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NHL free agency 2020 preview: Team needs, trade targets, cap space, key dates
The 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 readingBlackhawks stun Oilers in four games to advance to playoffs
No. 12-seeded Chicago eliminated the No. 5-seeded Oilers with a 3-2 victory in Game 4 of their five-game series, played in an empty arena in the NHL’s Edmonton “hub.” The Blackhawks would not have been in the postseason were it not for the NHL’s decision to expand the postseason field to 24 teams, after pausing […]
Continue readingNHL Playoffs Daily 2020: Eliminations already?
The New York Rangers face elimination on Tuesday, and others could be in the same spot after today’s slate of games. Keep this in mind: Teams with a 2-0 lead are 55-1 (98.2 percent) in winning a best-of-five series, which the league had held most recently from 1980 to ’86. The Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, […]
Continue reading2020 NHL postseason preview: Qualification-round matchups, series picks
Unlike the traditional playoff format, the league is running a 24-team tournament, with 12 teams from each conference playing in fan-less arenas in Toronto (for the East) and Edmonton, Alberta (for the West). The top four teams in each conference are in the round of 16, and seeds 5 through 12 will square off to […]
Continue readingWinners and losers of the NHL’s new CBA
Remember salad bars? Nobody likes everything at the salad bar. Grape tomatoes, for example. Little marbles of acidic goo that I wouldn’t even consider for aesthetic adornment. Unless you’re in Vegas, there’s a finite number of bins and tubs at the salad bar. That those grape tomatoes take up valuable real estate that could otherwise […]
Continue reading2020 NHL playoffs guide: Stanley Cup chances, biggest roster questions, bold predictions for all 24 teams
The NHL is set to return from its monthslong pause because of the coronavirus pandemic. The postseason will be played out with a 24-team format, with 12 teams from the Eastern Conference skating in Toronto and their Western Conference counterparts heading to Edmonton, Alberta. Some have said this format could be the greatest NHL playoffs […]
Continue readingAlexis Lafreniere NHL draft sweepstakes: Best fits, biggest eye-roll landing spots of 16 potential teams
It wasn’t just that the lowly Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators lost out on the No. 1 pick. Everyone must cope with the fact that “Team E” — a squad that plays in the NHL’s 24-team postseason — gets the chance to draft No. 1 prospect Alexis Lafreniere. The eight losers in the qualifying […]
Continue readingNHL viewers club: An Oilers-Blackhawks postseason preview?
The Blackhawks entered this game clinging on to the playoff bubble. They were in the second of a five-game Western Canadian swing, and desperately in need of points. The Oilers were in decent shape with a dynamite offense, but would have to play this game without Connor McDavid. Why? Don’t worry, you’ll hear plenty about […]
Continue readingThe best lines of the past 30 years for all 31 NHL teams: Top overall, cult classic and current
It’s created by a coach attempting to mesh three players together into a cohesive unit; it’ll stick around for anywhere from a few periods to a few games; and then it’s either broken up, with the spare parts added to different lines, or it passes the chemistry test, living on for months or perhaps for […]
Continue readingThe cases for, against every top NHL MVP candidate
In the eyes of many, you need to be on a good team. But the team can’t be too good, or you risk being docked points for receiving too much help. Nikita Kucherov bucked that trend with his preposterous 128-point 2018-19 season, but it certainly played a role in the 2017-18 race, when Taylor Hall […]
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