NHL Central Division Ryan O'Reilly Nathan Mackinnon Tyler Seguin

Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Prospects Report: Lardis, Misiak, Pridham & More
|

Welcome to the latest installment of the revived “Future Hawks” prospect series. In this column, we take a look at the Chicago Blackhawks prospects who are standing out and enjoying success, whether they’re playing in Canadian juniors, the American Hockey League (AHL), Europe, Russia, or anywhere around the world. This edition will focus on prospects playing at the NCAA and junior levels. Many of these prospects had excellent starts to their seasons, and a couple are near the top of their league in scoring. Also, Oliver Moore and AJ Spellacy are the two Blackhawk prospects invited to Team USA’s camp in preparation…

Blackhawks Increasing Kurashev’s Ice Time Can Help Spark Offense
|

Philipp Kurashev is talented. He wouldn’t have scored 18 goals and 36 assists last season without skill—especially on a Chicago Blackhawks team that could not score a goal even if the other team’s goalie left the net like Goldberg in The Mighty Ducks. Heading into this season, everyone expected him to pick up where he left off. The added forward depth should have only bolstered his — and the entire Blackhawks’ — offensive production. But, like much of the team’s season, that has not unfolded according to plan. Kurashev’s five points and minus-17 rating have caused head coach Luke Richardson…

3 Takeaways From Blackhawks’ 4-1 Loss to Maple Leafs
|

It was another difficult loss for the Chicago Blackhawks, this time at the hands of a fellow Original Six franchise in the Toronto Maple Leafs, losing 4-1 and dropping to 8-15-2 on the season. The Blackhawks are still in last place in the entire NHL and losers of seven of their last nine games, dating back to their Nov. 14, 3-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Here are three takeaways from the Blackhawks’ Dec. 2 matchup against the Maple Leafs. Blackhawks Outplayed Maple Leafs in 2nd Period Down 1-0 going into the second frame, thanks to an Auston Matthews goal…

Colorado Avalanche

3 Takeaways From Avalanche’s 5-4 Win Over the Sabres
|

Coming off a pair of losses to the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers, the Colorado Avalanche came into Tuesday night’s tilt with the Buffalo Sabres looking to get back on track. With three losses in their last four, the Avalanche are losing ground in a tough Central Division. The game started in the ugliest way possible, underscoring the largest issue facing the Avalanche. That said, a lot can happen in 60 minutes. The Avalanche stormed back, stealing the game and a crucial two points from the Sabres with a come-from-behind 5-4 victory. Let’s get into the takeaways. The Ultimate Resolve…

Projected Lineups for the Avalanche vs Sabres – 12/3/24
|

The Colorado Avalanche take on the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. AVALANCHE (13-12-0) at SABRES (11-11-2) 7 p.m. ET; KTVD, MSG-B, ALT Avalanche projected lineup Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko RantanenNikolai Kovalenko — Casey Mittelstadt — Valeri NichushkinJoel Kiviranta — Ivan Ivan — Logan O’ConnorNikita Prishchepov — Parker Kelly — Chris Wagner Devon Toews — Cale MakarSamuel Girard — Sam MalinskiCalvin de Haan — John Ludvig Alexandar GeorgievScott Wedgewood Scratched: Keaton Middleton Injured: Josh Manson (upper body), Jonathan Drouin (upper body), Ross Colton (broken foot), Oliver Kylington (undisclosed), Gabriel…

Colorado Avalanche’s 3 Stars for November 2024
|

As the calendar flips to December, the Colorado Avalanche dropped their last two games against the Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars and finished the last week of November 1-3-0. They sit fourth in the Central Division and are 13-12-0 (26 points) 25 games into the 2024-25 season. The Avalanche are 10 points from the division-leading Winnipeg Jets (36). Who stood out as the team prepares to enter the third and final month of 2024? In the second edition of the “Three Stars of the Month” series at The Hockey Writers, let’s take a closer look at the three Avalanche…

Dallas Stars

Stars’ Tyler Seguin Undergoes Groin Surgery; Expected to Miss 4-6 Months
|

After being placed on the injured reserve (IR) on Monday, Dec. 2, and missing several games this season due to a lower-body injury, Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin will undergo surgery on Thursday and is expected to miss four to six months. According to Stars general manager, Jim Nill, the surgery is to repair a left side FAI (femoral acetabular impingement) and the left side hip labrum. Stars General Manager Jim Nill provides an update on Tyler Seguin: pic.twitter.com/IpVtTwy9Km — Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) December 4, 2024 This is a huge blow to both Tyler Seguin and the Stars, as the…

3 Takeaways From Utah’s 2-1 Loss to the Stars
|

One goal was all that the Utah Hockey Club needed to tie their game against the Dallas Stars on Monday night. However, a bad second period sent Utah trying to dig themselves out of a hole they put themselves in and they eventually lost 2-1. Here are some takeaways from Monday night’s game. Nick Schmaltz Scores Again Up until Utah’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Nick Schmaltz hadn’t scored a single goal. It was only a matter of time until the forward would find his scoring touch. After all, he has scored 20-plus goals in his past three seasons….

Stars Defeat Utah HC 2-1
|

The Utah Hockey Club and Dallas Stars played the first game of their four-game season series on Monday night at the Delta Center. Utah came into this one looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 12, whereas the Stars were looking to extend their win streak to three games after beating the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night. At the end of the night, Utah dominated most of the play. However, this is not a game where Money Puck’s ‘Deserve To Win O’Meter‘ did not align with the final score, as the Stars came out with a…

Minnesota Wild

Wild’s Kaprizov Hero in 3-2 OT Win Over Canucks
|

The Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks had their first of three meetings on Tuesday evening, Dec. 3 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wild announced earlier that day that they placed Jakub Lauko and Jonas Brodin on injured reserve while Mats Zuccarello went on retroactive long-term injured reserve. They also made the decision to recall Liam Öhgren and Jesper Wallstedt, but neither was on the roster against the Canucks, and neither was new addition David Jiříček. Related: David Jiříček Brings Size & Youth to Wild Defensive Core The Canucks posted on social media before the game that…

Projected Lineups for the Canucks vs Wild – 12/3/24
|

The Vancouver Canucks take on the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. CANUCKS (13-7-3) at WILD (16-4-4) 8 p.m. ET; FDSNWIX, FDSNNO, SNP Canucks projected lineup Jake DeBrusk — Elias Pettersson — Brock BoeserDakota Joshua — Pius Suter — Conor GarlandNils Hoglander — Teddy Blueger — Kiefer SherwoodMax Sasson — Aatu Raty — Danton Heinen Quinn Hughes — Tyler MyersErik Brannstrom — Vincent DesharnaisCarson Soucy — Noah Juulsen Kevin LankinenArturs Silovs Scratched: Mark Friedman Injured: Derek Forbort (knee), Filip Hronek (upper body) Status report Latest for THW: Wild projected…

David Jiříček Brings Size & Youth to Wild Defensive Core
|

After hearing the name David Jiříček in trade rumors for a couple of weeks, the deal was finally made, and he found himself with the Minnesota Wild. In exchange, the Columbus Blue Jackets received Daemon Hunt and four draft picks, including a first round in the NHL 2025 Draft, with the top five protected. Wild general manager Bill Guerin made it clear he was willing to do what was necessary to get Jiříček, and he’s happy about it.  The Wild welcomed Jiříček to Minnesota on Monday afternoon in a social media post that showed the Wild’s staff giving him a…

Nashville Predators

Wild’s Spurgeon Hero Again in OT Win Over the Predators
|

The Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators met on Saturday evening, Nov. 30, to officially end the month. The Wild’s lineup remained the same as their previous afternoon match-up against the Chicago Blackhawks, except Filip Gustavsson took over in net.  Both teams also made trades before game time, with the Predators sending goaltender Scott Wedgewood to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for goaltender Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Wild traded defenseman Daemon Hunt, a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft with the top five protected, a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft,…

Projected Lineups for Predators vs Wild – 11/30/24
|

The Nashville Predators take on the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. PREDATORS (7-12-5) at WILD (15-4-4) 8 p.m. ET; FDSNWIX, FDSNNO, FDSNSO Predators projected lineup Filip Forsberg — Ryan O’Reilly — Gustav NyquistSteven Stamkos — Tommy Novak — Jonathan MarchessaultMark Jankowski — Fedor Svechkov — Luke EvangelistaZachary L’Heureux — Colton Sissons — Cole Smith Roman Josi – Alexandre CarrierBrady Skjei — Nick BlankenburgAdam Wilsby — Luke Schenn Juuse SarosJustus Annunen Scratched: Juuso Parssinen, Marc Del Gaizo Injured: Michael McCarron (upper body), Jeremy Lauzon (lower body) Status report More…

Checking in on Former Lightning Players With New Teams
|

This past offseason, several Tampa Bay Lightning players, including one who has been with the organization for a while, departed ways with the team. In addition to longtime Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, other former Lightning players skating on new teams include Tanner Jeannot, Mikhail Sergachev, and Zach Bogosian. With the first quarter of the 2024-25 season just past, it’s a good time to check around the league and see how these former Lightning are doing in their new organizations. Steven Stamkos Easily the biggest news of the offseason for the Lightning was the decision to sign Jake Guenzel and allow…

St. Louis Blues

Flames Were Interested in Holloway & Broberg Offer Sheets, Insider Claims
|

The Edmonton Oilers were surprised this past offseason when the St. Louis Blues tendered offer sheets to young forwards Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. They decided not to match the offers made by the Blues and took the draft compensation instead, which was a 2025 second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick for both players. The Oilers have now moved on from losing them and did their best to replace them when they traded for Ty Emberson from the San Jose Sharks and Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks. However, recent reports indicate another team may have had an interest…

Projected Lineups for the Blues vs Jets – 12/3/24
|

The St. Louis Blues take on the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. BLUES (11-12-2) at JETS (18-7-0) 8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FDSNMW Blues projected lineup Brandon Saad — Robert Thomas — Jake NeighboursDylan Holloway — Brayden Schenn — Jordan KyrouZack Bolduc — Oskar Sundqvist — Mathieu JosephAlexey Toropchenko — Radek Faksa — Nathan Walker Philip Broberg — Colton ParaykoRyan Suter — Justin FaulkPierre-Olivier Joseph — Matthew Kessel Joel HoferJordan Binnington Scratched: Alexandre Texier Injured: Pavel Buchnevich (lower body), Nick Leddy (lower body), Scott Perunovich (illness) Status report More from THW:…

Blues’ Jim Montgomery Needs to Focus on Chemistry With Forward Lines
|

The St. Louis Blues, after an eventful offseason, sent shockwaves through the hockey world again with a surprising midseason coaching change, parting ways with head coach Drew Bannister and bringing in Jim Montgomery. General manager Doug Armstrong framed the decision as being driven more by Montgomery’s availability than gripes with Bannister. However, it is evident the change would not have occurred had Bannister’s performance been significantly better. One key factor in the Blues’ early struggles under Bannister was the constant reshuffling of lines. While injuries to key top-six players like Robert Thomas and Brandon Saad initially prevented chemistry, the inconsistency…

Utah Hockey Club

3 Takeaways From Utah’s 2-1 Loss to the Stars

One goal was all that the Utah Hockey Club needed to tie their game against the Dallas Stars on Monday night. However, a bad second period sent Utah trying to dig themselves out of a hole they put themselves in and they eventually lost 2-1. Here are some takeaways from Monday night’s game. Nick Schmaltz Scores Again Up until Utah’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Nick Schmaltz hadn’t scored a single goal. It was only a matter of time until the forward would find his scoring touch. After all, he has scored 20-plus goals in his past three seasons….

Stars Defeat Utah HC 2-1

The Utah Hockey Club and Dallas Stars played the first game of their four-game season series on Monday night at the Delta Center. Utah came into this one looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 12, whereas the Stars were looking to extend their win streak to three games after beating the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night. At the end of the night, Utah dominated most of the play. However, this is not a game where Money Puck’s ‘Deserve To Win O’Meter‘ did not align with the final score, as the Stars came out with a…

Projected Lineups for the Stars vs Utah HC – 12/02/24

The Dallas Stars take on the Utah Hockey Club at the Delta Center tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. STARS (15-8-0) at UTAH (10-10-4) 9 p.m. ET; Utah16, Victory+ Stars projected lineup Jason Robertson — Roope Hintz — Wyatt JohnstonMason Marchment — Matt Duchene — Evgenii DadonovJamie Benn — Sam Steel — Logan StankovenOskar Back — Mavrik Bourque — Colin Blackwell Miro Heiskanen — Ilya LyubushkinThomas Harley — Matthew DumbaNils Lundkvist — Esa Lindell Casey DeSmithJake Oettinger Scratched: Brendan Smith, Justin Hryckowian Injured: Tyler Seguin (undisclosed) Status report Latest for THW: Utah projected lineup Clayton Keller…

Winnipeg Jets

3 Takeaways From the Jets’ Loss to the Blues
|

The Winnipeg Jets lost their fourth game in a row last night, this time to the St. Louis Blues. With the loss, they’ve officially slid out of the top spot in the league. The team faces its first real losing streak following their 4-1 loss. While the game is another notch in the loss column, there were lots of things, both good and bad, for the Jets to learn from. Brad Lambert Had Chemistry with Cole Perfetti The Jets recalled Brad Lambert for his second career NHL game, and he looked great on the ice. He and Cole Perfetti generated…

Projected Lineups for the Blues vs Jets – 12/3/24
|

The St. Louis Blues take on the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. BLUES (11-12-2) at JETS (18-7-0) 8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FDSNMW Blues projected lineup Brandon Saad — Robert Thomas — Jake NeighboursDylan Holloway — Brayden Schenn — Jordan KyrouZack Bolduc — Oskar Sundqvist — Mathieu JosephAlexey Toropchenko — Radek Faksa — Nathan Walker Philip Broberg — Colton ParaykoRyan Suter — Justin FaulkPierre-Olivier Joseph — Matthew Kessel Joel HoferJordan Binnington Scratched: Alexandre Texier Injured: Pavel Buchnevich (lower body), Nick Leddy (lower body), Scott Perunovich (illness) Status report More from THW:…

Jets’ Ehlers Out At Least a Week Due to Lower-Body Injury
|

Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers will be out an estimated one week to 10 days with a lower-body injury. Ehlers, who the Jets placed on injured reserve Tuesday, suffered the injury in the second period against the Golden Knights on Nov. 29 while attempting to check Pavel Dorofeyev. #NHLJets Scott Arniel says Nikolaj Ehlers is estimated to be out a week to 10 days. He’s hopeful that Ehlers can come back quicker, but they’ll take it day by day. — Mitchell Clinton (@MitchellClinton) December 3, 2024 Losing the dynamic Dane is something the Jets are used to — he has…