The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a start that only their fans could’ve dreamed up, with a 5-1-0 record and a 4.83 goals-per-game average. So we’re looking ahead and answering the big questions: Will the Maple Leafs win the East? Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: It’s not just that the Toronto Maple Leafs have

7:35 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson has been suspended for two games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for “intentionally and dangerously” slamming Vancouver Canucks rookie forward Elias Pettersson to the ice in Saturday’s game. The suspension comes after Vancouver announced that Pettersson, a 19-year-old considered one of the favorites

1:28 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN The Pittsburgh Penguins‘ blue line has suffered a significant loss, as defenseman Justin Schultz underwent surgery to repair a fracture of his lower left leg that he suffered in the first period of their 4-3 shootout loss at Montreal on Saturday. The estimated recovery time is four months, general manager

The Chicago Blackhawks became the first team in NHL history to start a season with five straight overtime games on Saturday. Alex DeBrincat scored with nine seconds left in OT to beat the Blues 4-3, the second time this season Chicago has beaten St. Louis in overtime. The New York Rangers had held the record

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews scored has 10th goal in Toronto’s sixth game of the season, thanks to a late third-period tally Saturday night in a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Matthews joins Mario Lemieux (11 goals in 1988-89) as the only players in the past 30 years with at least 10 goals

5:56 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN The girlfriend of suspended Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson released a statement on Saturday saying the incident that occurred between the two in June “was not an act of domestic violence.” Watson pleaded no contest in July to a misdemeanor domestic assault charge. Watson initially received a 27-game suspension from

NEW YORK — The NHL is criticizing an arbitrator’s decision to reduce the suspension of Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson, who pleaded no contest in July to a domestic assault charge. Watson received a 27-game suspension from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman last month. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced Thursday that arbitrator Shyam Das

SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida center Micheal Haley will be away from the team indefinitely while taking part in the NHL and NHL Players Association’s player assistance program for undisclosed reasons. Haley has not appeared in either of the two Panthers’ games this season. The 32-year-old led the NHL with 212 penalty minutes last season, while

Oct 5, 2018 Greg WyshynskiESPN I know Auston Matthews is 2 inches taller and roughly 30 pounds heavier than Connor McDavid. I know he’s roughly eight months younger than Connor McDavid. I know he has nine goals in five games this season, putting him on pace for 148 goals in the 2018-19 season, or roughly

Power-play opportunities are the nitrous oxide of fantasy hockey value. They can take an already fast car and transform it into a virtual rocket. However, such opportunities can also take an otherwise ordinary vehicle and make it appear to be something special. So, like putting a tank of nitrous oxide into the trunk of a

Auston Matthews scored twice for a league-leading nine goals — tying an NHL record after five games — and helped the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings 5-3 Thursday night. Matthews joined Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Marleau, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy as the only players in the league’s modern era to score nine times

Oct 12, 2018 Emily KaplanESPN We’re just a few games into the 2018-19 season, but there’s already been some movement in the ESPN NHL Power Rankings. Here’s our latest rundown, along with the top early health concern for all 31 teams. Note: These rankings reflect which teams our voters think would win head-to-head matchups. Higher-ranked

7:50 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson‘s 27-game suspension for domestic violence has been reduced to 18 games, the NHL and NHLPA announced in a joint statement on Thursday. The ruling came from Shyam Das, a neutral arbitrator. Watson pleaded no contest in July to a domestic assault charge. The NHL levied

Montreal Canadiens captain Shea Weber was back on the ice Thursday for the first time since having knee surgery in June. The veteran defenseman skated for about 10 minutes, and coach Claude Julien called it another step in his recovery from a torn right meniscus. When Weber had the procedure on June 19, the original

On the NHL ice, there’s really only one true goal, and that’s getting the puck into the back of the net as many times as possible. However, for many fantasy hockey managers, there’s more to the competition than simply acquiring as many goals (and assists) as you can. Here’s a round-up of a few players

WASHINGTON — Vegas Golden Knights center Paul Stastny will miss at least three games with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Coach Gerard Gallant ruled out Stastny for games Wednesday night at the Capitals, Thursday night at the Penguins and Saturday afternoon at the Flyers. Gallant says Stastny was injured Monday in Buffalo. Gallant said Wednesday morning

7:00 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Max Pacioretty wasn’t playing in last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, but he still had a game-night routine. He would flop on the couch, snacks in hand, and flip on the television early enough to catch the greatest spectacle of the postseason: the Vegas Golden Knights‘ pregame festivities. “I was 100

It was a long wait — almost three-and-a-half years — but Ilya Kovalchuk finally notched career NHL goal No. 418. Kovachuk, playing in his third game as a Los Angeles King, redirected a nice centering pass from defenseman Drew Doughty on Tuesday night for a 1-0 first-period lead over the Winnipeg Jets. For Kovalchuk, who

7:19 PM ET Emily KaplanESPN Kevin Shattenkirk‘s New York homecoming has been anything but sweet. The former Hurricane tops the list this week thanks to his (disallowed) “pants goal” for the Belfast Giants. Already searching for some waiver adds for your fantasy hockey roster? Victoria Matiash lists the best players still available in the majority

As another season gets rolling for the Nashville Predators, we assess the Stanley Cup chances of the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners: Will the Predators win the West? Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: Can they win the West? Yes. Will they win the West? That really comes down to two external factors and one internal factor

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray is sidelined with a concussion, the team said Tuesday, marking at least the third concussion the netminder has had in his four-year career. “The injury happened in practice yesterday,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “There is currently no timetable on his return.” Murray had also been run over by Canadiens forward

SEATTLE — The ownership group looking to bring an expansion NHL team to Seattle unveiled plans Monday for a $70 million training facility in the northern part of the city. NHL Seattle CEO Tod Lewieke announced the plans, which include three full-sized rinks and office space to serve as the headquarters for the proposed new

SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo will miss two to four weeks with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Coach Bob Boughner announced the injury Monday, adding that Luongo will not need surgery. The Panthers placed Luongo on injured reserve Sunday after he left their season opener Saturday night. Luongo

Oct 7, 2018 Emily KaplanESPN The Carolina Hurricanes have been a perennial preseason sleeper team, but after nine straight years of missing the playoffs, they want to be Cinderella at the end of the season — and not have the clock strike midnight in early spring. Enter new coach Rod Brind’Amour, the man tasked with

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers put goaltender Roberto Luongo on injured reserve Sunday, one day after a right knee injury knocked the veteran out of his team’s season-opening loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning. The move will sideline Luongo for at least a week and means that James Reimer will likely start Florida’s home

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick will not start against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night because of a lower-body injury. Quick sustained the injury in practice Saturday and is day to day. Jack Campbell will start against Detroit. Campbell went 2-0-2 with a 2.48 goals-against average and .924 save

San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton is going on short-term injured reserve after experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired right knee. Thornton experienced swelling in the knee and flew back to San Jose to meet with doctors Saturday while the rest of the team headed to the East Coast for a four-game road trip. Thornton

Sep 28, 2018 Emily KaplanESPN With the 2018-19 season fast approaching, we’re running snapshots of all 31 NHL teams, including point total projections, positional previews, best- and worst-case scenarios and more. After a flurry of offseason moves, the St. Louis Blues have become a trendy pick to make some noise in 2018-19. How they finished

Sep 28, 2018 Greg WyshynskiESPN SAN JOSE, Calif. — The shock hasn’t subsided for Erik Karlsson. Being forced to relocate across a continent from a city that he loved, the only place outside of Sweden he ever called home. Swapping the red and black of the Ottawa Senators, the only NHL uniform he has worn,

WASHINGTON — The NHL Players’ Association has filed an appeal on behalf of Tom Wilson after the Capitals forward was suspended 20 games for an illegal check to the head. The NHLPA announced the expected move Friday, which had to happen within 48 hours of the Department of Player Safety suspending Wilson. Commissioner Gary Bettman