In today's NHL Rumour Roundup, we explore why everyone is watching the Leafs extra close right now; why the Nashville Predators are Kingmakers; and what Erik Karlsson's comments mean about the struggling San Jose Sharks.
Hello. The Chicago Blackhawks are tied for the Central Division lead based on points today. It is February 18, 2021. This is all a reality.
It feels so weird to say that the Blackhawks are actually, yes, good. No one expected this Chicago squad to be competitive like this in 2021. The writing was on the wall for this season that it would be a no good, miserable year. Yet here we are, talking about playoff positioning, Calder Trophy candidates, and dare I say Hart Trophy candidates? What year
IS this?
• Last night, the Blackhawks were able to dispatch of the Detroit Red Wings with a 2-0 win. Leading the way were two of the three Calder Trophy candidates on this Blackhawks squad as Kevin Lankinen notched his first career shutout and Philipp Kurashev scored one of the slickest goals of the year.
Three Players That Could Thrive Under Peter Laviolette
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Barring any last-minute adjustments, it’s probably safe to assume that this is the team new head coach Peter Laviolette will guide into the 2020-21 season:
Capfriendly
Capfriendly
While the roster is talented, they have underachieved of late - so the new coach will be faced with the challenge of getting more out of these guys in the season ahead. So who stands to benefit the most from Laviolette’s new system?
Nick Jensen
When Jensen was traded from the Detroit Red Wings, it seemed like a steal. Jensen was playing on the top pair for one of the worst teams in the league, against the opponent s top players, and was putting up some astounding possession numbers. Naturally by moving to a great team and skating alongside a talented partner in Dmitry Orlov, Jensen would tear it up in DC. right?