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...
Devils Win Streak Suddenly Has A Much Bigger Goalie Twist
The Devils kept rolling with a 3-1 win over the Kings, pushing their streak to three straight and five of their last six. Brett Pesce supplied the go-ahead goal, while Jake Allen handled the rest in net with 12 saves in a tidy all-around effort that kept New Jerseys recent surge moving in the right direction.
Before the puck dropped, though, the biggest buzz centered on the crease, as the team introduced newly acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. For a club already finding its footing during this run, adding a name like that changes the conversation immediately and gives the Devils present success a far more interesting backdrop than a simple hot streak. [Read more 🡒]
Nico Hischier Is Giving Devils Fans A Huge New Reason To Dream
Nico Hischiers start has given Devils fans a fresh reason to believe the captain is taking another step forward. His scoring has picked up, his shooting percentage is sitting above his previous career best, and his work at the dot has moved him among the league leaders in faceoff wins. Add in the way he has helped drive the power play, and its been a strong all-around stretch for a player New Jersey already counts on in every key situation.
What makes it especially intriguing is how sustainable it looks. Hischier is producing at a level that points toward a real chance to top his previous goal total, which would mark another meaningful jump in his development rather than just a hot run. For a Devils team trying to keep building around its core, seeing its captain contribute this way only adds to the sense that there may be even more upside ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Just Changed The Metro Race In A Way Rivals Hate
The Devils made a major goaltending move by landing Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets, a deal that could reshape the Metropolitan Division picture almost immediately. New Jersey had been looking to shore up the position, and bringing in a proven netminder changes the way the rest of the division has to plan for the season ahead.
Hellebuyck arrives under a cloud after being suspended for missing preseason and training camp, but the expectation in Newark is that he can still give the Devils a much stronger presence in goal. Around the Metro, teams like the Hurricanes and Rangers were watching related talks closely, which only adds to the ripple effect of a move that opponents clearly would have preferred not to see happen. [Read more 🡒]