Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks may be suspended for his ugly hit to the head of Los Angeles' Austin Wagner on Saturday.

If you have to put your money on one player to score in a single game, or on a single shift, today, that guy is Auston Matthews. Since NHL.com began recording data on shot type in 2009-10, Joe Pavelski leads the league in both shots (297) and goals (60) from tips and deflections. So when I tell you he’s been extraordinary at shooting and scoring close to the net this season, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the magnitude might. Pavelski has always been a lord of the dirty areas.

Although it would have been something to see Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin throw hands, things didn’t escalate to that level on Wednesday night. The Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes are set to play at Gila River Arena on Thursday, making it only natural to rehash the still-fascinating Max Domi – Alex Galchenyuk trade.

Patrik Berglund seems to be wired a little differently than most athletes — or humans for that matter. The 30-year-old centre is apparently willing to leave an awful lot of dough on the table if it means he can split from the Buffalo Sabres. Earlier this week, Ken Hitchcock went on a bit of a rant about how the refs let other teams get away with hooking and holding Connor McDavid to an absurd extent.

Aleksander Barkov gets a lot of justified press for being underrated, but Evgeni Dadonov might be the best player many NHL fans haven't heard of.

In this spirit of this festive time, members of the Manitoba Moose, the AHL affiliate for the Winnipeg Jets, decided to help out in many aspects of the organization to give back to their staff.

Heading into this evening’s action, here are the day’s top NHL storylines: Ottawa Senators owner Melnyk facing counterclaim for more than $1 billion

It's not a coincidence the team that just fired their coach is scraping the bottom of the NHL Power Rankings.

Heading into this evening’s action, here are the day’s top NHL storylines: Flyers do indeed dismiss coach Dave Hakstol

The Pacific was widely regarded as the worst division in hockey. Then the last two weeks happened.

There have been many mixed reports about the current employment status of the Philadelphia Flyers' head coach Dave Hakstol.

Mikael Backlund of the Calgary Flames was activated off of the club's IR on Sunday.

Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, voted the NHL's most underrated player earlier this year by his peers, was excellent against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

With his second hat trick in as many games, there's nobody hotter than Washington's Alex Ovechkin when it comes to putting the puck in the back of the net right now.

Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads has been suspended for flipping a foam puck into the stands recently and he's not the first OHL player to be punished for this during the 2018-19 season.

It wasn’t so long ago that the vast majority of teams in the league had their designated tough guys who would get like only 10 shifts a night, and those only when called upon. At that point, they came over the boards, threw their bodies or fists around, and generally seemed to discourage other teams from the kind of cheap-shottery that happens when you have a bunch of no-talents on every roster.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is a freak, straight up.

Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is a young buck compared to most NHL executives, and the man just wants to have a little fun.

Heading into this evening’s action, here are the day’s top NHL storylines: Retired ref Paul Stewart’s goal is to help women officials reach the NHL

"It doesn’t take an X or Y chromosome to put your arm in the air and call a penalty. It only takes brains and guts. And that’s it."

Ryan Lambert discusses Alex Ovechkin's chances of passing Wayne Gretzky for the all-time goals mark in his latest mailbag.

Luc Robitaille discusses the state of the Kings, the LeBron effect in L.A. and what life might have looked like without hockey.

A hockey player viciously attacked an opponent during a high school hockey game in Texas over the weekend and been suspended indefinitely for his violent actions.

More than half the teams in the league make it, and even over an 82-game schedule, at least one or two bad teams luck their way into it every year. NHL teams face another expansion draft in 2021, when Seattle enters the league.

The Chicago Blackhawks have been about as bad as it gets over the last 21 games, and have taken up permanent residency in the basement of the power rankings.

Thermochromic pucks, which change colour as the rubber heats up, will make their debut at the 2019 Winter Classic.

Then more frustration within the team boiled over during practice on Monday, with video emerging of Robert Bortuzzo putting a licking on Zach Sanford before coaches separated the two. Bortuzzo ended up getting the majority of the swings in while Sanford protected himself. A passenger says a Swift Air charter plane carrying the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes made an emergency landing in Oklahoma over the weekend after a noxious smell filled the cabin.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have clearly been the NHL's best team. So why is no one talking about them?

As we head deeper into the fantasy hockey season, it's time to once again take stock of goalies who are hot and who are not.

Some executives from around the National Hockey League want to add more playoff spots, and one of the presented ideas actually makes some sense.

William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs made a young fan's night when he sent a puck over the glass during warmups ahead of his team's clash with the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

In a KHL match, Artur Kayumov completely lost his cool. After delivering a dirty hit to the head, the Chicago Blackhawks prospect punched an official right in the face.

One day after life went back to normal for William Nylander as he returned to the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he appears to have gotten in a car accident. “He ran into a lion in the jungle.” Those were Ryan Reaves’ words in response to his blindside hit on fellow hard-noser Tom Wilson during Tuesday’s clash between the Capitals and Golden Knights in Vegas.

The Vegas Golden Knights are know for their in-arena experience, but they made a serious blunder on Thursday.

The NHL talent level is being watered down, but not as badly as you probably think and almost certainly to the betterment of the sport.

John Tortorella, fashion icon, sported a nice, comfy hoodie behind the Columbus Blue Jackets bench on Thursday night.

Signed copies of the viral photo showing Ryan Reaves staring down an injured Tom Wilson have reportedly been destroyed.

William Nylander, who ended his contract impasse by signing a six-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs over the weekend, will make his season debut on a line with center Auston Matthews and fellow winger Patrick Marleau.

Jonathan Drouin inadvertently roasted the Senators with his post-game remarks after Montreal's win in Ottawa.

Will NHL GMs have learned from past mistakes when Seattle chooses its expansion team?

Heading into this evening’s action, here are the day’s top NHL storylines: William Nylander says he’ll return Thursday vs. Red Wings

William Nylander says he'll return to the Maple Leafs lineup Thursday versus the Detroit Red Wings.

Tom Wilson, who is typically the one dishing out a questionable check, found himself on the other end of a late hit by Ryan Reaves.

The Maple Leafs centre's nasty overtime winner against the Sabres Tuesday night was just classic Matthews.

On a night when the Penguins were giving away free hats as a game-night promotion, Patric Hornqvist made sure none of the fans would actually leave the arena with their gift.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hinted that the NHL could be willing to help the Senators facilitate a deal for an arena in Ottawa's downtown core.

Heading into this evening’s action, here are the day’s top NHL storylines: NHL adds Seattle as league’s 32nd team, play begins in 2021

The Colorado Avalanche may be a one-line team, but sometimes one line is good enough.

Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point combined for seven points in Tampa Bay's 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night and have both been spectacular in their last ten games.