THW Daily - Sam Girard Braces for Return With Avalanche & the Resurgence of Goaltender Petr Mrazek in Chicago
Also, tough decisions looming in Toronto, the deeper issues in Tampa Bay & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have the return of Sam Girard coming in Colorado, the resurgence of goaltender Petr Mrazek in Chicago, the tough decisions coming for the Maple Leafs, and much more.
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Philadelphia Flyers: Flyers Flash: A Quick Turnaround by Justin Giampietro
Tampa Bay Lightning: What the Numbers Tell Us After 35 Games by Jordan Orth
Colorado Avalanche: Avalanche Prospect Update: Ritchie, Behrens, Hanzel & More by Stefano Rubino
New York Rangers: Rangers Prospect Report: Roobroeck, Othmann & More by Jesse Courville-Lynch
NHL News & Rumours: Are the Bruins Looking for a Winger? Could the Devils Make a Huge Deal? by Jim Parsons
Vancouver Canucks: Canucks Prospect Report: World Juniors, Lekkerimaki, Willander, Brzustewicz & More by Matthew Zator
Winnipeg Jets: Prospect Round-Up: Lambert, Chibrikov Leading AHL Team by Jacob Billington
2024 World Juniors Are Underway - Check Out Our THW Coverage:
Finland Earns First Win of 2024 WJC with 4-0 Shutout of Latvia
[Premium] 2024 WJC: Biggest Storylines at the Halfway Point by Logan Horn
Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Oilers Insider Calls Jack Campbell Signing “Unmitigated Disaster”
December 29, 2023 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
The Edmonton Oilers have been an interesting team to watch this season. They started the season terribly but have since turned it around and have found themselves battling back to the top of the Pacific Division. One member of the Oilers who has made headlines and stood out, not in a positive way, is goaltender Jack Campbell. The Oilers chose to send him down to the minors earlier this season after a horrific start between the pipes, and he hasn’t been able to find his game in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors either.
The Oilers have decided not to make a trade to improve their goaltending tandem just yet and instead recalled Calvin Pickard from the Condors to play as a backup to Stuart Skinner. They have fared well without Campbell and have fought back to bring themselves back to playoff contention. However, there are still several issues the Oilers need to address including their defensive depth and acquiring a new goalie before they can be considered Stanley Cup contenders like they were before the start of the new season.
Avalanche’s Girard Braces for Return
December 29, 2023 by Kerry Collins
This season, the Colorado Avalanche have struggled to build team chemistry with several new players, which has led to inconsistency, and there are a few nagging injuries that haven’t helped either. Many Avalanche faithful unsurprisingly smacked the panic button – even though the team ranks third in the Western Conference and leads the Central Division.
For the past month, defenseman Samuel Girard hasn’t been concerned with any of the drama going on with the team – and it’s because he’s selfish. However, that’s a good thing. Girard stepped away from the team on Nov. 24 to enter the NHL’s Player Assistance Program. After a month away, he’s poised to make his return soon. Not only will the Avalanche welcome the defenseman back, but they should also respect what Girard has done to return.
Giordano’s Return Leaves Leafs, Keefe With Tough Decisions
December 29, 2023 by Andrew Forbes
It’s been about a month that the Toronto Maple Leafs have played without the services of their grizzled veteran defenceman, Mark Giordano. The 40-year-old has been out of the lineup since late November with a broken finger and up until last Friday has only skated a few times during the team’s morning skates. That said, he participated in his first full skate with the team on Dec. 22 and has been penciled in for the team’s upcoming contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29 — a return that will certainly lead to some tough decisions for head coach Sheldon Keefe and the Maple Leafs.
Throughout the season so far, the Maple Leafs have dealt with a number of injuries on their blue line, including missed time from Timothy Liljegren, Conor Timmins and Giordano among others. During that time, the team has been forced to lean on their call-ups in the hopes of discovering some much needed depth within their system. According to Keefe, that depth has provided just what the team’s needed, making this next decision even more difficult.
3 Centers That the Rangers Can Trade For
December 29, 2023 by Lucas Standel
As the season continues along, the uncertainty around Filip Chytil continues to grow. He has not played since Nov. 2, 2023, after getting injured in the game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He is currently out with a concussion, which is believed to be the fourth of his career. While Chytil is skating on his own, it is uncertain when he will return to practice.
The Rangers have two great centers with Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck, but they would rather have someone else than Nick Bonino centering their third line. Bonino is a great fourth-line center, but he is over-exposed in a third-line role. If Chytil continues to be out for the majority of the season, the Rangers will need to consider trading for a third-line center. Here are their potential options.
Blackhawks’ 3 Up, 3 Down: Player Returns, Bedard & More
December 29, 2023 by Brooke LoFurno
Welcome to the recurring Blackhawks’ 3 Up, 3 Down column. Although much can go wrong during the course of a hockey season, there is just as much good news from these reads along the way. Not to worry if you can’t seem to find any such stories yourself, as we’ll do the digging for you!
The Chicago Blackhawks were in a stretch where everything crumbled simultaneously. Whether it was injuries, epic collapses, or losing streaks, the team desperately needed a good bounce, especially after two embarrassing losses before Christmas. Here are the highlights as the Blackhawks head into the New Year.
Andrei Vasilevskiy’s Return Reveals Deeper Issues with Lightning
December 29, 2023 by Nick Haydon
After three straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, the Tampa Bay Lightning exited the playoffs early last season. This departure provided a depleted team with some much-needed time to rest and heal, positioning the team to make another strong push this season.
Unfortunately, news emerged in September that goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy would miss two months after undergoing back surgery. Early adversity can often fortify a team, and many, including myself, saw Vasilevskiy’s absence as an opportunity for the team to establish themselves without the superstar goaltender, only to be boosted by his return. Anyone who has watched the Lightning since Vasilevskiy’s first game on Nov. 24 knows that this has been anything but the case.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Detroit Red Wings - Patrick Kane Should Be a Red Wing Beyond This Season
Toronto Maple Leafs - Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Matthews, Nylander & Samsonov
Edmonton Oilers - Favorable Upcoming Schedule Will Propel Oilers’ Playoff Chances
NHL News & Rumors - Bruins, Oilers, Devils, Maple Leafs
From TSN - Ex-NHLer Ritchie suspended in Finland for on-ice incident
From Sportsnet - Three questions for the Maple Leafs to answer and why it's time to experiment
From ESPN - Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski (lower body) week-to-week
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