This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
As we head down the homestretch of the NHL season, there is plenty to pay attention to. The fans of some teams are planning for the playoffs, hoping for better seeding or, in some cases, just hoping to make the playoffs. Some fans are just sort of riding out the stretch, since they aren't good enough to make the playoffs, or bad enough to really be in the running for the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. Shout out to the Ottawa Senators. Then, there are the teams who are in the race to try and accrue the best chance of winning the NHL Draft lottery.
The likely top overall pick in this year's draft is Auston Matthews. Matthews is a very interesting story. He grew up in the Phoenix area, a fan of the Coyotes. He's a poster boy for the NHL's expansion into non-traditional markets. Heading into the year, a lot of folks thought the Arizona Coyotes, fittingly, would have the best chance of getting the local boy. That would have been a great story.
Because the Coyotes have been unexpectedly good, or at least mediocre, it seems unlikely they will get the first overall pick, though. Instead, it seems like the Toronto Maple Leafs will have the best chance at getting Matthews. In its own way, this is kind of perfect, too. The kid from Phoenix, who some thought would end up getting the chance to play close to home, ending up in… Toronto, a hockey mad city that is as traditional a market as any. From Phoenix to Toronto. Just another traditional hockey story.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Canadiens (Ben Scrivens) at Sabres (Robin Lehner), 7:00 PM
Flyers (Michal Neuvirth) at Blackhawks (Scott Darling*), 8:00 PM
Blues (Jake Allen) at Oilers (Cam Talbot), 9:30 PM
Jets (Ondrej Pavelec) at Flames (Joni Ortio), 10:00 PM
Avalanche (Semyon Varlamov*) at Canucks (Ryan Miller*), 10:00 PM
Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist) at Ducks (John Gibson), 10:30 PM
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News For Teams Playing Wednesday
Canadiens
Nathan Beaulieu, D (lower-body) – Out Tuesday
Daniel Carr, LW (knee) – Out three months
David Desharnais, C (foot) – Out indefinitely
Lars Eller, C (illness) – Out Tuesday
Brian Flynn, C (lower-body) – Out 6-8 weeks
Brendan Gallagher, RW (groin) – Out 2-3 weeks
Tom Gilbert, D (knee) – Out six months
Jeff Petry, D (lower-body) – Out 12 weeks
Carey Price, G (leg) – Out indefinitely
P.K. Subban, D (neck) – Out Wednesday
Sabres
Tyler Ennis, LW (concussion) – Out indefinitely
Cody Franson, D (neck) – Out indefinitely
Jason Kasdorf, G (undisclosed) – Day-to-day
Cody McCormick, C (blood clots) – No timetable to return
Flyers
Michael Del Zotto, D (wrist) – Out 3-4 months
Andrew MacDonald, D (lower-body) – Nearing return, likely to play Wednesday
Michal Neuvirth, G (illness) – Day-to-day
Jakub Voracek, LW (lower-body) – Doubtful for Wednesday
Jordan Weal, C (upper-body) – On injured reserve
Blackhawks
Marcus Kruger, C (wrist) – On injured reserve
Blues
Brian Elliott, G (lower-body) – On injured reserve
Steve Ott, C (hamstring) – Hoping to return for playoffs
Alexander Steen, LW (upper-body) – Out at least a month
Oilers
Brandon Davidson, D (lower-body) – Out long-term
Andrew Ference, D (hip) – Out for season
Eric Gryba, D (knee) – Out long-term
Oscar Klefbom, D (foot) – Did not practice Tuesday
Adam Pardy, D (undisclosed) – Week-to-week
Benoit Pouliot, LW (shoulder) – May be out for season
Jets
Joel Armia, RW (lower-body) – Out at least a week
Dustin Byfuglien, D (illness) – Day-to-day
Nikolaj Ehlers, LW (eye) – Day-to-day
Bryan Little, C (head) – Out for season
Anthony Peluso, RW (shoulder) – Out four months
Mark Stuart, D (upper-body) – On injured reserve
Flames
Sam Bennett, LW (upper-body) – Out Wednesday
T.J. Brodie, D (upper-body) – Out Wednesday
Karri Ramo, G (knee) – Out for season
Ladislav Smid, D (upper-body) – On injured reserve
Avalanche
Chris Bigras, D (head) – Out indefinitely
Gabriel Landeskog, LW (suspension) – Suspended for Wednesday's game
Brad Stuart, D (back) – On injured reserve
Jesse Winchester, LW (concussion) – On injured reserve
Canucks
Derek Dorsett, RW (undisclosed) – Day-to-day
Alexander Edler, D (leg) – On injured reserve
Markus Granlund, C (upper-body) – Won't be back anytime soon
Jannik Hansen, RW (rib) – Could miss two weeks
Luca Sbisa, D (upper-body) – Not expected back anytime soon
Brandon Sutter, C (jaw) – Out 6-8 weeks
Rangers
Tanner Glass, LW (upper-body) – Did not play Sunday
Dylan McIlrath, D (knee) – Out a couple of weeks
Ducks
Kevin Bieksa, D (lower-body) – Did not play Monday
Brandon Pirri, C (ankle) – On injured reserve
Chris Stewart, RW (jaw) – Out 4-8 weeks
Nate Thompson, C (lower-body) – Did not play Monday
Sami Vatanen, D (upper-body) – Did not play Monday
Hot
Michael Raffl, LW, PHI – Of all the reasons the Philadelphia Flyers seem primed to end up with a playoff spot, you might not think of Raffl. However, recently, he's been chipping in quite a bit. After scoring two goals in a huge win over the Red Wings, Raffl now has seven points in his last five games. Granted, this only give him 25 points on the season, and a scorer he is not, based on everything we know thus far. Nevertheless, right now, he's unexpectedly hot.
Jonathan Bernier, G, TOR – Bernier has had a rough season. There's no getting around that. It's been a year to forget on a team that is just trying to see if they have any good young players ready to contribute at the NHL level. However, fortune has favored Bernier the last couple of games. After blanking the Red Wings by making 38 saves, Bernier made 26 saves on 27 shots in a win over the Lightning on Tuesday. Is it just two games? Sure, but it's two wins with one goal let in on 65 shots. That's not nothing.
Cold
Leo Komarov, C, TOR – While Bernier is (maybe) turning a corner, Komorov has headed in the wrong direction. A surprise All-Star, he has scored one point, a goal, in his last 10 games. He's also a lowly minus-10 in those games as well. While early in the year it seemed like Komarov could get 30 goals, he's still sitting just under 20 goals, with 19, thanks to this slump. As his hot start was a bit of a surprise, perhaps this course correction shouldn't be.
Henrik Zetterberg, LW, DET – If you are looking for a reason why the Detroit Red Wings may miss the playoffs for the first time in over two decades, a finger could certainly be pointed at Zetterberg. The captain has not been up to the task, as he has only two points, both assists, in his last 10 games. He's also been a minus-1 in eight of those 10 games. He's stuck on a mere 12 goals for the season, and this offense has been sluggish for… well, basically the entire season, but especially recently.
Recommended Pickup
Alex Killorn, C, TAM – The Lightning have a nice collection of forwards, now that Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson are healthy. However, don't overlook Killorn, who having a pretty good season so far. He has 13 goals and 34 points this season, and he's also a plus-7 with 34 PIM and 124 points. He's had a few off games after having a nice stretch, but if you are looking for somebody with some upside down the stretch, Killorn is likely available.
