THW Daily - Why Flames Made Mistake With Ryan Huska Hire & Penguins’ Jake Guentzel Could Be Ideal Fit for Oilers
Also, the debut of the PWHL, a quality trade chip in Boston & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have why the Flames made a mistake in hiring Ryan Huska as head coach, how Penguins forward Jake Guentzel is an ideal fit for the Oilers, the debut of the PWHL, and much more.
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Hockey History: Islanders Rookie Rewind: Bryan Trottier by Matthew Zator
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Philadelphia Flyers: Flyers Flash: Inconsistent Offense, Elite Goaltending by Justin Giampietro
St. Louis Blues: Through 36 Games: What Do The Blues Look Like? by Ethan Carter
2024 World Juniors Are Underway - Check Out Our THW Coverage:
Yesterday’s Scores…
PWHL Shines in League Opener on New Year’s Day
January 2, 2024 by Mariah Stark (Holland)
On New Year’s Day, while many were watching the NHL’s Winter Classic between the Seattle Kraken and the Vegas Golden Knights in Seattle, there was another monumental game going on in Toronto between New York and Toronto of the Profesional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
This game was a long time coming and had several celebrity and NHL viewers. Players like Sydney Brodt, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Maddie Rooney, GiGi Marvin, Hillary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin, and many other big names will now call this league home. In this article, we’ll take a look at the league, the rules, the first game, and its schedule. We’ll start with some background about the league itself.
Flames Made a Big Mistake by Hiring Ryan Huska
January 2, 2024 by Rupert McDonald
From a roster standpoint, the Calgary Flames didn’t make a ton of changes this offseason. The biggest move saw Tyler Toffoli traded to the New Jersey Devils, but other than that, they saw nothing other than some depth pieces moved in and out. The same cannot be said for their staff, however.
The first change came to the front office, as Brad Treliving departed as the Flames’ general manager and was replaced shortly thereafter by Craig Conroy. Meanwhile, Darryl Sutter was relieved of his head coaching duties, and Conroy chose to replace him from within the organization, promoting Ryan Huska from his prior assistant coaching role. Many fans were skeptical of the hire at the time, and through 34 games, it seems that skepticism was warranted.
3 Maple Leafs Who Need to be Better in 2024
January 2, 2024 by Peter Baracchini
Now that 2023 is in the rear-view mirror, it’s time for all of us to look forward to 2024. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, they definitely could use a fresh start to the new year as 2023 was a mixed bag of results in regards to their overall play.
Especially when it comes to specific players that really haven’t quite had the success or found their footing on the team this season. When the calendar flips to the new year it’s always a great opportunity for everyone to regroup and refocus on what lies ahead. As 2024 kicks off, here are three players who need a fresh start and need to turn things around in the new year for the Maple Leafs.
Why Are the Red Wings Allowing So Many Goals?
January 2, 2024 by Tony Wolak
That was a rough month of December for the Detroit Red Wings. After a strong start to the season, the Red Wings closed out the calendar year with 10 losses in 15 games – not ideal for a playoff push.
They’ve also given up a lot of goals as of late – 4.27 per game in December, to be exact. That’s the most in the NHL during that span. The most. More than the bottom-feeding San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Columbus Blue Jackets. What’s going on with the Red Wings? Why are they giving up so many goals? I dove into the numbers and analyzed their recent play to find out.
NHL Insider Links Penguins’ Jake Guentzel as Ideal Fit for Oilers
January 2, 2024 by Jim Parsons
It’s not something that the Pittsburgh Penguins are likely considering now. It’s also not something the Edmonton Oilers can currently afford. Still, one NHL insider has linked Jake Guentzel to the Oilers in an “ideal” trade deadline deal should the Penguins look to sell and the Oilers feel the need to fill a potential void.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Chris Johnston examined some of the bigger names that could be traded this season, and pegged Guentzel fairly close to the top of his list. While co-author of the piece, Pierre LeBrun, linked Guentzel to the New York Rangers, Johnston said, “no buyer makes more sense than Edmonton.”
Jake DeBrusk May Be Bruins’ Best Trade Chip
January 2, 2024 by Drew Johnson
I’ll preface this by saying, let’s hope I’m wrong, and Jake DeBrusk goes on to win multiple Stanley Cups with the Boston Bruins. I hope his number is retired, he’s inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and this article becomes a stain on my portfolio.
With that said, Jake DeBrusk’s time with the Bruins could be coming to an end. Despite a resurgence to end the calendar year, No. 74 is likely Boston’s greatest trade chip heading into the trade deadline.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Winnipeg Jets - Jets’ Top 3 Performers From December
New York Islanders - Which Islanders Stay & Go When the Roster is Healthy?
Toronto Maple Leafs - Bertuzzi’s Lack of Scoring Should Raise Maple Leafs Concerns
NHL News & Rumors - Maple Leafs, Bruins, Devils, Wild
From TSN - Jets' Perfetti: Hartman admitted high-stick was deliberate retaliation
From Sportsnet - 12 storylines that will help shape the NHL in 2024
From ESPN - Canada knocked out of junior hockey worlds; U.S. into semifinals
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