Category: Sports News

Rebuild or retool? It’s the most common question asked about NHL teams on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

There’s evidence that both approaches could work, but the recent trend of the NHL suggests that rebuilding is the path to take over a less-aggressive retool.

Team depth, defense and goaltending play critical roles in winning a Stanley Cup, but superstars are needed and are almost virtually the reason why teams win.

Some may look at the Florida Panthers as a recent example that depth matters more, but GM Bill Zito found a way to have an abundance of depth around his two superstars, Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Without the timely plays and consistency from that duo throughout the past three seasons, the Panthers don’t win the Cup. 

The strongest current piece of evidence that tanking works is examining the NHL’s current point leaders.

Out of the top 33 scorers in the NHL with at least 18 points, 28 of them were first-round picks.

Of those first-rounders, 18 of those players were selected in the top 10, including 11 in the top three and seven first overall picks. 

The usual suspects – Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Jack Eichel – are high in these rankings. Each player has been to the Stanley Cup final at least once, and three have won the Cup, providing the first piece of evidence that tanking has worked for these teams.

But to further prove it, four of the top six scorers – MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard and Connor McDavid – were first overall picks. Leo Carlsson, who's tied for second in scoring, was drafted second overall, and William Nylander, who's tied for fifth, was selected eighth overall.

For a table of the top 33 scorers, click here.

The emergence of Carlsson has come quicker than some may have expected, but the talent was always apparent. With 11 goals and 26 points in 16 games, he has the Anaheim Ducks in first place in the Pacific Division with an 11-4-1 record.

The Ducks’ rebuild appears to be complete as many of their top prospects are not only featuring in their lineup but are playing critical roles. It took patience, but now with a No. 1 center in Carlsson, a No. 1 defenseman in Jackson LaCombe, a No. 1 goaltender in Lukas Dostal and top-end talent surrounding them, such as Cutter Gauthier, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish and Beckett Sennecke, the Ducks look poised to be a perennial contender for years to come.

Celebrini and Bedard sit in second and fourth in the NHL points leaderboard, respectively, and they’ve turned around their franchises.

Coming into the season, the expectations of the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks were very low. Many thought they would be in the race for another top-three pick, but the two young phenoms had other ideas.

Bedard, 20, is carrying the Blackhawks' offense despite the roster still being below average in terms of talent. With nine goals and 25 points in 16 games, Bedard has 11 more points than the next closest player, and the Blackhawks sit in fourth place in the Central Division.

The Blackhawks had some luck landing Bedard, moving up two spots in the draft lottery, but following the selection, they’ve built their defense corps from the ground up and have continued to add high-end prospects, such as Anton Frondell, Oliver Moore, Sacha Boisvert and more. They aren’t as far along as the Ducks, but the future is very exciting in the Windy City.

Celebrini, too, has his organization looking like a competitive team.

The Sharks are a very young team, headlined by Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund, Michael Misa, and Sam Dickinson, but they are becoming a harder team to beat. On most nights, they are outshot, but the high-end talent they possess creates numerous high-danger chances that they are skilled enough to finish consistently. 

There are 20 first overall picks currently playing in the NHL, and seven of them rank in the top 33 in points. Some notable omissions who could easily join that group are Auston Matthews, who ranks just outside the top 50 after a slow start to the season, and Nico Hischier, who is playing like the Selke Trophy winner he is, allowing Jack Hughes to shine offensively.

The most recent first overall pick, Matthew Schaefer, leads NHL rookies in goals and points, and he sits in the top 10 for points by a defenseman. The New York Islanders weren’t tanking before selecting Schaefer, but following the selection, they’ve pointed their franchise's direction toward a youth movement, betting on the future. 

Luck most certainly plays a role when tanking. Even with the worst record in the NHL, teams aren’t guaranteed to land the first overall pick, and they aren’t guaranteed to become a superstar. Occasionally, as happened with the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens recently, they select a player who won’t turn the franchise around but can be a big-time contributor.

The quarter mark of the NHL season is approaching, and plenty of hockey still needs to be played. But soon, teams will need to decipher where their season is headed.

With a projected top three of talented wingers Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg, as well as 6-foot-4, do-it-all defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, organizations like the Calgary Flames and the Nashville Predators would benefit greatly from selecting a possible franchise cornerstone in the top three.

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The Los Angeles Kings seem to be trending in the right direction, with two straight victories to kick off a six-game road trip.

Not only were those wins huge for the team’s record and place in the standings, but it was also against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had a hot start to the campaign, and the Atlantic Division leaders Montreal Canadiens.

In this week’s edition of The Hockey News’ power rankings by Jason Chen, the Kings were recognized for their recent performances and made a big jump compared to their previous ranking. 

In this week’s ranking, Los Angeles has climbed their way into the top 10, taking seventh place. They stand between the Canadiens in eighth place and the Dallas Stars in sixth.

There were several question marks surrounding head coach Jim Hiller and his Kings in the early stages of this campaign. However, Los Angeles has been on a nice little run over the last 20 days or so.

“There was a little concern early in the season, but they’ve gone 7-2-2 since,” Chen wrote.

He also highlighted the team’s last two victories over Pittsburgh and Montreal. Against the Pens, the Kings soared in a third-period push, and solid goaltending from Darcy Kuemper along the way.

Report: Los Angeles Kings Not In Adrian Kempe’s Ballpark As Negotiations Are Back OnThe Los Angeles Kings and Adrian Kempe have reportedly resumed contract talks. However, it still seems that the two parties are on the same level just yet.

When they faced the Habs in the Bell Centre, it was a tidy performance with the help of an explosive middle frame. Joel Edmundson, Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala each scored a goal in the opening six minutes of the second period. They didn’t give the Canadiens a sniffing chance after that.

Kings Road Dominance Continues With Victory Over CanadiensKings dismantle Canadiens with lockdown defense and promising offense, continuing their road dominance.

Thanks to these results, the Kings jumped from 15th place to seventh in the matter of a week. This is the highest they’ve ever been ranked so far this season.

In the real NHL standings, Los Angeles controls the second spot in the Pacific Division with 20 points in 17 outings. With that, the team owns an 8-5-4 record and three points off from the division leaders, the Anaheim Ducks.

The Kings will look to continue their road dominance in their next game against the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Flyers have late goal wiped away, suffer OT loss to two-time defending West champs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers had another tight, low-scoring game Wednesday night and couldn’t win it as they fell to the Oilers, 2-1, in overtime at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Jack Roslovic scored the winner for Edmonton on a 2-on-0 opportunity after Cam York had a turnover.

The Flyers dropped to 4-3-3 in games decided by one goal. It was the seventh time they’ve gone to OT.

“Every game, it seems like it’s tight,” Rick Tocchet said. “We’ve just got to learn, we have the puck in overtime, hold onto it. We want to make plays and that’s the learning process — playing through pressure.”

Travis Konecny scored what could have been a game-winning goal for the Flyers on a deflection with 23.5 seconds remaining in regulation. But a league-initiated review determined that Owen Tippett was offside.

“I have to be more patient, I guess,” Tippett said, “but it happens.”

The Flyers (8-5-3), who came in with the NHL’s third-fewest shots per game at 24.8, had just six at the midway mark Wednesday night.

But Matvei Michkov provided a spark by burying a game-tying power play goal with 4:22 minutes left in the second period.

Despite the loss, Tocchet’s club extended its point streak to four games (2-0-2).

“We thought we had it won,” the Flyers’ head coach said. “We have some other things we’ve got to shore up, but there were some stretches where I liked our game.

“Everybody expected us to be in last place, so I’ve got to give these guys a lot of credit. I’m proud of them.”

The Oilers (8-6-4) went into the third period with a 25-11 shot advantage on the Flyers.

The Flyers face Edmonton again Jan. 3 when they visit the two-time defending Western Conference champs.

• Dan Vladar was excellent again, making 30 saves on 32 shots.

The 28-year-old has given up two or fewer goals in eight of his 10 starts.

He wasn’t too happy when Mattias Janmark ran into him with 5:35 minutes left in the third period. After some pushing and shoving, which included Vladar, the Flyers ended up on a power play, but failed to convert.

“It was just a hockey play, it happens,” Vladar said. “It’s going to happen again, I’m pretty sure, whether it’s me or someone else. Just emotions.”

The Oilers struck first with under a minute remaining in the opening stanza. Evan Bouchard blasted one off a nice feed from three-time MVP Connor McDavid, who finished with one point.

The Flyers have actually slowed down the superstar center in his visits to Philadelphia. They’re 6-2-1 at home against McDavid’s Oilers teams. In those nine matchups, they’ve held him to 10 points (three goals, seven assists).

But it has been a different story up at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, where McDavid has put up 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) on the Flyers over nine games. The Flyers are just 2-6-1 in those matchups.

“Having the puck helps, making him play defense, making them stop and start,” Tocchet said after morning skate. “I don’t care who it is, any team with great players, you want to make them stop and start, so you try to muck it up a little bit, too. He’s going to get his looks, he’s just too good of a player.”

Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 20 of the Flyers’ 21 shots.

• Michkov is really starting to find his form.

The 20-year-old winger has recorded a goal in three straight games. He now has four on the season and nine points.

He just looks like that dynamic scorer from last season when he delivered 26 goals and 63 points as a rookie.

His skating is there, he’s holding onto the puck and he’s determined to shoot it.

More: How Flyers are ‘staying with it’ on Michkov’s learning process

• Tyson Foerster was activated off injured reserve and returned to the lineup after missing the last four games because of a blocked shot.

To make room on the roster, the Flyers loaned Carl Grundstrom back to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

The 23-year-old Foerster was back on his regular line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink.

• Next up for the Flyers is a back-to-back road set as the club visits the Blues on Friday (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP+) and Stars on Saturday (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

Flyers have late goal wiped away, suffer OT loss to two-time defending West champs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers had another tight, low-scoring game Wednesday night and couldn’t win it as they fell to the Oilers, 2-1, in overtime at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Jack Roslovic scored the winner for Edmonton on a 2-on-0 opportunity after Cam York had a turnover.

The Flyers dropped to 4-3-3 in games decided by one goal. It was the seventh time they’ve gone to OT.

“Every game, it seems like it’s tight,” Rick Tocchet said. “We’ve just got to learn, we have the puck in overtime, hold onto it. We want to make plays and that’s the learning process — playing through pressure.”

Travis Konecny scored what could have been a game-winning goal for the Flyers on a deflection with 23.5 seconds remaining in regulation. But league-initiated review determined that Owen Tippett was offside.

“I have to be more patient, I guess,” Tippett said, “but it happens.”

The Flyers (8-5-3), who came in with the NHL’s third-fewest shots per game at 24.8, had just six at the midway mark Wednesday night.

But Matvei Michkov provided a spark by burying a game-tying power play goal with 4:22 minutes left in the second period.

Despite the loss, Tocchet’s club extended its point streak to four games (2-0-2).

“We thought we had it won,” the Flyers’ head coach said. “We have some other things we’ve got to shore up, but there were some stretches where I liked our game.

“Everybody expected us to be in last place, so I’ve got to give these guys a lot of credit. I’m proud of them.”

The Oilers (8-6-4) went into the third period with a 25-11 shot advantage on the Flyers.

The Flyers face Edmonton again Jan. 3 when they visit the two-time defending Western Conference champs.

• Dan Vladar was excellent again, making 30 saves on 32 shots.

The 28-year-old has given up two or fewer goals in eight of his 10 starts.

He wasn’t too happy when Mattias Janmark ran into him with 5:35 minutes left in the third period. After some pushing and shoving, which included Vladar, the Flyers ended up on a power play, but failed to convert.

“It was just a hockey play, it happens,” Vladar said. “It’s going to happen again, I’m pretty sure, whether it’s me or someone else. Just emotions.”

The Oilers struck first with under a minute remaining in the opening stanza. Evan Bouchard blasted one off a nice feed from three-time MVP Connor McDavid, who finished with one point.

The Flyers have actually slowed down the superstar center in his visits to Philadelphia. They’re 6-2-1 at home against McDavid’s Oilers teams. In those nine matchups, they’ve held him to 10 points (three goals, seven assists).

But it has been a different story up at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, where McDavid has put up 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) on the Flyers over nine games. The Flyers are just 2-6-1 in those matchups.

“Having the puck helps, making him play defense, making them stop and start,” Tocchet said after morning skate. “I don’t care who it is, any team with great players, you want to make them stop and start, so you try to muck it up a little bit, too. He’s going to get his looks, he’s just too good of a player.”

Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 20 of the Flyers’ 21 shots.

• Michkov is really starting to find his form.

The 20-year-old winger has put a goal in three straight games. He now has four on the season and nine points.

He just looks like that dynamic scorer from last season when he delivered 26 goals and 63 points as a rookie.

His skating is there, he’s holding onto the puck and he’s determined to shoot it.

More: How Flyers are ‘staying with it’ on Michkov’s learning process

• Tyson Foerster was activated off injured reserve and returned to the lineup after missing the last four games because of a blocked shot.

To make room on the roster, the Flyers loaned Carl Grundstrom back to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

The 23-year-old Foerster was back on his regular line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink.

• Next up for the Flyers is a back-to-back road set as the club visits the Blues on Friday (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP+) and Stars on Saturday (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The 11-4-1 New Jersey Devils hit the road tonight to face the 8-5-3 Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.

This will be the first meeting of the season between the two teams. It marks the start of a five-game road trip for the Devils, while the Blackhawks begin a four-game homestand.

The Devils are coming off their first home loss of the season, a 3-2 overtime defeat to the New York Islanders on Monday. Their last road trip ended with a 1-3-0 record.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe reflected on that stretch when speaking with NHL.com:

“We didn’t like the way our last road trip went,” Keefe said. “It’s a five-game stand on the road. We have to play better on the road. It’s a good opportunity for us to get that right.”

The Blackhawks, meanwhile, enter the game riding a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating the Detroit Red Wings 5-1.

Former first-round draft pick Connor Bedard continues to impress. Bedard is on an eight-game point streak, collecting 11 points in his last five games. Bedard is tied for the team lead in goals (9) and leads Chicago with 25 points.

For comparison, Jack Hughes leads the Devils with 18 points this season, while Timo Meier has scored two goals in his last three games as he looks to extend his streak.

Ahead of the matchup, Keefe discussed the challenge of facing Bedard and the young Blackhawks roster.

“Lots of speed and skill,” Keefe said to NHL.com. “Bedard is playing on another level right now. We don’t need too many reminders—it wasn’t too long ago that we played San Jose and Anaheim, all these young guys taking significant leaps in their play. It’s a real challenge, but their defense has taken a step too. They have lots of confidence. It’s a challenge like every single game this season, and we’ll have to be ready.”

Injury Report

Devils:

• Dougie Hamilton (undisclosed)
• Connor Brown (undisclosed)
• Brett Pesce (upper body)
• Evgenii Dadonov (hand)
• Johnathan Kovacevic (knee)
• Marc McLaughlin (undisclosed)

Blackhawks:

• Frank Nazar (undisclosed, day-to-day)
• Jason Dickinson (shoulder, IR)
• Louis Weber (IR)

Ahead of the game, Keefe announced several line changes after limited offensive production in recent outings.

The top two lines were shuffled, with Dawson Mercer joining Jack Hughes and Arseny Gritsyuk, while Jesper Bratt moved alongside Nico Hischier and Timo Meier.

“It’s been too long now that both those lines haven’t really connected offensively,” Keefe said to NHL.com. “I think it’s time for a different look.”

Bratt said he was eager for the opportunity to play with new linemates.

“It boosts you up to get new linemates—even if they aren’t really new, just familiar faces,” Bratt said to NHL.com. “It’ll be good to help the team get a little spark.”

This is the first of two meetings between the Devils and Blackhawks this season. They’ll face off again on March 29.

Forward Dawson Mercer said the team is eager to make a statement on the road.

“We feel being a great road team would be a huge step for us,” Mercer said to NHL.com. “We’ve been amazing at home. After our last trip, we want to end on a more positive note. Right now, we have a great opportunity—five games here to really prove that and turn the switch.”

Puck drop is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET in the Windy City.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Former New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup champion Alexander Mogilny was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night.

Mogilny entered the Hall as part of the Class of 2025, alongside Jennifer Botterill, Zdeno Chara, Brianna Decker, Duncan Keith, and Joe Thornton.

Mogilny is credited as the first Soviet player to defect to the NHL. Mogilny helped pave the way for future generations of Russian stars.

Originally selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round (No. 89) of the 1988 NHL Draft, Mogilny made his NHL debut on October 5, 1989. After six seasons in Buffalo, he spent five years with the Vancouver Canucks before being traded to the Devils on March 14, 2000. A few months later, he lifted the Stanley Cup with New Jersey.

Mogilny followed that championship season by scoring 43 goals in 2000–01, though the Devils ultimately fell short in the Stanley Cup Final. On July 3, 2001, he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, ending his first stint in New Jersey.

A member of hockey’s exclusive Triple Gold Club, awarded to players who have won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and a World Championship, Mogilny returned to New Jersey for one final season in 2005–06. Despite battling hip issues, he still managed 12 goals in 34 games before retiring.

Over his 16-year NHL career, Mogilny recorded 1,032 points (473 goals, 559 assists) in 990 games, making him the fourth-highest-scoring Russian player in NHL history, behind only Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Sergei Fedorov.

Although Mogilny was not present at the induction ceremony, he shared a heartfelt pre-recorded message:

“Taking part in this exciting event with the other inductees, I am overwhelmed with gratitude—not just for this honor, but for the journey that got me here.

What an incredible journey it was. My greatest hope is that my story might inspire another kid from a small Russian town to dream big, just as I was inspired by legends.

This honor is not mine alone—it belongs to everyone who believed in me along the way.”

Mogilny’s legacy as both a New Jersey Devil and a trailblazer for many players is now forever cemented in hockey history, as the 56-year-old takes his rightful place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.