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The Oilers are 2-0 since McDavid’s injury, with Leon Draisaitl stepping up in a big way, posting six points in those two games. Right now, there’s no urgency to rush McDavid back, but if he’s recovering well and could return sooner than expected, it’s great news for an Oilers squad that has evened their record at 5-5-1.

Wild Preparing for Monster Contract with Kaprizov?

Friedman said during his recent 32 Thoughts podcast that Kirill Kaprizov might be looking at a contract extension in the range of Auston Matthews and Leon Draisaitl. Quoting the book The Bald Truth by David Falk, Friedman notes, “I talk about situations, and he says like that maybe their situation but it’s not this situation.”

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Friedman adds, “I don’t look at Kaprizov of as well he doesn’t have a trophy or he doesn’t have 120 points in a season. I look at what that team looks like if he’s not there and how important he is to that team, that organization.”

Friedman finished with:

“When owner Craig Leopold said at the beginning of the year that no one ‘could pay him more than we can’, to me that’s not only true but it’s also him understanding that they’re going to have to pay him a lot. And, so like when I say that I think he’s going to be in the Matthews and Draisaitl range, I believe that, like if he wants to be. I mean, who knows? You never know what can happen, but I think this guy is going to be one of the top-paid players in the league because I think the Wild know it’s a) if he hits the market everyone’s going to be chasing after him and b) he’s that important to their franchise.”

Pastrnak Says There’s No Issue With Bruins Head Coach Over Benching

David Pastrnak didn’t play in the third period of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. The Bruins won 2-0, but after a bad turnover and what fans were calling unmotivated play, head coach Jim Montgomery sat the superstar. Pastrnak was asked about his benching on Monday and admitted to the media it was a bad turnover. He’s taking accountability for it and doesn’t want it to be a distraction to the team.

“I just want to move forward. I don’t want to be any distraction to our team. The guys know how I feel about them here. It’s a bad play. I take accountability and already moving forward.”

It will be a bit of a distraction, if only because this is the second time Montgomery has called out or punished Pastrnak and not that long ago, the coach got into a heated argument with Brad Marchand on the Bruins bench. Outsiders are starting to wonder if there is a disconnect in that locker room and if the coach is losing the room. All the coach would say on Sunday night was, “Coach’s decision in the third period. That’s all I’m gonna comment on.”