Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York.
It’s a typically light Wednesday schedule in the NHL this evening, with only three games on the slate. One of them pits a team that just clinched a playoff berth — the Toronto Maple Leafs, who appear destined for a first-round matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning — against one that is trying to claw its way back into a wild-card spot, the Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+).
Heading into the game, the Panthers are three points behind — and four regulation wins ahead — the Pittsburgh Penguins for wild card No. 2, and six points and two regulation wins behind the New York Islanders for wild card No. 1.
Will they pull it off? FiveThirtyEight’s model is skeptical, giving the Panthers a 26% chance of making the playoffs, compared to 90% for the Isles and 71% for the Penguins.
As we enter the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2023 NHL draft lottery.
Note: All times Eastern. All games not on ESPN, TNT or NHL Network are available via NHL Power Play, which is included in an ESPN+ subscription (local blackout restrictions apply).
Points: 95 Regulation wins: 39 Playoff position: P3 Games left: 7 Points pace: 104 Next game: vs. LA (Thursday) Playoff chances: >99% Tragic number: N/A
Points: 88 Regulation wins: 31 Playoff position: WC1 Games left: 9 Points pace: 99 Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday) Playoff chances: 98% Tragic number: N/A
Points: 83 Regulation wins: 28 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 7 Points pace: 91 Next game: @ VAN (Friday) Playoff chances: 25% Tragic number: 13
Points: 74 Regulation wins: 22 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 82 Next game: vs. CGY (Friday) Playoff chances: <1% Tragic number: 6
Points: 56 Regulation wins: 13 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 62 Next game: @ SEA (Thursday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E
Points: 55 Regulation wins: 15 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 61 Next game: vs. VGK (Thursday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E
Y — Clinched division; X — Clinched playoff berth; E — Eliminated from playoff contention
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team might move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Connor Bedard, who has been lauded as a generational talent.
NEW YORK — Calgary forward Connor Zary was suspended two games without pay Thursday for elbowing Vancouver defenseman Elias Pettersson during the Canucks’ 4-3 shootout victory over the Flames.
Zary, 23, was assessed a minor penalty for interference on the play at 11:19 of the first period Wednesday night. The suspension will cost him $8,993 in salary.
After Pettersson knocked Calgary center Nazem Kadri off his skates just as Kadri unloaded the puck and crossed the blue line, Zary retaliated with a blindside hit that led to the penalty.
Pettersson had the tying goal with 6:44 remaining in regulation and scored in the first round of the shootout. Conor Garland added the winner in the fourth round of the shootout.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton will miss the remainder of the regular season and “possibly” the playoffs due to a lower-body injury, general manager Tom Fitzgerald said.
When pressed if Hamilton could return if the Devils reach the second round of the postseason, Fitzgerald wasn’t too optimistic on Wednesday.
“We’re not planning on it, how’s that?” Fitzgerald said during an appearance on the “Krackin’ Canuckleheads” podcast.
Hamilton has been sidelined since he was tangled up with Stars forward Mason Marchment in the first period of a 4-3 loss to Dallas on March 4.
Hamilton, 31, has 40 points (nine goals, 31 assists) in 63 games this season. He is competing in the fourth campaign of his seven-year, $63 million contract.
Rafael Devers told reporters Thursday that he’s “good to do whatever” the Boston Red Sox want him to do, an indication that he’s willing to move away from third base and serve as the team’s designated hitter this season.
A switch of roles didn’t seem likely last month, when Devers balked at the idea at moving to DH in the wake of Boston signing Alex Bregman.
“Third base is my position,” Devers said then.
But the three-time All-Star said Thursday that he spoke with manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow a few weeks ago and told them “I’m good to do whatever they want me to do.
“I’m here to help,” he said through his interpreter, according to The Athletic. “I’ve already spoken with them about that and they know where I stand, but I’m just ready to play.
“I’m not going to share what we talked about here just because it would make me come off … those are private conversations. So I told them everything of my point of view, how I see things, and they know that.”
Devers has yet to appear in an official spring training game for Boston. It was supposed to happen Tuesday but got pushed back to this weekend. He battled soreness in both of his shoulders last season and spent the first couple of weeks of spring training trying to strengthen them ahead of the regular season.
He did play in an intrasquad game Thursday in Fort Myers, Florida, before he spoke with the media, and had a home run off new Red Sox starter Walker Buehler.
Asked if he expects to be ready for Opening Day against the Rangers on March 27 in Texas, Devers said: “I expect to be there.”