The 2021 NHL season has officially begun to take form, as the February schedule gets rolling. For this week’s Power Rankings, we identified the biggest disappointment so far for every team. How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1 to 31 — taking into account past results and offseason additions […]
Continue readingWell, look no further than the work that Joe Sakic has done as general manager. The former team captain who led the franchise to its two Stanley Cups in a Hall of Fame career has added expert builder to his robust resume of accomplishments. He might have the Avs’ records for games played, goals and […]
Continue readingWe last checked in with a rankings update in June, when the NHL was very much in limbo. Since then, we’ve had an extended playoffs, a draft, a long delay, and the start of a very different NHL season. Since then, we’ve revamped the default scoring to better reflect positional value and diverse skill sets […]
Continue readingMilan Hejduk was the last remaining member of the 2001 Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche to stay on the roster. But entering the 2012-13 season, Hejduk knew he would have a diminished role. He called teammate Gabriel Landeskog and told him to meet him and then-coach Joe Sacco for a meeting at the team facility when […]
Continue readingThe NHL dropped the puck on its abridged, 56-game season on Wednesday, and one thing became clear: The next 115 nights — which will cram in 863 games — are going to be doozies. Opening night brought us a little bit of everything: a banner raising without fans, a highly dramatic puck drop, a fight, […]
Continue readingThe puck drops on the 2020-21 NHL season this week, a season that will be unique in a great many ways: new divisions, a new playoff format, ads on helmets and much more. But we’re looking way ahead, answering the big questions: Who will win the Stanley Cup? Who are the favorites for all the […]
Continue readingIn this exercise, we identified the best contracts on every team, the ones with which the player provides the most production per dollar. We also identified the worst — you know, the ones that drive both fans and general managers up the wall. Note: This list does not include any entry-level contracts (as they are […]
Continue readingThe word that typically defines free agency in the NHL is “uncertainty.” Players with expiring contracts enter a marketplace unsure of what their next deals will look like or where they’ll next call home. But in the 2020 free-agent frenzy, that uncertainty has reached previously unseen levels for players and teams. There’s a flat salary […]
Continue readingThe Stanley Cup Final is in Edmonton, Alberta, and Oilers star Leon Draisaitl made history Monday night. Only it had more to do with his home country than his home arena. Draisaitl became the first German player to win the Hart Trophy as MVP after leading the league in scoring with 110 points in 71 […]
Continue readingSlashes, fights and goals galore. The Eastern Conference finals are just starting to heat up. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars can put everyone on watch tonight, with the opportunity to go up 3-1 on the favored Vegas Golden Knights. Check out ESPN NHL Playoffs Today every day of the postseason until the Stanley Cup is handed […]
Continue reading