NHL News

7:00 AM ET The NHL trade deadline is Monday, and because this season is so unusual, each team is operating under its own unique circumstance. For this week’s NHL Power Rankings, we identified a sticking point for every team heading into the deadline. How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams

6:59 AM ET All we ask from our NHL positional-rankings voters is honesty and candor. After one veteran turned in his list of the top 10 goaltenders, his reaction fulfilled that obligation. “I didn’t like the list at all,” he said. “When I started to piece this together, it was stunning. This was an interesting

7:00 AM ET There are the Academy Awards, and then there’s the Oscar for Best Picture. There are the NHL awards, and then there’s the Hart Trophy for most valuable player. There are the 2021 ESPN positional rankings for wingers, defensemen and goalies — and then there’s the one everyone’s been anticipating since the series

9:00 AM ET For nearly all of March, the Buffalo Sabres were the punchline of the NHL. They slogged through an 18-game winless streak, the longest in the salary cap era. They fired yet another coach, Ralph Krueger, as captain Jack Eichel remained sidelined with an injury. In its weekly power rankings, the Buffalo News

9:33 PM ET Dallas Stars coach Rick Bowness was pulled from the bench after the second period of Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes due to COVID-19 protocols. Bowness, 66, is the oldest head coach in the league. He is fully vaccinated, the team said. Assistant coach John Stevens assumed head-coaching responsibilities for the rest

1:04 PM ET More than half of the players on the Vancouver Canucks have tested positive for COVID-19, a source confirmed to ESPN. Additional names are expected to be added to the team’s COVID-19 protocol list besides the 14 that appeared on Saturday. Some players are symptomatic, and according to several sources there are a

10:32 PM ET The nightmare is over for the Buffalo Sabres, who snapped their 18-game winless streak with a 6-1 victory at home over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night. Sam Reinhart and Curtis Lazar scored in the first period to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead. Steven Fogarty and Casey Mittelstadt added goals in the

1:53 PM ET The Vancouver Canucks‘ season remains on pause as a COVID outbreak that has hit the team has gone from bad to worse. The team added seven players to league’s COVID protocol list on Saturday, bringing the total number of players to 14. Sources told ESPN that two coaches were also added to

2:03 AM ET Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon hit Arizona Coyotes forward Conor Garland with his own helmet, earning a misconduct penalty in the Avs’ 9-3 win on Wednesday night. Late in the third period, MacKinnon and Garland battled into the corner of the Coyotes’ zone. MacKinnon threw Garland to the ice and in the

7:20 AM ET The 2021 NHL trade deadline arrives on April 12 at 3 p.m. ET. There will be teams seeking to trade players that are no longer in their rebuilding plans. There will be teams seeking to add players to complete their championship plans. This all sounds normal, but this season’s trade season is

6:19 PM ET The Vancouver Canucks will not play for at least a week after three members of the team were placed in the NHL’s COVID protocols, the league announced Thursday. The NHL said in a statement that Canucks games have been postponed until April 8. Two players — Adam Gaudette and Travis Hamonic —

9:00 AM ET The NHL trade deadline on April 12 is the first of the COVID-19 era. Dealers, rebuilders, reloaders and those with legit Stanley Cup aspirations will all come to the virtual bargaining table to talk trades. But the subtext to these conversations is inherently different in 2021 than in previous editions. There are

7:00 AM ET With the NHL trade deadline less than two weeks away, it’s a good time to take stock. We’ve hit on reasons for optimism for every team in the past. For this week’s power rankings, we identified a reason for concern for all 31 teams. How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff

7:00 AM ET The Buffalo Sabres are 0-15-3 since Feb. 25. They own the record for the longest winless streak of the shootout era (since 2005-06) and have tied the 2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins for the most consecutive losses — including overtime and shootout losses — in the 21st century. How did they get here and

11:27 PM ET ESPN News Services MONTREAL — The wait was worth it for the Montreal Canadiens. Brendan Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen each had a goal and an assist as Montreal returned from a lengthy break due to COVID-19 protocols and blanked the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 on Tuesday night. Montreal was playing for the first

7:00 AM ET Evaluating the top 10 defensemen in ESPN’s 2021 NHL position-by-position rankings is a study in competing philosophies on how to properly evaluate the position. What metrics best define value for scoring defensemen or “defensive” defensemen? Do the elite have to do both well, or can one aspect compensate for the other? I

10:59 PM ET The Buffalo Sabres‘ misery continues. The franchise’s winless streak has now reached 18 games (0-15-3) which is the longest by an NHL team in 17 years. Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Flyers was especially brutal, as Buffalo blew a 3-0 lead in the third period. “It’s embarrassing,” defenseman Brandon Montour said.

7:00 AM ET On the back of Marc-Andre Fleury‘s goalie mask this season is a quote: “Mets ton oeil dessus. Tu joues comme tu pratiques. Amuse-toi.” Translated from French: “Keep your eye on it. You practice as you play. Have fun.” The quote is signed “Pa,” which is what Fleury called his father, Andre. “He’s