The Winnipeg Jets may not have any hope left at a playoff spot, but a spot in the NHL Draft Lottery is now up for grabs for the 2024-25 Presidents' Trophy winners.

On Monday night, the Jets were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but just 20-some-odd hours later they will return to work in Utah for a test against the postseason-bound Mammoth.

Currently sitting tied for 24th in the league with St. Louis and Florida, the Jets have the eighth best odds of landing the No. 1 overall selection at this year's NHL Draft Lottery set for May 5.

With two games left to play, valuable drafting odds remain up in the air. The Jets can climb as high as 86 points with two more wins, or remain at 82 points, which would effectively be Winnipeg's second-worst season on record since returning to Manitoba.

Being the second half of a back-to-back, the Jets did not skate on Tuesday, so the forward lines and defence groupings will remain a mystery until closer to puck drop.

The goaltender of record for Winnipeg will be Eric Comrie, as Connor Hellebuyck will get his first night off in months. It is expected that the team will ice a similar lineup to that of the group of 18 players that suited up on Monday in Vegas.

Winnipeg Jets expected line combinations for Tuesday, April 14 at Utah:

Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi

Perfetti-Lowry-Lambert

Koepke-Toews-Rosén

Niederreiter-Yager-Chibrikov

Nyquist

Morrissey-DeMelo

Samberg-Miller

Fleury-Bryson

Heinola

Hellebuyck

The Colorado Avalanche wrap up their final road trip of the 2025–26 regular season Tuesday night in Calgary, closing out a season series they’ve controlled from start to finish.

Colorado has taken both previous meetings, including a lopsided 9–2 win on March 30 and a more measured 3–1 result on April 9, and arrives at Scotiabank Saddledome riding a tight, defense-first stretch at the right time of year.

Grinding Out Wins Without Bednar

Their latest outing offered a snapshot of that formula.

Colorado edged the Edmonton Oilers 2–1 in a shootout Monday at Rogers Place, leaning heavily on Scott Wedgewood, who turned aside 30 of 31 shots. Nathan MacKinnon delivered the decisive moment, scoring the shootout winner after Valeri Nichushkin and Martin Nečas also converted.

Wedgewood’s calm presence was the backbone of the win, particularly as Edmonton pushed late and into the shootout.

“He was rock solid all the way through… it’s a continuation of what he’s done throughout the season,” assistant coach Dave Hakstol told The Hockey News postgame, reinforcing just how steady Wedgewood has been during this late push.

The night also carried personal significance for Brock Nelson, who skated in his 1,000th NHL game, marking the milestone in a tightly contested win that reflected the kind of hockey Colorado has leaned on down the stretch.

Sam Malinski accounted for Colorado’s lone regulation goal, finishing a Nicolas Roy feed from the left circle midway through the second period. Edmonton’s only response came off the stick of Connor McDavid later in the frame, but the Avalanche locked things down from there—killing off every Oilers power play and allowing little in the way of second chances.

That defensive commitment has quietly become one of Colorado’s defining traits down the stretch. Since April 4, they’ve allowed just 1.50 goals per game—the best mark in the league over that span—while also owning the NHL’s top penalty kill at 84.3 percent.

Still, the team continues to operate under unusual circumstances behind the bench.

Head coach Jared Bednar remains away from the club as he recovers from facial fractures and a corneal abrasion suffered in a recent game against Vegas. In his absence, Nolan Pratt and Hakstol have taken over bench duties, guiding the Avalanche through this final stretch of the regular season with a steady hand.

MacKinnon Driving The Push

Offensively, the story remains familiar.

MacKinnon continues to drive everything. His 52 goals lead the NHL, and his 126 points place him firmly among the league’s elite. Nečas isn’t far behind in overall production, sitting at 99 points, while contributions from players like Malinski have added unexpected depth—particularly from the blue line, where his recent scoring surge has stood out.

Calgary, meanwhile, enters Tuesday’s matchup coming off a 4–1 win over Utah. Matt Coronato and Connor Zary struck early to set the tone, while Mikael Backlund and Brayden Pachal extended the lead in the third period. The Flames have leaned on a balanced attack at home, with Coronato leading the team in points and Morgan Frost pacing them in goals.

Historically, the matchup has been competitive. In 136 regular-season meetings, Colorado holds a 68-54-8-6 edge, and the two teams last met in the playoffs in 2019, when the Avalanche dispatched Calgary in five games.

But this version of Colorado looks different—tighter defensively, confident in goal, and still powered by one of the most dynamic players in the sport.

With one final road test before the postseason, the Avalanche aren’t just trying to complete a season sweep. They’re sharpening the identity that could carry them into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

The disappointment that was the finality of MSU hockey this season has still not taken its root to the depth of where my disappointment lingers. While we are glad we weren’t forced into throwing up again as Ann Arbor celebrated another title, we did get to sit in our misery and watch Porter Martone score goals for the Flyers. With that being said, here’s a quick update on the comings and goings of MSU hockey players and the massive roster overhaul that will be taking place in East Lansing.

First, let us congratulate some award winners. First team All-American nods go to Trey Augustine, Porter Martone and second team, Charlie Stramel. Martone is the first freshman in school history with the honor and Augustine secured his second. Adam Nightingale was also announced as the head coach of the 2027 U.S. National Junior Team for the World Junior Championships. 

Of course we have our outgoing seniors. Tiernan and Travis Shoudy, Dolan Gilbert, Daniel Russell, Charlie Stramel and Matt Basgall. Gilbert has entered the transfer portal and looks to play as a 5th year senior somewhere. Now that the portal is open, let’s see who’s in, who’s out, who’s where in MSU hockey.

DEPARTURES

Tiernan Shoudy

Signed with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 2026-2027 and signed with the Wheeling Nailers, the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the rest of 2025-2026.

Daniel Russell

Signed with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Matt Basgall

Signed with San Diego Gulls, AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.

Porter Martone

Signed with the Philadelphia Flyers and is already scoring goals.

Trey Augustine

Signed with Grand Rapids Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.

Maxim Strbak

Signed with the Rochester Americans, AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres and joins former teammates Red Savage and Jagger Joshua.

Charlie Stramel

Signed with the Minnesota Wild. He is out for the remainder of this season with a broken ankle.

Colin Ralph

Signed with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.

Melvin Strahl

Transfer Portal to Minnesota. This implies that the freshman Joshua Ravensbergen was set to get the majority of playing time in East Lansing.

Austin Baker

Transfer Portal to Miami of Ohio

Nathan Mackie

Entered the Transfer Portal 

ARRIVALS

Cullen Potter

Potter has committed to MSU after two seasons at Arizona State. Potter is a center who is very quick. Here is an in-depth highlight reel prior to the 2025 NHL Draft where he was drafted by Calgary. This past season he had 12 goals and 26 points in 24 games. 

What are your thoughts TOC on the comings and goings? Minnesota has already had a successful portal haul, Michigan seems to be staying strong and Wisconsin has added. What are your wishes for MSU hockey? Are the Spartans keeping up? Let’s discuss in the comments and we’ll continue to update with any new news.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will play their final game of the regular season against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. The Penguins will be looking to finish off the regular season with a win before they kick off their first round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

The Penguins have now called up one of their depth forwards from the AHL ahead of their season finale against the Blues.

The Penguins have announced that they have recalled forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

Harvey-Pinard has not played in a game for Pittsburgh this season. Instead, he has spent all of this campaign in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he has recorded 19 goals, 17 assists, and 36 points in 64 games. This is after he had five goals and 19 points in 40 games last season with the Laval Rocket.

In 84 career NHL games over four seasons, Harvey-Pinard has recorded 17 goals, 14 assists, and 31 points. This includes when he set career highs with 14 goals and 20 points in 34 games with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2022-23 season. 

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The Conn Smythe Trophy is one of the most volatile awards in hockey betting because a player’s path to the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP depends on both performance and team success.

The latest 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy odds have a flurry of stars on title contenders at the top of the board, with Colorado and Tampa Bay dominating the Top 5, but read on for the full list as the postseason action is now underway.

🏆 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy odds

Player
Nathan MacKinnon	+640
Nikita Kucherov	+1400
Connor McDavid	+1500
Cale Makar	+1600
Andrei Vasilevskiy	+1800
Seth Jarvis	+2000
Sebastian Aho	+2000
Martin Necas	+2500
Matthew Boldy	+2900
Jack Eichel	+2900
Kirill Kaprizov	+2900
Andrei Svechnikov	+3000
Mitch Marner	+3500
Frederik Andersen	+3500
Rasmus Dahlin	+4000
Leon Draisaitl	+4000
Jake Guentzel	+4000
Mark Stone	+4000
Nikolaj Ehlers	+4500
Tage Thompson	+4500
Quinn Highes	+5000
Jason Robertson	+5000

Odds as of April 19.

img alt="Get a first bet encore up to $800 — no BET99 promo code needed" width="100%" loading="lazy" src="https://img.covers.com/editorial/2026/bet99round1boost.jpeg"Any Canadian team to reach the Second Round of the playoffs is boosted to +100.
(not available in Ontario)

Conn Smythe Trophy odds analysis

With the Avalanche being +305 favorites to win the Stanley Cup, it's easy to see why Nathan MacKinnon is opening as a +640 favorite in this market. He led the NHL with 53 goals and finished third in assists and points. 

Right above him in points is Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov, who is sitting second on the board at 14/1 — with the Lightning also second in the Stanley Cup odds.

Third on the board is Connor McDavid, who led the league with 138 points and won this award two years ago (despite his team losing in the Stanley Cup Final).

The Top 5 is rounded out by MacKinnon and Kucherov's teammates: Cale Makar, who took home Conn Smythe honors when the Avs won in 2022, remains a top-producing defenseman who is integral to Colorado's success, and sits at 16/1, while Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy — also a former recipient of this trophy — is at +1800.

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📈 Conn Smythe Trophy trends

• There have only been five players to win the Conn Smythe without winning the Stanley Cup.
• Skaters have won the Conn Smythe over a goalie 74% of the time.
• There have been seven repeat winners of the Conn Smythe since its establishment.
• Only one player has won the Conn Smythe more than twice. Patrick Roy won it three times.

📜 Conn Smythe Trophy history

A quick look at recent NHL Conn Smythe Trophy winners and the teams they played for.

Season	Player	Team
2024-25	Sam Bennett	Florida Panthers
2023-24	Connor McDavid	Edmonton Oilers
2022-23	Jonathan Marchessault	Vegas Golden Knights
2021-22	Cale Makar	Colorado Avalanche
2020-21	Andrei Vasilevskiy	Tampa Bay Lightning
2019-20	Victor Hedman	Tampa Bay Lightning
2018-19	Ryan O'Reilly	St. Louis Blues
2017-18	Alex Ovechkin	Washington Capitals
2016-17	Sidney Crosby	Pittsburgh Penguins
2015-16	Sidney Crosby	Pittsburgh Penguins
2014-15	Duncan Keith	Chicago Blackhawks
2013-14	Justin Williams	Los Angeles Kings
2012-13	Patrick Kane	Chicago Blackhawks
2011-12	Jonathan Quick	Los Angeles Kings
2010-11	Tim Thomas	Boston Bruins
2009-10	Jonathan Toews	Chicago Blackhawks
2008-09	Evgeni Malkin	Pittsburgh Penguins
2007-08	Henrik Zetterberg	Detroit Red Wings
2006-07	Scott Niedermayer	Anaheim Ducks
2005-06	Cam Ward	Carolina Hurricanes
2003-04	Brad Richards	Tampa Bay Lightning

Understanding Conn Smythe Trophy odds

Sportsbooks will post Conn Smythe Trophy odds as early as the beginning of the playoffs. These NHL futures are constantly adjusted throughout the postseason depending on how well players perform as well as their team success. Sportsbooks will also adjust the NHL awards odds based on handle and liability to certain players.

Conn Smythe Trophy odds will usually look like this:

• Nathan MacKinnon +290

This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to win $290 if MacKinnon takes home the Conn Smythe Trophy. If it's close to the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs and a player has stood out as the obvious MVP of the series they might have a minus sign (-) ahead of their odds like this: 

• Connor McDavid -175

This means that if you bet on McDavid to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, you would have needed to bet $175 to profit $100.

All of the odds listed above are in American format, but if you prefer decimal or fractional odds, simply plug them into our odds converter tool.

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.

The NHL Draft Lottery is slated to take place on May 5, in what will be a critical night for the New York Rangers. 

With one game remaining for the Rangers this season, they currently slot 30th in the NHL’s standings with 75 points, only ahead of the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks. 

That means the Blueshirts have the third-best odds to land the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

As it stands right now, the Rangers have a 11.5% chance to get the first pick, 11.2% chance to get the second pick, 7.8% chance to get the third pick, 39.7% to get the fourth pick, and 29.8% chance to get the fifth pick. 

“Of course I have interest,” Mike Sullivan said of the draft lottery. “But I just don’t think right now with where we’re at — I’m immersed in this daily endeavor of trying to do my very best to help this team continue to move forward. 

“And it starts with trying to instill the right habits and trying to hold the group accountable to a certain standard — a standard that we want to be proud of. And it starts with attitude, effort, energy, things of that nature. I’m trying to help us get better, and that’s where all my energy is right now. There’ll be a time for (draft conversation). It’s not now.”

Jonathan Quick Recounts Last Career NHL Game As A ‘Special’ NightThe New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a>’ 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday night marked the last game of Jonathan Quick’s 19-year illustrious NHL career.&nbsp;

The Rangers had won five out of six games before most recently losing three games in a row, ultimately helping them increase their odds of landing a higher pick in this year’s draft. 

Despite clinching last place in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers can still leapfrog the Calgary Flames in the overall standings.