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NHL season preview: Power Rankings, X factors, predictions
More Teams. More Games. With NHL opening night on the horizon, take a look back at some of the best moments from last season. (0:58) After a wild offseason that included multiple superstars joining or leaving the Calgary Flames, opening night of the 2022-23 NHL season is fast approaching. ESPN will be your home for […]
Continue reading2022 NHL free agency: Which players are left, and where are they going?
General managers are heading back to their offices and starting to work the phones again with agents. At least one team is assembling its coaching staff this week to begin prep for training camp, which begins around Sept. 21. This is good news for the players that remain on the open market with contracts, hoping […]
Continue readingNHL teams with holes remaining after the first wave of free agency
Well, some teams are. Others have been weirdly silent, unwilling to make moves to clear cap space, or simply aren’t doing much when more is required. There are also teams that fall in the middle, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs. They’ve made trades and signed players, but are they truly better off? The Leafs […]
Continue reading2022 NHL free agency: Winners and losers of Day 1, plus the best remaining players
The opening hours of NHL free agency did not bring us an answer as to where Nazem Kadri and John Klingberg would be skating in 2022-23, but there was no shortage of money being doled out elsewhere. Plus, we were treated to some blockbuster trades, as the Carolina Hurricanes added Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty […]
Continue reading2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Jacob Trouba doesn’t think about being the villain
NEW YORK — Jacob Trouba doesn’t spend time thinking about his perceived villainy. Many NHL fans do, as they watch the New York Rangers defenseman pulverize opponents with his signature open-ice checks, sometimes with injurious results. They call for penalties that aren’t whistled. They call for suspensions that aren’t handed out. They boo him when […]
Continue readingNew York Rangers seize Game 1 of Eastern Conference finals from ‘rusty’ Tampa Bay Lightning
NEW YORK — The New York Rangers entered Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals with their adrenaline still pumping from Monday’s Game 7 win at the Carolina Hurricanes. The Tampa Bay Lightning, in contrast, hit the ice for the first time since completing a sweep of the Florida Panthers way back on May 23. […]
Continue reading2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Answering the biggest questions heading into conference finals round
Of course, the first two rounds have been fantastic as well. Some of the game’s biggest stars have shined brightest, some pending free agents have made themselves some money, and new postseason heroes have been revealed. As the penultimate round of the tournament gets rolling, we’re answering the biggest lingering questions out there — and […]
Continue readingStanley Cup playoffs 2022: New York Rangers relish ‘added nastiness’ against Hurricanes
Reaves was on the ice at the final buzzer when Carolina forward Max Domi gave Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren a cross-check in New York’s zone, leading to the two wrestling to the ice. Meanwhile, Hurricanes defenseman Tony DeAngelo was trading words with the Rangers’ bench, causing an irate coach Gerard Gallant to snap back. “You […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings: Teams resting stars? Here’s who will get those starts
The Colorado Avalanche have a healthy 13-point lead on their current status as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Is that reason enough to consider Nazem Kadri’s upper-body injury a season-ending one? Perhaps he comes back to get his legs for a couple of games before the postseason, but perhaps the Avs hold […]
Continue readingNHL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus way-too-early trade deadline appraisals
With more than a week since the 2021-22 NHL trade deadline, it’s given us a small taste of all the traded players suiting up for their new teams — for better or worse. For this week’s Power Rankings, we’ve added notes on how the players acquired this trade season have performed in this way-too-early timeframe. […]
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