National Hockey League

National Hockey League

📸: RMNB Justin Sourdif gave Capitals fans one of the most fun individual efforts of the season, recording five points and scoring his first career hat trick against the Anaheim Ducks. Sourdif had fantastic chemistry with Connor McMichael and Ryan Leonard in their first game together. Now the question becomes - Can the Young Guns 2.0 keep it up against a usually-stingy defensively Dallas Stars team.

The decision reportedly came from Quinn Hughes himself, with him not wanting to sign a contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks this summer. Canucks' 2024-25 season had sharply declined, and the organization needed to make changes. By trading Hughes, they received a massive package of prospects and a high draft pick (forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Öhgren, defenseman Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round pick).

After that shorthanded goal, we just seemed to not be able to recover, for whatever reason. We started pressing. We are not the type of team that can press like that. That's not how we have success, and it just got away from us. The one thing is that when things didn't go our way, we kind of stopped playing. We let guys beat us up ice, and that stuff just shouldn't happen.

Wilson took to the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in a light blue, no-contact jersey, skating for a second straight day as he makes his way back from a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old winger did not stick around to join the rest of his teammates for their practice, but head coach Spencer Carbery was still encouraged by Wilson's progress. "Yeah, he's getting there," Carbery said. "Skated on his own this morning, so it was a good sign."

It's unfortunate the fans ran Marner out of town, that's a huge impact for their group. He's a point a game player, that hurts.

The NHL Awards races this season have been anything but predictable, given some of the chaotic variables. Florida Panthers star Aleksander Barkov won the past two Selke Trophies as the NHL's best defensive forward. He has yet to play a game this season after a preseason injury required knee surgery. Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has won the past two Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top netminder, as well as the Hart Trophy as league MVP last season.

On Sunday, it was announced that the San Jose Sharks and veteran Alexander Wennberg had agreed on a three-year extension that will keep the Swedish center in the Bay Area for the next few seasons. The contract will run until the end of the 2028-29 regular season and will carry an annual cap hit of $6 million. Throughout his career, Wennberg has been seen as a key depth piece for playoff rosters.