1
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Stars
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Lost in all the Mikko Rantanen hubbub was Wyatt Johnston signing a five-year, $42 million contract extension. Stars GM Jim Nill has done some great things this year, but that might be his biggest and best move yet. At just 21 years old, Johnston is third on the team with 60 points, and he should only keep getting better. That $8.5 million cap hit is already a bargain.
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1
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42-20-2
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2
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Capitals
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Like so many other veterans on this Caps team, John Carlson is having a resurgent season. Not only has Carlson chipped in 42 points from the blue line, but he’s also posted a sparkling plus-14 goal differential at five-on-five to accompany his 55.0% expected goals share. He’s playing like a true No. 1 defenseman again.
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3
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43-14-8
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3
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Panthers
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At this point, the Panthers are just focused on getting to the playoffs. Matthew Tkachuk hasn’t played since getting injured in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Newly acquired Brad Marchand might play before the playoffs. Top-four defenseman Aaron Ekblad was just suspended 20 games for PED use. The home stretch might be a slog, but then again, the reigning champs just won six in a row.
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1
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40-22-3
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4
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Avalanche
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Valeri Nichushkin scored a hat trick against the Maple Leafs last weekend, and he’s now up to 15 goals in just 27 games played. Some of Nichushkin’s five-on-five metrics have been lagging behind his production, but the Avs haven’t been able to turn their nose up at depth scoring. Besides, Nichushkin has proven he’s built for the playoffs.
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3
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39-24-3
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5
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Jets
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Winnipeg has an eight-point lead over the Stars in the Central Division, and it would be in the team’s best interest to maintain that. The Jets don’t want to fall into second place, where a matchup against the Avalanche and their revamp roster awaits. Winnipeg had a relatively quiet deadline, and that may prove to be a wise decision, but there’s no question Colorado and Dallas look stronger on paper now.
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4
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45-17-4
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6
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Golden Knights
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After a slow start to his time in Vegas, Tomas Hertl has caught fire lately. The former Shark has seven goals in his last nine games, and that puts him at 27 on the year. That puts Hertl on pace to tie his career high of 35 goals, which came back in 2018-19. This is yet another example of why teams are more aggressive in acquiring players with term, as opposed to rentals, at the trade deadline.
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2
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38-19-7
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7
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Hurricanes
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There’s a sense the Hurricanes may have overplayed their hand with the Rantanen situation, and that may be true in the short-term, but Logan Stankoven is a nice consolation prize. He scored in his Canes debut on Sunday, and the 22-year-old could be a top-six player for a long time.
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2
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39-22-4
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8
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Maple Leafs
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The scuttlebutt around the NHL is Mitch Marner was floated as the possible return in a trade for Mikko Rantanen. That makes some sense because Marner is a pending UFA, and he’s not getting any cheaper. Marner leads the Leafs with 59 assists and 80 points, and his five-on-five impacts are strong too.
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5
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39-22-3
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9
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Lightning
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Since Jan. 1, Andrei Vasilevskiy has been the best goalie in the NHL, and it hasn’t been particularly close. In that span, Vaslievskiy has posted a .926 save percentage to go along with his 16.2 goals saved above average, which ranks first among all goalies.
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3
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37-23-4
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10
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Kings
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Hello, Quinton Byfield. The former No. 2 overall pick has been unable to find the scoresheet much, but he has now recorded a goal in four straight games. The Kings have had offensive issues all season, but Byfield getting hot would cure some of what ails them. Byfield proved he was a 20-goal scorer in 2023-24, and he has the potential to exceed that pace.
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5
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34-20-9
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11
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Wild
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Minnesota has slipped into a wild card spot, and while it’s in no danger of missing the playoffs, the team has been trending in the wrong direction. That can happen when your best player and best center are both out at the same time. That’s put more pressure on young Matt Boldy, who has gone cold. The 23-year-old winger hasn’t scored in his last eight games, and he has three goals in his last 18.
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1
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37-24-4
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12
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Oilers
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The Oilers’ decision not to pursue secondary scoring more aggressively at the trade deadline remains baffling. Corey Perry is fifth on the team in scoring with 14 goals, and while that’s great for the 39-year-old veteran, it’s probably not a great indication of Edmonton’s depth. With McDavid and Draisaitl in their prime, Stan Bowman chose to stand pat and roll the dice with a clearly flawed roster.
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1
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37-23-4
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13
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Devils
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If the Devils are going to survive without Jack Hughes in the lineup, they’re going to need more out of Jesper Bratt, who just ended an eight-game goal drought. On the whole, Bratt’s scoring has dipped a bit. In the previous two seasons, he scored a combined 59 goals, but he sits at just 18 in 2024-25. To his credit, Bratt has taken his playmaking to another level, but he needs to start pulling the trigger more now.
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3
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35-25-6
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14
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Senators
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Brady Tkachuk returned from injury on March 1, and he’s been doing nothing but scoring since then. Tkachuk has six goals in six games this month, and he’s doing his part to make sure the Senators end their playoff drought at seven years. Now can he get some help from the rest of the lineup, which has struggled to put crooked numbers on the scoreboard?
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4
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34-25-5
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15
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Blue Jackets
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From a production standpoint, Adam Fantilli has started looking much more comfortable lately. The second-year center has six goals and four assists in his last seven games. The transition to the NHL hasn’t always been smooth for the former No. 3 overall pick, but he could be finding his groove just in time for the Jackets to keep their playoff push alive.
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1
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31-25-8
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16
|
Blues
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It’s tough to properly measure the impact Dylan Holloway has had on the Blues. He’s provided speed and scoring, as well a plus-15 goal differential at five-on-five. He’s done that all at the low cost of $2.29 million. The Oilers’ inability to keep Holloway this past offseason already looks like a massive blunder on their part and a major boon for the Blues.
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5
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31-27-7
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17
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Red Wings
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Detroit’s playoff hopes are in precarious position amid a six-game losing streak. In that time, the offense has dried up, and it’s probably no surprise that the power play has come back to Earth. In this stretch, the man advantage has converted on just three of its 17 man advantage opportunities. That’s not necessarily abysmal, but it’s notably worse than the nearly 40% clip that unit was operating at under Todd McLellan.
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6
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30-28-6
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18
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Canadiens
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Despite a minus-20 goal differential and one of the worst five-on-five goal expected goal share numbers in the NHL, the Canadiens are just four points out of a playoff spot. That’s the state of the race in the East, and it has opened the door for a rebuilding club like Montreal to get in. Not only would that be a fun story, but it would be good for some of the team’s young core to get postseason experience.
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1
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31-27-6
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19
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Rangers
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The Rangers have done their best to miss a playoff berth the rest of the East’s wild card contenders are trying to hand them. However, Artemi Panarin is doing everything he can to overcome New York’s mediocrity. Panarin has five goals and 10 points in the last six games, and he has kept the Rangers in the fight. Whether anyone else steps up down the stretch remains to be seen.
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3
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31-28-6
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20
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Canucks
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Elias Pettersson snapped his lengthy scoring drought Saturday, but that doesn’t mean all is well. That goal is one of Pettersson’s two points in his last seven games, and he’s on pace for the worst season of his career. Rick Tocchet continues to call out Pettersson in the media, but the Canucks simply haven’t been able to snap out of this funk. It’s starting to look like he won’t get right by the end of the regular season.
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1
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29-24-11
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21
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Flames
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Rasmus Andersson was one of the trade targets I pinpointed last week, at least partially because it’s been a struggle for him. His offensive production has taken a step back, and Andersson’s five-on-five impacts have been poor, especially his minus-9 goal differential. Andersson can be a top-pairing caliber defenseman, and I could see a change of scenery in his future.
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1
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30-23-10
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22
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Hockey Club
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It may shock you to learn that Utah is one of the best teams in the league at five-on-five when it comes to out-shooting and out-chanching opponents. The issue is they haven’t converted on those chances often enough. The team’s 8.29% shooting percentage at full strength is tied for 24th. If Utah gets a few more bounces, it could sneak into the playoffs.
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—
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28-25-11
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23
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Ducks
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The Ducks just became the last team to get a 20-goal score on their roster. The player who hit that number is 30-year-old Frank Vatrano. That kind of highlights the frustrations with the team’s rebuild over the last handful of years. Anaheim has stockpiled high-end prospects, but the lack of on-ice results is concerning.
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3
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28-29-7
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24
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Islanders
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Bo Horvat has one goal and two assists in his last 11 games, and his 43 points put him on pace for a sizable step back following a 68-point campaign in 2023-24. The big question for the Isles is whether this is simply an off year or does it represent the start of the decline for a player who is signed through 2031?
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—
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29-28-7
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25
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Bruins
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The Bruins will take any signs of life they can get from Jeremy Swayman, and his latest five-game sample size offers some encouragement. He’s stopped 115 of the 125 shots he’s faced while saving 2.53 goals above average. The Bruins are somehow still alive in the playoff race, and it’s important to remember Swayman is capable of stealing games at his best.
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—
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30-28-8
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26
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Flyers
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Matvei Michkov is now tied for the goals lead among rookies with 20, and he’s accomplished that while missing the odd period when John Tortorella is punishing him for a mistake. Michkov is clearly a special talent, and his underlying five-on-five impacts are impressive for a 20-year-old. Michkov may not win the Calder, but he should be up for more awards throughout his career.
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3
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27-31-8
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27
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Kraken
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At this point, the Kraken need to focus on creating positive mojo for 2025-26, especially when it comes to Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour. Those two were signed for the long haul over the summer, and they have combined for a minus-17 goal differential at five-on-five. That’s not what you want from two players who were picked to be foundational pieces.
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1
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27-34-4
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28
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Predators
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After going 13 games without a single point, Steven Stamkos has suddenly caught fire. He now has five goals and four assists in his last four games, which has made his season totals look a little more respectable. Similar to the Kraken, the Predators need to find reasons for hope moving forward, and signs of life from Stamkos would qualify.
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2
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25-32-7
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29
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Sabres
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One of the Sabres’ (many) projects for the next offseason must be finding a true No. 2 defenseman to slot alongside Rasmus Dahlin, who has been exceptional once again. Maybe Owen Power becomes that guy, but he still has some developing to do. Dahlin is doing his best to carry this blue line on his shoulders in all three zones, but he needs more support.
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2
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25-32-6
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30
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Penguins
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I will take a break from justifiably dumping on the Penguins every week to admire the efforts of the great Sidney Crosby. With four goals in his last two games, Crosby has pushed his point total to 70, which is the 15th time he’s hit that number in his career. He’s still got plenty of gas left in the tank, and I am urging Kyle Dubas to give Crosby one more run at a Cup in Pittsburgh.
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1
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26-31-10
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31
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Blackhawks
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Spencer Knight already looks like a future star in the crease for Chicago. In his first three starts, he’s gotten a lot of work with 95 saves on 101 shots against. Knight showed a lot of promise in Florida, but he was stuck behind Sergei Bobrovsky. That won’t be a problem with the Blackhawks, which will give him all the work he wants.
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—
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20-36-9
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32
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Sharks
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Up until recently, Will Smith was still trying to get his feet wet in the NHL. Over the last couple of weeks, he’s been doing more than that. Smith is up to four goals and five goals in his last seven games. His 32 points are fourth among NHL rookies, and Smith is starting to live up to his draft pedigree.
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—
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17-40-9
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