The Arizona Coyotes have signed forward Clayton Keller to an eight-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.The deal carries an average annual value of $7.15 million and includes a no-trade clause that covers the final four years, according to his agent, Scott Bartlett:

The Vancouver Canucks and restricted free-agent forward Nikolay Goldobin have agreed on a one-year contract worth $900,000, the team announced Wednesday."Nikolay is a gifted offensive player who has shown good chemistry with some of our other younger players," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. "He has taken steps to round out his game and we're excited to see continued improvement from him this season."Goldobin, soon to be 24, was drafted 27th overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2014 and was then acquired by the Canucks in a 2017 trade that sent Jannik Hansen the other way.In his third season with Vancouver, Goldobin appeared in a career-high 63 contests and posted 27 points while averaging just under 15 minutes per night.With Goldobin inked, the Canucks' only remaining unsigned player is star winger Brock Boeser.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid's knee is apparently progressing on schedule, but with less than a month until the start of the 2019-20 season, there's no guarantee the Edmonton Oilers will have their captain in the lineup on opening night."On Sept. 3, you can't say whether he's ready or not to start the season," McDavid's agent, Jeff Jackson, told Sportsnet's Mark Spector on Tuesday. "He has another month before the season starts, and he's in very good shape. No one is saying (he will be delayed) until November or December. He's done extremely well so far, and everyone is happy with his progression."McDavid crashed hard into the net in the Oilers' 2018-19 season finale on April 6. He tore his PCL, but didn't require surgery and was given a recovery timeline of six months."For a guy like him, who relies so much on his skating his edgework, cutting back ... you don't want to have anything go wrong when you're rehabbing," Jackson said. "So it's been very meticulous, very carefully orchestrated, the progression. But he's doing really well."After not taking part in on-ice activities at BioSteel Camp in late August, McDavid said he was "working toward" getting to Edmonton's training camp, which opens next week. The club will then begin its regular season Oct. 2 versus the Vancouver Canucks."He hasn't had any setbacks," Jackson said. "He's put in a lot of time and effort into his summer, spending significant hours every day making sure he's doing everything in his power to be ready. So far, it seems to have worked. But, if they played in two days, he wouldn't be playing."McDavid's injury was a sour ending to an otherwise outstanding individual campaign in 2018-19. The 22-year-old was a Hart Trophy finalist after posting a career-high 116 points in 78 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Phil Kessel is determined to help the Arizona Coyotes return to the postseason."You want to prove to people that you want to be better than you have in the past," the productive winger told reporters at his introductory news conference Tuesday, according to Alex Kinkopf of the club's official website."I want to make this team into a playoff team, I want to do that, I have that in my gut to try and make that happen, and I'm going to do whatever I can to make that happen."Kessel, whom the Coyotes landed in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Alex Galchenyuk in late June, said Tuesday he's optimistic about his new squad.Arizona finished four points out of a playoff berth in 2018-19 despite losing starting goaltender Antti Raanta to a season-ending injury midway through the campaign."I think this is a good group of guys, a good young team, and as of last year you can see that they're building something here. I want to be a part of that," Kessel continued. "My time in Pittsburgh was coming to an end, I felt that, and I think this is a great situation for me and I want to help this team any way I can."He played four seasons for the Penguins before being dealt after spending six campaigns with the Toronto Maple Leafs and his first three with the Boston Bruins.Kessel had a brief message for Coyotes fans at Tuesday's event:

One can debate whether Sidney Crosby is still the NHL's best player, but judging by jersey sales, he's still the most popular.The Pittsburgh Penguins captain topped the list of the league's most purchased sweaters from 2018-19 after finishing second to Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews in 2017-18.Here are the top 15 best-sellers from last season:

Cam Talbot knows who he's gonna call whenever he needs new headgear.The Calgary Flames goaltender is sticking with the "Ghostbusters" theme for his new mask, courtesy of renowned artist David Gunnarsson.(Image courtesy: Calgary Flames)While there's nothing particularly "spoky" about it, the spooky new equipment continues Talbot's run of referencing the classic 1984 film.The 32-year-old signed with the Flames as a free agent July 1. The Edmonton Oilers traded him to the Philadelphia Flyers for Anthony Stolarz in February.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is optimistic about getting restricted free-agent forward Mitch Marner signed to a new deal before training camp begins Sept. 13.“We’ve continued to have dialogue with (Marner's agent) Darren (Ferris) as recently as last week," Dubas said in an interview with TSN's Bob McKenzie.Marner is among several talented restricted free agents that are still without contracts, and the 22-year-old has already said he "probably won't" attend training camp without a new deal.Dubas said, "I would expect - in looking at it and looking at the history of these things - that some of it will start to shake loose, and we're certainly hopeful and we'll continue to work towards having (Marner) be one of those players that signs in the coming week."Though the two sides have not been able to come to an agreement, Dubas said there's more incentive to get a deal done as the season approaches."I think the realism of the situation begins to near closer and closer, which is that if there is no contract, most players don't attend training camp," Dubas said. He added: "I think when missing time begins to become real, I think it changes the dynamics of the discussion quite a bit."Last season, negotiations with forward William Nylander extended right to the Dec. 1 deadline, and the 23-year-old struggled to return to form. When asked if he's worried about a similar timetable for Marner, Dubas noted negotiations started much earlier this time and pointed out that Nylander wasn't willing to accept a short-term contract."The first discussion that I had with Darren was at the combine in 2018 about Mitch, and William, the first discussion that we had with Lewis (Gross, Nylander's agent), was at the draft a couple of months before ... I just think that they're very different situations," Dubas said.The GM also joined Sportsnet's "Tim & Sid" on Tuesday, where he made it clear the club isn't interested in trading Marner."I don't think you ever want to go down that path, ever, with anyone in that regard," Dubas said. "Now, it's athletics and it's sports and anything can happen, but it's certainly not something we want to explore and we haven't."The Leafs executive also downplayed concern about Marner potentially practicing with a Swiss club during the stalemate."I don't worry about that. … I don't think we're going to be moved by the Zurich Lions, frankly. No offense to the Zurich Lions," Dubas said.Marner enjoyed a breakout season in his third NHL campaign, recording 26 goals and 94 points in 82 games. He became the youngest player in franchise history to break the 90-point mark.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ron Francis is bringing in a familiar face to help lead the NHL's newest franchise.Seattle's expansion team named Ricky Olczyk assistant general manager, the club announced Tuesday.The 49-year-old's responsibilities will include managing the salary cap and contracts, overseeing player transactions, and advising Francis - Seattle's GM - as part of the scouting team.Olczyk, the younger brother of former NHLer and longtime broadcaster Ed Olczyk, served as assistant GM of the Carolina Hurricanes under Francis from 2014-18 after occupying the assistant GM role with the Edmonton Oilers from 2009-14.Last season, Ricky Olczyk was a pro scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.Seattle's hockey operations department now boasts three employees: Francis, Olczyk, and director of hockey administration Alexandra Mandrycky, who specializes in analytics.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former NHL star Dale Hawerchuk will not be behind the bench for the Barrie Colts to begin the 2019-20 OHL season due to health issues, the team announced Tuesday, according to The Canadian Press."We are a tight and close family here and it's difficult to have to make announcements like this," team president Howie Campbell said in a statement. "Dale is facing some health issues and will be taking the time he needs to deal with that situation. Our best wishes and thoughts are with Dale and his family during this difficult time."Barrie did not provide any further details regarding his condition.The 56-year-old was entering his 10th season behind the team's bench and is the longest-serving coach in its history. He's helped the Colts reach the postseason six times during his tenure.Hawerchuk recorded 518 goals and 891 assists over 1,118 contests with the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, and Philadelphia Flyers. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall is calling it a career after 15 NHL campaigns, he announced Tuesday.The 38-year-old will join the Detroit Red Wings' front office as an adviser to general manager Steve Yzerman.Kronwall thanked the organization, the fans, and his family in an emotional video released by the club.

Warning: Story contains coarse languageColumbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella is known for his candor, and the veteran bench boss didn't sugarcoat his frustration entering the 2019-20 campaign after losing multiple core pieces this offseason."I'm pissed," Tortorella said according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "I’m pissed for my players. I'm pissed for my organization. And I'm pissed on behalf of my city."After pulling off one of the greatest upsets in NHL history by sweeping the 62-win Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs, the Blue Jackets saw key forwards Matt Duchene and Artemi Panarin, along with star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, walk away in free agency."I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of them. I do," Tortorella said. "But don't talk about goddamn winning, like you want to go somewhere to win. It’s right there in front of you."I respect them all. But I don’t want to hear 'I want to win' when it’s right fucking here. I respect them, but I’m really pissed. It was right there, where we were really progressing."Tortorella also expressed frustration about the status of restricted free agent Zach Werenski, who's yet to sign a new deal with training camp set to begin this month."I'd be terribly disappointed," the coach said. "I'm not involved in the business part of it. But for a young man to miss one minute of camp ... it disgusts me."Tortorella added of Werenski: "He has really grown as a player. I just don’t want him to miss a beat here. I won’t be disappointed, I'll be disgusted."Despite the roster turnover, Tortorella is still confident in his group and remains focused on maximizing the club's potential this season."We feel like we made a really good step last year, although we still don’t get out of the second round," he said. "We still made a step in the right direction. That doesn’t change because we lose some players."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As the NHL awaits the NHLPA's decision on whether it'll opt to reopen the collective bargaining agreement, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is concerned about one of the biggest potential sticking points between the two sides: escrow.Escrow takes a portion of the players' salaries and puts them in a pool. The league then determines how much of that pool has to be paid to the owners in order to reach a 50/50 revenue split. The setup was agreed upon during CBA discussions in 2013, and Toews isn't a fan."I'm no financial expert," Toews told John Dietz of the Daily Herald at the end of last season. "All I see is that I've signed a contract and to me, it's not exactly being honored. So I don't care what business you're in - to me, that's kind of ridiculous."As Dietz notes, players used to receive their escrow back. Now, due to a rising salary cap that's led to heftier contracts, and revenues that have failed to keep up with those larger agreements, players lose in excess of 10% of their annual salaries due to escrow."They've done a good job of making the players look like the greedy ones in the past several lockouts, and I wouldn't be surprised if they try to do it again," Toews continued. "To me, it's pretty black and white."The NHL officially declined its option to reopen negotiations Aug. 30, a decision "based on the current state of the game and the business of the game."The NHLPA executive board meets Wednesday to discuss its side of the matter and has until Sept. 15 to make a final decision. If the players opt to reopen talks, the current CBA will be terminated in September 2020. If they decline their option, the CBA will run through the 2021-22 campaign."There's obvious incentive for the NHL owners to have (escrow)," Toews said. "They get money back, depending on their performance. So now that responsibility falls on the player."Toews signed an eight-year, $84-million contract with the Blackhawks in 2014. His $10.5-million annual cap hit is the fourth-richest among all NHL centers.The 31-year-old appeared in all 82 games for Chicago in 2018-19, registering a career-high 81 points in his 12th NHL season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Justin Williams is taking a break from the NHL and will not join the Carolina Hurricanes for the start of the 2019-20 season, the 37-year-old announced Monday."This is the first time in my life that I've felt unsure of my aspirations with regards to hockey," Williams said. "For as long as I can remember, my whole offseason until this point has been hockey and doing what was necessary to prepare for the upcoming season. Because of my current indecision, and without the type of mental and physical commitment that I'm accustomed to having, I've decided to step away from the game."Williams is an unrestricted free agent, but he made it clear that he would only re-sign with the Hurricanes if he decided to return for the upcoming campaign."We appreciate Justin's honesty and openness throughout this process, and respect his decision," said Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell. "He's been an important part of our team, but we did prepare our roster with the understanding that he might step away. We are confident in the group we've assembled."The 6-foot-1 winger, who played for Carolina from 2003-09, rejoined the club on a two-year deal prior to the 2017-18 campaign. Williams was named captain ahead of the 2018-19 season and tallied 23 goals and 53 points to help end the Hurricanes' 10-year playoff drought.The 18-year veteran recorded 312 goals and 786 points over 1,244 career contests between the Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and Washington Capitals.Known for his clutch performances throughout his career, Williams earned the epithet "Mr. Game 7." A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Williams also captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP with the Kings in 2014.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There appears to be no offseason for the verbal jousting between Vegas Golden Knights agitator Ryan Reaves and San Jose Sharks sniper Evander Kane.Reaves revived the spat with a playful jab while presiding over a hockey-themed renewal of vows on Sunday, calling himself "Kane's worst nightmare," among other nicknames.

The St. Louis Blues have inked forward Ivan Barbashev to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.475 million, the club announced on Sunday.Barbashev was a restricted free agent, and the final player on the Blues' roster in need of a new pact.The 23-year-old recorded 14 goals and 26 points while appearing in 80 regular-season games for St. Louis last season, adding six points in 25 playoff contests en route to a Stanley Cup championship.Barbashev, who primarily played a fourth-line role in 2018-19, has spent his three NHL seasons with the Blues, the team that drafted him 33rd overall in 2014.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There will be a little extra nostalgia when the Los Angeles Kings turn back the clock during the upcoming season.For two games in 2019-20, the Kings will don the sweaters that Wayne Gretzky and Co. wore, the club announced.The Kings will wear the throwbacks on Feb. 22, 2020, when they host the Colorado Avalanche on '90s Night, and again on March 21 against the Vancouver Canucks for '80s Night at Staples Center.Los Angeles originally wore the jerseys from 1988 to 1998.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi is making it clear he hopes to sign a contract extension and remain in the Music City."I never made it a secret that I'd like to stay in Nashville," Josi told Greg Hardwig of the Naples Daily News on Friday. "I think we're talking a little bit over the summer, and I'll let my agent deal with that and just focus on getting ready for the season."Josi is entering the final season of a seven-year, $28-million contract signed in 2013-14, making the swift blue-liner eligible to ink an extension at any time.After the Dallas Stars eliminated the Predators in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past spring, Nashville general manager David Poile said an extension for Josi is the Preds' No. 1 priority.Roughly $20 million is coming off the club's books next summer, according to Cap Friendly. That leaves the team with plenty of room for Josi's new deal. The defenseman has been a major bargain while being paid $4 million per season since 2013-14.The Preds drafted Josi 38th overall in 2008, and he's since developed into one of the league's top defenseman. In 2018-19, he recorded the fourth 50-plus-point season of his career while logging over 25 minutes per contest.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov is receiving plenty of interest from teams as he works toward returning to the NHL this season."Things were busy yesterday," his agent, Allan Walsh, said on Thursday, according to NHL.com. "Numerous teams called. They're asking questions about his conditioning, forwarded teams a bunch of videos of him training. There are people who have actually been out to see him skate in Florida and train.""I'm very confident there will be a deal for him, and he'll play somewhere this year," Walsh added.Markov, 40, played 16 seasons with the Habs before returning to his native Russia for two campaigns starting in 2017-18. He notched 14 points in 49 games for Kazan Ak-Bars of the KHL last season.Going back to Montreal is Markov's No. 1 choice, according to Walsh. The veteran is 10 games shy of becoming the sixth Canadien to play 1,000 games wearing the team's iconic jersey.However, if a reunion isn't in the cards, Markov is open to suiting up elsewhere."Andrei's made it very clear his heart is in Montreal, it always will be in Montreal," Walsh said. "He would love to finish his career in Montreal, would love to play his 1,000th game in a Canadiens jersey. Maybe it happens, maybe it doesn't happen, we'll have to wait and see. More than that, he's 100 percent committed to playing in the NHL this season.""He's made it very clear to me he's open to playing for any team in the NHL, period," Walsh continuedThe Canadiens selected Markov in the sixth round of the 1998 draft. He's posted 119 career NHL goals and 453 assists.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL will not exercise its right to reopen the collective bargaining agreement next year, the league announced Friday."Based on the current state of the game and the business of the game, the NHL believes it is essential to continue building upon the momentum we have created with our players and, therefore, will not exercise its option to reopen the CBA. Rather, we are prepared to have the current CBA remain in effect for its full term - three more seasons through the conclusion of the 2021-22 season."It is our hope that a continued, sustained period of labor peace will enable us to further grow the game and benefit all constituent groups: NHL players, clubs, our business partners, and most important, our fans," commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.The NHL had until Sunday to make its decision.The NHLPA executive board and additional players who wish to attend are scheduled to meet Wednesday in Chicago. The deadline for the NHLPA to reopen CBA discussions is Sept. 15, but both sides could potentially agree to push back the NHLPA's deadline if a deal can't be struck by then, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.If the players opt to reopen negotiations, the current CBA will be terminated, potentially resulting in a work stoppage in September 2020. The current agreement will run through the 2020-21 season should they decline.The NHL and NHLPA reached a deal for the current CBA in 2013 following a prolonged dispute that shortened the 2012-13 season to 48 games. The league also lost the entire 2004-05 season after the two parties failed to come to terms on an agreement prior to that campaign.

Jonathan Drouin knows the Montreal Canadiens need his best every night if they're going to succeed."Last year, I fell off toward the end of the season," the forward said, according to NHL.com. "This summer, I looked at why that happened and at the things that I can change so that it doesn't happen this year. I have to be consistent for 82 games."Drouin enjoyed a terrific start to the 2018-19 campaign, tallying 37 points over his first 52 contests. The 24-year-old recorded just four goals and 16 points over his final 30 games, however, as the Canadiens missed the playoffs by two points."Who knows, if it weren't for those 30 games I had at the end of last year, maybe we're in the playoffs," he said. "For me, it's just to be able to look at myself in the mirror and know that I did something to be able to help our team make the playoffs this year."This summer, Drouin turned to Canadiens assistant coach Dominique Ducharme - his former coach with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads - to help him analyze video to better understand his strengths and weaknesses. That offseason initiative has impressed head coach Claude Julien."A guy who takes charge of his career and his situation is a good sign," Julien said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "He's still a young player, so that's the exciting part of it. He's a young player that wants to improve, so hopefully, that's what's going to happen. If he does, he's going to make our team that much better."He has the ability to be an impact player when he wants to be."Drouin signed a six-year, $33-million contract with the Canadiens in June 2017 after Montreal acquired him in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Both the New Jersey Devils and Wayne Simmonds are coming off a highly disappointing 2018-19 campaign, which is why the rugged winger thinks they're a perfect match."Our minds are set the same way. I didn't have a good year; they didn't have a good year," Simmonds told Sportsnet's Luke Fox from BioSteel Camp. "It's redemption for both myself and New Jersey, wanting to come back and prove to the league that I'm a good player and they're a good organization. It just fit well."Simmonds was an unrestricted free agent this summer. He signed a one-year, $5-million deal with the Devils after being traded to the Nashville Predators at last season's deadline."I'm coming off a down year. I realize that. I know my worth, and I'm not going to sign for anything under my worth. So, it's kind of a prove-it deal, right?" Simmonds said. "Be healthy, play your game, and get back to where you want to be."The 31-year-old had his worst showing in years last season, posting just 17 goals and 13 assists in 79 games. The dip in production came after six consecutive full seasons of burying 24 or more tallies, and can largely be attributed to a slew of injuries he dealt with the previous season."I actually got to work out this summer - that's a huge difference. Last year I had bilateral hernia surgery, torn abductor and hip surgery, so when you're rehabbing all summer and you don't get a chance to work out, your mind thinks you can do anything but your body tells you something different," Simmonds said.The Devils finished last in the Metropolitan Division one year after making a stunning push to the playoffs on the back of Taylor Hall's MVP season.New Jersey is in a good position to improve in 2019-20, though. On top of adding Simmonds, the club also brought in P.K. Subban and Nikita Gusev in separate trades, and drafted phenom Jack Hughes No. 1 overall in June.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is expected to announce its intent to decline its option to reopen the current collective bargaining agreement, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.The announcement should come within a day or two and is based off progressive discussions with the NHLPA, Dreger adds.The NHLPA Executive Board and additional players are set to meet Wednesday in Chicago to discuss whether their side wants to opt out for 2020, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported earlier Thursday.The Players' Association has until Sept. 15 to make a decision. If they opt to reopen negotiations, it will terminate the current CBA and potentially cause a work stoppage in September 2020. If they decline, the agreement runs through the 2020-21 season.The current CBA was put in place in 2013 after a lengthy dispute between the two parties shortened that season to just 48 games. The NHL and NHLPA also failed to come to terms on an agreement in 2004-05, which wiped out the entire campaign.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL Players' Association executive board, comprised of player representatives from all 31 teams, will meet in Chicago on Sept. 4 for a CBA update discussion, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Other players will also attend the meeting, LeBrun notes.The NHLPA has until Sept. 15 to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, which is scheduled to run through the 2020-21 season. The NHL has until Sept. 1 to make its own decision on the matter.The two sides have held multiple meetings throughout the summer, LeBrun adds, but it's unclear how much progress has been made.Both parties will look to avoid a labor stoppage after failing to do so during each of the previous two negotiations. The NHL lost an entire season in 2004-05 and convened a 48-game campaign in 2012-13 after the league and the NHLPA reached an agreement in January 2013.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran defenseman Ben Lovejoy is hanging up his skates after 11 NHL seasons.The 35-year-old announced his retirement during a broadcast on NHL Network on Wednesday night.Undrafted, Lovejoy broke into the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2008-09 season. He also spent time with the Anaheim Ducks and the New Jersey Devils before finishing his career with the Dallas Stars in 2018-19.Lovejoy captured a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016, contributing two goals and six points while averaging 17:46 of ice time over 24 playoff contests.The 6-foot-1 rearguard recorded 20 goals and 101 points over 544 career games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane took to social media Wednesday to bring attention to a racist comment on a recent Instagram post and to call for change surrounding the perception of black players in the NHL.

St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington believes he's worth more than his latest contract indicates, but he also knows what it takes to maintain a winning team in the salary cap era.This summer, the 26-year-old signed a two-year, $8.8-million contract with the Blues following a historic rookie campaign that saw him join the club in mid-December and spark an incredible run that took it from last place in the league in January to its first-ever Stanley Cup in June."You need a good team to win and I think it's a fair deal in that aspect, but obviously I'm confident in myself and believe I deserve more and will earn more, so that just comes with time and experience," Binnington said Tuesday at BioSteel camp, according to TSN. "You've just got to understand the process and just keep building and let the money chase you."Binnington finished the 2018-19 regular season with a 24-5-1 record, a 1.89 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage, and five shutouts. In the playoffs, the Ontario native became the first rookie netminder in history to record 16 wins.Off the ice, Binnington captured the attention of fans with his unwavering confidence, which included a postgame interview in February when he was asked about being nervous in close games.Entering his sophomore campaign, Binnington doesn't plan to change a thing."Everyone's their own person and I think for me I just try and find my own motivation every day and whether it's having my own swagger and feeling myself that day I adapt to whatever I'm feeling so yeah, l like to have a good presence," he said. "I respect athletes that put themselves out there and have to back it up. It's kind of a nice addition to the game, so I think just my whole demeanor - I like the way I roll."Binnington will likely be the Blues' starting netminder on opening night when they begin their defense of the Stanley Cup by hosting the Washington Capitals.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Matt Hunwick is not expected to play in the 2019-20 campaign due to a neck condition, general manager Jason Botterill announced Wednesday.Hunwick's injury limited him to just two points in 14 games last season.The 34-year-old has one year remaining on his current contract at a cap hit of $2.25 million, and he's expected to be placed on long-term injured reserve.Over his 12-year NHL career, Hunwick's also suited up for the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders inked forward Anthony Beauvillier to a two-year contract, the team announced Wednesday.The deal reportedly has an average annual value of $2.1 million, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple.Beauvillier, 22, recorded 18 goals and 28 points over 81 regular-season games in 2018-19, adding one goal and one assist in eight playoff contests.Since being selected by the Islanders 28th overall at the 2015 NHL Draft, Beauvillier has recorded 48 goals and 88 points over 218 games.The Quebec native was New York's final restricted free agent in need of a new contract heading into next season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Leon Draisaitl hopes things work out between the Edmonton Oilers and restricted free-agent forward Jesse Puljujarvi, but he knows where the 21-year-old stands heading into the 2019-20 season."He's a young guy that obviously doesn't feel like he wants to play for us anymore," Draisaitl said Wednesday at BioSteel camp, according to TSN.Puljujarvi signed a one-year contract with Finland's Oulun Karpat on Tuesday. His deal includes an NHL opt-out clause valid until Dec. 1."You obviously want guys to pan out and want guys to help you on your team, but again, it seems like he doesn't want to be on our team as of right now," Draisaitl added. "Maybe that changes. But again, we have people that get paid a lot of money to make those decisions."Assisted by his agent, Markus Lehto, Puljujarvi has made clear over the past several months he'd like a fresh start with a new NHL club.Edmonton selected Puljujarvi fourth overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, but the 6-foot-4 winger has struggled to carve out a permanent role with the team; he's recorded just 17 goals and 37 points in 139 career contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After pledging not to compete in North America this season, more than 200 of the world's top women's hockey players are launching a series of tournaments called the Dream Gap Tour, the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association announced Wednesday.The "gap" in the tour's name refers to the gap in opportunities that young women encounter if they want to play hockey professionally for a sustainable income."You always grow up and hear boys say, 'I want to be a pro hockey player one day.' You don't hear little girls saying that. They say, 'I want to go to the Olympics,'" said U.S. star Kendall Coyne Schofield, according to The Associated Press' John Wawrow. "That's the pinnacle of our sport. I can't make a living playing this sport. ... When I graduate college, I either go to the Olympic Games or get a job."At each of the tour's four stops, about 80 players will be split into four teams. They'll play a three-game round-robin tournament followed by a championship game. The stops will also include youth clinics.The tour will start in Toronto from Sept. 20-22, then visit Hudson, New Hampshire, from Oct. 4-6, and Chicago from Oct. 18-20. Union members will also play exhibition games against Boston College on Sept. 21 and against Sharks alumni in San Jose on Sept. 22. Potential tour stops in Southern California and Buffalo are also being discussed.The PWHPA was formed in May as part of the players' efforts to promote and support a single, viable professional women's league that would showcase the game's top talents."We're not talking about millions of dollars here. We just want to be able to live and train full time, and see how far we can take this game," said defenseman Alyssa Gagliardi, who has played in both the CWHL and NWHL. "For so long, it's only been limited to the girls on the national team that can truly do that full time, so this is kind of broadening that."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After he slalomed between two defenders and one-timed a bouncing stretch pass to the inside corner of the left post, Peter Stone turned toward a teammate, smiled, and celebrated the dazzling sequence with a shrug.Stone's showing on an indoor soccer pitch in Sydney, Australia, earlier this summer was dominant by any standard, even though the specifics of the match were unconventional. Outfitted in dress shirts, he and four fellow scientists were coasting past a team of wheeled robots, exploiting holes in their defense with shrewd link-up play and timely saunters down the wing.Even as he scored four goals in the 4-1 win, Stone - the president of the RoboCup Federation, an international collective of academics that arranges this yearly tussle between man and machine - came away impressed by his opponents' teamwork and smarts. The patterns in which the robots shared possession and moved into open spaces were familiar; they resembled the kinds of decisions that underlie any cohesive lineup's attack.The robots, standing just waist-high against the humans, managed to make this much clear: They knew what they were doing."People are still much better than the robots. We can still pass the ball around them," said Stone, an artificial-intelligence researcher at the University of Texas. "(But) every year, it gets a little bit more difficult. We always joke that we're not sure if it's because we're getting older or the robots are getting better."RoboCup is a scientific entity. It stages soccer tournaments between teams of robots because its members, first and foremost, want to advance the state of robotics research. However, the goal around which the federation orients its work is rooted in sports. By 2050, the scientists want to build a roster of autonomous humanoids that is capable of competing against the most formidable opponent imaginable: the champion of that year's World Cup.The 2050 benchmark is an objective, but not a prediction. "We learned long ago in artificial intelligence that if you put a date on a challenge like that, you should do it for a date after you're going to retire, because they're very uncertain," Stone said.Still, there's no time like the present to wonder when this ambition might be realized - and, once it is, how it will affect each and every one of our games.––––––––––In 2019, the makings of a future in which humanoids displace professional athletes and technology renders both coaches and referees obsolete is starting to become discernible. Toyota engineers have developed a stationary basketball robot that sinks set shots with unrivaled accuracy. And not long after he departed Arsenal last year, Arsene Wenger speculated that robots could manage soccer clubs within two decades.Radar technology is already responsible for calling balls and strikes in the independent Atlantic baseball league, which MLB tapped as its testing ground for a slate of experimental rules. Human umpires still relay the calls to the players and the crowd, but their deference to the automated system means that for the first time, a non-human entity occupies a full-time role in a live sports competition."(Players) want to have a consistent strike zone," Atlantic League president Rick White said. "They have consistently in the past said to us, 'Tell us what the strike zone is, enforce the strike zone, but don't change that umpire to umpire, day to day, inning by inning,' and so forth. (The automated system) gives them an answer to that."Boston Globe / Getty ImagesGiven the novelty of the Atlantic League's trial run, we're a ways off from MLB deciding to computerize its own strike zone. Even further away is the prospect of a robot keeping pace with Kylian Mbappe or outshooting Stephen Curry against the added burden of a defender. Present-day humanoids generally struggle to stand upright, which is why it's far more entertaining for RoboCup to pit wheeled competitors against Stone and his colleagues at the federation's annual gathering.Those RoboCup competitions, which are broken down into several divisions based on the robots' design, illustrate the core challenge of taking aim at the World Cup champs: Robot athletes must be hardwired to not only think like humans, but to move like them, too.For now, robots are significantly more intelligent than they are mobile. When Stone's team faced the winners of RoboCup's wheeled "middle size" league, which factors physicality out of the equation, the robots scored their lone goal off a perceptive downfield pass from a defender to a striker.Your browser does not support the video tag. A second robot goal was nullified, somewhat ironically, when replay overruled a human decision because the ball didn't fully cross the line.Meanwhile, RoboCup's humanoid event brings to life an old soccer witticism - the one about possession-happy teams preferring to walk the ball into the net. It's the surest way to score in a game where the players, limited in their ability to move freely, lumber down the pitch with a minder in tow, kicking only from a standstill to avoid falling over.Your browser does not support the video tag. The chasm between the humanoid body and mind helps explain the value that researchers see in RoboCup and other similar projects. If the end goal is scientific progress, then sports - with their quantifiable standards of success - are a useful setting through which to pursue that result, and to test boundaries.Each year, the Federation of International Robot-Sport Association (FIRA) invites roboticists to enter humanoids they've developed into the HuroCup - the decathlon of the robot world. In the sprint event, participants are made to walk 3 meters forward and then backpedal the same distance. They also weight lift, scale ladders and ropes in a spartan race, and compete in a marathon that spans 421.95 meters, one hundred times smaller than a human course.One event in which humanoids could threaten human preeminence rather soon is archery. Jacky Baltes, the president of FIRA and a robotics researcher at National Taiwan Normal University, said that he and several colleagues from around the world are working to enter a robot archer into next year's Taiwanese national competition in hopes that it will later be able to vie for medals at the World University Games, and then at the Olympics.In contests that require agility and speed, Baltes thinks robots are bound to make exponential strides, similar to other seminal technologies that took time to flourish. He pointed to cellphones, which were once stodgy and heavy but are now small supercomputers. A more extreme example? In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright kept a plane aloft for 260 meters of flight; by 1947, aviation had progressed to the point where test pilot Chuck Yeager could soar faster than the speed of sound.We might be 40 years out from a humanoid topping a child in a race of any length, Baltes added, but once the basic framework is in place, it's possible no man-made record will be safe."From beating a 5-year-old to beating the world champion is only going to be a relatively short time," Baltes said. "Maybe another five years, maybe another 10 years."Robot weightlifting. Courtesy of Jacky Baltes / FIRAWhenever that time comes, British futurist Ian Pearson figures fans won't take much of an interest in watching those humanoids make precision sports, such as archery and shooting, entirely predictable. "Of course a machine can hit the target," he said.Pearson applies the same logic to golf. It would be dull, after all, if every round consisted of 18 holes-in-one.Other sports have greater crossover potential. Robot jockeys could supplant the human element in horse racing, allowing the Triple Crown to be decided solely on the horses' merits. Pearson says he'd be surprised if the next 20 years elapsed without humanoids facing tennis pros in showcase matches. (He noted that this brand of exhibition could be short-lived if the robots reach superhuman physical capacity, enabling them to win all the time.)As for the people tasked with enforcing the rules? The advent of automated home plate umpires in baseball might be a harbinger of what's to come elsewhere. Pearson has written that robot umps could be practical in tennis, where technology has already replaced humans in calling net cords, and Hawk-Eye is used as a backup resource for line calls. He predicted that drone robots could feasibly take over all officiating duties in soccer by as soon as next year, with humanoid referees to follow around 2030.If that prognosis seems grim for human officiating, it at least comes equipped with a silver lining: the chance that spectators will revolt at the sight of robots getting every single call correct. "Half of the fun of watching a game is arguing with the referee and calling the guy an idiot," Pearson said.––––––––––When the robo-athlete breakthrough arrives, many executives who oversee sports will face a moment of reckoning. How will they act in response?One option would be to bar robots from our established competitions, which is where Baltes' effort to get a humanoid archer admitted to the Olympics may hit a snag. A spokesperson for World Archery, the sport's governing body, said the federation's rulebook doesn't specify that archers must be human, but does include many prohibitions on the use of electronic equipment."I would guess this covers robots," the spokesperson, Chris Wells, wrote in an email.Robot archery. Courtesy of Jacky Baltes / FIRAIn the opposite scenario, if marketing potential or the desire to innovate leads sports authorities to welcome robots into the fold, limits on their physical capabilities would have to be enacted to prevent them from making a mockery of the games. Disregard, for a moment, the image of primitive humanoids tottering down a soccer pitch; envision in its place a descendant that's programmed to run with abandon and kick a ball several hundred miles per hour."You wouldn't be able to follow the play," Pearson said. "Every shot would be a goal, and it just wouldn't be fun watching it."About a decade ago, this dilemma led Stone and two fellow roboticists to propose, in a chapter of a book called "Soccer and Philosophy," a set of robot-curtailing rule modifications that would ensure fairness and preserve the essence of the sport, which they described as two teams working to beat each other within the confines of limitations that every player on the field shares.Their suggested rules stipulate that robot soccer players would need to look like humans, with two arms, two legs, and no more than two forward-facing cameras to serve as their eyes. No robot could be bigger than the biggest human player; none could run faster or kick harder than the upper human limit in each category. Nor could any robo-team's combined size, speed, and kick strength and accuracy exceed the best pro team's total dispersion of those qualities."If there comes a time when a team of robots defeats a team of humans under these rules, then no spectator will be able to cry 'foul!'" Stone and his colleagues, Michael Quinlan and Todd Hester, wrote in the chapter.Humanoid robot soccer. Courtesy of April Foster / RoboCupNo spectator, that is, except for those who'd protest the validity of the result on philosophical grounds. When a robot athlete engages in a sport such as soccer, these fans might wonder if they're truly playing the game, or if they're merely mimicking a necessarily human activity.Stone, Quinlan, and Hester sided with the first response to this question. In their chapter, they argued that if a match in which robots oppose a "serious human team" - be it the World Cup champion or five decently fit scientists - is recognizable as soccer, the robots have sufficiently proven their ability to play.In 2016, sports philosophers Francisco Javier Lopez Frias and Jose Luis Perez Trivino advocated for a more rigorous standard, opining, in a paper, that participating in a sport is not the same as playing it. In sports, they contend, people - unlike any other being - decide to enter the realm of play to learn something about themselves, such as seeing how close they can get, within natural limits, to attaining physical excellence."It's not just about following the rules. It's not about exercising some skills," Lopez Frias said in an interview. "(Playing sports is) about adopting a specific attitude toward the game."For robots to play sports, Lopez Frias added, more about them would need to be human than simply their outward appearance. If they don't share human vulnerabilities, fans won't be able to relate to them, or admire or care about the wondrousness of any physical feats they conjure.Future robots may beat us on the scoreboard, or ensure that no pitch off the plate is ever mistaken for a strike again. But under this line of thinking, we'd still be the protagonists of our own games."Sport is a human phenomenon," Lopez Frias said. "If you eliminate the human component, then you don't have a sport anymore."- With a file from Jonah BirenbaumNick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former NHL defenseman Andrei Markov has hired agent Allan Walsh in his pursuit of making a return to the league this season."He's been intensively training in Florida this summer and is determined to play in the NHL this season," Walsh wrote Wednesday on Twitter.Markov, a 16-year NHL veteran, spent his entire career with the Montreal Canadiens and expressed his desire to return to the club on a one-year contract last month. He last played in the league during the 2016-17 season, recording six goals and 36 assists over 62 games.Markov ranks sixth in Canadiens history in both games played (990) and assists (453). He recorded 572 total points.The 40-year-old has spent the last two seasons playing for the KHL's Kazan Ak-Bars and helped the club capture the Gagarin Cup in 2017-18.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran goaltender Cam Ward signed a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes and will officially retire from the NHL after 14 seasons, the club announced Wednesday."It was an honor and a privilege to wear the Hurricanes jersey for 13 years," Ward said in a statement. "Throughout it all, what stayed clear to me was my love for this organization, this city, and this fan base. It is why my family and I call Raleigh home and will continue to call it home. I appreciate all of the support the fans gave me throughout the highs and the lows. I thank you."Ward, 35, made one of the most remarkable debuts in NHL history, taking over the Carolina net during his rookie season in 2005-06 and leading the Hurricanes to the first and only Stanley Cup in franchise history. The then-22-year-old won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP."I'd also like to thank the great teammates, coaches and staff members I worked with during my time as a player in Carolina," Ward's statement continued. "I will always treasure my memories as a player at PNC Arena, from winning the Stanley Cup to representing the organization in the All-Star Game. While this wasn't an easy decision, I'm looking forward to making the transition with my family and seeing what the future holds for me post-career."The 6-foot-1 netminder holds several Hurricanes franchise goaltending records with 668 games played, 318 wins, and 27 shutouts. Ward suited up for 701 contests over his career, posting a record of 334-356-88 with a 2.74 goals-against average and .908 save percentage.The Saskatchewan native signed a one-year, $3-million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of the 2018-19 season. He appeared in 33 games for the Blackhawks.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With restricted free-agent defenseman Zach Werenski still unsigned, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is worried about the effect an unresolved contract situation could have on his team with training camp set to begin Sept. 13."The real frustration for me (is when a contract negotiation) drags on into training camp, because that's a time for 'team,'" Kekalainen said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "That's the time when the boys come here together. They start preparing and jelling and building that chemistry that we need as a team."When it goes to training camp time, it takes away from that preparation. It takes away from the team. That's what I'm concerned about."Werenski, 22, is reportedly seeking a three-year deal worth at least $15 million. Earlier in August, Kekalainen expressed faith in the 6-foot-2 rearguard signing a new deal before camp, telling NHL.com, "I'm confident that everything will get done and that he wants to be part of the team right from the start (of training camp)."The Blue Jackets face an important training camp as they look to fill holes on the roster following the offseason departures of key forwards Matt Duchene, Artemi Panarin, and Ryan Dzingel, as well as franchise netminder Sergei Bobrovsky.With September fast approaching, Kekalainen maintains a firm stance on the importance of resolving contract negotiations before team activities commence."And that's where we've drawn the hard line before: We don't believe in taking that preparation time away from the team," he said. "We think it should be resolved before the team gets together and gets ready for the season."Selected eighth overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2015 NHL Draft, Werenski has tallied 38 goals and 128 points over 237 career contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two months after drafting sniper Cole Caufield 15th overall at the 2019 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens unveiled a behind-the-scenes video looking at their scouting department's process in picking players. However, the video may have let out a little secret.Reddit user u/azdod keenly noticed a piece of paper in the video that ranked 15 players eligible for the draft.The top 10 prospects seemingly listed in the video are as follows, with their respective draft positions added in parentheses:

Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice knows the tension surrounding Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor's contract negotiations will only increase as the club gets closer to convening for the 2019-20 season."The pressure on both sides kind of comes at the same time, that the closer you get to the season, the more pressure comes on the team and the player to get a contract signed," Maurice told NHL.com's Tim Campbell. "We'll see that mount and we're hopeful (they'll be signed) by the time the puck drops. You want everybody at camp, absolutely, but you really hope everybody's done by the time the season starts."Winnipeg's training camp begins Sept. 13. Laine and Connor are two of several star restricted free agents around the league who've yet to put pen to paper this offseason."Everybody wants these contracts done but we all knew this was going to be late, that it wasn't going to happen early because they're almost moving en masse. I think once one or two go, they'll all line up," Maurice said.The Jets have over $16.1 million in available cap space to sign the two young wingers, along with goalie and fellow RFA Eric Comrie, according to Cap Friendly.Laine was wildly inconsistent in 2018-19 but still managed to pot 30 goals for the third consecutive season to start his career. Connor, who's carved out a prominent role for himself on the Jets' top line alongside Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, posted a personal-best 34 goals and 66 points in 82 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson said his club will undoubtedly support Evgeny Kuznetsov in light of the Russian's four-year IIHF suspension for testing positive for cocaine."We're going to have his back," Wilson told Sportsnet's Luke Fox at BioSteel Camp on Tuesday."Hopefully he can get through it. It's never something you like to see in the media, but I'm sure he'll learn. He'll grow as a person and a player. We're focused on (the) Capitals. Whatever happens with the international stuff, it's none of our business."I know he takes a lot of pride in playing for his country."Kuznetsov failed a doping test at the World Championship in May. He isn't facing an NHL suspension since the league doesn't view cocaine as a performance-enhancing substance. Instead, he'll be enrolled in the NHL/NHLPA's substance-abuse education and counseling program. He'll meet with commissioner Gary Bettman at a later date.The 27-year-old has won world junior and World Championship gold with Russia over his international career, but his recent ban would prevent him from suiting up at the 2022 Olympics should NHLers participate.Kuznetsov registered 21 goals and 51 assists in 76 games for the Caps last season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano is hoping to see teammate Matthew Tkachuk - one of the league's many unsigned restricted free agents - when training camp opens on Sept. 12."Obviously, I’m trying to make light of the situation but as it gets closer to camp, hopefully the business side of it works out," Giordano told the Calgary Sun's Kristen Anderson."It always ends up working out but you just want it sooner rather than later, if possible. I don’t think I’ve seen an offseason quite like this one where so many RFAs are in the same boat."Tkachuk, the sixth overall pick in the 2016 draft, enjoyed a breakout season in 2018-19, tallying 34 goals and 77 points. He's also been part of the Flames' checking line since entering the league in 2016-17, proving his worth at both ends of the ice."There’s no question to how much he means to our team, everybody knows that," Giordano said of Tkachuk. "He's a guy who brings it every night, he battles. From that side of it, we know what he means to our team. He's a huge part of our team. Listen, there's time still. Both sides, you know they both want to get it done."Meeting Tkachuk's demands could prove difficult, as Calgary has just $7.76 million remaining in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly, and also has to sign fellow RFA Andrew Mangiapane.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's all about value.After bringing you four undervalued teams to consider last week, let's visit the other end of the spectrum by identifying three clubs that sportsbooks are overvaluing based on headline-catching offseasons:Toronto Maple Leafs under 102.5A lot of people - led by the Kyle Dubas Stans - are high on the Maple Leafs this season after an active summer. However, it's time to pump the brakes. After finishing with 100 points last season, did the roster actually improve this offseason?Let's start by addressing the elephant in the room: Mitch Marner. The restricted free agent tallied a team-high 94 points last season but remains unsigned and entrenched in a bitter contract dispute that's threatening to drag into October. Is anyone truly confident that Marner will sign in time for training camp? Dubas hasn't provided much reason for optimism given last year's situation with William Nylander. And considering Marner was Toronto's most valuable player in 2018-19, even a month without him could drastically impact the team's point total.The Leafs will already be without Zach Hyman (knee surgery) to start the season, making a Marner holdout that much more important to avoid. Their depth will be tested, and looking down the roster I'm not sure that's a good thing. Exchanging Nazem Kadri for Alex Kerfoot is at best a wash, and that's operating under the assumption that Kerfoot can play center. It would leave Toronto thin down the middle if he can't. Meanwhile, Nick Shore and Jason Spezza were brought in, but the latter was a healthy scratch at times with Dallas, while the former spent last season in the KHL and has never scored more than six goals in an NHL season.By trading Kadri, the Leafs also lost their last bit of grit. As talented as this roster is, it's small and soft throughout the lineup. You could notice a shift in how teams attacked the Leafs down the stretch last season, getting pucks deep and wearing them out by grinding down low. It resulted in a 10-10-5 record to close out the season. Does that sound like a 103-point team?On the back end, Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci should help shore up a top-four group that will also have Jake Muzzin for a full season. However, Jake Gardiner - a very useful player for Toronto, Game 7 deficiencies aside - along with strong penalty killers in Nikita Zaitsev and Ron Hainsey are all gone. Morgan Reilly is coming off a career year in which he posted an unsustainably high shooting percentage, while Travis Dermott is also set to miss at least the first month of the season.The Maple Leafs are still a very good hockey team, but there are too many question marks to back them increasing their point total in an Atlantic Division that improved over the summer.Minnesota Wild under 87.5The Wild just went through one of the most embarrassing offseasons in NHL history. Former GM Paul Fenton's disastrous campaign was exposed by the Athletic's Michael Russo, and he was fired after just one year in charge. To make matters worse, Bill Guerin was only hired a week ago as the replacement, inheriting a bad roster and minimal flexibility to make changes before the season.So please, someone tell me how this team is expected to be better after finishing 2018-19 with 83 points? Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, and Charlie Coyle are all gone from a roster that produced just 211 goals, while Mats Zuccarello is the only reinforcement in that area.At this point, the first line is closer to moving into Del Boca Vista than moving the Wild into a playoff spot, while goaltender Devan Dubnyk already turned back into the pumpkin he was in Edmonton. Minnesota will be lucky to finish with 80 points.New Jersey Devils under 90.5Ray Shero went on a warpath this summer to improve his hockey team. He definitely succeeded, but probably not to the extent that people seem to think. P.K. Subban and Wayne Simmonds will help sell tickets, but these are two guys on the wrong side of 30 and coming off down years - not exactly inspiring.Nico Hischier is now joined by fellow first overall pick Jack Hughes to form what should be an electric one-two punch at center, and of course, 2017-18 NHL MVP Taylor Hall is healthy. But Hall, an unrestricted free agent after this season, still needs a new contract. It could prove to be a big distraction if he doesn't get one before opening night.The biggest issue surrounding the Devils, however, and the reason everyone should be skeptical about them making a massive jump up from 72 points last season, is the situation in net. Young Mackenzie Blackwood has a grand total of 23 NHL games on his resume and his best single-season save percentage in the AHL was .907. How many times have we seen goaltending hold back exciting teams? The Devils will be fun to watch, but please don't bet on them getting 10 more wins than last season.Follow Alex on Twitter at @alexjmorettoCopyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Jesse Puljujarvi sweepstakes are still wide open after the restricted free-agent forward signed a one-year deal on Tuesday morning to play in Finland's top league this season.Since Puljujarvi's contract includes an NHL opt-out clause - allowing him to join a team before Dec. 1 - Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland doesn't believe the move will have much impact on his trade market."I don't know that him signing in Finland has a huge effect on the situation," Holland told Sportsnet's Mark Spector. "I've had conversations with numerous clubs that have had interest, some interest, in acquiring Jesse. And I have had, probably in the last 10 days, two or three new teams reach out to me. Teams whose position have changed, and are checking into the Puljujarvi situation."I'll do a deal if I feel good that I'm making a deal in the best interests of the Edmonton Oilers."Puljujarvi, a former fourth overall pick of the Oilers, requested a trade out of Edmonton earlier this summer, but Holland hasn't found an offer to his liking. The 6-foot-4 winger has always had tantalizing potential, but he's produced just 37 points in 139 career NHL games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators are looking to lock up another piece of their young core.The club has "had discussions" with defenseman Thomas Chabot about a contract extension, general manager Pierre Dorion told the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch.Dorion didn't want to reveal any more than that."In the case of Colin White, we were able to keep everything very confidential and we were able to get a contract done," Dorion said. "We don’t think talking publicly about any contract negotiations, whether it’s Chabot or any pending UFA, does us any good."But we understand the importance of our young core and having them in Ottawa as long as possible."Last week, the Sens inked White, a restricted free-agent forward, to a six-year deal that carries a $4.75-million cap hit. Chabot, meanwhile, has one year left on his entry-level contract before becoming an RFA next summer.Regardless of when Chabot signs his next contract, he could receive quite the payday. The 22-year-old blue-liner enjoyed a breakout season in 2018-19, recording 55 points in 70 games. His 0.79 points per game ranked eighth among all NHL defensemen.Chabot's contract could ultimately be dictated by the deals that are expected to be signed by fellow rearguards Charlie McAvoy and Zach Werenski. Both RFAs are in need of a new deal for the upcoming campaign. Werenski is reportedly seeking a three-year bridge contract worth at least $15 million.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers restricted free-agent forward Jesse Puljujarvi has signed a one-year deal with Karpat in the top Finnish league, the team announced Tuesday.The contract is for the entire season, but it includes an opt-out clause that allows Puljujarvi to return to the NHL anytime before Dec. 1 - the latest date the CBA allows a player to join a roster without clearing waivers.The Oilers made Puljujarvi the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, but he's mustered just 37 points in 139 career games. Most pundits expected him to go third overall to Columbus after Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, but the Blue Jackets surprised everyone at the time by taking Pierre-Luc Dubois.Now in need of a change of scenery, Puljujarvi requested a trade from Edmonton earlier this offseason, but new Oilers general manager Ken Holland was unable to fulfill the request. However, heading overseas doesn't rule out a potential trade before Dec. 1.Puljujarvi was born in Sweden to Finnish parents and moved to Finland when he was 4 years old. Karpat is the team closest to his hometown, and he grew up playing in its organization for years before heading to North America to join the Oilers.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid believes the NHL's current crop of unsigned restricted free agents will reach their respective agreements in bunches."It's obviously a unique situation where there's a lot of star players that are sitting out right now," McDavid said Monday, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "I think it'll just take one domino to fall and they'll all fall pretty quick. But someone's going to have to set that mark."The list of RFAs that remain without a deal includes Brayden Point, Mitch Marner, Brock Boeser, Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, Mikko Rantanen, and Matthew Tkachuk, among others. Training camps open in roughly two weeks.McDavid himself never came close to a contract holdout, as he signed an eight-year, $100-million contract in July 2017 to make him the league's highest-paid player, one year before he would've become an RFA."I didn't want to be sitting here and not going to training camp," McDavid said. "That was my biggest fear, honestly."McDavid posted a career-high 116 points in 78 games in 2018-19, the first year of his new contract.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Max Domi isn't afraid to stoke the fire of a century-old rivalry during the dog days of summer.The Montreal Canadiens forward was recently asked about the difference between his current team's fan base and that of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the club that plays where he grew up. His dad, Tie, also played 777 games for the Leafs."I was pretty lucky as a kid to grow up around that same sort of vibe in Toronto with my dad, but Montreal's a whole other level," Domi told TSN. "I get it, Toronto's got their fans and the Leaf Nation is pretty big, but there's nothing even close to Montreal and their fans down there. The fan base for the Montreal Canadiens is second to none."Asked for his reasoning, Domi pointed to the rafters."They've won 24 Stanley Cups," he said. "That's all that needs to be said, really. Sorry. It's a pretty simple answer."After spending the first three years of his career with the Arizona Coyotes, Domi was shipped to the Habs in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk last offseason. He immediately noticed the vast difference between the two markets."It wasn't really anything I wasn't prepared for, but you don't really know what to expect until you step on the ice and experience skating around the Bell Centre and playing in front of a sold-out rink of 20,000 passionate fans that know exactly what's going on in your life and how your game's going and all that stuff," Domi said."If you're playing in Montreal, you're the luckiest dude in the world," he added.Domi's first year in La Belle Province was a huge success, as he buried a career-high 28 goals while adding 44 assists, setting a new personal best with 72 points in 82 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche winger and restricted free agent Mikko Rantanen is skating with the Storhamar Dragons in Norway as he awaits a new NHL contract, the Norwegian team confirmed Monday.

Connor McDavid is "working towards getting to camp" after suffering a season-ending knee injury during the final game of the 2018-19 campaign, he told reporters on Monday, according to TSN.The Edmonton Oilers superstar isn't participating in the on-ice portion of BioSteel Camp this week, but he's been skating for at least "a couple months," the three-time All-Star said.McDavid tore his PCL when he crashed hard into the post while driving to the net. The 22-year-old said he hasn't endured any setbacks during his recovery.The Oilers play their first preseason game on Sept. 16 against the Winnipeg Jets. That tilt could mark the debut of James Neal, Edmonton's biggest offseason acquisition who was brought over in a trade with the Calgary Flames for Milan Lucic. McDavid's feelings about the move are mixed."Obviously disappointing to see a good friend in 'Looch' go," McDavid said. "He was someone that I got close with on the team, great guy, great family as well, definitely gonna miss them."But Nealer has a lot of upside. He's a guy that's won a lot in this league, scored a lot in this league ... obviously a down year last year but he's training (with Gary Roberts) and he's working as hard as I've ever seen him work."Edmonton and Calgary square off twice this preseason, but the provincial rivals will wait until Dec. 27 before clashing in a meaningful game.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Denis Malgin on a one-year contract, the team announced Monday.The 22-year-old forward tallied seven goals and nine assists in 50 games with the Panthers last season. He was also a positive possession player for the third consecutive year, posting a 51.4 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. It was the best mark among Panthers forwards who skated in at least half of the team's games.Florida now has all of its restricted free agents signed ahead of training camp.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes prospect Stelio Mattheos will miss training camp this year as he completes treatments for testicular cancer, the team announced Monday.Mattheos was diagnosed with testicular cancer in June - two days after helping the AHL's Charlotte Checkers claim the 2019 Calder Cup. He underwent surgery to remove one testicle and has since completed multiple courses of chemotherapy over the past two months.The 20-year-old is expected to return to full health and will resume training for the 2019-20 season once his treatments are complete and he receives clearance from doctors."I'd like to thank everyone who reached out to offer support and well wishes since the diagnosis," Mattheos said. "I've had amazing support from my friends, family, teammates, coaches, and all of the hockey organizations I've been a part of, including the Hurricanes, Checkers, and Brandon Wheat Kings."I owe a debt of gratitude to my surgeon, Dr. Sabeer Rehsia, and all of the staff at Grace Hospital, as well as Dr. Piotr Czaykowski at Cancer Care Manitoba and all of the nurses on the chemotherapy ward."Mattheos, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-winger, was the Hurricanes' third-round pick in the 2017 draft. After tallying 96 points in 65 WHL games in 2018-19, he joined the Checkers down the stretch, skating in 11 regular season contests and 14 playoff tilts, recording a total of seven points.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Darren McCarty had a problem with the bottle.The longtime NHL enforcer was an alcoholic. On Nov. 11, 2015, his blood pressure was spiking and his liver was about to explode. His addiction to beer and Jack Daniels led to four stints in rehab, ended two marriages, and was threatening to take his life."For me, growing up, you were either a jock or stoner, so I never smoked pot growing up, but I've been drinking since I was 12 or 13 years old. That was acceptable in the hockey circles, it's just culturally what was accepted,” McCarty told Kathleen Gray of the Detroit Free Press. "So I would always say no to pot, until after my first surgery in 1999. I was on all these pills, and it was driving me crazy. And I'm an insomniac, so I can't sleep, and that had a lot to do with all the drinking."A friend suggested he try some marijuana and "something went off in my head and it was like my body said yes."This 1999 incident didn't stop him from drinking to the point of collapse. So in 2015, several of his friends, including a medical marijuana caregiver who supplied him with weed, isolated him, and for a full week, gave him "gram after gram" of Rick Simpson Oil - a potent marijuana concentrate created by Simpson in 2003 to treat his skin cancer."I was in a coma and when I woke up after seven days, I didn't have a physical addiction," McCarty said. "I dropped to my knees and said, 'Thank God.'"McCarty hasn't had a drink since, has lost 60 pounds, has quit smoking cigarettes, and is off most of his prescription medications."If you've seen my progress over the past 10 years, you've seen me go through different stages from the alcoholism, which led me to this plant saving my life," he said. "I feel like I’m 35. I'm not lying. I feel like Benjamin Button."McCarty, now 47, is smoking pot every day, but doesn't believe he ditched one addiction and picked up another.McCarty played 15 seasons in the NHL, winning four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. The rugged winger racked up 288 points and 1,477 penalty minutes in his 758-game career. He's now partnered with a cannabis company called Pincanna.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.