Justin Williams continues to mull over his NHL future.The Carolina Hurricanes captain is an unrestricted free agent and hasn't decided whether he'll return a 19th season."(Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon) and I have both talked to Justin and the feeling is that he's still debating it, I'm not sure which way," general manager Don Waddell told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "If you asked me, I said a while back I thought he would probably be playing, but we're still in contact with Justin and he's trying to make a decision that's best for him and his family."Williams will turn 38 years old on Oct. 4. He hinted in May that he'd like to remain in Carolina if he does play another season."I've set up shop here and I'm very comfortable here," he said. "I'm not quite sure where anything else would go."Williams may have to return to the Hurricanes on somewhat of a hometown discount, though. The club has less than $2.5 million in projected space, according to CapFriendly, and Williams' last contract carried a $4.5-million cap hit.The three-time Stanley Cup champion remained productive last year, as he tallied 53 points in 82 games and added seven more points in 15 playoff tilts during Carolina's run to the Eastern Conference Final.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Juuso Valimaki's torn ACL is forcing the Calgary Flames to scour the trade market for reinforcements on the blue line.General manager Brad Treliving said Monday that the team will look for external help on defense on top of identifying internal options, according to Sportsnet's Pat Steinberg. Treliving noted that Oliver Kylington is a natural internal option, but said the club will also start looking at trade options shortly.Here's the Flames' depth chart on defense:LDRDMark GiordanoT.J. Brodie (L)Noah HanifinTravis HamonicOliver KylingtonRasmus AnderssonBrandon DavidsonRinat ValievThe top four is seemingly set in stone, although both Brodie and Hamonic are on the final year of their contracts.Valimaki, the 16th overall pick in 2017, was expected to be a big part of the team's defense this year after skating in 24 games during his rookie season.Kylington, a second-round pick in 2015, seems primed for a greater role barring a major addition to the roster. He tallied eight points in 38 contests last year.While Treliving only mentioned the trade market, a handful of veteran options remaining in free agency could provide Calgary's blue line with some depth on the left side, including Niklas Kronwall, Andrew MacDonald, and Dion Phaneuf.The Flames have under $8 million left in cap space and still need to sign Matthew Tkachuk. The team will need to move money around if Calgary adds a player with a significant cap hit.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames defenseman Juuso Valimaki will require surgery after tearing his ACL during offseason training and is out indefinitely, general manager Brad Treliving announced Monday."It's terrible news," Treliving said. "It's terrible news for Juuso, and certainly, unfortunate news for our club."He's a really good young player who we expected to take a big step and move forward this year. It's tough. I feel horrible for him. He's had a terrific summer in terms of preparing. He was really taking some big steps forward and was excited about making an impact on our team this year."The Flames drafted Valimaki 16th overall in 2017 and he made his NHL debut last season. The 20-year-old went on to appear in 24 regular-season games, posting three points while averaging 15:23 of ice time per contest.Valimaki also registered 14 points in 20 AHL games with the Stockton Heat during 2018-19.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed team president and general manager Don Waddell to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Monday.The new deal is for three years, owner Tom Dundon said, according to The Athletic's Sara Civian."Don's leadership and experience are invaluable to our organization and I'm happy we were able to reach an extension," Dundon said. "Don and I have a great relationship and he is someone I trust. I'm excited to continue to build a championship team with Don."Waddell joined the Hurricanes in 2014 and was named the team's general manager in 2018. Carolina snapped a 10-year playoff drought and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final in Waddell's first season as the GM. He was named one of the finalists for GM of the Year.Drama intensified surrounding Waddell's place with the Hurricanes after he interviewed with the Minnesota Wild for their GM vacancy last week. He'd previously said in May that he'd be back with Carolina despite being without a contract.Before his Hurricanes tenure, Waddell served as the general manager of the Atlanta Thrashers from 1998-2010 and as an assistant GM with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1997-98 season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Roberto Luongo will be the first player in Florida Panthers history to see his number retired.The club announced his No. 1 will be hung from the rafters on March 7 before a game against the Montreal Canadiens."Roberto is a cornerstone of Panthers history and an icon of the game," owner Vincent Viola said in a statement. "He has represented himself and the Panthers with tremendous dignity, determination and a standard of excellence throughout his career. Roberto exemplifies what it means to be a Florida Panther. His level of commitment to this franchise, his teammates, his family and the South Florida community is second to none. There is no player more deserving to be the first Florida Panther to have his jersey number retired."Luongo also suited up for the New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks in his career, but his 11 years with the Panthers, split between two stints, stand as his longest tenure. He's the club's all-time leader in games played for a goalie and also leads in wins (230) and shutouts (38)."I want to thank the entire Panthers organization for this incredible recognition," Luongo said. "It's quite an honor to be the first player to have his number retired by the Panthers. I'm truly looking forward to sharing this special night with my friends, family, teammates and the Panthers fans."The 40-year-old Montreal native announced his retirement in June after 19 NHL seasons. Luongo finished his career third on the all-time wins list (489) and second in games played (1,044).While Luongo will be the first former Panthers player to see his number in the rafters, Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 was retired league-wide in 2000.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kevin Labanc says he accepted a surprisingly low contract for a couple of reasons.The San Jose Sharks forward, who raised a few eyebrows when he re-signed and inked a one-year pact worth a reported $1 million last month following a 56-point campaign, said he wanted to avoid distractions during the season."I didn't want to wait," Labanc told NHL.com's Adam Kimelman at a charity event on Friday. "I wanted to sign the contract, get myself ready for the upcoming year and have nothing hanging over my shoulder."Labanc added that signing the deal also made it easier for general manager Doug Wilson to navigate a difficult cap situation."I think I did (him) a big favor, and the Sharks organization, taking that deal," the winger said. "There's a lot more salary cap (space) for him to get another one or two players. It's awesome and I think it'll help our team be good Stanley Cup contenders this year and that's where we want to be, we want to hoist the Stanley Cup this year. It's a long season, and we're going to need every player we can get."Longtime San Jose forward Joe Thornton remains unsigned, and the club holds about $4.7 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.In June, the Sharks locked in star defenseman Erik Karlsson to an eight-year contract reportedly worth $92 million, and then they signed promising young forward Timo Meier to a four-year, $24-million deal on July 1.San Jose also lost captain Joe Pavelski, Gustav Nyquist, and Joonas Donskoi to other clubs in free agency. However, Labanc sees those departures as an opportunity for him to carve out a larger role."I'm going to go in there and work hard and look forward to my enhanced role on the team," he said. "There's going to be a lot of minutes. When guys leave it's an opportunity for guys like me to step up and prove I am that type of player who can play a top-six role."In his third campaign with the Sharks, the 23-year-old established career highs with 17 goals and 39 assists while playing all 82 regular-season games in 2018-19. He added nine points in 20 playoff contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Tavares is optimistic he'll have Mitch Marner back by his side when the Toronto Maple Leafs open their 2019-20 season, even though the 22-year-old winger has seen his contract negotiations drag into mid-August."There's lots of restricted free agents unsigned still, a lot of guys in a similar position as him," Tavares told TSN. "There's still some time here, I think we all believe the right thing will happen and something will get worked out. I think that's what both sides obviously want, sometimes it takes a little bit longer than others. Mitch is obviously an important player for our team. Just the type of guy he is as well, you can really count on him."Tavares and Marner formed one of the league's most dynamic duos in their first season together, with the former notching a career-high 47 goals and the latter finishing ninth in NHL scoring with 94 points.Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said earlier in August that contract talks with Marner remain "status quo," while Toronto's leading scorer previously stated he's "probably not" attending training camp - which opens Sept. 17 - without a new deal."I think Mitch knows that I'm here for him whenever he needs it, but certainly I think you want to respect his situation and his process," Tavares said.The Leafs are currently above the $81.5-million salary cap. They can build an offseason roster with a projected cap hit as rich as $92.05 million, however, before placing David Clarkson and Nathan Horton on long-term injured reserve to become cap compliant, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen admitted he's struggled to cope with his team's consistently disappointing seasons."I haven't been able to help the team win," Ristolainen told Finnish outlet MTV Sports, according to The Buffalo News via Google Translate. "Recent seasons have been tough and I haven't been able to enjoy hockey."Despite winning 10 games in a row and at one point sitting first in the NHL standings during the 2018-19 campaign, the Sabres missed the playoffs by a considerable margin for an eighth consecutive year.Last season marked Ristolainen's sixth with Buffalo after the Sabres drafted him eighth overall in 2013. The 24-year-old produced 43 points in 78 games but was a league-worst minus-41.The Sabres have had a busy offseason, including hiring Ralph Krueger as their new head coach and trading for Colin Miller. Before adding Miller, Buffalo also acquired Brandon Montour in a February trade with the Anaheim Ducks, which could make Ristolainen expendable as both newcomers play on the right side of the blue line.Ristolainen reportedly drew interest in trade talks after the Winnipeg Jets dealt Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers in June.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Don't count Johnny Gaudreau among the critics of the Calgary Flames' offseason acquisition of Milan Lucic."Obviously we've been looking for a bit of toughness for our team and Lucic brings that," said Gaudreau, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman."You don't really realize how big of a presence he is on the ice," he added. "When you play against a team like that and you have a player like that who can get into the corners, big body, get in front of the net, he really helps your team. I think that's what we've been looking for in our team. I think he can push us over the edge here."Lucic was traded to the Flames by the Edmonton Oilers earlier this summer for winger James Neal. The deal was met with criticism from Flames fans due to Lucic's declining production and steep contract.The 31-year-old winger had 20 points in 79 games in 2018-19 and will cost the Flames $5.25 million per season until 2023.Calgary captured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last year by collecting 107 points during the regular season, but it was eliminated in five games by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike "Doc" Emrick will be the recipient of a special honor for members of the media this winter.The accomplished hockey broadcaster is among the 2019 class of inductees into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, the institution announced earlier this week.Steve Anderson, Mary Ellen Carlyle, Bud Collins, Bob Fishman, Jerry Gepner, Bob Ley, Roger Penske, former "Wide World of Sports" director and producer Doug Wilson, and Ken Woo round out the class that will be inducted Dec. 17.Emrick has called NHL games for nearly 40 years, including 14 Stanley Cup Finals as lead announcer for NBC, Versus, FOX, and ESPN.He's won the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play, for a record six consecutive years and seven of the last nine.Emrick, who turned 73 last week, was given the Hockey Hall of Fame's Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to hockey broadcasting in 2008. He also received the Lester Patrick Award for his contributions to hockey in the United States back in 2004.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nick Foligno is disappointed so many of his now-former teammates chose to sign elsewhere this offseason.The Columbus Blue Jackets captain expressed regret after the club's high-profile free agents - particularly Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky - both opted to leave the organization this summer."We did everything we possibly could to show them we're a legit team," Foligno told The Canadian Press. "In a way it was a surprise (they left), but it was their right. My thing is, you don't leave a good team to try to find another one. What we're building in Columbus, everyone is excited to be part of it. You want guys fully on board."Panarin and Bobrovsky both signed elsewhere as unrestricted free agents on July 1.The dynamic winger inked a reported seven-year, $81.5-million contract with the New York Rangers, while the veteran goaltender joined the Florida Panthers on a seven-year pact reportedly worth $70 million. Trade acquisition Matt Duchene also left Columbus, agreeing to a seven-year, $56-million deal with the Nashville Predators.Foligno credited the trio's efforts with the Blue Jackets but still lamented their respective departures."Had they dogged it or caused problems or not given it their best, then you have issues," he said. "But between Bob and (Panarin) and Matt, they all worked extremely hard. It's their choice to go. You don't agree with it, but you want guys that want to play in Columbus."Foligno has spent the last seven of his 12 NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets, who made the playoffs this past spring after adding pending UFAs Duchene and Ryan Dzingel before the trade deadline while keeping Panarin and Bobrovsky. Dzingel ultimately departed as well, signing a two-year, $6.75-million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 12.Columbus pulled off a stunning first-round sweep of the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning before the Boston Bruins eliminated them in six games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite an unknown future with the New York Rangers, winger Chris Kreider - who has one year left on his contract - is expected to remain with the team through at least training camp."I totally expect him to be in camp," Rangers president John Davidson said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "He's got one year left, and that should be a whole lot of importance to him to come in and have a great camp and a great year, and we'll just see where it all goes."The 28-year-old Kreider is set to be paid $4.625 million for the 2019-20 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. It was reported in late July that no discussions about a contract extension have taken place.Kreider became expendable once the Rangers signed forward Artemi Panarin to a seven-year deal. New York now has slightly over $1 million in cap space available, according to CapFriendly.com.In their ongoing attempt to create salary-cap relief, the Rangers cleared almost $5.2 million by buying out the final two years of Kevin Shattenkirk's contract.Neither Davidson nor general manager Jeff Gorton ruled out the possibility of trading Kreider during the season, according to Rosen.Kreider has spent his entire eight-year career with the Rangers, collecting 271 points in 460 games. He tallied 28 goals last year to set a career high.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A really good line can start clicking for a number of reasons.Sometimes, it's simply due to the individual talent of the three forwards in question, but it isn't always that easy. Putting the best three players together doesn't always pay dividends. Often, it's more effective to combine ones whose strengths complement each other perfectly.The top two units in hockey clearly play in Denver and Boston. However, the rest of the list isn't as cut-and-dried.Some lines - like those featuring both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl - were more than effective but weren't deployed consistently enough to qualify, while others (like those consisting of McDavid and various other teammates or the ones featuring Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov) were certainly productive, but didn't rank highly enough in many of the relevant analytic categories.Here's who we consider the NHL's five most consistent all-around three-man units based on advanced stats from the 2018-19 regular season, their collective two-way talent, and the success of their respective teams.All stats are at five-on-five. Games played denotes number of contests played together as a line. League ranking is in parentheses. Time-on-ice ranking is based on a minimum 400 minutes at five-on-five. 5. Marchessault-Karlsson-SmithDave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyGames PlayedTime On IceCorsi For %Goals For %Expected Goals For %73 (4th)819:37 (2nd)54.12 (9th)50.65 (18th)56.03 (7th)The Vegas Golden Knights' unit of Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, and Reilly Smith wasn't the powerhouse this past season that it was two years ago. However, it remained one of the NHL's most dependable lines.While other productive groups like the Dallas Stars' top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov produced a better share of Goals For in 2018-19, the enduring Golden Knights line played more together than all but one three-man forward unit in the NHL, driving possession at a favorable rate in the process.They skated about 340 more minutes together in total than their Stars counterparts, who were shuffled around at times.That heavy deployment was a testament to the chemistry that this Golden Knights line has demonstrated for the better part of two seasons, and if their Expected Goals For percentage is any indication, it's likely to stay that way.4. Gaudreau-Monahan-LindholmIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPTOICF%GF%xGF%76 (T-1st)8:11:37 (4th)54.66 (7th)60.47 (8th)55.39 (11th)This was an impressive trio in 2018-19, and it was only slightly less effective than the third-best group on this list.The Calgary Flames' triumvirate of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, and Elias Lindholm consistently drove possession and ranked relatively high in many analytics categories while leading a team that boasted the NHL's third-best offense.This unit also posted respectable Scoring Chances For (52.56), High-Danger Corsi For (52.65), and High-Danger Goals For (58.82) percentages.What this line did in 2018-19 definitely deserves some recognition, particularly when you remember it was Lindholm's first season with the club.3. Hyman-Tavares-MarnerRick Madonik / Toronto Star / GettyGPTOICF%GF%xGF%70 (7th)812:56 (3rd)53.84 (10th)60.92 (7th)55.94 (9th)No line scored more goals at five-on-five in 2018-19 than the 53 buried by the Zach Hyman-John Tavares-Mitch Marner unit.Only the No. 1 line on this list and the Golden Knights' top unit played more together during the campaign than this Toronto Maple Leafs trio, which posted a Scoring Chances For percentage of 56.51, exceeding the aforementioned Flames line in the process.The Toronto threesome also produced excellent High-Danger Corsi For (56.82) and High-Danger Goals For (61.7) rates, proving more than capable of generating a favorable share of shot attempts, scoring opportunities, and goals across the board.Yes, the Leafs, as a team, have to further prove themselves in the playoffs, but what this line accomplished across the majority of the campaign was impressive, especially considering that much like Lindholm and the Flames, it was Tavares' first campaign with his new squad.Of course, Marner's contract situation could at least temporarily spell the end of this trio, but until he's absent from Leafs training camp or a member of another team, we're going to assume that these three players will line up together in 2019-20.2. Marchand-Bergeron-PastrnakBoston Globe / Boston Globe / GettyGPTOICF%GF%xGF%46 (20th)461:45 (17th)55.97 (5th)52.94 (16th)56.3 (6th)The excellence displayed by Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak is even more impressive when you remember that two members of the Boston Bruins' elite forward group missed a combined 33 games due to injury this past season.Bergeron was limited to 65 games in the regular season, and Pastrnak played 66. That obviously had an effect on the trio's totals, but the fact that they still drove possession as consistently as they did speaks not only to their obvious talent but also to their undeniable chemistry.Despite the lack of season-long continuity, this line still finished with a top-five Corsi For rating, and only five teams had a better Expected Goals For rate. Bergeron's status as a defensive demigod also cements this group as one of the league's best.Plus, you can't argue with the team's results, as the top line's strong play helped the Bruins reach the Stanley Cup Final this past spring.1. Landeskog-MacKinnon-RantanenGPTOICF%GF%xGF%66 (9th)824:40 (1st)54.43 (5th)61.11 (5th)47.85 (20th)There's a pretty good reason why the Colorado Avalanche's tandem of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen led the NHL in ice time at five-on-five despite playing fewer games together than eight other forward units.That reason, of course, is that they're arguably the best line in hockey. It makes a ton of sense that Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar would rely so heavily on his tremendous trio, as these three players excelled both individually and collectively in 2018-19.MacKinnon, who consistently plays at a Hart Trophy level, topped 40 goals and fell one point shy of 100 this past season. Rantanen has averaged 30 goals and 85 points over his last two campaigns (only his second and third in the NHL), and Landeskog had a career year himself with 34 goals and 75 points.All three possess both goal-scoring prowess and elite playmaking ability. It's that combination of skills that makes them so difficult to defend against.Much like Marner, Rantanen is currently a restricted free agent in need of a new contract. However, he's Colorado's only free agent and the team has more than $16 million in cap space, so don't expect this line to be broken up anytime soon.(Analytics courtesy: Corsica and Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Maine Mariners will dedicate a night to the most beloved referee in hockey next season.Wes McCauley Appreciation Night will be held Nov. 15 when the New York Rangers' ECHL affiliate hosts the Brampton Beast, the Mariners announced Thursday.McCauley will be on hand to sign autographs for fans during the first intermission, and the team will play a video compilation of some of his best mic'd up moments on the scoreboard. Fans are also being encouraged to wear officiating stripes to honor him.A resident of South Portland, Maine, McCauley has been a full-time NHL ref since 2005, working numerous Stanley Cup Finals throughout his career.The 47-year-old has earned both respect from NHL players for his officiating ability and adoration from fans for his emphatic calls.McCauley was voted the league's top referee in an NHLPA players poll during the 2017-18 season.- With h/t to BarDownCopyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders have taken another significant step toward breaking ground on a new home.New York's Empire State Development board approved the Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Belmont Park facility, the Islanders announced Thursday.Six members of the board voted unanimously in favor of the $1.3-billion arena and entertainment complex, according to Newsday's Candice Ferrette and Jim Baumbach.It was the final stage of ESD approval required for the plan. The next step before groundbreaking can begin is for the Franchise Oversight board to rubber-stamp the state's environmental review. That's expected in a matter of weeks, according to Ferrette and Baumbach.The Islanders' new home is expected to open in the fall of 2021 at a projected cost of $955 million. It would be the first major-league sports arena to be built on Long Island since Nassau Coliseum in 1972.The club played regularly at the Coliseum until 2015 and essentially split its home games between that arena and Brooklyn's Barclays Center in 2018-19. The Islanders also played both of their first-round home playoff dates at their original barn this past spring.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Although then-Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban said Sidney Crosby told him his breath smelled bad during the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, it was Crosby who was left with a bad taste in his mouth.The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar recently admitted to being bothered by Subban's accusation following the Predators' Game 3 win."Yeah, I was a little irritated by it," Crosby said on Barstool Sports' "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast. "I mean, I think you could tell at the time when I was doing the interviews. It was just the last thing I wanted to be talking about. But I mean, maybe that was part of it."(Subban) had said something to (Jake Guentzel while) leaving the ice, and I just went to kind of get in the middle and try to break them up. He kind of kept saying stuff, and him and I went at it. Nothing was said even remotely close to that, but then to read that after, it was like, 'Oh, OK, I'm going to have to answer (questions) about this.'"Crosby, at the time, denied making fun of Subban's breath. In February 2018 of the following season, the blue-liner admitted to making the whole thing up.The Penguins defeated the Predators in six games in 2017 to give Crosby his third career Stanley Cup victory. Now Crosby, who recently turned 32, acknowledges Subban's comments were mere mind games."He still jokes about it - we were just at the awards and he was still joking around about it. I mean, it is what it is. … That's just mind games, it's nothing. Me and him had some good run-ins throughout the whole series, I was playing a lot against him. I don't have anything against him for that. I just was kind of annoyed that I had to answer about it."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin completed his five-day trip to China as the NHL's international ambassador feeling optimistic about hockey's future in the country."My hope, it's not only my hope, but all of the NHL hopes to raise hockey in China because it's a good country to raise hockey," Ovechkin said, according to the NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "There's lots of people who don't know what hockey means and we tried to represent (that) hockey is a great game. I know lots of people are interested in that and hopefully, it will raise (interest)."In an effort to grow the sport in China, the NHL began playing preseason games there in 2017 when the Los Angeles Kings played against the Vancouver Canucks in Shanghai and Beijing. In 2018, the Boston Bruins took on the Calgary Flames. The NHL plans to play more games in China in 2020-21 after skipping this upcoming preseason for logistical reasons.This trip was Ovechkin's second to China after he attended the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, and he hopes to return soon."It was a great experience for me," he said. "I met lots of great people. I met lots of great kids. I met people who want to grow hockey in China. It's been a great trip and, hopefully, I'll come back here next year, and we'll do some bigger stuff."However, the 33-year-old knows there is plenty of work to be done in order to really grow the game in the country."I think it's very important for the Chinese people, the Chinese government to build lots of hockey rinks, bring some coaches here and learn the game, and I think they will do well," he said.During his trip, Ovechkin attended two hockey clinics where he was welcomed by nearly 100 kids combined. He also joined ORG Technology chairman Zhou Yunjie - one of the biggest sponsors and supporters of the game in China - to drop the ceremonial first puck for the Renaissance Cup hockey tournament.Ovechkin managed to sneak in some sight-seeing as well.Emmanuel Wong / National Hockey League / Getty"The big memory is just the whole experience - meeting with the Chinese people, seeing some different culture, learning some Chinese language, and some Chinese food, obviously," Ovechkin said. "We did everything we possibly we can, and I hope we will help to raise the idea of the game of hockey in China. We did our best."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Last month, on Independence Day, the Portland Pickles hosted a one-off exhibition game dubbed Future of Baseball Night - a radical reimagining of the sport. Every bunt hit was ruled a double, and batters ran the bases clockwise during odd-numbered innings. If needed, a home run derby would have been staged to break a tie.Of the 12 clubs that comprise the collegiate summer West Coast League, only the Pickles have ever thought to organize a D.B. Cooper Night. On a Sunday in June, fans were encouraged to arrive with theories about the fate of the skyjacker whose parachute escape has mystified U.S. authorities for the past five decades.And on every game night at Portland's home park, Walker Stadium, players and spectators rise to their feet whenever the Pickles plate a run. Together they hoist their stools and lawn chairs toward the sky, an enduring nod to a relief pitcher who once surrendered to spontaneity and celebrated that way in the bullpen."If we score a lot of runs, it's a real workout," said Pickles owner Alan Miller. "It's really fun to watch people who haven't been there before look around, like, 'What is going on?'"Courtesy of Portland PicklesIt's safe to say they do baseball differently in Portland, where an anthropomorphic vegetable mascot named Dillon the Pickle paces the sidelines with a perpetual smile, and where offbeat ideas tend to prevail.Miller, 47, is a California-raised baseball obsessive who has spent most of his adult life working as an entertainment marketer. Along with his fellow Pickles owner, former NFL punter Jon Ryan, he's on a self-described "quest" to be transformative in a staid sport. Portland doesn't have another baseball team, and Miller is convinced that every Pickles homestand should double as "the best party in town."Such are the conditions under which the Pickles recently distinguished themselves from the rest of North America's sports landscape. This season, they became the first team in baseball to strike a sponsorship deal with a CBD brand - a novel kind of partnership that, if attitudes change, could soon permeate the biggest leagues around.––––––––––A rapid-fire primer on CBD, or cannabidiol: It's the compound found in cannabis plants that doesn't get users high. (THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the psychoactive component.) Anecdotal accounts and some clinical trials suggest that CBD oil extracted from hemp can help manage pain and other medical conditions without the deleterious effects of opioids. Consumer demand is skyrocketing.The Brightfield Group, a Chicago research firm that studies cannabis markets, has predicted that the value of the hemp-derived CBD industry will balloon to $22 billion by 2022, up from a mere $591 million in 2018. In pure financial terms, it stands to reason that leagues that have long cozied up to beer companies might want a piece of that advertising money.To date, though, interest in aligning with the CBD movement has mostly been limited to the fringes of American sports, such as the relatively obscure West Coast League. While 90 WCL alumni were selected in this year's MLB draft, including No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman, it isn't even the country's most prominent summer baseball competition. (That distinction belongs to the much older Cape Cod League.)Yet even far removed from the shining lights of the majors, the Pickles' pact with Lazarus Naturals, a CBD manufacturer based in Seattle, marks a significant step.Courtesy of Portland PicklesAt every Pickles home game during the regular season, which concludes this weekend, Lazarus employees have positioned themselves in an area near right field to sell select company wares - such as CBD tinctures and balm - and to answer any questions about the substance. Banners bearing the Lazarus logo hang around the park. The team has invited military veterans to watch games from a Lazarus-branded box, situated in prime viewing territory between home plate and the opposing dugout.Some fans have been apprehensive about Lazarus' presence at the park; others mistakenly thought the company's comparatively understated sales booth would resemble a head shop. Miller, though, has found the vast majority to be receptive - open either to purchasing a CBD product or, at least, to learning more about it."As a sports team, or as any business, I think we have an obligation to be progressive," Miller said. "There's a negative stigma around CBD because of the confusion with cannabis and how all the different elements work, and this is a hemp-derived product and some are not. But it was important to me to help open that door and make it a bit more accessible to people."At the end of the day," he continued, "this is a product that is helping people."Increasingly, this conviction is gaining purchase across a number of sports, well beyond the snug confines of Walker Stadium.Charles Gullung / Courtesy of Portland PicklesTake auto racing's IndyCar Series, where James Hinchcliffe and Marcus Ericsson drive with the logo of a CBD-infused sports beverage, Defy, on their cars. Tennis player John Isner endorses Defy, which Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis helped create. PGA Tour veteran Bubba Watson is sponsored by cbdMD, a North Carolina-based brand that's also the official jersey patch provider of the BIG3 basketball league."Sports are really the perfect way to begin preaching and educating a diverse audience on how CBD, holistically, represents a more natural approach to wellness," said Ken Cohn, cbdMD's chief marketing officer. "With major partners like Bubba and the BIG3, we think we're getting the CBD brand and our story in front of millions of people in ways that otherwise we wouldn't be able to accomplish."Jeff Kwatinetz, the entertainment executive who co-founded the BIG3 with Ice Cube in 2017, says his league's deal with cbdMD falls in line with its overarching desire to take care of players. The three-on-three basketball circuit, which barnstorms across U.S. cities on summer weekends, has become a landing spot for dozens of former NBAers at the tail end of their careers, from Gilbert Arenas to Amar'e Stoudemire to current per-game scoring leader Joe Johnson.These players have subjected their bodies to a whole lot of pain over the years, which prompted the BIG3 to permit the use of CBD in 2018. Several companies subsequently approached the league about a partnership. As of this season, the cbdMD logo adorns every BIG3 uniform."For us to make the decision, I had to look at: What's the right messaging toward our fans?" Kwatinetz said. "I have a 20-month-old daughter. Would I would want her taking CBD or Oxycontin (someday) if she needed pain (relief)? The answer is simple. I would want to avoid opioids at all costs, seeing how they're ravaging society."Our world needs to be improved. Any way that we can help, we want to help. And certainly with athletes, we feel a responsibility to them," he added. "It's doing things we believe are better for society. CBD, frankly, was an easy one."Icon Sportswire / Getty Images––––––––––The tradition of athletes trumpeting the benefits of various pain remedies long predates CBD's ascent into the mainstream. Shaquille O'Neal made Icy Hot patches famous. Joe Namath used to shoot commercials for aloe vera gel. In May, Namath told Fox Business that he thinks athletes should be allowed to treat pain with marijuana, so long as they don't drive while high.On the same day as Namath's comments were published, the UFC announced that it planned to partner with Aurora Cannabis to facilitate clinical research into the link between CBD and athlete wellness and recovery. The NHL Alumni Association has a similar arrangement in place with another cannabis producer, Canopy Growth, to test whether CBD could help treat post-concussion neurological diseases.As these studies get underway, the advertising space represents another barometer with which pro sports' tolerance for CBD can be gauged. At the moment, all of the United States' four major leagues - the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB - prohibit their franchises from signing CBD companies as sponsors.No discussion has taken place at the NFL about the possibility of partnering with CBD brands, Brian McCarthy, the league's vice president of communications, told theScore via email.An NBA spokesperson said in an email that the league is discussing CBD with its teams and the players' association and is "continuing to stay abreast of the latest developments in the science and related legal and regulatory frameworks.”Meanwhile, the shape of CBD legalization across the U.S. is a hodgepodge. Laws governing its sale and possession vary by city and state. The cultivation and sale of hemp has been legal at the federal level since late 2018, but the national Food and Drug Administration has so far approved just one CBD product, a prescription drug that treats rare forms of epilepsy.Keyur Khamar / PGA Tour / Getty ImagesTimothy Dewhirst, a marketing professor at Guelph University in Ontario, Canada, said it's understandable that high-profile leagues may want to wait for the FDA to introduce comprehensive regulations before considering CBD brands as sponsors. Yet even if the biggest fish remain wary, the deals that already exist in Portland, the PGA Tour, and elsewhere could have a potent effect on public opinion."That kind of visibility (CBD companies) can gain by these partnerships, and especially a partnership with someone like Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion - if he's touting the great benefits of these products and their safety and so on, that can go a long way to making them deemed far more socially acceptable," Dewhirst said.If the major leagues come to view CBD lines as appropriate partners, the inroads that the product makes into sports advertising circles could compare to those of the gambling industry, Syracuse University sports management professor Patrick Walsh suggested in an interview. The NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB have all inked official casino or gaming partnerships within the past 13 months, a sea change made possible by the May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed states to legalize sports betting.Major League Soccer didn't respond to requests for comment about its stance on CBD partnerships, but it, too, has displayed a willingness to venture into markets once considered taboo. In June, three months after MLS struck its own gaming partnership with MGM Resorts, the league authorized its clubs to pursue stadium-naming and jersey-sponsorships deals with sports betting and liquor companies, a first in U.S. team sports."We want to be viewed as a progressive league," MLS senior vice president of business development Carter Ladd told Fortune at the time. "We don't want to be restrictive. We want to enable (our clubs) in a positive way, and that's why we're taking this action."––––––––––Charles Gullung / Courtesy of Portland PicklesMiller, the Pickles owner, traces his desire to push the boundaries of baseball entertainment back to August 1994, when a players' strike halted the MLB season and later prompted the cancellation of the World Series.At 22 years old, single, and living in Los Angeles, he set out with friends on idle days throughout the rest of that summer to discover nearby minor-league experiences, starting with the High-A Lake Elsinore Storm, where a bunny mascot bounded from the outfield wall to perform a little jig every time the home side scored a run."That was too good," Miller said.Ahead of the advent of the internet, Miller knew little about the minor-league scene in different pockets of the U.S., but in the following years he journeyed to ballparks as far away as Staten Island and Durham, N.C., observing, appreciating, and memorizing the quirks and customs that made each place different. The promotions that stuck in his mind were those that seemed authentic, having amplified something cool about the team's city.Before he recounted this personal history one recent afternoon, Miller mentioned that the Pickles were hours away from holding the franchise's first Tattoo Tuesday, where anyone aged 21 or older could have a mark of their fandom etched into their skin free of charge. It was, as he put it, just another day in Portland.The deal with Lazarus Naturals is one more way in which Miller's merry band of chair-raisers stand apart from the pack - for now. The Pickles are committed to the partnership for the next couple of years, by which point, if more state legislatures begin to adopt Oregon's lenient approach, they could have plenty of company in the market.To Miller, it's less a matter of if than when."In three-to-five years, it's just going to be like buying a beer or buying a hot dog at any other park," he said. "There's no way it isn't going to be, 'I have a Budweiser deal and I have this CBD company deal.'"Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dylan Larkin would welcome wearing the "C" for the Detroit Red Wings, but he's trying not to fixate on the possibility."I feel ready for it," Larkin told TSN's Mark Masters on Tuesday. "I think it's something that I can't focus on. I can't lose sleep about it. I can't control it. I just try to be myself and play the game that I love and play with a lot of passion and everyone in the NHL has been a leader at some point in their careers. I'm lucky that we have great veteran leadership and it's taken a lot of pressure off me."The talented forward, who turned 23 last week, understands the significance of possibly captaining one of the most storied clubs in the league but isn't dwelling on it."A letter is a letter, but being a captain of a franchise like the Detroit Red Wings would mean a lot to me," he said. "If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I still get to play for the Detroit Red Wings and I get to play in the NHL and I'm going to try to play my best."The Red Wings went without a captain this past season after longtime leader Henrik Zetterberg was placed on long-term injured reserve due to a back condition in September 2018.Larkin led by example in 2018-19, pacing Detroit with 32 goals and 73 points in 76 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tom Dundon wants to end the speculation about Don Waddell once and for all.The Carolina Hurricanes owner said his general manager will remain in the role despite recently interviewing for the vacant Minnesota Wild GM position."To me, he's employed by the Carolina Hurricanes," Dundon told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti on Wednesday. "He's employed and he's not going anywhere as far as I'm concerned."Dundon confirmed Tuesday that Waddell spoke to the Wild about their job and that the Carolina GM's contract expired earlier this summer."So the whole contract thing, I don't understand it," Dundon said Wednesday. "I have found this weird since I got into the hockey business that the business people all have contracts. I never had contracts with the people that worked for me. It was just, 'If you do a good job (and) I like you, you'll work here, and I'll treat you fair.'"The owner said Tuesday that he would have allowed Waddell to interview with the Wild even if the GM was still under contract with the Hurricanes.In May, Waddell said he and Dundon had already agreed he would be back as Carolina GM despite his contract situation.The 60-year-old executive was a finalist for the General Manager of the Year Award that ultimately went to Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney in June. Waddell built a Carolina club that returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and reached the Eastern Conference Final this past spring.Minnesota fired former GM Paul Fenton last week after one campaign at the helm.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's safe to say Chris Drury won't be the next general manager of the Minnesota Wild.The Wild reportedly asked the New York Rangers for permission to speak with the latter club's assistant general manager about Minnesota's vacant GM position, but the Rangers said no, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.It's the second time New York has "politely rebuffed" a team that wanted to talk to Drury after the Buffalo Sabres made the same request, adds Friedman. Buffalo hired Jason Botterill as its GM in May 2017.Drury, a former NHL forward who retired as a player in 2011, was hired as Rangers director of player development in 2015. He was promoted to assistant GM in the fall of 2016.Minnesota has been active in its search for a new GM after firing Paul Fenton last week. The Wild reportedly interviewed Ron Hextall, Peter Chiarelli, and Don Waddell, received permission to talk to Bill Guerin, and asked to speak with Scott Mellanby.Fenton was fired last Tuesday after one season on the job.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If Andrei Markov had his way, he'd be reunited with the Montreal Canadiens and playing in North America. However, he understands it's not entirely up to him."Yes, but it's not just my decision," the longtime defenseman told the Montreal Gazette's Stu Cowan when asked if he hopes to play in the NHL next season. "I'm trying to prepare myself for that, but we'll see what's going to happen, you know."Markov, who spent the last two seasons with the KHL's Ak Bars Kazan, said he'd prefer to return to the Canadiens - the club with which he spent all 16 of his NHL campaigns - over playing with any other team."That's my dream, you know. But, like I said, it's not up to me. We'll see … we'll see what's going to happen. I'm not kind of in a rush. I'll try to train hard and prepare myself."As far as the term he's seeking, the 40-year-old isn't looking for a long-term deal."Most probably it's going to be my last year," he said. "I'm looking for a one-year contract and (would) try to enjoy that and give my all."The Canadiens would obviously have to be open to bringing Markov back, which general manager Marc Bergevin wasn't interested in doing when the two sides went their separate ways in 2017.“I was looking for (a) two-year contract (back then)," Markov told Cowan. "I don't want to go back (and revisit that) … there's no point to go back. Whatever happened at that time, it happened. They have their view, I have my view, that's it."Markov helped Ak Bars win the Gagarin Cup, the KHL championship, in 2018. He ranks sixth in Canadiens history with 990 games played and also sits sixth on the franchise's all-time assists list (453) to go along with 572 points.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators forward Rocco Grimaldi was awarded a one-year, $1-million contract in arbitration, the team announced Tuesday.Grimaldi was apparently seeking $1.275 million, according to TSN.In his first season with the Predators, the 26-year-old recorded a career-high five goals and eight assists in 53 games played.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild interviewed Don Waddell for their vacant general manager position on Monday, Waddell and Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon confirmed to Luke DeCock of the News & Observer.Waddell is currently the Hurricanes' GM, president, and alternate governor. His contract with Carolina expired June 30, technically making him a free agent, but Waddell said in May he'd be back with the Hurricanes next season as he and owner Tom Dundon work toward a mutual agreement on a new deal."Even if he had a contract I would let him interview," Dundon said. "It's not going to stop somebody from doing whatever's best for them. If they're going to pay somebody more money, I'm not going to stop them. I told him he's got to do what's best for him."Last season marked Waddell's first season as Hurricanes GM, but he ran the business side of the organization for the previous five years. The 60-year-old also has career experience as a scout with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and as GM with the Atlanta Thrashers from 1998-2010.Even though he's not under contract, Waddell has maintained his standard managerial duties through the offseason, matching the Sebastian Aho offer sheet and signing a handful of other contracts."Tom doesn't believe in a lot of contracts," Waddell said. "Tom's told me I have a job for life. But he's also encouraged me to explore other opportunities to see what the market will pay. We started something here, I love it here, but when the job opened up and Tom said you should explore it, that's what I'm doing."Waddell's first year at the helm in Carolina was an enormous success, as the club snapped a 10-year playoff drought and advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Final - a big factor in him ultimately being named a finalist for General Manager of the Year.Coincidentally, one of Waddell's biggest moves last season came at the expense of the Wild, who shipped a misused Nino Niederreiter to the Hurricanes in exchange for Victor Rask. Niederreiter hit his stride in Raleigh, bagging 30 points in 36 games, while Rask mustered a measly three points in 23 contests with Minnesota.The Wild have also interviewed Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin, and have reportedly reached out to a number of other candidates in their search for a new leader, including Tom Fitzgerald, Chris Drury, Mark Hunter, Bill Zito, Basil McRae, Mike Futa and Sean Burke, according to Russo.Minnesota fired former GM Paul Fenton last week after one season in charge.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former New York Rangers blue-liner Kevin Shattenkirk had a more lucrative offer on the table before he settled on a one-year, $1.75-million deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.The Anaheim Ducks offered the 30-year-old defenseman a two-year pact with an average annual value north of $2 million, sources confirmed to The Athletic's Eric Stephens.Shattenkirk hit the open market last week after the Rangers bought out the final two seasons of the four-year, $26.6-million contract he signed in 2017.After his productivity dipped and he struggled to stay healthy with the Blueshirts, Shattenkirk admitted he "was pretty pissed off" about the way his time in New York ended shortly after inking his new deal with the Bolts.Shattenkirk appeared in 73 games in 2018-19, registering two goals and 26 assists.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson has been awarded a one-year, $3.1-million contract in arbitration, the team announced Tuesday."We are glad to have Joel under contract next season," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "He is an important part of our defensive unit and we are looking forward to another successful year."Edmundson asked for $4.2 million in arbitration while the Blues countered with $2.3 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The walkaway minimum in 2019 is set at $4,397,832, according to CapFriendly, meaning St. Louis was obligated to honor the contract awarded by the arbitrator.Edmundson, 26, appeared in 64 regular-season games for the Blues in 2018-19, notching 11 points while averaging 19:23 per night. He added seven points in 22 postseason contests as St. Louis marched to its first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.With Edmundson's situation resolved, the Blues now have $1.97 million in remaining cap space to sign restricted free agent Ivan Barbashev.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild have been granted permission to interview the Pittsburgh Penguins' Bill Guerin about their general manager position, sources told The Athletic's Michael Russo.Guerin was hired as the Penguins' player development coach in 2011 but was promoted to assistant GM to Jim Rutherford in 2014. The club has won two Stanley Cups during the former winger's time in its front office.The Wild have also been granted permission to speak with Montreal Canadiens assistant GM Scott Mellanby, according to Russo.Peter Chiarelli and Ron Hextall have reportedly already had preliminary interviews with Minnesota, but the Wild are casting a wide net for potential candidates to fill their GM vacancy. According to Russo's report, the team may show or already has shown interest in Tom Fitzgerald, Chris Drury, Mark Hunter, Bill Zito, Basil McRae, Mike Futa, and Sean Burke for the job.Minnesota fired former GM Paul Fenton on Tuesday after just one season at the helm.The Wild finished last in the Central Division in 2018-19 with a 37-36-9 record. It marked the first time the club has missed the playoffs in six seasons.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's safe to say Kevin Shattenkirk isn't thrilled about the way his tenure with the New York Rangers ended."I was pretty pissed off about it," Shattenkirk said, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press."I think I'm pissed off at myself for not taking advantage of the opportunity to play at home better and give them a reason to make it a no-brainer that this wouldn't be their decision," he added.The Rangers bought out Shattenkirk last week with two years and $12.6 million remaining on a deal he signed in 2017. The 30-year-old defenseman inked a one-year, $1.75-million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.Shattenkirk - one of the top free agents available in the summer of 2017 - left money on the table to sign with his hometown Rangers. He hails from nearby New Rochelle, N.Y.Over his two seasons in the Big Apple, Shattenkirk missed significant time due to both a torn meniscus and a separated shoulder. All told, he appeared in 119 games for New York, registering 51 points.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced the signing of defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year, $1.75-million contract on Monday.The New York Rangers bought out Shattenkirk last Thursday after he spent two seasons with the club.The 30-year-old recorded 28 points in 73 games with New York this past season, and he produced 23 points over 46 contests during his first campaign with the Rangers in 2017-18.Once a productive offensive defenseman and power-play quarterback, Shattenkirk will now hope to revitalize his career as part of the Lightning's prolific offense. He'll join Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Mikhail Sergachev, among others, on the team's blue line.The signing brings yet another former Ranger to Tampa Bay, a common occurrence in recent years. McDonagh is the only other notable example remaining on the roster, but Dan Girardi, Anton Stralman, J.T. Miller, and Ryan Callahan contributed to the franchise's success over the last handful of seasons.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If you're eagerly awaiting Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner to sign a new contract, don't hold your breath.General manager Kyle Dubas addressed the ongoing negotiations between the two sides this weekend, and it doesn't appear there's been much progress of late."It's just really the status quo at this point," Dubas told TSN at the World Junior Summer Showcase. "I think the reality is, it's the status quo with all these types of players throughout the league. There doesn't seem to be anything really transpiring, and as it gets into August, it's kind of into a bit of a slog where there doesn't seem to be any real progress. You don't even hear of any progress in any of the other situations."High-profile restricted free agents are reportedly waiting for Marner, an RFA and the Leafs' leading scorer, to sign and set the market. Brayden Point, Matthew Tkachuk, Brock Boeser, Patrik Laine, and Mikko Rantanen are also RFAs.Marner's said he "probably" won't attend Toronto's training camp - set to open Sept. 17 - without a deal, though he added he'd prefer to be there.The 22-year-old winger is coming off a monstrous season in which he put up 94 points - the ninth-highest total in the NHL. He also added four points in seven playoff contests.The Maple Leafs are currently above the $81.5-million salary cap. However, they can build an offseason roster with a projected cap hit as rich as $92.05 million, then place David Clarkson and Nathan Horton on long-term injured reserve to become cap compliant, according to Cap Friendly.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres agreed to terms with goaltender Linus Ullmark on a one-year contract at a cap hit of $1.325 million, the club announced Saturday.Ullmark split time with Carter Hutton in the Sabres' crease this past season, posting a .905 save percentage in 37 games.The 26-year-old, who had a salary arbitration hearing Friday, was reportedly seeking an average annual value of $2.65 million, while the team was initially offering $800,000.Ullmark has spent four campaigns in the Sabres organization. Buffalo drafted him in the sixth round of the 2012 draft.The Sabres also inked defenseman Jake McCabe earlier Saturday, avoiding arbitration by signing him to a two-year, $5.7-million pact.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild are apparently interested in talking to a third candidate for their vacant general manager position.Wild brass has requested permission to speak with Montreal Canadiens assistant general manager Scott Mellanby, The Athletic's Michael Russo reports.Russo reported Thursday that Minnesota conducted preliminary interviews with Ron Hextall and Peter Chiarelli after firing Paul Fenton on Tuesday.Mellanby has been the Canadiens' assistant GM since July 2014 and joined the club as director of player personnel in May 2012.The former NHL forward spent two years as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues. He also served as a special consultant to former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis for three years following Mellanby's retirement as a player.Fenton was dismissed after just one season at the helm.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving said on Friday that he expects restricted free agent Matthew Tkachuk to sign a new contract prior to training camp, according to Aaron Vickers of NHL.com."That's been our expectation, our hope, our goal," Treliving said. "That's what we're working toward. I know that's what Matthew wants as well. We've got to keep working away at it and get to the point where we can get a deal done that works for everybody. That's certainly our goal. Nothing has changed in that regard."Tkachuk is one of several high-profile RFA's currently without a contract for next season. The respective agents for the young superstars are reportedly waiting for Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner to sign first and set the market.The Flames hold $7.7 million in available cap space, which may not be enough to meet Tkachuk's demands. Calgary also needs to sign fellow RFA Andrew Mangiapane."In the cap world, there's only so many dollars to go around," Treliving said. "We've got good young players that we think are right in the prime or starting the prime of their careers. Matthew has established himself as a top-end player, top-end young player just three years into his career. You're trying to get them looked after and fit into the course of your overall team structure."Since being drafted sixth overall in 2016, Tkachuk has become a franchise player for the Flames. He serves as an assistant captain at 21 years old, and in 2018-19, Tkachuk set career highs with 34 goals and 77 points in 80 games, leading Calgary to a first-place finish in the Pacific Division.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with Jake McCabe, agreeing to a two-year contract with the defenseman that carries an average annual value of $2.85 million, the team announced on Saturday.McCabe was a restricted free agent and scheduled for a hearing on August 4 before the two sides reached a deal.Buffalo drafted the 25-year-old in the second round (44th overall) in 2012. This past season, he appeared in 59 games, registering four goals and 10 assists while averaging just under 19 minutes per contest.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nikita Gusev shed some light Friday on why the Vegas Golden Knights traded him to the New Jersey Devils earlier this week.While thanking Vegas for accommodating the move, the dynamic forward revealed that the team wanted to give him a contract resembling the two-year, $9-million pact they agreed to with Vadim Shipachyov in May 2017, but couldn't do so due to its cap constraints."I'm very grateful to (the Golden Knights) for letting me go," he told Sport-Express' Igor Eronko. "Big thanks to them for all they (did) for me. They promised me a deal similar to Shipachyov's. Just couldn't find a room for me under the salary cap."The Golden Knights currently have just over $1 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.Coincidentally, after acquiring Gusev, the Devils signed him to the exact length and financial terms that the Golden Knights gave Shipachyov, who retired from the NHL in November 2017 and signed in the KHL after Vegas suspended him for failing to report to its AHL affiliate.Gusev, the KHL's 2018-19 points leader, told Eronko he's looking forward to joining New Jersey and is familiar with the Devils because he knows Russian-born defenseman Egor Yakovlev, who played for them this past season."The (Devils) showed me they very much need me," the 27-year-old said. "It's very important for me and it tells a lot. I followed them because my friend Yakovlev played there so I have an idea what kind of a team it is. With all the new players, I'm sure we can play well and win."Gusev racked up 82 points in 62 regular-season games with SKA St. Petersburg this past campaign before adding nine goals and 19 points in 18 playoff contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs inked forward Matt Read to a professional tryout contract, the club announced Friday.Read appeared in 12 games with the Minnesota Wild this past season, notching a single goal.The 33-year-old spent the majority of the campaign with Minnesota's AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, producing 16 goals and 37 points in 61 contests before adding eight points in 10 playoff games.Read spent parts of seven seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2011-18, scoring a career-best 24 goals in his rookie year.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two years after choosing his hometown New York Rangers as his free-agency destination, Kevin Shattenkirk's tenure on Broadway ended with a whimper.On Thursday, the Rangers bought out the final two years of Shattenkirk's contract that carried a $6.65-million cap hit. What initially seemed to be a perfect match never materialized as such and a New York squad that spent lavishly this summer had to cut costs somewhere.The 30-year-old appeared in only 119 games across two seasons with the Rangers, during which he registered 51 points. But Shattenkirk now has a chance to start fresh and should have a fair number of suitors, as right-handed defensemen are a highly valued commodity across the league.It's unlikely he'll return to the 50-point production of years past, but he can still have a positive impact with reduced minutes and some sheltering from the toughest matchups. Shattenkirk ranked near the top in Corsi, expected goals, and scoring chances at five-on-five among Rangers defensemen during his two seasons in New York, according to Natural Stat Trick, and could provide additional value quarterbacking a team's power-play unit.However, there are red flags when it comes to Shattenkirk's health. He tore his meniscus and separated his shoulder with the Rangers, which could have played a significant role in his decline. Those injuries have led many to question what the 30-year-old has left to give.With Shattenkirk's value at its lowest and the likeliest outcome being a one-year deal to prove he still belongs in the league, we took a look at which teams should give him another shot.Winnipeg JetsCap space: $17.5 millionRight-handed defensemen depth chartPlayer (Age)Cap hit2018-19 PtsDustin Byfuglien (34)$7.6M31Neal Pionk (24)$3M26Sami Niku (22)$775K4The Jets aren't exactly in a position to spend until they sign restricted free agents Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor, but if there's some wiggle room once the two youngsters are secured, Shattenkirk could be a nice fit. Winnipeg lost both Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers this summer from its right side, and Shattenkirk could provide some insurance for the oft-injured Byfuglien or any growing pains for Niku, who has just 31 games under his belt. If Shattenkirk wants to join a playoff team rather than maximize his earnings, Winnipeg could be the spot.Edmonton OilersBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyCap space: $2.43 millionRHD depth chartPlayer (Age)Cap hit2018-19 PtsAdam Larsson (26)$4.16M20Kris Russell (32)$4M16Matthew Benning (25)$1.9M17Joel Persson (25)$1MN/AEvan Bouchard (19)$894K1The Oilers are desperate for defenders who are capable of moving the puck, and Shattenkirk fits that profile. Persson signed earlier in the offseason after a two-year stint in Sweden, and it remains to be seen what he'll bring to the table. Also, it's unclear whether Bouchard is ready to make the jump to the pros full time, so Shattenkirk's experience would give Edmonton a reliable option. If the Oilers would rather give minutes to the 19-year-old to allow him to grow, that's fine. But if they want to bolster their blue line with experience, there's a good option available.Columbus Blue JacketsCap space: $15.765 millionRHD depth chartPlayer (Age)Cap hit2018-19 PtsSeth Jones (24)$5.4M46David Savard (28)$4.25M24Markus Nutivaara (25)$2.75M21Adam Clendening (26)$700K0Beyond Jones, the Blue Jackets' right side isn't exactly eye-popping, and Columbus has the cap space to pay Shattenkirk more than other suitors can. After losing three stars this summer, the Blue Jackets need more than just Shattenkirk if they hope to compete, but the veteran would help infuse some offense into a team that's likely going to struggle to score goals consistently.Buffalo SabresIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap space: $3.115 millionRHD depth chartPlayer (Age)Cap hit2018-19 PtsRasmus Ristolainen (24)$5.4M43Zach Bogosian (29)$5.142M19Colin MIller (26)$3.875M29Brandon Montour (25)$3.387M35Casey Nelson (27)$812K6The Sabres' blue line is crowded, and adding Shattenkirk would likely be contingent on if they move Ristolainen, who has been discussed in trade rumors this summer. If Buffalo does deal the 24-year-old, Shattenkirk could slide in behind MIller and Montour to give the club an incredibly mobile and adept puck-moving group that also features phenom Rasmus Dahlin patrolling the left side of the ice. Additionally, Shattenkirk would still be close to home.Colorado AvalancheCap space: $16.4 millionRHD depth chartPlayer (Age)Cap hit2018-19 PtsErik Johnson (31)$6M25Cale Makar (20)$880KN/AMark Alt (27)$725K0Conor Timmins (20)$925KN/APerhaps a reunion is in order for Shattenkirk and the team that drafted him 14th overall in 2007. After dealing Tyson Barrie to the Maple Leafs in July, the Avalanche lack right-handed options. All signs point to Makar blossoming into a full-time top-four player this year, but after him and Johnson, Colorado doesn't have an experienced NHLer to take the right flank. The Avs have a few lefties who could fill in, but Shattenkirk would be a good fit for the club's high-tempo offense and could serve as a solid stop-gap while Colorado waits for the next wave (Timmins, Bowen Byram) to arrive and fill out what projects to be a dominant defensive corps for years to come.(Salary info courtesy: Cap Friendly)Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames bought out defenseman Michael Stone, the team announced Friday.He was placed on unconditional waivers Thursday but cleared.Stone, 29, signed a three-year, $10.5-million contract with the Flames in 2017. His buyout counts for $1.16 million against the salary cap for the next two seasons but saves Calgary $2.3 million for the 2019-20 campaign, according to Cap Friendly.The Flames have roughly $7 million in available cap space to sign restricted free agents Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane, and they can free up more money as the season nears by sending players to the minors.Stone was limited to only 14 games last season, during which he posted five assists.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes were one of the best stories in the NHL this past season, and their "Storm Surge" celebrations were one of the biggest reasons why.From pretending to play other sports to channeling a superhero, the on-ice routines that so angered certain pundits ultimately cemented the Hurricanes as the undisputed kings of fun in 2018-19.Here's a truly scientific evaluation of 10 of the team's best victory celebrations:10. Whale of a timeIt was only fitting that on Whalers Night in late December, the Hurricanes paid further tribute to their previous incarnation by flopping to the ice in whale-like fashion. Even Hartford mascot Pucky the Whale took part.9. Bunch of JerksThis one was more about the statement it made than the complexity of the routine.On Feb. 26, a mere 10 days after Hockey Night in Canada's Don Cherry called the team a "bunch of jerks" over their celebrations, and shortly after the club had already revealed T-shirts bearing that phrase, the Hurricanes took their new rallying cry to the next level.Tossing the shirts to the fans further underscored the point that the team wasn't trying to show anyone up, but rather that the surges were all for the club's supporters.8. Thor's hammerWith Brock McGinn playing the role of Thor, the Hurricanes executed a solid homage to the Asgardian character of the comics and the silver screen.McGinn nailed the follow-through as well as the pose, and his teammates falling down in unison made this one truly memorable.7. Gone fishin'This one worked really well, from tossing out the "line" to catching the "fish".We couldn't help but crack up watching Jordan Martinook's teammates try to pull him out of the "water," and it wouldn't be the only time in these routines that the Hurricanes would team up to move the nearly 200-pound winger around (more on that later).6. LimboThis surge exemplified what the exercise was all about. It was an original idea that involved the entire team, and it showcased the squad's collective fun-loving spirit like few other victory celebrations.5. BowlingThe Hurricanes performed a different bowling-inspired surge 11 days before this one, with Andrei Svechnikov sliding down the ice and his teammates forming the imaginary lane.This version was much better, though, for a couple of reasons.For one, having the players line up as pins made for a much funnier finish. Also, credit captain Justin Williams for actually managing to hit the No. 1 "pin" when he rolled his helmet along the ice.4. The walk-offMuch like another surge below, this one gets major points for timeliness.On Feb. 15, with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training facilities across Major League Baseball, the Hurricanes pulled off one of their best efforts.From "pitcher" Dougie Hamilton's disappointed reaction to "hitter" Warren Foegele's bat flip and the team's celebration at "home plate," they all hit this one out of the park.3. Duck HuntSetting aside the fact that only two members of the 2018-19 Hurricanes were born when this classic NES game was released in 1984, this particular surge was one of the team's most creative.From the video board projection, to the sticks as guns, to the players tossing their gloves in the air to serve as the "ducks" being hunted, this live video-game re-enactment was chock full of nostalgia for '80s kids.2. Holyfield 'KOs' MartinookThis one had something none of the other surges could boast: heavyweight star power. Getting Evander Holyfield to take part in the first place was a coup, but the routine itself was brilliant.The champ's early "knockout" of Martinook was great, but the visual of the forward getting pulled off the ice by his teammates afterward was just as good.All the Hurricanes were missing here was Michael Buffer.1. March MadnessThis basketball-themed surge was terrific for several reasons. Firstly, it was timely, as it came in the midst of the NCAA basketball tournament and in the hoops-obsessed state of North Carolina, no less.Secondly, there was the degree of difficulty. We've never tried playing pick-up ball on skates - let alone throwing down a dunk - but that doesn't look easy.Thirdly, they used real equipment instead of just miming the sport. Props for authenticity.Lastly, playing "One Shining Moment" over the PA system was the icing on the cake. Well done, 'Canes. Honorable mentions: "Duck, Duck, Goose," Quidditch, curling, dominoes, and the very first surge.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Milan Lucic says he set the bar too high during his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers.The veteran forward, who the Oilers traded - along with a conditional third-round pick - to the Calgary Flames for James Neal last month, explained that he has different expectations for himself joining his new club than he did when he signed with Edmonton in 2016."I think the main thing for me was just getting a fresh start," Lucic told Sportsnet 960 on Thursday. "Coming to a good team, a veteran team, a team that took a big step in the right direction last year ... for myself, it's just coming in and just helping. I'm not coming in looking to be some sort of savior or anything like that."I don't think it was like that going into Edmonton as well. But in Edmonton, I think I put a little bit too much pressure on myself to be this leader, power forward, goalscorer, all this type of stuff. I think I put too much on my plate, (it was) too much for me to handle.”Lucic signed a seven-year, $42-million contract with the Oilers on July 1, 2016.The 31-year-old played well in his first season with his old club. He notched 23 goals and 50 points while playing all 82 regular-season games, and then added six points in 13 playoff contests as the Oilers came within one win of the 2017 Western Conference Final.However, his final two campaigns in Edmonton were far less memorable: He managed only 16 goals and 54 points across 161 combined regular-season games while the Oilers failed to reach the playoffs in both seasons.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild aren't wasting any time trying to fill their now-vacant general manager position.In the aftermath of Paul Fenton's firing on Tuesday, Wild owner Craig Leipold and team president Matt Majka have already interviewed Ron Hextall and Peter Chiarelli for the job, sources told The Athletic's Michael Russo.The process is in its early stages and the interviews do not mean either candidate is a front-runner, the sources added.There's no timetable for the hiring, notes Russo.Hextall served as GM of the Philadelphia Flyers from May 2014 until his firing in November 2018. Before joining Philadelphia, he won the Stanley Cup as assistant GM of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012. Chuck Fletcher - Fenton's predecessor with the Wild - replaced Hextall as the Flyers' general manager in December.Chiarelli spent nearly four years as GM of the Edmonton Oilers before he was axed in January.He won a championship in the same role with the Boston Bruins in 2011 but made a slew of controversial moves with the Oilers, including trading Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson and signing Milan Lucic to a seven-year, $42-million contract in July 2016.Fenton was dismissed after only one season as Minnesota's GM.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes' new owner made it clear Thursday he'll do his best to ensure the club doesn't relocate."I am committed to stay(ing) here," Alex Meruelo told reporters at his introductory press conference. "I will do everything I can in my heart, and in my hard work, to make sure that we can make it viable."Meruelo, who assumed majority ownership of the team Monday, also expressed his desire to build a championship winner."I will not stop, I will not stop until we bring a Stanley Cup to the Valley," the billionaire businessman said.As if that wasn't enough, Meruelo had an emphatic message for Coyotes fans."I believe that I have to earn their trust and loyalty. That's on me," he said, according to The Athletic's Craig Morgan. "If I do that I know they’ll respond by coming out and watching us and supporting us. At the end of the day, we're Coyote nation and we all want to win, and I sure as shit want to win."Meruelo, who became the first Hispanic majority owner in the NHL with Monday's transaction, explained Thursday that it was a dream come true."It's been a dream of mine since I was six (or) eight years old," he said. "I'm just a Hispanic kid from Brooklyn, New York, so if I can do it, anybody can do it."Meruelo reportedly bought a 95 percent stake in the club from the previous owner, Andrew Barroway, who retained the remaining five.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kevin Shattenkirk's tenure with the New York Rangers is over, as the club announced on Thursday he's been bought out."Today's decision was a very difficult one," Rangers president John Davidson said in a release. "Kevin is a great person and teammate and he was extremely proud to be a New York Ranger. We wish him and his family all the best going forward."Shattenkirk had two years remaining on the four-year, $26.6-million pact he inked with the Rangers on July 1, 2017. The deal carried a cap hit of $6.65 million.Here's a look at the breakdown of what Shattenkirk will cost the Rangers over the next four years:

Things got ugly at the National Youth Games in Chengde, China, on Thursday as a massive brawl broke out between Hong Kong and Shenzen.

Matt Cullen retired from the NHL in July after 21 seasons, but he's decided to remain with the team for which he last played.Cullen will join the Pittsburgh Penguins' hockey operations department in a player development role, general manager Jim Rutherford announced Thursday."Matt's knowledge of the game and understanding of our organization will make him a valuable asset moving forward," Rutherford said. "With over 20 years in the NHL and three Stanley Cups, we are certain he will continue to have a positive influence on our players."Cullen played three seasons with the Penguins, winning championships in 2016 and 2017. He finished his career 19th all time with 1,516 games played, during which he registered 731 points.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is famous for its parity come playoff time.Over the last four years, we've seen a team win back-to-back championships, an expansion franchise make the final, and a pair of clubs win their first-ever titles. All bets are off in the spring, but some teams are still built for more success than others.We looked at four key factors for all 32 organizations - including Seattle - and predicted each team's chances of winning a Stanley Cup during the next three seasons. In this edition, we focus on the Pacific Division.Note: The 32 teams in the exercise were given combined Stanley Cup odds that total 300 percent - 100 percent per year.Columbus Blue Jackets: 1.5 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★☆☆☆★★★☆★★★☆What a difference a few months makes. If this exercise had taken place in April, you could argue the Blue Jackets would deserve four stars for "cornerstone players," and the team would certainly be given greater odds to win the Cup. But this offseason's mass exodus has left Columbus' cupboard mostly bare, save for the likes of Seth Jones, Cam Atkinson, Zach Werenski, and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Those are all good building blocks, but it looks like it's going to be a while before the Jackets have a real chance again.New York Islanders: 2 percentIcon Sportswire / Getty ImagesCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★☆☆☆★★★☆★★★☆The Islanders let their Vezina Trophy candidate, Robin Lehner, walk away in free agency after a season when he was the primary reason the club qualified for the playoffs. Whether Semyon Varlamov can fill Lehner's shoes over the next three years remains to be seen, which means New York could in tough to prove its 2018-19 playoff berth wasn't a one-off. Mat Barzal is the Islanders' lone true superstar right now, but strong showings at recent drafts (Oliver Wahlstrom, Noah Dobson) could ease his load in the near future. And with Barry Trotz behind the bench, the door is always open - at least a little bit.New York Rangers: 4 percentJared Silber / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★★☆★★★★★★★☆The Rangers underwent a rebuild at the speed of light, and are a team to watch out for over the next few seasons. But despite the star additions of Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba, and Kaapo Kakko, the Blueshirts need to gain some experience and could very well end up being a true contender when the three-year window for this exercise closes. The biggest question for New York right now is whether 37-year-old Henrik Lundqivst can still carry the load, but the Rangers will be in good shape when the King's reign ends, as Alexandar Georgiev and highly touted prospect Igor Shestyorkin are next in line between the pipes.New Jersey Devils: 6 percentDave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★★★★★☆★★★☆★★★☆Similar to their Hudson River rivals, the Devils underwent a major overhaul for the better this offseason. Phenom Jack Hughes, defenseman P.K. Subban, and forward Nikita Gusev are now in the fold, giving New Jersey a much better chance of pushing for a playoff spot. Ray Shero also has a ton of cap space to play with, but the Devils' odds take a hit due to the uncertainty around Taylor Hall - who's set to be an unrestricted free agent next offseason - and question marks between the pipes.Philadelphia Flyers: 8 percentLen Redkoles / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★☆★★★☆★★★☆★★☆☆The Flyers have kept much of the same veteran core in place for years, but their future success is largely dependent on their youngest player. Carter Hart is expected to take over the reins in goal, and if the 20-year-old is all he's hyped up to be, Philly could realistically contend soon. Still, that's too much of a question mark to give the Flyers a higher percentage here. Meanwhile, the franchise has built a rock-solid prospect system along with Hart, and its lineup has a good infusion of young, contributing players. If it all goes right, Gritty's group could be a sneaky team in the stacked Metro over the next few years.Carolina Hurricanes: 10 percentGregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★☆★★☆★★★★★★★☆Carolina got closer to glory than anyone could have predicted in 2018-19, and the Hurricanes project to remain dangerous in the Metro for years to come. Rod Brind'Amour turned out to be the perfect hire as head coach, and he has one of the league's youngest rosters at his disposal. Sebastian Aho is only 21, Andrei Svechnikov cracked 20 goals as an 18-year-old rookie, and all the core pieces on the Hurricanes' blue line are 27 or younger. Carolina will also have more than $23 million in cap space following the upcoming season, and the club has multiple highly regarded prospects still to come.Pittsburgh Penguins: 16 percentBrian Babineau / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★☆☆☆★★★★☆☆☆☆★★☆☆Bad contracts and a lack of impactful young players are real problems for this team, making the big picture in Pittsburgh a potentially messy one. Over the next three years, though, it's difficult to imagine the club doing anything but trying to squeeze every ounce of juice the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin era has to offer while the duo remains capable of dominating. With those two in the middle of the ice, the Pens just need to find a way into the playoffs to have a realistic chance at claiming their fourth Cup since 2009.Washington Capitals: 16 percentStephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY SportsCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★★★★☆☆☆★★★☆The Capitals' core is aging, but they were a Game 7 overtime goal away from potentially going on another deep playoff run this past season and have won the Metro four years in a row. Alex Ovechkin will be 34 when next season begins and surely still has plenty more goals to score. On the other hand, Washington's cap situation is already precarious and its roster could undergo a major overhaul as soon as the summer of 2020 with franchise icons Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby potentially hitting free agency. One year later, it'll Ovi's turn for a new deal. The Caps are built to win again, but time is of the essence.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is famous for its parity come playoff time.Over the last four years, we've seen a team win back-to-back championships, an expansion franchise make the final, and a pair of clubs win their first-ever titles. All bets are off in the spring, but that doesn't mean some teams aren't built for success better than others are.We looked at four key factors for all 32 organizations - including Seattle - and predicted each team's chances of winning a Stanley Cup during the next three seasons. In this edition, we focus on the Pacific Division.Note: The 32 teams in the exercise were given combined Stanley Cup odds that total 300 percent - 100 percent per year.Seattle: 0.1 percentDave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆★★☆☆Beginning play in 2021-22, Seattle will be around for only one season of the three-year window. The NHL's newest franchise will have a much more difficult time competing in its inaugural season than the Vegas Golden Knights did, as general managers will be better prepared for the expansion draft this time.Los Angeles Kings: 0.8 percentAdam Pantozzi / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★☆☆★☆☆☆★★☆☆Despite boasting a former Selke Trophy honoree in Anze Kopitar and former Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty, the Kings need a lot of help. There are a handful of decent prospects coming through the pipeline, but only 2019 fifth overall pick Alex Turcotte projects to have an immediate impact in the NHL. The Kings are in the infancy stages of their rebuild and it's going to take plenty of time before they make a return to relevancy.Anaheim Ducks: 0.9 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★☆★☆☆☆★★☆☆★★☆☆The Ducks are in an unfamiliar state. After being competitive for the better part of the last 15 years, the club is entering a rebuilding stage. The kids - Trevor Zegras, Sam Steel, Troy Terry, Max Jones, Max Comtois, and Jacob Larsson - aren't quite ready to grab the torch and run with it, and the veteran core isn't good enough anymore to continue to carry the load. John Gibson, Hampus Lindholm, and Rickard Rakell remain building blocks, but Anaheim is more than three years away from a return to glory.Arizona Coyotes: 2 percentNorm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★☆☆☆★★★☆★★☆☆The Coyotes will be in the Central Divison in three years, but we still included them in the Pacific for this exercise. Arizona battled more injuries than any other team did last season and still finished just four points out of a playoff spot. There's reason to believe the Yotes will snap their seven-year playoff drought in 2019-20, but it seems unlikely they'll make a run at the Cup. Phil Kessel was a great addition up front, but it speaks volumes that he's the team's top forward by a landslide. The Coyotes will need Clayton Keller to explode onto the scene if they are going to take the next step,Edmonton Oilers: 3 percentMichael Martin / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★★★★★☆☆★★☆☆The Oilers have the crown jewel in Connor McDavid and we're still giving them just a three percent chance, which shows how much work Ken Holland needs to do to clean up Peter Chiarelli's mess. Swapping Milan Lucic for James Neal was a good start, but this team is still missing an answer between the pipes, mobility on defense, and depth scoring. Holland needs to find cheap, effective wingers so McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can carry their own lines, which will give the team its best shot at a Stanley Cup.Vancouver Canucks: 5 percentJeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★★☆★★★★★★☆☆The Canucks' young core of Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, and Quinn Hughes is one of the most enviable groups in the league. The biggest concern for Vancouver is the decision-making of GM Jim Benning. He's been excellent when it comes to the draft but has handed out some egregious, long-term contracts to undeserving players who could handcuff the team over the next three seasons, thus capping the potential of this promising club.Calgary Flames: 12 percentGerry Thomas / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★★☆★★★☆★★☆☆Last season may have been Calgary's best chance at a Cup for the foreseeable future. Mark Giordano had a career year, Matthew Tkachuk was on the last season of his entry-level contract, and the team received stellar goaltending in the playoffs from Mike Smith. With Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm, and Tkachuk leading the way up front and four promising defensemen who are no older than 22, the Flames will be competitive. Questions remain, though. Is David Rittich the answer between the pipes? Or, at the very least, can he get hot in the spring? Only time will tell.San Jose Sharks: 18 percentEzra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★★★★★☆☆★★★★Much like the Flames, the Sharks' real opportunity to win it all was last year, as Erik Karlsson was on a team-friendly deal, Joe Pavelski was still on the roster, and Timo Meier was severely underpaid. The window is far from closed, though, especially considering the majority of this group is still in their prime. Martin Jones is the X-factor. If he can return to his pre-2018 form and both Karlsson and Brent Burns are healthy, look out.Vegas Golden Knights: 20 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★☆☆☆★★★☆★★★☆★★★★After making a handful of minor moves this offseason, the Golden Knights have escaped salary cap purgatory. They're barely under the limit, but the entire core is locked up long term - most of them on team-friendly contracts thanks to Nevada's lack of state tax. Cody Glass, the first draft pick in franchise history, should make his NHL debut this season and could have a substantial impact during the next three years, which could potentially push this team over the top. The only question is, how many more years of elite play does Marc-Andre Fleury, 34, have in the crease?Others in this series:

The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Samuel Girard to a seven-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.The deal comes with an average annual value of $5 million, according to the Denver Post's Mike Chambers.Girard has one more year remaining on his entry-level contract. The extension will kick in for the 2020-21 season and keep him in Colorado through the 2026-27 campaign.Girard was acquired by the Avs in the three-team trade in November 2017 that sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators and Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators. He was a second-round pick by the Preds in 2016.The 21-year-old tallied 27 points in 82 games last season. Girard, who stands just 5-foot-10 and 162 pounds, excels at skating and moving the puck.Colorado's blue line is filled with promising young players, including 2019-20 Calder Trophy favorite Cale Makar, 2019 fourth overall pick Bowen Byram, and Girard.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is famous for its parity come playoff time.Over the last four years, we've seen a team win back-to-back championships, an expansion team make the final, and a pair of clubs win the first titles in franchise history. All bets are off in the springtime, but that doesn't mean some teams aren't better built for success than others.Looking at four key factors for all 32 organizations (yes, Seattle was included in this exercise), we've ranked each team's chances of winning a Stanley Cup over the next three seasons. In this edition, we focus on the Atlantic Division.Note: The 32 teams in the exercise were given combined Stanley Cup odds that total 300 percent - 100 percent per year.Ottawa Senators: 0.8 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★★★☆☆☆★★★☆★☆☆☆The Senators will be hard-pressed to get out of the NHL's basement in 2019-20. There's reason for optimism in the future, though, as the team's prospect pipeline is brimming with talent, and Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk are young high-end players already on the roster. However, the likelihood of Ottawa making the postseason over the next three years is low, let alone winning a Stanley Cup.Detroit Red Wings: 1 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★☆☆☆★★☆☆★★★☆The Red Wings are further ahead in their rebuild than the Senators, but in a stacked division, they'll find it very difficult to earn a postseason berth. The future is bright with Steve Yzerman calling the shots as general manager, but there's still lots of roster turnover that needs to occur before the Wings can even be considered a playoff contender.Montreal Canadiens: 3 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★☆☆★★★☆★★☆☆Montreal has collected plenty of nice young players both on the roster and coming through the team's system. But the club's two cornerstone players - Carey Price and Shea Weber - aren't getting any younger at 31 and 33 years old, respectively. Time is running out for the Habs to make a serious championship run with that duo leading the way. If Montreal makes the playoffs and Price gets hot, anything could happen, but that's not likely.Buffalo Sabres: 3 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★★★★☆☆★★☆☆★★☆☆So much is unknown for the Sabres. The club projects to hold over $38 million in cap space next season, but that's only with eight players signed, and luring free agents to western New York is never easy. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who's just 20 years old, is perhaps the best goalie prospect in the world, and there's plenty of upside for Buffalo defensively. But the club faces far too many holes up front. Casey Mittelstadt is the franchise's biggest X-factor. If he can be the player many expect, the Sabres could turn some heads sooner than later.Florida Panthers: 15 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★★☆★★☆☆★★★☆The Panthers arguably improved more than any other team during the offseason, signing goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to fill their biggest need, while also adding defenseman Anton Stralman, and high-energy forward Noel Acciari. On paper, this team is good enough to compete for a Stanley Cup, but the Panthers will need 2014 No. 1 pick Aaron Ekblad to take a stride forward in his development.Toronto Maple Leafs: 20 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★☆☆☆★★★★★★★★★★★☆Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly might be the NHL's most enviable five-player core. If Marner, a restricted free agent, is re-signed, that quintet will be locked in for the duration of this three-year window, giving the Leafs a legitimate shot at their first Stanley Cup since 1967. The team's defense will improve after the addition of Tyson Barrie, but with Rielly as the only blue-liner signed beyond next season, there's a lot of uncertainty on the back end.Boston Bruins: 20 percentBoston Globe / Boston Globe / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★★★★★★☆★★★★Patrice Bergeron (34), David Krejci (33), Brad Marchand (31), and Tuukka Rask (32) are all aging, but with David Pastrnak (23) and Charlie McAvoy (21) leading the next wave, the Bruins will remain a legitimate threat until the team's core starts to decline. Bergeron, Krejci, and Marchand are all coming off career years, so they don't appear to be slowing anytime soon.Tampa Bay Lightning: 25 percentKirk Irwin / Getty Images Sport / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★☆☆☆★★★★★★★☆★★★☆If the Lightning can get Brayden Point signed without drastically altering the roster, they'll likely begin next season as Cup favorites. Things won't get easier next summer, though, as Anthony Cirelli, Mathieu Joseph, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Cernak will all be due for significant raises. That's a lot to handle for new GM Julien BriseBois, but he already managed to get star goalie Andre Vasilevskiy signed with an eight-year extension. If the front office can keep the main core together while continuing to draft and develop at a high level, the Bolts will be perennial contenders.Others in this series:

The NHL is famous for its parity come playoff time.Over the last four years, we've seen a team win back-to-back championships, an expansion team make the final, and a pair of clubs win the first titles in franchise history. All bets are off in the springtime, but that doesn't mean some teams aren't better built for success than others.Looking at four key factors for all 32 organizations (yes, Seattle was included in this exercise), we've ranked each team's chances of winning a Stanley Cup over the next three seasons. In this edition, we focus on the Central Division.Note: The 32 teams in the exercise were given combined Stanley Cup odds that total 300 percent - 100 percent per year.Minnesota Wild: 0.9 percentBruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★☆★☆☆☆★☆☆☆★★☆☆After six consecutive disappointing playoff exits, the Wild took a drastic turn for the worse in 2018-19, managing just 83 points and missing the postseason altogether. A series of questionable moves cost GM Paul Fenton his job after just one season, indicating organizational instability. The club's core is old, and the roster doesn't feature much young talent. Prospects Matthew Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov are nice pieces, but their NHL timelines are unclear and it's unlikely either player can single-handedly turn things around. Two of the league's most cumbersome contracts - Zach Parise and Ryan Suter at $7.538 million a year each - are on the books until 2025. In a division as deep as the Central, so many issues do not a championship recipe make.Chicago Blackhawks: 4 percentIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★☆☆★★★☆★★☆☆As long as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are around, the Blackhawks will be relevant. But the team that won three Cups in six seasons from 2010-15 has hit a roadblock, missing the playoffs in each of the past two campaigns. As such, Chicago has undergone significant retooling to get younger. Alex DeBrincat is going to be a star if he isn't already, Dylan Strome has turned out to be a tremendous acquisition, and both Adam Boqvist and Kirby Dach project as impact NHLers. That said, each year the youngsters take to develop leaves Kane and Toews another year older, so the Blackhawks' window isn't exactly wide open.St. Louis Blues: 12 percentPatrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★☆★★★☆★★☆☆★★★★The Blues got their rings, so even if the next three years aren't prosperous, fans in the Gateway City probably won't mind too much. Fortunately, St. Louis projects to be competitive a little while longer. While the core players aren't quite spring chickens, Ryan O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Alex Pietrangelo should remain productive for a few more years, and the roster is infused with some nice young talent. It shouldn't be forgotten that Doug Armstrong is a top-notch GM and the club has a head coach in Craig Berube who won a championship in his first year behind St. Louis' bench. The biggest question is whether Jordan Binnington is a legitimate stud or a flash in the pan. If it's the former, the Blues are in great shape to remain in contention.Winnipeg Jets: 12 percentJonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★☆☆★★★★★★★☆★★★☆The Jets are primed to compete for a long time, but their window isn't quite as wide as it was when they reached the Western Conference Final in 2018. While cap space is a serious issue for 2019-20, things should get easier over the following two seasons depending on Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor's next contracts. Those two, along with Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien, and Josh Morrissey, form a tremendous core. The roster lacks depth down the middle of the ice and the blue line took a significant hit with the losses of Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers, but Winnipeg does have a solid prospect pool to potentially help prolong its period of contention. The Jets should have no issues making the postseason for the foreseeable future so long as everybody's healthy.Dallas Stars: 16 percentJoe Sargent / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★☆☆☆★★★☆★★☆☆★★★☆Dallas made a couple of major summer splashes, signifying it's ready to go for a Cup. Adding Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry to a forward group that already features Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Alexander Radulov gives the Stars some much-needed depth. It's not the youngest arsenal of offensive weapons, but Dallas has two stalwarts on the back end in John Klingberg (26) and Miro Heiskanen (20) and a Vezina candidate in Ben Bishop. Things get murkier for the Stars beyond this exercise's three-year window, but right now, they're in the thick of the race.Nashville Predators: 18 percentJohn Russell / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★☆★★★☆★★☆☆★★★★The Predators have been in the Cup-contention conversation for years now and they're certainly built to be competitive over the next three seasons. David Poile is the league's longest-tenured GM and has never shied away from making franchise-altering moves, most recently shipping P.K. Subban to the Devils to free up money to sign Matt Duchene. With Subban out and Duchene in, Nashville's lineup looks a little more balanced. A deep blue line and a slew of good forwards complement goalie Pekka Rinne - the Preds' biggest question mark come playoff time - to compose a roster that doesn't really have any holes. One just has to wonder when their time will come.Colorado Avalanche: 22 percentJonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyCap FlexibilityCornerstone PlayersAscending TalentCoaching/Management★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★☆That 48-point season seems like a lifetime ago. Since being the laughingstock of the league in 2016-17, the Avalanche have done nothing but trend upward - quite rapidly. Nathan MacKinnon (23) has burgeoned into one of the NHL's best players, and his chemistry with Mikko Rantanen (22) has formed arguably the most lethal combination in the league. Colorado's current roster has plenty of other talented youth in Cale Makar (20) and Samuel Girard (21), and the franchise has an impressive prospect pipeline built around 2019 fourth overall pick Bowen Byram. That's without even mentioning the offseason acquisitions of Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, and Joonas Donskoi, or the fact the team boasts over $16 million in cap space (though that figure will take a significant hit once Rantanen gets a new deal). The Avs are the consensus pick of fans and pundits alike to become the next powerhouse - with good reason.Others in this series: