NHL rumors: Latest buzz around trades, coach firings, signings
By Brian Rauf, Chat Sports
We’re almost at the midway point of the NHL season, as we approach the All-Star break, and the contenders have started to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. The Washington Capitals sit atop the Eastern Conference, while the Dallas Stars possess the lead in the West.
Check out the latest NHL news and rumors below.
• Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin is expected to be traded within the next 24 hours, reports Sportsnet.
• Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville moved into second place on the NHL’s all-time career wins list with Chicago’s 2–1 win over the Montreal Canadiens last night. He has 783 career wins, still well short of Scotty Bowman’s record of 1,244 wins.
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• Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar is expected to sign an eight-year, $80 million extension with the team on Friday, reports LA Kings Insider.
• Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien sustained an upper body injury in the team’s win over the Nashville Predators and could miss Friday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, according to head coach Paul Maurice.
• St. Louis Blues winger Alexander Steen is expected to miss Friday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, according to head coach Ken Hitchcock. Steen was hit by teammate Kevin Shattenkirk’s stick in the team’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
• Pittsburgh Penguins owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle denied rumors of a rift over the sale of the team, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jenn Menendez.
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• The Washington Capitals honored forward Alex Ovechkin’s 500th goal by giving him a gold stick to commemorate the event.