National Hockey

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabe Vilardi has a medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee and will miss the next four to six weeks, the NHL club announced Wednesday.

TORONTO — Mitch Marner was asked if there's any added incentive playing the opponent that crushed the Maple Leafs' hopes five months ago.

Auston Matthews knows a little bit about what Connor Bedard has been going through to open his NHL career. A player dubbed as a potential "Next One" since age 13, the top pick at June's draft ran a gauntlet through his first four professional games.

Carolina Hurricanes (3-1, first in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Seattle Kraken (0-3-1, eighth in the Pacific Division) Seattle; Thursday, 10 p.m.

Vancouver Canucks (2-1, second in the Pacific Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (1-2-1, sixth in the Atlantic Division) Tampa, Florida; Thursday, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles Kings (1-1-1, third in the Pacific Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (2-1, second in the Central Division) Saint Paul, Minnesota; Thursday, 8 p.m.

Chicago Blackhawks (2-2, third in the Central Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (3-0, first in the Central Division) Denver; Thursday, 10:30 p.m.

Nashville Predators (1-3, eighth in the Central Division) vs. New York Rangers (2-1, fourth in the Metropolitan Division) New York; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: The New York Rangers host the Nashville Predators in a non-conference matchup.

Dallas Stars (1-0-1, fourth in the Central Division) vs. Anaheim Ducks (1-1, fifth in the Pacific Division) Anaheim, California; Thursday, 10 p.m.

Toronto Maple Leafs (2-1, fourth in the Atlantic Division) vs. Florida Panthers (1-2, seventh in the Atlantic Division) Sunrise, Florida; Thursday, 7 p.m.