This Week in the NHL: Crucial matchups in Draft Lottery ‘race’
With 32 teams and seemingly infinite storylines, it’s hard to keep track of all the weekly goings on during the NHL season. That’s why I’m here to help. Every Monday from October to April, I’ll preview the key events, games, narratives and milestones in play for the week.
So what’s on tap for March 10-16?
March 11: Marchand’s Panthers (!) host Bruins
Florida Panthers @ Boston Bruins, 7:00 p.m. ET
Don’t get too excited. Yes, it’s quite a coincidence that Panthers face the Bruins just a few days after acquiring their captain, Brad Marchand, at the Trade Deadline. But Marchand remains out nursing an upper-body injury on a week-to-week timeline, so he isn’t likely to suit up. Still, if he’s present at TD Garden in the press box Tuesday, will the Bruins give him a heartfelt video tribute?
March 13: Leafs, Panthers jockey for control of Atlantic
Toronto Maple Leafs @ Florida Panthers, 7:00 p.m. ET
The Leafs and Panthers begin the week separated by four points, with Florida holding down first place. They meet Thursday plus twice more in April for games that will in all likelihood decide the division. Unless, of course, the Tampa Bay Lightning interfere by leapfrogging both. They’re only five points out of first. That means it’s still possible the Leafs and Panthers face each other in Round 1. All the more reason to win as many games as possible to avoid that scenario.
March 13: Draft Lottery War heats up
Chicago Blackhawks @ San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. ET
The Sharks and Blackhawks, holding down the bottom of the overall league standings, don’t have much left to play for, but this week has major implications for determining the top odds for the 2025 Draft Lottery at 25.5 percent. To open the week, the Sharks “lead” the Blackhawks by six points for last place. If San Jose drops Thursday’s contest, it will widen the gap and seriously up its chances at picking No. 1 a second consecutive year.
Nathan MacKinnon’s 1,000th point
MacKinnon paces the NHL with 100 points this season. He’s one away from 1,000 for his career, so four games this week mean Nate Dogg is a lock to get there. Whenever MacKinnon gets to 1,000, he’ll become the 100th member of the 1,000-point club. He’s at 855 games played, so he’ll be the fourth-fastest among active players behind Connor McDavid (659), Sidney Crosby (757) and Evgeni Malkin (848).