Montreal’s injury pileup just got heavier, and it leaves Oliver Kapanen in the middle of the picture.
With Nick Suzuki sidelined for two to four weeks, the Canadiens have to try to hang on without their captain, whose 546-game ironman streak has come to an end. Montreal is already sitting at 4-3-2 and tied for last in the Atlantic, and the timing could hardly be worse with Ivan Demidov also out. Jakub Dobes has not solved the problem in net either, posting a 4.47 GAA and a .847 save percentage.
That opens the door for Kapanen to take a bigger role. The Canadiens are also expected to give Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky more time on the first power play, while Jacob Fowler has given them a lift with three wins in four appearances. Mike Matheson is also back on the blue line, but Montreal still needs results quickly if it wants to keep from slipping further in a division that is not giving anyone much room to breathe.
Elsewhere in the NHL’s trade chatter, Sunny Mehta has become the latest GM to test his own philosophy.
When he took the Devils job, Mehta said he was wary of spending major assets on goaltending because the position can swing so wildly. Then New Jersey went out and landed Connor Hellebuyck, committing $8.5 million per season and sending Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Alexander Command, Nick Bjugstad and two draft picks the other way. The cleanest read is that Mehta is not abandoning his belief so much as making a deliberate exception for a goalie with Hellebuyck’s résumé, even after his worst NHL season and a strong Olympics.
The deal also signals that New Jersey is pushing in hard. That kind of move can change how the rest of the league sees a team, and the Devils could become more appealing to names like Dylan Larkin and Quinn Hughes.
Larkin reportedly added New Jersey to his trade list, while Hughes has been connected to the idea of joining his brothers there. Still, there is no proof of a coordinated plan to land all three, and that part remains speculation.
And then there was the moment that got hockey fans talking after Edmonton’s 6-5 shootout win over Carolina.
Zach Hyman drew a penalty from Sean Walker after the Hurricanes defenseman cross-checked him from behind while Hyman was already going down. Hyman hit the ice looking hurt, Walker was sent to the box, and then Hyman looked up, grinned and winked. Walker was plainly angry, and the reaction online split quickly between those calling it embellishment and those saying Hyman had every right to make sure the officials noticed the infraction.
Walker did not escape blame, though. It was a clear cross-check in a tied game, and Carolina’s penalty kill had already surrendered three power-play goals.
The sequence became one of the night’s biggest talking points in a game that had all the feel of playoff hockey. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each finished with five points, Edmonton moved to 8-1-1, and the Oilers’ power play has climbed to 31% since Hyman returned.
In Other News...
Jack Roslovic Returns To Edmonton With Oilers Fans Watching One Thing
Jack Roslovic has settled in quickly with the Toronto Maple Leafs, picking up four goals and 10 points in his first 10 games after signing a two-year deal. The former Blue Jackets, Rangers and Oilers forward is already showing the kind of pace Toronto hoped for, and he has come through against familiar opponents too, with a goal and three points against Columbus and an assist against New York.
Now Roslovic is headed back to Edmonton, where the reception will be tied as much to memory as to the box score. He has already talked about facing old teams and had plenty of praise for Connor McDavids skill and work ethic, which only adds to the intrigue around a return trip that figures to draw attention from Oilers fans watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Get A Tough Test From Torontos Hottest New Decision
The Oilers are about to get a look at a different kind of challenge in Torontos crease, with Anthony Stolarz set to start in the upcoming matchup in Edmonton. Jim Hiller announced the decision, and Sergei Bobrovsky will back him up as the Maple Leafs bring a fresh look to one of the games key spots.
Toronto is also shuffling its blue line, with Dakota Mermis set to make his season debut because of injuries on defense. For Edmonton, that means another opponent adjusting on the fly, and another chance to test how well the Oilers can press an advantage against a lineup that is not at full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Connor McDavid Is Already Doing Something Oilers Fans Can Hardly Believe
Connor McDavids start to the season has been so fast that even around the Oilers, people are still trying to find the right words for it. He has piled up 31 points in 10 games, a burst that has him on pace to chase one of the NHLs most famous single-season records, and the reaction inside the room has matched the eye test. Zach Hyman, Leon Draisaitl and others have all weighed in on just how extraordinary it looks, while analysts around the league keep circling back to the same basic point: this is not normal production.
McDavid, for his part, has kept pointing back to the group around him and the team factors helping drive the surge, rather than turning it into a solo celebration. Mike Babcock has echoed that view by praising McDavids overall play and leadership, which matters just as much to Edmonton as the scoring totals do. The fascinating part now is not whether he has been good enough to grab attention, but how long he can keep this up with the whole hockey world watching every shift. [Read more 🡒]