The NHL and NHLPA Competition Committee convened Tuesday and released a series of rule recommendations.The biggest topic of discussion was expanded video review, which both parties agreed needs tinkering.Commissioner Gary Bettman said just as much during his latest public address in May, declaring the league will work to find the right balance when it comes to replays.Here's a look at all of the recommendations, as outlined by the NHLPA.

It's not unusual to see people cry in the presence of the Stanley Cup, but rarely does it happen like this."Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon spooned milk out of Lord Stanley's mug in a Tuesday night segment featuring Sean Evans, host of the web series "Hot Ones," and pop star Selena Gomez.Evans interviewed Fallon and Gomez as they sampled progressively hotter wing sauces.Longtime "keeper of the Cup" Phil Pritchard brought the hallowed trophy out for the interview.The heat will be turned up even further on Wednesday night when the puck drops for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In a perfect world, Arthur Kaliyev's claim to fame would be this: scoring 50 Ontario Hockey League goals in one year before turning 18.This century, just four other under-18 OHL players - John Tavares in 2006-07, Steven Stamkos in 2007-08, Jeff Skinner in 2009-10, and Alex DeBrincat in 2014-15 - buried 50 in a single season. Those snipers are pretty good company.Yet Kaliyev's actual claim to fame is that he's considered one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2019 draft class. His goal-scoring prowess is balanced out by question marks about key areas of his game.Chase Agnello-Dean / Getty ImagesFifty goals will put a draft-eligible player on a pedestal, but they don’t guarantee consensus among talent evaluators. The Hamilton Bulldogs forward is a wild card heading into the first round of the NHL draft in Vancouver on June 21.Will a team view his weaknesses as easily fixable and select him in the top 10? Will he be passed over several times and slip to the end of the first round or early second? Or will he anti-climactically go off the board in the 12-20 range, where most prognosticators have him pegged?Let's break down why he's the subject of so many debates.Offensive dominationAt its core, hockey is a pretty simple sport: Score more goals than the other team and you win. On the surface, then, Kaliyev, a right winger with a nose for the net, appears to be an incredibly valuable asset.Born in Uzbekistan in 2001, Kaliyev was raised on Staten Island. He moved to the Detroit area in his early teens in search of stiffer competition, and the Bulldogs drafted him in the second round of the OHL Priority Selection. He finished second in rookie goal scoring in 2017-18, bagging 31 in a limited role for the eventual league champs.This past season, after being elevated to Hamilton's top line, he collected 51 goals and 51 assists for 102 points in 67 games. Among the 12 OHL players who registered 40 or more goals, Kaliyev was the only one born after 1999."Natural scorer," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "I'm talking natural scorer like Brett Hull and Eric Lindros. He just has a good knack for reading the play so that he's open at all times. His timing is really good, plus he can finish."Marissa Baecker / Getty ImagesKaliyev, who scored more than every draft-eligible player except Cole Caufield (72 goals in 64 games) of the U.S. National Team Development Program, is a shot-generating machine. He averaged almost five shots on goal per game this past season, even hitting double digits on five occasions. The shot itself approaches goalies quickly off the stick, and with dizzying velocity. A lefty with great accuracy, Kaliyev lines up on his off side at five-on-five and on the power play in order to maximize his greatest strength."It's honestly insane," linemate Matthew Strome said. "I've compared him to Alexander Ovechkin - Ovechkin of the OHL when we’re on the power play. You can pass that guy the puck anywhere, it could be behind him or in front of him, and I'd say 75 percent of the time it's going to go into the back of the net."Strome's enthusiastic analysis is not without truth. As the clip below demonstrates, Kaliyev is fully capable of turning an off-target pass into a goal:Your browser does not support the video tag. A rival OHL coach lamented the difficulty of containing Kaliyev. His team's entire penalty-killing strategy against Hamilton revolves around avoiding the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder's side of the ice. "He's nearly unstoppable on the power play," the coach said, noting Kaliyev can beat defenses with a one-timer, snap shot, give-and-go, or back-door tap-in."You can't teach what this young man brings," Bulldogs general manager Steve Staios said. "Really, everything that we thought about Arthur before drafting him has come to fruition - plus, plus. He's been that good for us."Skating mainly with Strome and Jan Jenik (NHL draft selections in 2017 and 2018, respectively), Kaliyev recorded a point on 42 percent of Hamilton's goals as a sophomore. Beyond his shot, the point accumulation is a testament to his hockey IQ and willingness to make the right play. The line is most effective when the opposition devotes too much of its attention to Kaliyev. Sometimes, like below, teams forget Strome and Jenik exist:Your browser does not support the video tag. Brock Otten, who analyzes draft-eligible players for his OHL Prospects blog, noticed Kaliyev diversified his game in Year 2."As an OHL rookie last year he was mostly just a trigger man," Otten said. "This year we really saw the evolution of his complete offensive game. I think his playmaking ability, and the progression in that area of his game, really surprised me. He's such a smart and calculated offensive player."Concerns and rebuttalsThe fact that Kaliyev expanded his offensive repertoire to include a strong playmaking element shows he's willing and able to improve underdeveloped areas of his game. He'll need to do the same with his slow pace of play, poor attention to detail in the defensive end, and lack of physicality.Kaliyev doesn't play an uptempo brand of hockey. Going against the grain in a speed-first sport, he prefers to slow down the game. As Otten describes the style, "It's almost like he's playing chess out there."Some people question whether that's a function of Kaliyev's skating ability, while others theorize about a lack of passion. And the criticism isn't exclusively aimed at Kaliyev's time with the puck; it's his play away from the puck that raises eyebrows. On the forecheck, for instance, he tends to leisurely cruise into the offensive zone."He's probably not the first one in because he's reading the play. He's putting himself in position to get the puck back," Staios said when asked about the forechecking optics. The GM believes Kaliyev's hockey sense is underrated and his compete level is fine. "To me," he continued, "that relates to his ability to read the play and decipher from certain situations where he should be and how he should put himself in a spot to get the puck and create offense."Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesOne assistant general manager for an NHL team isn't quite sure what to make of the perceived shortcomings. Kaliyev was a top-three performer in three skating categories - first in transition agility, second in weave agility with the puck, and third in backward skating - at a January showcase event for players in the Canadian junior leagues, perhaps hinting that the pace-of-play problem is overblown."It's weird because he scored very high on the Top Prospects Game off-ice training, the skating aspect of it," the assistant GM said. "But he plays at a slow pace. Obviously he can move, it's about if he wants to ... Money's a pretty good motivator in that regard."Kaliyev's not a complete liability in the defensive end, Marr says, or useless on the backcheck like some other high-end offensive prospects can be. He brings something to the table away from the puck and has been deployed in penalty-kill situations. But calling Kaliyev an excellent two-way forward would be a stretch. And, for a taller guy, he isn't intimidating or forceful with or without the puck."He's not somebody who is a physical player, not somebody you see fully engaged in the defensive end," Otten said. "I think that's going to be the biggest black mark for him. If he's not producing offensively, the question will be, what is he doing for your hockey team?"Kaliyev's different than some past polarizing NHL draft prospects, such as Ryan Merkley last year, in that nobody is questioning his character. He's coachable and well-liked by teammates. Pat Peake, Kaliyev's minor hockey coach for three years in Michigan, adds that his pupil's work ethic is undeniable. Kaliyev's a rink rat who, in his free time, shoots literally hundreds of pucks nearly every day."If it was his way," Peake said, "he'd be at the rink 24 hours a day. His mindset is, 'I need to be a good NHLer, or I've failed.'"The big pictureDiscussing Kaliyev brings us to Thomas Vanek, of all people.Rather quietly, Vanek's racked up 373 goals and 416 assists for 789 points in 1,029 games split between eight different NHL franchises. When healthy, Vanek - a smart, goal-scoring winger who doesn't play with pace or bang around much - can be counted on for 50-60 points per year. As Otten notes, he's a valuable piece, especially on the power play, but he's not a star.Might Kaliyev be the next Vanek, a comfortable halfway between bust (a fringe NHLer who never really makes an impact) and boom (a high-impact player cut from the same cloth as Phil Kessel)?Marissa Baecker / Getty ImagesKaliyev's chances of trending toward the Kessel side depend on his development, on and off the ice. If his skating, defense, and physicality ramp up, he's on his way. And Kaliyev's just getting started in the gym."Athletically speaking, he's at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of his body, his explosiveness, and his agility," Bulldogs head coach Vince Laise said. NHL teams might look at Kaliyev's birth certificate - he doesn't turn 18 until June 26 - and conclude that he's got some hidden athletic upside. It doesn't hurt that his 15-year-old sister, Elvina, is ranked inside the top 250 in the world in the junior tennis ranks, and both siblings are revered for their dedication to sport.Peake has fielded a number of calls from teams as the draft approaches, delivering some variation of the same message every time: "If he's not scoring, can he contribute? My answer is yes," Peake said. "He knows how to play a 200-foot game. He's a big, strong kid. He scores so much that he's an underrated passer because he sees the ice so well and he's got that - I like to call it the hockey moxie. He's got that swagger. And his hockey IQ is really, really high."That's the thing about players like Kaliyev. They are high risk and high reward. So you'd better think long and hard about the worst- and best-case scenarios.As Staios wondered aloud: "Maybe you get him a little bit later and he becomes your best player, you know?"John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Keith Gretzky will remain with the Edmonton Oilers as the team's assistant general manager, GM Ken Holland announced Tuesday.Gretzky returns to his previous role after being promoted to interim GM following the firing of Peter Chiarelli in January. Gretzky was a candidate for the GM job, which ultimately went to Holland in May.The younger brother of Wayne Gretzky will also serve as GM of the club's AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.He was hired by the Oilers as assistant general manager in the summer of 2016.Prior to joining Edmonton's front office, Gretzky worked in the scouting department of several NHL clubs beginning in 2001.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A Calgary Flames farmhand is reportedly headed overseas with the goal of taking part in the next winter Olympics.Spencer Foo is joining the KHL's Kunlun Red Star, giving him a chance to play for China in the 2022 Games, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Foo spent this past season with the AHL's Stockton Heat after playing 62 games with the team, and four with the Flames in 2017-18.The 25-year-old forward posted 17 goals and 38 points over 67 contests with Stockton in 2018-19.Calgary signed Foo out of Union College as an undrafted free agent in June 2017. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, an annual honor given to the NCAA's top men's hockey player, following a stellar 2016-17 campaign.The NHL didn't participate in the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, and it's unclear whether the league's players will be allowed to return to the grandest international stage for the Beijing games in 2022.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Entering the offseason, a Phil Kessel trade appeared to be a foregone conclusion. But now, it appears the 31-year-old forward will be staying with the Pittsburgh Penguins."I think that's the way things are headed at this point in time," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford told The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "I expect Kessel will probably play for Pittsburgh next season."Kessel's contract includes a list of eight teams of his choosing he can be traded to. He reportedly flexed those muscles last month when he nixed a move to the Minnesota Wild due to concerns over the team's competitiveness."You have to understand that he has a no-trade clause and a lot of leverage," Rutherford said of Kessel. "In situations like this, it usually doesn't work out so well for the team. That’s just the way it is."Kessel's name first popped up in rumors last summer due to a reported rift between him and head coach Mike Sullivan. The Penguins then tested the market again in December.Despite Kessel's productivity over the past two seasons and his integral role in Pittsburgh's back-to-back Stanley Cups, moving out his $6.8-million cap hit (through the 2021-22 season) would create much-needed financial flexibility. The Pens are set to have just $3.2 million in cap space this summer, while defenseman Marcus Pettersson will headline a short list of RFAs due for raises."Well, we're going to have to move some people to clear up cap space," Rutherford said. "A couple of players, probably."With Kessel likely staying put, the GM hinted that someone from Pittsburgh's stable of defensemen could be on their way out."I think it’s fair to assume that there will be different people there," Rutherford said, referring to the blue line. "It’s something we have to consider. We just have some extra bodies there right now. So it's fair to suspect that there will be changes on the blue line."Overall, while the Penguins may not make the kind of splash that was expected this offseason, Rutherford was adamant that there will be roster turnover."Changes are coming," he said. "Changes are in order, for sure. At this point in time, I don’t know exactly what they are going to be. It’s hard to say right now, but changes are coming. I’ll say this, though. I don’t think we’re going to make any changes that I would refer to as massive. I'd say I'm looking to retool more than anything."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Throughout June, theScore will be projecting contracts for the star-studded restricted free-agent class. In this edition, we project Mikko Rantanen's new deal.The playerThearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sport / GettyRantanen has developed into one of the game's premier wingers after being selected 10th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the stacked 2015 NHL Draft.Season (Age)GPGAPATOI2015-16 (19)90008:572016-17 (20)7520183818:032017-18 (21)8129558418:582018-19 (22)7431568720:51Rantanen is a big-bodied playmaking winger and efficient goal-scorer. He's yet to surpass the 200-shot mark in a season but has a career shooting percentage of 15.6, signaling some untapped scoring potential.The Finn has developed great chemistry with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog to form one of the NHL's most lethal lines. However, he's not simply a beneficiary of his surroundings. In the 122 five-on-five minutes Rantanen took the ice without MacKinnon and Landeskog, the Avs scored 83.3 percent of the goals and generated 55.7 percent of the high-danger scoring chances against their opponents.The teamDave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyThe Avalanche might have the best long-term outlook of any organization in the league. They have premier players on team-friendly deals, young talent coming through the system, no terrible contracts, and ample draft-pick capital.General manager Joe Sakic has a projected $37 million in cap space to work with. Fellow RFA forwards Alexander Kerfoot and J.T. Compher also need new contracts, but Rantanen should clearly be the top priority.Given the financial flexibility and Rantanen's status as a core player, an eight-year contract would make sense for both sides. A max-term deal would require a greater cap hit, but the Avs have more than enough available space to make it work.The comparablesKevin Sousa / National Hockey League / GettyHere's a select list of wingers who signed contracts out of restricted free agency in the last few years:PlayerCap hitCH%LengthYear signedWilliam Nylander (TOR)$6.9M*8.676 years2018Nikita Kucherov (TB)$9.5M11.958 years2018Leon Draisaitl (EDM)$8.5M11.38 years2017David Pastrnak (BOS)$6.6M8.896 years2017Johnny Gaudreau (CGY)$6.75M9.256 years2016Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)$7.5M10.278 years2015CH% = Cap hit percentage, based on cap ceiling when the contract was signed* - Nylander's cap hit in 2018-19 was prorated to $10.2 million because of time missed in negotiationsDraisaitl is listed among the comparable players despite splitting his time between center and wing throughout his career. He tallied 77 points in his contract year, but his deal now looks like a bargain after a 105-point campaign in 2018-19.The Tampa Bay Lightning got a bargain with Kucherov, the likely Hart Trophy winner. Florida has no state income tax, so Bolts players receive a higher percentage of their salary than someone who plays, for example, in Colorado, which has a 4.63 percent income tax rate. This allows teams like the Lightning to sign their players to a lower cap hit, so it wouldn't be shocking if Rantanen's deal exceeds Kucherov's.The projectionMichael Martin / National Hockey League / GettyRantanen's contract could largely depend on when he signs. If fellow RFA wingers Mitch Marner or Matthew Tkachuk sign first, it'll offer the best comparable for Rantanen's camp to look at in negotiations.At the very minimum, Rantanen's cap hit will start with a nine if he signs an eight-year deal. It's also quite possible that annual figure enters double digits.Verdict: 8 years, $80 million ($10 million AAV, 12.05 CH%)(Advanced stats courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)Others in this series:

With the St. Louis Blues just one win away from the first Stanley Cup championship in their 52-year history, the city's only daily newspaper got a little ahead of itself.The St. Louis Post-Dispatch inadvertently published several pages to one of their digital platforms that congratulated the Blues and their fans.

With Zdeno Chara's ability to speak hampered by an ailing jaw, it was Patrice Bergeron who delivered a pregame speech that resonated with multiple Boston Bruins teammates."It made us all want to run through a wall," forward Jake DeBrusk said, according to Conor Ryan of the Boston Journal."It was exactly what we needed," defenseman Charlie McAvoy said of Bergeron's message, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli, adding that his first playoff run has been an emotional roller coaster.McAvoy said Bergeron spoke to the team about everyone dreaming as kids about winning a Stanley Cup and not letting it end yet, according to the Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan.The message clearly hit home with the young blue-liner."I've been dreaming of this my whole life," McAvoy said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.DeBrusk, 22, and McAvoy, 21, are enduring the one-of-a-kind Stanley Cup grind for the first time in their careers, but are fortunate enough to have a handful of veteran teammates at their disposal who've been through the wringer before. Bergeron, Chara, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, and Tuukka Rask are the remaining members from Boston's last Stanley Cup in 2011.Both McAvoy and DeBrusk played integral roles in Boston's 5-1 win. McAvoy, who led all Bruins skaters in ice time, made what at the time looked like a potential game-saving play when he batted a puck that got behind Rask out of midair and harm's way. DeBrusk, meanwhile, picked up the lone assist on Brandon Carlo's game-winning goal.Game 7 goes Wednesday night at TD Garden.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan O'Reilly has been outstanding for the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup FInal, but the 28-year-old knows his early penalty in Game 6 put his team in a difficult position to win the contest."Was a tough penalty by me, I can't be taking one like that to give them a five-on-three," O'Reilly said after the game, per KSDK News. "Obviously they got that goal and took that momentum from us."With the Blues already shorthanded in the first period, O'Reilly was whistled for a delay of game penalty after accidentally flipping the puck over the glass. Bruins forward Brad Marchand capitalized on the two-man advantage, ripping a one-timer past Jordan Binnington to give Boston a lead they never relinquished."They got a lucky bounce on that second goal and it took the wind out of our sails," O'Reilly said.The Blues had four power-play opportunities of their own but failed to execute despite mustering 12 shots on Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask. St. Louis has now gone 1-for-18 with the man advantage in the series."Some good looks, just not the results," O'Reilly said. "Maybe if we do get one it steamrolls into two or three and it's unfortunate, but we've got to build and it's going to take a lot of hard work to bury and we're not afraid of it."O'Reilly scored the Blues' lone tally in the loss and has a team-leading four goals and seven points in the Stanley Cup Final.For the first time since 2011, the Stanley Cup will be decided in a winner-take-all contest as the two teams head back to Boston for Game 7 on Wednesday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins were well-aware of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch accidentally anointing the Blues as Stanley Cup champions, and defenseman Brandon Carlo says his club used it as motivation."We saw it," he told WBZ after Boston forced Game 7 with a 5-1 win in Game 6 of the Cup Final. “(It) put a fire in us for sure. We don't like that kind of stuff. We don't want that to happen in Boston by any means. We're focused on the next shift and going from there, not focused on winning or losing. Just focused on the next shift and working our asses off."On Sunday, mere hours before Game 6 and with St. Louis holding a 3-2 series lead, the Post-Dispatch prematurely published ads in its subscriber-only online edition congratulating the Blues on a Stanley Cup championship.Fellow Boston blue-liner Torey Krug said Monday that the error was hard to miss "because it was everywhere," according to The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa, who reported that printouts of the ads were made available for the players to read.The newspaper apologized shortly after the mistake began circulating.Boston has seen this before. The City of Vancouver reportedly planned a Stanley Cup victory parade before the Bruins defeated the Canucks in Game 7 back in 2011.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning might trade forward Loui Eriksson after the 33-year-old said he and Canucks coach Travis Green "don't really get on 100 percent.""I am going to talk to Loui this week and get his thoughts on everything and why he made the comment he did, but (a trade) could be something that's real," Benning said, according to Kevin Woodley of NHL.com.Eriksson, who has three years left on a six-year, $36-million contract, made the comments to Swedish website HockeySverige.se while playing for Sweden at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.A trade for Edmonton Oilers forward Milan Lucic could be a good fit for both teams, TSN's Darren Dreger speculated on "Insider Trading.""There could be a fit and if you look at it from Edmonton's perspective, the interest might come from their newly hired coach Dave Tippett, who had Loui Eriksson in Dallas for three years, so there is a familiarity there," Dreger said. "The Vancouver Canucks do see ​value in Milan Lucic, in that they have a younger team, they have some smallish players... Milan Lucic could add a little bit of bite."Both Eriksson and Lucic come with a $6-million cap hit.Eriksson notched 11 goals and 29 points in 81 games this season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher has made teams aware that he is willing to trade his club's first-round draft pick."It's early. I've mentioned to teams that we're in play but there hasn't been a big push for the pick yet," Fletcher said at a press conference Monday. "If we keep it and stay at 11, we're going to get a good player ... It's certainly a good chip that if moved, it could help."Fletcher, who replaced Ron Hextall as the Flyers GM on Dec. 3, has said he will be "very aggressive" this offseason in an attempt to improve the team.However, management is still confident Philadelphia will get a quality player if it keeps its first-rounder."At number 11, somebody will fall to us. After the top two ... I think from three to 15 there will be a lot of the same names but teams will have them ordered differently and I think that bodes well for us," assistant GM Brent Flahr said Monday."The way we look at it, we will take the best player at 11. I think as we go in the draft, we have some young defensemen that are in the NHL right now, and a couple coming, but we probably like to add defensemen depth to our organization going forward, whether it's at 11 or the second or third round, we will see."The Flyers have nine picks in total in June's draft.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Billionaire businessman Alex Meruelo is in advanced talks to purchase a majority share of the Arizona Coyotes, sources told The Athletic's Craig Morgan.The NHL Board of Governors is expected to vote on the matter at an upcoming meeting in Las Vegas on June 19. The sale would give Meruelo a substantial majority stake in the Coyotes, with current owner Andrew Barroway retaining a small minority share, Morgan adds.Meruelo has construction, real estate, and other holdings across the U.S. He put in a bid to buy the NBA's Atlanta Hawks in 2011.Barroway became the Coyotes' owner in 2015, buying control of the club for $305 million.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bob Nicholson is the new chairman of the Edmonton Oilers, the club announced Monday.Ken Holland, Oilers general manager and president of hockey operations, will report to Nicholson and will continue to have full autonomy over all aspects of the team's hockey operations.The Oilers also hired Tom Anselmi, the former president and CEO of the Ottawa Senators and former chief operating officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, to oversee the business side.Anselmi will occupy the role of COO and president of business operations with Edmonton.Nicholson has been Oilers CEO since April 2015 and has served as a vice chair since the team first hired him in June 2014.Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Lowe also hold vice chair positions with the organization.Nicholson oversaw Edmonton's hockey operations department from the time that former general manager Peter Chiarelli was fired in late January until Holland was hired in early May.At his introductory news conference, Holland revealed Ken Hitchcock wouldn't be back as Oilers head coach. Dave Tippett was hired to succeed him three weeks later.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cam York's childhood had nearly every element of a quintessential hockey upbringing. On skates by age 4, he dove headlong into the game when his dad built him a backyard rink. Friends gravitated to the York family home; they played for hours at a time and created memories that persist to this day.In retrospect, all that was missing was the ice.Roller hockey was the pastime that put York, 18, on track to become one of the best defensemen available in this year's NHL draft. It also furnished him with an origin story to which few prospects of his caliber, in the class of 2019 or any other, can relate.Born and raised in Anaheim, Calif., York grew up close to the arena where his hometown Ducks won the Stanley Cup when he was 6 years old - and extremely far from any state where roots of the sport run deep. Ice time and scouts are plentiful in Minnesota and Michigan, but not so much when you progress through the youth ranks just south of sweltering Los Angeles.There's a reason only 18 California-born players have ever appeared in more than a season's worth of NHL games. Yet when a team beckons York to the stage in Vancouver next Friday, it will expect, down the line, to count him as a fixture on its blue line for considerably longer."That's just how it's gone my whole life," York said. "I feel like I've been the underdog wherever I've gone, and I've just kind of risen to the occasion and come out on top."Chase Agnello-Dean / Getty ImagesYork entered the draft by way of the U.S. National Team Development Program's (USNTDP) Under-18 team, which boasted a historically prolific collection of offensive talent this past season. Leading scorer Jack Hughes is favored to go first overall, and four other American forwards - Matthew Boldy, Cole Caufield, Alex Turcotte, and Trevor Zegras - could be chosen in the top 10.Cast in a supporting role to those stars, York sparkled as the club's No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback, tallying 65 points (including 14 goals) in 63 games against USHL, college, and international opponents. In April, he recorded four goals and 11 points in seven games at the Under-18 World Championship, ranking fourth in the tournament behind Hughes, Caufield, and Boldy.Bowen Byram, who plays for the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants, is the consensus top defenseman in the 2019 draft. York is one of several blue-liners - including Philip Broberg, Moritz Seider, and Victor Soderstrom - who could be second off the board at the position. Either way, he seems sure to be selected in the first round, perhaps even within the first 15 picks.At 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, York is an adept puck-mover and a responsible, if relatively small, defender whose game has no apparent holes. USNTDP coach John Wroblewski labels him a refreshingly predictable, unfailingly consistent player who always keeps the play in front of him, and who desires to perform to his potential every single night."If you were to go on a 10-point scale, everything's at an 8.5 at the very worst. Everything is just rock-solid with this guy," Wroblewski said."He's not that end-to-end, rush-type defenseman. He's simple. He's efficient. But he's got some (dynamism) within those facets that allows him to scale up and to put up the numbers that he did."Rena Laverty / USA HockeyYork's trajectory took a seminal turn at age 8, when his competitive roller league shifted its operations a few hours away. Rather than pursuing football like his father, Jeff - a former college receiver who tried out for the NFL's Los Angeles Raiders in the 1980s - he transitioned to the ice and soon benefited from a rare advantage of playing the sport in Southern California.As a squirt and peewee player, York competed for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks minor program under the tutelage of two retired NHLers, longtime Kings forward Craig Johnson and Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer, each of whom had a son on the team.A few years earlier, in 2007, York had been in attendance at Anaheim's Honda Center when Niedermayer, the victorious captain, hoisted the first Stanley Cup in Ducks history. As a fan, he recalls appreciating Niedermayer's leadership chops and smooth, effortless skating.Soon, York got to know him as a quiet, down-to-earth positional coach who drove a Honda Civic and taught an important lesson: Stay true to yourself on the ice."Not being someone else that you're not. Not trying to play like someone else that you're not," York said of Niedermayer's teachings. "Just go out there and have fun."Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesBy embracing his strengths, York has reminded some observers of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly, who finished third in the NHL at his position in scoring this past season. Wroblewski and Dan Marr, the director of NHL Central Scouting, both drew that comparison in separate interviews, commending York for his intelligence, two-way aptitude, and a propensity to stay composed under pressure."He can skate his way out of trouble. He doesn't skate his way into trouble, because he sees the ice so well and he moves the puck," Marr said. "You don't have to be the biggest, strongest, hardest-hitting defenseman to (have an) impact. When the puck's on his stick, good things are going to happen."Amid a loaded lineup that habitually blew out opponents - the USNTDP Under-18 team scored seven or more goals in 22 games this past season and won by at least five on 21 occasions - York was also a steadying influence on the rare nights when the Americans didn't control the run of play, Marr added.Independent scout Mark Edwards, meanwhile, noted that even in lopsided wins, York impressed by refraining from high-risk plays that wouldn't fly in the NHL."York, I thought, still played a really pro, smart game despite the score - if they were in a real tight one or in a dominating game," Edwards said. His scouting service, Hockey Prospect, recently slotted York at No. 12 in its final pre-draft rankings, third among defensemen behind Byram and Seider."He had a lot of opportunity (to contribute on offense). He's going to get a lot of points based on that," Edwards continued. "But I think it translates (to the NHL)."Rena Laverty / USA HockeyYork, who hopes to add some bulk and strength before he turns pro, has committed to play for the University of Michigan next season, following in the footsteps of Hughes' older brother, Quinn, who completed his sophomore season with the Wolverines in March and subsequently signed with the Vancouver Canucks.Leaving home to play in a traditional hockey market isn't unfamiliar territory for York, who attended Minnesota's prestigious Shattuck-St. Mary's boarding school for two years before he joined the USNTDP in 2017. Still, he'll always be tied to California, a state whose very best players - Auston Matthews, Jason Zucker, and Matt Nieto among them - have tended to learn the game elsewhere after moving away at a young age.Could York's development herald a sea change? As Seattle hockey blogger John Barr noted last week, USA Hockey's 2018-19 membership statistics show California has more registered players than all but four states: Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts, and Michigan. Additionally, it's pacing all states in new memberships at more than 1,000 year-over-year.California's next wave of elite prospects may never grow up with ice sheets in their backyards. But those players also shouldn't have to hew to the other extreme: strapping on roller skates to get their start."Hopefully, there's a kid out there who isn't really sure what he wants to do," York said, "and maybe he sees me and wants to play ice hockey. That's my goal. I want kids to look at me and think to themselves, 'Maybe I want to do that.'"They've been very supportive of me over the years, California has. Anything I can do to give back, I'm all-in for."Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the first time since 2011, the Stanley Cup Final will be decided with a Game 7, as the Boston Bruins staved off elimination Sunday night against the St. Louis Blues with a 5-1 victory.The two squads will battle for the title on Wednesday night in Boston.More to come.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A Missouri man who'll take home $100,000 if the St. Louis Blues win the championship says he's not interested in selling his potentially lucrative betting slip.Scott Berry, who bet on the Blues to win the Stanley Cup while on a trip to Las Vegas in January, told USA Today's Kevin Allen that he has received several overtures, including a firm offer of $41,000 that came between the first and second periods of Game 6 of the Western Conference Final.“Forty-thousand sounds great. I want the money. But I thought, 'No, I’m going to let it ride.'" Berry said. "I believe too much in this team. That’s why people call me an idiot because I’m betting with heart and not my mind. I’ve fallen in love with this team.”Berry put down $400 on the Blues at 250-1 odds and was told Friday he could "probably sell it for $70,000."He doesn't want to hedge his bet, either."I’m reluctant to hedge because I’m kind of superstitious,” Berry said. “I put the bet down in January believing they could do it. Why sell myself short?”St. Louis is one win away from hoisting the Stanley Cup after holding the NHL's worst record back in December."That ticket went from my sock drawer, to my safe, to now a safe deposit box," he said.The Blues can clinch their first Cup championship in the 52-year history of the franchise with a victory in Game 6 on Sunday night.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

So much for being a game-time decision.Robert Thomas is "good to go" for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins, the St. Louis Blues forward told reporters, including NHL.com's Dan Rosen, following the team's morning skate Sunday.Blues head coach Craig Berube later confirmed Thomas will play in the potential Cup-clinching contest Sunday night. Berube labeled Thomas a game-time call when asked about the forward's status Saturday.St. Louis will be without forward Ivan Barbashev, who was suspended one game for a hit to the head of Marcus Johansson in Game 5.Thomas hasn't played since Game 1 of the Cup Final due to an undisclosed injury.He practiced on the Blues' third line Saturday in addition to taking part in Sunday's optional session.

The Charlotte Checkers, AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, clinched their first-ever Calder Cup on Saturday night with a 5-3 win over the Chicago Wolves in Game 5 of their championship series.

The Buffalo Sabres and forward Jeff Skinner have agreed to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $9 million, the team announced Friday.Skinner was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His new $9-million AAV makes him the sixth-highest-paid winger in the league.Highest-paid wingersCap hitYear signedPatrick Kane (CHI)$10.5M2014Alex Ovechkin (WSH)$9.54M2008Nikita Kucherov (TB)$9.5M2018Jamie Benn (DAL)$9.5M2016Mark Stone (VGK)$9.5M2019Buffalo traded prospect Cliff Pu, a second-round pick in 2019, a third-round pick in 2020, and a sixth-rounder in 2020 to acquire Skinner from the Carolina Hurricanes last summer. The 27-year-old went on to tally a career-high 40 goals in his first season with the Sabres.Skinner ranks 10th in the NHL with 129 goals since the start of the 2015-16 season and has reached the 30-goal mark four times in his nine-year career. He and playmaking center Jack Eichel formed a dynamic one-two punch on Buffalo's top line this past season.The eight-year extension takes the former Calder Trophy winner through his age-34 season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes have their eye on one of the summer's top free-agent prizes, as Matt Duchene is the club's "primary focus" heading into the offseason, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Saturday's edition of "Insider Trading."Duchene, 28, set a career high with 31 goals and tied a personal best with 70 points this past season, splitting time between the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets. The center added 10 points in 10 playoff games and played an integral role in Columbus' first-round upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Dreger added there's still a possibility Duchene re-signs with Columbus.Arizona projects to have nearly $14 million in cap space once Marian Hossa's contract is placed on long-term injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, and the team has few pending free agents to retain.The Coyotes were one of the best defensive teams in 2018-19, ranking sixth in the league in goals against, but they owned the NHL's fifth-worst offense with just 213 goals for over 82 games. Adding a dynamic offensive talent like Duchene would go a long way in helping end the league's second-longest active playoff drought.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake has reportedly contemplated buying out Dion Phaneuf if he's unable to trade the veteran defenseman, sources told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.Phaneuf has two years remaining on his contract, which carries a $5.25-million annual cap hit. His deal includes a 12-team trade list.The 34-year-old hit rock bottom in 2018-19. His six points, minus-21 rating, and 15 minutes of average ice time were all career lows. He was routinely a healthy scratch down the stretch, skating in a total of 67 games.Here's what a buyout for Phaneuf would look like, according to CapFriendly:SeasonPost-buyout cap hit2019-20$2.917M2020-21$5.417M2022-23$1.417M2023-24$1.417MPhaneuf signed a seven-year, $42-million extension with the Maple Leafs in 2013. Toronto traded him to the Ottawa Senators in 2016, who then flipped him to the Kings two years later and retained $1.75 million per season on his contract.The Kings have a projected $11.73 million available in cap space this summer. Blake has reportedly discussed a potential trade with the Leafs involving Patrick Marleau.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One of the greatest players in Anaheim Ducks history could be on his way out.The Ducks are reportedly exploring the trade market for former Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry, sources told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.Anaheim has contemplated a buyout if a trade can't be worked out, LeBrun added.Perry has two years remaining on his contract and comes with an $8.625-million cap hit. He has a full no-movement clause, which would give him control over any trade, but not a buyout.Here's what a buyout for the 34-year-old would look like, according to CapFriendly:SeasonPost-buyout cap hit2019-20$2.625M2020-21$6.625M2021-22$2M2022-23$2MThe Ducks have $9.13 million in projected cap space but don't have any key pending free agents.Perry's production has cratered over the past three seasons. He hasn't reached the 20-goal mark since 2015-16, and he managed just 10 points in 31 games during an injury-riddled 2018-19 campaign.He's the franchise's all-time leader in games played and ranks second in goals, third in assists, and third in points. He was named the league's Most Valuable Player during his 50-goal campaign in 2010-11. His goal-scoring exploits that season also earned him the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Peyton Krebs, a projected first-round pick at the 2019 NHL Draft, underwent surgery to repair a partial tear in his Achilles tendon Friday, his agent Kevin Korol told The Athletic's Scott Cruickshank.The injury occurred Tuesday when another player's skate blade cut through Krebs' cut-proof sock and into his Achilles, Cruickshank added. He's expected to make a full recovery, but the timeline is unclear.Krebs is projected to be a borderline top-10 pick, with most mock drafts placing him between Nos. 8-11. NHL Central Scouting listed him 10th among North American skaters in its final rankings.The 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward led the Western Hockey League's Kootenay Ice with 68 points in 64 games this past season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Robert Thomas' availability for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final will be determined shortly before puck drop.The St. Louis Blues forward will be a game-time decision for Sunday's contest, head coach Craig Berube told reporters, including NHL.com's Lou Korac, on Saturday.Thomas practiced Saturday on a line with Patrick Maroon and Tyler Bozak but didn't work with the power-play groups.The 19-year-old has been out with an undisclosed injury since Game 1 of the series.Thomas has provided a goal and five assists in 20 playoff games this spring.Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Steen missed practice Saturday but Berube said both players took maintenance days. Tarasenko's wife gave birth on Friday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Doug Armstrong doesn't believe Ivan Barbashev's one-game ban was warranted.The St. Louis Blues general manager made his feelings known after the fourth-line forward was suspended for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final following a hit to the head of Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson in Game 5.“We feel that the suspension to Ivan is excessive for the play on the ice,” Armstrong told Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Regardless, we need to prepare for a quality Boston team on Sunday."The GM did acknowledge that the referees don't have it easy.“The NHL on- and off-ice officials have a difficult job and we respect their integrity," he said.Barbashev caught Johansson up high early in the first period Thursday. Johansson remained in the game, which the Blues ultimately won to move within one win of capturing the Cup.Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday night in St. Louis.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues forward Ivan Barbashev has been suspended one game for his hit on Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night.

Throughout June, theScore will be projecting contracts for the star-studded restricted free-agent class. In this edition, we project Timo Meier's new deal.The playerTimo Meier came into his own during the final year of the winger's entry-level contract. He nearly doubled his previous career high in points and ranked third on the Sharks with 30 goals while establishing himself as a top-six threat.Season (Age)GPGAP2016-17 (20)373362017-18 (21)812115362018-19 (22)78303666The 22-year-old was incredibly efficient during his production spike this season, too. Meier suited up for just under 17 minutes per contest, and he still finished the year 14th among all regularly deployed forwards with 1.21 goals per 60 at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.Meier, the ninth overall pick in 2015, offers a blend of size, speed, and scoring touch. He asserted himself more during the 2019 playoffs, too, racking up 15 points in 20 games before the Sharks bowed out in the Western Conference Final.The teamIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Sharks might own the NHL's longest to-do list this summer. General manager Doug Wilson has some crucial decisions to make, and he faces a bevy of contract situations that need to be resolved.Aside from Meier, the Sharks' list of expiring deals includes captain Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Erik Karlsson, Joonas Donskoi, and Gustav Nyquist, all of whom are unrestricted free agents. Kevin Labanc, fresh off a career-high 56-point campaign, is an RFA as well.It's hard to imagine veterans Pavelski and Thornton suiting up elsewhere, but even if they stay put, their combined cap hit will likely eat up a fair chunk of San Jose's projected $24.7 million available to spend.Then there's Karlsson, who still put up 45 points in 53 games despite suffering through an injury-riddled debut season in the Bay Area. He has every right to demand a salary that places him among the highest-paid defensemen.Bringing everybody back doesn't seem feasible, so Wilson needs to play this offseason carefully to ensure the Sharks' competitive window stays open as long as possible.The comparablesHere's a list of comparable contracts wingers have signed coming out of their ELCs in recent years:Player (Team)P/GP*AAVCH%LengthYear signedNikolaj Ehlers (WPG)0.73$6M8.0%7 years2017David Pastrnak (BOS)0.93$6.66M8.89%6 years2017Tomas Hertl (SJ)0.58$5.625M7.08%4 years2018Jake Guentzel (PIT)0.92$6M7.55%5 years2018William Nylander (TOR)0.746.9M**8.67%6 years2018CH% = Cap hit percentage, based on cap ceiling when the contract was signed* - In contract year

Throughout June, theScore will be projecting contracts for the star-studded restricted free-agent class. In this edition, we project Sebastian Aho's new deal.The playerIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyAho has made significant strides in each season since joining the Carolina Hurricanes after slipping to 35th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.Season (Age) GPGAPATOI2016-17 (19)8224254916:472017-18 (20)7829366517:552018-19 (21)8230538320:09What made Aho's most recent campaign so impressive is that he switched from playing left wing in his first two seasons to playing center in 2018-19. Centers are more valuable on the ice and are generally paid accordingly.Aho has proven to be a hard-working, two-way player with a dynamic offensive skill set. He's quickly become the face of the Hurricanes franchise.The teamBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Hurricanes are in a pretty enviable position. Fresh off its first playoff appearance in nine years and a miracle run to the Eastern Conference Final, Carolina has $28.7 million in cap space to work with. Outside of Aho, the Hurricanes' only key free agents are goaltenders Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney and forwards Justin Williams and Micheal Ferland.Considering Aho's importance to the franchise, an eight-year deal seems like a strong possibility. At max term, Aho's cap hit would rise, but the Hurricanes have the room to make it work. However, as a small-market team, it's unclear what the organization's actual budget is.The comparablesBill Wippert / National Hockey League / GettyHere's a select list of centers who signed contracts out of restricted free agency in the last few years:PlayerCap hitCH%LengthYear signedAuston Matthews$11.634M14.65 years2019Dylan Larkin$6.1M7.75 years2018Jack Eichel$10M13.338 years2017Leon Draisaitl$8.5M11.38 years2017Ryan Johansen$8M10.678 years2017Connor McDavid$12.5M16.678 years2017Evgeny Kuznetsov$7.8M10.48 years2017CH% = Cap hit percentage, based on cap ceiling when the contract was signedDespite being chosen 33 picks ahead of Aho in the 2015 draft, Eichel might offer the best comparison. Aho's 0.81 points per game in his first three seasons is less than Eichel's 0.85 mark, but Aho's 1.01 points per game in his contract year is better than Eichel's 0.95 in his.Draisaitl is also on this list despite splitting time between center and wing during his career. He offers an interesting comparison after averaging 0.94 points per game in his contract year.The projectionSteve Babineau / National Hockey League / GettyWith ample cap space, it makes sense for the Hurricanes to lock up their best player for as long as possible. As was the case with the majority of the names listed above, it seems like there's a high probability of an eight-year deal.The cap hit is tougher to gauge, though. Aho's value is much higher than it was a year ago after his smooth transition to the middle of the ice, so anything between $9 million and $11 million could be in the cards.Verdict: 8 years, $82 million ($10.25 million AAV, 12.35 CH%)Others in this series:

If you were planning to attend Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in St. Louis on Sunday, hopefully you saved up.The contest - which could see the host Blues win their first-ever Stanley Cup against the visiting Boston Bruins - is the most expensive Stanley Cup Final game this decade, on average, and the second-most expensive game among the four major North American sports leagues in the same span, according to prices at Ticket IQ.EventAverage ticketCheapest ticket2016 World Series Game 7$5300$19002019 SCF Game 6$4290$20192018 Super Bowl$4081$25502012 Super Bowl$4212$23252017 Super Bowl$4221$2202011 Super Bowl$3649$22602017 SCF Game 6$3416$14882011 SCF Game 7$3411$1375* Prices according to Ticket IQThe Blues have won two straight games, setting themselves up for a chance at history on Sunday night.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was medically cleared to play in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday after suffering a jaw injury in Game 4, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy.Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, however, will miss his third straight contest with a concussion.Boston opted to go with seven defensemen and only 11 forwards, with David Backes drawing out of the lineup.Chara ranks fourth on the team in ice time, averaging 21:56 per contest this postseason. The 21-year veteran leads the Bruins with 179 games of playoff experience.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With a 2-1 victory in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday, St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington tied the NHL record for wins by a rookie in one playoff year.

St. Louis Blues forward Ivan Barbashev will have a hearing Friday for a hit to the head of Boston Bruins winger Marcus Johansson during Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Department of Player Safety announced.

Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy vented his frustration after another controversial non-call took the spotlight during his team's Game 5 loss to the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Final."I’m a fan of the game," Cassidy said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "It’s the National Hockey League getting a black eye with their officiating in these playoffs, and there’s another one that’s going to be talked about."With less than 10 minutes to play in the third period and St. Louis holding a 1-0 advantage, Tyler Bozak seemingly tripped Bruins forward Noel Acciari in Boston's zone. The play allowed David Perron to pick up the puck and beat netminder Tuukka Rask with a bank shot."The no-call on Acciari ... their player is on his way to the box," Cassidy said. "It's right in front of the official. It's a slew foot. Our guy's gone. The spotter took him out of the game for a possible concussion. I mean, it's blatant. It had a big effect on the game."The Bruins bench boss also wasn't happy with a couple of hits that he perceived to be illegal checks to the head."Those are the hits they want to get out of the game, correct? That's what I hear a lot about," he said. "Clearly, they missed a couple tonight. It's a fast game. I sat here two days ago or whatever it was and said I believe these officials are at this level because they've earned the right to be here."

The Dallas Stars signed forward Mattias Janmark to a one-year contract extension worth $2.3 million, the team announced Thursday.Janmark notched 25 points in 81 regular-season games for Dallas in 2018-19. He added another three points during seven playoff games.The 26-year-old Swede was originally drafted in the third round (79th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings in 2013.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jack Hughes understands that he and Kaapo Kakko will likely be seeing a lot more of one another once their NHL careers begin."I think it'll be really competitive for a lot of years," the presumptive first overall pick told the assembled media, including TSN, before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final in St. Louis on Monday.Hughes has long been expected to be selected by the New Jersey Devils at the draft later this month. He was the top-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings.Kakko, who was Central Scouting's No. 1-ranked international skater at season's end, is expected to be chosen second by the New York Rangers, although neither pick is a certainty."Whether it's the Devils or the Rangers, we're going to be linked to each other for a long time with us going to places so close to each other and maybe a little bit of a rivalry between the Devils and Rangers, so I think it'll be a lot of fun for years to come," Hughes said.The Devils and Rangers both play in the Metropolitan Division. The 2019-20 schedule hasn't yet been released, but the clubs will face off either four or five times during the regular season.Hughes and Kakko have already battled on the international stage with the United States and Finland, respectively.Kakko scored the late winner to defeat Hughes and the U.S. for the gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship last winter. He also outperformed Hughes at the World Championship in May, leading Finland to gold in that tournament with six goals and seven points in 10 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." - Norman Vincent PealeAs far as goaltending coach Jared Waimon is concerned, that quote from the popular self-help book "The Power of Positive Thinking" defines Spencer Knight.Waimon believes that those who accept criticism and attack challenges with an open mind and a full head of steam tend to get ahead in both life and sport. Knight, who's worked with Waimon's Pro Crease Goaltending in Connecticut since the age of 10, is one of those people. And that's partially why the 18-year-old has a chance to become a rare sight in the contemporary NHL: a goalie drafted in the first round.Rena Laverty / USA Hockey"He's curious enough and honest enough with himself to take criticism," Waimon said of Knight, who spent the past two seasons stopping pucks for the U.S. National Team Development Program. "His sense of purpose was very strong at an early age. He very much enjoyed being out there back then, but totally wanted to know why we were doing something.""One of Spencer's best characteristics," USNTDP head coach John Wroblewski said, “is that he identifies a challenge - something he wants to achieve - and then he systematically breaks that challenge down and he won't stop until he gets it. There's no knee-jerk reactions. There's a plan, he puts it in place, and he executes it."This mentality will be Knight's compass as he transitions from junior to Boston College this fall and, down the road, to pro hockey. He's widely considered the best goalie available at the June 21-22 draft in Vancouver, and he's firmly in the conversation for first-round selections. That steely focus, freak athleticism, and a comprehensive skill set make Knight the most polished goalie prospect in years.Realistically, though, no matter how NHL-ready a netminder is or how high their ceiling appears, teams almost always opt for a skater in the first round. Knight may have earned the right to be among the top 31 choices, but his place in the first round of the 2019 draft is far from guaranteed."As a hockey player, as someone going into the draft, yeah, I want to go in the first round," Knight said. "I don't see it as something that adds pressure. I'm never like, 'Ah, what's going on with the draft? Is this going to work out? Am I not going to go in the first round?' It's not like that. I think I have the ability to, but it's never something that has to happen. I'm just taking it all in."The cold, hard factsOnce viewed by NHL executives and scouts as can't-miss first-rounders, elite goalies of this era rarely hear their names called early in the draft.Olof Lindbom, picked in the second round (39th overall) by the Rangers, was the first goalie off the board last year; Jake Oettinger was the only one to sneak into the opening round in 2017, going 26th to the Stars; Carter Hart was 2016's top goalie, but had to wait until the Flyers and the 48th pick. Since 2010, only four goalies have been selected in the top 25.To put that into context, of 225 players selected with a top-25 pick in the last nine drafts, less than 2 percent were goalies.Rena Laverty / USA HockeyLeague trends shifted in 2007. From 1993-2006, at least one goalie was picked in the first round every year, with the average draft including 2.7 first-round netminders. From 2007-18, a 12-year stretch, only seven goalies were drafted in the first round, closer to one every two years.Teams were noticing that for every Marc-Andre Fleury or Carey Price, there's a Brian Finley, Dan Blackburn, Riku Helenius, Marek Schwarz, or Mark Visentin. The payoff for drafting a goalie high has been largely underwhelming and, let's face it, a general manager's job is not safe after striking out on a couple of marquee prospects.Making matters worse, the list of Vezina Trophy winners includes late-round or undrafted gems such as Pekka Rinne and Sergei Bobrovsky. It's hard to blame the conservatism.Bill Wippert / Getty ImagesAs for Knight, just about everyone in the know whose opinion can be shared publicly - scouting services and media outlets like NHL Central Scouting, HockeyProspect.com, The Hockey News, and Sportsnet - views Knight as a bonafide first-round talent. Goalie stigma aside, seeing Knight land in the 15-31 range in Vancouver wouldn't be crazy.Knight's stats are solid but not eye-popping. The 6-foot-3, 198-pounder posted a 2.36 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in 39 games this year. The USNTDP - essentially a full-time all-star team - splits its schedule between USHL, NCAA, and international competition. That high level of play more or less offsets any questions about Knight hiding behind a group of skaters capable of dominating teams their age or older.His two-year stint in a USA Hockey jersey gave talent evaluators plenty of opportunities to see him. The basic scouting report goes something like this: Big and athletic, good skater, calm amid chaos, technically sound, excellent puck-handler."I know he will be a franchise goalie," said Thomas Speer, the USNTDP's goalie coach. "He'll play a ton of minutes in the NHL." Speer's confidence is linked to Knight's consistency in the crease and maturity. He also noted Knight's trademark coordination and ability to read the play while under offensive pressure."Spencer's definitely writing his own song," Speer said.The modern goalieThe 2018-19 regular season was not kind to NHL netminders. Their equipment shrunk, scoring rates reached a 13-year high, and goalie interference made too many headlines. Fueling the offensive wave is an industry obsession with skill development. Fourth liners are speedier and more dangerous than ever. And specialty skills, like deceptive shooting angles, are no longer reserved for the very best; every player is workshopping the offensive game.Kevin Light / Getty ImagesHaving shared plenty of practice ice with five supremely skilled top 10 talents - Jack Hughes, Alex Turcotte, Trevor Zegras, Cole Caufield, and Matt Boldy - Knight is acutely aware of the next generation's capabilities. "You can't complain about it, right?" he said. "Everybody's in the same boat."I get it. If you're an average Joe, you don't want to go see a 1-0 game. For me, yeah, I can watch any kind of hockey game and be into it. For those average Joes, the NHL's giving them what they want. For me, it's a different challenge and you've got to adapt."Last summer, Knight decided to take matters into his own hands and joined Performance 20/20, a training facility about 10 minutes from his family home in Darien, Conn. Alongside athletes from many sports, Knight runs through various workouts to sharpen his cognitive skills.There, he juggles tennis balls while wearing strobe goggles, taps blinking lights on a screen, and works on other vision-based tasks aimed at improving depth perception, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination. He doesn't bring his goalie gear inside the building, nor does he exert himself physically."Off-the-ice training is one of the biggest things for me," Knight said. "Find ways to tweak your nutrition, find different ways to get stronger, find ways to work on your mobility. Small things like that. Now, once you get to a certain level, it's about adding those extra percentage points. It's not like one year my game is going to totally evolve and it's going to be crazy different."Rena Laverty / USA HockeyKnight was arguably the MVP at this past weekend's scouting combine, by all accounts leaving a strong impression during 27 team interviews and destroying the fitness testing portion of the program. Among 100-plus participants in Buffalo, the former competitive lacrosse player finished with top 15 scores in eight of 18 categories, excelling mainly in the agility and jumping exercises."I think Spence is a kid with incredible athletic ability who competes all the time," said Cameron Rowe, Knight's goalie partner at the USNTDP. "Works incredibly hard and knows the game so well. That's what puts Spence above everybody else. It's the way that he thinks the game and analyzes it. It's elite."There's that compliment again. Physically and mentally strong, with a growth mindset and the willingness to put on his work boots, Knight certainly seems wired for a prosperous NHL career. He's driven by the process.Waimon, the goalie guru who loves a good quote, admits coaching Knight for a decade hasn't been all that difficult. "To be really frank ... I just really tried to not screw him up," he said.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Growing up, Philip Broberg didn't turn many heads.While his talent stood out in the Swedish system, by no means was Broberg labeled exceptional like some of his 2019 NHL Draft peers spread across the world.But fast forward roughly five years, and Broberg's game has matured - a ton. There was slow growth throughout his early teens as he converted from forward to defense, and then rapid improvement over the past three seasons as his skill set developed and his confidence took off."As time has gone on, the dots have started to connect for him,” said Randy Edmonds, who's played, scouted, coached, and managed in Sweden for 30 years and now represents Broberg for DHG Sports Agency."It wasn't obvious at 13 that this kid was going to be a first-round pick in the NHL," he continued. "We knew - and Philip knew - he was a good player. But you see a lot of those players at that age and you don’t know which direction they'll go. With him, he's continued to rise."Bill Wippert / Getty ImagesThese days, Broberg, who doesn't turn 18 until June 25, moves around the ice effortlessly. And while that skating ability is his calling card, talent evaluators have really warmed to his other tools, including hockey sense and defensive coverage. Bulking up and sharpening his decision-making are high on the to-do list.It's conceivable now that an NHL team will use a top-10 selection on him later this month in Vancouver. Offensive juggernaut Bowen Byram is considered the top blue-liner in the 2019 class, while Broberg is among a handful of others - including German Moritz Seider and compatriot Victor Soderstrom - making up the second tier. It's anybody's guess which order they'll be selected, with the draft's first round expected to be all over the place."He's one of those players where I think a team will step up for him in the draft," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said of Broberg. "I think that’s going to be a smart move. He's not the loudest, flashiest player, so he doesn’t draw attention. But, when you go to a game, you don't have to look for him. He makes the kinds of plays where you say, 'Smart player. Smart player.'""Prototypical size-skating combo," added an NHL scout who requested anonymity. "He's got a shot, good hands. Can probably man the second-unit power play one day. He's a really fun player to watch.”Broberg shrugs when asked how he's managed to become an elite skater. Instead of bragging about a change in mechanics or productive sessions with a renowned skating coach, he references hard work and a belief in himself and his abilities."I don’t think a lot of guys realize how fast he is until it’s too late," said Niagara IceDogs forward Philip Tomasino, another projected first-rounder and Broberg's training partner during the Swede's annual visit to Toronto. "He's got a really long stride, with his body stretching out."As the clip below demonstrated, Broberg possesses high-end acceleration. He crosses over often to gain speed, blazing past helpless opponents with conviction reserved only for the quickest skaters in the world.Your browser does not support the video tag. YouTube / Puck ProdigyIn many instances, it looks like he's been shot out of cannon in the same way Connor McDavid and Rasmus Dahlin often enter or exit a zone:Your browser does not support the video tag. YouTube / Hockey Prospects CenterBroberg's improvement was also aided by Swedish hockey culture, which is known for its focus on individual skill development. At the lower levels, winning is a secondary pursuit. Instead, the general encouragement of creativity and the blanket philosophy of learning from mistakes take precedent. It's no coincidence that Broberg's homeland has produced a boatload of dynamic defensemen, including his hero, Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman."One of the beauties of playing hockey in Europe - especially junior hockey - is that there's no money in it," Edmonds said."There's no extra playoff round, extra gate for the owner, no corporate boxes to sell. So, as (Broberg's) development has progressed, he's been allowed to make mistakes along the way. When you do that in the Ontario league or the Western league, you're costing your team a playoff round. These European defensemen - Erik Karlsson is a good example - make all sorts of mistakes and turnovers, but it doesn't cost anybody money so they're allowed to keep doing it so they can figure it out.”However, Broberg's young career hit a fork in the road during the 2017-18 season. Frustrated with his hometown team's unwillingness to promote him to J20 SuperElit, Sweden's top junior hockey loop, he decided to pack his bags - leaving behind his parents and brother in Orebro - for a move to Stockholm, where he'd suit up for AIK and live alone in the nation's capital."My coach in Orebro didn't think I was ready to play, not mature enough, not strong enough, not fast enough. So they put me with the J18 team," Broberg said. "But I thought I was good enough to play in the J20, and AIK gave me the chance."Marissa Baecker / Getty ImagesIt turned out to be a shrewd decision.As a 16-year-old in the higher level, Broberg dazzled, registering 13 points in 23 games for AIK while establishing himself as an NHL prospect worthy of close scrutiny. Then in August, he blew the doors off the heavily scouted Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, scoring three goals and adding an assist in five games as Sweden claimed the silver medal. And he's continued to impress on the international stage ever since."He took a huge step this year, I must say," said Magnus Havelid, Sweden’s Under-18 team head coach.Indeed, the Hlinka was just the first of three tournaments for Broberg leading up to the 2019 draft. He also made Sweden's world junior squad, though an illness derailed his performance. April's Under-18 World Championship proved more productive, with the Swedes capturing gold while Broberg was named the best defenseman and earned a spot on the tournament's All-Star team."He seems to play well when the pressure is at its highest point," Edmonds said.Kevin Light / Getty ImagesBroberg also dressed for 41 games in the Allsvenskan, the country's second-tier pro league, and eight at the J20 level during the 2018-19 season. But the transition from junior to pro included an adjustment period. The 6-foot-3, 199-pounder saw his ice time cut in half and the shift-to-shift physicality ramped up. Perhaps most significant for a guy who loves to create, Broberg was forced to make safe choices with the puck and clamp down defensively without it."Of course I want to contribute offense all the time, but I still want to be a guy who you can trust on defense," he said.Next, Broberg will make the jump this fall to the Swedish Hockey League, the sport's domestic peak. He signed a one-year contract with Skelleftea in May and, barring a push from his future NHL team to jump ship and join the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, who own his North American junior rights, he'll face another challenge. The SHL is considered the third-best league in the world."I think that he will do fine, considering how well he played last year in Allsvenskan," Skelleftea general manager Erik Forssell said. "If you take into regard his age, we think that he will develop further and play well in the SHL."If all goes according to plan, Broberg will spend one year - two max - in the SHL before leaving Sweden to chase his NHL dreams in a to-be-determined locale."I think the only thing that he needs is what a lot of 17-going-on-18-year-olds need: A little bit more maturity and experience to his game, where it all comes together. I don’t know if there's any liabilities," Marr said."He's a pretty complete package for a team to draft and watch develop over the next year or two."For a player who was never considered a prodigy growing up, that's certainly quite the leap.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Throughout June, theScore will be projecting contracts for the star-studded restricted free-agent class. In this edition, we forecast Charlie McAvoy's new deal.The playerAmong all the young stars up for new contracts this offseason, Charlie McAvoy is the marquee defenseman.The burgeoning superstar is only 21 years old, and he's already carved out a top-pairing role on the Bruins' blue line. He's destined to be a foundational piece for years in Boston.Season (Age)GPGAPATOI2017-18 (20)637253222:092018-19 (21)547212822:10McAvoy has gone through injury trouble, but he's been incredibly effective when healthy while averaging 0.51 points per game over two seasons, which ranks 36th among all regular defensemen during that span. The vast majority of his points have also come at even strength, making his production even more impressive.McAvoy, who shoots right-handed and is a tremendous skater, led the Bruins in average ice time during the 2018-19 season. He also doesn't shy away from physicality, recording 91 blocks and 92 hits over 54 regular-season games this past season.He can make a strong argument in negotiations for a significant raise.The teamMaddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / GettyMcAvoy's RFA case is an interesting one because his six playoff games in 2016 burned the first year of his entry-level deal, making him the rare player up for a new contract without three years of NHL experience.The Bruins and McAvoy have already discussed a contract extension, with the young rearguard reportedly turning down a long-term offer last offseason, according to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic. McAvoy's agent, Michael Curran, told Shinzawa his client wanted to focus on hockey after suffering an injury, pushing negotiations to this summer.Boston's salary cap for 2019-20 is in good shape, and aside from McAvoy, the organization isn't facing any core players it needs to re-sign urgently. Danton Heinen and Brandon Carlo are RFAs up for new deals, but they won't command contracts as big as the one McAvoy will ink.The Bruins are projected to hold just over $14 million in cap space, according to Cap Friendly, meaning general manager Don Sweeney won't need to remodel his roster to make McAvoy fit.Where McAvoy's salary falls on Boston's payroll is another interesting factor in his pending payday. The Bruins have signed Patrice Bergeron ($6.875 million annually), Brad Marchand ($6.125 million), and David Pastrnak ($6.666 million) to team-friendly deals, giving McAvoy a realistic chance to leapfrog David Krejci ($7.25 million) as the team's highest-paid player.Contract hierarchy is a big part of the Bruins' culture, though, and it's allowed Sweeney to build a competitive roster."If you want to try to make every dollar you can, unfortunately that's not going to be with this group," Marchand told Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt recently.The comparablesHere's a list of notable defensemen since 2015 to sign deals five-plus years in length after their entry-level contracts expired:Player (Team)AAV CH%LengthYear signedDougie Hamilton (CGY)*$5.75M8.05%6 years2015Aaron Ekblad (FLA)$7.5M10.27%8 years2016Seth Jones (CBJ)$5.4M7.4%6 years2016Morgan Rielly (TOR)$5M7%6 years2016Colton Parayko (STL)$5.5M7.33%5 years2017Noah Hanifin (CGY)$4.95M6.23%6 years2018Shea Theodore (VGK)$5.2M6.54%7 years2018CH% = Cap hit percentage, based on cap ceiling when the contract was signed*Traded to CarolinaBased on that list, McAvoy shouldn't struggle to obtain a six-to-eight year contract, but the average annual value is where the Bruins youngster will likely stand out from the pack.While McAvoy's career points per game doesn't place him among the top-producing blue-liners in the league, only five other defensemen have matched his output over their first two seasons in the past decade.Points aren't the only way to quantify a defenseman's value, and McAvoy plays a huge role on an elite team while excelling at other facets of the game not found on the scoresheet. Additionally, most of the deals above are considered bargains, giving McAvoy an opportunity to aim high and set a new bar for young defensemen.The projectionIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGiven the decreasing amount of bridge deals around the NHL and where both McAvoy and the Bruins currently stand, a long-term agreement is the most sensible direction. There's only one player under contract beyond 2023 on Boston's roster (Marchand), leaving the franchise wide open to make McAvoy a central blue-line piece for a long time.Just 13 NHL defensemen are playing with a cap hit of $7 million or more, and McAvoy appears poised to join that club because of his two rock-solid seasons, limitless upside, and potentially Stanley Cup-winning pedigree, all at just 21 years old.Verdict: Seven years, $54.6 million ($7.8 million AAV, 10.6 CH%)Others in this series:

With chatter running rampant about his potential departure from the Maple Leafs, Patrick Marleau has put his Toronto home up for sale, according to the Toronto Star's Kevin McGran.The mansion contains six bedrooms and seven bathrooms and is up for grabs for $11.8 million, per the online listing.Marleau is entering the final year of his three-year, $18.75-million deal with the Leafs, but the club is exploring the possibility of trading him to create extra cap space.The Leafs have reportedly had discussions with the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes on a potential deal.Marleau's contract features a full no-movement clause, meaning he'd have to sign off on his future destination before the Leafs could trigger a deal.The 39-year-old hasn't missed a game since the 2008-09 season and put up 16 goals and 21 assists in 2018-19.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars signed defenseman Roman Polak to a one-year contract extension worth $1.75 million, the team announced Thursday.Polak, 33, joined the Stars prior to the 2018-19 season and is signing a one-year contract for the fourth consecutive year.He was one of five Stars blue-liners on an expiring contract this summer, as Marc Methot, Taylor Fedun, and Ben Lovejoy are unrestricted free agents, while Julius Honka is an RFA.Polak appeared in 77 games in his debut season with the Stars, recording one goal and eight assists while logging 19:10 per contest. He also led the club with 152 blocked shots.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When it comes to the Stanley Cup Final, the stakes are simply too high for players to bring anything less than their A-game.However, some have an easier time coming up clutch in big moments than others. Here are three players who are at the height of their powers in the NHL's ultimate series.Tuukka RaskBoston Globe / Boston Globe / GettyNo player has dominated the field this spring quite like Rask has. The Bruins netminder is in the thick of the Conn Smythe conversation thanks to an absurd stat line that features 14 wins and a .938 save percentage.Rask hasn't allowed more than three goals in a single contest since Game 4 of the first round, and his icy-cool demeanor has the Bruins on the cusp of winning their second Stanley Cup of the decade.Ryan O'ReillyBruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyO'Reilly is tied for first on the Blues in postseason scoring with 18 points, and he's notched four of those during this series.The 28-year-old two-way pivot had the performance of a lifetime in Game 4, registering two enormous goals - including the game-winner - to help provide the Blues their first ever Cup Final win on home ice.Torey KrugIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Conn Smythe could very well end up in the hands of Krug - who leads all players this postseason with 14 assists in 21 games - if it doesn't go to Rask. The 28-year-old is also tied for third in scoring on the Bruins with 16 points.Krug is the catalyst for Boston's lethal power play and put together a signature performance in Game 3 - a one-goal, three-assist effort that put him alone in franchise history as the only player to record four points in a single Cup Final game.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets forward Jack Roslovic fired his agent, Ken Robinson, in favor of Claude Lemieux on Thursday, Robinson confirmed to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.Sources told Portzline that Roslovic requested a trade at least once last season due to a lack of ice time, but Robinson said that while the forward was disappointed in his role, he never asked for a move.Roslovic was the 25th overall pick of the 2015 draft but has just 14 goals and 24 assists in 109 career NHL games. He's entering the final season of his entry-level contract.The 22-year-old spent the bulk of the 2018-19 season on the fourth line and averaged fewer than 10 minutes per game. He did, however, still see time on the power play.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins were without captain Zdeno Chara at practice Wednesday while defenseman Matt Grzelcyk returned to the ice in a non-contact jersey.Chara took a puck to the face in Game 4 and reportedly suffered a broken jaw on the play. There's still no word on whether he'll be good to go in Game 5, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy.Grzelcyk was on the ice for the first time since being hit from behind by Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist in Game 2. The 25-year-old blue-liner is still in concussion protocol and is hopeful to be cleared to play in Thursday's contest.Here's how the Bruins' defensive pairings were set for practice with two regulars out.

Erik Karlsson is on the mend.The superstar defenseman underwent surgery on May 31 to address a groin injury he suffered during the 2018-19 campaign with the San Jose Sharks, the club announced Wednesday.Karlsson has started his rehabilitation and is expected to recover in time to suit up for the beginning of next season.The 29-year-old was limited to 53 regular-season games this past year and was noticeably laboring toward the end of the Sharks' playoff run.Karlsson logged fewer than 11 minutes of ice time in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against the St. Louis Blues and did not play in Game 6, the contest in which the Blues eliminated the Sharks.He can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Trading winger Jesse Puljujarvi remains a strong option for the Edmonton Oilers, reports TSN's Darren Dreger, citing league sources.It was reported in February that the Oilers were open to trading the 21-year-old, but Edmonton's since remodeled its front office with the hiring of general manager Ken Holland.Puljujarvi is finished his entry-level contract and is a restricted free agent this summer. After an underwhelming start to his career, Puljujarvi isn't in line for a big contract, but his agent quashed rumblings of a potential KHL deal in Finland, according to Dreger.After Puljujarvi was put on the trade block earlier this season, his agent suggested a change of scenery could benefit his client.Puljujarvi was drafted fourth overall by the Oilers in 2016. He's split time between the big club and the AHL's Bakersfield Condors but has only produced 37 points in 139 NHL games.He appeared in just 46 games in 2018-19 due to season-ending hip surgery.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Throughout June, theScore will be projecting contracts for the star-studded restricted free-agent class. In this edition, we project Zach Werenski's new deal.The playerMatthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / GettyOver his first three NHL seasons, Werenski has proven to be an up-and-coming offensive defenseman. The Columbus Blue Jackets stalwart was a Calder Trophy finalist in his rookie year but has yet to have the type of breakout season many expected after his strong initial campaign.Season (Age)GPGAPATOI2016-17 (19)7811364720:552017-18 (20)7716213722:352018-19 (21)8211334422:54Evidently, the eighth overall pick of the 2015 draft has the size (6-foot-2, 209 lbs), skating ability, and instincts to develop into a true No. 1 defenseman.The teamBrian Babineau / National Hockey League / GettyAs important as Werenski is to the Blue Jackets, his contract isn't priority No. 1. Columbus has numerous pending unrestricted free agents, most notably Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Matt Duchene. While it doesn't appear Panarin or Bobrovsky will be returning, re-signing Duchene to a long-term deal seems realistic, so that negotiation will likely take precedence.However, with all the departing free agents, Columbus is projected to have over $32 million in cap space. This means they could offer Werenski an eight-year deal. For a player his age, the longer the term, the higher the cap hit would have to be. In a perfect world, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen would get him locked up before July 1 so he knows how much money he has left to work with.The comparablesHere's a select list of defensemen to sign contracts out of restricted free agency over the last few years:PlayerCap hitCH%LengthYear signedEsa Lindell (DAL)$5.8M7.36 years2019Shea Theodore (VGK)$5.2M6.547 years2018Noah Hanifin (CGY)$4.95M6.236 years2018Matt Dumba (MIN)$6M7.555 years2018Colton Parayko (STL)$5.5M7.335 years2017Aaron Ekblad (FLA)$7.5M10.278 years2016Seth Jones (CLB)$5.4M7.46 years2016Morgan Rielly (TOR)$5M7.06 years2016CH% = Cap hit percentage, based on cap ceiling when the contract was signedIt's difficult to find comparisons. There aren't many defensemen who have produced at Werenski's level at such a young age. Hanifin is perhaps the most interesting comparison since he was picked three spots ahead of him in the draft. However, Hanifin produced just 83 points over his first three seasons compared to Werenski's 128.Points are not the be-all and end-all for a defenseman, but at the very least, it's a starting point in negotiations. Fortunately for Werenski and his agent, there's a glut of handsomely paid blue-liners who have failed to match his production.The projectionJamie Sabau / National Hockey League / GettyWerenski's contract could be dependent on how many UFAs the Blue Jackets bring back. If Kekalainen is able to re-sign Duchene, then he may prefer to sign Werenski to five or six years. If he can't re-sign any UFAs, then the available cap space may make an eight-year deal with a higher cap hit a suitable option.Werenski's contract could also be affected by the deals his fellow RFA defensemen get - Boston Bruins blue-liner Charlie McAvoy and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov are up for new contracts. Whoever signs first will provide the best and most recent comparison for the other two.For a deal in the six-to-eight-year range, the Blue Jackets could be looking at a cap hit as low as $6.5 million, and potentially as high as $8.5 million to lock up Werenski.Verdict: 8 years, $66 million ($8.25 million AAV, 10.06 CH%)Others in this series:

Pavel Datsyuk put any rumors of a potential return to the NHL to rest Wednesday, signing a one-year deal to remain in the KHL with his hometown Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, the league announced Wednesday.After three years with SKA St. Petersburg, Datsyuk announced in May that he wouldn't be returning to the club, prompting some speculation that the 40-year-old was interested in a return to North America.Before the former All-Star opted to stay in the KHL, agent Dan Milstein said the only NHL team Datsyuk would suit up for would be the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he spent the entirety of his 14-season career.Datsyuk recorded 918 points in 953 games during his NHL tenure, winning two Stanley Cups, four Lady Byng Trophies, and three Selkes.The Magic Man posted 12 goals and 30 assists in 54 games with St. Petersburg last year.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.