving up the engine as the stakes get higher down the final stretch run. 

The Edmonton Oilers captain has scored in two of his last three games and has a long history of tickling the twine against the Nashville Predators. 

He has 10 goals in his last 10 games against Nashville, including a hat trick in the January 6 meeting between the two clubs earlier this season.

Overall, Nashville has struggled in the defending and goaltending department all season long, sporting a 3.42 GAA this season to go with a lowly .896 team save percentage over their last five games.

Predators vs Oilers same-game parlay

Ill take Edmonton to go Over on their team total of 3.5. They’ve eclipsed that mark in six of nine games, and in four of the last six meetings against Nashville.

Lastly, I’ll add Over 0.5 assists for Evan Bouchard. The Oilers defenseman has an assist in seven of his last nine games, and leads all NHL blueliners with 74 points, 56 of which are assists.

Predators vs Oilers SGP

• Connor McDavid anytime goalscorer
• Evan Bouchard Over 0.5 assists
• Oilers team total Over 3.5

Predators vs Oilers odds

• Moneyline: Predators +150 | Oilers -175
• Puck Line: Predators +1.5 (-150) | Oilers -1.5 (+140)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5

Predators vs Oilers trend

The Oilers have won seven of their last 10 meetings against the Predators. Find more NHL betting trends for Predators vs. Oilers.

How to watch Predators vs Oilers

Predators vs Oilers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending prospect Artur Akhtyamov is sticking around for three more years.

The 24-year-old goaltender signed a three-year extension with the Maple Leafs on Sunday afternoon, worth $2.7 million. The contract's annual average value is $900,000.

We’ve re-signed goaltender Artur Akhtyamov to a three-year contract extension

Details ℹ️ https://t.co/gH7yKVapGBpic.twitter.com/3Zk3EE5po7

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 15, 2026

Akhtyamov's extension, which will begin next season, will start as a two-way contract in 2026-27 before converting into a one-way deal for the final two years (2027-28 and 2028-29).

The Kazan, Russia-born goaltender was a fourth-round (106th overall) pick from Toronto in the 2020 NHL Draft. He's playing in his second full season of pro hockey in North America, since coming over from Russia in 2024.

In his first season with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, Akhtyamov picked up 11 wins and a .901 save percentage through 26 games, playing mostly behind fellow goaltending prospect Dennis Hildeby.

Entering this season, Akhtyamov was focused on building off what was a successful first year in the AHL.

"I need to work, and we'll see. My work is to stop the puck," Akhtyamov said before the season last September. "I hope I will sign a new contract with the Maple Leafs."

Through 32 games this season, he's tallied 18 wins and a .904 save percentage, while also being named an AHL All-Star earlier this year. Akhtyamov hasn't had a regulation loss at home since Nov. 26, going 8-0-1 in that span.

'My Work Is To Stop The Puck': Maple Leafs Prospect Artur Akhtyamov Eager To Follow In The Footsteps Of Dennis Hildeby Last Season<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/hes-still-young-but-man-hes-not-afraid-of-the-moment-maple-leafs-prospect-artur-akhtyamov-is-stealing-the-show-with-the-marlies">Artur Akhtyamov</a> is excited for another year in Toronto despite being far from home.

Akhtyamov also made his NHL debut on Dec. 13 against the Edmonton Oilers, coming in for the relief of Hildeby. Akhtyamov stopped all five shots he faced in the game, despite the 6-3 loss. He dressed as a backup for the Maple Leafs in five games this season.

In 58 career games with the Marlies, the goaltender has a 29-18-8 record, four shutouts, and a .903 save percentage.

It appears the Maple Leafs think very highly of both Hildeby and Akhtyamov. Hildeby signed a similar deal to Akhtyamov's last September. What's different about Hildeby's contract is that it's a two-way deal for the first two years, turning into a one-way contract in the final year.

"It's really good. He's a really good partner," Akhtyamov said of Hildeby in September. "I'm happy he's staying here, and we work together again."

Both appear to be almost ready to challenge for a roster spot with the Maple Leafs, and likely will in training camp next fall.

Toronto now has four goaltenders — Joseph Woll, Anthony Stolarz, Hildeby, and Akhtyamov — under NHL contract until 2028. Woll will be an unrestricted free agent in 2028, while Hildeby will be a restricted free agent.

Stolarz and Akhtaymov's deals run until 2029. Both goaltenders will be UFAs when their contracts expire.

With the NHL playoff races tightening, the Ottawa Senators host Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks on Sunday afternoon (5 pm, TSN 5, TVAS) in a game with significant implications for both teams.

The Senators (33-23-9) begin play on Sunday five points behind both Boston (WC1) and Detroit (WC2). Ottawa has a game in hand on the Bruins and two on the Wings, a team they'll meet head-to-head a week from Tuesday in Detroit.

This weekend's visits from Western teams are a reminder of how much easier life would be for the Senators if they played in the other conference. Only three teams in the entire Western Conference (Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota) have a better record than the Senators (.577).

San Jose (32-22-6) holds WC2 out west, just one point up on Seattle and Los Angeles.

So both teams are highly motivated, fighting for their playoff lives, and both may face a little fatigue at some point. The Sharks played last night, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. The Senators also played earlier in the day, blanking the Anaheim Ducks, 2-0, on a 23-save shutout by Linus Ullmark.

As is often the case in part two of a back-to-back, it was expected that both teams would go to their backup goalies. On his 38th birthday, James Reimer will not get the call against his former team. On Linus Ullmark bobblehead day, the Sens will go to the big Swede once again, hoping he can keep the magic up from Saturday's performance.

Having seen the preview, it would have been nice if they didn't give the Ullmark figurine a wobbly trapper.

Meanwhile, for a third straight game, the Senators will face a goalie who was recently in the American Hockey League. The Sharks will go Laurent Brossoit, who will play in his first NHL game since April of 2024. The former Winnipeg Jet was recalled from San Jose's AHL club on Friday and was the backup against Montreal on Saturday.

After Canadiens callup Jacob Fowler and Anaheim's Ville Husso absolutely stood on their heads in the past two games in Ottawa, the Senators shouldn't expect Brossoit to be anything less than Vezina-level on Sunday.

The game does mark the return of former Senators Adam Gaudette and Zack Ostapchuk. Gaudette had 19 goals for the Sens last season but signed as a free agent with the Sharks over the summer. He has 14 goals and 7 assists in 51 games.

Ostapchuk was part of last year's Fabian Zetterlund trade. The Senators thought it was a clear upgrade for them, and paid a stiff salary cap price for it, but they're both fourth-liners, getting 9-11 minutes per night.

The Senators continue to be without Jake Sanderson and while his absence leaves a big void, the rest of the group has done a fine job of stepping up in his absence. Out of the three games since Sanderson was hurt in Seattle, the Senators have posted a pair of shutout victories.

Jordan Spence has probably elevated his game the most, logging more ice time (22:55) against the Ducks than any Senator not named Thomas Chabot (27:24). He was excellent versus Anaheim on Saturday afternoon.

Clearly, the Sens' big task on Sunday will be to shut down Celebrini, whose 94 points in 64 games as a teenager is all kind of ridiculous.

But they won't face Igor Chernyshov, another promising youngster for San Jose. Cherynshov has 11 points in his first 16 NHL games, but was caught with his head down by Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson on Saturday.

The neutral zone collision wasn't that hard, but Chernyshov's skates seemed to get caught up with Matheson's stick, tripping him up and sending him airborne. He appeared to be knocked unconscious after he fell hard to the ice. Disturbingly, with wobbling legs, the rookie tried twice to get up before linesmen came to his aid.

Projected lineups (NHL.com)

San Jose Sharks

Collin Graf -- Macklin Celebrini -- Will Smith

Adam Gaudette -- Alexander Wennberg -- Kiefer Sherwood

William Eklund -- Michael Misa -- Tyler Toffoli

Barclay Goodrow -- Zack Ostapchuk -- Ryan Reaves

Dmitry Orlov -- John Klingberg

Mario Ferraro -- Shakir Mukhamadullin

Sam Dickinson -- Vincent Desharnais

Laurent Brossoit

Alex Nedeljkovic

Scratched: Pavol Regenda, Nick Leddy, Philipp Kurashev

Injured: Ty Dellandrea (lower body), Yaroslav Askarov (lower body), Igor Chernyshov (undisclosed)

Ottawa Senators

Drake Batherson -- Tim Stutzle -- Claude Giroux

Brady Tkachuk -- Dylan Cozens -- Ridly Greig

Nick Cousins -- Shane Pinto -- Michael Amadio

Warren Foegele -- Lars Eller -- Fabian Zetterlund

Thomas Chabot -- Artem Zub

Tyler Kleven -- Jordan Spence

Dennis Gilbert -- Nikolas Matinpalo

James Reimer

Linus Ullmark

Scratched: Stephen Halliday, Kurtis MacDermid

Injured: Jake Sanderson (upper body), Nick Jensen (lower body)

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

Bobby McMann’s tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs was defined by the long road, an undrafted climb from the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers to becoming a fixture in the NHL’s most scrutinized market. On Saturday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, in his first game since being traded by Toronto, he showed the Seattle Kraken exactly why he was worth the wait.

After missing three games due to a visa issue following his March 6 trade from Toronto, McMann debuted on Seattle’s top line and promptly paced a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. With two goals and an assist, the 29-year-old made in immediate impact. Up until the trade, McMann had been clear about his desire to stay in Toronto, but as the Leafs shifted into seller mode as playoff aspirations waned, the player who fought his way onto the roster became one of its most valuable trade chips.

McMann is just one of several players dealt by the Maple Leafs making a huge impact at the NHL Trade Deadline.

Nicolas Roy, who was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on March 5 for a conditional first-round pick, has been a revelation for the Stanley Cup contenders. Roy has already suited up for five games with the Avalanche, recording two goals, uncluding a power-play marker in a 5-1 win over these same Kraken last Thursday. In Colorado, Roy’s versatility has allowed him to jump between center and wing, providing the cup-contending depth Toronto originally brought him in for.

Similarly, Scott Laughton has wasted no time making an impression with the Los Angeles Kings. Since being dealt for a conditional third-round pick on deadline day, Laughton has recorded two goals and an assist in just five games along with a 58.3 percent success rate on faceoffs.

In Vancouver, McMann’s first goal in a Kraken sweater came with just 50 seconds remaining in the first period. On a power play, McMann threw a puck toward the net from the left circle that caught Canucks goaltender Nikita Tolopilo off guard. It was McMann’s 20th goal of the season, marking the second consecutive year he has reached that plateau.

He wasn't finished. At 4:14 of the third period, McMann drove the far post with the same relentless intent that once made him a favorite of the Scotiabank Arena faithful, tapping in a cross-slot feed from Jordan Eberle for his 21st goal and a new career high. He also added an assist on a Matty Beniers goal later in the frame, finishing the night with three points and an 18:04 workload.

For the Kraken, the win snapped a four-game losing skid and moved them within one point of a wild-card spot. For McMann, Roy, and Laughton, the post-Toronto era is off to a flying start, leaving the Leafs to wonder if the assets they gained will ever outweigh the immediate production they lost.

For months, the Calgary Flames have faced a stark reality: their current roster, despite flashes of talent and veteran leadership, is not built to contend for the top of the NHL.

A combination of aging stars, cap constraints, and a need to inject youth left the organization with a difficult choice. That decision came into sharp focus on March 6, 2026, when the Flames traded veteran forward Nazem Kadri, along with a 2027 fourth-round pick, to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for the rights to Max Curran, winger Victor Olofsson, a conditional 2027 second-round pick, and a conditional 2028 first-round selection.

Kadri, a cornerstone of the locker room and a proven scorer, carries a $7 million cap hit through the 2028-29 season—a figure that increasingly limited Calgary’s flexibility to add younger talent and build a sustainable core. For a franchise embarking on a multi-year reconstruction, retaining Kadri while balancing salary and roster development simply wasn’t feasible.

Nazem Kadri CALLS GAME in the 8th round of the shootout 🔥

The Flames spoil the Oilers' home opener after being down 3-0 😲 pic.twitter.com/4BiDH1x9yv

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 9, 2025

A Move That Signals a New Era

Trading a player of Kadri’s stature is never undertaken lightly. He consistently delivered offensively, brought playoff experience, and served as a leader in the dressing room. His departure underscores the Flames’ acknowledgment that the team cannot realistically compete at the highest level without recalibrating its strategy. The organization is now fully committed to a long-term rebuild, one that prioritizes youth, cap flexibility, and draft capital over established veteran presence.

The trade also creates opportunities for younger players to step into meaningful roles. John Beecher, for example, recently showcased his potential with a two-goal performance in Calgary’s 5–4 win over the New Jersey Devils. Kadri’s exit clears the path for emerging talent to take on central positions and gain valuable NHL experience, accelerating the franchise’s evolution.

Draft Capital as the Cornerstone

Ultimately, the success of Calgary’s rebuild will hinge on its draft strategy. By exchanging a fourth-round pick for the potential of a second-rounder and a first-round selection, contingent on conditions, the Flames have placed their future in the hands of scouting and player development. Smart drafting could fast-track the team’s return to competitiveness, while missteps could extend the rebuilding timeline. Every choice in the coming years will reverberate far beyond the immediate roster.

According to TSN’s Craig Button, the Flames boast a pair of promising prospects. In his annual ranking of the top 50 NHL-drafted prospects, two Flames prospects made the list: Cole Reschny at 24th and Ethan Wyttenbach at 39th.

Reschny, from Macklin, Saskatchewan, was a first-round pick by the Flames in 2025, selected 18th overall with the pick acquired from New Jersey in the Jacob Markstrom trade. He spent two seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Victoria Royals, including a standout 92-point campaign in 2024–25, his draft-eligible season. Reschny also impressed internationally, delivering a strong showing for Canada at the Under-18 World Championships.

Looking Forward

The Flames had little choice but to move Kadri. Calgary is entering a period defined by strategic patience, calculated risk, and the deliberate cultivation of young talent. The organization is signaling that the next chapter of the franchise will be built on potential and opportunity, with a new core poised to shape the team’s future. For fans, Kadri’s departure represents both the closing of a familiar era and the opening of a promising—though inherently uncertain—one.