1
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Capitals
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When the Capitals acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois and his entire contract last offseason, I wondered what exactly the plan was. It hasn’t taken long for me to look foolish. Dubois has been more than worth the gamble, tallying nine goals and 29 assists in 47 games. On top of that, his 56.2% expected goals share and plus-17 goal differential at five-on-five are some of the best marks on the team.
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6
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32-10-5
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2
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Oilers
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Last week, the Oilers had back-to-back games against the Wild and Avalanche. After falling behind in each of those contests, they were able to storm back for regulation wins. Connor McDavid, who has been red hot over the last month, led the charge in both. He notched a combined three goals and two assists as Edmonton managed to pull off impressive wins against quality opponents. Now, can he stay hot after serving his three-game suspension?
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—
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29-15-3
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3
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Hurricanes
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The two Jordans, Martinook and Staal, are one of the best defensive duos in the league at the forward position. With those two on the ice at five-on-five, the Canes have outscored opponents 23-14 and own 64.2% of the expected goals. Martinook and Stall have chipped in some offense of their own, but their defensive efforts have been a key element of Carolina’s success.
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6
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29-16-3
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4
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Maple Leafs
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A nagging shoulder injury has knocked Auston Matthews off track a couple times already this season, but he is starting to hit his groove with five goals in his last four games. Matthews is now scoring at an 82-game pace of 47 goals, which isn’t quite to the 69-goal heights he hit last season, but it’s very encouraging given the injury issues he’s faced to this point.
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7
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30-16-2
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5
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Stars
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Jason Robertson may have found his scoring touch, which is unfortunate news for the rest of the Western Conference. Robertson, a former 46-goal scorer, has five goals in his last six games. He’s now up to 15 goals on the season, and you had to figure his poor shooting luck wasn’t going to last all season. Now, one of the Stars’ biggest weapons is hitting his stride in the second half.
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4
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29-17-1
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6
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Avalanche
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The Avalanche have been a pretty pedestrian five-on-five team, which is not something that could be said about them in previous seasons. Colorado ranks 18th in the NHL with an expected goals share of 50.3%, and its minus-5 goal differential is tied for 21st. The Avs’ depth just has not fared well with both teams at full strength, and that could be their Achilles heel in the playoffs once again.
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3
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28-19-1
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7
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Jets
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Since joining the Jets last season, Gabriel Vilardi has become an excellent power play weapon by setting up camp right in front of the opposing goalie. In 105 games with Winnipeg, Vilardi has 19 goals, which is tied with Filip Forsberg and Alex DeBrincat for 19th in that span. That only gets more impressive when you realize everyone above Vilardi on that list has played at least 14 more games than him.
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1
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31-14-3
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8
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Canadiens
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What Patrik Laine is doing this season is nothing short of preposterous. In his 18 games this season, he has 10 power play goals, which is tied for fourth in the entire NHL. Again, this man has played in 18 games. Martin St. Louis has utilized Laine’s ability to sit in the left circle and fire seeds toward the net, in the same vein as Alex Ovechkin or Steven Stamkos. The Canadiens are one of the league’s best stories, and Laine’s renaissance is at the center of that.
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6
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24-19-4
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9
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Wild
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With Kirill Kaprizov out of the lineup, the Wild need other players to create some offense. Lately, that hasn’t happened often enough, especially in the case of Joel Eriksson Ek. Over his last six games, Eriksson Ek has registered just two assists. I know his specialty is defense, but Eriksson Ek has to take more of the offensive burden off Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi.
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1
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28-15-4
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10
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Lightning
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Nikita Kucherov is riding an 11-game point streak, and he has five goals and 11 assists in that span. On the season, Tampa has a plus-21 goal differential with Kucherov on the ice at five-on-five. It’s hard to find an area in which Kucherov isn’t flat out dominating opponents, and he is right in the middle of the Hart Trophy conversation yet again.
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3
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25-18-3
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11
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Panthers
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Going back to his first season with the Panthers, in 2020-21, Carter Verhaeghe has never had a problem scoring goals. That is, until now. Verhaeghe has 11 goals in 47 games, putting him on pace for his lowest raw total since he scored nine in 52 games as a rookie with the Lightning. Florida has had a hard time getting any traction of late, and it needs Verhaeghe to start heating up.
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1
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28-17-3
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12
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Kings
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The Kings have scored 16 goals in January, tied for last in the NHL over that span. I’ve highlighted Kevin Fiala’s offensive issues already, but he isn’t alone. Quinton Byfield hasn’t scored since Jan. 1, Anze Kopitar hasn’t scored since Dec. 29 and Phillip Danault hasn’t scored since Dec. 14. The goal light operator in Crypto.com Arena needs to stay loose because he hasn’t gotten much work lately.
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7
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25-14-5
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13
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Golden Knights
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The Golden Knights have hit their first real slump of the season, losing their last four and six of their last seven. While goaltending remains a question mark in Vegas, the offense has gone cold too. Ivan Barbashev hasn’t recorded a point since returning from injury on Jan. 11, and William Karlsson hasn’t found the scoresheet since Jan. 7.
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9
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29-14-4
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14
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Blue Jackets
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A lot of the attention in Columbus has been on Zach Werenski, and it’s easy to see why. He’s been spectacular, and there may be a Norris Trophy in his future. That said, don’t forget about Kirill Marchenko. He’s on pace for 87 points, and his five-on-five impacts are jaw-dropping. With Marchenko in the game, Columbus has a plus-29 goal differential and a 55.8% expected goals share.
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4
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22-18-7
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15
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Blues
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The Blues might be the perfect embodiment of mediocrity. They haven’t won more than two games in a row all season. Yet they remain a few standings points above .500 because they’ve also been able to avoid lengthy losing streaks. Right now, St. Louis is in the worst spot for a team to be. Not good enough to be a real playoff threat. Not bad enough to land a valuable draft pick.
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1
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23-21-4
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16
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Devils
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The Devils have won just two of their last 11 games, and their offense has been non-existent throughout this stretch. Jesper Bratt has just one goal in his last 15 games, and Timo Meier hasn’t scored a goal in 2025. If there’s any good news, it’s that the team’s underlying process hasn’t dipped over the last few weeks, so perhaps some favorable bounces are on the way.
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4
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26-17-6
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17
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Red Wings
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Is the “new coach bump” finally starting to wear off in Detroit? The formerly scorching Red Wings have now lost three straight, scoring just one goal in each game. The Wings’ heater was always a little suspicious to me, especially considering they did the same thing last year, and their offense seems to be leveling out a bit now.
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2
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21-21-5
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18
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Senators
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Ottawa is relying on Brady Tkachuk to be a key cog in its offensive machine. Lately, Tkachuk hasn’t been able to get anything going. Tkachuk hasn’t notched a point since Jan. 7, and the Senators are sputtering in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Tkachuk has been involved, putting 28 shots on net during this drought, but the Sens can’t wait much longer for him to heat up.
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1
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24-19-4
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19
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Flames
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A few weeks ago, I suggested Dustin Wolf might be a dark horse for the Calder Trophy. You can probably drop the dark horse and just consider him a serious candidate for the award. The rookie goaltender is fifth in the NHL with 12.4 goals saved above average, and his .917 save percentage ranks sixth. If not for him, Calgary would be sitting outside the playoffs.
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—
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22-16-7
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20
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Bruins
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I have some very good news for Bruins fans. David Pastrnak is cooking. Pastrnak has now recorded four straight multi-point games, totaling five goals and six assists in that stretch. It’s not fair, but Boston relies on Pastrnak for a large chunk of its offense, so the team goes as he goes. Luckily for the Bruins, Pastrnak has been rolling lately.
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—
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23-19-6
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21
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Flyers
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As someone who has torched the Flyers’ goaltending, I have to give some credit to Samuel Ersson. Since the New Year, Ersson has appeared in six games while posting a .936 save percentage and 2.02 goals saved above average. That’s a minute sample size, but it’s at least some sign of life between the pipes.
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4
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22-20-6
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22
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Rangers
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The Rangers have suddenly gotten back on track, and at least some of this apparent turnaround can be attributed to Igor Shesterkin. Following a brief absence due to injury, Shesterkin is 5-0-1 in his last six starts. Over that span, he has posted a .943 save percentage and just recorded his second consecutive shutout in a 5-0 win over the Senators on Tuesday night.
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6
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23-20-4
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23
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Islanders
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Mat Barzal is finally starting to find a rhythm with 11 points in his last nine games. The Islanders desperately needed Barzal to elevate his game, and he’s done that lately. The issue is that he doesn’t have enough help at the top of the lineup. That’s why the Isles remain stuck in neutral and sit in 15th place in the East.
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1
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19-20-7
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24
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Hockey Club
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Utah is hoping that Mikhail Sergachev can be a top-pairing defenseman for a long time. His first season with the team has been a little uneven. Sergachev’s 50.7% expected goals share and minus-1 goal differential at five-on-five speaks to that. On the whole, Sergachev has been fine, but Utah needs a little more than that out of him. Sergachev’s offense has come and gone, and it’s been more of the latter recently.
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2
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20-19-7
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25
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Canucks
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On Thursday, JT Miller was very visibly benched by Rick Tocchet in a 5-1 loss to the Kings. Two days later, rumors were swirling that Miler might be on his way to the Rangers. That trade didn’t materialize, and it seems like the Canucks need to make a decision one way or another. I find it hard to believe Vancouver could trade Miller and still improve this season, but it does seem like it has become an untenable situation. GM Patrick Allvin is in a tough spot.
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4
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20-16-10
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26
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Predators
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Filip Forsberg went from Nov. 27 to Jan. 6 without scoring a goal, but he has made up for lost time over the last couple of weeks. Forsberg is on a six-game goal streak with seven goals and five assists in that span. Given Forsberg’s surge, it shouldn’t be surprising to see that the Preds are on a four-game winning streak and playing competent hockey.
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3
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17-22-7
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27
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Kraken
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Brandon Tanev is reportedly on the trade block, and a change of scenery might do him some good. Tanev has struggled in Dan Bylsma’s first season behind the bench. The Kraken have a minus-12 goal differential and a 44.5% expected goals share with Tanev on the ice at five-on-five. Of course, that also means the potential return for Tanev might be slipping.
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3
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21-24-3
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28
|
Penguins
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Last week, Alex Nedeljkovis became the first goalie in NHL history to record a goal and an assist in the same game. He also became the first goalie ever to score in the ECHL, AHL and NHL. It was a fun moment, which the Penguins need because the team might have some tough decisions coming with the trade deadline on the horizon.
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1
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20-21-8
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29
|
Sabres
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Rasmus Dahlin is carrying this Buffalo blue line on his back. In addition to his 34 points, Dahlin is posting five-on-five impacts that are in a different stratosphere than the rest of the Sabres defensemen. Dahlin deserves more recognition for his performance because he is thriving in an awful environment.
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5
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18-24-5
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30
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Ducks
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It’s hard to believe how bad the Ducks are yet again. Their five-on-five expected goals share of 43.4% ranks 31st in the NHL, and they have exactly two players on pace to reach 20 goals. The excitement around this rebuild has really waned over the past couple of seasons due to a disappointing lack of progress.
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7
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18-23-6
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31
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Blackhawks
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The Blackhawks are apparently open to moving Seth Jones, but I’m not sure I’d want to be the team paying the price necessary to acquire him. Jones has five more years left on his contract at $9.5 million per season. Even with retained salary, that’s a big pill to swallow for a player who has floundered at five-on-five. Granted, Jones doesn’t have much help around him, but I wonder what the market looks like for the 30-year-old defenseman.
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1
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15-28-4
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32
|
Sharks
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The Sharks put on a tanking masterclass Tuesday. They jumped out to a 5-1 lead over the Predators with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and William Eklund all contributing. Then, San Jose proceeded to blow that lead in a 7-5 loss, thereby protecting the team’s chances of winning the draft lottery again.
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1
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14-30-6
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