The NHL regular season resumes Saturday afternoon with 14 games after the conclusion of the successful 4 Nations Face-Off, which ended with Canada’s 3-2 overtime win against the United States on Thursday night.
The 90-plus players who suited up for the tournament will return to their NHL teams and ‘best-on-best’ games will return to being a mix of players of different levels.
But there is plenty to be decided as each team has fewer than 30 games left before the end of the regular season in mid-April.
Here’s a look at some of the stories for the NHL season’s stretch run:
Can Alex Ovechkin catch Wayne Gretzky’s record?
He’s on pace to do it this season, needing 16 goals in the final 27 games to break Gretzky’s record of 894. If he goes on a real tear and does it in 21 games, he could hit the mark in fewer games than Gretzky played. That’s probably pushing it but because Russia wasn’t part of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Ovechkin has had more time to recover from the broken leg that cost him 16 games before the holidays. And no Capitals were at the tournament, meaning his teammates will be rested, too.
NHL trade deadline approaching
Less than two weeks are left before the 3 p.m. ET March 7 deadline and teams must decide if they’re buyers or sellers. Many big names have already moved, but one popped up during the break when Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones told the Chicago Sun-Times, ‘I would like to give myself a chance to win.’ A trade would be difficult because of his $9.5 million cap hit and the fact he’d have to approve where he goes, but it adds another interesting name to a list of potential trade targets.
Who will get a new contract?
Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen just got a raise with a five-year, $22.5 million deal on Friday, joining Jake Oettinger, Igor Shesterkin and other players who’ve signed extensions this season. But others are in the final years of their contracts, including Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Brad Marchand, Brock Boeser and recently traded Mikko Rantanen. Do they get it done before the deadline or push toward the offseason?
MVP and other awards
Reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon was the 4 Nations Face-Off MVP and is leading the league in scoring this season. Leon Draisaitl, who won MVP in 2019-20, is four points back and has nine game-winning goals. Former MVP and 2023-24 runner-up Nikita Kucherov is also in the race.
Who makes the playoffs?
Other than the Jets and Capitals running away with the league, things are in flux. The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights are tied atop the Pacific Division. The defending champion Florida Panthers lead the Atlantic Division but Matthew Tkachuk wasn’t able to finish the 4 Nations Face-Off final because of an injury. ‘We’ll get a good handle on it here over the next two or three days,’ Panthers coach Paul Maurice told reporters Friday.
The two wild card spots in the East are an interesting race. The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings sit there now amid long playoff droughts, but the surprising Columbus Blue Jackets are right behind them. So are the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and New York Islanders, playoff teams last year. How will the Charlie McAvoy injury affect the Bruins?
Who gets the best draft lottery odds?
It looks like the last two winners, the San Jose Sharks and Blackhawks, will be back. The Nashville Predators are in the mix, a sign of how disappointing their season has been.
NHL heading outdoors again
The Blue Jackets will host the Red Wings outdoors at Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium on March 1. The game will be meaningful because both teams are in the playoff race.
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