This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. For all the headlines about NBA ratings dropping this season, Christmas Day gains were able to overturn much of the viewership losses.
In 2016, Las Vegas obtained its own NHL franchise and the fury series was moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, before it was canceled altogether due to the arrival of the Utah Hockey Club in 2024. The 16 teams that did not qualify for the playoffs are entered in a weighted lottery to determine the initial draft picks in the first round, with the last place team having the best chance of winning the lottery. Once the lottery determines the initial draft picks, the order for the remaining non-playoff teams is determined by the standings at the end of the regular season. Conference finalists receive the 29th and 30th picks depending on total points, with the Stanley Cup runner-up given the 31st pick and the Stanley Cup champions the final pick. Historically, the NHL has never fared well on American television in comparison to the other American professional leagues.
Listen to the Sports Reference team share fascinating stories they have uncovered throughout 20+ years of building the sites, researching and diving into the data. Minnesota is one of the 21 teams to which Dumoulin would accept a trade, but the Wild will likely wait until their blue line is at full strength before considering any trades prior to the nhl webcast.com trade deadline on March 7. Mikael Granlund is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so would likely be a one-year rental for the Wild given the contract Granlund will likely demand on the open market. The 32-year-old leading the San Jose Sharks in scoring, with 35 points, which puts him on pace for a career high, which is currently set at 69 ( ). Then, just last week, veteran NHL insider and senior writer for The Athletic, Chris Johnston, floated the idea of the Minnesota Wild reuniting with an old friend via trade. Johnston likes Mikael Granlund as a left-shooting forward who can switch between wing and center for the Wild.