Mammoth, Wild share top spot as Jets enter post-Hellebuyck era: Central Division roundup

The top of the Central Division tightened up on Saturday, with the Utah Mammoth and Minnesota Wild both winning to reach 16 points and separate themselves from the pack, while in Winnipeg the story remains the fallout from trading franchise goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

Mammoth win in OT as Kucherov sets Lightning record

Utah came out of a wild one with a 5-4 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, keeping the Mammoth on top of the Central with 16 points in 12 games (8-4-0). Sportsnet notes that Nikita Kucherov used this game to become Tampa Bay’s all-time points leader, picking up an assist on a Brayden Point goal in the loss.

Wild keep pace; Hughes talks contract, Kraken miss McCann

Minnesota kept stride with a 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, giving the Wild 16 points in 12 games (7-3-2) and a share of first place. Daily Faceoff points out that Seattle was without Jared McCann for the game; he has three goals and eight points through 11 contests this season.

Off the ice, Sportsnet reports that star defenceman Quinn Hughes says his “two feet are planted in Minnesota” when asked about contract talks, though he stopped short of committing to a long-term future with the Wild.

Jets turn the page on Hellebuyck ahead of Heritage Classic

In Winnipeg, virtually everything still revolves around Hellebuyck’s departure. According to Sportsnet, head coach Scott Arniel says the trade brought him no relief given everything Hellebuyck did for the franchise, while general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff told the network he is simply happy the saga is finally “in the books.” La Presse describes the lingering Hellebuyck situation as a “cloud” that has now lifted over the Jets.

Sportsnet and Daily Faceoff cover Hellebuyck’s early days with the New Jersey Devils, where he delivered a positive message about caring for Jets fans and, as Sportsnet notes, chose to delay a fuller message out of respect for Winnipeg’s upcoming Heritage Classic game. La Presse reminds readers that the Jets are set to face the Montreal Canadiens outdoors in that showcase.

Winnipeg also lost a depth piece on the back end: Sportsnet reports that defenceman Jack St. Ivany was claimed off waivers by the Washington Capitals. The Hockey News highlights prospect Alexander Command as perhaps the most intriguing asset the Jets received in the Hellebuyck trade package.

Blues blanked, Predators squeezed; quiet day for Stars, Avs and Hawks

It was a rough night for the St. Louis Blues, who were shut out 4-0 by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hockey Writers and Sportsnet both underline that Pyotr Kochetkov stopped all 24 shots he faced to earn the shutout, leaving St. Louis at 11 points in 11 games (5-5-1).

The Nashville Predators dropped a 3-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime or a shootout but still picked up a point, moving to 3-3-4 with 10 points in 10 games. Daily Faceoff adds that Nashville claimed defenceman Daemon Hunt on waivers from Minnesota, on the same day Washington grabbed St. Ivany from the Jets.

The Dallas Stars (13 points in 10 games) and Colorado Avalanche (13 points in 11 games) were idle. The Hockey Writers, however, revisit Colorado’s recent 6-3 win over Tampa Bay as a needed bounce-back after a rough stretch. In Chicago, The Hockey Writers note that the Blackhawks remain last in the Central with six points in 10 games (3-7-0) after a 4-1 loss to Montreal, which followed a shutout defeat to Dallas in their previous outing.