Might it be a Stanley Cup Final preview in Edmonton on Tuesday?
The Oilers will host the Washington Capitals, who own the NHL’s best record at 31-20-5. With wins in eight of their last ten games, the Oilers are just six points back of the Capitals for the most points in the league, so this game will have a major impact on the race for the Presidents’ Trophy.
Over at Daily Faceoff, the Capitals topped this week’s Power Rankings, with the Oilers reaching second place for the first time this season.
1. Washington Capitals: The Capitals are currently rocking a four-game win streak, a 10-game point streak and have gone 8-1-3 since Alex Ovechkin returned (who surprisingly “only” has six goals in the 12 games). All is well in Washington right now (ON THE ICE), and it seems like Hunter and I agree on that.2. Edmonton Oilers: Going into Saturday’s game against the Canucks, the Oilers had nine wins in their last 10 games, and Leon Draisaitl was playing arguably the best hockey of his career with seven goals and 14 points in that span. Not only that, but Evan Bouchard is looking more like the guy who was a horse on Edmonton’s blueline last spring, firing bombs from the point and taking lessons from the University of Al MacInnis. Their loss to Vancouver was a tough one, and it looks like Connor McDavid will receive supplemental discipline, but at the same time, if someone is going to wrestle the best player in the world and the refs won’t call a penalty, I don’t mind said best player taking matters into his own hands.
Dec 23, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller (9) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) talk during a stop in play against the San Jose Sharks in the first period at Rogers Arena.
‘He’s well aware of it’: Canucks GM Patrik Allvin on Elias Pettersson’s struggles
Elias Pettersson’s season has been under heavy scrutiny this year – and that continued during Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin’s media availability on Monday.
Pettersson has 29 points in 39 games in 2024-25, putting him on pace for just 56 points. That would be his lowest output in a full campaign, which is a tough pill to swallow given he’s in the first year of an eight-year contract worth $11.6 million per season.
Considered to be one of Vancouver’s biggest stars, Pettersson has three points in his past 12 games – with his struggles being amplified given all the trade talk surrounding both him and J.T. Miller.
“I think he’s well aware of it,” said Allvin about Pettersson’s struggles. “He takes ownership. It’s a process for him to become a star player in the league. The work that he’s putting in, it’s not a finished product yet.”
Nov 3, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson (4) skates with the puck against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Marek: Why a Flames trade deadline fire sale is off the table for now
I wonder how many teams have had to cast out bigger trade nets with the Calgary Flames still in playoff contention this deep into January? There was very much the belief that the Flames would have fallen apart by now and GM Craig Conroy would be setting up his deadline deals, but Calgary is in a Wildcard spot. That’s great for them, but teams hoping to get business done in Alberta are now having to look elsewhere.
For now.
Prices now for top players remain high. It very much sounds like a top prospect plus a first-round pick is the opening price of doing business if you want a high-end player around the deadline.
Dec 19, 2023; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) celebrates his power play goal against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) with center Brock Nelson (29) and center Kyle Palmieri (21) during the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Seravalli: For Brock Nelson, Islanders can expect to get similar return as Elias Lindholm and Bo Horvat
We’re just over six weeks from the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline and we’ve got you covered at Daily Faceoff with at least one trade-focused story every day until Deadline Day.
Today we continue our player profile series with New York Islanders center Brock Nelson, who is the No. 1 ranked player on our Trade Targets board. Despite the fact Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said a couple weeks back that it “wasn’t even a thought” as to whether he’d (uncharacteristically) sell at the deadline, it should be a no-brainer that even a career-long Islander like Nelson is on the move.
Without hesitation, Nelson is the top center available on the rental market in 2025. He is versatile, competitive and doesn’t have any obvious flaws or holes in his game as a complete player. Nelson can be a fixture on either power play unit in either the net-front spot or in the bumper position. He can also kill penalties utilizing his reach to eliminate passing lanes.
