10:45 AM ET As we come down the final stretch of the NHL season, both the Eastern and Western Conferences will feature playoff races that come down to the final games. For most teams who are either set or virtually locked into postseason position, the remaining handful of games will determine their first-round opponents. Aside

7:00 AM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN Happy March Madness, everyone! The reason the NCAA basketball tournaments resonate so much with fans across so many sports is rampant gambling. And also that there are universal themes among the participants: heroes, villains, favorites, underdogs and also Virginia. For this week’s NHL Power Rankings, we’ve decided to match each

3:43 PM ET Goaltender Jimmy Howard was the subject of trade rumors leading up to the deadline, but the Red Wings held on to him, and they’ll have him for another year as well. The 34-year-old signed a one-year contract extension with Detroit on Wednesday and will return to the only NHL team he’s ever

11:36 AM ET The New York Islanders lost more than first place Tuesday night. The team announced Wednesday that forward Valtteri Filppula will be out four weeks with an upper-body injury. Fellow forward Jordan Eberle was also listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The Islanders were routed at home by the Bruins 5-0 Tuesday

2:51 PM ET ESPN News Services The Washington Capitals will go to the White House on Monday to celebrate their Stanley Cup championship. The team did not announce the decision, but a spokesperson confirmed it to multiple media outlets Tuesday. The Washington Post first reported the move. The Capitals will continue the NHL’s tradition of

11:34 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will get a chance to celebrate their Stanley Cup championship with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. One player already has said he won’t attend. Minutes after the Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Tuesday night, forward

10:04 AM ET Some trades have paid off handsomely since the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 25. Some … not so much. We identify the best and worst so far, and what comes next for the players and teams. Who have been the most, least impressive trade deadline acquisitions? (one graf on each) Greg Wyshynski,

6:20 PM ET ESPN News Services Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson has been reinstated from suspension by the league, but the team had no word on when he will return to the ice. Watson, 27, was suspended indefinitely and admitted into Stage 2 of the NHL’s substance abuse and behavioral health program in January. The

3:24 PM ET Every week, we’ll mine the waiver wire for lesser-owned assets to help your squad, whether you favor dynasty or the redraft format, and we’ll also toss in some tips for DFS players out there. Finally, we will look at some former go-to fantasy assets who may be overvalued — in the short-

11:30 AM ET Chris PetersESPN NHL Close Chris Peters is ESPN’s NHL draft and prospects analyst. The Chicago native previously covered the NHL for CBSSports.com and founded the popular independent blog UnitedStatesofHockey.com where he covered the game at all levels since 2010. Each week, this column will highlight news for NHL prospects and 2019 draft-eligible