The Week Ahead: Back in Action

It was quite a final at the 4 Nations Face-Off as Canada came up the victors with a 3-2 overtime win over the United States. Don't be surprised if some players are given a bit of time off this week as they went all out in the tourney.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 24-MARCH 2

4 Games – Boston, Calgary, Carolina, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Winnipeg

3 Games – Anaheim, Buffalo, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Montreal, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver, Vegas, Washington

2 Games – Colorado, Ottawa, Seattle

Calgary plays all four games on the road.

Carolina, Pittsburgh, Utah and Washington play three games at home.

Chicago, Edmonton, New Jersey, San Jose, Toronto and Vancouver play three games on the road.

ANAHEIM

Games this week @ Buffalo. vs. Vancouver, vs. Chicago

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Vancouver (Thursday)

Notes: Cutter Gauthier has two goals in his last five games as the youngster is still trying to find his way in his rookie NHL season. Gauthier has nine goals and 22 points in 55 games, including two goals and six points with the man advantage...Troy Terry has been the Ducks' top offensive threat again this season. He has 16 goals and 40 points across 50 games...Mason McTavish is pointless in his last three games but had seven goals and an assist in his previous six contests.

BOSTON

Games this week vs. Toronto, vs. New York Islanders, @ Pittsburgh, @ Minnesota

Tired: @ Minnesota (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Bruins play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week...Jeremy Swayman should get at least two starts, and possibly three, with Joonas Korpisalo getting the remainder of the starts...Mason Lohrei should quarterback the power play in the absence of Charlie McAvoy, who is out with a shoulder injury and infection suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

BUFFALO

Games this week vs. Anaheim, @ Carolina, vs. Montreal

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Sabres should be sellers at the trade deadline as they are last in the Eastern Conference standings...They had a huge win over the slumping Rangers on Saturday, scoring eight times, including five in the opening period against Igor Shesterkin...Rasmus Dahlin scored twice and added an assist, giving the Swedish blueliner nine goals and 45 points this season...Jason Zucker had three assists while Tage Thompson also had two goals and an assist, giving him 28 goals and 51 points.

CALGARY

Games this week @ Washington, @ Tampa Bay, @ Florida, @ Carolina

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Flames play four times this week, including three games in four nights...Dustin Wolf has nailed down the No. 1 job in net and should get at least two starts and possibly three, while Dan Vladar will get the remaining start(s)...The Tyson Barrie offseason signing never worked out and he was placed on waivers.

CAROLINA

Games this week: @ Montreal, vs. Buffalo, vs. Edmonton, vs. Calgary

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Hurricanes play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week...Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov should share the net...The Hurricanes got off to a slow start after the break, allowing four first-period goals to the Maple Leafs...Mikko Rantanen has only one goal and two assists in eight games since his trade from Colorado.

CHICAGO  

Games this week @ Utah, @ Vegas, @ Anaheim

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Blackhawks are on the road for all three games this week...Seth Jones trade talks have heated up as the veteran defenseman wants to play for a contender. Jones has a no-movement clause, so he has all the say in where, if anywhere, he goes...The sixth-round pick from 2021, Ilya Safonov, is expected to cross the pond at the end of the KHL season and join the Blackhawks.

COLORADO

Games this week vs. New Jersey, vs. Minnesota

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Minnesota (Friday)

Notes: Nathan MacKinnon was named the most valuable player at the 4 Nations Face-Off and deservedly so, as he was Canada's top player throughout the series...Valeri Nichushkin returned to practice this week after missing 19 games before the break with a lower-body injury. While he did not travel with the team for their weekend games, he could return Wednesday versus New Jersey...Josh Manson also did not accompany the team on their pair of road games this past weekend.

COLUMBUS

Games this week vs. Dallas, @ Detroit, vs. Detroit

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Blue Jackets play a home-and-home series against Detroit this week...Look for Mathieu Olivier to add to his penalty minute totals, if there are any fisticuffs...Zach Werenski led all scorers in the 4 Nations Face-Off with six assists, one point better than Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid...Boone Jenner returned to action Saturday after undergoing shoulder surgery at the start of the season and missing the first 56 games...Kent Johnson scored a pair of goals Saturday, giving him 19 this season.

DALLAS

Games this week @ Columbus, vs. Los Angeles, vs. St. Louis  

Tired: None

Rested: vs. St. Louis (Sunday)

Notes: The Stars recalled Lian Bichsel from the minors this week. With injuries to Miro Heiskanen (knee surgery), Nils Lundkvist (season-ending shoulder surgery) and Ilya Lyubushkin (undisclosed). The 20-year-old Bichsel should get a great opportunity to establish himself as a bona-fide NHL blueliner...Thomas Harley had a great tournament for Canada and potted his 10th goal of the season Saturday in a 4-2 win over New Jersey.

DETROIT

Games this week @ Minnesota, vs. Columbus, @ Columbus  

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Red Wings play a home-and-home series versus Columbus, so look for Ben Chiarot to become involved if there are any fisticuffs...Alex DeBrincat is having a fine season with 25 goals and 48 points and has points in each of his last five contests...Vladimir Tarasenko has a point in each of his last two games...Dylan Larkin had an outstanding tournament for the Americans and it carried over to the regular season as the 28-year-old had a goal and an assist on the power play in the Red Wings' 4-3 overtime loss to the Wild on Saturday.

EDMONTON

Games this week @ Tampa Bay, @ Florida, @ Carolina

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Oilers complete their five-game road trip in Carolina on Saturday...Evander Kane has begun skating after undergoing surgery to repair two hip adductor muscles, a pair of hernias and torn abdominal muscles in September. If that wasn't enough, he had knee surgery in January. He could return in a month, or just before the start of the playoffs, barring any setbacks...Matthew Savoie made his NHL debut on Saturday.

FLORIDA

Games this week @ Nashville, vs. Edmonton, vs. Calgary

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Panthers may not have the services of Matthew Tkachuk this week as he suffered a lower-body injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off. I would have a tough time starting him this week if you have to decide by Monday morning in a weekly transaction league...Sergei Bobrovsky has been outstanding of late, going 5-2-0 after Saturday's 2-1 loss to Seattle, allowing only 12 goals on 180 shots.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week vs. Vegas, vs. Vancouver, @ Dallas, @ St. Louis

Tired: @ St. Louis (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Kings play four games this week, including three games in four nights...Darcy Kuemper should play three times with David Rittich playing once...The Kings could be interested in Buffalo's Alex Tuch...Drew Doughty had an outstanding tournament in helping Canada win and then picked up his first goal of the season on Saturday while chipping in with a pair of assists...Kevin Fiala has eight goals and 15 points in his last 13 games, giving him 22 goals and 37 points in 53 contests.

MINNESOTA

Games this week vs. Detroit, @ Utah, @ Colorado, vs. Boston  

Tired: @ Colorado (Friday)

Rested: vs. Boston (Sunday)

Notes: The Wild play four games this week, including three in four nights...Filip Gustavsson will play at least two times, and possibly three with Marc-Andre Fleury garnering the remainder of the starts...Kirill Kaprizov was hoping to return at some point this week after missing four weeks with a lower-body injury that required surgery, but general manager Bill Guerin said Friday he would be out longer than originally expected. That could be a big blow to the Wild who continue to be solidly in a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

MONTREAL

Games this week vs. Carolina, vs. San Jose, @ Buffalo

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Canadiens are hanging tough in the Eastern Conference and are within striking range of the second Wild Card spot...Patrik Laine has been a stud on the power play as he has 11 of his 13 goals with the man advantage...Sam Montembeault must have received a huge boost in confidence as the third member of Team Canada's goaltending crew as he turned aside 25 out of 27 shots Saturday in a 5-2 win over Ottawa.

NASHVILLE

Games this week vs. Florida, vs. Winnipeg, @ New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers

Tired: @ New York Rangers (Sunday)

Rested: vs. Winnipeg (Thursday)

Notes: The Predators play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week, so look for Juuse Saros to play at least twice with Justus Annunen picking up the remainder of the starts...Zachary L'Heureux is week-to-week with an upper-body injury after he was injured before the break...Roman Josi has nine goals and 38 points in 51 games, a far cry from the 85-point season he put up in 2023-24.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week @ Colorado, @ Utah, @ Vegas

Tired: @ Vegas (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes: Nico Hischier returned to action Saturday after missing six games with an oblique injury...Jack Hughes has 26 goals after scoring both in a 4-2 loss Saturday to Dallas...Dougie Hamilton assisted on both goals, giving him 30 this season and 38 points in 58 contests...Jacob Markstrom has been skating and is closing in on a return...Dawson Mercer has only three goals and an assist in his last 15 games.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week vs. New York Rangers, @ Boston, vs. Nashville

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Noah Dobson could return against the Rangers after sitting out 10 games with a lower-body injury. He has struggled offensively this season as he has only six goals and 24 points in 46 games after tallying 10 goals and 60 assists last season in 79 outings...The Islanders are five points out of the second Wild Card spot, but do have two games in hand...Don't be surprised if Brock Nelson is dealt at the deadline if the Islanders fall out of the race. He could be Toronto-bound.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week @ New York Islanders, vs. Toronto, vs. Nashville

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Nashville (Sunday)

Notes: Adam Fox had a tough 4 Nations Face-Off competition as he seemed to be overmatched by the speed of the top players in the game...Igor Shesterkin returned to action on the weekend and will likely play twice. He gave up five goals on 16 shots before he was pulled. It has been a tough season for the Russian and he needs to turn things around or the Rangers are not making the playoffs...Vincent Trocheck suffered a broken finger against Sweden, but managed to play versus Canada in the finale as well as Saturday against the Sabres.

OTTAWA 

Games this week vs. Winnipeg, vs. San Jose

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Brady Tkachuk had an amazing 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, establishing himself as one of the top all-around players in the NHL. He missed Saturday's tilt against the Canadiens with a lower-body injury...Shane Pinto and Josh Norris could return against the Jets as both are out of action with upper-body injuries...Linus Ullmark was shaky in a 5-2 loss to Montreal on Saturday, giving up five goals on 15 shots before he was pulled just past the midway mark of the second period.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week vs. Pittsburgh, @ Pittsburgh, @ Winnipeg

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Flyers play a home-and-home series against Pittsburgh, so look for Garnet Hathaway to add to his penalty minute totals if there is any rough stuff...Andrei Kuzmenko has a goal and an assist in two games as a Flyer...Matvei Michkov took full advantage of the break and got in some rest. He managed a goal and two assists against the Oilers on Saturday (and was +5) after picking up only two goals and zero assists in his previous nine contests.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week @ Philadelphia, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Boston, vs. Toronto

Tired: vs. Toronto (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Penguins play a home-and-home series versus Philadelphia...If there are any fisticuffs, expect to see Michael Bunting be involved as he leads Pittsburgh in penalty minutes...Evgeni Malkin, who has one more season on his contract, said he wants to finish his career with the Penguins...Sidney Crosby was once again a stud for Canada, as he has been during his long career. 

SAN JOSE

Games this week @ Winnipeg, @ Montreal, @ Ottawa

Tired: @ Winnipeg (Monday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Sharks are in the midst of a seven-game road trip that will end in Colorado on March 6th, the day before the trade deadline...Nico Sturm was activated off injured reserve (IR) and is expected to play Feb. 23 against Calgary...Yaroslav Askarov, the Sharks' goalie of the future, was injured in AHL action Wednesday as he seemed to be favoring his left leg. I love him next season as I think the Sharks will make a big move up the standings and I expect Askarov to handle the No. 1 job there.

SEATTLE

Games this week @ St. Louis, vs. Vancouver

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Kraken got Jordan Eberle back Saturday after he missed 40 games with surgery on his pelvis...Brandon Montour (upper body) used the break to his advantage as he was injured in Calgary in the last game before the two-week break and returned Saturday in a 2-1 win over his former Florida teammates...Jared McCann potted his 15th of the season Saturday and it was the game-winner...Yanni Gourde was placed on long-term injured reserve Friday, but it was retroactive to Jan. 4. He should be out another two weeks and is expected to return around the NHL trade deadline.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week vs. Seattle, @ Washington, vs. Los Angeles, @ Dallas

Tired: @ Dallas (Sunday)

Rested: vs. Los Angeles (Saturday)

Notes: The Blues play four games this week, including three games in four nights...Expect Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer to share the crease as Binnington will need extra time off due to playing every minute of action in the 4 Nations Face-Off...Robert Thomas is on a five-game point streak, scoring three times and adding five assists...Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Jets on Saturday, giving him 12 goals and 37 points.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week vs. Edmonton, vs. Calgary, @ Washington  

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Jake Guentzel had a great 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and looked strong as a top-six forward for the Americans...Andrei Vasilevskiy should be strong the rest of the way after getting two weeks off as Russia was not allowed to field a team...Vasilevskiy is 25-15-3 with a trio of shutouts, a 2.32 GAA and a .918 save percentage, his best numbers in the last four seasons.

TORONTO

Games this week @ Boston, @ New York Rangers, @ Pittsburgh

Tired: None

Rested: @ Pittsburgh (Sunday)

Notes: The Maple Leafs have an outstanding goaltending duo with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, if they remain healthy the rest of the way...Max Pacioretty is questionable with an undisclosed injury this week. He tried to practice during the week but was unable to for more than 10 minutes. He has disappointed this season with only five goals and 13 points over 37 games...Auston Matthews scored into the empty net Saturday, his first goal in seven games (not including the four games with the USA when he also failed to score).

UTAH

Games this week vs. Chicago, vs. Minnesota, vs. New Jersey

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Utah got Sean Durzi back Saturday and he could see plenty of ice time, including power-play time, the rest of the way...Robert Bortuzzo is still out of action with a lower-body injury. He has missed the last 19 games...Logan Cooley could return this week. The forward, who is out of action with a lower-body injury, has been practicing in a non-contact jersey and is now considered day-to-day...Karel Vejmelka is 13-15-4 with a 2.57 GAA and a .909 save percentage over 34 appearances with Utah this season...Barrett Hayton scored twice on the power play Saturday.

VANCOUVER

Games this week @ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim, @ Seattle

Tired: @ Anaheim (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Canucks complete their five-game road trip in Seattle on Saturday. They play three games in four nights, so expect to see Kevin Lankinen play twice with Thatcher Demko getting one start...Lankinen inked a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension Friday...The Canucks need to decide what they want to do with Elias Pettersson, as he has struggled this season and had a poor tournament for Sweden.

VEGAS

Games this week @ Los Angeles, vs. Chicago, vs. New Jersey

Tired: None

Rested: vs. New Jersey (Sunday)

Notes: Shea Theodore suffered a broken wrist at the 4 Nations Face-Off and is week-to-week...Look for Alex Pietrangelo to take over quarterbacking the first power play in place of Theodore...Jack Eichel looked great at the 4 Nations Face-Off and had four assists to finish tied for second in points among the Americans.

WASHINGTON

Games this week vs. Calgary, vs. St. Louis, vs. Tampa Bay

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Capitals play all three games at home this week...The Capitals should be interested in signing defenseman Jakob Chychrun to a contract extension. Chychrun pulled ahead of John Carlson for the points lead among Washington blueliners with 37, as Chychrun had a pair of goals, giving him 16 compared to Carlson's four...Tom Wilson has five goals and eight points in his last six games.

WINNIPEG

Games this week vs. San Jose, @ Ottawa, @ Nashville, vs. Philadelphia

Tired: @ Nashville (Thursday)

Rested: vs. San Jose (Monday)

Notes: The Jets play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week...The Jets could have Connor Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie share the net as Hellebuyck was quite busy backstopping the Americans at the 4 Nations Face-Off...Kyle Connor has to be upset with being a healthy scratch in the Canada-United States final on Thursday...Josh Morrissey missed Thursday's final with an illness but should be ready to go this week.