THW Daily - Week 19 NHL Power Rankings & Maple Leafs Need to Address Depth Scoring
Also, Flames' Huberdeau starting to figure it out, the latest from St. Louis & more
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In today’s edition, we have power rankings for Week 19 in the NHL, why the Maple Leafs need to address their depth-scoring issues, and much more.
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Check Out Some THW Premium Substack Content:
Chicago Blackhawks: Brooke's Blackhawks Blurbs: Return to the Rink, Injury Updates & Winter Classics by Brooke LoFurno
Edmonton Oilers: Oilers Overtime: Trade Deadline Primer... Everything I'm Hearing by Jim Parsons
Tampa Bay Lightning: Time to Bolt Audio Report: Sergachev Undergoes Surgery, Out Indefinitely by Harrison Smajovits
Philadelphia Flyers: Flyers Flash: Back in Business by Justin Giampietro
Buffalo Sabres: Dylan Cozens' Disappointing 2023-24 Season by JP Gambatese
Montreal Canadiens: Canadiens Passing on Michkov Was the Right Move by Trege Wilson
New Jersey Devils: Behind Timo Meier's Disappointing 2023-24 Season by JP Gambatese
New York Rangers: Rangers Weekly Audio Report: Bonino Termination and Kakko Trade Talks by Jesse Courville-Lynch
Toronto Maple Leafs: Maple Leafs Prospect Update: Easton Cowan, Dennis Hildeby & More by Anthony Testaguzza
Check Out THW’s Professional Women’s Hockey League Coverage
Yesterday’s Scores…
Blackhawks Have 3 Options to Fix Lukas Reichel
February 12, 2024 by Gail Kauchak
The Chicago Blackhawks have lost the first two games after the All-Star Break and have now dropped six games in a row, which is a record for the season. This doesn’t come as a big surprise; the team is still without the services of Connor Bedard, and they’re having trouble scoring without him. But one player that’s really struggled is Lukas Reichel. He was hoping a visit from his parents and a reset over the break would help him. But in the first two contests of February, that hasn’t been the case.
At this point, the Blackhawks don’t seem to know what to do to light a fire under Reichel. It’s been a topic of conversation all season long among the Blackhawks’ faithful; what can be done to get Reichel going? Let’s look at how the 21-year-old got to this point, weigh some of the options being discussed, and examine the pros and cons of these choices.
NHL 2023-24 Power Rankings: Week 19
February 12, 2024 by Eugene Helfrick
Since returning from the 2024 All-Star weekend held in Toronto, it feels like the NHL had its most ‘normal’ week of the season. No coaches were fired, trades completed, or teams moved (despite one franchise’s best efforts).
That’s not to say that there still isn’t a lot to talk about, but it’s more about the on-ice product instead of whatever is happening off it. As teams return from their All-Star breaks, you see a typical dip in productivity that occurs whenever someone has to get back into the flow of things after a few days off. We all have experienced this in our lives, so it should come as no surprise that top athletes also have a post-holiday hangover. On the ice, we saw an end to the Edmonton Oilers’ winning streak on Tuesday, which abruptly stopped one of the best storylines of the season. 16-straight wins was an incredible run by Edmonton, but now it’s back to reality, which often leads to a letdown and a handful of losses as well.
Should the Red Wings Trade Jonatan Berggren?
February 12, 2024 by Tony Wolak
It’s been an interesting year for Detroit Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren. Detroit’s 2018 second-round pick has dominated in the AHL this season—14 goals and 36 points in 33 games—but that hasn’t been enough to warrant a full-time NHL role. When he has been called upon to contribute at the NHL level, he has – Berggren has five points in nine contests, averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time per game. On top of this, there has been speculation that Berggren could be on the trade block.Â
Given the AHL production, lack of NHL ice time, and the rumors, you have to wonder what’s in store for Berggren. Does he have a future in Detroit? Or is he, in fact, a trade chip? Let’s explore this further.
Flames’ Huberdeau Getting Back to Being a Star-Calibre Player
February 12, 2024 by Rupert McDonald
It took quite some time, but Calgary Flames fans will gladly admit, later is better than never. It really appeared as though Jonathan Huberdeau’s struggles may simply be a player who just lost the talent he once had. The 30-year-old recorded just 55 points in his first season with the Flames, and was even worse through the first half of 2023-24.
As bad as Huberdeau was this season, he is now playing his best hockey as a Flame. With two points in Saturday afternoon’s win over the New York Islanders, he now has 15 points through his last 15 games. It isn’t as if he is simply lucking out on secondary assists, either, as he has been very noticeable on the ice on plenty of occasions throughout the stretch.
Maple Leafs’ Next Move Needs to Address Depth Scoring
February 12, 2024 by Andrew Forbes
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had one of their more inconsistent seasons as far as overall play in recent memory — especially under Sheldon Keefe. Conversations amongst the fan base seem to hover over the idea of the team needing better goaltending or finding a piece to sure up their back end.
The team has been rumoured to be in on players like David Savard and Chris Tanev, but not enough of the conversation has surrounding the team’s clear lack of depth scoring. Take their last few games as a prime example of what the team is lacking. As for addressing it, we won’t start the rumour mill, but THW’s own Spencer Lazary shared some good pieces that the team could look to acquire as the NHL’s Trade Deadline quickly approaches.
With that, here’s a look at how the Maple Leafs have faired offensively over the past few games.
Blues News & Rumors: 2025 Winter Classic, Chychrun Rumor
February 12, 2024 by Mike Meyer
In a shortened week the St. Louis Blues have returned to action. However, despite a lack of games on the schedule, the team remained at the forefront of the news cycle. Here’s a look at the latest Blues news and rumors from the past week.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Calgary Flames - Flames’ Weegar On His Way To Historic 2023-24 Season
Nashville Predators - Predators Shake Up Offense in Effort to Remain in Playoff Race
Tampa Bay Lightning - Tampa Bay Lightning’s Most Important Players for Playoff Push
NHL News & Rumors - Penguins, Oilers, Kraken, Sharks, Maple Leafs
From TSN - IIHF upholds ban on Russia, Belarus for 2024-25 season
From Sportsnet - NHL Rumour Roundup: Can the Devils work out a big trade for Markstrom or Saros?
From ESPN - Maple Leafs brace for stretch without defenseman Morgan Rielly
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