THW Daily - Shane Pinto's Gambling Suspension & Canadiens' Newest Hidden Gem
Also, 2024 NHL Draft rankings for October, Rangers' third line improvements & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have more on the Shane Pinto gambling suspension, a hidden gem found by the Habs, 2024 NHL Draft rankings for October, and much more.
It would be great if you’d share THW Daily with your friends and family so that they can subscribe and enjoy every day.
Also, don’t forget to check out all of our FREE team Substacks, and sign up for your favorite…or all of them if you want.
Here’s the good stuff…
Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Rangers’ Third Line Benefitting From Will Cuylle’s Climb
October 26, 2023 by Tom Castro
The New York Rangers’ encouraging 4-2-0 start to the 2023-24 season has been authored in large part by quick bursts out of the gate by some of their top players. Artemi Panarin is rolling along as always, with three goals and five assists. Chris Kreider’s five goals lead the team. An engaged and effective Alexis Lafreniere has responded perfectly to his promotion to the Rangers’ dynamic second line with three goals. Star goaltender Igor Shesterkin has picked right up where he left off last season.
Less visible but perhaps just as positive, however, has been the play of rookie left wing Will Cuylle, who along with Vincent Trocheck has brought an added dimension to the club’s third line, providing a lift for a bottom-six forward group that has been in need of just that for some time now.
Senators’ Pinto Suspended 41 Games for Gambling Violation
October 26, 2023 by Jacob Billington
The NHL has suspended Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto for 41 games for violating the NHL’s gambling rules. While what rules were broken is not clear or public information at this time, the NHL is not accusing Pinto of gambling on NHL games, per Elliotte Friedman.
The investigation was initiated in the summer, but Friedman reported that it gained speed over the past few weeks. The Senators put a halt to contract negotiations and Friedman also mentioned that Pinto had not requested a trade during the negotiations in part because the Senators kept this a quiet matter until the conclusion of the investigation. Friedman also confirmed that Pinto’s suspension began with the start of the Senators’ season, meaning he will be eligible to return, assuming he is signed, for the Jan. 21 game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
2024 NHL Draft Rankings – Horn’s Top 32 for October
October 26, 2023 by Logan Horn
Now that the 2023-24 season is well underway in many leagues around the world I think it’s time to establish my first top-32 rankings for the 2024 NHL Draft. Although it’s nearly a year away, I believe it’s worth taking an early look at the top rated prospects for this year so you have an idea of who to look forward to for the next few months. Some of these prospect may compete in the World Junior Championship this December so this is a chance to get to know some of the top guys before that tourney begins.
This year’s group is headlined by Macklin Celebrini, a Canadian center who has just about every tool and skill you could ask for. Celebrini is set to join Boston University next season, along with his brother Aiden (drafted by the Canucks in 2023), where he will be 17 years old for his entire freshman season. Celebrini is followed closely by Cole Eiserman, an American sniper who has been scoring goals at will to start the year.
Tracking the Maple Leafs Core Four After 6 Games
October 26, 2023 by The Old Prof
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ core four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares include four talented forwards who showcase their talent together in the team’s top two lines. They are also fixtures on the Maple Leafs’ special teams. Management has made a heavy financial investment in this quartet of stars. While it’s unusual around the NHL, Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Nylander together take up just under one-half (about 49 percent) of the team’s salary cap.
The logic of building a team around such top-tier talent has been to capitalize on their offensive prowess to create a team that can challenge for the Stanley Cup each season. The logic – although as yet unrealized – is that this core plus the supporting cast will lead the Maple Leafs to a long-awaited championship. Because these four players represent the cornerstone of the team’s success, their offensive production is critical. In this post, I want to take a look at how the team’s Core Four is producing six games into the regular season.
Oilers’ Campbell Showing Mental Growth With Team Critiques
October 26, 2023 by Sean Panganiban
It’s year two of Edmonton Oilers’ goaltender Jack Campbell’s five-year, $25 million contract and his lacklustre start is reminiscent of last season where he struggled out of the gate. He currently has a .877 save percentage (SV%) and his 4.35 goals-against average (GAA) ranks 62nd among goaltenders that have played this season.
It seemed Campbell was writing his own headlines last season with his own game analysis because it seemed like after an Oilers loss he would take 100% of the blame with harsh self-judgement, but early in Edmonton’s underwhelming season so far, it seems he’s adopting a more balanced approach.
Canadiens Find Hidden Gem in Joshua Roy
October 26, 2023 by Trege Wilson
The Montreal Canadiens have had mixed results with their drafting, especially in the Marc Bergevin-Trevor Timmins era. Even though some of their early picks have been hit or miss, they have selected some talented players in the later rounds, including Cayden Primeau, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, and Michael Pezzetta, to name a few.
One player who could be the best of all the late-round picks is Joshua Roy, drafted in the fifth round, 150th overall, in 20221, the last draft conducted by Bergevin and Timmins. If Roy continues his current scoring pace, he will have been a hidden gem for the Canadiens.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Columbus Blue Jackets - Blue Jackets’ Voronkov Set to Make Long-Awaited NHL Debut
St. Louis Blues - 3 Overreactions From Blues’ First 5 Games of 2023-24 Season
Winnipeg Jets - Jets’ Patience with Cole Perfetti the Key to his Success
NHL News & Rumors - Senators, Jets, Canadiens, Oilers
From TSN - Sens' Brannstrom leaves on stretcher vs. Islanders
From Sportsnet - NHL Power Rankings: A frightening thought for every team
From ESPN - Senators' Shane Pinto suspended 41 games for gambling
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Daily, and we hope to expand our daily offerings as we develop and experiment with this new platform. Cheers!