3:30 PM ET For many managers, fantasy competition is about more than goals, assists, plus/minus, average time-on-ice, power play points, shots and penalty minutes – the standard notes on ESPN.com’s scale for skaters. So, in a shout-out to all those who favor the custom fantasy route, here’s a look at some well-rounded contributors who satisfy
NHL
7:00 AM ET On Brendan Smith‘s 29th birthday, he thought his time with the New York Rangers was over. And maybe his NHL career, too. On Feb. 8, 2018, Rangers management sent a letter out to fans signaling a rebuild. Then they put Smith on waivers. Smith was less than eight months into a four-year,
1:47 PM ET Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov will not play Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks because of an upper-body injury, according to coach Jon Cooper. Cooper said the Lightning were hopeful that Kucherov would be able to play, but now they are unsure whether the reigning league MVP will return for Saturday’s game
12:58 PM ET The National Hockey League is offensive. As in, there are a lot of goals being scored. Why, what did you think we meant? Through the quarter mark of the 2019-20 season, about 317 games, scoring has continued to surge. There have been 529 different skaters with at least one goal, 72% of
9:29 PM ET The St. Louis Blues say forward Sammy Blais will be out at least 10 weeks due to a right wrist injury that requires surgery. Blais, 23, suffered the injury during the team’s 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Blais has eight points (five goals, three assists) and 10 penalty
6:12 PM ET The Toronto Maple Leafs fired head coach Mike Babcock on Wednesday after a 9-10-4 start to the 2019-20 season. It marks the third time since the start of the 2011-12 season that the Leafs have made an in-season coaching change, this one coming amid a five-game losing streak. Babcock was a splashy
4:44 PM ET ESPN News Services The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired coach Mike Babcock on Wednesday amid a 9-10-4 start to the season and announced Sheldon Keefe as his replacement. Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan made the announcement. The Maple Leafs are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, the team’s longest losing
7:00 AM ET Not all heroes wear capes — and most heroes barely get the recognition they deserve. There are plenty of stars shining in this league that don’t get proper spotlight. For this week’s ESPN NHL Power Rankings — voted on as always, by our panel of experts — we identified an unsung hero
1:54 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway has been suspended three games for spitting on an opponent. The NHL announced Hathaway’s suspension Wednesday after a hearing with him. He will forfeit $24,194 in salary. Toward the end of a heated brawl between the Capitals and Ducks on Monday night,
10:40 AM ET Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan will take a leave of absence from the team as he enters the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. Ryan, 32, has four goals in 16 games for the Senators this season, his 13th in the NHL. He has one point in his last 12 games, last playing for