Cnotes 2020/2021 NHL Season Long Trends, News, Notes, Picks !

[StarDust Bum]

51BOSTON -52 NEW JERSEY
BOSTON is 226-176 ATS (32.4 Units) at home when the total is 5.5 since 1996.

53WASHINGTON -54 BUFFALO
BUFFALO is 309-295 ATS (-15.5 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.

55NY ISLANDERS -56 NY RANGERS
NY ISLANDERS are 28-12 ATS (14.8 Units) in road games vs. division opponents in the last 3 seasons.

59CAROLINA -60 DETROIT
DETROIT is 12-35 ATS (-26.5 Units) in home games at home when the total is >=6 in the last 3 seasons.

67VANCOUVER -68 EDMONTON
EDMONTON is 7-1 ATS (5.9 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.

67VANCOUVER -68 EDMONTON
DAVE TIPPETT is 7-1 ATS (5.9 Units) when playing on back-to-back days (Coach of EDMONTON)

69MINNESOTA -70 LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES are 177-182 ATS (-23.2 Units) in home games at home when the total is 5.5 since 1996.


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NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, January 14




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NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 14

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BOSTON (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 226-176 ATS (+46.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 4-2 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 4-2-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

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WASHINGTON (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at BUFFALO (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 12-19 ATS (-16.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-2-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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NY ISLANDERS (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at NY RANGERS (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 15-7 ATS (+22.8 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 158-155 ATS (-72.0 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 5-3 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 5-3-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.7 Units)

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CAROLINA (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at DETROIT (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 12-35 ATS (+73.1 Units) in a home game where the total is 6 or more over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 326-308 ATS (-283.8 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 2-4 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 4-2-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

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CALGARY (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at WINNIPEG (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 5-3 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 5-3-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.7 Units)

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COLUMBUS (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at NASHVILLE (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 2-1-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.0 Units)

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SAN JOSE (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at ARIZONA (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 4-3 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 4-3-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.9 Units)

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VANCOUVER (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at EDMONTON (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 46-40 ATS (+95.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 4-4 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 4-4-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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MINNESOTA (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 177-182 ATS (-16.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 4-2 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 4-2-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.5 Units)

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ANAHEIM (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at VEGAS (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/14/2021, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VEGAS is 97-83 ATS (+193.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VEGAS is 7-1 (+5.5 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
VEGAS is 7-1-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.0 Units, Under=-0.8 Units)

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NHL

Thursday, January 14

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Trend Report
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Washington @ Buffalo
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games on the road
Washington is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
Buffalo is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

Boston @ New Jersey
Boston
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
New Jersey is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games

NY Islanders @ NY Rangers
NY Islanders
NY Islanders is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
NY Islanders is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
NY Rangers
NY Rangers is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Rangers's last 5 games

Carolina @ Detroit
Carolina
Carolina is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Carolina is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina
Detroit is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games

Columbus @ Nashville
Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Columbus is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Nashville's last 5 games when playing at home against Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Nashville's last 8 games when playing Columbus

Calgary @ Winnipeg
Calgary
Calgary is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Calgary's last 9 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Winnipeg's last 9 games when playing at home against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 7 games when playing Calgary

San Jose @ Arizona
San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of San Jose's last 19 games on the road
Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose
Arizona is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

Vancouver @ Edmonton
Vancouver
Vancouver is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Vancouver is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games at home

Minnesota @ Los Angeles
Minnesota
Minnesota is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Minnesota is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

Anaheim @ Vegas
Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Anaheim's last 6 games on the road
Anaheim is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Vegas
Vegas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Vegas's last 8 games


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Best Bets, Score Predictions for Thursday Jan. 14
Matt Blunt

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Nashville Predators

Money-Line Odds: Columbus +104; Nashville -120
Total (Over-Under): 5.5

Score Prediction: Nashville 4 Columbus 2
Best Bet: Predators ML

It appears I'm not starting nearly as high on Columbus or possibly as low on Nashville as the market suggests for this game, as the Predators are a team I do believe can be more of a player in the Central Division than their +800 price tag suggests.

The Blue Jackets are right behind them at +900, but I would have had Nashville be listed as a slightly bigger favorite than this.

The Predators have won six of the past eight meetings between the two clubs for what that's worth, but I view this as a short price on Nashville regardless. That info definitely doesn't hurt that position.


San Jose Sharks vs. Arizona Coyotes

Money-Line Odds: San Jose +108; Arizona -125
Total (Over-Under): 5.5

Score Prediction: San Jose 3 Arizona 2

Best Bet: Sharks ML

Maybe it's starting to show up as a theme, but San Jose is another team I'm not in a hurry to completely give up on this season, as I'm not sure they will be as bad as expected in the West.

It will be an uphill climb to compete for a playoff spot for the Sharks for sure, but they've been where Arizona is trying to build up too, and understand what type of team will be coming for them.

Also, an older team like the Sharks would do itself a great help by starting out hot and piling together wins while they are fresh and haven't been bogged down by some brutal travel or back-to-back spots.

Arizona is another one of those teams that I still prefer to treat as a “prove it to me first” team, similar to my thoughts on Montreal yesterday. These are the games the Coyotes are supposed to win if they want to make that next leap, but sight unseen, the prove it first idea is worthy of a fade.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack
Updated odds to win NBA title:
2-1— Lakers
7-2— Brooklyn
8-1— Clippers, Milwaukee
20-1— Boston, Miami
30-1— Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Portland, Utah
60-1— Golden State, Toronto

Americans who have died from COVID-19: 381,116
PLEASE wear a mask (over your nose/mouth) when you go out.

Quote of the Day
“……..they were unimpressed by Tagovailoa during training camp to the point they thought he wouldn’t be ready to play in 2020. They said they were ‘caught totally off guard,’ as one put it, when Tagovailoa was named the starter the seventh game of the season.”
Three unnamed Miami Dolphins, talking to the Miami Herald about QB Tue Tagovailoa

Thursday’s quiz
Where did James Harden play his college basketball?

Wednesday’s quiz
Steph Curry played his college basketball at Davidson.

Tuesday’s quiz
In between coaching gigs at LSU/Alabama, Nick Saban coached the Miami Dolphins for two years.

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Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) Brooklyn Nets grabbed the headlines Wednesday when they traded for James Harden, in a 4-way deal that had to have the salary cap guys recharging their iPhones a couple times.

— Nets get James Harden
— Pacers get Caris LaVert and a 2nd round pick
— Cavaliers get Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince
— Rockets got four 1st round draft picks, four pick swaps with Brooklyn, plus:
Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurcus

Very unusual for a blockbuster like this to happen during the season.

12) Harden and Kevin Durant have won 7 of the last 11 NBA scoring titles; Nets become the first team ever with two players who have won 3+ scoring titles each.

Why is that? Because there is only basketball in a game; to win a scoring title, you have to have that ball a great deal of the time. It is going to take a lot of cooperation for this to work.

11) Put yourself in Steve Nash’s shoes; after a Hall of Fame playing career, Nash is a rookie head coach at age 46, charged with coaching a team with:
— 32-year old Kevin Durant coming off an achilles injury
— 31-year old Kyrie Irving, who missed the last two weeks for personal issues
— and now a thinned-out roster after acquiring the prolific Harden, who is 31.

Nets need to add three more players before the playoffs start, in order to contend for a title.

10) Wednesday morning, Nets were +$550 to win the NBA title; now they’re +$300.

9) Texas Tech 79, Texas 77:
— High-level game, could’ve been an Elite 8 or Final Four game.
— Tech was 22-28 on foul line, Texas 18-31
— Longhorns led 48-38 at halftime.
— Texas had 15 turnovers, Red Raiders 7
— Teams meet again in the last regular season game, February 27

8) Saw something in that game I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a real game before; have seen it on the playground a few times, but never in a serious game.

Tech’s Mac McClung, who transferred to Tech from Georgetown, was driving towards the hoop, about 12 feet from the basket on the left side of the lane and he leaves his feet while throwing the ball off the backboard- to himself, where he grabbed it and got fouled trying to shoot.

You have to be pretty damn sure you’re not getting taken out of the game if you do stuff like that; McClung scored 22 points for the 11-3 Red Raiders, playing 36:00. He doesn’t come out often.

7) UConn star James Bouknight is out indefinitely after having surgery on his left elbow; he hurt the elbow diving for a loose ball the other night. Bouknight is averaging 20.3 ppg.

6) How are NBA teams on the second night of back/backs?
— Road team that played at home night before: 4-4-1 ATS
— Road team that also played on road night before: 11-8 ATS
— Home team that played at home night before: 10-6 ATS
— Home team that also played on road night before: 5-4 ATS

That adds up to 30-22-1 ATS, surprisingly good.

5) JaKarr Sampson is a forward for the Indiana Pacers; at age 27, he is already on his fifth NBA team. This is another guy who must be good at packing:

2014-16: played 121 games for the 76ers, scored 5.2 ppg in 15.1 mpg.
2016: finished that season playing 26 games for Denver, scoring 5.2 ppg in 18 mpg
2016-17: Played in the G-League.
2017-18: Scored 4.7 ppg in 15.6 mpg in 22 games for Sacramento.
2018-19: Played only four games for Chicago.
2019-20: Scored 4.9 ppg in 13.6 mpg in 34 games for Indiana
2020-21: Is scoring 2.5 ppg in 6.7 mpg for Indiana.

Sampson played two years at St John’s, scoring 13.9 ppg; he played in the Chinese league a couple times too, for a team in Shandong. He is on his way to writing an interesting book.

4) Dallas 104, Charlotte 93:
— Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut, scoring 16 points in 21:00.
— Charlotte’s Gordon Hayward strained his hip, left the game early.

3) Florida State 105, NC State 73:
— Seminoles hadn’t played in 15 days; they played really, really well.
— FSU shot 72.5% inside the arc, made 12-18 shots on the arc.
— Seminoles’ 1.52 ppp is highest ppp I’ve ever seen.

2) Why do people wear watches? Everyone carries cellphones, which obviously have clocks in them. Seems like a waste of money to buy a watch.

1) If you’re a football coach for the Cal Bears, I’m guessing you’ll be on the phone making recruiting calls Saturday afternoon, seeing how the Rams-Packers playoff game has couple of Cal Bears playing quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, Jared Goff. Good advertising for the program.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL JANUARY'S RECORD

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

01/13/2021 4-6-0 40.00% -1250 Detail

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PIT at PHI 05:30 PM
PHI -105
U 6.0

MON at TOR 07:00 PM
MON +125
O 6.0

CHI at TB 08:00 PM
CHI +215
O 6.5

VAN at EDM 10:00 PM
VAN +125
U 6.0

STL at COL 10:30 PM
COL -145
U 6.0

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, January 13




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43MONTREAL -44 TORONTO
TORONTO is 40-34 ATS (2.6 Units) in home games at home when the total is >=6 in the last 3 seasons.

49ST LOUIS -50 COLORADO
ST LOUIS are 205-201 ATS (-16.1 Units) at home when the total is 5.5 since 1996.




NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, January 13

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PITTSBURGH (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/13/2021, 5:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 51-34 ATS (+1.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 19-7 ATS (+11.5 Units) in a home game where the total is 6 or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-3 (+2.3 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 4-3-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.0 Units)

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MONTREAL (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at TORONTO (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/13/2021, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 40-34 ATS (-13.7 Units) in a home game where the total is 6 or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-3 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 4-3-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.6 Units)

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CHICAGO (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/13/2021, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 123-58 ATS (+201.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 23-7 ATS (+7.7 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 3-1 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 3-1-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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VANCOUVER (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at EDMONTON (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/13/2021, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 46-40 ATS (+95.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 4-4 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 4-4-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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ST LOUIS (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at COLORADO (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 1/13/2021, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-3 (+3.4 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 6-3-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.1 Units)

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NHL

Wednesday, January 13

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Trend Report
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Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
Philadelphia is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games

Montreal @ Toronto
Montreal
Montreal is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing Toronto
Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Montreal

Chicago @ Tampa Bay
Chicago
Chicago is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Chicago
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago

Vancouver @ Edmonton
Vancouver
Vancouver is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games
Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games
Edmonton is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Vancouver

St. Louis @ Colorado
St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Colorado's last 10 games


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Best Bets, Score Predictions for Wednesday Jan. 13
Matt Blunt

Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Money-Line Odds: Montreal +118; Toronto -136
Total (Over-Under): 6.5

Score Prediction: Toronto 4 Montreal 2
Best Bet: Toronto ML

Thanks to the unique bubble format of expanded playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens had their season extended and found some success with their second chance.

As the #12 seed they got by a #5 Pittsburgh team that kind of got hosed in the format and played like they had no interest in making it a long stay inside the bubble. That's not to take anything away from what Montreal did in taking full advantage of their opportunity, but after a couple of beneficial additions in the offseason, it feels like the market is pushing a bit too much on the Canadiens from the start.

The Habs have the second best odds to win the North Division (+400) behind Toronto (+125), meaning there is a nice combination of talent on the ice and respect in the market, but I'm not sure we don't see Montreal play themselves into that role as the weeks go on.

Teams in every sport that add multiple new faces that are expected to be heavy contributors can struggle early on, and even knowing Toronto will be the public side, you know what you're getting with the Leafs.

Toronto's got the offensive talent that's never really out of a game, let alone Game 1 of the year where any notions of “slumping” or “on fire” just don't exist. I'm not sure we get Toronto this cheap in this matchup later on in the year if those +125 and +400 division prices hold true to form either.

It's still Opening Night, and the comfortable route with a known commodity, even in a public role, is sensible enough even if it's just for a baseline to base thoughts upon for Game 2. Win or lose.


St. Louis Blues vs Colorado Avalanche

Money-Line Odds: St. Louis +125; Colorado -148
Total (Over-Under): 5.5

Score Prediction: St. Louis 3 Colorado 2
Best Bet: Blues ML

Colorado enters this shortened season as the favorite to lift the Stanley Cup in the summer, and barring any serious injury issues, Colorado should be in the conversation come the summer. But if the concern with Montreal is playing themselves into their potential, Colorado's concern could be with turning the switch on and off at times.

Colorado knows how good they are, and know that they'll get their fair share of wins this season just by showing up. The market won't be bashful about their Colorado support this year on all shapes and forms, and the contrarian in me would prefer to fade that type of support when we are all guessing the most.

The price is probably right in the end, but it will get more expensive on the Avalanche before it doesn't in all likelihood, but I'll still take the Blues here.

St. Louis was the first team that had to try and defend a Stanley Cup title in the middle of a pandemic since the 1918-19 Toronto Arenas were tasked with that challenge.

Toronto finished with a 5-13 record that for a year that was split into two halves, good enough for last place in a three-team NHL. That was never going to be a good omen for the Blues, and they were the only team that played in the West round robin that got bounced in their playoff series.

With all that's gone on in the world that Blues cup victory feels like forever ago, but this is still basically the same team that went on that run, and the additions of Torey Krug and Mike Hoffman could have some huge returns if everything breaks right.

The Blues had also won six straight against this up-and-coming Avalanche team before this current three-game losing streak against Colorado, and one of those was during the round robin in the bubble. Those games are forgivable for all eight teams involved, and if there ever is a decent time to fade season-long favorites it would be early in the year – when perspective is high and they've yet to hit stride – or late in the year when they are coasting towards a top playoff seed.

Again, early in the season so no need to go wild, but would something like a 5-5 SU start out of Colorado surprise you before they rip off 10 of 14 or something like that?

The Blues are one of the better candidates to be the reason for a loss or two in that type of record (Colorado has LA, Anaheim, San Jose, Minnesota up next), and the heater for the team that's anointed the “next one” isn't always on right out of the gate.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Odds to win the golf tournament in Hawai’i this week:
12-1— Simpson
14-1— Morikawa, English
16-1— Berger
18-1— Im
20-1— Matsuyama, Niemann
25-1— C. Smith

Americans who have died from COVID-19: 379,283
PLEASE wear a mask (over your nose/mouth) when you go out.


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Two lists today: re-running my favorite Batman villains

My 13 favorite Batman (TV) villains

13) Chandell (Liberace)— The gifted piano player was both Chandell (the piano player) and his twin brother Harry who it turns out, was the real villain.

Trivia: Two Batman villains also had roles in Magnum PI; Howard Duff (Cabala) played Magnum’s grandfather. Barbara Rush (Nora Clavicle) played Magnum’s Aunt Phoebe, a playwright who had Alzheimer’s, and was also in another earlier episode.

12) Bookworm (Roddy McDowell)— Appeared in two episodes; Bookworm’s crimes were inspired by literary works, well, because he likes books.

McDowell also appeared in the Batman animated series in the early 90’s.

11) Colonel Gumm (Roger C Carmel)— He loved the color pink and was obsessed with stamps; Colonel Gumm appeared in the two-episode crossover with The Green Hornet, with Bruce Lee as Kato and Van Williams as the Green Hornet.

Trivia: There were three different Mr Freeze’s; Eli Wallach, Otto Preminger, George Sanders.

10) Siren (Joan Collins)— Played a sidekick to The Riddler’s devious plan to take over Gotham City’s boxing industry, but she also wanted to uncover Batman’s true identity.

9) The Archer (Art Carney)— Ed Norton from The Honeymooners was also a Batman villain!!!

Archer’s character was based (loosely) on Robin Hood; his henchmen were Maid Marilyn, Big John, and Crier Tuck.

8) King Tut (Victor Buono)— Appeared in eight episodes; Buono supposedly loved playing the character because it allowed him the chance to overact, one of the aspects of the character that made King Tut so beloved by fans.

7) Marsha, Queen of Diamonds (Carolyn Jones)— Better known for playing Morticia Addams on The Addams Family, Ms Jones was in five episodes of Batman, joining Addams Family cast members John Astin, Ted Cassidy in making Batman appearances.

6) Egghead (Vincent Price)— When I was a kid, would often substitute (eggs-ellent) for excellent when talking to my family. For a little kid, that was eggs-citing. Vincent Price was awesome in this role, an egg-centric guy with a very strangely-shaped head.

5) Mad Hatter (David Wayne)— This villain was obsessed with getting his hands on Batman’s cowl, which of course didn’t happen.

Wayne also appeared in four movies with Marilyn Monroe.

4) Penguin (Burgess Meredith)—Is more famous for playing Rocky Balboa’s trainer Mickey, but Meredith appeared in 20 Batman episodes, most of any villain.

3) Catwoman (Julie Newmar)— Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt also played Catwoman, but Julie Newman was the best of the three; she was 5-11, a prima ballerina for the Los Angeles Opera who graduated high school when she was 15.

in 2004, her next-door neighbor Jim Belushi sued her for $4M alleging harassment and defamation of character, as a result of a dispute over leaf-blowing.

2) Joker (Cesar Romero)— Appeared in 19 episodes, 2nd-most of any villain. Romero refused to shave his mustache and you can see it under his white face paint.

Romero had a long, excellent career; he appeared in the first Oceans Eleven (1960).

1) Riddler (Frank Gorshin)— No one wore the green body suit with the big ???’s on it better than Gorshin, who had a long career as a TV guest star, appearing in CSI, Wonder Woman and the original Hawaii Five-O, among many other shows.

John Astin played The Riddler for two episodes, but of course he was way more famous as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family.

***********


Armadillo: Wednesday's Den: Mid-week musings…….

13) Being the #1 seed in the NFL playoffs is a big advantage; Chiefs/Packers both got last week off, got to rest their players while everyone else fought like hell to get to this weekend.

Over last seven years, in the divisional round of the playoffs, #1 seeds are 11-3 ATS, 10-3 as the favorite. Three years ago, the Nick Foles-led Eagles were an underdog in all three of their playoff games, as they won an unlikely Super Bowl title.

12) So far in the NBA this season, underdogs are 93-66 against the spread (58.5%).

Home underdogs are 37-32; home favorites are 34-56.

11) When pro/college football teams fall short of their expectations, there are often scapegoats; Seattle Seahawks told offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to take a hike Tuesday. Seattle was 34-18 in his three years as OC, but 1-3 in playoff games.

10) Chiefs play Cleveland this weekend, Patrick Mahomes vs Baker Mayfield.

In 2016, those two played in a college game; Oklahoma outlasted Texas Texas Tech 66-59. Mahomes threw for 734 yards (734!!!), ran for 85 more. Mayfield threw for 545 yards and seven TD’s. Imagine a team gaining 854 yards and LOSING- they converted 20-25 third down plays.

9) After going 0-10 this season, Louisiana-Monroe hired Terry Bowden as its new football coach, which shows a seriousness about moving up in the Sun Belt standings. Tuesday, Bowden hired former Arizona/Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez as the WarHawks’ new offensive coordinator, also a good sign. Now all they need are a lot of good players.

8) Alabama 85, Kentucky 65:
— Crimson Tide is off to its best start in SEC basketball since 1987.
— A 22-year old kid who was a walk-on for Kentucky last year passed away Monday night; he was very popular with his former teammates, which probably contributed to this score.

7) Oklahoma State 75, Kansas 70:
— Cowboys are only 3-3 in Big X, but their three losses are by total of 7 points.
— OSU scored the last eight points in this game.

6) Florida 72, Ole Miss 63:
— Gators ended this game on a 14-0 run, snapping a 2-game skid.
— Ole Miss lost five of its last seven games, after 4-0 start.

5) Michigan 77, Wisconsin 54:
— Wolverines are 11-0, have only one win by less than 10 points.
— Opponents are shooting only 38.3% inside the arc (#1).

4) Virginia Tech 74, Duke 67:
— Duke lost four of its last five visits to Blacksburg.
— Blue Devils are 2-3 in top 100 games, beating Boston College/Notre Dame.

3) USC 67, Cal-Riverside 62 OT:
— Riverside was 12-32 on the arc, Trojans 3-21.
— Riverside ran out to a quick 25-14 lead, damn near pulled a big upset here. USC blew a 65-59 lead with 0:59 left in regulation.

2) Northern Illinois 67, Akron 65:
— Huskies pull a big upset, get their first MAC win.
— NIU played their starting guards 40/38 minutes; they needed this win.

1) Tuesday was the 55th anniversary of the first airing of the classic TV show Batman, with Adam West as the caped crusader. I was six years old at the time; when you’re six years old and your name is Biff, the cartoonish opening credits “WHAP!!! BIFF!!! OOF!!!” were very cool.

Lot of famous people were guest villains; during the pandemic last spring, we ran thru our favorites. I’ll have to re-run that list soon. Anyway, if you can find Batman re-runs on TV, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it. Especially the opening credits.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL wants 2020-21 season to start in middle of January, per report

The league could have a 52 or 56-game schedule, according to the report

It's been three months since the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup, and the NHL has not made any announcement on the start of the 2020-21 season. According to the latest report from ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the league is planning to start up in mid-January.

According to the report, the NHL is set for a 52 or 56-game schedule, but players around the league haven't received any notice of when they're supposed to return to their playing cities.

Currently, the biggest roadblocks have been the lack of communication between the NHL and NHL Players' Association regarding both COVID-19 protocols and money.

Owners are asking players to alter their contracts, which would include deferring salary beyond the 10 percent that they previously agreed to, according to ESPN.

On Wednesday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke at a Sports Business Journal panel and said that the league still is planning on holding the 2020-21 season -- but did not get into any specifics. He noted that the current second wave of COVID-19, which will likely be affected by Christmas travel, is a large factor to why the NHL is "taking their time" in announcing next steps.

Bettman also touched on the financial differences between the NHL and Players' Association, saying "whatever the revenues are, the players only get 50%," and adding "we're trying to look for a way to continue to work together."

"Under our deal and the one we've had for more than a decade with the players' association, whatever the revenues are, the players only get 50%," Bettman said. "And if we overpay them and they don't pay us back in the short term, they have to pay us back over time. There will be stressors on that system, and we've had discussions about what those stresses are and how they might be dealt with, but we're not trying to say, 'You must do X, Y and Z.' We're trying to look for a way to continue to work together."

What is known about the upcoming NHL season is that the league has previously expressed its desire to avoid a bubble scenario this coming season. Realigning divisions, a way to limit longer travel times and avoid teams going from Canada to the United States, has been discussed as well.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL free agency 2020: Alex Pietrangelo signs with Vegas, Thornton to Toronto; trade tracker and latest rumors
There's a lot going on right now so we'll do our best to keep you in the loop with the latest updates all in one place

By Pete Blackburn


A strange, prolonged NHL season is officially in the rearview mirror, as the Tampa Bay Lightning closed the league's playoff bubble by defeating the Dallas Stars in the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. But with the league's timeline all thrown out of whack due to COVID-19, we now have a condensed offseason thrust upon us and there's barely been any time to catch our collective breath.

In a normal year, we'd spend the first week of October gearing up for a new season. But this year has been anything but normal and, as such, we find ourselves deep in trade rumors, pre-draft chatter and free agency rumblings as the leaves begin to change. There's a lot going on right now so we'll do our best to keep you in the loop with the latest updates all in one place:

Free agency
The league's free agency period opened Friday, October 9th. You can follow along with our live blog right here and find a list of notable signings below.

NHL FREE AGENCY 2020
1
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Capitals
Signed G Henrik Lundqvist to one-year, $1.5 million deal

2
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Maple Leafs
Signed F Wayne Simmonds to one-year, $1.5 million deal

3
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Red Wings
Signed F Bobby Ryan to a one-year, $1 million deal

4
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Panthers
Signed D Radko Gudas to three-year deal ($2.5 million AAV)

5
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Red Wings
Signed D Jon Merrill to one-year deal worth $925K

6
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Panthers
Signed F Carter Verhaeghe to two-year deal ($1 million AAV)

7
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Blackhawks
Re-signed G Malcolm Subban to two-year deal ($850k AAV)

8
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Oilers
Signed F Kyle Turris to two-year deal ($1.65 million AAV)

9
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Wild
Signed G Cam Talbot to three-year deal, $11 million deal

10
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Canucks
Signed G Braden Holtby to two-year deal ($4.3 million AAV)

11
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Stars
Re-signed G Anton Khudobin to three-year deal ($3.5 million AAV)

12
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Jets
Signed D Nathan Beaulieu to a two-year deal ($1.25 million AAV)

13
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Lightning
Re-signed F Pat Maroon (two years, $1.8 million) and D Luke Schenn (one year, $800k)

14
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Senators
Signed G Matt Murray to four-year deal ($6.25 million AAV)

15
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Panthers
Signed F Alex Wennberg to one-year, $2.25 million deal

16
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Blackhawks
Re-signed F Dominik Kubalik to a two-year deal ($3.7 million AAV)

17
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Predators
Signed D Mark Borowiecki to two-year deal ($2 million AAV)

18
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Rangers
Signed D Jack Johnson to one-year, $1.15 million deal

19
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Ducks
Signed D Kevin Shattenkirk to three-year deal ($3.9 million AAV)

20
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Capitals
Signed D Justin Schultz to two-year deal ($4 million AAV)

21
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Flames
Signed G Jacob Markstrom to six-year deal ($6 million AAV)

22
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Ducks
Signed F Derek Grant to three-year deal ($1.5 million AAV)

23
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Coyotes
Signed F Tyler Pitlick to two-year deal ($1.75 million AAV)

24
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Canucks
Re-signed F Tyler Motte to two-year, $2.45 million deal

25
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Bruins
Re-signed D Kevan Miller to one-year deal

26
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Oilers
Signed F Tyler Ennis to one-year, $1 million deal

27
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Flames
Signed D Chris Tanev to four-year, $18 million deal

28
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Blues
Signed D Torey Krug to seven-year deal ($6.5 million AAV)

29
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Maple Leafs
Signed D T.J. Brodie to four-year deal ($5 million AAV)

30
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Devils
Signed G Corey Crawford two-year deal ($3.9 million AAV)

31
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Wild
Re-signed F Jordan Greenway to two-year deal ($2.1 million AAV)

32
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Red Wings
Signed G Thomas Greiss to two-year deal ($3.6 million AAV)

33
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Avalanche
Re-signed F Andre Burakovsky to two-year deal ($4.9 million AAV)

34
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Bruins
Signed F Craig Smith to three-year deal ($3.1 million AAV)

35
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Oilers
Signed D Tyson Barrie to one-year, $3.75 million deal

36
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Red Wings
Signed D Troy Stecher to two-year deal ($1.7 million AAV)

37
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Hurricanes
Signed F Jesper Fast to three-year deal ($2.0 million AAV)

38
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Oilers
Signed G Mike Smith to one-year deal ($2 million AAV)

39
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Sabres
Re-signed D Brandon Montour to one-year deal ($3.85 million AAV)

40
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Sabres
Signed F Cody Eakin to two-year deal ($2.25 million)

41
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Maple Leafs
Signed D Zach Bogosian to one-year, $1 million deal

42
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Blue Jackets
Signed F Mikko Koivu to one-year, $1.5 million deal

43
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Avalanche
Signed F Valeri Nichushkin to two-year deal ($2.5 million AAV)

44
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Coyotes
Signed F Johan Larsson to two-year deal ($1.4 million AAV)

45
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Sharks
Signed F Kevin Labanc to four-year deal ($4.725 million AAV)

46
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Blackhawks
Signed D Nikita Zadorov to one-year, $3.2 million deal

47
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Sabres
Signed F Taylor Hall to one-year, $8 million deal

48
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Canadiens
Signed F Tyler Toffoli to four-year deal ($4.25 million deal)

49
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Flyers
Signed D Erik Gustafsson to one-year, $3 million deal

50
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Avalanche
Signed D Ryan Graves to three-year, $9.5 million deal

51
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Blackhawks
Signed F Mattias Janmark to one-year, $2.25 million deal

52
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Rangers
Signed F Alexis Lafreniere to entry-level contract (three years, $11.325 million)

53
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Golden Knights
Signed D Alex Pietrangelo to seven-year deal ($8.8 million AAV)

54
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Maple Leafs
Signed F Joe Thornton to one-year deal ($700,000 AAV)

Other notable transactions

The Golden Knights traded Nate Schmidt to the Canucks in exchange for a 2022 3rd-round pick

The Avalanche acquired Devon Toews from the Islanders in exchange for two 2nd-round picks (2021 and 2022)

The Avalanche acquired Brandon Saad and Dennis Gilbert from the Blackhawks in exchange for Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm (Chicago also retained $1 million of Saad's salary in the deal)

The Jets acquired Paul Stastny from the Golden Knights in exchange for defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and a 4th-round pick in 2022

The Lightning have placed Tyler Johnson on waivers
Josh Anderson has signed a seven-year contract extension ($5.5 million AAV) with the Montreal Canadiens
The Predators have traded Nick Bonino and two draft picks (No. 37 and No. 70 overall) to the Wild in exchange for Nick Kunin and the No. 101 overall pick

Matt Murray has been traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2020 2nd-round pick
The Canadiens have acquired Josh Anderson from the Blue Jackets in exchange for Max Domi and a 3rd-round pick in 2020

The Sharks acquired Ryan Donato and Devan Dubnyk from the Minnesota Wild in two separate deals. Donato comes in exchange for a 3rd round pick, while Dubnyk (and a 2022 7th-round pick) came in exchange for a 2022 5th-round pick

The Maple Leafs re-signed Jason Spezza to another one-year deal

The Stars re-signed Andrej Sekera to a two-year extension worth $3 million

The Kings acquired defenseman Olli Maatta from the Blackhawks in a move that's largely a salary cap dump for Chicago

Mr. Game 7 himself, Justin Williams, announced his retirement from the NHL
Corey Crawford's time with the Blackhawks has come to an end as the team will not re-sign the goalie.
Ryan Murray is heading to New Jersey!

The Predators have traded forward Austin Watson to the Senators in exchanged for a 2021 fourth round draft pick

The Sharks have picked up key RFA signing Kevin Labanc to a four-year deal worth $4.725 million AAV.

The Maple Leafs have acquired forward Joey Anderson from New Jersey in exchange for Andreas Johnson.

The Rangers have announced that they've signed goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to a two-year, $4.85 million deal.

The Bruins have brought back defenseman Matt Grzelcyk on a four-year contract with a $3.688 million AAV.
Avalanche forward Tyson Jost has agreed to sign his qualifying offer with the team.

ve re-signed Tyson Jost after the forward agreed to his qualifying offer. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but CapFriendly.com reports Jost will earn $874,125 in salary next season.

[StarDust Bum]

Why the NHL may have a tougher time pulling off a 2021 season than you think

There remain a number of hurdles that the NHL and NHLPA have to clear in order to cross the finish line in setting up a new season

The last time the NHL was in action, the league was earning praise for its ability to smoothly navigate the coronavirus pandemic. It successfully completed the Stanley Cup Playoffs inside two hub cities -- Edmonton and Toronto -- while administering over 33,000 COVID-19 tests without a single positive case.

Now, a little over two months since the Cup was handed to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the NHL has largely been stuck in a state of radio silence. After the 2019-20 season concluded, the expectation was that there would be a quick turnaround and the league would jump into a new season in late December or early January. That timeline has been pushed back to at least the middle of January, according to a recent report from ESPN.

Scheduling-wise, the NHL typically operates in near-lockstep with the NBA. But, as NBA training camps are already underway and the league is set to kick off its 2020-21 season in just a few weeks, the NHL is still stuck trying to navigate through negotiations setting up an unprecedented season. The league and NHLPA have been at an impasse for much of this strange offseason.

While the latest mid-January timeline is good news for those hoping to see hockey during these winter months, there remain a number of hurdles that the NHL and NHLPA will have to clear (and quickly) in order to cross the finish line in setting up a new season.

Scheduling crunch
Chances of a full 82-game season are all but dead at this point, and if the NHL hopes to play a sizable schedule (50-60 games) then they're running out of time. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has already said that he doesn't want the playoffs to carry well into the summer like they did in 2020. With the NHL playoffs and Olympics both being handled by NBC networks, it's likely that the league is looking at early-mid July (the Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 23) as its targeted end date for the 2021 playoffs.

Given the need for a multi-week training camp period and likely a short preseason, the NHL is likely looking at a minimum 3-4 week prep window after a deal is agreed to, meaning a mid-January start should be considered very optimistic at this point.

When the league played a lockout-shortened campaign in 2013, the season began on January 19 and saw a 48-game season played ahead of the playoffs, which wrapped up in late June. With that timeline in mind, if the league doesn't agree to a deal over the next few weeks, they'll likely have to start cutting the number of games they hope to play and/or get very creative with the scheduling in order to come up with a viable and respectable season. This could be further complicated by a projected spike in COVID-19 cases over the holiday season.

Keep in mind that the league will also likely want to have a built-in grace period in between the regular season and playoffs in order to allow teams to make up any postponed games throughout the season.

CBA disagreements
Stop me if you've heard this one before: the biggest thing preventing the NHL from getting back to playing right now is a holdup with the league's collective bargaining agreement. After two lengthy lockouts in the past 16 years, it looked like we were going to avoid another CBA saga when the NHL and NHLPA agreed to a deal back in July.

However, much like the situation that we saw play out with MLB and the MLBPA earlier in 2020, the NHL has gone back on its original deal and is asking the Players' Association for more concessions given the state of the pandemic and the financial projections for the upcoming season.

Here are some details on the CBA situation, courtesy of Forbes:

"The NHL is asking the NHLPA to agree to one of two proposals. The first proposal would see the portion of salaries placed in escrow increase to 25% for the 2020-21 season while players deferred 20% of their salaries. Alternatively, the league is asking the players to defer 26% of their salaries next season while the escrow figure stays flat at 20%. In the current deal, the players agreed to a 20% escrow figure and a 10% deferral of salary."

As you'd imagine, players aren't thrilled with the idea of giving up more money, especially with a shrinking number of game checks (potentially) coming their way. Given that there's already been an initial agreement and there's no full-blown lockout or strike on the table, it's not the same level of disagreement that we've seen plague the NHL's operations over the past few decades. But the two sides already shared a relatively contentious relationship before attempting to hash out concessions in an unprecedented situation, so it's not entirely surprising that there have been some bumps in the road.

At this point, the two sides are still attempting to reach a (new) agreement, and if they're able to do that then the details of a shortened season will likely be hammered out in short order. However, there remains the possibility that the league could use the pandemic to invoke a force majeure -- unforeseeable circumstances that prevent a contract from being fulfilled -- and cancel the season.

It's been suggested by some that league owners might stand to lose significantly more money if a season is played rather than cancelled.

Realignment and border complications
With the pandemic surging once again, the NHL will have to navigate various protocols and mandates as it attempts to create a new season schedule. As we've seen with other leagues, such as MLB and the NBA, a closed border between the United States and Canada presents some challenging obstacles. The Blue Jays moved to Buffalo while the Raptors will play this season in Tampa. Because there are so many teams in Canada, the NHL's task is far more complicated than forcing one team to change home cities for a season.

The league was able to avoid cross-border headaches last season thanks to its two hub cities being located in Canada (which was rightly viewed as the safest option to host the playoffs) but it's highly unlikely that the league will pursue a similar bubble-type solution for the upcoming season. Two NHL players who participated in the NHL's playoff bubble told CBS Sports that there is little interest in another bubble. One player described the experience as "miserable" and the other said they'd prefer the season be canceled over participating in a bubble.

NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said in September that "nobody is going to do that for four months or six months or something like that," regarding bubbles.

So instead, it's more likely that the NHL would seek a temporary league realignment to create a division comprised of all Canadian teams. The remaining 24 U.S.-based teams would likely be grouped into three divisions based on closest geographical proximity in an effort to limit travel miles.

But even a league realignment may not save the NHL from future headaches. As we've seen in California's Santa Clara County, local health and government regulations can dictate whether sporting events are played in individual cities. Santa Clara recently suspended all sporting events for three weeks as a measure to curb coronavirus outbreaks, and that forced the San Jose Sharks to shut down their facilities. In the NFL, it has forced the San Francisco 49ers to temporarily host games in Arizona. If other cities were to follow suit in the coming weeks and months, that could throw a wrench in an already difficult scheduling process.