Michael Whitaker Articles - Page 21

He’s going to be one of the key upcoming free-agent defensemen that will be hitting the open market, and he’ll have no shortage of suitors. But where exactly are the best potential destinations for Nikita Zadorov? This will mark the second time in just over a few months that there will be a sweepstakes for […]

For the second consecutive season, the Calgary Flames missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Adding to their frustration, their provincial rivals Edmonton Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. Meanwhile, their former cornerstone, Matthew Tkachuk, is close to winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. In contrast, the player the Flames acquired in the major […]

For the first time in their history, the Florida Panthers enjoy a series lead in the Stanley Cup Final in their third appearance as one of the final two National Hockey League teams standing. They’ve frustrated the Edmonton Oilers in the first two games, holding their vaunted offensive attack to a single goal in 120 […]

The Edmonton Oilers have thus far experienced a cruel reversal of their fortunes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, having dropped both Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. What’s even more alarming is the fact that the vaunted offensive attack of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman has […]

The Florida Panthers will be playing for the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season. This time, they’re hoping for a better result than their five-game series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. And considering the fact that they entered this year’s postseason as the Atlantic Division champions, they’re in a much better position to […]

He’s been one of the more consistent point producers in the NHL during his career, and he’s once again set to become a free agent. Tyler Toffoli, who played last season with the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets while amassing an impressive output of 33 goals and 22 assists. It marked the second straight […]

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov will forever be known as the first goaltender since Ed Belfour in 2004 to help the franchise advance past the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, that likely won’t be enough to entice management to offer him a 3rd year wearing the Leafs crest. Joseph Woll’s emergence […]

Jake Guentzel was one of the biggest fish being dangled at the 2024 National Hockey League Trade Deadline, and he found his new home (at least temporarily) with the Carolina Hurricanes. But what does the future hold for Guentzel? Guentzel was selected with the 77th overall pick (Round 3) of the 2013 NHL Draft by […]

The season for the Colorado Avalanche is over following their defeat at the hands of the Dallas Stars in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite their Round 1 series victory over the Winnipeg Jets, the Avalanche failed to overcome the balanced attack that the Stars boast — and they certainly weren’t aided by the notable […]

The Edmonton Oilers have returned to the Western Conference Final for the second time in the last three seasons. They’re hoping for a better outcome than their last trip in 2022 that saw the Oilers promptly swept at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. This time, they’re matched up against the […]

The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs began with four Canadian National Hockey League teams qualifying for the annual tournament. As the Western Conference Final commence, the only one that remains is the Edmonton Oilers. This marks the Oilers’ second trip to Round 3 since 2022, and they are aiming for a longer run when taking on […]

The Seattle Kraken will have a new figure behind the bench for the upcoming 2024-25 NHL season. Whoever it is will be the second head coach in franchise history. Shortly after the most recent season concluded, which saw the Kraken unable to build on last season’s incredible playoff run, general manager Ron Francis decided to […]

The Carolina Hurricanes’ season ended in spectacularly disappointing fashion, as they were felled by the President’s Trophy-winning New York Rangers in six games in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Carolina initially fell behind three games to none before winning the next two games and enjoying a 3-1 lead heading into Game 6 at PNC […]

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s season has come to an end, marking a second consecutive early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last year, they suffered defeat in Round 1, becoming the first team since the 2004 Ottawa Senators to fall to the Toronto Maple Leafs. This year, their postseason journey was halted by their in-state […]

Once again, the Columbus Blue Jackets find themselves back at the drawing board following yet another season where they fell short of qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This marks their 17th time in 23 seasons without having earned the right to play beyond the 82nd game of the regular season. The franchise has essentially […]

The hockey world’s attention, particularly in Canada, will be riveted on the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoff clash between the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks, marking their first postseason meeting since 1992. With memories of their previous encounter 30 years ago, where the Oilers emerged victorious with a four-game to two series win, anticipation is […]

The Toronto Maple Leafs are again heading home for an early summer following yet another Round 1 exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In a scene already played out three times prior, the Leafs failed to emerge victorious over the rival Boston Bruins in Game 7 at downtown Boston’s TD Garden despite having held the […]

The Boston Bruins managed to avoid a second straight Round 1 disaster in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, adding to the perpetual misery of the Toronto Maple Leafs by dealing them yet another Game 7 loss at TD Garden following Saturday night’s 2-1 overtime victory. Sniper David Pastrnak delivered the knockout blow to Toronto, beating goaltender […]

It’s like a broken record at this point for the Los Angeles Kings, who were unable to take advantage of the popular phrase “The 3rd time is the charm”. For the 3rd straight season, they were eliminated in the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers, and have used up another […]

The New York Islanders’ tenure in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs was short-lived, swiftly ended by the Carolina Hurricanes for the second year in a row. Although they stretched their series to six games last year, luck wasn’t on their side this season. They narrowly escaped a sweep before conceding defeat in Game 5. It […]

For the second time in three years, hockey fans in the Sunshine State witnessed a postseason showdown between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers. However, this year’s outcome differed significantly from their encounter two years ago in 2022. The Panthers are advancing to the second round after securing four out of five games […]

It may not be the most prestigious award that is given out annually at the NHL Awards Show, but the Lady Byng Trophy has been won by some of the most prestigious players in League history, and there will be someone looking to add their name to that tradition later this summer after the Stanley […]

The Vancouver Canucks find themselves in a challenging position despite splitting the first two games of their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Nashville Predators. They’ve encountered significant setbacks, with workhorse goaltender Thatcher Demko ruled out for the remainder of the series and having to call on backup Casey DeSmith. Additionally, there was […]

It was nothing short of another struggling season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who found themselves embroiled in controversy before the 2023-24 campaign even began thanks to the botched hiring of Mike Babcock. The former Stanley Cup-winning coach didn’t step behind the bench for a single game for Columbus before he resigned owing to reports […]

The Ottawa Senators made a crucial decision mid-season by parting ways with coach DJ Smith, who had faced significant and growing criticism from fans and media alike. Jacques Martin stepped in as interim coach, with team legend Daniel Alfredsson joining as an assistant. However, Martin emphasized he was not a permanent solution, prompting the Senators […]

Hockey fans understand that the Stanley Cup Playoffs introduce an entirely different dynamic compared to regular season play. The achievements of teams and players throughout the 82-game journey lose significance once the quest for 16 postseason victories commences, and the intensity escalates significantly. The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes exemplify this phenomenon as they […]

Some segments of the NHL fan base are feeling a sense of déjà vu as the Stanley Cup Playoffs kick off, with familiar matchups dominating the Round 1 landscape. The Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers are set to clash for the third consecutive year, while the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders renew their […]

The Western Conference quarter-finals will once again feature a showdown between the Edmonton Oilers, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and the Los Angeles Kings, anchored by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. This marks the third consecutive year that these two teams, forever linked by Wayne Gretzky, will clash in the opening round of […]

The Vegas Golden Knights have had a fascinating journey in the National Hockey League since their inception in 2017. Initially embraced as loveable underdogs who brought hope and unity to a city reeling from tragedy, they defied expectations by reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. However, their reputation has shifted in recent […]

For hockey fans, it is the most wonderful time of the year as the Stanley Cup Playoffs are right around the corner. And as always, there are a handful of contenders, pretenders, and the potential for an upset or two. We’ll start by taking a closer look at the Edmonton Oilers, who feature some of […]

The New Jersey Devils began the 2023-24 NHL season with heightened expectations, and for good reason. Fresh off an impressive regular season boasting 52 victories, the Devils further solidified their reputation with a postseason series victory over their arch-rival New York Rangers in Round 1, after having initially trailing two games to none. New Jersey’s […]

It’s been perhaps the wildest postseason chase in recent memory, as we’ve entered the final game of the 82-game regular season schedule for all four of the Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins, all of whom are vying for the final 2024 NHL Playoffs Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. […]