NHL Pacific

The Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken are officially ready for the 2024 NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park after unveiling their specialty jerseys for the matchup.

The Golden Knights and Kraken unveiled their jerseys for the outdoor tilt at the home of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

Seattle's jersey is an ode to the Seattle Metropolitans, who played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1915 to 1924 and also won the Stanley Cup in 1917. They feature tricolor stripes with a Kraken crest in the middle and the year 1917 on the collar.

The original Metropolitans uniforms were red, green and white with horizontal stripes. They also featured an "S" crest with "Seattle" written inside of it.

The jerseys also honor the Seattle Eskimos (1928-31), who played at the Civic Ice Arena, which is now Climate Pledge Arena—home of the Kraken—and the Portland Rosebuds, which became the first team to have names engraved on the Stanley Cup despite not winning the title in 1916.

The Golden Knights' jersey draws "inspiration from the Wild West and cowboy era of the 1910s, Vegas' Winter Classic jersey's colors reflect the time period with the vintage white base, a deeper and richer gold used in the piping, and the felt fabric in the logo."

The jersey crest draws inspiration from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point uniforms. Golden Knights owner Bill Foley attended West Point.

Additionally, there are seven stars on the collar to represent the team's seven years of existence.

The Golden Knights are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and are aiming to become the first team to repeat as title winners since the 2020 and 2021 Tampa Bay Lightning. Bruce Cassidy's squad is off to a hot start to the 2023-24 campaign, boasting a 13-4-2 record heading into Wednesday's matchup against the Dallas Stars.

After clinching a berth in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last season, the Kraken are hoping to build upon their success in their third NHL season. However, Seattle is off to a rough 7-8-5 start and will be looking to turn things around on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks.

The Golden Knights and Kraken have met just once this season, with Vegas taking a 4-1 win in their season opener. This will mark the first Winter Classic appearance for both franchises.

The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Jay Woodcroft after the team's disappointing 3-9-1 start to the 2023-24 campaign, the team announced Sunday:

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first reported the news.

The 47-year-old took over during the 2021-22 season after Dave Tippett was fired, leading the Oilers to a 79-41-13 record in parts of three seasons and two playoff berths.

The Oilers will replace Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch, currently the head coach of the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. He previously coached superstar Connor McDavid with the OHL's Erie Otters.

The Oilers lost in the Western Conference Finals in his first season and the second round of the playoffs last year. But the team's brutal start to this season did him in.

"No one's happy with where we're at," he told reporters on Thursday when asked if he was concerned about his job security. "We all own it. We can be better, and that's where my focus is."

The Oilers won 4-1 over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, offering what felt like a possible reprieve for Woodcroft. It wasn't to be, and it's fair to question if the head coach was really the biggest issue for these Oilers.

Edmonton goalies have a 3.92 goals-against average, the third-worst mark in the NHL, and a league-worst .866 save percentage. Superstar Leon Draisaitl has just one goal in his last 10 games. McDavid—who has exceeded 100 points six times in his career, put up 153 points last year and is the NHL's best player—has just 10 points in 11 games (though an upper-body injury he dealt with earlier in the year might be playing a part).

"Everybody goes through struggles. We're no different. We're human. It's been a really long time since we've gone through something like this," McDavid told reporters on Friday. "It's not fun. It's not fun to go through it as a group."

This time around, however, it cost Woodcroft his job. Knoblauch will be tasked with helping these Oilers regain their mojo and make a push for the postseason.

"I don't think anyone obviously feels very good about their game or is feeling very confident out there," McDavid added on Friday. "How do you instill that? If I had that answer, I probably wouldn't be playing hockey. I'd be a billionaire somewhere. It's not easy. Confidence is a tricky thing."

Perhaps Knoblauch will have those answers.

Jack Campbell's time with the Edmonton Oilers is coming to an end a little more than one year after signing a five-year, $25 million deal with the team in July 2022.

The Oilers are placing Campbell on waivers amid a disastrous start to the 2023-24 season, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Campbell has struggled since signing with the Oilers following a two and a half year stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

During the 2022-23 season, the 31-year-old went 21-9-4, but also posted a 3.41 goals-against average and .888 save percentage in 36 games (24 starts). He was led by a high-scoring offense that often masked his struggles in the crease.

This year has been a different story as Edmonton's offense is off to an unusually slow start.

Last season, the Oilers had the No. 1 scoring offense in the NHL averaging 3.96 goals per game. Through the early stages of the 2023-24 campaign, Edmonton's offense has been one of the worst in league, averaging just 2.64 goals per game, which ranks 26th.

The issues with Campbell and Edmonton's goaltending situation have been on full display. Campbell went 1-4-0 with a 4.50 goals-against average and .873 save percentage in five games.

Stuart Skinner has been equally as disappointing, posting a 1-4-1 record with a 3.99 goals-against average and .856 save percentage in seven games.

Following a 6-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft ripped into his goaltenders, telling reporters, "Our goaltenders wear the same jerseys as the rest of the team. Are there moments that our goaltenders can be better? Yeah, there are."

Due to a combination of goaltending and scoring issues, the Oilers are second to last in the NHL with a 2-8-1 record.

Despite the struggles, TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported Tuesday that he doesn't believe there is a goaltending trade "imminent" for the Oilers. He added that Calvin Pickard could be recalled from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.

Pickard hasn't played in the NHL since the 2021-22 season. He is 2-2 with the Condors this year and has posted a 2.03 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.

The Oilers are back in action on Thursday against the last place San Jose Sharks, and Skinner figures to start that matchup.

Seattle Kraken assistant athletic trainer Justin Rogers became the first publicly out gay support staff member on an NHL bench when he posted a letter on Friday to the team's website speaking his truth.

Rogers titled the letter, "A Letter To My Younger Self," and he spoke about the pivotal moments along his journey that made him comfortable sharing his sexuality with his friends, family and now the NHL community.

Rogers wrote:

Dear younger JR,

Becoming the best you will take time and understanding.

That knot in your stomach—the one that makes you feel confused, isolated, lost in the world—invisible to everyone but you? It will slowly loosen. You don't even understand the knot, but with time you will learn things about yourself and fulfill dreams so many others like you feel they cannot.

You will accept yourself as a gay man, creating a life authentic to you, while welcoming others into it. It won't be easy, and you won't do it alone. It will take time. The building blocks will start to take shape now as you enter your teenage years.

One of those pivotal moments for Rogers came on Christmas Day in 2014 when he handed each of his family members an index card to tell them that he was gay, according to ESPN's Ryan S. Clark.

Nine months passed before Rogers told his two best friends about his sexuality.

Almost eight years later, Rogers shared his story with Kraken general manager Ron Francis, who made him feel comfortable opening up about his sexuality to the public in hopes it can help others.

"I don't think it matters how many times you come out to somebody, there's always a level of nerves," Rogers said, per Clark. "You don't know how someone is going to react. Ron is the most stand-up, phenomenal person in the world. Ron loves everyone within his community. I had zero doubt he was going to have my back and that it would matter with him."

Rogers' decision to publicly come out as gay comes at a time when the NHL has been criticized for its lack of inclusivity. The league banned the wearing of specialty warm-up jerseys, including Pride jerseys, this season and initially outlawed colored tape before walking back the rule.

The Kraken have celebrated intersectionality, inclusivity and representation since joining the league during the 2021-22 season.

Seattle became the first team in NHL history to have an all-Black broadcasting duo and the club also announced in February that the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe would be their jersey patch partner, which is the first time an Indigenous tribe has had its logo and name on an NHL jersey.

As for Pride events and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, the Kraken will still host Pride Night this season and auction off Pride jerseys to raise money for charity.

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid is expected to be out for "one to two weeks" after suffering an upper body injury Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets.

McDavid did not play during the last four minutes of Saturday's contest and remained on the bench through overtime. He recorded two assists in the 3-2 OT loss.

The announced timeline puts McDavid's status for the Oct. 29 Heritage Classic in jeopardy.

The Oilers are 1-3-1 to open the season, a disappointing start for a team built to be a 2024 Stanley Cup contender.

Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said after Saturday's loss that McDavid's injury "appears to be muscular," according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

McDavid appeared to hold his left side or hip while skating on the rush in his final shift late in the third period.

The Sportsnet panel noted McDavid appeared to hold the same side after an awkward first-period collision with Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey. Woodcroft said after the game he didn't believe the incident, which resulted in a holding penalty for Morrissey, caused McDavid's injury.

"No, I thought it was more him coming up the ice [in the third period] and something felt off for him," Woodcroft said Saturday, per NHL.com's Derek Van Diest. "That's what it looked like from the bench. But I haven't even rewatched it yet."

McDavid has two goals and eight points through his first five games, a relatively slow goalscoring start for the winner of the last three Art Ross Trophies who scored 64 goals in 82 games last season.

The Oilers will lean on Leon Draisaitl in McDavid's absence, but the team will also need increased production from other underproducing forwards—most notably, Evander Kane has yet to score this season—in order to earn their second win of the season.

Notable games in the upcoming stretch include a contest against the Dallas Stars, another potential Cup contender, on Nov. 2, as well as the outdoor game against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 29

The potential loss of McDavid could be a blow for one of the NHL's biggest events. The league is heading into the Heritage Classic on a streak of 37 straight outdoor sellouts, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

The Vancouver Canucks have given permission to Conor Garland to seek a trade, Elliotte Friedman reported.

Fittingly, it was Garland who kicked off the 2023-24 season for Vancouver by scoring the team's first goal Thursday, putting the puck past goalie Jack Campbell and igniting an 8-1 shellacking of the Edmonton Oilers.

Not only was Garland instrumental in the Canucks' attempts to erase years of slow starts to the season, but he proved why Vancouver simply cannot afford to send him packing.

Garland has always put himself second, doing what was necessary for the team to win. He is not a flashy player, is not concerned with his stat line, and with the exception of the 2019-20 season, is more likely to pass the puck to a teammate to score than to take the shot himself.

He is a starter for a Canucks team that currently has no less than five different players injured or ill, severely depleting the team's depth. It is also unlikely that the team will be able to get enough in return to replace him in the starting lineup.

Considering the dire salary cap situation Vancouver finds itself in, it makes sense that the team would be looking to offload a player or two to give itself breathing room. Garland currently counts as $4.9 million against the cap.

At what point does the desire for cap space supersede the team's ability to field a competitive team? A single injury or long-term illness for a player or two could adversely affect the squad's ability to compete, especially if the organization finds a taker for Garland and his contract.

It is a testament to the player himself that he addressed all questions about the latest rumors, managed to compartmentalize them, and kicked off the scoring the way he did against Edmonton.

In a season where the Canucks finished sixth in the Pacific Division and have hopes of returning to prominence, getting rid of a locker room leader and selfless teammate in hopes of creating breathing room for a front office that got themselves into the situation that they are currently in, feels like a misstep and one that will hurt ultimately hurt this team more than it will help.

He is not flashy, is not going to win a league scoring title, or create a ton of buzz for any team he is on, but Garland is the type of focused veteran with a desire to win and those are the players who make up the foundation of championship squads.

Something Vancouver badly wants to be for the first time since it was introduced to the NHL in 1970.

Logan Couture's days with the San Jose Sharks are seemingly numbered.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported Tuesday that he believes Couture "is a prime trade candidate" this season after the Sharks moved star defenseman Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins over the summer.

With the Sharks seemingly far from contending for a Stanley Cup, the franchise could try to part ways with Couture for future assets that will accelerate a rebuild.

Couture remains one of the top centers in the NHL heading into his 15th season. He's coming off a 2022-23 campaign in which he notched 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points in 82 games on a San Jose team that struggled to a 22-44-16 finish.

However, it's important to note that Couture has a modified no-trade clause and would need to approve a trade if any team interested isn't on his list. Additionally, he has four more seasons on a contract worth $8 million annually, which won't be easy for most teams to fit under the salary cap.

With the 34-year-old seemingly on the market, here's a few landing spots for the veteran, who is currently considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury that he suffered during offseason training.

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators might just be the top landing spot for Couture on this list.

Nashville took an aggressive approach to the offseason by signing veteran Ryan O'Reilly to center its top line alongside Filip Forsberg. However, after moving on from both Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene, the Preds have a clear need for another centerman.

Behind O'Reilly, the Preds are slated to start Cody Glass, Thomas Novak and Colton Sissons down the middle. That's not a very competitive lineup, especially in a tough Central Division.

The Predators could also make more than enough room to accommodate Couture's contract. They are projected to have $7.1 million in cap space, per CapFriendly, and it likely wouldn't be too difficult to free up the additional money to fit him under the salary cap.

Nashville missed the playoffs last year for the first time since the the 2013-14 season after finishing with a 42-32-8 record. If the team hopes to make it back to the postseason, adding a player of Couture's caliber should be a priority, especially with the amount of cap space it has.

Boston Bruins

After losing their top two centers in Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement over the summer, the Boston Bruins have a clear need for a top-line center that can play alongside Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.

The Bruins are currently slated to enter the 2023-24 season with Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle as their top two centers. Morgan Geekie and Johnny Beecher are expected to center the third and fourth lines, respectively.

That's a massive drop-off in talent, and the Bruins would benefit from adding a player like Couture, who has been a consistent 20-plus goalscorer throughout his career and is a proven leader in the locker room.

However, it's unclear if the Bruins would be open to pursuing Couture with his $8 million cap hit. Boston is projected to have just $429,166 in cap space, per CapFriendly, so the franchise would have to move some considerable assets if they hope to pursue Couture.

The Bruins don't have many expensive offensive assets available to move, but some defenders could be expendable to free up some cap space.

Matt Grzelcyk is entering the final year of his contract with a cap hit worth nearly $3.7 million, and Derek Forbort also carries a $3 million cap hit that could be moved as he's entering the final year of his deal.

That would allow the Bruins to insert young defenders such as Mason Lohrei and Jakub Zboril into the lineup, though losing Grzelcyk would result in a considerable downgrade on the blue line.

Regardless, a move for Couture should at least be a consideration for Boston, especially if the team's offense struggles early on.

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals have no cap space entering the 2023-24 season, but that doesn't mean they can't make room.

Veteran center Evgeny Kuznetsov has been linked in trade rumors with just two more years remaining on his contract and a cap hit worth $7.8 million annually. With Kuznetsov seemingly looking for a fresh start, maybe a swapping of centers could be in store for the Capitals and Sharks.

After missing the playoffs last season for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign, the Capitals need to bring in some more talent if they hope to contend for another Stanley Cup title in the Alex Ovechkin era.

Nicklas Backstom will center Washington's top line alongside Ovechkin, but if the team was to move on from Kuznetsov, there would be a pretty big gap down the middle with Dylan Strome and Nic Dowd serving as the third and fourth line centers, respectively.

With Couture aiming to win his first Stanley Cup title, he could bring a lot of juice to a Caps squad aiming to bounce back from a mediocre 2022-23 season.

The Anaheim Ducks are locking up star forward Trevor Zegras.

The team announced on Monday that it has re-signed Zegras to a three-year contract. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that the contract was worth $5.75 million per season.

Zegras was a restricted free agent following the conclusion of his rookie contract.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said that the team is happy to have him back and are ready to grow with him as he takes the next steps in his career.

"We are very pleased to be able to get Trevor signed and back on the ice where he belongs," Verbeek, per the team. "We view Trevor as a critical and valued player and member of our organization and can't wait to see the next chapter in his career."

Zegras is one of the most exciting young talents in the game. The 2019 No. 9 pick has produced 49 goals and 139 points in 180 career games. He has scored more than 20 goals in each of his two full seasons and headlines a young Ducks core that includes defenseman Jamie Drysdale and 2023 No. 2 pick Leo Carlsson.

While the future looks promising in Anaheim, the team is currently in full rebuild mode. The Ducks went 23-47-12 in 2022-23 and finished with 58 points, the lowest total of any team in the league. This led to the team parting with head coach Dallas Eakins and hiring Greg Cronin.