The New Jersey Devils avoided arbitration with restricted free-agent defenseman Will Butcher, agreeing on a three-year contract with an average annual value of $3.73 million, the team announced Wednesday.Butcher was a fifth-round draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2013. However, he never signed with the Avs, and after a storied NCAA career at the University of Denver, he agreed to join the Devils as a college free agent.The 5-foot-10 blue-liner was an effective player in his first two NHL seasons. He tallied 44 points in 81 games as a rookie and followed that up with 30 points in 78 contests last season, although the Devils plummeted to near the NHL's basement.Butcher was arguably New Jersey's best defenseman a year ago. At five-on-five, he led the team's blue-liners in differentials for shot attempts, scoring chances, and high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres and goaltender Linus Ullmark are nearly $2 million apart in negotiations ahead of a scheduled Aug. 2 arbitration hearing, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Ullmark is seeking an average annual value of $2.65 million, while the team is countering with an offer of $800,000 per season.The 26-year-old netminder earned $750,000 in 2018-19. He split time with veteran Carter Hutton, who makes $2.75 million annually. Here's how the two goalies performed:StatUllmarkHuttonRec.15-14-518-25-5GAA3.113.00SV%.905.908SO20The Sabres currently have just over $3 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly. Fellow RFAs Jake McCabe and Remi Elie also have arbitration hearings scheduled for this week.Meanwhile, Buffalo has one of the league's best goalie prospects, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, brewing in its system.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ron Francis is shedding some light on how soon Seattle's NHL team is expected to choose a name."It's my understanding we'll hopefully get a name out the first part of 2020, and hopefully with that will be some colors as well," the club's general manager said, according to NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.Francis was named the expansion franchise's first GM earlier this month. He has yet to hire a head coach.The team won't begin play until the fall of 2021, following that year's NHL draft and expansion draft.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild aren't wasting any time in their search for a replacement for general manager Paul Fenton, who was fired Tuesday.Minnesota has reached out for permission to speak to Ron Hextall, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports. Wild owner Craig Leipold and team president Matt Majka could interview Hextall as early as Wednesday, sources told The Athletic's Michael Russo.Hextall replacing Fenton would be an ironic twist considering Fenton's predecessor in Minnesota, Chuck Fletcher, replaced Hextall as Philadelphia Flyers GM last year.The 1987 Vezina Trophy winner served as the Flyers' general manager from May 7, 2014, to Nov. 26, 2018, making the playoffs twice.Hextall built a deep farm system while running the Flyers, drafting the likes of Travis Sanheim, Oskar Lindblom, Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny, and Carter Hart within a three-year span. Perhaps more regrettably, he also selected Nolan Patrick second overall in 2017 ahead of Miro Heiskanen, Cale Makar, and Elias Pettersson.Tom Kurvers is currently serving as acting Wild GM.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary's city council voted Tuesday to proceed with the Flames' new arena project.City lawmakers, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (the entity that operates the team), and Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Limited agreed to fundamental terms and conditions for the development and construction of a new facility last week.Talks between the club and the city on a new arena broke down in the lead-up to Calgary's 2017 municipal election, but Tuesday's 11-4 vote marked the final step in the approval process.The proposed event center carries an estimated construction cost of $550 million, which will be split 50-50 between the city and the team. It will replace the Scotiabank Saddledome, one of the NHL's oldest arenas, which has served as the Flames' home rink since 1983.Construction is expected to begin in 2021 and take about three years to complete. The project partners will now work to finalize legal agreements and engage the public on key design components.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild fired general manager Paul Fenton after just one season, the club announced Tuesday.The search for Fenton's replacement will begin immediately. For the time being, assistant GM Tom Kurvers will serve as acting GM.Wild owner Craig Leipold said in a statement issued by the club that Fenton was "not the right fit for our organization going forward," a sentiment the chairman reiterated in front of reporters later Tuesday.Leading up to Fenton's firing, "numerous accounts of unhappy employees throughout the organization and countless other turbulent incidents ... made their way into Leipold's office," sources told The Athletic's Michael Russo.Before hiring Fenton last May, the Wild interviewed New Jersey Devils assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin, former agent Bill Zito, Boston Bruins executive director of player personnel John Ferguson Jr., and Ducks assistant GM Dave Nonis, among others, according to Russo. All five of these candidates remain available.The Wild have already reportedly reached out for permission to speak to former Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall for the vacant GM position.Under Fenton, the Wild missed the postseason for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.Fenton wasn't very active last summer but made a handful of trades during the season. His first major move, dealing Nino Niederreiter to the Carolina Hurricanes for Victor Rask in January, backfired almost immediately. Niederreiter totaled 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games with the Canes, while Rask registered just three points in 23 contests with the Wild.Leading up to the trade deadline, Fenton sent Charlie Coyle to the Bruins for Ryan Donato and a fourth-round pick. Coyle went on to be an integral part of Boston's run to the Stanley Cup Final, tallying 16 points in 24 postseason contests.Fenton traded Mikael Granlund, a third member of the Wild's previous core, to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Kevin Fiala on deadline day.He also attempted to trade Jason Zucker on multiple occasions. A deadline-day trade to the Calgary Flames fell through. During the offseason, Zucker appeared to be Pittsburgh-bound until Phil Kessel - who was reportedly heading the other way - refused to waive his no-trade clause due to a belief the Wild wouldn't contend.Fenton made one major splash during free agency, inking 31-year-old Mats Zuccarello to a five-year, $30-million contract.Before his brief tenure in Minnesota, Fenton worked in the Predators organization for 20 years - 12 of which he spent as David Poile's assistant GM.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The man who brought Paul Fenton to the Minnesota Wild now acknowledges he didn't choose the right candidate.Craig Leipold, the club's owner, took responsibility for the former general manager's hiring while discussing Fenton's abrupt firing Tuesday.“I missed it and this is on me," Leipold told reporters, prefacing the remark by saying morale showed him that the Wild didn't have the right leader, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.Fenton was axed after only one season as Wild GM. Minnesota missed the playoffs. There was speculation that Fenton was dismissed because several of his deals backfired, but Leipold insisted the decision wasn't based on those trades."The reason for the termination is not any one big issue," the owner added. "It was over time, smaller issues were building up. It was not a good fit."Leipold then elaborated, shedding light on the former Nashville Predators executive's perceived strengths as well as his apparent weaknesses."I knew him in a different way," Leipold said. "He was an assistant general manager really doing scouting. That was his role. And he was tremendous at that. It was the other portion of being a general manager: the organizational, the strategic, the management of people, the hiring and motivating of the departments - when I talk about not being a fit, that's what I'm referring to."Leipold also said exit interviews with players indicated there was a sense things weren't OK. The owner added that he called almost every player Tuesday, including defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.Fenton was fired about four months into the club's offseason and with about a month and a half remaining until training camp begins for 2019-20.Minnesota's former GM oversaw the team's draft in June. His head-scratching moves included inking forward Mats Zuccarello - who turns 32 on Sept. 1 - to a five-year, $30-million contract on July 1, trading Nino Niederreiter for Victor Rask, dealing the consistently productive Mikael Granlund to the Predators for young winger Kevin Fiala, and sending versatile center Charlie Coyle to the Boston Bruins for Ryan Donato.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have traded goaltender Mike Condon and a sixth-round pick in 2020 to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Ryan Callahan and a fifth-round pick in 2020, the team announced Tuesday.In June, Callahan was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, which led doctors to recommend that he should no longer play professional hockey. He has one year left on his contract, which carries a $5.8-million cap hit, and plans to retire once it expires, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.Before the trade, the Lightning had planned to place the 34-year-old Callahan on long-term injured reserve. He registered 17 points in 52 games last season.Condon, who played just two games in the NHL last year, has one year left on his deal with a $2.4-million cap hit. The 29-year-old owns a 2.79 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage across 129 career games.In what's been a common theme for the cash-strapped Senators this offseason, the trade increases their cap hit but decreases their salary expenses. Ottawa is now $4.06 million above the cap floor following the trade.

Four-time Stanley Cup champion Chris Kunitz announced his retirement on Tuesday after 15 NHL seasons.The 39-year-old, who spent his last season in Chicago, will join the Blackhawks' hockey operations department as a player development adviser, assisting both the NHL team's and AHL squad's coaching staffs.Kunitz won his first Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, then claimed three more with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, 2016, and 2017. He also earned an Olympic gold medal with Canada in 2014.Kunitz's decorated career seemed improbable at one point. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Ferris State by the Ducks in 2003 but failed to score in his 21-game rookie season in 2003-04. He was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers at the beginning of the 2005-06 season, playing in just two games with the now-defunct club before Anaheim claimed him back off waivers two weeks later. He went on to score 19 goals with the Ducks that year, finishing 15th in Calder Trophy voting.Despite being an integral part of the Ducks' title run in 2007, he was traded to the Penguins on Feb. 26, 2009, along with Eric Tangradi, in exchange for coveted defenseman Ryan Whitney.The trade would help the Pens capture their first Stanley Cup since 1992. Kunitz proved to be a key glue guy, riding shotgun with Sidney Crosby.Kunitz had the best two-year stretch of his career during his age 33 and 34 seasons, tallying 57 goals and 120 points in 126 games, which earned him a spot on Canada's stacked 2014 Olympic roster.He remained a clutch performer even as his production tailed off in the following seasons. His marquee moment came in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators, scoring the double-overtime winner to send the Penguins back to the Cup Final.He finished his career with 268 goals and 619 points in 1,022 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It appears Mitch Marner's contract saga with the Toronto Maple Leafs could be the catalyst that finally gets this summer's star-studded group of restricted free agents moving.Agents of other high-profile RFAs are waiting for Marner to sign first to set the market, a source told The Athletic's Joe Smith.Marner is one of several young RFAs coming out of entry-level contracts this offseason, along with fellow stars Brayden Point, Mikko Rantanen Brock Boeser, Patrik Laine, and Matthew Tkachuk, among others.Coming off a 94-point campaign, Marner could be in line to become the highest-paid member of this year's RFA class, but Toronto's salary cap constraints have prolonged the process. That said, the 22-year-old did state he wants to be with the club for training camp in September.Contract negotiations can drag into the regular season and cost players games, as was the case last year with Leafs winger William Nylander, who signed on the Dec. 1 deadline - minutes before he would have been forced to sit out the entire 2018-19 campaign.Negotiations that leak into the regular-season schedule also cause signing players' first-year cap hits to be prorated, creating additional financial headaches for teams up against the salary cap.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights have traded forward Nikita Gusev to the New Jersey Devils for a second-round pick in 2021 and a third-round pick in 2020, the team announced Monday.Additionally, Gusev, who was a restricted free agent, has agreed to terms with the Devils on a two-year contract carrying an average annual value of $4.5 million.Gusev has yet to play a game in the NHL but led the KHL with 82 points in 62 games during the 2018-19 season. That total was the second-highest single-season mark in KHL history - more than Ilya Kovalchuk or Alexander Radulov ever produced.The 27-year-old left-winger is just 5-foot-11 and 181 lbs, but he's an explosive skater with soft hands, excellent vision, and high hockey IQ.Gusev was originally drafted in the seventh round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012. His rights were traded to Vegas in 2017 for expansion draft considerations. He signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Golden Knights in April but never suited up in a game. General manager George McPhee was forced to trade him due to financial constraints, as the club has just over $1 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly.In addition to landing Gusev, the Devils have traded for P.K. Subban, signed Wayne Simmonds in free agency, and drafted Jack Hughes first overall this offseason.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Billionaire businessman Alex Meruelo has officially become the majority owner of the Arizona Coyotes, the club announced Monday.Meruelo, who is the only Hispanic owner in the NHL, purchased a 95 percent stake in the team, according to The Athletic's Craig Morgan. Andrew Barroway, who sold the team to Meruelo, will retain a five percent stake."This is an incredible moment for me and my entire family," Meruelo said. "The Arizona Coyotes team is poised to do great things on and off the ice. I look forward to helping hockey continue to thrive in the desert, and I am committed to providing our passionate fans, loyal partners, and the entire State of Arizona with a team they can be proud of for years to come."Meruelo, a son of Cuban immigrants, got his start in his father's tuxedo business. He has holdings in casino gaming, real estate, construction and engineering, hospitality, television and radio stations, food services, and private equity. He attempted to buy the NBA's Atlanta Hawks in 2011 and had a net worth of $2 billion as of 2018.Barroway purchased a 51 percent stake of the Coyotes in 2014 and became the sole shareholder in 2017.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $9.5 million, the team announced Monday.The contract will make Vasilevskiy the third-highest-paid goaltender in the league behind Carey Price ($10.5M) and Sergei Bobrovsky ($10M). But while Price and Bobrovsky signed their long-term deals at 29 and 30, respectively, Vasilevskiy is just 25. He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next summer.In 2018-19, Vasilevskiy claimed the first Vezina Trophy of his career as the league's top goaltender. He went 39-10-4 with a 2.40 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage, and six shutouts.While necessary, Vasilevskiy's extension creates further cap problems for the Lightning when his new deal kicks in next summer. The Bolts project to have just over $14 million in cap space for 2020-21, but Brayden Point is still without a deal; Anthony Cirelli, Mathieu Joseph, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Cernak will all see their entry-level contracts expire on July 1, 2020.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Zach Hyman didn't realize he'd torn his ACL until after the Boston Bruins eliminated his Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past spring.The Leafs forward sustained the injury late in Game 4 when he tried to lay a hit on Bruins star Brad Marchand. The team confirmed his injury following the conclusion of the seven-game series, but Hyman said he played through the ailment for the final three-plus contests because it didn't seem as severe as it was ultimately determined to be."I didn't know I tore my ACL, nobody knew," Hyman told Sportsnet 590 The FAN on Friday. " ... I thought I hyperextended it. (In Game 4), I tried without a brace and it was fine, but we ended up putting a brace on for (Games) 5, 6, and 7 and it was just pain tolerance ... and I thought I could manage the pain and I thought I could skate pretty well."The 27-year-old added that he'd planned to undergo an MRI, but didn't want to do so until after the series due to the whirlwind postseason schedule and because he "felt fine" at the time.Given a recovery timetable of at least six months following his April diagnosis, Hyman is projected to return in late October if his rehab progresses as planned. But he wasn't tipping his hand on how it's been going so far."I don't want to give anybody a date and then (have) it not be that date, but I have a date in mind," he said. "It's got to be approved by the medical team first, but it's always good to have a goal to strive for and it motivates you more and whether that's attainable or not we'll see."Hyman established career highs with 21 goals and 41 points while playing 71 regular-season contests this past season. He tallied one playoff goal on a first-period deflection in Game 4.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mark Scheifele insists his Winnipeg Jets don't have chemistry problems."People can claim whatever, but I know we have a tight-knit team," the 26-year-old center told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger on Thursday. "We have great guys in our room. And there's no question in my mind about the character we have in our room, the unity that we have."Reports of discord within the Jets' dressing room have led to speculation about the team's state of affairs, but Scheifele made it clear he's not going to get caught up in what's being said outside that room."That other stuff, that's the stuff as a team you block out," he said. "You know what's going on in your room. Anything extra is a bunch of baloney."No Jets players or coaches have confirmed issues inside the dressing room, but head coach Paul Maurice hinted at it after Winnipeg was ousted from the first round of the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues."We’ve got a few ruffled feathers in there that we're going to have to flatten out before we get going," the bench boss told the Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre at the time.McIntyre also wrote in April that he and colleague Jason Bell had heard from multiple sources that "things are anything but rosy with this group."The Jets fell out of first place in the Central Division down the stretch, winning three of their final nine regular-season contests before losing to the Blues in six games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Andrew Shaw became one of the Chicago Blackhawks' many cap causalities during their dynasty when he was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens three years ago.He's now back in Chicago, but his heart never left the Windy City."Guys always joked in the dressing room about cutting the cord, but it was obviously tough," he told the Chicago Tribune's Jimmy Greenfield. "Five successful years in Chicago. It was a team that took a chance on me in the draft and gave me an opportunity my first year in pro, then winning two Stanley Cups."Becoming friends with all those guys in the locker room, it was really tough to let go. I never really did. I had to move on, but (Chicago) was a part of me. I was never going to forget it and move on completely."Shaw, a restricted free agent at the time, was traded to Montreal in 2016 for a pair of second-round picks - one of which was used to select Alex DeBrincat. Three days later, Shaw signed a six-year deal with the Canadiens carrying a $3.9-million cap hit, a price too steep for the Blackhawks.Now only six players remain in Chicago from Shaw's last season there: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Erik Gustafsson, and Corey Crawford.The 27-year-old says he enjoyed his time playing for the Canadiens' storied franchise, but Shaw was excited upon learning he was being traded back to the Blackhawks on June 30."It's something you wish for," he said. "You don't actually think it's going to come true. It did and I'm excited, I'm happy. (I'm) a lot different from when I left three years ago. I have a wife, a kid and I've matured a little bit. Chicago's still going to get the same hockey player but maybe a little bit of a different person."Shaw has been regarded as one of the NHL's best pests during his seven-year career, but he's also taken strides offensively. Last season with the Canadiens, he tallied a career-high 47 points while only playing 63 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It appears increasingly likely that the 2019-20 season will be a contract year for New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider.Kreider's agent Matt Keator and Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton have yet to discuss what it would take to get the 28-year-old signed to a long-term contract, according to the New York Post's Larry Brooks."Not a number has been exchanged," Brooks added.Kreider is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season, and his name has been floated around in trade speculation because of the Rangers' rebuild and cap crunch. His deal comes with a $4.625 million cap hit for 2019-20 and an 11-team no-trade list.New York is already over $4 million above the salary cap with 23 players signed and two remaining restricted free agents to ink (Brendan Lemieux and Tony DeAngelo), according to CapFriendly.After re-signing RFA Pavel Buchnevich on Friday, the Ranges will now receive a 48-hour buyout window beginning on Monday and concluding at 5 p.m ET Wednesday. The club could start to clear its logjam of blue-liners by buying out Kevin Shattenkirk, Marc Staal, or Brendan Smith. There are two years left on the deals for all three players.If Gorton doesn't use the buyout window to clear cap space, he may be forced to pursue trades. Kreider, a speedy power forward coming off a 28-goal season, is the club's most appealing trade asset who could realistically be moved.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid is arguably the best hockey player in the world, but he's also a pretty decent actor, as displayed in the newest series of CCM commercials.

The Washington Capitals have inked forward Chandler Stephenson to a one-year deal worth $1.05 million, the club announced.As a result, Stephenson and the Capitals avoid arbitration. A hearing was scheduled for Aug. 1.CapFriendly first reported the new pact while adding that Stephenson will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights again next summer. Washington will also get a second buyout window that opens in three days and lasts for 48 hours.Stephenson was the Capitals' final arbitration candidate after Christian Djoos was awarded a one-year, $1.25-million contract Wednesday following his hearing on Monday.Across 64 regular-season games in 2018-19, Stephenson recorded five goals and 11 points. The 25-year-old was held off the scoresheet in six playoff contests this spring.Stephenson has spent parts of the last four campaigns at the NHL level with the Capitals, the team that drafted him 77th overall in 2012.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

David Rittich is eyeing a larger share of the workload in the Calgary Flames' crease.The goaltender, who re-signed with the club on a two-year, $5.5-million deal Saturday, made it clear he's focused on playing a bigger role in 2019-20 than he did last season."I would like to play more than last year, but it's up to how I play," Rittich told Sportsnet's Eric Francis on Saturday. "I'm working really hard so I think I can play more than 60 games."Rittich, who suited up for 45 contests while splitting time with Mike Smith in 2018-19, feels his new contract will give him the chance to earn the No. 1 role outright."I'm happy with two years," he said. "I can prove I can be a starting goaltender."Rittich excelled out of the gate this past season, but his performance waned down the stretch, and he ultimately ceded goaltending duties to Smith entirely during the Flames' short-lived playoff run.Smith left Calgary to sign with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, and the Flames inked former Oilers goalie Cam Talbot to serve as Rittich's new partner in the crease.Rittich finished his first full NHL campaign with a .911 save percentage and a record of 27-9-5.He has a .909 career save percentage in 67 career games across three seasons. Calgary originally signed him out of the Czech Extraliga in June 2016.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After getting a shutout in his NHL debut in 2015, Garret Sparks gave a teary-eyed postgame interview. Fast forward four years, and Sparks remains a goaltender who wears his heart on his sleeve.Sparks was "still a little emotional" after he was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs - the only NHL organization he's ever known - to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers.The 26-year-old is also ready for what he deemed as a better shot at sticking in the NHL."All I've wanted is a fair opportunity, come (training) camp, to try and make the team and I think that I'll get a better opportunity (with Vegas) than I would have in Toronto," Sparks told Myers. "At the end of the day, that's what you're looking for as a player."He'll battle netminders Malcolm Subban and Oscar Dansk for the rights to be Marc-Andre Fleury's backup in Vegas. The Leafs, meanwhile, re-signed goaltender Michael Hutchinson and brought in veteran Michal Neuvirth on a PTO.Sparks was named the AHL's Goalie of the Year in 2017-18 en route to the Toronto Marlies' Calder Cup title. He beat out veteran Curtis McElhinney for the Leafs' backup job last year but struggled mightily, posting a 3.15 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in 17 games. Prior to the postseason, Hutchinson was tabbed as the club's No. 2 goalie over Sparks.Sparks suffered a mid-season concussion after taking a William Nylander shot off the head in practice, which he said impacted his play."I felt I was finally starting to build some momentum and get my chance," Sparks said. "I just felt like I got cut down, and it's hard to regrow after you get your progress chopped off like that."Sparks saw a minimal difference in performance before and after the injury, as his save percentage modestly fell from .905 to .899.The Elmhurst, Ill. native called his first full NHL season "emotionally taxing."The 2011 seventh-round pick was briefly the longest-tenured Leaf after the club traded Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche on July 1.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames have re-signed restricted free-agent goaltender David Rittich to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $2.75 million, the team announced Saturday.The two sides had an arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday.Rittich's 2018-19 campaign - his first full year in the NHL - was a tale of two seasons. Here's a look at his splits before and after the All-Star break:StatPre-ASGPost-ASGRec.19-4-48-5-1GAA2.472.89SV%.918.898SO10In total, the 26-year-old finished the season with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage in 45 games. He didn't appear in the postseason, as veteran Mike Smith received the nod with stronger performances down the stretch.Smith signed with Edmonton on July 1, but former Oilers netminder Cam Talbot was brought in on a one-year deal by the Flames this summer to push Rittich for the No. 1 job.The Flames have $4.67 million in projected cap space with two RFAs - Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane - still unsigned, per CapFriendly.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Ovechkin, John Tavares, and Connor McDavid have opened as the best bets to lead the NHL in goal-scoring in 2019-2020.The snipers are the early favorites to claim the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy next June, according to new odds published by Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.Here's a look at the top 10:PlayerOddsAlex Ovechkin7/1John Tavares10/1Connor McDavid12/1Patrik Laine14/1Alex DeBrincat16/1Auston Matthews16/1Leon Draisaitl18/1Nathan MacKinnon18/1Nikita Kucherov20/1Patrick Kane20/1Ovechkin captured the Richard Trophy for a league-record eighth time and the second straight year last season, leading the league with 51 goals in 81 games. The Washington Capitals superstar will turn 34 in September.Tavares, 28, racked up 47 goals in his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, finishing third in the league behind Ovechkin and Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, who potted 50.McDavid notched 41 tallies to finish in a six-way tie for sixth in the NHL in 2018-19. The Oilers' 22-year-old dynamo finished second to Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Art Ross Trophy race, piling up 116 points to Kucherov's 128.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers and restricted free-agent forward Pavel Buchnevich have agreed to terms on a new contract, the club announced Friday.Buchnevich's new deal is for two years at $3.25 million annually, reports the New York Post's Larry Brooks.The 24-year-old had a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday.Buchnevich collected a career-high 21 goals while posting 38 points in his third season with the Rangers, who drafted him 75th overall in 2013. He joined New York in 2016-17 after playing parts of four campaigns in the KHL.The Rangers are currently over the cap with two more restricted free agents - Brendan Lemieux and Tony DeAngelo - still in need of deals, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

William Nylander earned the approval of a legend when he went back to his old number, but now he's taking some ribbing for his latest attempt to change things up.The Toronto Maple Leafs winger, who received a supportive tweet from Eric Lindros after switching back to No. 88 earlier this month, took some playful heat from teammates and others around the NHL after showing off his new hairstyle.

The Arizona Coyotes traded for Phil Kessel to help boost the club's ailing offense, but the enigmatic forward is hoping to provide more than just his scoring touch."I'm looking forward to it," Kessel said of taking on a leadership role with his new team, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "I haven't really got to have that in my career. I think it's going to be great. I'm going to do whatever I can to help these guys win and help them improve. (If) the young guys have questions or anything they want to talk about, I'm there to talk about it. Try to get our team better and them better."Even though he's just 31 years old, Kessel is already a grizzled NHL veteran who's just four games shy of 1,000 for his career. Despite that experience, he's never had a letter on his jersey for an extended period of time - even when he was a face of the Toronto Maple Leafs for six seasons."I'm not a rah-rah guy, to say the least," Kessel said. "I just want to be a good guy. Guys can relate to me, and I like to have fun. If they want to talk hockey, I like to talk hockey too. But all in all, just enjoy ourselves first and foremost because if you enjoy yourself you can play your best. Be loose and be prepared to play."While Kessel is said to be popular with teammates, he's had run-ins with coaches. Former Leafs bench boss Ron Wilson called Kessel "uncoachable" and a reported rift with Pens coach Mike Sullivan was apparently what triggered the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh.But in Arizona, Kessel will be coached by Rick Tocchet, a former Penguins assistant with whom Kessel had a strong rapport."He's going to accept the role of trying to help young guys, take the young guys out for dinner," Tocchet said. "It's a wider range of leadership for Phil coming here because it's a different dynamic, a different team. But I still want him to be who he is. I don't want him to come in here with a hammer and say, 'I'm going to lead these guys.' I just need him to be a calming influence. Because I think he's got some good hockey knowledge that can help the young guys."General manager John Chayka, who surrendered forward Alex Galchenyuk and defense prospect Pierre-Olivier Joseph to land Kessel back in June, is also excited about the presence of the two-time Stanley Cup winner."Everyone leads in their own way, and Phil can be a leader in the sense of grabbing young players and talking to them about those situations, what he sees, how he creates offense, how he's done it over a number of years, been one of the most successful guys in the league at doing that," Chayka said. "That was a big part of it. We wanted someone that has Phil's mind for the game and can help our young players in that sense."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's incredibly difficult to stay consistent at the NHL level; some players experience regression, unable to carry over their success from one campaign to the next.Regression doesn't necessarily result in a poor season or a downward trend that will last for the rest of a given player's career. It simply means not being able to reach lofty totals achieved the season prior due to multiple factors, including circumstance, age, and unsustainable statistical trends.Here are five players that are likely to take a step back in 2019-20:Joe Pavelski Brandon Magnus / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAPATOI7538266419:03Pavelski's point total has declined for three consecutive campaigns, and the 35-year-old isn't getting any younger.Even though the sharpshooter hit the 30-goal mark for the fourth time in the last six campaigns and led the Sharks in tallies last season, his 2.1 shots on goal per game marked his lowest average since his rookie season. His accompanying shooting percentage of 20 suggests he had some luck.Only 14 players all time have hit the 38-goal mark in their age-35 season or older. The last player to do it was Daniel Alfredsson in 2007-08 - the only skater on that list who's not in the Hockey Hall of Fame.Pavelski will also have to adjust to a new home for the first time in his 13-year career. The Dallas Stars - who he signed a three-year deal with in the offseason - are far less offensive-minded than the Sharks.Robin Lehner Mike Stobe / National Hockey League / GettyGPWGAASV%SO46252.13.9306Lehner backstopped the New York Islanders to one of the most memorable underdog seasons in recent memory in 2018-19. The Swede's incredible play between the pipes helped lift a team that many projected to be lottery-bound to the Metropolitan Division's second seed.However, playing in the Windy City after inking a one-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks offers Lehner an entirely different challenge. The Islanders' structurally-sound, defensive-minded game is the polar opposite of how the run-and-gun Blackhawks operate.The Islanders finished fourth in the league in blocked shots last season and allowed the fewest goals against with 191 - exactly 100 less than the Blackhawks. Chicago also conceded the most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes at 13.66; the Islanders surrendered 10.79. But perhaps the most glaring indication of the Blackhawks' porous defense is the fact that all three of their netminders ranked within the top four league-wide in terms of closest average shot distance.Lehner has proven to be a reliable No. 1 option, but it's hard to imagine him putting together another career season playing behind Chicago's vulnerable defense.Pierre-Luc Dubois Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAPATOI8227346117:43Dubois certainly has the tools to prove us wrong, but he's also benefited by having Russian superstar Artemi Panarin on his wing early on in his career.Here's the Blue Jackets' share of 5-on-5 offense when Dubois is on the ice with Panarin compared to without:CF% WCF% w/oHDSC% WHDSC% w/oxGF% WxGF% w/o55.3941.8355.1941.8657.0642.54In addition to losing Panarin, forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel also won't be back with the club, leaving a large hole offensively. The Blue Jackets brought in skilled forward Gustav Nyquist on a five-year deal and will have 41-goal man Cam Atkinson, but more of the offensive duty will fall on Dubois.He's unquestionably capable of becoming a blue-chip center, but with less talent around to help boost his game, Dubois will have to figure out how to navigate being the guy. He may be due for a temporary step back before he takes another large leap forward.Leon DraisaitlAndy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAPATOI82505510522:35Draisaitl is one of the greatest natural talents in the league, but his career-best campaign with the Edmonton Oilers last season came with some good fortune.The big German doubled his goal total from the 2017-18 season, but also saw his 5-on-5 shooting percentage rise from 9.9, which is around league average, to an unsustainable mark of 20. When you include special teams, Draisaitl's shooting percentage of 21.6 led the league among players with a minimum of 80 shots on goal.In addition, Draisaitl benefitted from playing heavily alongside Connor McDavidlast season. The pair logged a total of 805:37 of 5-on-5 ice time in 2018-19 compared to 498:33 in 2017-18. However, new head coach Dave Tippett has already said he's not stuck on keeping the duo together.Splitting up the two stars - and pairing McDavid alongside proven scorer James Neal - may be more beneficial for the Oilers for the upcoming campaign, but Draisaitl likely won't be able to replicate last season's production while driving his own line on the second unit. Jordan Binnington Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPWGAASV%SO32241.89.9275Binnington should have a strong sophomore season, but it's unrealistic to think the netminder will repeat his incredible rookie totals over an entire NHL campaign. The Ontario native has never played more than 50 games in a single regular season at any level, and will likely be tasked with that kind of workload for the St. Louis Blues during the upcoming campaign.The 25-year-old actually started to regress around the midway point of his 32-game stint last season, including the playoffs.Sample sizeGAASV%SOFirst 16 GP1.58.9374Last 16 GP2.17.9181Playoffs2.46.9141Binnington also faced the second-fewest high-danger shots against per 60 minutes among goalies with at least 15 starts - a testament to the Blues' strong defensive core.That being said, with captain Alex Pietrangelo turning 30 in January, St. Louis will have four regular blue-liners over the age of 30 with a ton of extra hockey under their belt after winning Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Blues will also be tasked with competing in a much-improved Central Division.Advanced stats courtesy of NaturalStatTrick / Hockeyviz Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils introduced star defenseman P.K. Subban at a press conference Thursday, and the 30-year-old couldn't hold back his enthusiasm in joining the club."I don't think I've been this excited for a training camp since my first one," Subban said, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "I definitely have been in the league long enough now to know kind of what type of environment is a winning environment, and you hear it from players and hear it from coaches all the time, but I can definitely tell you this is one of the best environments I've ever been in."Subban was welcomed to the stage with a loud applause from hundreds of season-ticket members, youth hockey players, and more.

The Buffalo Sabres have locked up forward Evan Rodrigues on a one-year contract worth $2 million, the team announced Thursday.The terms of Rodrigues' contract were based on an independent arbitrator's ruling following the forward's salary arbitration hearing Tuesday.Rodrigues, 25, enjoyed his best NHL season in 2018-19, recording career highs with nine goals and 29 points over 74 games. The 5-foot-10 winger has tallied 21 goals and 62 points in 154 contests since signing with Buffalo out of Boston University in 2015.The Sabres now have a projected $3.1 million in available cap space, with restricted free agents Linus Ullmark and Jake McCabe in need of new contracts, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Jordan Schmaltz from the St. Louis Blues on Thursday in exchange for blue-liner Andreas Borgman, the club announced.Schmaltz, 25, recorded two assists in 20 regular-season contests with the Blues last season. He contributed nine points in 36 games at the AHL level with the San Antonio Rampage.The 24-year-old Borgman made 45 appearances with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, tallying four goals and 17 points. The 6-foot rearguard has 48 games of NHL experience, recording three goals and 11 points with the Maple Leafs during the 2017-18 season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nearly every general manager in the NHL has a contract they'd like to get rid of.Not including LTIR-eligible players or players signed this summer, here are the current 10 worst deals in the league based on cap hit, term, and expected value over the duration of the contract:10. Jonathan QuickIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyTeam: Kings

Sergei Bobrovsky is making it clear he never intended to re-up with the Columbus Blue Jackets."There was no chance I'd sign an extension with (them)," the Florida Panthers goaltender told Russian outlet Sport24's Daria Tuboltseva, as translated by Sport-Express' Igor Eronko. "I felt I need (a change of) scenery. And it's not just because of tensions with the Jackets."Bobrovsky signed a seven-year contract with the Panthers on July 1 following a season with Columbus in which he wasn't named the team's starter on opening night and was forced by the club to sit out a game after being pulled in January."I was suspended by the team, there were some conflicts in the team, a lot of meetings and some of them just because of me," Bobrovsky told Tuboltseva on Wednesday, according to Eronko. "I didn't feel myself comfortable. And still, the Jackets tried and tried to extend me all season long."The two-time Vezina Trophy winner added that the team offered him a psychologist, which he described as "weird" because he's been going to one since he was 21.Bobrovsky spent the last seven campaigns with the Blue Jackets after playing his first two NHL seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers.The netminder, who'll turn 31 in September, signed with Florida as an unrestricted free agent for a reported $70 million.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Phil Kessel has always been considered a rather unique individual, and a glimpse into the home he's put up for sale certainly validates that notion.Now that he's a member of the Arizona Coyotes, the veteran forward's suburban Pittsburgh home has officially been listed, and the pictures include this head-scratching photo of his TV room:The obvious question here: Was the home theater merely staged this way for the listing, or are we to believe Kessel actually watches TV and movies like this?If this is indeed how the two-time Stanley Cup winner enjoys himself, it's really kind of admirable.The ad contains 25 photos of Kessel's three-acre property, which features five beds, seven-and-a-half bathrooms, and a large wine cellar.(Images courtesy: Realtor.com)The Pittsburgh Penguins traded Kessel to the Coyotes for Alex Galchenyuk on June 29.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Sam Bennett to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.55 million, the club announced Wednesday.Bennett was a restricted free agent and had a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for July 27. He gets a slight raise on his previous pact, which carried a $1.95-million annual cap hit, according to CapFriendly. Bennett signed that two-year agreement in September 2017."I think that at a young age, everybody wants to be the next superstar," the 23-year-old told Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson on Wednesday. "But sometimes it takes some time and I still think that I have tons to prove."Bennett produced 13 goals and 27 points in 71 regular-season games with the Flames this past season, adding five points in five playoff contests.Selected fourth overall by the Flames in 2014, he has spent his entire five-year career with Calgary. He appeared in a single regular-season game and 11 playoff contests during his rookie campaign in 2014-15.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils' prized blue-line addition skated at the club's facilities for the first time Wednesday.P.K. Subban took the ice in full Devils gear just over a month after the team acquired him in a draft-day trade with the Nashville Predators.

The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Andrew Copp a two-year contract worth $4.56 million, the team announced Wednesday.An arbitrator determined the terms of the contract Tuesday after Copp filed for the third-party hearing earlier this summer.The Jets were looking to sign the restricted free agent for two years at $1.5 million annually, while Copp was seeking a one-year contract worth $2.9 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported last week.Copp will still be an RFA when this contract expires.The 25-year-old has been a solid middle-six player for the Jets over the past few seasons. He registered a career-high 11 goals and added 14 assists in 69 games in 2018-19.Winnipeg still has a pair of RFA contracts to sort out this offseason, as forwards Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor are in need of new deals. The Jets have roughly $17 million in available cap space, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed free-agent forwards Garrett Wilson and Pontus Aberg to one-year deals worth $725,000 and $700,000 respectively, the team announced Wednesday.Additionally, the club inked contracts with forwards Tyler Gaudet, Kalle Kossila, and Nick Shore, along with defenseman Kevin Gravel.Here's a breakdown of each additional deal:PlayerTermAAV (NHL level)TypeGaudet1 year$700K2-wayGravel1 year$700K1-wayKossila2 years$700K2-wayShore1 year$750K1-wayForward Kenny Agostino's two-year, $1.475-million deal was also made official.Wilson contributed eight points in 50 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. The 28-year-old also added one goal in four playoff contests.Aberg, 25, appeared in 37 games with the Anaheim Ducks in 2018-19, tallying 11 goals and 19 points before being traded to the Minnesota Wild, where he recorded six points in 22 contests.The 26-year-old Shore spent last season with the KHL's Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The 6-foot-1 forward has four seasons of NHL experience, recording 53 points over 236 games.Kossila, also 26, is a Finnish forward who the Ducks signed out of St. Cloud State in 2016. He's contributed three points in 19 NHL contests.Gravel, 27, has 106 games of NHL experience and played in 36 contests for the Edmonton Oilers last season, recording three assists, 53 blocked shots, and 31 hits while averaging 14:43 of ice time.Gaudet spent the last two seasons in the AHL between the Tucson Roadrunners and Milwaukee Admirals. The 26-year-old has recorded four points in 19 NHL games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues hired 13-year NHL veteran Marc Savard as an assistant coach, the team announced Wednesday."I was fortunate to play with Marc during my career and I'm very familiar with his passion and acumen for the game," head coach Craig Berube said in a statement. "He was a tremendous player and possesses an elite offensive mind. His addition to our staff will be a great benefit to our players and the organization."Savard, 42, officially retired in 2018 but hadn't suited up in an NHL game since 2011 due to concussion issues.He was drafted in the fourth round by the New York Rangers in 1995 and also played for the Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, and Boston Bruins.One of the game's best playmakers while in his prime, Savard finished his career with 706 points in 807 contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Some years, things just don't go as planned.The NHL season is a grind, and even some of the top talents are bound to endure a mediocre year or two. Several factors can result in a player taking a step back, including injuries, coaching, or just sheer bad luck.Here are five players whose pedestrian 2018-19 seasons should be followed by a strong campaign to end the decade.William NylanderMark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAPATOI547202715:31This time around, Nylander's season will begin in October with the rest of his teammates. The talented winger didn't join the Maple Leafs until December last season following a prolonged contract negotiation, and he didn't score until Jan. 3.Nylander's late start proved costly, but the lack of production that followed wasn't entirely on him. The then-22-year-old wasn't put in the best position to succeed while spending a head-scratching amount of time playing alongside inferior teammates in the Leafs' bottom-six forward group. His average ice time decreased both at five-on-five and on the power play, and his hapless 5.4 shooting percentage is likely to balance out.As the season progressed, Nylander slowly began to return to form. He tallied 20 points over his final 33 games - a 54-point pace during a full regular season that would have nearly mirrored his 61-point output in each of the previous two campaigns.The Leafs would be wise to reunite the dynamic duo of Nylander and Auston Matthews. Since entering the league, Nylander has been an elite puck-possession player, and pairing his skill set with a natural goal-scorer like Matthews has led to favorable results.Jamie BennIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAPATOI7827265318:14The Stars captain's production plummeted by 26 points in 2018-19, and he missed the 30-goal mark for just the second time in the last six seasons. Benn recorded just 321 shot attempts, his lowest total over a full regular season since 2010-11.The 29-year-old's poor season can largely be attributed to low output and opportunities with the man advantage. The Stars received the third-fewest power plays in the league last season, and Benn's 11 power-play points mark his worst total in six campaigns.Despite that regression, the 2014-15 Art Ross Trophy winner has been consistent throughout his 10-year career, and the Stars' improved offense should help him bounce back.Benn and Tyler Seguin have carried much of the load for a Dallas team that's lacked forward depth recently. But signing premier goal-scorer Joe Pavelski and veteran winger Corey Perry this offseason bolstered the offense.The Stars are now better equipped to match up against opposing shutdown lines, and Benn should get more room to operate. The two new additions should also boost the club's ailing power play, as Pavelski's 12 goals in 2018-19 with the man advantage would have led the Stars last season.Patrik LaineDarcy Finley / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAPATOI8230205017:14On the surface, it's tough to criticize a 30-goal season, but Laine's inconsistent play throughout the 2018-19 campaign was remarkable. The Finnish sniper exploded for 18 goals in November, putting him at 21 come Dec. 1. But then he struggled throughout the latter half of the season while scoring just nine goals, with only four coming at even strength over the Winnipeg Jets' final 58 contests.The 6-foot-5 winger isn't the strongest skater, but his ability to find open areas in the offensive zone and beat netminders with his lightning-quick release makes him special. Laine is a finisher, and most players of his ilk need a reliable playmaker alongside them to maximize their potential.Last season, the pairing of Laine and declining center Brian Little was almost an exclusive fixture for Winnipeg. Laine played with Little at five-on-five for 623 minutes - 168 more than in 2017-18. The Jets owned a share of just 41.07 percent of high-danger scoring chances when Laine was on the ice - an ugly mark for a team's best natural scorer. Giving him more opportunities alongside blue-chip center Mark Scheifele, or even the young and promising Jack Roslovic, could help lift Laine's production next season.The 21-year-old began to produce in the playoffs this past spring, scoring three goals in typical fashion and adding one assist over six contests. Following the season, Laine revealed he'd been battling a back injury for most of the campaign, which could have hindered his performance more than his critics realized.James NealGerry Thomas / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAPATOI637121914:57Neal signed a five-year, $28.75-million deal with the Flames ahead of last season. The veteran scorer then slotted in nicely beside Sean Monahan on the Flames' top line, but the emergence of newcomer Elias Lindholm, combined with Neal's rough start, bumped him down the lineup and into unfamiliar territory as a depth forward.For the first time in his 11-year career, Neal failed to reach the 20-goal mark, and he logged under 15 minutes per game. In the playoffs, Neal, who had appeared in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals as a member of the Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights, watched from the press box as a healthy scratch in Game 5 of Round 1 when his team was eliminated.After being traded to the Edmonton Oilers last week for Milan Lucic, Neal gets a chance to prove he can contribute while playing with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, who are both superstar centers.The 31-year-old posted a career-low 5.0 shooting percentage while spending most of last season on a line with depth center Mark Jankowski and seeing limited power play time with the top unit. Slotting him into a power play featuring McDavid, the world's top talent, could be invaluable for both Neal and the Oilers.Rickard RakellIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAPATOI6918254318:29Rakell notched 33 goals in 2016-17 and followed up his breakout season with a career-best 34-goal, 61-point campaign. In 2018-19, however, Rakell battled through injuries, and his goal total was cut nearly in half during a season to forget for the Anaheim Ducks.Following a dismal 2-15-4 stretch, Randy Carlyle was relieved of his head coaching duties, and general manager Bob Murray took over behind the bench. Rakell scored just nine times in his first 54 contests of the season, mostly under Carlyle, but then he matched that total with Murray as the bench boss over his final 15 games. The Ducks hired Dallas Eakins as their new head coach this offseason, offering Rakell a much-needed fresh start.The 6-foot-1 winger also missed his co-stars last season. Corey Perry didn't join the team until February following knee surgery, and captain Ryan Getzlaf missed 15 games with injuries of his own. With Perry out of the picture and a young core getting its chance to emerge in Anaheim, Rakell should be able to bounce back in a larger role.All advanced stats courtesy of NaturalStatTrickCopyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights have traded forward David Clarkson and a 2020 fourth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for goaltender Garret Sparks, the teams announced Tuesday.Clarkson hasn't played since 2015-16 due to a career-ending back injury. He has one year remaining on his contract, which carries a $5.25-million cap hit. He can be placed on long-term injured reserve and therefore won't count against the salary cap.The 35-year-old signed a seven-year, $36.75-million contract with the Leafs as a free agent in the summer of 2013. He turned out to be a massive disappointment, spending only one-and-a-half seasons in blue and white.In order to get Clarkson off the books, the Leafs traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Nathan Horton, who'd already suffered a career-ending back injury of his own and has been on Toronto's LTIR since the deal.Clarkson played in just 26 games with Columbus before his playing career came to an end. The Blue Jackets traded him to Vegas along with a first-round pick and a second-rounder in exchange for expansion draft considerations.The Leafs are currently $734,699 above the $81.5-million cap ceiling, according to CapFriendly, with one unsigned restricted free agent - Mitch Marner. They can build an offseason roster with a projected cap hit as high as $92.05 million, then place Clarkson and Horton's combined cap hit of $10.55 million on LTIR when the season starts in order to become cap compliant, according to CapFriendly.Having both Horton and Clarkson under contract allows the Leafs to get LTIR relief worth the full value of their combined cap hits. Prior to trading for Clarkson, Toronto would not have been at the cap ceiling and therefore wouldn't have been eligible for full LTIR relief without Marner under contract. This trade gives the club more flexibility in case Marner doesn't sign before the season starts.As for Sparks, the Leafs reportedly placed him on the trade block in June. He was the AHL's goalie of the year in 2017-18, leading the Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup title. But the 26-year-old struggled in his first full NHL season, posting a .902 save percentage and a 3.15 goals-against average in 20 games.After trading Clarkson and re-signing veteran blue-liner Deryk Engelland, the Golden Knights now have $1 million in projected cap space with two unsigned RFAs - forward Nikita Gusev and defenseman Jimmy Schuldt.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed goaltender Michal Neuvirth to a professional tryout contract, the team announced Tuesday.Neuvirth battled injuries in 2018-19 and appeared in just seven games for the Philadelphia Flyers, posting a 1-4-1 record with an .859 save percentage. The 31-year-old owns a career .910 save percentage in 257 games.Toronto traded last season's backup, Garret Sparks, to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier Tuesday; Neuvirth will battle veteran Michael Hutchinson - who signed a one-year, $700,000 deal with the Leafs in June - for a job with the big club when training camp opens.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights have signed defenseman Deryk Engelland to a one-year contract with a base salary of $700,000, the team announced Tuesday.The deal includes incentives that could push the contract's average annual value up to $1.5 million.Engelland, 37, played 74 games for the Golden Knights in 2018-19, averaging just under 20 minutes per night. He recorded two goals and 10 assists during the campaign.Vegas selected Engelland from the Calgary Flames in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators and restricted free-agent forward Colton Sissons have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a seven-year, $20-million contract, the team announced on Tuesday.The deal carries an average annual value of about $2.85 million.Sissons, who was scheduled for arbitration on July 26, becomes the 21st player this summer to settle a deal before their meeting date.The 25-year-old tallied a career-high 15 goals and 30 points in 75 games for the Predators last season.Nashville's 50th overall pick at the 2012 NHL Draft, Sissons has recorded 37 goals and 77 points in 265 career contests.Long-term contracts with low average annual values are rare in the NHL, but this isn't the first time Predators general manager David Poile has signed a player to such a deal. In 2016, he inked forward Calle Jarnkrok to a six-year, $12-million pact.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The city of Calgary, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, and Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Limited agreed to fundamental terms and conditions for the development and construction of a new public sports and entertainment event center, the city announced Monday.The event center would serve as a new home for the Flames, who've played at the Scotiabank Saddledome since 1983. The facility would also house the WHL's Calgary Hitmen and the NLL's Calgary Roughnecks. The Saddledome is the third-oldest building in the NHL, behind Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum.The estimated cost of the event center is $550 million, which will be split 50/50 between the city and the team. The city will own 100 percent of the event center. The team will bear 100 percent of the operating, maintenance, and repair costs for the duration of the 35-year agreement.Construction would begin in 2021 and take approximately three years to complete.Here's an artist's conceptual rendering of the project:CalgaryFlames.com"City building is a long and challenging process. CSEC is proud to work with the city, Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, and (the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation) to build a lasting legacy and vibrant new district for the citizens of Calgary and all those who visit our city," said CSEC vice-chairman Ken King. "As an integral part of the Culture and Entertainment District, the new event center will be a point of pride for everyone."The event center would be located adjacent to the downtown core in East Victoria Park.CalgaryFlames.comThe agreement is subject to a vote of Calgary's city council on July 29, a seven-day public comment period, and customary approvals by the CSEC and the Stampede.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Below, we rank each Eastern Conference general manager's best and worst moves. In certain cases, the GM hasn't been with his current team long enough to warrant judgment, so we subbed in his predecessor.The numbers in brackets indicate the year each executive began his tenure. Let's get started.To see the Western Conference version, click here.Don Sweeney, Boston Bruins (2015)Best Move: Signing David Pastrnak - Contract negotiations with the superstar winger threatened to drag into training camp in September 2017, but Sweeney ultimately signed the 2014 first-round selection to a six-year deal at $6.66 million annually - one of the best bargains in the league.Worst Move: Signing David Backes - Sweeney added Backes on a five-year, $30-million deal in the summer of 2016. The 35-year-old has only scored 38 goals in 201 games with Boston and still has two seasons left on a contract that had buyer's remorse written all over it from the get-go.Jason Botterill, Buffalo Sabres (2017)Best Move: Acquiring Jeff Skinner - Botterill bought low on Skinner, sending prospect Cliff Pu and three draft picks to Carolina for the three-time 30-goal man. Skinner lit the lamp 40 times In his first season in Buffalo, earning a hefty contract extension for his efforts.Worst move: Dealing Ryan O'Reilly - Well, you can't win 'em all. Botterill's other big move in the summer of 2018 sent O'Reilly to the St. Louis Blues. The former Sabre set a career high in points in his first year in the Gateway City and went on to win the Selke Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, and the Stanley Cup.Don Waddell, Carolina Hurricanes (2018)Best move: Acquiring Dougie Hamilton - The Hamilton trade was initially met with some consternation among the masses, but the defender fit in immediately during Carolina's best season in a decade. Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm had good years in Calgary, too, but it's hard to call this one a loss for Waddell at this point.Worst move: Return for Jeff Skinner - Given the unexceptional assets they received for Skinner, Carolina's brass must have been uneasy watching their former star put up 40 with Buffalo as the Hurricanes remained a middling offensive team.Jarmo Kekalainen, Columbus Blue Jackets (2013)Best move: Acquiring Artemi Panarin - There were other pieces involved, but Kekalainen essentially nabbed Panarin for Brandon Saad, and though the Breadman has since moved on, it was a coup for the Blue Jackets. Panarin scored 169 points in 160 games in Columbus, while Saad has so far posted 82 over 162 contests in his second stint in Chicago.Jamie Sabau / National Hockey League / GettyWorst move: Signing Nathan Horton - One of Kekalainen's first big moves as the Blue Jackets' boss was signing Horton to a seven-year, $37.1-million contract in 2013. Unfortunately, debilitating back injuries derailed Horton's career and he suited up in just 36 games for the Blue Jackets.Ken Holland, Detroit Red Wings (1997-2019)*Current GM: Steve YzermanBest move: Drafting Pavel Datsyuk - Holland's Red Wings career spanned parts of three decades, so there's plenty to choose from here, but Datsyuk takes the cake. Plucked in the sixth round of the 1998 NHL Draft, the Magic Man played 14 seasons for Detroit, winning two Cups, three Selke trophies, and four Lady Byngs while adding 918 points during a Hall of Fame career.Worst move: Signing Stephen Weiss - The arrival of the salary cap made it more difficult for Holland to swing for the fences as he did when he was building Cup contenders in the '90s, but he still didn't shy away from doling out big-time money in free agency. He proved as much with a five-year, $24.5-million contract for Weiss in 2013. The forward played 78 games for Detroit, and his buyout is on the Wings' books until 2021.Dale Tallon, Florida Panthers (2010)Best move: Drafting, signing Aleksander Barkov - Tallon and the Panthers surprised many by drafting Barkov second overall in 2013, ahead of the likes of Seth Jones and Jonathan Drouin. Five years later, that decision looks like a no-brainer. Barkov has blossomed into one of the game's top two-way centers and registered a career-high 96 points in 2018-19. That the 23-year-old makes $5.9 million a season until 2022 is just icing on the cake.Worst move: Signing Dave Bolland - Tallon rekindled his former Blackhawks flame in 2014, signing Bolland to a five-year deal that paid him almost as much as Barkov makes now. The two-time Cup winner appeared in 78 games over two years for Florida, scoring seven goals.Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens (2012)Best move: Acquiring Phillip Danault - Bergevin robbed the Blackhawks at the 2016 trade deadline, adding a then-22-year-old Danault and a second-round pick for the measly price of Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise. Danault has since become an important contributor in the Habs' top six and put up a career-high 53 points last season.Worst move: Signing Karl Alzner - Bergevin swung and missed on July 1, 2017, handing a mammoth five-year contract to Alzner, who has not panned out at all for the Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge. Alzner's deal doesn't offer significant savings with a buyout and still has three seasons left. The blue-liner himself played nine games for the Habs last season and was eventually sent to the AHL.Ray Shero, New Jersey Devils (2015)Best move: Acquiring Taylor Hall - The easiest layup of this entire exercise. Shero flat-out fleeced Peter Chiarelli and the Oilers in June 2016, sending defenseman Adam Larsson to Alberta in a one-for-one exchange for Hall, the MVP of the 2017-18 season.Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyWorst move: Signing Ben Lovejoy - Shero's done some tidy business throughout his tenure in the Meadowlands, so finding a glaring error was tricky. His three-year contract for Lovejoy didn't yield much success, but the mistake had minimal effect on the success of his club.Lou Lamoriello, New York Islanders (2018)Best move: Signing Robin Lehner - Lamoriello gave Lehner a fresh start on a one-year deal prior to last season, and the netminder went on to be a Vezina Trophy finalist. Unfortunately, the magic only lasted a year as the two sides couldn't agree on a new pact this summer.Worst move: Signing Leo Komarov - Even after the gritty winger experienced a steep decline during his final year in Toronto, Lamoriello brought Komarov with him to Long Island on a four-year contract worth $2.95 million per season. It's simply too large a commitment for a player of Komarov's caliber.Jeff Gorton, New York Rangers (2015)Best move: Acquiring Mika Zibanejad - Any of Gorton's big moves this summer would certainly qualify, but his heist to nab Zibanejad from Ottawa was his finest work. Gorton landed the then-23-year-old pivot and a second-round pick for Derick Brassard and a seventh-rounder. Zibanejad is now the club's No. 1 center, and a cost-efficient one at that.Worst move: Signing Kevin Shattenkirk - Shattenkirk was one of the marquee free agents in 2017 and the Rangers went hard after the hometown kid with a four-year, $26-million contract. It's tough to call this deal a total bust at this point, but it's fair to say Shattenkirk hasn't had the impact expected of him.Pierre Dorion, Ottawa Senators (2016)Best move: Mark Stone's return - Let's be clear: Trading Stone last season was not an ideal situation for Dorion, but he did OK in this portion of the Senators' mass exodus. Erik Brannstrom was likely among the best young players Ottawa could have received for Stone and is a significant addition to the Sens' prospect pool.Worst move: Trade for Matt Duchene - After Ottawa's run to the Eastern Conference Final a year prior, Dorion went all-in to acquire Duchene. Suffice to say, it didn't work out. In a three-team deal with the Predators and Avalanche, the Senators gave up prospect Shane Bowers, a third-round pick, and the first-rounder that ended up becoming the fourth overall selection in this June's draft - all for a player no longer with the team.Chuck Fletcher, Philadelphia Flyers (2018)Best move: Trading Wayne Simmonds - Fletcher's run in Philly has only just begun, but offloading an unproductive and aging Simmonds for assets at last season's deadline was the right move.Worst move: Acquiring Matt Niskanen - Radko Gudas, the player Fletcher gave up for Niskanen, is younger, cheaper, and more effective based on several on-ice metrics. This one was a head-scratcher.Jim Rutherford, Pittsburgh Penguins (2014)Best move: Acquiring Phil Kessel - There was a lot of drama surrounding Kessel in Pittsburgh, but the charismatic winger was instrumental in the club's back-to-back Stanley Cup runs, making the cost more than worth it for Rutherford.Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyWorst move: Acquiring Ryan Reaves - Fresh off a championship, Rutherford shipped a first-round pick and promising young forward Oskar Sundqvist to St. Louis for Reaves and a second-rounder. The enforcer played 58 games in the Steel City before Rutherford flipped him to Vegas in a bizarre display of asset management.Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning (2010-2018)*Current GM: Julien BriseBoisBest move: Drafting, signing Nikita Kucherov - The league's reigning MVP fell right into Yzerman's lap at the 2011 draft, going 58th overall to the Lightning. Eight years later, Kucherov currently leads his draft class in points, and Yzerman managed to sign him to two team-friendly contracts before taking the GM job in Detroit.Worst move: Signing Ryan Callahan - Yzerman helped build a tremendous program in Tampa Bay but he wasn't without mistakes. The six-year, $34.8-million contract given to Callahan - one featuring a full no-move clause for four years - created cap issues for the Bolts, and the player's production never matched his price tag.Kyle Dubas, Toronto Maple Leafs (2018)Best move: Signing John Tavares - The arrival of Tavares and his $77-million contract kicked the Maple Leafs' cap headaches into overdrive, but his 47-goal debut campaign helped ease the pain. Dubas swung for the fences - in his first summer on the job, no less - to secure one of the game's elite pivots, and is one Mitch Marner contract away from solving the financial puzzle.Worst move: The Patrick Marleau trade - It's tough to fault Dubas for this move since he inherited Marleau's cumbersome contract from his predecessor. But sacrificing a first-round pick to unload the 39-year-old winger was a tough pill to swallow in what's been an otherwise impressive first year for Toronto's GM.Brian MacLellan, Washington Capitals (2014)Best move: Acquiring T.J. Oshie - MacLellan shipped Troy Brouwer, Pheonix Copley, and a third-round pick to the Blues in July 2015 for Oshie, who instantly became a fixture in the Caps' top six. Oshie was massive in Washington's 2018 championship run, posting 21 points in 24 playoff games, while Brouwer only played one season with the Blues. MacLellan also got Copley back two years later, and the netminder currently serves as the club's backup.Worst move: Brooks Orpik's first contract - MacLellan signed Orpik to a five-year, $27.5-million contract in 2014 during his first summer as GM. Orpik, 33 at the time of the deal, ate up a lot of minutes and eventually helped win a Cup, but he didn't live up to his lucrative deal; Washington ended up trading him to Colorado so the Avalanche could buy him out. Orpik re-signed with the Caps shortly afterward, this time on a far more reasonable $1-million cap hit.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Below, we rank each Western Conference general manager's best and worst moves. The numbers in brackets indicate the year each executive begun his tenure.Let's get started.To see the Eastern Conference version, click here.Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks (2008)Best move: 2011 draft coup - In a draft-day trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Murray swapped the 22nd overall pick for the 30th and 39th overall selections. The Ducks hit home runs by nabbing Rickard Rakell and John Gibson, while the Leafs took Tyler Biggs, one of two 2011 first-rounders to have never played an NHL game.Worst move: Signing Ryan Kesler - With the Ducks' championship window wide open in 2014, Murray made a big splash by trading for Kesler. One year later, the 30-year-old center was awarded a monster six-year, $41.25-million contract with a full no-move clause, causing Anaheim significant financial headaches. Kesler was productive for the first two seasons of his new deal, but a slew of injuries have limited him to just 104 games the past two years.John Chayka, Arizona Coyotes (2016)Best move: Acquiring Phil Kessel - Kessel's already had a big impact on hockey in Arizona despite being acquired just over three weeks ago. The club's ticket sales have increased by 550 percent since the trade. He's the Coyotes' biggest name in a long time.Worst move: Signing Connor Murphy - Chayka gave Murphy a surprising six-year contract worth $3.85 million per year in 2016 - steep for a player yet to fully prove himself in the NHL. It didn't end up hurting the Coyotes too much, though, as Chayka flipped Murphy to the Blackhawks one year later for Niklas Hjalmarsson.Brad Treliving, Calgary Flames (2014)Best move: Signing Johnny Gaudreau - After Gaudreau missed all of training camp prior to the 2016-17 season, Treliving was finally able to get his guy for $6.75 million in average annual value until 2022. Johnny Hockey's put up 244 points in 234 games since.Gerry Thomas / National Hockey League / GettyWorst move: Signing James Neal - Treliving's biggest failure is the five-year, $28.75-million contract he handed out to Neal last July. The longtime sniper never fit with the Flames and put up a career-worst seven goals in his lone season in Calgary before he was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers last week.Stan Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks (2009)Best move: Bringing Artemi Panarin to the NHL - Bowman and the Blackhawks brought over Panarin in 2015. The undrafted Russian forward went on to form an unstoppable duo with Patrick Kane, win the Calder Trophy, and post back-to-back 70-plus point seasons in the Windy City. Signing him was a big win for Bowman; trading him two years later, however, was not.Worst move: Signing Brent Seabrook - Fresh off playing a significant role in Chicago's 2015 Stanley Cup victory, Seabrook, then 29, inked a max-term extension worth $55 million. However, Seabrook's game began to deteriorate soon afterward. What's worse, Bowman attached a full no-movement clause to the deal, making it one of the most cap-constraining contracts in the league until it expires ... in 2024.Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche (2014)Best move: Trading Matt Duchene - In a blockbuster three-team trade in 2017, Sakic acquired goaltender Andrew Hammond, prospects Shane Bowers, Samuel Girard, and Vladislav Kamenev, and a first-, second-, and third-round pick. All he gave up was Duchene. Enough said.Worst move: Signing Francois Beauchemin - Sakic's been on quite a roll, and finding an outlier on his impressive resume wasn't easy. That said, he did dish out a three-year, $13.5-million contract to a 35-year-old Beauchemin in 2015. The veteran wasn't too much of a detriment to Colorado's development, but the move defied conventional wisdom.Jim Nill, Dallas Stars (2013)Best move: Acquiring Tyler Seguin - After falling two wins short of winning the Stanley Cup in 2013, the Boston Bruins, for whatever reason, didn't think Seguin fit in their plans anymore. Enter Nill, who sent a package built around Loui Eriksson to acquire the dynamic 21-year-old center. Since arriving in Dallas via Nill's thievery, Seguin's notched 464 points in 469 games.Steve Babineau / National Hockey League / GettyWorst move: Signing Martin Hanzal - Nill made a significant attempt to bolster Dallas' center depth in July 2017, inking Hanzal to a three-year deal worth $4.75 million annually. Hanzal has appeared in just 45 games with the Stars due to a back ailment, recording 12 points.Ken Holland, Edmonton Oilers (2019)Best move: Trading Milan Lucic - Holland unloaded Lucic in a stunning deal with Calgary, relieving the Oilers of the bulk of his burdensome contract. He also added significantly greater upside in Neal. The move has almost unanimously won over the Oilers' fan base.Worst move: Signing Mike Smith - Adding the 37-year-old Smith to address the Oilers' goaltending woes is a questionable gamble. Smith is inconsistent and is coming off a year in which he posted a .898 save percentage across 40 regular-season starts.Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings (2017)Best move: Dealing Jake Muzzin - Blake shipped Muzzin to the Maple Leafs in January and hauled in two promising prospects in Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi, as well as a first-round pick.Worst move: Trading Darcy Kuemper - Blake dealt Kuemper to the Coyotes in February 2018 in exchange for Tobias Rieder and Scott Wedgewood. Kuemper had a .932 save percentage at the time with the Kings and has emerged as a reliable option in Arizona, which would be a nice luxury for L.A. with the oft-injured Jonathan Quick occupying the net.Paul Fenton, Minnesota Wild (2018)Best move: Extending Matt Dumba - Fenton's finest work so far is the very affordable contract extension he awarded to Dumba last July. Dumba is a premier young talent who's now locked up at $6 million per season until 2023.Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyWorst move: Trading Nino Niederreiter - Fenton whiffed big time when he dealt an underutilized Niederreiter to Carolina in exchange for Victor Rask in January. Niederreiter took off with the Hurricanes, notching 30 points in 36 games after the trade, while Rask managed a meager three points.David Poile, Nashville Predators (1998)Best move: Acquiring Filip Forsberg - In April 2013, Poile sent veteran Martin Erat and Michael Latta to the Washington Capitals for Forsberg before he ever played an NHL game. Erat scored two goals in 62 games with the Capitals, while Forsberg has blossomed into one of the league's most skilled forwards.Worst move: Not maximizing return for P.K. Subban - Three years after dealing captain Shea Weber for Subban, Poile flipped the 2013 Norris Trophy winner to the New Jersey Devils for two fringe players and two picks. The Preds have the organizational depth to survive without Subban, but the return is a little underwhelming for a player of his stature.Doug Wilson, San Jose Sharks (2003)Best move: Acquiring Joe Thornton - In one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history, Wilson acquired Thornton from the Bruins for Wayne Primeau, Marco Sturm, and Brad Stuart in November 2005. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer proceeded to post a mind-bending 92 points in his first 58 contests with the Sharks en route to winning MVP that season. Overall, Jumbo Joe has registered 1,024 points in 1,034 games for San Jose.Worst move: Signing Raffi Torres - Wilson awarded Torres a three-year, $6-million contract in 2013. It turned out to be a big waste of money. Torres played five games for the Sharks after inking his new pact and was suspended 41 games in October 2015 for a vicious head hit on Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg.Doug Armstrong, St. Louis Blues (2010)Best move: Acquiring Ryan O'Reilly - Last July, Armstrong forked over Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, prospect Tage Thompson, and a first- and second-round pick for O'Reilly alone. Five assets for one player seems like a lot, but O'Reilly promptly went on to win the Selke, Conn Smythe, and Stanley Cup while recording a career-high 77 points in his first year with the Blues.Andre Ringuette / National Hockey League / GettyWorst move: Acquiring Ryan Miller - In 2014, the Blues' goaltending tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott had save percentages of .917 and .922, respectively, but Armstrong went all-in to acquire Miller at the deadline. The GM shipped Halak, along with two other players and two picks - including a first-rounder - for Miller and Steve Ott. Miller posted a .897 save percentage across six playoff starts that season, as the Blues coughed up a 2-0 series lead to Chicago before bowing out in the first round.Jim Benning, Vancouver Canucks (2014)Best move: Drafting Elias Pettersson - Pettersson's stock entering the 2017 draft wasn't exactly sky-high, but Benning and the Canucks made a terrific gamble at No. 5 overall. The young Swede just won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie after posting 66 points in 71 contests for his debut campaign.Worst move: Signing Loui Eriksson - After he put up 30 goals with the Bruins in his contract year, Vancouver inked Eriksson for six years with a cap hit of $6 million in the summer of 2016. Three seasons into the deal, Eriksson's netted 32 goals combined.George McPhee, Vegas Golden Knights (2016)Best move: Expansion draft deals with the Panthers - McPhee orchestrated the entire 2017 expansion draft masterfully, but his work with the Panthers was his best. McPhee chose Jonathan Marchessault off the Panthers' unprotected list and tossed a fourth-rounder their way to also acquire Reilly Smith in the process. The pair then made up two-thirds of the Golden Knights' dominant top line in their historic inaugural season.Worst move: Signing Ryan Reaves - Reaves is an excellent locker-room guy who managed to chip in a respectable 20 points last season. However, $2.775 million per year is too rich for a fourth-liner, especially considering the Golden Knights' roster currently has the highest combined cap hit in the NHL.Kevin Cheveldayoff, Winnipeg Jets (2011)Best move: Drafting, signing Mark Scheifele - The first pick in Jets history was spent on Scheifele, who went seventh overall in 2011. He took a while to find his footing in the NHL but has developed into a superstar. Cheveldayoff deserves plenty of credit for both drafting him and locking him down in 2016 on an eight-year contract worth a modest $6.125 million per year.Worst move: Signing Zach Bogosian - After previously bridging him, the Jets handed Bogosian a seven-year extension worth $36 million in 2013. He struggled to stay healthy and produced mediocre numbers for Winnipeg before the club shipped him to the Sabres two years later.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche are among oddsmakers' projected division winners for the 2019-20 season.Colorado is the favorite to come out on top in the ultracompetitive Central Division following a busy summer. The team acquired Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky in separate trades and signed free agent Joonas Donskoi, among other forwards, to reinforce an already potent offense.Oddsmakers favor the Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights to claim the NHL's other divisional crowns.Below are the odds for all 31 teams.Atlantic DivisionTeamOddsTampa Bay Lighting11-10Toronto Maple Leafs3-1Boston Bruins7-2Florida Panthers7-1Montreal Canadiens40-1Buffalo Sabres60-1Detroit Red Wings200-1Ottawa Senators500-1Metropolitan DivisionTeamOddsWashington Capitals7-2Pittsburgh Penguins4-1New York Islanders9-2Carolina Hurricanes9-2Philadelphia Flyers8-1New York Rangers10-1New Jersey Devils10-1Columbus Blue Jackets25-1Central DivisionTeamOddsColorado Avalanche11-4St. Louis Blues9-2Dallas Stars9-2Winnipeg Jets9-2Nashville Predators9-2Chicago Blackhawks9-1Minnesota Wild50-1Pacific DivisionTeamOddsVegas Golden KnightsEvenCalgary Flames4-1San Jose Sharks9-2Arizona Coyotes10-1Vancouver Canucks12-1Edmonton Oilers20-1Anaheim Ducks80-1Los Angeles Kings100-1(Odds Courtesy: Westgate Superbook)Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Tavares still isn't over how his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs ended.The Leafs held a 3-2 series lead over the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but were unable to close out the series on home ice in Game 6. Then, Toronto was unable to conquer its Game 7 demons in Boston."I'm still bitter," Tavares said Friday, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "We were up 3-2 in that series. We thought we were in the driver's seat and we just didn't find a way to put the nail in the coffin ... to really finish them off. It's something we have to learn from."The Bruins made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Their path through the Eastern Conference was easier than expected after the Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Pittsburgh Penguins all lost in the first round.Tavares enjoyed a career year in 2018-19, tallying 47 goals and 88 points in 82 games. He added two goals and three assists in seven playoff tilts. The Toronto native, who inked a seven-year, $77-million contract with the Leafs last summer, will look to help his boyhood team win its first playoff series since 2004 come next spring.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

At this past weekend's TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference in Toronto, theScore chatted with a group of high-level coaches to gain some insight into their profession as it evolves alongside the sport itself.The participants:

TORONTO - Mike Gillis was recently recommended a book called "Tape to Space: Redefining Modern Hockey Tactics." The former NHL general manager hasn't finished it, but he felt compelled to scribble down a passage from the book’s foreword."The ever-present malaise within this sport, the crushing weight of consensus, the warm safety blanket of inactions that consumes the ruling class in hockey ..." Gillis said Friday, reciting his favorite part to the 200-plus attendees at the TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference held at Ryerson University."That is outstanding," he continued. "Like anything, if you want to be good at something, you need to take risks and you need to think a little differently about every possible opportunity, and you have to push the competitive boundary, no matter what it is."Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesGillis was considered a progressive hockey executive during his time running the Vancouver Canucks from 2008 to 2014. As a trained lawyer, ex-player agent, and lifelong learner, he stood out. Five years later, with his hair grayer, beard longer, and brain fuller, he appears refreshed and enlightened.Which raises the question: Does the 60-year-old have ambitions of returning to the NHL?"I do, but in a fairly specific role," Gillis said. "I’m really interested in analytics, sports science, human performance, and how to blend those things into a high-functioning organization. As a general manager of a team you’re really myopic, really focused on your team performance, individual performance, coaching performance, and I like that part of the job. But right now I'm a little more interested in how you build an organization and how you see results, how you measure results, and being really high functioning."During an on-stage Q&A and a subsequent interview, Gillis shared a wide range of opinions and anecdotes at the conference. Let's run through the best stuff.The re-educationTo say Gillis has expanded his horizons since being fired would be an understatement. His only post-Canucks hockey job listed online is a two-year board of directors role with Geneva of the Swiss league.Instead of focusing on hockey, he's quite literally traveled across the planet.An incomplete list of his adventures: He's visited various laboratories centered around persuasion and virtual reality at Stanford University in California; learned about cognitive awareness at the Nike Sport Research Lab in Oregon; participated in a business school think tank at the University of Michigan; studied how KHL teams develop players; checked out the Campus BioTech in Switzerland; and flown to China, Spain, Australia, among other locales, all in search of information about how to optimally run a modern sports team."The top organizations are really focused on the daily training environment," Gillis said, offering a main takeaway from his world tour. "They are trying to push the envelope in every possible element, from the time a player shows up until the time that player leaves. It's becoming (obvious) that the top teams have a far more holistic viewpoint of how to run these teams."Dave Sandford / Getty ImagesGillis' view of the NHL and its teams' organizational structures has evolved. For instance, he now believes the typical workflow within front offices is inefficient, with the GM stretched far too thin while often overseeing the entire hockey operations department."One of the biggest issues NHL teams have is that a lot of that responsibility resides with one person," he said. "That one person over time gets worn out and makes poor decisions."Ideally, Gillis said, an NHL team would employ four assistant GMs, similar to the setup many elite soccer clubs in England have adopted. That would shift some pressure away from the GM and allow for a group of people - not a single person - to influence the club's direction.Hockey's scouting system is ripe for modernization, according to Gillis. "It needs to be transformed," he said, because "there's too much groupthink. There's not enough evidence. The analytics are poor. There's no real predictiveness in drafting. If you're bad enough to (draft) in the top 10, you're probably getting a good player, but you might not because you picked the wrong one."What's more, the combine interview, a fixture of the annual scouting process, is "absolutely useless" in Gillis' estimation. The conversation between a teenager and representatives from his prospective employer frequently includes more canned than candid answers. Alternatively, the 2011 GM of the Year thinks teams should be spending draft capital on vision analysis and cognitive awareness testing.Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesAs for a pet peeve, Gillis can barely contain his frustration with the NHL's late-morning practice.Games and workouts start at opposite times of the day for no logical reason, he said, suggesting 4 p.m. as an alternative practice time. "When I played in 1978, we practiced at 11 o'clock in the morning. Why?" he said. "There's nothing to support that practice time. No science, no data."When asked to look into his crystal ball, Gillis served up another tradition-bucking idea. Sure, in 2019 the odd coach will throw five forwards over the boards on the power play. But Gillis said that in the not-too-distant future, perhaps we'll see someone toss out an all-forwards formation in even-strength situations."I can envision teams playing with five forwards all the time to increase that speed and opportunity for offense," Gillis said. "Defensively, players now are learning defensive responsibilities at such an early age that I think it's really detrimental to the game. I just see this push toward more offense."Canucks, in hindsightThe Gillis era in Vancouver was highly successful. It featured Alain Vigneault and John Tortorella behind the bench, and with the Sedin twins and Roberto Luongo in their primes, the Canucks amassed a 261-146-51 record while winning two Presidents' Trophies and making a trip to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.Although Gillis said his tenure wasn't perfect, the Canucks were undoubtedly ahead of the curve with their use of sports science and analytics, tracking players' sleeping patterns off the ice and zone starts on the ice to gain competitive edges. Generally, that approach worked, leading to wins for the team, and fat contracts for the players."We decided to create a culture that was borne out of science," Gillis said of Vancouver's solution to the travel challenge facing west-coast franchises. The staff, he recalled, convinced players "that we would prolong their careers and they'd have better careers because we used technology and science. And, to their credit, the top guys were very eager to get to that upper echelon of play and very eager to win."Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesGillis shared an interesting sports science note about Luongo, a surefire Hall of Famer. The recently retired netminder dealt with "a degree of performance anxiety" and, based off his hormone levels, the club would notice him go through "almost a physical change" ahead of certain games."We were always trying to figure out a way to get him over that hurdle," Gillis said. "We went to a lot of different places and talked to a lot of different people ... He's a really sensitive guy with a great sense of humor, and his sense of humor would go away and his sensitivity would increase."Another example of Vancouver going against the grain late last decade was naming Luongo the captain during a period when teams didn't even think about giving the "C" to the goalie. The non-traditional choice was mocked endlessly, and the experiment lasted just two years. Would Gillis do it again?"We got benefit out of it," he said. "I didn't like all the scrutiny and the difficulty it caused, in hindsight. So, not sure. I would think about it a lot harder and a lot longer, knowing what I know now. But we didn't know that, that we'd get a reaction like that. We were just trying to help our team and make it better, and help our goalie."The Coaches Site / TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference"It wasn't a problem between (Luongo) and the organization," Gillis continued. "It was certain guys in the media made a big deal out of it, and they also made a big deal out of (the Canucks) signing Mats Sundin. You can't even calculate the benefit we got out of that guy. He was such a professional. He was Swedish. We had (Alex) Edler, the Sedins, we had other European content, and they all respected this guy, had huge admiration for him. They got to see how he lived his daily life."On several occasions Friday, Gillis mentioned that leaders are made, not born. Even though he might have been talking about Sundin, the Sedins, rugby's All Blacks team, or NFL head coach Pete Carroll, the assessment also applies to Gillis himself.It's clear the journey he's been on since being fired as Canucks GM - ending a decades-long run of playing, representing, or managing in pro hockey - has helped him see the forest before the trees."Leadership comes in the form of how you run your life," Gillis said. "It's a determination to be the best. How you display that on a daily basis. Your preparation. Your willingness to perform. And it also comes in understanding that everything's a process."John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.