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3 years ago

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  • Tim KavanaghESPN.com

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      Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York.

Throughout much of the 2022-23 regular season, the Dallas Stars had a healthy lead in the Central Division. But thanks to a bit of a tailspin coming out of the All-Star break and some inconsistency thereafter — coupled with strong play by the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche — they enter tonight’s game against the Nashville Predators (8:30 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+) in third place (as the Avs have a game in hand).

Can they still take home the regular-season crown for the Central, and a date with a wild-card team in Round 1 of the playoffs?

When pondering the relative strengths of schedule for Western Conference powers back on March 23, we noted how well the Stars were set up for a run. That’s still the case; of their six remaining contests, only one (this upcoming Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights) is against a team in playoff position. For comparison, the Wild get the Knights tonight, the wild-card-contending Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday and the Winnipeg Jets on April 11. The Avs still have games against the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers and Jets on their slate.

Despite those schedule differences, Money Puck’s projections give the edge to the Avalanche; Colorado has a 41.7% chance of winning the division, compared to 33.6% for Dallas and 24.7% for Minnesota.

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: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s games
Last night’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Boston Bruins vs. WC2 Pittsburgh Penguins
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 New York Islanders
M2 New Jersey Devils vs. M3 New York Rangers

Western Conference

C1 Minnesota Wild vs. WC1 Seattle Kraken
C2 Colorado Avalanche vs. C3 Dallas Stars
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC2 Winnipeg Jets
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

Monday’s games

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).

Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m. (NHLN)
Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars, 8:30 p.m.
Arizona Coyotes at Seattle Kraken, 10 p.m.

Sunday’s scoreboard

Watch “In the Crease” on ESPN+ for highlights from every game.

New York Rangers 5, Washington Capitals 2
Boston Bruins 4, St. Louis Blues 3 (SO)
Carolina Hurricanes 2, New York Islanders 1
Columbus Blue Jackets 4, Ottawa Senators 3 (OT)
Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Philadelphia Flyers 2
Winnipeg Jets 6, New Jersey Devils 1
Detroit Red Wings 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Calgary Flames 5, Anaheim Ducks 4
Los Angeles Kings 4, Vancouver Canucks 1

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 125
Regulation wins: 50
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 133
Next game: vs. TOR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 100
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 108
Next game: vs. CBJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 102
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 91
Next game: vs. BUF (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 57%
Tragic number: 10

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 89
Next game: @ FLA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 9%
Tragic number: 10

Points: 80
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 85
Next game: @ CAR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 5

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 83
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 4

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 70
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Metropolitan Division

Points: 107
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 116
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 104
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 111
Next game: vs. PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 101
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 108
Next game: vs. TB (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 92
Next game: vs. TB (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 73%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 86
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 92
Next game: @ NJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 62%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 82
Next game: @ MTL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 2

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 77
Next game: @ STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 56
Regulation wins: 15
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 60
Next game: @ TOR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Central Division

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 105
Next game: vs. VGK (Monday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 7
Points pace: 105
Next game: @ SJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 6
Points pace: 104
Next game: vs. NSH (Monday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 95
Next game: vs. CGY (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 67%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 92
Next game: @ DAL (Monday)
Playoff chances: 9%
Tragic number: 10

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. PHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 71
Next game: @ SEA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 58
Next game: @ CGY (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

Points: 101
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 109
Next game: @ MIN (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 100
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 107
Next game: vs. EDM (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 99
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 105
Next game: @ LA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 98
Next game: vs. ARI (Monday)
Playoff chances: 97%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 93
Next game: vs. CHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 27%
Tragic number: 9

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 81
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 59
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 64
Next game: vs. COL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 56
Regulation wins: 13
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 60
Next game: vs. EDM (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

P — Clinched Presidents’ Trophy; 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 can 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.

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 16

Points: 56
Regulation wins: 13

Points: 56
Regulation wins: 15

Points: 59
Regulation wins: 16

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 67
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 26

Points: 75
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 26

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 26

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 80
Regulation wins: 29

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 33

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 29

*Notes on traded picks impacting the top 16:

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Bedard hurt on last-second faceoff, out for Sat.

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10 hours ago

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December 13, 2025

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Bedard hurt on last-second faceoff, out for Sat.

  • Associated Press

Dec 12, 2025, 11:51 PM ET

ST. LOUIS — Chicago star Connor Bedard was injured on a last-second faceoff in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday night and will miss the Blackhawks’ game Saturday.

With 0.8 seconds left, Bedard attempted to win the draw to give Chicago one last chance, but he was knocked down by Blues center Brayden Schenn. Bedard grasped at his right shoulder and immediately headed to the locker room, accompanied by a trainer, while his teammates remained on the ice and the bench.

“He won’t play tomorrow,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said of the team’s game at home against Detroit on Saturday night. “I won’t know more info tomorrow, so don’t ask me tomorrow. At some point through the weekend, I’ll know more, so I’d probably have more info come Monday.”

Asked whether Bedard’s injury would be only short term, Blashill offered few details.

“I’d hate to say that without knowing the information,” he said. “Until we get the information, again, he’s not going to play tomorrow.”

Bedard ranked fifth in the NHL in points heading into the game, and he assisted on both of Chicago’s goals in the loss. He now has 12 goals and 25 assists.

He was pushed into desperation mode when the Blues iced the puck and a half a second was put back on the clock. Blashill said he’d have to see the play again, but his initial impression was that nothing dirty occurred on the play.

“Honestly, I think it’s a freak accident,” Blashill said, “to be honest with you.”

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Canucks trade Hughes to Wild for 3 players, pick

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13 hours ago

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December 13, 2025

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Canucks trade Hughes to Wild for 3 players, pick

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild, the teams announced on Friday. It was a blockbuster deal in which Vancouver received three roster players — defenseman Zeev Buium, center Marco Rossi and winger Liam Ohgren — as well as a first-round pick.

It’s one of the boldest moves in Wild franchise history, and signals GM Bill Guerin’s hunger to win now after signing Kirill Kaprizov to the richest contract in NHL history this summer. The Wild have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since 2015.

Hughes, 26, is a 2018 first-round pick of the Canucks and considered one of the best defensemen in the league. He is one of six players already named to the Team USA Olympic men’s hockey team. Hughes won the Norris Trophy in 2023-24 when he recorded a career-high 92 points for a first-place Canucks team.

However, a Hughes trade became increasingly inevitable after the Canucks got off to a poor start. Vancouver entered Friday in last place in the Pacific Division at 11-17-3 with a minus-24 goal differential. Late last month, the Vancouver front office sent a memo across the league that it was open to trading any of its pending unrestricted free agents. That did not include Hughes, who is under contract through the end of next season.

However, it empowered many general managers across the league to inquire about Hughes, who did not have any trade protection.

The Canucks got plenty in return. Buium, 20, is a 2024 first-round pick of the Wild and can inherit Hughes’ role as a true power-play quarterback. Rossi, 24, and Ohgren, 21, are also former first-round picks of the Wild.

Though Hughes never asked for a trade, many around the NHL believed he did not want to re-sign in Vancouver after his contract expired in the summer of 2027. The prevailing belief is that Hughes preferred to play for a United States-based team on the East Coast. Hughes spends his offseason in Michigan. His brothers, Jack and Luke, play for the New Jersey Devils.

According to sources, the Devils did make a trade offer for Hughes to reunite him with his two younger brothers. However, New Jersey couldn’t match what Minnesota gave up.

Minnesota began engaging with Vancouver about a week ago, according to sources, and the deal came together quickly. The Canucks received at least six other offers, according to sources, but Vancouver believed Minnesota presented the strongest overall package that can best set the team up for the future.

Hughes is not eligible to sign an extension with the Wild until July 1.

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San Jose State receiver Scudero to enter portal

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18 hours ago

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December 12, 2025

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San Jose State receiver Scudero to enter portal

  • Max OlsonDec 12, 2025, 03:53 PM ET

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    • Covers the Big 12
    • Joined ESPN in 2012
    • Graduate of the University of Nebraska

San Jose State wide receiver Danny Scudero, the leading receiver in FBS this season, will enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens in January, he announced Friday.

The 5-foot-9, 174-pound redshirt sophomore caught 88 passes for 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season with the Spartans, becoming a semifinal for the Biletnikoff Award and earning first-team All-Mountain West honors.

Scudero is expected to be one of the more coveted wide receivers available when the transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2 and has two more seasons of eligibility remaining.

Scudero spent two years at Sacramento State before transferring to San Jose State after the 2024 season. He broke out with 189 receiving yards to open the season against Central Michigan and surpassed 100 yards in five more games, including a career-high 215 and two touchdowns against Hawaii.

Scudero’s 88 receptions ranked fourth-most in FBS, and he leads all receivers this season with 16 catches of 30 or more yards.

The Spartans produced the No. 14 passing offense in FBS this season but went 3-9 in their second year under coach Ken Niumatalolo.

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