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Vancouver Canucks Activate Ferland, Beagle, And Markstrom

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The Vancouver Canucks will be a lot closer to full strength when they take the ice this afternoon. The team has announced that forwards Micheal Ferland and Jay Beagle have been activated from the injured reserve, while goaltender Jacob Markstrom has been activated from the non-roster list following a leave of absence. The returns come just days after Antoine Roussel made his season debut after overcoming injury as well.

Ferland’s return to the lineup will be the greatest change in status quo for the Canucks. A free agent addition coming off a career year, Ferland suffered a concussion just 12 games into the season and has been on the IR since November 1st. The physical winger has just five points on the year, but recorded 40 points in 71 games last year, including a career high in assists. If he remains healthy, Ferland would be on pace for 65 games this regular season and the Canucks hope that might be enough to gt him back into that 40-point range. At the very least, Ferland will provide a physical presence and an injection of energy for the Vancouver forward corps

Beagle returns to the lineup at the earliest possible time, just ten days after he was placed on IR on November 27th. Yet, the veteran has been beat up for much of the early season, missing a total of nine games thus far due to a lower-body injury. Beagle’s scoring numbers may be down to begin the year, but he will be a welcome addition nonetheless. The experienced two-way forward is a leader and difference-maker on the ice for the Canucks, particularly at the face-off dot. Despite missing considerable time, Beagle remains second on the team in face-off wins thanks to a whopping 60% success rate. He is also a key piece to the team’s penalty kill, which has struggled in his absence and slipped into the bottom half of the league.

Markstrom returns to the team after being given the week off to attend his father’s memorial service in his native Sweden. Thatcher Demko will get the start again today, with Markstrom likely to return to the crease on Tuesday. Markstrom has played well this season with a .913 save percentage and 2.70 GAA and he and Demko have combined to provide consistent goaltending for Vancouver. The question this season will continue to be whether the Canucks feel they need to re-sign Markstrom, arguably the second-best keeper on the  free agent market, or instead see Demko as ready to take over the starter’s role.

Even with this trio back in action, the Canucks are not fully healthy. The team was forced to place Alexander Edler and Tyler Graovac on injured reserve earlier this week, while Brandon Sutter and Tyler Motte remain there as well. There has been little news on a return from any of the group, although the initial timeline for Motte’s injury should have him back sooner rather than later. Additionally, with three additions to the active roster, the Canucks have sent down forward Zack MacEwen, who re-joins the AHL’s Utica Comets.

Injury Notes: Kulikov, Keith, Granlund

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As if the Winnipeg Jets needed any more concerns on the blue line, yet the team’s short-handed defense corps was dealt another blow on Tuesday. Head coach Paul Maurice announced that Dmitry Kulikov has suffered an upper-body injury that is expected to leave him sidelined for upwards of two months. Maurice expects the veteran defender to return after the All-Star break in late January. Kulikov suffered the injury, speculated to be related to his left arm, on Friday night and did not play Saturday. However, there was hope that he would return to the lineup shortly, but that will not be the case. Kulikov, 29, had been enjoying a bit of a career resurgence early this year after dealing with injuries in each of this past three seasons. The former Panthers standout is third among Jets starting defensemen in time on ice and first in Corsi For, while leading the entire team in blocked shots. Personally, Kulikov was also on pace for the highest point total of his stint in Winnipeg. However, it now appears that it could be more of the same for the physical, but fragile rearguard. With Nathan Beaulieu already injured and the team still coping with the absences of Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot, Kulikov’s loss is a major blow for the Jets. Winnipeg has held their own to this point in the season, but one has to wonder when their luck will run out considering their depleted blue line.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks are another team dealing with a slew of injuries. So much so in fact that they were forced to ice only eleven forwards and six defensemen on Monday night after a roster full of short-term injuries and a sick goalie necessitated the call-up of AHL keeper Kevin Lankinen without enough room to make any other additions. While Robin Lehner is back on his feet, one of those other injured players is going to be out for a while longer. Blackhawks beat writer Carter Baum reports that top pair defenseman Duncan Keith is expected to miss at least another two games with a lingering groin injury. Keith will not travel with the team on their two-game road trip, extending what has already been a two-game absence. Groin injuries tend to stick around, so Keith could remain sidelined beyond the next two games and could also deal with the issue throughout the season. It’s a difficult situation for Chicago, who desperately needs their ice time leader and defensive mainstay to be active as much as possible if they wish to push for a playoff spot this season.
  • Kyle Turris is back in the lineup for the Nashville Predators, but not because head coach Peter Laviolette has changed his mind about the under-performing veteran. Instead, Turris has drawn in to replace Mikael Granlund. The Predators announced just prior to their game on Tuesday night that Granlund would not be in the lineup and is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Not much is known about Granlund’s status as of yet, but an extended absence could very well cost him his spot as a top-six forward for the team. Granlund has just 11 points in 26 games, only two more points than Turris has in 19 games. Granlund has been a disappointment since coming over from Minnesota last season, but even if Nashville has no intention of re-signing him, the impending free agent has ample incentive to get healthy and try to find his way back to an elite level of play.

 

Coach Behavior To Be Main Topic At NHL Board Of Governors Meetings

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It has been a whirlwind few weeks in the NHL coaching ranks. After the Toronto Maple Leafs fired head coach Mike Babcock back on November 20, several former players used the opportunity to criticize the veteran coach’s tactics and the way he treated some of his players. Former NHLer Akim Aliu used these comments as a jumping off point to make his own accusations of mistreatment against former AHL coach and then-Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters. Aliu’s recollection of racists epithets from Peters while with AHL Rockford were also echoed by stories of physical abuse from former players of Peters with the Carolina Hurricanes and confirmed by current Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’amour. Peters ended up resigning last week. The latest coach to be exposed is Chicago Blackhawks assistant Marc Crawford, who faces allegations of physical abuse from some of his former players with the Los Angeles Kings. Crawford has left the team temporarily while under investigation.

The behavior of coaches has been brought to the forefront of NHL headlines and is not going to be a conversation that disappears quickly. In fact, the NHL Coaches’ Association – which ironically includes Babcock and Peters as executive members – addressed these ongoing issues with a statement earlier today:

We believe the NHL is a league built on hard work, respect, and teamwork. It is a coach’s job to understand how best to motivate players while respecting them as individuals and valuing them as people. Coaching philosophies differ from coach to coach, and season to season, but there are lines that cannot be crossed and there is certainly no room in the NHL, or anywhere else, for abusive behavior of any kind… The NHLCA is committed to working with the NHL and NHLPA to ensure respectful working environments for everyone.

TSN’s Darren Dreger adds that coach behavior will be the biggest topic of conversation among NHL owners at the upcoming Board of Governors meeting in California next week. He believes that coach behavior has never been scrutinized to this extent and that these meetings could produce a substantive change to how coaches are governed by the NHL. Commissioner Gary Bettman has already met with Aliu, who came away from the meeting with a positive reaction and a feeling that changes are coming. One possible shift, suggested by Dreger’s colleague Bob McKenzie, is enhanced vetting when hiring coaches and deeper background checks, including interviews with former players and assistants. One way or another, these incidences and allegations have made clear that there has been an ongoing issue related to coach behavior in the NHL that has flown under the radar but now must be addressed.

Toronto Marlies Hire Greg Moore As Head Coach

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Since the promotion of former head coach Sheldon Keefe to the same position with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies have been searching for his replacement. The team has decided to go outside of the organization to tab their next bench boss, a rare move in-season, and have announced that Greg Moore has been named head coach. Moore was hired away from the USHL’s Chicago Steel midway through his second season with the team.

Moore, 35, is very familiar with developmental hockey. A young head coach, Moore was himself an NHL prospect not long ago. The Maine native played for the U.S. National Team Development Program in the early 2000’s and then played his college hockey at home at the University of Maine. He was drafted by the Calgary Flames after his freshman year, but his rights were traded to the New York Rangers before he turned pro. Moore made his NHL debut with the Rangers in 2007-08 overall made ten NHL appearances with the Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets over five pro season in North America. He also played a leadership role with nearly every AHL club he played for. Moore moved to Germany in 2011 and extended his playing career another four years before calling it quits in 2015. He immediately jumped into the coaching ranks, becoming an intern assistant coach with the USNTDP. After two seasons as an intern, he became full-time in 2017-18 only to be named head coach for USHL rival Chicago a year later.

Moore is well-regarded among young NHL coaching prospects. His Steel team went all the way to the Clark Cup in his first season and recorded a 52-25-5 record overall in 82 games with Moore behind the bench. His name had already been in the mix for possible NCAA openings this off-season, but he gets an even better deal with an AHL promotion mid-season. The Leafs organization has seemingly had an eye on Moore for some time, as they invited him to be a guest coach at development camp this summer and worked quickly to hire him just ten days after the firing of Mike Babcock and promotion of Keefe. Moore will be in the spotlight with the Marlies, but has a bright future ahead of him following this major career move.

Five Key Stories: 11/25/19 – 12/01/19

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With the quarter pole of the season in the rear view mirror, teams have had plenty of time to evaluate their rosters and early performances and changes are starting to be made. That has been the overarching story of the week, as some clubs made moves – both long- and short-term – while others are preparing to do so.

Flames Fire Bill Peters: Well, not technically. Calgary accepted the resignation of their head coach, who was mired in scandal following an investigation into allegations of racist comments made while serving as an AHL head coach in the Chicago Blackhawks organization and further accusations of physical abuse while head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. The league will continue its investigation, but Peters days as an NHL coach are likely over regardless. While the veteran coach offered an apology for the incident in Rockford, the victim of the attack, Akim Aliu, called it “misleading, insincere and concerning”, which was likely the nail in his coffin. Geoff Ward takes over as interim head coach for the Flames, an under-performing team that had enough concerns of their own without dealing with off-ice controversy.

Bruins Extend Coyle And Wagner: The league-leading Boston Bruins signed a pair of local products to contract extensions, inking 2019 trade acquisition Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $31.5MM deal and 2018 free agent addition Chris Wagner to a three-year, $4.05MM deal. The 27-year-old Coyle, who won over the home crowd with a dominant playoff run last year, is now in place to likely succeed David Krejci and/or Patrice Bergeron as a top-six center for the Bruins, unless the versatile forward shifts to the right wing long-term instead. Meanwhile, the Bruins have always shown a willingness to invest in their fourth line and clearly feel Wagner can continue to be an effective checker and penalty killer for years to come. The team can now solely turn their attention to re-signing Torey Krug with these deals complete.

New Jersey Willing To Move Hall: The 2019-20 season has not gone as planned for the New Jersey Devils, who added considerable talent this off-season but have yet to see the on-ice impact. As a result, 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, the top impending free agent in this summer’s class, has become the most talked-about name on the trade market. The team is officially listening to offers, with most pundits expecting that he will be traded and perhaps sooner rather than later. Hall has had the misfortune of never playing for a true contender thus far in his career, but could wind up participating in a playoff run this year as a highly sought-after rental target. His former team, the Edmonton Oilers, are considered a possible landing spot, as are the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, and defending champion St. Louis Blues. More teams are sure to be in the running as the Hall sweepstakes heat up.

Dumoulin Out Eight Weeks: The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered yet another injury blow on Saturday as defenseman Brian Dumoulin sustained an ankle injury that required surgery and will leave him sidelined for eight weeks. The Penguins lead the NHL in man-games lost this year and the loss of Dumoulin is a major blow. The underrated defenseman is one of the premier shutdown defenders in the league and allows for pair mate Kris Letang to truly play his game. With Justin Schultz already out, not to mention Sidney Crosby and Nick Bjugstad, and Erik Gudbranson recently traded, Pittsburgh will be shorthanded on the blue line for a while.

Also in the Metropolitan Division, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost dynamic defenseman Zach Werenski to an upper-body injury that will keep him out of action for at least four weeks.

Puljujarvi, Honka Not Playing This Season: The December 1 5:00PM ET deadline came and went and restricted free agents Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers and Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars had not been signed. As a result, neither young Finn can play in the NHL this year. Both the Oilers and Stars have been trying to find a trade partner for their disgruntled young players, but to no avail. Neither team was willing to give their RFA away, even if that meant potentially not being able to trade them until the off-season. Both Puljujarvi and Honka have yet to live up to expectations in the NHL, but are playing well in Finland this season. This is likely not the last we’ve seen of either player in North America.

PHR Originals: 11/25/19 – 12/01/19

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In an otherwise quiet week for news and action, with three different days of three games or less, PHR’s writers stayed busy with some original articles:

Brian La Rose began our annual holiday series “What Your Team Is Thankful For”. Going alphabetically, he took a look at Anaheim, Arizona, and Boston. The league leading Bruins obviously have plenty to be thankful for, but so too do the Coyotes, who currently hold a top-ten record in the NHL. There’s room for improvement in Arizona, but the team has to be happy with how the season has gone thus far. Anaheim however has a hefty wish list this holiday season, needing more out of their young forward corps and a difference-maker on defense. Stay tuned for more write-ups from Brian on the other 28 teams as we march toward 2020.

Sticking with the holiday theme, I outlined the recent trend of the standings at American Thanksgiving being a strong playoff predictor and asked who could be the outlier teams that qualify for the postseason this year after missing the mark on Turkey Day. The readers responded very favorably toward one team in each conference – the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vegas Golden Knights. If only those two teams turn things around this season, then the current standings already reflect 14 of 16 playoff teams.

Gavin also offered a poll to the readers, asking who might be the early favorite for the Hart Trophy this season as NHL MVP. Gavin detailed the accomplishments to this point in the year of a number of the game’s biggest names, but voters gravitated toward two forwards on ungodly scoring paces. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid already has almost 50 points and is currently on pace for 144 points, while Boston’s David Pastrnak has 24 goals in 26 games and looks poised to score 75+ goals at this rate. However, do the presences of Leon Draisaitl and Brad Marchand also among the league’s top scorers hurt their teammates’ Hart cases? Could the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and John Carlson swoop in as more “valuable” candidates?

In my bi-weekly piece, I took a look at the happenings in college hockey of late. As Hockey East teams continue to underwhelm this year, especially Boston University, other northeast schools have filled the top-ten void in Cornell, Clarkson, and Harvard. Meanwhile, Minnesota may not be a top contender in the Big Ten this year, but added another talented recruit to an impressive incoming class. And college hockey will continue in Alaska, at least for now.

Finally, Gavin hosted his weekly chat, with topics ranging from coaches on the hot seat, the sustainability of upstart teams, and franchise building blocks. The Red Wings, Predators, and Senators received some special attention in yet another great segment.

For all of the original work from PHR’s writers, be sure to keep up with all of the action each and every day!

Latest On Bill Peters Investigation, Admission

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Thursday: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes that the Flames’ investigation is “reaching its conclusion.” Friedman believes that Peters will be removed as head coach of the Flames.

Wednesday: A letter from Peters to Treliving has been shared by Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. In the letter, Peters admits to using the offensive language described by Aliu during the incident in question. It’s unclear at this point how this admission will impact the ongoing investigation, as well as the Flames’ ultimate decision.

Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters was already on the hot seat after a surprisingly poor start to the season. However, he came under fire this week for an entirely different reason, facing accusations of unacceptable off-ice conduct regarding former player Akim Aliu. The repercussions of an ongoing joint investigation between the Flames, NHL, and NHLPA are already being felt. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Peters has left the team and there is a chance he may not return.

As of right now, Peters remains the head coach in Calgary. However, he will not be behind the bench for the team tonight in Buffalo and into the foreseeable future. GM Brad Treliving is the only member of the player operations side of the organization staying in contact with Peters, as his coaching staff, and associate head coach Geoff Ward in particular, have take complete control over the team. Seravalli believes that the situation could be permanent, as he reports that “it seems to be trending towards Peters losing his job.”

However, he warns that this is not a simple process. There is no precedent for an NHL coach to be fired for off-ice conduct, making this investigation and the decision on how to handle the results brand new ground for the league and the Flames. There is also legal red tape that Calgary must traverse in order to fire Peters for-cause. Seravalli has spoken with several of Aliu’s former teammates, all of whom have backed up his allegations against Peters, so it is very likely that the investigation comes to same conclusions that the coach is indeed guilty of these accusations. If so, he will almost certainly be fired. However, the parting of ways will be neither quick nor clean for the Flames.

College Hockey Round-Up: 11/27/19

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Boston University is making headlines this season for all of the wrong reasons. One of the most talented teams on paper in all of college hockey, the Terriers fell to 4-5-5 on the season with a 4-0 shutout loss to Sacred Heart on Tuesday. The team received just two votes in the latest rankings and is well outside the Top 20 at this point in time. On top of that, BU has had three players receive game misconducts for dangerous hits over the past two weeks and head coach Albie O’Connell served a one-game suspension after a post-game outburst at a media member. There have been bright spots – the production of defenseman David Farrance (NSH) and freshman forward Trevor Zegras (ANA) for example – but by and large it has been a season to forget thus far for the Terriers. Their only hope at redemption may be to maintain their respectable conference record and make a run in the Hockey East Tournament later this season.

Recent Results

Now eight games into their season, No. 2 Cornell has yet to suffer their first loss. The Big Red are a perfect 8-0-0 after knocking off No. 6 Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Quinnipiac, and Princeton over the last two weeks. ECAC rival No. 9 Harvard is also undefeated at 6-0-0, picking up wins over Brown, Yale, and RPI. The Crimson have been scoring at an unbelievable rate, leading the NCAA with 5.5 goals per game – almost a full goal more than the next-best team, No. 7 Penn State. Harvard has been led by Casey Dornbach, who trails only NCAA leading scorer Jack Dugan (VGK) in points per game, and freshman defenseman Henry Thrun (ANA), who is tied with Dugan for the top plus/minus in college hockey at +14. Both Harvard and Cornell have also been stout defensively, among the top four ranked teams in goals against average.

Yet, the efforts of the Ivy Leagues have not (yet) been enough to move No. 1 Minnesota State from the top spot in the rankings. The Mavericks continued to roll through their opponents this past weekend with a two-game sweep of Alaska-Anchorage by a combined score of 10-1. The team’s 1.17 goals against average leads the NCAA and workhorse starter Dryden McKay also leads the category among individual keepers and is tops with a .951 save percentage as well.

Minnesota State has been impenetrable defensively so far, but they will be tested this week when they face in-state rival No. 8 Minnesota-Duluth. Duluth has finally looked mortal this season at 7-4-1, but they still sport a dangerous lineup, including the top scoring defenseman in college hockey, Scott Perunovic (STL). If any team left on the Mavericks schedule is going to knock them from the top spot in the rankings, it’s Duluth.

No. 5 Notre Dame is no longer undefeated after being blanked 3-0 by No. 19 Wisconsin back on November 15th and losing again against No. 20 Michigan State this weekend. They have now dropped behind No. 3 North Dakota and No. 4 Denver in the rankings, who actually clashed with one another two weeks ago. In a pair of tight games, the Fighting Hawks came away with a win and a tie against the Pioneers, likely giving them that edge in the rankings.

No. 15 UMass Lowell finally suffered their first conference loss against Connecticut two weeks ago, while No. 10 UMass, No. 12 Northeastern, No. 13 Providence, and No. 14 Boston College all  have failed to move up the rankings. It has been an underwhelming season thus far from Hockey East, who has also seen Boston University disappoint and Maine fail to garner recognition from the voters.

Penn State and leading scorer Nate Sucese continue to roll, going 3-1 over the past two weeks and maintaining a lethal efficiency with their NCAA-best power play. Workhorse starter Peyton Jones is also tied with North Dakota’s Adam Scheel for the most wins so far this season. The Nittany Lions’ loss came against conference rival No. 11 Ohio State, who is knocking on the door of a top-ten spot with their own strong recent performance.

Ratzlaff Commits To Minnesota

While the Minnesota Gophers have been overshadowed by their Big Ten brethren so far this year, the team is adding promising future pieces. One such recent commitment comes from Minnesota high school star Jake Ratzlaff. Ratzlaff announced that he would staying at home to attend Minnesota. The Rosemount High captain is a big, right-handed two-way defenseman with considerable pro potential. In fact, Ratzlaff could push for first-round consideration this June.

While Ty Smilanic has garnered the most attention among college-bound draft prospects, that is partially due to the Quinnipiac commit playing on the U.S. National Development Team this season. Ratzlaff has not been under the same spotlight in the high school ranks, but he could still challenge Smilanic for his top NCAA prospect title. A rare combination of size and speed, not to mention a right shot, Ratzlaff will be a valued commodity. ISS ranked the blue liner at No. 30 in their initial draft rankings and another point-per-game season at Rosemount is only going to boost his draft stock.

Ratzlaff joins a growing group of elite recruits for the Gophers. The list now includes Rhett Pitlick (MTL), Aaron Huglen (BUF), Mike Koster (TOR), Brock Faber, and brothers John and Luke Mittelstadt, among other talented prospects. Minnesota may be off to a tough start this season, but the future is bright.

Alaska Athletics Safe (For Now)

The Alaska university system is facing severe budget cuts and for a time there was concern that intercollegiate athletics could be cut. In the small world of Division I college hockey, losing two teams in Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks would be a major blow. Fortunately, College Hockey News reports that the schools received confirmation of continued funding to participate in NCAA athletics through 2020-21. This is great news, for both the growth of college and hockey and also the preservation of the game in two relatively obscure markets.

However, the conversation about Alaska sports is far from over. Both Anchorage and Fairbanks rely on their hockey programs for revenue above all other sports. But with the WCHA set to dissolve, as seven member schools plan to leave to form their own conference ahead of the 2021-22 season, it could be that funding will be cut after one more year in anticipation of the hit that both programs could take from becoming independents. Both schools will have to begin cost-cutting measures, not only in hockey but in all sports, if they hope to retain athletics in the long run.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Brayden Tracey To Entry-Level Contract

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The Anaheim Ducks have decided to officially bring in their 2019 first-round pick. The team has announced that forward Brayden Tracey has signed his entry-level contract. It is a three-year contract that can slide this year and next if Tracey does not play in a minimum 10 NHL games. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Tracey, the No. 29 overall pick in June, was the Ducks’ second first-rounder of 2019 after Boston University forward Trevor Zegras was selected No. 9 overall. However, Tracey has arguably been the more impressive of the two players so far this season. Tracey has registered 10 goals and 22 points in just 13 games thus far with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. The team’s leading per-game scorer, Tracey and 2021 top prospect Ryder Korczak have almost single-handedly fueled the Moose Jaw offense this season. However, the Warriors are still struggling and Tracey could become an intriguing WHL trade candidate this season.

A late riser in the draft process, scouts began to take notice of Tracey’s game midway through an 81-point campaign that marked his first full WHL season. A player whose game is defined by his patient approach, soft hands, and elite vision, Tracey is a high-end play-maker in the making. He is yet another member of an alarmingly talented group of young forwards in the Anaheim pipeline. The team can afford to take their time with his development and this contract is no guarantee that he will see pro action even next season, nevertheless this year. Yet, his ability and upside should excite Ducks fans even if his NHL debut is still a few years down the road.

Poll: Which Teams Will Buck The Thanksgiving Playoff Trend In 2019-20?

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Just how important is playoff position in just the second month of the regular season? Very, if you look at recent results. Over the past six years, more than 70% of teams in a playoff position at American Thanksgiving have held on to their spot. While last year was slightly below the mark – 11 of 16 teams (69%) in a playoff position on November 22 qualified – the standings at the time were even more predictive than usual. The Lightning, Predators, Flames, Maple Leafs, Jets, and Sharks all finished in the same divisional seed that they occupied at Thanksgiving.

So who were the outliers in 2018-19? Obviously, the St. Louis Blues’ return from the basement of the league standings to win the Stanley Cup is a story that will stand the test of time. However, four other clubs also turned their seasons around: the Islanders, Penguins, Hurricanes, and Golden Knights. And the teams whose seasons took a turn for the worse: the Sabres, Wild, Rangers, Canadiens, and Ducks. Ironically, the Canadiens were narrowly inside the playoff window on Thanksgiving and ended up just barely outside in the spring. Meanwhile, the Ducks, Oilers, and Coyotes were all tied for the lowest playoff-qualifying record on Thanksgiving, with the Ducks getting the tiebreaker at the time, and all three failed to qualify for the postseason.

This season has gotten off to an unpredictable start, which could potentially threaten to derail the Thanksgiving trend. Several teams considered Cup contenders are currently outside the playoff picture, while multiple surprises currently occupy a spot. With Thanksgiving arriving tomorrow, this is the current status of the NHL standings (reminder – points percentage is the ideal way of viewing NHL standings):

Eastern Conference

M1 New York Islanders (.773)
A1 Boston Bruins (.771)

M2 Washington Capitals (.740)
M3 Carolina Hurricanes (.646)

A2 Tampa Bay Lightning (.619)
A3 Florida Panthers (.604)

W1 Pittsburgh Penguins (.625)
W2 Philadelphia Flyers (.604)

Outside the Playoff Picture: Montreal Canadiens (.563), New York Rangers (.545), Columbus Blue Jackets (.522), Buffalo Sabres (.521), Toronto Maple Leafs (.520), Ottawa Senators (.479), New Jersey Devils (.435), Detroit Red Wings (.327)

Western Conference

C1 St. Louis Blues (.680)
P1 Edmonton Oilers (.673)

C2 Dallas Stars (.615)
C3 Colorado Avalanche (.609)

P2 Arizona Coyotes (.620)
P3 Vancouver Canucks (.560)

W1 Winnipeg Jets (.604)
W2 Nashville Predators (.543)

Outside the Playoff Picture: San Jose Sharks (.540), Chicago Blackhawks (.521), Anaheim Ducks (.500), Vegas Golden Knights (.500), Calgary Flames (.481), Minnesota Wild (.480), Los Angeles Kings (.417)

2018-19 playoff teams jump off the page as potential candidates to disrupt the status quo. Particularly in the Pacific Division, it is hard to image none of the Golden Knights – who beat the Thanksgiving odds last year – the Sharks or the Flames will make the playoffs, especially as they look up at the Oilers, Coyotes, and Canucks.  There could also be hope in West for the Ducks and Blackhawks, who sit at .500 currently. Over in the East, the Maple Leafs stick out like a sore thumb among non-playoff teams and could be line for improvement following their coaching change. But will it be enough given their difficult start? The Canadiens will also hope for a reverse of fortunes from last year, going from first team out in the conference at Thanksgiving to in the postseason come April. The Sabres have started hot and collapsed two years in a row, but there is still time for them to turn things back around. All three Atlantic clubs see a Panthers team with plenty of problems ahead of them in the standings right now. Meanwhile, the Rangers and Blue Jackets will look to make an unlikely run to the postseason as they chase down the Flyers.

What do you think? Which of these teams will find their way into the playoff picture and which will fall victim to the Thanksgiving postseason trend? Select as many teams below as you like, but remember that for every addition, there has to be a subtraction of a current playoff team.

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