NHL Christmas break: Canucks drama, Auston Matthews' injury and 3 other major storylines to watch out for post-holidays

The NHL is on its holiday break for Christmas as the league is off from Tuesday to Friday. As the league takes a pause, there are plenty of storylines to watch out for after the holidays.

Let's take a look at the five major NHL scenarios to follow after the Christmas break.

NHL Christmas break: 5 major storylines to follow

#1. Canucks drama

The Vancouver Canucks are likely to be in the playoffs, but star players Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller are apparently not getting along. The feud between them has now gone public, and it has been a major talking point around the team.

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes said he's trying his best to make the locker room good and try to mend the dispute between them. However, it seems likely that one of them will be traded soon.

#2. Auston Matthews' injury

Auston Matthews is one of the best players in the NHL, but he is dealing with an undisclosed injury. Matthews already missed time, as he went to Germany for treatment. The injury has now flared up again, so how long he's out is a big question.

If Matthews is absent for a while, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to make a move to keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive.

#3. NHL Trade Deadline

The NHL Trade Deadline is one of the most important days on the calendar. The deadline is the final day teams can make trades to acquire players for a playoff run.

The deadline is set for March 7. The lead-up to it will be full of trades as playoff-bound teams stock up with impact players for a cup run.

#4. New York Rangers

New York has struggled - Source: Imagn

The Rangers were one of the best teams in the NHL last season, and entering this year, the expectation was they would compete for the Stanley Cup.

However, New York is 16-17-1 and seventh in the Metro, well outside a playoff spot. The Rangers have already traded Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko. However, Chris Kreider's name has continued to come up in trade talks as the Rangers could make a major move after the holiday break.

#5. Panthers search for back-to-back

Florida won the Stanley Cup last year and looks like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender again.

The Panthers have the best record in the Atlantic Division and look like a real threat to repeat. The Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021 were the last NHL team to win back-to-back, but Florida looks like a contender yet again.