NHL News

7:00 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN The San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights will square off in a matchup that may well go down as the best of the entire 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Who will win? Let’s break it down: How they got here: It took until September, but the Sharks landed the prize

6:35 PM ET Associated Press NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils have given executive vice president/general manager Ray Shero a new multiyear contract despite a disappointing season, which the team finished with the NHL’s third-worst record. Managing partner Josh Harris announced the contract on Monday without disclosing length or salary details. A year after

11:30 PM ET Associated Press EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid feared the worst when he crashed into the net and limped off the ice during Edmonton’s season finale Saturday night. A rare bit of good news for him and the Oilers: His left knee injury isn’t as serious as he initially thought. X-rays were negative,

2:43 PM ET The Los Angeles Kings announced Sunday that interim coach Willie Desjardins will not return next season. “Today we thanked Willie Desjardins for his effort and dedication while serving as our interim head coach,” Kings vice president and general manager Rob Blake said in a statement. “We wish Willie and his family nothing

8:00 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN From the moment the Edmonton Oilers won the 2015 NHL draft lottery — and the right to draft generational prospect Connor McDavid — we’ve all been playing the role of remote psychoanalysts. The way he looked when the Oilers were revealed as the top pick — was that despondency? The

BOSTON — The Tampa Bay Lightning won their NHL record-tying 62nd game, getting a shorthanded goal by Steven Stamkos during a three-goal second period in their 6-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday in the teams’ regular-season finale. Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, Erik Cernak and Braydon Coburn also scored for Tampa Bay (62-16-4), which

9:34 PM ET Greg Wyshynski Chris Peters Close ESPN NHL Chris Peters is ESPN’s NHL draft and prospects analyst. The Chicago native previously covered the NHL for CBSSports.com and founded the popular independent blog UnitedStatesofHockey.com where he covered the game at all levels since 2010. As each NHL team is eliminated from playoff contention —

1. Nikita Kucherov, RW, TB RW1 3 2. Connor McDavid, C, Edm C1 2 3. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Col C2 8 4. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, Cgy LW1 4 5. John Tavares, C, Tor C3 5 6. Auston Matthews, C, Tor C4 1 7. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, TB G1 9 8. Alex Ovechkin, RW, Was RW2

10:28 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN The Carolina Hurricanes conducted elaborate postgame celebrations all season but gave their fans the biggest reason to cheer on Thursday, two days before the conclusion of the regular season. Carolina clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 10 years, snapping the NHL’s longest postseason drought. The Washington Capitals

11:46 AM ET In case your March Madness bracket didn’t go the way you hoped, fear not! There’s a chance for redemption coming up. With the NHL regular season coming to an end this weekend, it’s time for us to start thinking about how we’re going to fill out our Stanley Cup playoff picks between

11:24 AM ET The night of April 18, 2015, was one of the most dramatic in recent NHL history. Hockey fans everywhere gathered around their TVs that evening for the unveiling of a draft lottery that would place the unquestioned No. 1 and 2 picks, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, in two lucky cities. The

5:55 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Evgeni Malkin might be ready to get back to work. The Pittsburgh Penguins certainly need him. The veteran center practiced with his teammates on Wednesday and could be back in the lineup on Thursday night against Detroit. Malkin has missed eight games with an upper-body injury and watched

10:38 PM ET Brad Marchand became the first Boston Bruins in 16 seasons to reach 100 points when he assisted on David Pastrnak‘s third-period goal during a 6-2 victory at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Joe Thornton had 36 goals and 65 assists for the Bruins in 2002-03. Marchand’s assist, combined with his

3:38 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN The Washington Capitals will be without defenseman Michal Kempny as they begin their Stanley Cup defense this spring. Kempny underwent successful, season-ending surgery to repair a torn left hamstring, the team announced on Tuesday. He is expected to miss four to six months. The Capitals acquired Kempny from the Chicago

12:27 AM ET Tampa Bay Lightning star defenseman Victor Hedman sat out Monday night and is not expected to play the final three games of the regular season. Hedman tried to deliver a hit to Washington’s Carl Hagelin on Saturday but took the worse of the confrontation when his chin bounced off Hagelin’s helmet. Hedman,

11:05 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN The NHL awards voters will fill out their ballots over the next two weeks, scouring every stats site for vital input into their decision-making process before inevitably just voting for someone on their beat or whoever already won the award. Some awards leaders seem as though they’re cemented. Others can

6:43 AM ET Associated Press GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes have signed Nick Schmaltz to a seven-year contract extension. Financial terms of the deal announced Saturday were not disclosed. The 23-year-old Schmaltz arrived in the desert in a November trade that sent forward Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini to Chicago. Schmaltz got off to