THW Daily - Blue Jackets’ Fantilli Making Team History & Sabres’ Observations From First Month
Also, early season thoughts on the Atlantic Division, two teams that are emerging as trade partners & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have rookie Adam Fantilli making team history for Columbus, observations from the first month for the Sabres, early season thoughts on the Atlantic Division, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Early-Season Atlantic Standings: Bruins, Maple Leafs & the Battle Below
November 17, 2023 by The Old Prof
With the first part of the NHL season unfolding, the Atlantic Division has become a battleground of hockey teams fighting for position in a highly competitive division.
The surprising Boston Bruins have been dominant again this season. They’ve set the tone and led the division with a strong record. The Florida Panthers are proving that their Stanley Cup journey last season wasn’t a fluke. They’re in second place and are asserting themselves as legitimate contenders. Putting up a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games doesn’t hurt.
Blue Jackets’ Fantilli Makes Team History in Latest Loss
November 17, 2023 by Mark Scheig
Adam Fantilli arrived at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night for Hockey Fights Cancer Night with some extra motivation. He donned a pair of lavender shoes while thinking of his grandmother Mariola who is undergoing cancer treatments. Fantilli went out and played a historic game Thursday night with her at the top of his mind. Despite losing the game 3-2 to the Arizona Coyotes, he did something no Blue Jackets’ rookie has done since 2003.
Bruins & Flames Emerging as Potential Trade Partners
November 17, 2023 by Michael DeRosa
After Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci announced their retirements this offseason, the Boston Bruins‘ need for help down the middle increased greatly.
Because of this, they were connected to a few centers during the center, and Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm was one of them. While the Bruins did not acquire the 28-year-old before the start of the season, their chances of landing him now could be higher. Let’s take a dive into why this is the case now.
Oilers’ Players Believe They Let Jack Campbell Down
November 17, 2023 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
The Edmonton Oilers have gone through some changes in recent days, as they first decided to send Jack Campbell to the American Hockey League (AHL) to play with the Bakersfield Condors, followed by firing now-former head coach Jay Woodcroft and former assistant coach Dave Manson.
The Oilers have replaced their head coach with Kris Knoblauch, while Calvin Pickard has replaced Campbell between the pipes. While fans are wondering what the next step is for the team and are hoping these changes will be enough to turn the Oilers’ season around, there were some players who placed the blame on themselves following Campbell’s demotion.
3 Sabres Observations From the First Month of the Season
November 17, 2023 by Matthew Morris
The Buffalo Sabres are notorious for starting a new season hot but then quickly fizzling, particularly when the calendar flips to November, which makes the beginning of the 2023-24 season puzzling. Thus far, neither of those things has happened. The Sabres have turned in a few impressive performances but have been quite lousy at times as well. They currently sit at 7-8-1 with 15 points, good enough for 13th in the Eastern Conference as of Nov. 16.
While not an ideal start given that they’re expected to make the playoffs this year, it hasn’t been catastrophic either and the Sabres can easily turn things around if they can find some consistency. Now that the season is thoroughly underway, let’s look at a few things that currently stand out in Buffalo.
3 Trade Targets For Rangers’ Right-Wing Vacancy
November 17, 2023 by Lucas Standel
With the Patrick Kane return rumors being shut down this week, the New York Rangers will be looking elsewhere for somebody to help fill the void they currently have on the right wing. The only fit that has worked so far is Alexis Lafreniere playing on the right wing on the line with Artemi Panarin.
The other top-six options that have not worked are Blake Wheeler and Kaapo Kakko. If the Rangers want to stay on top of the Metropolitan Division, they will need another top-six option that can fit on the line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Here are three potential trade options for the Rangers to consider as the season goes along.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Colorado Avalanche - Avalanche’s 2023-24 Start Reminiscent of Stanley Cup Season
Boston Bruins - Bruins’ Pastrnak Chasing Historic Goal-Scoring Company
Montreal Canadiens - Canadiens Wisely Working on a Montembeault Extension
NHL News & Rumors - Maple Leafs, Bruins, Ducks
From TSN - Canucks, Pettersson taking patient approach in negotiations
From Sportsnet - Flames rookie Pospisil taking more calculated approach after career scare
From ESPN - Sabres' Tage Thompson (wrist) out 'less than a couple of months'
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