The Pittsburgh Penguins and restricted free agent Zach Aston-Reese avoided arbitration by agreeing to a two-year, $2-million contract, the team announced Monday.The 24-year-old forward recorded eight goals and 17 points for the Penguins last season while being limited to 43 games due to a broken hand."Zach is a responsible player who plays a solid two-way game," said Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford. "He has a heavy style of play that is especially effective on the forecheck and penalty kill."After being named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award due to his dominance at the collegiate level with Northeastern University, Aston-Reese signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Pittsburgh ahead of the 2017-18 season.The Penguins are now $157,000 above the cap ceiling of $81.5 million with a full 23-man roster, according to CapFriendly. However, teams can exceed the cap by 10 percent during the offseason. The Vegas Golden Knights and New York Rangers are the only other teams currently above the ceiling.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues and restricted free agent Oskar Sundqvist have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a four-year, $11-million contract, the team announced Sunday.The 25-year-old forward is coming off his best NHL season after recording 14 goals and 17 assists in 74 games in 2018-19. He also chipped in nine points in 25 playoff contests during the Blues' march to the Stanley Cup.St. Louis acquired Sundqvist from the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017 along with a first-round pick in exchange for Ryan Reaves and a second-rounder.With Sundqvist locked up, the Blues now have roughly $4.3 million in available cap space, according to CapFriendly. Forward Ivan Barbashev and defenseman Joel Edmundson, both RFAs, are the club's only roster players currently without contracts.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets have agreed to terms with defenseman Neal Pionk on a two-year contract worth $6 million, the team announced Sunday.The Jets acquired the 23-year-old earlier this offseason in the trade that sent Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers. Winnipeg also received a 2019 first-round pick in the deal, which they used to select defenseman Ville Heinola.Pionk appeared in 73 games for the Rangers in 2018-19, scoring six goals and adding 20 assists while averaging over 21 minutes per contest. He also threw 138 hits and blocked 98 shots.With Pionk signed, the Jets have just over $20 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly. Key restricted free agents Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, and Andrew Copp are all still in need of new deals.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Oddsmakers have released their opening odds for all 31 NHL team's point totals ahead of the 2019-20 season.The Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Presidents' Trophy in a landslide with a dominant 128-point regular season in 2018-19, are the favorites to repeat with an over/under of 108.5 points. The Vegas Golden Knights rank second with a 103.5-point listing.The Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and Colorado Avalanche are the only other teams projected to crack 100 points.Below is the full list of odds. Place your bets accordingly.TeamOver/UnderAnaheim Ducks80.5Arizona Coyotes91.5Boston Bruins100.5Buffalo Sabres83.5Calgary Flames96.5Carolina Hurricanes94.5Chicago Blackhawks90.5Colorado Avalanche100.5Columbus Blue Jackets82.5Dallas Stars96.5Detroit Red Wings76.5Edmonton Oilers85.5Florida Panthers96.5Los Angeles Kings74.5Minnesota Wild84.5Montreal Canadiens89.5Nashville Predators97.5New Jersey Devils88.5New York Islanders94.5New York Rangers88.5Ottawa Senators68.5Philadelphia Flyers90.5Pittsburgh Penguins95.5San Jose Sharks94.5St. Louis Blues96.5Tampa Bay Lightning108.5Toronto Maple Leafs102.5Vancouver Canucks88.5Vegas Golden Knights103.5Washington Capitals97.5Winnipeg Jets96.5(Odds Courtesy: Westgate Superbook)Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran sniper James Neal will suit up for his fourth team in as many years when the 2019-20 season kicks off, and he's ready to put his latest stint behind him.Neal signed a five-year, $28.75 million contract with the Calgary Flames last July. He was expected to add scoring depth to Calgary's forward group but never managed to carve out a role in the offense, putting up seven goals in 63 games. On Friday, the Flames traded him to their provincial neighbors and archrivals in the Edmonton Oilers."Obviously, Calgary was a tough go," Neal told Oilers team reporter Tony Brar. "It was hard last year and we'll have a great year this year. I'm just looking forward to next season."Though he's coming off the worst campaign of his career, the 31-year-old still has enticing shooting talent and put up at least 20 goals in 10 straight NHL seasons prior to last year.The Oilers are gambling that Neal will bounce back in Edmonton and could potentially pair him with the NHL's most dynamic playmaker in Connor McDavid."I play my best hockey around guys that can move the puck," said Neal. "For me, I'm a shooter and I do my best hockey when I'm getting open and finding fresh ice."Drafted 33rd overall by the Dallas Stars in 2005, Neal has also had stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators, and Vegas Golden Knights over his 11-year career.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jarome Iginla may have a future as an NHL team ambassador.The Calgary Flames' all-time leading scorer helped his former club acquire Milan Lucic from the Edmonton Oilers in a trade for James Neal on Friday. Lucic chose to waive the no-movement clause in his contract after chatting with Iginla about his potential new home."I had a really good talk with Jarome," Lucic said, according to NHL.com. "He told me what a great hockey town Calgary is, how much the people are behind the Flames. It's a fan base that loves seeing effort. They obviously want to win, but regardless, they love the heart-and-soul guys, the guys who give their all, who don't compromise, which I like to think speaks to the way I play."Iginla played 1,219 games over 16 seasons with the Flames. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the 2013 trade deadline, and the 6-foot-1 winger then joined the Boston Bruins on a one-year deal ahead of the 2013-14 campaign."Jarome and I got to know each other really well the year we played together in Boston," Lucic said. "We were linemates, we shared a lot of stories, went out to dinner together a lot. … I like to think he knows me pretty well and that's why he took time out of his day to give me a call and help me with my decision. And he did help me make up my mind."Lucic tallied 59 points on a line with Iginla that year - a mark he hasn't achieved since. It's unlikely the 31-year-old will be able to return to that level of production, but after a career-low six goals and 20 points with the Oilers last season, a fresh start may serve him well.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes and restricted free-agent forward Brock McGinn have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a two-year, $4.2-million contract, the team announced Saturday.The deal is worth $1.9 million in Year 1 and $2.3 million in Year 2."We're relieved to have this settled before going to arbitration," general manager Don Waddell said. "Brock was an important part of what we accomplished last season and we're happy to have him as part of our group moving forward."McGinn's arbitration hearing was scheduled for Saturday - the first official day of meetings.The 25-year-old winger contributed 10 goals and 26 points in 82 games last season, adding six points in 15 playoff contests.It's common for the team and player to reach an agreement before arbitration. Last summer, 40 of 44 players ultimately signed with their respective teams before reaching their hearing dates. This summer, McGinn marks the 13th player to sign before their scheduled meeting.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It may have taken longer than expected, but Ken Holland has made his first major splash as general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.Holland stunned the hockey world Friday, trading Milan Lucic and his so-called immovable contract to the archrival Calgary Flames in exchange for James Neal. The Oilers also added a conditional third-rounder in 2020 and are eating 12.5 percent ($750,000 per year) of Lucic's contract.Lucic and Neal are both locked in for the next four seasons. After salary retention, the Flames are getting Lucic for $5.25 million a year, while the Oilers are essentially paying $6.5 million annually for Neal's services. Both players are coming off seasons they'd like to forget:PlayerGPGAPATOILucic796142013:14Neal637121914:57Let's unravel how this trade will affect each club:Oilers land legitimate top-6 forwardNeal's short-lived tenure in Calgary did not go as expected. When he signed his five-year deal with the Flames last summer, he was widely expected to play right wing on the top line with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. That trio never truly materialized as Elias Lindholm, acquired in a draft-day trade shortly before Neal signed, took that spot and ran with it.Of course, Neal didn't particularly challenge Lindholm for top-line duties, amassing just five points through the first 25 games of the 2018-19 campaign. As Neal continued to struggle, Flames head coach Bill Peters moved the hulking forward up and down the lineup, with Neal skating on various iterations of the first, second, and third lines. Nothing worked. Eventually, he became a third-line regular.For Neal, a top-six forward the vast majority of his career, adjusting to life on the third line must have been difficult. He was brought in with both team and player expecting him to play an important role, but from the outside, it appears he was never important. The fact he was a healthy scratch for a must-win Game 5 in the first round of the playoffs - in which the Flames were eliminated from the postseason - made this all too clear.Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThat won't be an issue in Edmonton, as the Oilers severely lack scoring depth on the wing. Neal will almost certainly always line up with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or - most likely - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Any of those three would mark a massive upgrade over Mark Jankowski, Neal's most frequent center last season. A sniper like Neal needs a playmaking pivot; Jankowski, with 26 assists in 152 career games, doesn't quite fit the description.Neal's underlying numbers were down last season, but not significantly worse than in years past. It's easier to point to his 5.0 shooting percentage as the primary factor in his disappointing season. Before 2018-19, his career shooting percentage was 12.1, and he'd never had a season with a mark lower than 10.4 percent.With a full offseason regimen under his belt for the first time since 2016 (remember, he went to back-to-back Stanley Cups with Nashville and Vegas), a motivated Neal, who's still just 31 years old, should easily surpass the 20-goal mark for the 11th time in his career. He's still overpaid, but he'll give the Oilers productivity Lucic simply wasn't going to provide.Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyAt this point in his career, Lucic projects as little more than a tough, fourth-line winger who can bang home the rare goal and post positive possession numbers. Not a useless player by any stretch, but his declining skating ability caps his ceiling.For the Oilers, using $750,000 of cap space and a conditional third-rounder to upgrade a fourth-liner into a much-needed top-six forward is a masterful move by Holland.Are the Flames in a better spot now?It'd be egregious to argue the Flames are the winners of this trade. But general manager Brad Treliving may have asked himself: "If Neal gives us last season's production again, will we be in a better position with Lucic taking his spot, creating $500,000 in extra cap space and potentially adding another draft pick in the process?"The optimistic answer is "maybe," but only time will tell.Lucic can give the Flames what Neal gave them a year ago, but he'll also add toughness, character, and heart. Is that worth abandoning Neal's upside?Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyNeal wasn't a fit in Calgary last season. There wasn't room for him in the club's top six, and he failed to mesh with any of the team's bottom-six forwards. But it's hard to imagine his shooting percentage will remain over 50 percent worse than his career average for a second consecutive campaign.In a new season, Neal could've conceivably scored at a 20-goal pace and become a contributor for the Flames or, at the very least, raised his own trade value.Instead, Treliving sold Neal at the lowest point in his career without giving him a chance at redemption in Year 2 of his contract. In return, he acquired a worse player with a similar cap hit who will eventually be much tougher to buy out due to the bonus-heavy structure of his deal. Not ideal for a team in a legitimate Stanley Cup window.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers have traded forward Milan Lucic and a conditional 2020 third-round pick to the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward James Neal, the teams announced Friday.Edmonton will retain 12.5 percent of Lucic's remaining contract, dropping his cap hit with the Flames from $6 million to $5.25 million. Neal's deal, meanwhile, carries an average annual value of $5.75 million. Both players have four seasons remaining on their contracts.There are multiple conditions attached to the draft pick, according to Sportsnet's Mark Spector:

The New York Rangers agreed to terms with restricted free-agent defenseman Jacob Trouba, the team announced Friday. The deal is reportedly for seven years with an average annual value of $8 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Trouba was traded to the Rangers by the Winnipeg Jets in June in exchange for blue-liner Neal Pionk and a 2019 first-round pick, which the Jets used to select defenseman Ville Heinola.The 6-foot-3 Trouba is coming off a career year. The 25-year-old tallied 50 points in 82 games while averaging nearly 23 minutes per night.New York is now $906,000 above the cap ceiling with 22 players under contract and four RFAs unsigned, according to CapFriendly. Teams can exceed the cap by 10 percent during the offseason, so general manager Jeff Gorton has time to get his team back under the upper limit.After Trouba's entry-level contract with the Jets expired, he held out for more than a month of the 2016-17 season before agreeing to a two-year bridge deal. When that expired, he and the Jets required arbitration to settle on a one-year, $5.5-million pact. The two sides were reportedly $3 million apart beforehand.He didn't want to sign a long-term deal in Winnipeg because his fiancee is about to start her residency in her quest to become a doctor in the United States. "Her career is just as important as my career," he told the Winnipeg Sun's Ken Wiebe after the trade.Trouba's new cap hit ties him with John Carlson as the league's fifth-highest-paid defenseman behind Erik Karlsson ($11.5M), Drew Doughty ($11M), P.K. Subban ($9M), and Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($8.25M).Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ready or not, here's a smoldering, midsummer opinion:Ron Francis may or may not be the right man for the general manager job in Seattle.That's not meant to be a sorry attempt at being facetious or a shortcut to nonpartisanship, but simply is the truth about Francis' new gig as the GM of the still-to-be-named NHL expansion franchise. The historic hiring, made official Thursday during a press conference held near the site of the club's future arena, could very well work out wonderfully, or horribly, or just fine.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesIt would feel insincere to genuinely hand out an endorsement or file a complaint, as Francis' body of work as an NHL GM has been equal parts solid, unspectacular, and restrictive. His time running the Carolina Hurricanes was, on aggregate, one giant shoulder shrug; Francis didn't do a whole lot of trading and signing, but when he did do something, it turned out well more often than not.From March 2014 to April 2018, Francis oversaw four drafts and four seasons, during which the Canes never finished better than 10th in the Eastern Conference standings. Terrible goaltending and a lack of offensive firepower spoiled incredible underlying numbers, and with new ownership came a change in direction and Francis' unceremonious exit.On one hand, he was perhaps too patient and risk-averse, a mentality that ultimately cost him his GM powers a few months after Tom Dundon purchased the team from longtime owner Peter Karmanos. Sometimes, the long game gets tiresome. The team made little progress in the standings over that four-year period and wasn't projected to go deep in the 2019 playoffs. It made some changes in the post-Francis era, received decent goaltending, rode the wave of the Storm Surge, and made it to the Eastern Conference Final.On the other hand, Francis inherited a non-playoff team in desperate need of a rebuild and he didn't rush anything, adding one brick at a time while operating under a tight budget. And, don't forget, that last part - money - is kind of important in pro sports. Circumstances restricted Francis from flexing financial might. All things considered, the roster, though not overly competitive, was in respectable shape when Francis' successor, Don Waddell, received the keys.At the draft table, Francis had his home runs (Sebastian Aho 35th overall in 2015) and his miscalculations (Haydn Fleury seventh overall in 2014 when William Nylander and Nikolaj Ehlers were still available), but nothing so extreme that he's the subject of widespread praise or criticism. The 56-year-old Hall of Fame player nailed some, missed the mark on others, and the jury's still out on the rest. Overall, he's probably worthy of a B grade in regard to drafting.Gregg Forwerck / Getty ImagesScott Darling, who was thought to be the savior in net but didn't pan out, was probably Francis' biggest contractual splash at $16.6 million over four years following a trade with the Blackhawks. Teuvo Teravainen, another former Blackhawk who broke out for 76 points last season, was undoubtedly his finest trade-related score. The most notable name shipped out of town was Eric Staal; it was a deal with the New York Rangers that netted Carolina two second-round picks and some fellow named Aleksi Saarela.In the hockey operations department, Francis is rightly lauded for empowering scientist/master statistician Eric Tulsky, who's risen to a vice president position with the Canes, and for tapping Mike Vellucci, the veteran coach/manager who this spring led the franchise's AHL affiliate to a championship. Bill Peters, now behind the Flames' bench, didn't find success with the Canes but is widely considered to be a quality coach. Francis, the NHL's all-time assist leader among players not named Wayne Gretzky, apparently has an eye for off-ice talent.So, how does this all relate to the Seattle NHL team, which is slated to enter the league in the 2021-22 season? For starters, Francis' process-oriented approach is a nice match for a club looking to hire coaches, scouts, and other staffers, and find players through the expansion draft. He's the first real face of the franchise (sorry, Dave Tippett), a well-connected hockey man, and spokesperson. He has 12 years of hockey ops experience to lean on and will, at the very least, be thorough in all of his decisions.Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty ImagesThings will get interesting, though, when Francis has a roster assembled. He'll have the financial backing this time, as the ownership group, led by billionaire David Bonderman and Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, have so far shown they have deep pockets and a willingness to invest. It'll be easier to recruit free agents to Seattle since it's the shiny new toy and there's no state income tax.Francis' contract is reportedly for five years - two seasons of the leadup to the first game in 2021 and then three real seasons of hockey. You could argue he wasn't given a fighting chance in Carolina. On the surface, it seems like his leash in Seattle will be a long one.It may end up taking nearly a decade between two teams, but we should finally know what Francis, NHL GM, is made of.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The city of Calgary has reached a tentative deal with the Flames for a new arena to replace the Scotiabank Saddledome, reports Meghan Potkins of the Calgary Herald.City council members will discuss the proposed agreement on Monday behind closed doors."Discussions are productive but they're not complete," councilor Jeff Davison said earlier in July, according to Potkins. "We can't give an exact date as to when we'll be back with any information (but) I'm confident if we do bring a plan back, that the public will support it."The projected cost of the new building will be between $550 million and $600 million, and the proposed arena will seat 18,000 along with retail space, a community rink, and 40,000 square feet of underground parking.The Saddledome opened in 1983 and has hosted the Flames since.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Charles Hudon to a one-year, $800,000 contract, the team announced Friday.Hudon was a restricted free agent and had an arbitration hearing set for Aug. 2.The 25-year-old recorded 10 goals and 30 points during his rookie year in 2017-18, but he tallied just five points in 32 games last season.Since being selected with the 122nd overall pick in the 2012 draft, Hudon has totaled 13 goals and 39 points in 110 career games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs restricted free-agent forward Mitch Marner danced around contractual questions as he does around opposing players during media appearances at his own charity event Thursday, but he did make one thing clear.Marner told NHL.com's Dave McCarthy he's unlikely to attend training camp if he doesn't have a new contract by the time it begins."Probably not," Marner said. "There's so much risk with that and it's just something you don't want to risk."Marner said he's letting his agent, Darren Ferris, handle negotiations, adding he hopes a contract will be worked out before training camp kicks off Sept. 13."Hopefully sooner than later (something gets done)," he said. "I want to be there for the start of camp, so hopefully something will get done by then."My agent and (Maple Leafs general manager) Kyle (Dubas) are doing it and they're going to figure something out. I haven't been involved too much, I've been letting my agent deal with all this stuff and let him do the talking for me."The Maple Leafs will have $9.07 million in cap space with 23 players signed once Nathan Horton is placed on LTIR, according to CapFriendly. That number will rise when some players are optioned to the minors.It's crucial the Leafs get a deal done with Marner before the beginning of the regular season. If Marner signs with the campaign underway, the first year of his contract will be prorated, meaning the cap hit for 2019-20 will be higher than in later seasons. This occurred with William Nylander's contract last season, but the Leafs had sufficient cap flexibility at the time.Marner is coming off a career-high 94-point season. The 22-year-old is arguably the face of this year's stacked restricted free-agent class and has been involved in more offer-sheet speculation than most of his RFA peers; the Columbus Blue Jackets are just one team that reportedly reached out to his camp to discuss the possibility of an offer sheet.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joe Thornton hasn't re-signed with the San Jose Sharks yet, but head coach Peter DeBoer has no doubt the 40-year-old center will be back in teal this coming season."I'm just looking forward to working with him again," Deboer told Sportsnet's Luke Fox on Thursday, adding he knew Thornton would be back when he saw him working out a few days after the Sharks were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Thornton has been candid about his plans moving forward. He told reporters at the NHL Awards he'll return for the 2019-20 campaign, and probably more. Jumbo Joe also said he'd only play for San Jose shortly after the St. Louis Blues ended the Sharks' season.The Sharks have $4.68 million in remaining cap space will 21 players signed, according to CapFriendly. General manager Doug Wilson has already managed to lock up Erik Karlsson for eight years and ink RFAs Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier to new deals but lost captain Joe Pavelski in free agency to the Dallas Stars.With Pavelski gone, it could open the door for Thornton to return as the club's captain. He wore the "C" beginning in the 2010-11 season but had it stripped by former head coach Todd McLellan in August 2014.DeBoer raved about Thornton's leadership Thursday, specifically during the Sharks' remarkable comeback victory against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs.Trailing 3-0, San Jose was handed a controversial five-minute power play after Pavelski went down. The Sharks' top power-play unit scored three goals to tie the game but had been on the ice for over three minutes.Thornton, a member of the second unit, told DeBoer to "keep the No. 1 unit out there," according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. DeBoer said he still gets emotional thinking about Thornton's leadership in that moment.The heart and soul of the Sharks, Thorton proved last season he can still get it done on the ice, tallying 51 points in 73 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's Seattle franchise has officially named Ron Francis as its first-ever general manager, the team announced Thursday.The Seattle Times' Geoff Baker reported earlier this week that Francis' contract will likely run for five seasons, including the two years prior to the club taking the ice in 2021-22."After seven months of due diligence, research, conversations, interviews, and evaluation, we are thrilled to announce Ron as our GM," team CEO Tod Leiweke said in the team's announcement."Ron is the perfect fit for the team we are building. Ron will make everyone better," Leiweke added.Francis' most recent front-office gig was with the Carolina Hurricanes. He joined the club prior to the 2006-07 season before being named director of hockey operations in 2011, and then general manager in 2014. Francis was fired in April 2018 after building the majority of the Hurricanes roster that reached the Eastern Conference Final this past spring.The former NHLer had an incredibly illustrious playing career that spanned 23 seasons. He won two Stanley Cups, three Lady Byngs, and one Selke while racking up 1,798 points, good for fifth all time.Seattle was unanimously approved to become the league's 32nd team in December 2018 and is scheduled to orchestrate its expansion draft in June 2021.The club has yet to decide on a name or colors and is currently in the process of a $900-million renovation to KeyArena, which will play host to the NHL franchise.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will head to China in August to serve as an international ambassador for the NHL, the league announced Thursday.The trip to Beijing will include visiting youth clinics, a media tour, and business development meetings."I think it is very important to spend time to help make people all over the world see how great a game hockey is," Ovechkin said. "I can't wait to spend time with all the hockey fans there and I hope to meet young kids who will be future NHL players. I can't wait for this trip."The NHL staged preseason games in China in each of the last two years, but does not have any exhibitions scheduled for 2019.Ovechkin completed his 14th NHL season in 2018-19 and won his eighth Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy after scoring 51 goals in 81 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eric Lindros is all-in on Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander's decision to change his jersey number to 88 next season.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward J.T. Compher to a four-year contract, the team announced Wednesday. The deal carries an average annual value of $3.5 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.Compher was scheduled to have a salary arbitration hearing July 31.The 24-year-old, who was a restricted free agent, produced 16 goals and 32 points in 66 regular-season games with the Avalanche this past season. He added four markers and a pair of assists in 12 playoff contests.Compher has spent all three of his NHL seasons with Colorado. He was a second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2013 and was shipped to the Avalanche when Colorado dealt Ryan O'Reilly to Buffalo in 2015.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan Spooner is headed overseas.The 27-year-old center inked a one-year deal with HC Lugano of the Swiss National League, the club announced on Wednesday.Spooner bounced around the NHL last season, as he began the year with the New York Rangers before he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in November and dealt again to the Vancouver Canucks in February. The Canucks bought him out after just 11 games.Selected by the Boston Bruins with the 45th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft, Spooner recorded 48 goals and 167 points in 325 NHL contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's Seattle expansion franchise will name Ron Francis the team's inaugural general manager, sources told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.It's likely Francis' contract will run for five years, including the two years prior to when the club begins play in 2021-22, Baker added. Francis will get a mid-range annual salary compared to other NHL GMs.Francis is largely responsible for building the Carolina Hurricanes team that made it to the Eastern Conference Final in 2018-19. He joined the club's front office prior to the 2006-07 season before being named director of hockey operations in 2011, and then general manager and executive vice president of hockey operations in 2014. His contract was terminated on April 30, 2018 - shortly after the arrival of new owner Tom Dundon.Francis didn't make many major trades during his time in charge of the Hurricanes, and his two biggest moves led to a home run and a strikeout.In 2016, he took on Bryan Bickell's contract to land Teuvo Teravainen from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a second-rounder and a third-rounder. Teravainen has become a core player for Carolina, and the 24-year-old is coming off a career-high 76-point season.Francis' worst move was also a trade with the Blackhawks. Needing to find a solution in goal, Francis surrendered a third-rounder for Scott Darling, and then he handed the netminder a four-year, $16.6-million contract. Darling struggled mightily with the Hurricanes before being traded to the Florida Panthers this summer and bought out.Francis has often prioritized drafting and developing young players. In 2015, he made one of the best draft picks in Hurricanes history, landing franchise cornerstone Sebastian Aho in the second round (35th overall).During his Hall-of-Fame playing career, Francis won two Stanley Cups, three Lady Byng trophies, one Selke Trophy, and he's fifth on the all-time points list.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks dealt forward Artem Anisimov to the Ottawa Senators for forward Zack Smith, the clubs announced Tuesday.Anisimov, an 11-year NHL veteran, spent his last four with the Blackhawks. He carries a $4.55-million cap hit over each of the next two seasons, according to CapFriendly.The 31-year-old hit the 20-goal mark in three straight campaigns before scoring 15 in 78 games with Chicago in 2018-19.Chicago acquired Anisimov from the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the Brandon Saad trade in 2015. The Russian played three years with the Jackets after being included in the deal that sent Rick Nash to the New York Rangers in 2012.Smith, who's also 31, had spent all 11 of his pro seasons with the Senators, who drafted him 79th overall in 2008. He contributed 28 points in 70 games with Ottawa this past campaign.He also has two years left on his current contract, but at a cap hit of $3.25 million.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals have inked forward Jakub Vrana to a two-year, $6.7-million contract, the club announced Tuesday.Vrana, who was a restricted free agent, collected a career-high 24 goals and 47 points in his third season with the Capitals after working his way into a top-six role. The 23-year-old played all 82 regular-season games for Washington.He was held off the score sheet entirely in seven playoff contests this spring after chipping in eight points across 23 postseason games during the Capitals' Stanley Cup championship run in 2018.Vrana didn't have arbitration rights during this round of negotiations, but he will when the new deal expires, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild have signed restricted free-agent forward Ryan Donato to a two-year contract worth $3.8 million, the team announced Tuesday.Donato was traded from the Boston Bruins last season and posted 16 points in 22 games while averaging 15:33 per contest for the Wild.The 23-year-old winger is best known for his sterling performance at the 2018 Olympics, during which he put up five goals in six games for Team USA.Minnesota made a pair of other signings on Tuesday, as it locked up forward Nico Sturm and defenseman Carson Soucy on one-year contracts.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings have extended their goalie of the future.Cal Petersen and the club agreed to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $858,333, the team announced Tuesday.It's a two-way pact in the first year before becoming a one-way deal in the final two seasons.Petersen impressed in his first NHL action this past campaign, posting a .924 save percentage in 11 games. The 24-year-old spent the last two seasons primarily with the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.He excelled during his three years at Notre Dame before signing with Los Angeles in the summer of 2017.The Buffalo Sabres drafted Petersen in the fifth round of the 2013 draft but were unable to sign him.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A pair of United States senators are urging their peers to sign legislation that would give Willie O'Ree, the NHL's first black player, the Congressional Gold Medal.The medal is the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress."Please join us in honoring Willie O'Ree for his extraordinary contributions to sport, service, and society by cosponsoring the Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act," Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan wrote in "Dear Colleague" letters, according to NHL.com's William Douglas."Mr. O'Ree is best known as the 'Jackie Robinson of ice hockey' after he became the first black player to compete in the National Hockey League as a member of the Boston Bruins. Through his groundbreaking contributions and commitment to professional hockey, Mr. O'Ree has had a profound impact on the sport for the past 60 years."O'Ree, now 83, made his NHL debut with the Bruins in 1958. He played 43 games in the NHL before a lengthy career in the WHL.He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. The league also introduced the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award, recognizing an individual who's worked to make a positive impact on their community through hockey.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers have signed winger Josh Archibald to a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.Terms of the deal are unknown at this point.Archibald, 26, spent last season with the Arizona Coyotes, putting up 12 goals and 10 assists across 68 contests while averaging 13:34 of ice time per game. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the sixth round of the 2011 draft.He'll now serve as another depth forward for the Oilers, who've had a quiet summer under new general manager Ken Holland.Edmonton had slightly less than $4 million in available cap space before inking Archibald, while restricted free agent Jesse Puljujarvi is still unsigned.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL offseason has slowed down considerably since July 1. Outside of Jake Gardiner, the list of remaining unrestricted free agents is uninspiring.However, that doesn't mean there won't be any more exciting movement, as a handful of intriguing players could still be dealt this summer.Here are five players to watch:Rasmus RistolainenIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyTeam: Sabres

The Pittsburgh Penguins inked restricted free-agent forward Teddy Blueger to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $750,000, the club announced Tuesday.Blueger collected six goals and 10 points in 28 games with the Penguins this past season. He also racked up 21 goals and 39 points in 45 contests with Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, in 2018-19.The 24-year-old got his first taste of NHL action in that campaign after spending parts of four seasons with the AHL squad.Pittsburgh drafted the Latvian center 52nd overall in 2012.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Restricted free agent Sonny Milano will be back with the Columbus Blue Jackets next season after accepting his qualifying offer, the club announced Monday.The 23-year-old forward's new deal is worth $874,125 and he'll be a pending RFA again next season, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.He and Colorado Avalanche forward A.J. Greer were both reportedly arrested and charged with assault in connection with a brawl over a New York City club tab last week.Milano has spent all four of his NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets, but played more of his 2018-19 campaign with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, with whom he produced 24 points in 27 games.He managed only one point in eight contests with the NHL team this past season after tallying 14 goals in 55 games with Columbus in 2017-18.The Blue Jackets selected Milano 16th overall in the 2014 draft.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche signed restricted free-agent forward Andre Burakovsky to a one-year contract on Monday, the team announced.It's reportedly worth $3.25 million, a source told The Athletic's Ryan Clark.The Avalanche acquired Burakovsky in a trade with the Capitals on June 28. The 24-year-old recorded 12 goals and 25 points in 76 regular-season games with Washington last season and added two points across seven playoff contests.Washington selected Burakovsky with the 23rd overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. He's recorded 62 goals and 145 points in 328 career games and helped the Capitals capture their first Stanley Cup in 2017-18.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Slava Voynov is heading back to the KHL after inking a one-year contract with Avangard Omsk in Russia, the club announced, according to The Associated Press.The KHL confirmed Voynov's return to the league Monday morning.In April, he was suspended by the NHL for the entire 2019-20 season for "unacceptable off-ice conduct." The ruling was ultimately upheld but reduced by arbitrator Shyam Das to half the campaign because Voynov was credited with already serving 41 games.The 29-year-old blue-liner sat out all of 2018-19 after playing three years with SKA St. Petersburg.He last played in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings. The club will retain his rights, but said following Das' decision that Voynov won't play for the team.The Kings terminated Voynov's contract after he was convicted on a misdemeanor domestic abuse charge and sentenced to 90 days in jail back in 2015.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues have signed netminder Jordan Binnington to a two-year contract worth $8.8 million, the team announced on Saturday.The 26-year-old was a restricted free agent and scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 20. With an average annual value of $4.4 million, his new contract makes him the team's highest-paid netminder.Binnington enjoyed one of the best rookie campaigns from a goalie in NHL history during the 2018-19 season. The Ontario native joined the struggling Blues on Dec. 16 and posted a 24-5-1 regular-season record with a 1.89 goals against average and a .927 save percentage, lifting the club from last place in the NHL to the third seed in the Central Division.In the playoffs, Binnington went 16-10 with a 2.46 goals against average and a .914 save percentage, guiding the Blues to the first championship in franchise history. He also became the first rookie goalie to register 16 wins in a single postseason."I'm happy to get this deal done with the St. Louis Blues," Binnington said. "To the city of St. Louis, thank you for welcoming me in and trusting me to do me. I'm excited and motivated to keep doing my job and keep bringing success to the St. Louis Blues organization."Binnington was nominated for the 2019 Calder Memorial Trophy and named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.The Blues hold $7.12 million in projected cap space, with restricted free-agent forwards Ivan Barbashev and Oskar Sundqvist and defenseman Joel Edmundson in need of new deals, according to CapFriendly.St. Louis selected Binnington with the 88th pick in the 2011 NHL Draft.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers and forward Scott Laughton agreed to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.3 million, the team announced Friday.Laughton was a restricted free agent and had an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 30.The 25-year-old tallied career highs in goals (12) and points (32) while finishing third on the Flyers with 146 hits in 82 contests last season. He also played a major role on the penalty kill, logging the second-most shorthanded ice time per game among forwards.Laughton was selected by Philadelphia with the 20th overall pick in the 2012 draft and has recorded 79 points in 272 career games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues are bringing forward Robby Fabbri back on a one-year contract worth $900,000, the club announced Friday.Fabbri, who was a restricted free agent, has been plagued by injuries over the last two seasons. He returned in 2018-19 after a pair of knee surgeries and separated his shoulder in December.The 23-year-old collected six points in 32 regular-season contests for the Blues this past campaign before scoring one goal in 10 playoff games en route to the Stanley Cup championship.Fabbri racked up 15 points across 20 postseason contests as a rookie in 2016.He's spent all three of his NHL seasons with St. Louis, which drafted him 21st overall in 2014.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are among a list of several teams that have spoken to Mitch Marner's agent Darren Ferris about a possible offer sheet, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.However, the meeting doesn't necessarily mean an offer will come to fruition. Portzline sees no indication that Marner wants to leave Toronto, and the Jackets are convinced the Maple Leafs would match any offer sheet, perhaps by trading fellow young forward William Nylander, he added.Nylander inked a six-year, $45-million contract on Dec. 1, 2018 with the Leafs after a well-documented holdout. He struggled after rejoining the team, tallying 27 points in 54 games.Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said previously it's not a foregone conclusion he'd match any offer sheet for Marner.The Maple Leafs have $3.8 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly, but that'll increase by $5.3 million when Nathan Horton is placed on long-term injured reserve. They could add slightly more cap space by optioning players to the minors, as they currently have 23 on their roster.Regardless, the Maple Leafs would be hard-pressed to match an offer sheet exceeding $10.6 million. The Blue Jackets have the required draft pick capital to submit an offer sheet with a cap hit either below $1,395,053 or above $10,568,589. An offer sheet with a cap hit exceeding the latter would cause the club to forfeit four of its next five first-round picks.The Blue Jackets have a projected $15.8 million in cap space but have some internal housekeeping to take care of; fellow RFA Zach Werenski remains without a contract, while Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Anderson are also due for raises next summer.Marner would undoubtedly reinvigorate a fan base that just watched Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, and Sergei Bobrovsky walk as free agents on July 1. The 22-year-old winger tallied a career-high 94 points for the Leafs in 2018-19.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars are trying to trade defenseman Julius Honka, reports Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News.The club's former top prospect was chosen 14th overall by Dallas in the 2014 draft. As a right-handed, mobile blue-liner with offensive instincts, Honka has many qualities teams covet, but it appears he's fallen out of favor with the Stars.In 87 career NHL games, the 23-year-old has yet to leave his mark, tallying just 13 points. He was scratched for the final 35 games of the 2018-19 regular season and didn't appear in the playoffs. He would have to pass through waivers to be sent to the minors.Honka has been productive in the AHL, tallying 108 points in 201 career games with the Texas Stars.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Most marquee names in 2019 unrestricted free agency are off the board, so the majority of offseason excitement is behind us, aside from potential trades, offer sheets, and big-ticket RFA signings.Without an idea of when said transactions may come, the hockey world doesn't have much to cling to at the moment. With that in mind, we can look ahead to next year, where a deep class of UFAs could make for a very interesting July 1.Naturally, these players are eligible to sign extensions at any time, and some won't make it to the open market. Still, we can dream of a world where such a star-studded group of players find themselves on the move, so let's dive in.(Player's age as of July 1, 2020)ForwardsTaylor Hall, LW, Devils

Jack Hughes is officially a member of the New Jersey Devils.The club signed the first overall pick of this June's draft to a three-year, entry-level contract Friday. The deal carries a maximum average annual value of $925,000 plus performance bonuses.Hughes, 18, led the U.S. National Development Team with 112 points in 50 games this past season. The shifty center set the program record for points with 190 over two campaigns.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes have plucked of one of the last significant unrestricted free agents available.The Canes have agreed to terms with forward Ryan Dzingel on a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.375 million, the team announced Friday.Dzingel is fresh off a career year. The 27-year-old tallied 26 goals and 56 points over 78 games in 2018-19, splitting time between the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets.He was thriving in a top-line role with the Sens, scoring 22 goals in 57 games with Ottawa. His production cratered upon joining the Jackets at the trade deadline, however, as he found twine just four times in 21 tilts while his ice time dipped by over three minutes per game.Dzingel's cap hit compares favorably to other UFA wingers who have inked deals since July 1, coming in below Micheal Ferland ($3.5M), Marcus Johansson ($4.5M), Brett Connolly ($3.5M), Brandon Tanev ($3.5M), Joonas Donskoi ($3.9M), and Wayne Simmonds ($5M). Dzingel had more goals and points than all those players.The Hurricanes still have $10.4 million in projected cap space with 18 players signed, according to CapFriendly, giving the club plenty of room to bring back Justin Williams if the 37-year-old captain decides he wants to play another season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Restricted free-agent forward Brock Boeser isn't worried about securing a new contract with the Vancouver Canucks."I feel confident we're going to get the deal done and everything's going to work out," Boeser said, according to Jessi Pierce of NHL.com. "I love Vancouver. The organization, the city, the fans, everything's great there, and I want to be there for a long time."Boeser finished as runner-up for the 2017-18 Calder Trophy after breaking onto the scene with 29 goals in 62 games during his rookie campaign. The 22-year-old marksman followed that up with 26 goals and a career-high 56 points last season.Vancouver has just over $5 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly, and may need to get creative in order to accommodate Boeser.On the plus side, the Canucks won't have to worry about any outside pressure from opposing teams. The 6-foot-1 winger is not eligible to receive an offer sheet from another club because he played fewer than 10 games in 2016-17."He's a core player and a building block for our group," general manager Jim Benning said. "We have a plan in place and we're going to continue to talk with Brock and his agent and get that figured out."If we can move players, it makes it easier, but if we can't move players we still have a plan in place to be (cap) compliant. One option is to go into (long-term injury reserve) with (Antoine) Roussel because with his injury he is probably not going to be back until November, December."The Canucks selected Boeser 23rd overall at the 2015 draft.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Michael Del Zotto have reportedly agreed to a one-year, $750,000 contract, according to TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie.Del Zotto began the 2018-19 season with the Vancouver Canucks before being traded to the Ducks in January. He was flipped again to the St. Louis Blues at the Feb. 25 trade deadline.The 29-year-old was selected by the New York Rangers with the 20th overall pick at the 2008 NHL Draft. He's recorded 221 points in 608 career games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Longtime Philadelphia Flyers executive Paul Holmgren is stepping down as team president and will transition into a position as a senior adviser, the team announced Thursday.General manager Chuck Fletcher will add president of hockey operations to his title and report directly to chairman and CEO Dave Scott.Holmgren just completed his 40th year with the organization. He played for the Flyers from 1975-84, was an assistant coach from 1985-88, head coach from 1988-92, general manager from 2006-14, and president from 2014-19."It's been an honor to serve this franchise in many different roles throughout my life and I look forward to this next chapter," said Holmgren. "I approached Dave about my idea to step aside to spend more time with my family. I have complete confidence in Chuck in his new role, leading the Flyers to great things."The Flyers missed the playoffs just twice under Holmgren's reign as general manager, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2010.Holmgren was unafraid of big moves - for better or worse. In 2009, he signed Chris Pronger to a massive seven-year extension. On June 23, 2011, he shook the hockey world by trading away core pieces Mike Richards and Jeff Carter and signed Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year contract. He also inked Shea Weber to a 14-year, $110-million offer sheet in 2012, which the Nashville Predators matched.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens and forward Artturi Lehkonen have agreed to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.4 million, the team announced Thursday.Lehkonen was a restricted free agent and had an arbitration hearing scheduled for Aug. 3.The 24-year-old set career highs with 20 assists and 31 points in 82 games with the Canadiens last season. Selected by Montreal with the 55th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Lehkonen has tallied 41 goals and 80 points in 221 career contests.The Habs also inked forward Joel Armia to a two-year deal Thursday and now have $4.84 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nazem Kadri's departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs stands as one of the biggest moves of the 2019 offseason, but his former club had a deal in place with another team before shipping him to the Colorado Avalanche.The Leafs sent Kadri to the Avs on July 1 along with Calle Rosen and a third-round pick in exchange for Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot, and a sixth-rounder. In the aftermath of the trade, it was reported the former Leafs pivot turned down a move that would have sent him to the Calgary Flames.He confirmed as much on the latest edition of Sportsnet's "31 Thoughts: The Podcast.""So what happened is they had a deal in place and they wanted me to move my no-trade clause," the 28-year-old said. "But you know, obviously, for me, it was no disrespect to Calgary or the Flames organization. I love their team and I love the direction they’re headed."I just figured that had I declined, I would have had a better opportunity of being a Maple Leaf next year and that's really what it came down to. I wanted to play for the Leafs next year. I wanted to be a part of that. In declining that trade, I had aspirations of being a Leaf and we know, clearly, that didn't happen."Kadri's contract includes a 10-team no-trade list, along with a $4.5-million cap hit for the next three seasons."They had other plans," he added. "I'm just happy to be moving to a great city with a great team, a great group of guys. I've talked to everybody in the (Colorado) organization and they're ecstatic to have me so it's nice to be wanted."Drafted seventh overall by the Leafs in 2009, Kadri amassed 357 points in 561 games across 10 seasons with the club.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers have signed prized prospect Kaapo Kakko to an entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.His deal is for three years and carries a $925,000 annual cap hit, according to CapFriendly. It also pays him $2.65 million in bonuses each season.New York drafted Kakko with the second overall pick in June's draft. He's expected to make an immediate impact at the NHL level for the rebuilding Rangers.Kakko had a gigantic draft year, setting a Finnish league record for goals by a player aged 18 or younger. He also scored the golden goal to lead Finland to a world junior title and dominated the World Championship in May, posting six goals in 10 games en route to another gold medal.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed restricted free agent Joel Armia to a two-year contract worth $5.2 million, the team announced Thursday.Armia had an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 20 if a deal wasn't struck before then.The 26-year-old winger played his first season with the Canadiens in 2018-19 and set a career high with 13 goals while adding 10 assists in 57 contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars have signed forward Jason Dickinson to a two-year contract with a $1.5 million average annual value, the team announced Thursday.Dickinson, a restricted free agent, had an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 20."Jason is a conscientious player who plays a very detailed, 200-foot game," said general manager Jim Nill. "As last season progressed, he began impacting games night in and night out, and he really established himself during the playoffs. We fully expect him to continue to build upon that and be a big part of our team for years to come."The former 29th overall pick recorded 22 points in 67 games during his first full NHL season in 2018-19. The 24-year-old added five points in 13 playoff games with the Stars.The Stars now have just under $1 million in projected cap space with a roster of 22 players, according to CapFriendly. Defensemen Julius Honka and Niklas Hansson are the club's remaining RFAs.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes fans are thrilled to see Phil.Following the acquisition of Phil Kessel, the club's ticket sales have increased by 550 percent compared to the same week last summer, according to the Arizona Republic's Richard Morin.The Coyotes have also seen an uptick in their website traffic, mobile app visits, and social media engagement since the June 29 trade that brought Kessel to the desert. Additionally, 94 percent of season-ticket holders have renewed for next season - the highest mark since 2004."It's certainly satisfying and exciting to see us doing something as a franchise that we feel makes us a much more competitive team and puts us in a better position to win," Coyotes president and CEO Ahron Cohen said, according to Morin. "The fact that other people in this market are seeing that, fans are seeing that, and they're jumping on board, it's good, positive momentum for this organization."Kessel ranks eighth in the NHL in goals since entering the league in 2006-07 and hasn't missed a game since 2009-10. He's totaled 174 points over the past two seasons, marking the most productive two-year stretch of his career."Obviously, Phil is an elite player," Coyotes general manager John Chayka said earlier in July. "Personally I can't (recall) the last time we've had a player of this caliber who has had this production and this resume on this team. I think it's exciting for our fans and it's exciting for our players."The Coyotes finished just four points out of the playoffs last season despite an injury-riddled campaign. They were one of the league's top defensive teams but finished 27th in scoring - a weakness that Kessel will certainly help address.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joe Pavelski is providing a window into the thought process that led him to bid farewell to the San Jose Sharks after more than a decade."Oh yeah, it was tough," the Dallas Stars forward and former Sharks captain told NBC Sports Bay Area's Josh Schrock on Wednesday. "I don't want to say it was harder than I thought it was going to be because I knew it was going to be hard once we got to that state and started looking at different teams and understanding that it was a real possibility that we should be prepared in case it gets there."Pavelski, who'll turn 35 on Thursday, signed a three-year, $21-million deal with the Stars on July 1 after playing the last 13 campaigns with the Sharks.The veteran center, who wore the 'C' in San Jose for the last four seasons, ranks among the club's all-time leaders in goals, assists, points, and games played."I've only got good things to say about San Jose and the organization there," he said. "The way the guys have treated me and the teammates that I've had that are still there. It was tough to leave. You don't stay somewhere for 13 years and not grow attached to it."I've just got some tremendous friendships there and you know it's not really goodbye; it's more of a thank you to the fans and everyone that was involved and helped turn me into the player and person I am today. Those decisions never come lightly and it wasn't easy."Pavelski was an unrestricted free agent who also reportedly garnered interest from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.