NHL Pacific Division Brock Boeser Connor McDavid Anze Kopitar

Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim Ducks 2023 Offseason Overview
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It was another offseason of change for the Anaheim Ducks, as the organization tries to usher in a new era of success following five straight seasons of missing the playoffs. It’s unlikely the Ducks jump back into wild-card contention in 2023-24, but the team will be looking for more from their youthful core of Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Troy Terry, and Jamie Drysdale, who will soon be bolstered by a very talented prospect pool. Fitting all those pieces into a cohesive and competitive roster will be Anaheim’s main objective this season, which was a major part of the organization’s offseason blueprint….

Ducks Free Agency Success: Adam Oates
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Anaheim Ducks fans will always remember 2003 – the year of the organization’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance. Whether you were just happy the team exceeded expectations, or heartbroken that they fell in seven games to the New Jersey Devils, it was a story worth remembering for many reasons. One of those reasons was Adam Oates, the Hall-of-Famer who joined Paul Kariya in Anaheim as a free agent in the summer of 2002, and the role he played on the road to Game 7. He may have been a one-hit wonder with the Mighty Ducks, but he was a crucial…

Anaheim Ducks: Counting Down the 30 Greatest Moments (15-11)
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With the Anaheim Ducks celebrating their 30th anniversary this season, now is the perfect time to look back. In the last 30 years, the Ducks have made history — from the Disney days to winning the first Stanley Cup in California and the decade of contention that followed – and there is no shortage of moments that have amazed fans and propelled the franchise to new heights. This is the fourth installment of the countdown. Previous entries can be found here: 15. Nick Ritchie Breaks the Game 7 Curse After breaking through and winning the Stanley Cup in 2007, the Ducks continued…

Arizona Coyotes

The Math Behind the Coyotes’ Preseason Tour
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Did you know the Arizona Coyotes haven’t played a preseason game at home in two years, or, at least, a game in or around Phoenix, Arizona? The team has had maybe the worst preseason schedule since moving to Tempe during the construction of Mullett Arena last season and the busy schedule at the arena this season. With that, the Coyotes will be all over North America, so I thought it would be fun to compare the Coyotes’ preseason schedule to other teams around the league. The Coyotes’ Schedule The Coyotes’ worldwide tour will be split-squad to begin the preseason (and…

NHL Rumors: Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs, Coyotes, Bruins, Blues
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In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Mike Babock may have already stepped into trouble as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. A story of questionable conduct has already surfaced there, but, as of yet, there is nothing official from the team on the matter. Meanwhile, Clayton Keller shoots down rumors he demanded a trade or has any knowledge of him being discussed in a deal to Toronto. The Boston Bruins might have their sights set on a Tampa Bay veteran, and the St. Louis Blues might have just lost Torey Krug for part of the season. Mike Babcock Already in…

Coyotes’ Keller Laughs Off Trade Request, Maple Leafs Rumors
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Trade rumors are an ever-present facet of the sports world and at this time of the year, the NHL is no exception. When star players are mentioned in these speculations, it often ignites a flurry of discussions among fans, analysts, and even the players themselves. Most rumors tend to be wildly inaccurate, but there can be enough chatter that the players in question are actually asked about it. One such rumor involving Arizona Coyotes’ standout Clayton Keller recently captured the attention of an Arizona-based podcast. Asking in a jovial way and likely knowing the answer they were going to get,…

Calgary Flames

ESPN Does Several Flames Dirty in 2023-24 Stat Predictions
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Recently, ESPN took on the daunting task of predicting each and every NHL player’s stat line for the 2023-24 season. What makes this so daunting is that many detractors will come out and criticize the list, making it a thankless job. Related: Flames’ Huska an Early Favourite for the Jack Adams Award While they certainly deserve kudos for putting such a list together, there were so many head-scratchers that you almost can’t help but critique it. There were several odd choices, but they really missed the mark on the Calgary Flames. The Flames struggled in 2022-23, with several players having…

NHL Rumors: Canucks, Flames, Blues, Maple Leafs, Atlanta
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In today’s NHL rumors, with Tyler Myers set to receive his signing bonus on September 15th, is it more likely he will be traded in the next few days? Meanwhile, has Noah Hanifin changed his mind about sticking with the Calgary Flames? Is Elias Lindholm ready to sign a long-term deal? is there anything to the rumors linking the Blues and Maple Leafs in a trade? Finally, could the NHL be looking at going back to Atlanta? Is A Tyler Myers Trade Finally Coming? Blake Price raised an interesting point during an interview with John Shannon on the Sekeres and…

NHL Rumors: Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, Flames, Canadiens
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In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there are a lot more details coming to light about the alleged inappropriate request by Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock to go through his player’s phones. The story isn’t as black and white as it was first relayed to be. In Chicago, reports are surfacing that Seth Jones has made it known he’d like to be the team’s next captain. Mikael Backlund spoke to the media upon his arrival to Calgary and noted his position hasn’t changed. Finally, Carey Price confirmed he won’t be returning to the NHL this season and commented on…

Edmonton Oilers

Oilers: Erne Has Good Chance To Earn Contract On PTO
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The Edmonton Oilers have added their third player on a professional tryout (PTO) deal for the 2023-24 training camp and its forward Adam Erne. He becomes the third forward the team has invited on a PTO, along with long-time Oiler Sam Gagner and former Vancouver Canuck Brandon Sutter. The roster is very tight on the Oilers, and it’s going to be very tough for any of the players on a PTO to earn a spot over certain players. Players such as Lane Pederson, Raphael Lavoie or Drake Caggiula are all under full contracts with the Oilers already, and with the…

4 Bold Player Predictions for Oilers During the 2023-24 Season
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As the 2023-24 NHL season approaches for the Edmonton Oilers, the same roster is at camp, with a handful of PTO players and Connor Brown joining them. This team knows what it is and what it’s capable of. Now it’s simply of matter of executing and having each member of the roster pull their individual weight and come together as a team. In a two-part bold prediction series, the first part will look at four individual performances. These will be players I’ll either be watching to have big seasons or could be players I believe may be on the hot…

10 Biggest Oilers Draft Busts Since 2000
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The Edmonton Oilers struggles at the draft table have been well documented over the years. Poor drafting and developing has been a critical factor in why the Oilers have made the playoffs just four times since the 2000-01 season. Edmonton even went through a recent string where they had four first overall picks in six years. They added Taylor Hall (2010), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Nail Yakupov (2012), and Connor McDavid (2015) Still — that did not affect the team’s overall outcome because they weren’t finding NHL caliber talent outside the first round. You can have stars, but you need to…

Los Angeles Kings

6 NHL Teams That Got Worse During 2023 Offseason
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More than a few teams improved this offseason, but what about the other end of things? Who got worse? After looking at improved teams from this offseason, let’s look at others, in no particular order, that may not have fared as well when trying to bolster their rosters for the 2023-24 season.  Boston Bruins Notable offseason moves: Key departures: The Bruins had plenty of turnover this offseason, partly due to cap reasons and partly because of some core players retiring. After two great careers, David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron announced their retirements. Bergeron was a perennial Selke candidate, while Krejci…

Los Angeles Kings: The Foundation of Royalty
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In March of 1965, NHL President Clarence Campbell began a formal process to expand the National Hockey League from six teams to an even dozen. The maneuver would see franchises placed in both the midwest and the west coast, in addition to the league’s already established “Original Six”. Numerous cities sought to be a landing spot for one of the six new teams, including places that were initially passed over by the NHL such as Cleveland, Buffalo, Vancouver, Louisville and Baltimore. Some of these same cities would eventually house NHL franchises of their own as the league continued to experience…

Today in Hockey History: Sept. 6
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Sept. 6 has been a pretty big date for the NHL in the state of California. Also, the legendary Summit Series continued in Winnipeg, and a pair of Hockey Hall of Famers were traded. So, let’s take our daily trip back in time to relive all the memories this date has given us over the years. Game 3 Ends in a Draw The infamous Summit Series continued on Sept. 6, 1972, with Winnipeg hosting the third series of the game. The Soviet Union won the first game of the series, 11-3, in Montreal before Team Canada evened things up with…

San Jose Sharks

Sharks Have Few Options to Remedy Their Goaltending Issues
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The San Jose Sharks have been known for a lot of things over the past few decades. They have occasionally been called one of the best cores to never win the Stanley Cup, and they have housed many legendary players throughout their existence. However, one thing they haven’t been known for is their goaltending stability. Since Evgeni Nabokov‘s final season with the Sharks in 2009-10, they have seriously struggled to find a full-time netminder. While many years have passed since Nabokov, the current Sharks’ goaltending coach, retired, this issue is still a very present one in the current year. Related:…

Grading the Sharks’ 5 Biggest Offseason Moves
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The NHL offseason can feel like a chaotic rush. Teams are constantly making signings and trades, deciding where to send key prospects, and getting their rosters into focus for the upcoming season. Even a team that did not make tons of moves, such as the San Jose Sharks, can be difficult to analyze. The 2023-24 lineup looks very different from last season’s, and individual transactions can disappear from view as a result. But now that the offseason is winding down, and San Jose seems to be done making moves, we can all take a breath and break them down one…

Today in Hockey History: Sept. 13
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Sept. 13 has been a huge date on the international stage as Canada, and the Soviet Union battled each other numerous times. Some of the biggest names in NHL history had the honor of playing for their country on this date. Also, an impressive Hall of Fame class was inducted and a superstar blueliner was traded across the continent. So, let’s begin our daily trip back in time to revisit all the great memories. Canada/USSR Rivalry Renewed A Soviet Blowout There have been three big Canada Cup games played between Canada and the Soviet Union on this date over the…

Vancouver Canucks

NHL Rumors: Canucks, Flames, Blues, Maple Leafs, Atlanta
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In today’s NHL rumors, with Tyler Myers set to receive his signing bonus on September 15th, is it more likely he will be traded in the next few days? Meanwhile, has Noah Hanifin changed his mind about sticking with the Calgary Flames? Is Elias Lindholm ready to sign a long-term deal? is there anything to the rumors linking the Blues and Maple Leafs in a trade? Finally, could the NHL be looking at going back to Atlanta? Is A Tyler Myers Trade Finally Coming? Blake Price raised an interesting point during an interview with John Shannon on the Sekeres and…

Today in Hockey History: Sept. 14
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Sept. 14 has been a big date for international hockey as the United States pulled off a huge upset and Canada got redemption. In the NHL, a pair of Hall of Fame twins made their debut, a playoff hero in Motown called it a career, and a team advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in two decades. It is time for our daily journey through the years to relive all the best moments this date has to offer. World Cup Takes Center Stage United States Pulls Off Upset In 1996, the World Cup of Hockey was…

Canucks’ Captain Quinn Hughes: Young, Humble & Smart
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Earlier this week, Quinn Hughes was named the captain of the Vancouver Canucks. In this role, he’ll become the 15th captain in the team’s history and the third defenseman to hold the title. He takes over the position from Bo Horvat, who was traded to the New York Islanders. Related: Jonathan Toews: Beyond the Glory Hughes is young, only 23 years old. However, from what I’ve seen, he looks both ready to lead the team and willing to learn what he doesn’t yet know on the job. In his interview announcing the captaincy, he shared that he was deeply honored…

Vegas Golden Knights

5 Must-Watch Golden Knights Games in 2023-24
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The Vegas Golden Knights’ 2023-24 title defense is going to be filled with memorable matchups. Following a relatively uneventful offseason, the roster remains almost identical to the one that hoisted the Stanley Cup. Can these Golden Knights replicate last season’s success? With the NHL season just under a month away, here’s a look at some of the highlights from the Golden Knights’ upcoming regular-season schedule. Tuesday, Oct. 10 vs. Seattle Kraken: Golden Knights Raise Stanley Cup Banner If there is a must-watch game this season, it’s the season opener. The Golden Knights will kick off the 2023-24 campaign at home…

Golden Knights’ Contracts vs. the NHL
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About 18 months ago, I ranked the Vegas Golden Knights by contract value. Since that time, plenty has changed, most notably last season’s Stanley Cup triumph. The effect of the Cup is an interesting one when it comes to contract value, making just about every contract seem largely justifiable but also complicating proper evaluations of their worth. For years now, the Golden Knights have boasted one of the league’s most-discussed cap sheets, carrying a large number of long-term mega-deals that have kept them up against the cap ceiling. Much to the chagrin of many hockey fans, this has prompted the…

Today in Hockey History: Sept. 9
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This date in hockey history saw some big moments in the NHL and on the international stage. Sept. 9 has been full of Hall of Fame players with induction ceremonies, trades, and retirements. So, let’s begin our daily trip back in time to relive all the best moments this date has to offer. Super Mario Enters the Hall of Fame Sept. 9 has been an active date in the history of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1960, they announced their new induction class of six members. Georges Boucher, Sylvio Mantha, and Jack Walker were voted in as players. Charles…