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After spending a total of 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins, Brad Marchand now begins his next chapter with the Florida Panthers. It has been quite a whirlwind of a season for Marchand, and it is expected that the star will try to find his way to fit into the squad now that he is joining a contender team that is still on the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. Marchand was the captain for the Boston Bruins since last season when Patrice Bergeron retired from the game. So for the team to trade him for a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft says a lot about the path that the Bruins are taking after years of highly competitive and successful seasons. Marchand was originally slated to become a free agent by July 1st, and being unable to agree on a new contract with Boston was never easy, but nevertheless a better choice than to test his worth on the free agency market. Now he is seeking a renewed chance to win another Stanley Cup to make the most of his chances. A Historic Boston Run Marchand has been a pivotal player for the Boston Bruins, who now have plummeted to the 12th spot in the Eastern Conference with a 29-28-8 record in the season after being one fo the contenders in the playoffs last year. Trading him away seemed like a way forward rather than to gamble his value on the market in the offseason. “It is very tough when you have to deal with the business side of things," Marchand said. “You know, I have had an incredible run in that organization, and I am extremely proud of how things went there. It was disappointing things didn't get done, just because I love the organization and wanted to stay there. But I know this is a business and every player has a shelf life. Selected no. 71 overall in the 2006 NHL Draft, Marchand has been a legendary figure in Bruins history, being the fourth overall in total games played at 1,090 and fifth in total points with 976 (coming off 422 goals and 554 assists). He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011 and last played in the Final in 2019, where they lost to the St. Louis Blues in seven games. This is quite a storied trade, considering that Florida was the one to eliminate Boston in the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Now he joins his 4 Nations teammates in Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart on the same lineup aside from playing for Canada. A New Chapter Following a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres, Marchand is now slated to play in a Florida jersey for the rest of the season, but feels that he would rather be here than ride out the rest of the campaign with Boston after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract. “It has been a whirlwind the past few days," Marchand said Monday. “It's sad to leave a place I look at as home. I have a lot of great memories in Boston, a lot of incredible years there. But it is extremely exciting to be part of such an incredible group here.” So far, Florida stands as the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a 40-21-3 record for 83 points as of the time of writing, but way behind the Washington Capitals, who have a 42-14-8 record for 92 points.

At the age of 23, Jack Hughes has been really an impressive performer in his own right and has certainly ignited the New Jersey Devils fanbase this season. However, he will now be out for the rest of the season after coming up with a shoulder surgery this Wednesday. The star is expected to come up with a full recovery in the coming months and will be definitely ready for training camp when it comes up. Jack Hughes has been an absolute performer for most of the season, effectively carrying the New Jersey Devils to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. However, since his injury, the team has plummeted back to the sixth seed after a phenomenal start so far. Now it seems that they are back to the drawing board once more and is likely to fall from playoff contention if they continue to lose games. Selected first overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, Hughes has risen to stardom with the way he has grown in his games, and it seems that he was even poised for a promising run as the MVP this season. However, it seems that Hughes’ big game will now have to be put at a pause for now as he is slated to recover while the Devils try to salvage what is left of what used to be an amazing season so far. A Big Loss for New Jersey It can be remembered that Jack Hughes also had a surgery on his shoulder back in April 2024 and went on to miss the final four games of the regular season back then. He would go on to return to the team’s training camp and has not missed a game since. Being injured at this point – a crucial stretch in the season – definitely hurts the Devils’ chances at a massive scale. "Jack's a very important player, so the whole group was feeling for him the other night, myself and the coaching staff included," Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday, before the extent of the injury was known. "Injuries are part of the game but just the nature of it and all of that makes it tougher and also knowing what he's been through in the past." Hughes tops off the Devils in almost every single category this season. He is the team leader in goals, (27), game-winners (7), shots on goal (229) and average ice time (20:54) among forwards. His total of 70 points matches Jesper Bratt for first and is second in assists (43) behind the latter’s 53 total. Dawson Mercer took over Hughes’ spot in the second line, joining Ondrej Palat and Tomas Tatar to begin the game in Dallas. That game ended up in a whopping 4-3 loss for the team. Devils Odds Crashing The Devils opened up the odds of the season at +1300. But after a series of tough losses down the stretch has set them back to the odds of +1700 at worst. Standing at 33-24-6 in the season, the Devils now have a total of 19 games left after Hughes was declared out for the season. The team still ranks third in the Metropolitan Division and stands four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are two games less in total played. The Devils return hom,e on Friday after wrapping up its five-game road trip to play the Winnipeg Jets at the Prudential Center. The team has been 7-7-0 since January 22 and has gone cold at 9-11-3 to start off 2025.

The Toronto Maple Leafs needed overtime to edge the Pittsburgh Penguins at the PPG Paints Arena as they escaped with a 6-5 victory to extend their winning streak to five games in a row. Toronto now finds itself at the front of the Atlantic division and just six points behind the East-leading Washington Capitals in the standings. The Maple Leafs managed to tally 46 wins last season, and now it seems that they are on the pace to surpass that mark as they have now rallied for their fifth straight win, which is the second-longest winning streak in the NHL right now behind the Tampa Bay Lightning’s eight in a row. It seems that Toronto is playing on a hot pace and may well be on the way to come up with an impressive push on the East heading into the final stretches of the campaign. So far, Toronto is seeking to be the first Canadian team to win a championship in any North American sport since the Raptors did in the NBA back in 2019, and the second Toronto team to come up with the feat as well. This season may well be that big break that they are looking for quite some time now. Winning Winnable Games Since losing to their Canadian rivals in the Vancouver Canucks, the Toronto Maple Leafs would go on to win five straight, including this huge victory against the Penguins. The Maple Leafs took down the Carolina Hurricanes (6-3), Chicago Blackhawks (5-2), Boston Bruins (5-4), and the New York Rangers (3-2) before this win against Pittsburgh. So far, it took overtime for the Maple Leafs to bring down the Penguins. A game-winner from William Nylander 1:00 into overtime proved to be the pivotal play that closed down the door against Pittsburgh as they rallied twice to claim a win in this game on the road. It was also the second overtime game they played in their last three. “It’s good to win those games,” Nylander said of the massive overtime win for the Maple Leafs. “It’s the positive thing that you can take away from it. Even though we’re not playing great, we’re still able to win the game.” Auston Matthews came up with a goal and an assist as he now logged 700 NHL points, while Matthew Knies managed to bring up a goal and an assist of his own to boost the Leafs. Joseph Woll also played a huge role in helping Toronto come up with a promising clutch defense with 29 saves, now winning eight of their last nine games as well. A Big Night for Matthews Aside from logging 700 points, Auston Matthews also scored his 390th NHL goal, which now puts him ahead of the legendary Darryl Sittler in Maple Leafs scoring history. He now eyes Mats Sundin’s record of 420 goals with the team while also logging a nine-game point streak, now standing at 13 points coming off two goals and 11 assists. “It’s nice. It’s nice to be in the same sentence as a guy like Darryl Sittler,” Matthews said. “Obviously, a great Leaf. He paved the way for some of us out here today. So, it’s a big honor to be in the same sentence.” Matthews now has 51 points on the season with 22 goals and 29 assists in 45 games and is +4 on his games as well. He is coming off a 107-point season in 2023-24 when he finished the campaign with 69 goals and 38 assists.

For years, the Winnipeg Jets have been one of the NHL’s most passionate and determined teams, but something special has clicked this season. Once considered underdogs, they are now not just a playoff team but arguably the best team in the NHL. So far, there are high expectations for the team, and it is starting to become a reality. The NHL is no stranger to fierce competition, but in the 2023-2024 season, one team has managed to outshine all others: the Winnipeg Jets. With a record of 41-14-3, the Jets have not only dominated the league but have also proven they are a serious contender for the Stanley Cup. What stands out most about this record is their consistency. The Jets have managed to maintain a winning pace for much of the season, thanks to a balanced roster that excels both offensively and defensively. In fact, their goal differential (which currently sits at +32) is one of the best in the league, a key indicator of their well-rounded game. Huge Performances from Top Players One of the key factors behind the Jets’ success is their balanced offensive attack. They have depth in every line, and it’s not just one or two players carrying the load. Winnipeg boasts a plethora of scoring options, from their top line led by Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Blake Wheeler, to strong secondary scoring from the likes of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nikolaj Ehlers. The ability to roll four lines that can all score has made them difficult to defend, especially when their power play is clicking at such a high rate. Well, there’s no defensive concerns for the Jets, because at the heart of the Jets’ success is their rock-solid goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. Known for his consistency and ability to steal games, Hellebuyck has been nothing short of exceptional this season. With a .924 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average, he’s once again proving why he's one of the league’s top netminders. Mind you, he’s also one of the top candidates for the MVP now more than ever, which says a lot about his value in the squad at this point in time. A significant part of Winnipeg’s success has been their power play and penalty kill. While the Jets' power play has been clicking at an impressive rate (currently sitting among the league's top 10), it’s their penalty kill that really sets them apart. They have one of the most successful PK units in the league, killing penalties at an 85% clip, making them a tough team to score against even when they are short-handed. How the Odds Look for the Jets The Winnipeg Jets started out the season with odds of +2100, which was one of the top five picks to win it all. However, as the season progressed, the Jets continued to rain down impressive performances and eventually snagged a promising lead to the top of the Western Conference. So far, the Jets now stand with the best odds of winning at +800, just trailing the Edmonton Oilers behind with the latter set at +650 best odds to win. Looking ahead, the Jets will need to maintain their form as the regular season winds down and the playoffs loom large. However, the way they’ve been playing, there’s no reason why they can’t be one of the favorites come playoff time. With their defense, goaltending, and balanced attack, they’ve proven they are capable of matching up against any team.

Now up to 29 goals in 41 games this season, Alex Ovechkin finds himself even closer to the NHL’s all-time goals record of 894 – and he has 25 games left to play this season. The Capitals star led the way for Washington to come up with a 7-3 victory to beat the reigning Western Conference champions in the Edmonton Oilers. One game at a time, Ovechkin has been slowly chipping away at the 894-goal record set by the legendary Wayne Gretzky. With his 32nd hat trick overall, it seems that Ovechkin’s impressive game is seeing a lot of promise at this point in time, and he is surely not slowing down as he has now tallied 882 goals overall in his career. Washington has now logged an 11-0-5 record in its last 16 home games, and they are certainly making their presence felt in the league as one of its best teams, and Ovechkin is showing promising strides now more than ever. So far, this has been one of their blazing seasons, and it definitely resounds of a potential championship run as well. A Big Campaign for Washington Ovechkin has been phenomenal in his scoring so far, and he knows that one game at a time, passing Gretzky’s record seems more possible than ever. Today, he has seen impressive chances to score even more than three goals, and it shows just how aggressive he has been for most of the game so far. “I thought [that was] as good as we’ve played all season from start to finish,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “We were so dialed in from puck drop to the end of that game - the bench, not only what guys were vocalizing on the bench, but what they were going and doing every shift after shift after shift against as good a team as there is in the League on a back-to-back.” Dylan Strome registered a goal and two assists, and Tom Wilson and Jakob Chychrun each had a goal and an assist as the Capitals (38-11-8) rolled past the Pittsburgh Penguins 8-3 on Saturday. Washington extended its unbeaten run to 5-0-3 over the past eight games. Aliaksei Protas chipped in three assists, while Charlie Lindgren made 22 saves in the win. Washington’s 16-game home point streak has been the second-longest by the franchise after setting a 17-point run in 2016-17. On top of that, Ovechkin’s hat trick was nearly a nine-goal outing as he had nine shots on goal that could have been a historic night for the star. Oilers on the Losing Ground The Oilers, on the other hand, have now seen Connor McDavid on a -3 for a third straight game, joined by forwards Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin. Despite Leon Draisaitl extending for 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in his eight-game streak, it seems that the Oilers still aren’t that stable enough to come up with a lot of wins at this point in time. “I thought it was an excellent start,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Good pace, both teams skating well, chances at both ends, goaltenders made some really big saves. They continued that pace, and we dropped. They were able to just make a lot more plays. They were outskating us and we looked like the slow team tonight.” The Oilers came out flat, and the Capitals made sure that they’d make the most of their chances to roll out with the win. This says a lot about the energy that Washington is riding with so far.

The MVP race has been dominated for most of the season by Connor McDavid, and it seems that another star is taking over the show this time, and it is no other than his teammate Leon Draisaitl, who has been playing at a bright spot this season with a lot of high energy in the game so far. Now his odds have seen a massive lift, and he is definitely on the rise at this point. It is hard to stick out when you are playing alongside one of the best players in the game, let alone with the previous season’s best player in the Stanley Cup Final. However, it seems that Leon Draisaitl’s big game has become too good to ignore for many bookmakers to the point that he is now pegged to be the favorite to win the MVP award by the end of the 2024-25 season. Draisaitl is on a tear so far, and it is hard to slow him down with the pace he is running with right now. He is leading the resurgence for the Oilers – who started out the season way below the top five before finally making a series of short runs that have given them a pivotal push towards the top three in the Western Conference – now just a win behind the Dallas Stars for the second and a few more from the Winnipeg Jets in the first seed. Draisaitl on the Rise This season has been a big one for Draisaitl. He already has a total of 83 points coming off 43 assists and 40 goals – leading the league in goals while being ninth in most assists so far. He is also +27 in 55 games, which says a lot about how his impressive impact has been fun to watch for the Oilers as they have come back to life heading into the second half of the season. Draisaitl has notched more than 100 points in five of the last six seasons, which says a lot about his prominence in the game so far. With a lot of games to go, it is expected that this will yet be another 100-point campaign for the German star, which should definitely raise the bar for his case for the MVP at this point in time. It cannot be denied that Draisaitl has been improving his level of play, and this has been quite a pivotal time for him to take his game to the next level. At this point, it cannot be denied that there is a lot of hype surrounding Draisaitl’s chances of winning. After all, the 29-year-old center has already been named the MVP back in 2020, and it would not hurt to have him win the same award five years later considering how he has lifted the Oilers back to playoff contention once more. Topping the Odds Leon Draisaitl leads the odds for the MVP at this point with -115 across multiple sportsbooks. Reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon is second on the list with +230 at best, while league’s best goalie Connor Hellebuyck ranks out third with +280. Connor McDavid, who was leading the MVP race for most of the season before injuries derailed his pace, is still on the relevant end with the fifth spot – with the odds placing him with +1500 at the very least. This is expected to be a huge campaign for Draisaitl as he now seeks to finish the season with a bang – and hopefully continue his unfinished business in the Stanley Cup Final after nearly coming back from an 0-3 deficit last season.

The United States has never scored a win against Canada in a best-on-best international tournament. The last time US managed to win, it was in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and now that history seems to be changed now more than ever as the United States moves forward — deeper into the 4 Nations Face-Off. Jake Guentzel played hero in the win, scoring two goals to lead the way for the United States as they stole the show from Canada with a 3-1 win, shocking and thrilling 21,105 fans at the Bell Centre. So far, it has been a game to remember for USA, who hasn’t seen a best-squad assembled in a long time. This game has been somewhat a testament that US hockey is also continuously growing and improving at this point in time, and it cannot be denied that Guentzel’s big game has played a huge role in giving them a big chance to cap off a huge victory in the 4 Nations Face-Off. It has been a huge campaign for the United States. The 4 Nations Face-Off was just a mere replacement for the supposed 2025 NHL All-Star Game, and so far, it has been a huge success, which just says a lot about how much it has been a win for the league and its participants so far. Big Game Guentzel The Tampa Bay forward has been known for his electric performances in the NHL, and he brought the same energy in their game against Canada. He was crucial in sparking a huge rally for the Americans in the game after going down 0-1 early in the showdown. The United States managed to claw their way back into the game as Guentzel kept on leading the charge for most of the quarters. After falling behind 0-1 in the first period, Guentzel sparked the U.S. comeback. As the team pushed into the offensive zone, center Jack Eichel made a slick pass to Guentzel on the wing. Guentzel took a few strides toward the net before firing a low shot through Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington's five-hole to even the score. With the United States leading 2-1 in the third period, Guentzel delivered again in a crucial moment. As Canada pulled their goalie for an extra attacker, Guentzel seized the opportunity, netting his second goal of the game to seal the victory and extend the U.S. lead to 3-1. Challenging Canadian Dominance Canada has been pretty much the superior team over the United States when it comes to ice hockey – and this one did a great job of showing that USA is ready to contend at the highest level, being able to put up a fight when it mattered most. Forward Matthew Tkachuk said that it was intense, and the game lived up to the hype than what it was expected to be. "I think the message we wanted to send is 'It's our time," Matthew Tkachuk said. "We're in a hostile environment, and we wanted to show that we're not backing down. They've had so much success over so many years over there. They're some of the best players in the world. We felt in this environment it was a good time to do it. It was a lot of fun. There were a lot of face-offs in the game, and it did bring out the huge energy in both teams as they turned up the ante for the physicality, the fiery level of goal-scoring, and so on. This has been, indeed one of the best games between the United States and Canada so far.

The NHL takes on a break for now with the 4 Nations Face-Off brewing hot on the big stage, and Winnipeg Jets star goalie and top-five NHL MVP candidate Connor Hellebuyck is feeling the big game on the rise as he seeks to lead the United States to a massive finish. For now, it is expected that there will be huge changes in his approach to the game as of this time. US opens up the tournament as the favorite to win it all – and they are entering this campaign as a hot team to watch considering the fact that they have the best and the deepest when it comes to their three-man goalie depth chart. Of course, that notion is led by Hellebuyck, who is arguably the best goalie in the NHL right now. Well, it does seem that the United States are definitely getting the best for their games so far. Despite the fact that the US is ranked behind two of the four participating countries, it is easy to expect that Hellebuyck’s leadership will definitely bring a new dynamic for their winning chances. A Chance for Starting Spot Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan is yet to reveal his starters for the best-on-best tournament. However, there are high expectations that Hellebuyck would go on to be the no. 1 goalie for the team, considering that he’s been the best performer on that end in the NHL so far, and is even one of the top candidates for the MVP this season. "At this point, the season has started, let's go. I'm ready, I'm waiting," Hellebuyck said after the United States' first practice at CN Sportsplex. "This is the most practice I've had in a long time. I just want to play some games. I know there are different systems going on and you need a little bit of time, but for a goaltender it's to stop the puck. I'm ready for it." The tournament runs from February 20 at the Bell Centre and the TD Garden in Boston. The United States will play three times in five days. For starters, Hellebuyck is gunning for the starting role, and it is safe to say that he definitely deserves that spot at this point in time. Hellebuyck leads the NHL in wins (34), save percentage (.925, minimum 20 games) and goals-against average (2.06, minimum 20 games). He is coming into the tournament having won six games in a row and has been standing at 10-2-1 with a .913 save percentage and 2.22 GAA in 13 games. Other Boost for the United States Hellebuyck isn’t the only player who could play a huge role in winning for the United States at this point. There’s still the likes of Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman, with the Dallas Stars goalie coming up with 2.35 GAA and .911 save percentage in 40 games. Swayman, on the other hand, has been enjoying a special season with 18-18-4 with a 2.98 GAA and .898 save percentage in 40 games. For US captain Auston Matthews, however, this seems to be quite the advantage that they can have now more than ever, and it is safe to say that they will be having the better chance to win it all moving forward. After all, Hellebuyck is leading the charge, and this should give them a chance to show why the United States are, indeed, after all, the best of them all.

The Columbus Blue Jackets were in the midst of trying to make a climb in the Eastern Conference Standings and have gone 6-3-1 in their last ten games, and now it seems that those odds would seem to be quite on the fence with their top star in Kirill Marchenko set to miss huge games down the stretch. Marchencko sustained a broken jaw after he was struck by a puck late in their 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars last Sunday. This was a huge accident to begin with, as the star forward was not even on the rink that time, but was instead sitting on the bench when the puck hit him hard in the face. Marchenko would go on to leave the game alongside defenseman Dante Fabbro, who sustained an upper-body injury late in the first period. According to sources, Marchenko underwent a successful surgery on his jaw. While it is good news towards his health, it also means that the Blue Jackets will have to endure the next games without their leading player. This has been felt in an instant with the odds for Columbus plummeting in an instant, which says a lot about the impact of missing him in their games. No Marchenko Marchenko has played in a total of 53 games this season and has been a massive performer for the Blue Jackets. He has tallied 55 points coming off 34 assists and 21 goals and leads Columbus in both goals and plus/minus at +31. So far, they have relied him to run the offensive campaign, and it seems that they will have to find a way to roll to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference without their top star. “We lost our top pairing defenseman and our leading scorer, our top right winger,” Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli said after the game. “That’ll be rough for any team, but I think we responded well and did what we could. … I’m really hoping they are all good for next game, but we’ll see what the word is.” The Blue Jackets have already opted to bring in Dylan Gambrell on an emergency basis from Cleveland in the American Hockey League in hopes of shoring up their offensive unit. Luck will have to be on their side if they are going to keep winning and get a chance to climb in the East. A Tough Stretch Ahead Columbus entered this week sitting at the eighth spot of the Eastern Conference, which is arguably the last and likely theirs to keep given their situation right now. The team has also missed the services of veteran forwards Boone Jenner (shoulder) and Sean Monahan (wrist). In their last seven outings, the Blue Jackets have gone 5-2 and have seen an impressive stretch of performances so far. However, with Marchenko out, it means that the Blue Jackets will need to come up with a new groove that will help them stay on the winning track now more than ever. Considering how Columbus has been hanging around in the midpoint of the East, the coming games will be quite a challenge to look out for. Lucky for the team, the 4 Nations are coming in hot, and they will just have to play the Utah Hockey Club and the New York Rangers this weekend before the long break, which will give them a chance to regroup and strategize their campaign without Marchenko.

Grit has been a common trait known in the Florida Panthers for quite some time, and they showed that off with their impressive campaign after beating the New York Islanders in a massive showdown, making the most of the third quarter to cap off a huge rally that would lift them to a huge 6-3 win in front of their home crowd. Florida has now won all three of its homestand games and have now logged seven wins in its last 10, and it seems that the Panthers are steaming hot from its impressive performances and is making a stride towards the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. With promising pace, it is certain that they will get a good chance to secure the top seed in no time. The Islanders came into the game seeking its eighth win in a row, who managed to take a 3-2 lead after trailing by 0-2 in the first quarter. It seemed that they had the upper hand heading into the second half, only to blow that lead away as the game ended up tied with 2:08 left in the second thanks to an Evan Rodrigues goal, and the Panthers never looked behind to claim the win after that. The Carter Verhaeghe Show Carter Verhaeghe was the star of the game, and he made it look easy as he pulled off a hat-trick to lead the way for the Panthers. He scored the first two goals for Florida and made it look easy, showing that he could even be a reliable scorer in his own right. Verhaeghe nailed the goal just 39 seconds into the game and beat Islanders goaltender Jakub Skarek with a high backhand shot. Verhaeghe doubled the lead for the Panthers with 7:08 left to play in the first after he struck a wrist shot coming off a rebound from defenseman Gustav Forsling. The Panthers would go on to endure some of the biggest rallies from the hottest team in the league, going down 3-2 in the second before the team managed to tie it at three apiece. With 9:19 left in the game, Verhaeghe scored his third goal of the game thanks to a power play. That capped off a massive performance from Verhaeghe, and it was the first hat trick of his career in more than two years, last notching the same feat back in April 2023 when he scored a total of four goals to help beat the Columbus Blue Jackets. Climbing the Climb With the win, the Florida Panthers scored its 32nd victory of the season, good for the third spot in the Eastern Conference and just eight points behind the league-leading Washington Capitals, and a point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the second spot in the East. So far, Florida is on the pace to come up with more impressive performances heading into the second half of the season, and one can say that this is starting to hint at a deep run once more. It can be remembered that the Panthers just made its impressive stride in the previous season with a late climb in the campaign. Florida ended up clinching the first seed of the Eastern Conference and went on to lift the Stanley Cup Trophy after beating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games, staving off an 0-3 comeback. At this point, it is safe to say that the Panthers are entering their midseason form, and they are definitely doing it well, being able to win key games down the stretch while maintaining their composure.

Right winger Timo Meier’s big season spells a huge boost for the New Jersey Devils as they seek to continue their dash to the top of the Eastern Conference. The New Jersey Devils were nowhere near the top eight last season, and yet they have surged hot this year with a massive presence in the top five of the Eastern Conference. Timo Meier’s breakout season has played a huge role in helping them make winning strides so far with the 2025 campaign nearing its halfway mark. All signs point towards a star season as Timo Meier has been really a huge boost for the Devils’ climb. A trigger-happy performer, Meier has been showing a lot of potential in his games, especially in the clutch, which has given New Jersey a huge lift in its campaign for a strong finish and a chance at a deep postseason run now more than ever. Right wingers are expected to be prolific playmakers and dynamic scorers in the game, and it cannot be denied that Meier is proving his worth on that end. While he continues to surge and play at an elite level, it seems that he has more to offer in his game – a strong note that he could well be a star in the making that is embedded in New Jersey’s already talented squad of youngsters. Capped Potential In 51 games this season, Meier has already amassed a total of 35 points coming off 20 assists and 15 goals. That has been huge in helping the Devils make a deep rally in the season after missing the playoffs last year. In fact, Meier ranks fourth overall in both points, and assists while being third overall in the +/- at +11 as of the time of writing. Still, he has been leading all forwards with 263 shot attempts, but ranks ninth overall in shots on goal at 116, and shots that miss the net at 76. The puck isn’t just free-falling for him right now, and his top four in shot attempts per 60 and shot attempts per game is a proof of that note, which just means that he is indeed not getting the best out of his game yet. To cap it off, he’s even second in the league in terms of expected goals at 14.2, and yet he’s only coming up with the fifth-lowest number of Goals Above Expected at -5.2. That is a mark that doesn’t say about his shot selection, but the slump that is keeping him from playing at his best game. However, it seems to be a sign that he would be getting better now more than ever. Bigger Strides Loading? Meier was initially expected to be a premier scorer for the Devils. That plan, however, has not worked out well in his early years with New Jersey and has made him a winger beside Nico Hischier’s side, and that has delivered promising results so far. There are talks, however, of head coach Sheldon Keefe considering bringing him in the third line. That has been the place for Meier so far, especially in his campaign with the San Jose Sharks. Who knows, maybe giving him a different position in the offensive unit can give the Devils a push they need from the third line while also allowing Meier to improve his game further.