This Week in the NHL: Erik Karlsson returns to San Jose

So many games. So little time. What should you focus your NHL hockey fandom on if your favorite team’s games don’t scratch the itch enough?

Welcome to This Week in the NHL. From now until April, we’ll lay out a collection of key games, events and deadlines to watch on the league calendar each week.

So what’s on tap for Oct. 30 – Nov. 5?

Oct. 30: Blake Wheeler returns to Winnipeg

New York Rangers @ Winnipeg Jets, 7:30 p.m. ET

Earlier this season, we looked ahead to potential boo birds for Alex DeBrincat upon his return to Ottawa. It will be much more complicated for Wheeler, the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers’ all-time scoring leader. While he arguably wore out his welcome by the end of his 13-sesaon tenure with the franchise, having been stripped of the captaincy and reportedly dividing the dressing room, it’s not like he asked off the team. The Jets bought him out this past offseason. It’s thus more likely he receives a warm and enthusiastic welcome when his New York Rangers visit the Canada Life Centre Monday night.

Oct. 31: Ryan O’Reilly’s 1,000^th game

Nashville Predators @ Vancouver Canucks, 10:00 p.m ET

It feels like O’Reilly was just breaking into the league with the Colorado Avalanche. Now he’s a grizzled 1,000-game vet already? He’ll reach the milestone on Tuesday, a.k.a. Halloween night, when his Nashville Predators visit the Vancouver Canucks. O’Reilly’s accomplished career includes more than 700 points, a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Selke Trophy and a Lady Byng Trophy.

Nov. 1: Hockey Fights Cancer month begins

November is Hockey Fights Cancer Month, and that means all 32 franchises will host their Hockey Fights cancer nights. The games will include dasher boards painted lavender – the color representing all cancers – plus coaches and broadcasters wearing HFC ties.

Because of the new bans from the league on players wearing themed jerseys for warmups, stemming from the Ivan Provorov Pride jersey controversy last season, players will not wear HFC warmup jerseys this season. After the league rescinded its ban on colored tapes to voluntarily support causes last week, however, it appears players are safe to use lavender stick tape on their respective HFC nights.

Nov. 4: Golden Knights, Avalanche meet in Clash of the Titans

Colorado Avalanche @ Vegas Golden Knights, 10:00 p.m. ET

Not only have the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche won the past two Stanley Cups, but they’ve been the two most dominant teams in the league to open the year, combining for a 14-2-1 record with goal differentials of +15 and +8, respectively. We can’t call their Saturday night tilt at T-Mobile Arena a Stanley Cup Final preview since they play in the same conference, but it’s certainly a potential Western Conference Final preview.

Nov. 4: Erik Karlsson returns to San Jose

Pittsburgh Penguins @ San Jose Sharks, 10:00 p.m ET

A year ago, the idea of Erik Karlsson leaving San Jose might’ve felt like more of a good riddance given he’d missed 27 percent of their games since they paid handsomely for his services in a blockbuster 2018 trade with the Ottawa Senators. So, naturally, in his fifth season with the team, he played all 82 games at 33 years old, delivered the first 100-point season from a defenseman in 31 years and won his third Norris Trophy. It will actually feel somewhat meaningful, then, when he visits his previous team wearing a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform.