The Buffalo Sabres announced they have hired Davis Payne as an associate coach to serve under bench boss Phil Housley.The 46-year-old Payne spent the past five seasons in an associate role with the Los Angeles Kings, and previously served as head coach of the St. Louis Blues for parts of three seasons, leading them to a 67-55-15 record between the 2009-10 and 2011-12 campaigns.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid is the $100-million man.The Edmonton Oilers captain put pen to paper on an eight-year extension with the club Wednesday on a deal set to kick in for the 2018-19 season.The new contract will see McDavid soon lay claim to the NHL's highest salary cap hit, a title currently held by Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, and, most recently, Montreal netminder Carey Price, all of whom carry a $10.5-million AAV.News of McDavid's new mega deal, and its potential impacts, wasn't lost on social media:

Brent Burns and Joe Thornton had their turn to get naked, now the U.S. Women's national hockey team is baring it all for ESPN's Body Issue.The team has made plenty of hockey-related headlines in the last few months.First, for launching - and, eventually winning - a highly publicized boycott with USA Hockey over fair wages, and then taking home gold at the world championships in April.The American women made headlines once again Wednesday, this time by posing nude for the popular ESPN magazine issue.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers signed center Connor McDavid to an eight-year, $100-million contract extension Wednesday, the club announced.McDavid's deal carries an annual average of $12.5 million, and will take effect for the 2018-19 season.

Andrei Markov shouldn't pack his bags for Philadelphia just yet.Amid speculation the longtime Montreal Canadiens blue-liner could be headed to Pennsylvania, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall poured cold water on that talk Wednesday."Don't believe everything you read," Hextall told John Boruk of CSNPhilly.com.Markov, 38, has spent his entire career with the Canadiens, but became an unrestricted free agent July 1.Reports indicate Markov desires a two-year extension to stay in Montreal. However, talks between the two sides stalled as free agency opened Saturday. A day later, Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin noted it would be "impossible" for the club to retain both Markov and fellow free-agent forward Alexander Radulov at their current demands.On Monday, Radulov inked a five-year deal with the Dallas Stars. His move to Texas could potentially open the door for Markov to return to Montreal.Markov appeared in 62 games with the Canadiens last season, recording six goals and 30 assists.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers have signed forward Jesper Fast to a three-year extension that carries a $1.85-million cap hit, the team announced Wednesday.Fast appeared in 68 games with the Rangers last season, registering six goals and 15 assists. He added another six points in 12 playoff contests.Fast, 25, was a sixth-round pick by the Rangers in 2010. The Swedish winger will play a bottom-six role for New York next season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eeli Tolvanen is headed home.The Finnish forward has agreed to a one-year contract with Jokerit Helsinki of the KHL, the team announced Wednesday. The deal also carries an option for the 2018-19 season.Tolvanen was selected in the first round by the Nashville Predators in this year's draft, 30th overall. He spent last season with the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers, recording 30 goals and 24 assists in 52 games.Tolvanen was originally committed to Boston College for 2017-18, before it was reported in late June that he did not meet the school's admission requirements.His NCAA ineligibility for next season not only pushed Tolvanen toward the KHL, but also saw the highly touted prospect fall in the draft. Tolvanen's final ranking by ISS Hockey was 17th overall, while he placed eighth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.Tolvanen has yet to sign an entry-level contract with the Predators.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko elected for salary arbitration Wednesday, the team announced.The 24-year-old rearguard registered solid offensive numbers last year for the Blues while serving in a top-four capacity for Mike Yeo's club. Parayko totaled four goals and 31 assists while throwing 188 shots on net - good for 11th most by a defenseman last season.

As NHL general managers re-tool their teams through free agency, fantasy owners stand by and watch values rise and fall as players' addresses change and depth charts are shuffled.These five skaters all see their value take a hit due to a questionable landing spot or their team signing a free agent who'll cut into their playing time. These players won't be able to match the fantasy contributions expected of them in recent years and owners in keeper leagues may want to consider trading them before the season starts.Related: 5 players who gained fantasy value in free agencyJames van Riemsdyk, Maple LeafsAfter the Maple Leafs were led to the 2017 playoffs by an incredible group of rookies just one season after finishing 30th, their biggest additions this offseason include 36-year-old defenseman Ron Hainsey and 37-year-old forward Patrick Marleau, who is now the team's highest-paid player on a three-year, $18.75-million contract.Marleau's signing currently has the Leafs $1.68 million over the $75-million ceiling for the 2017 salary cap. This total includes the contracts of Nathan Horton and Joffrey Lupul, but NHL teams need to be salary cap compliant before being able to place players on the long-term injured reserve. Of course, the Maple Leafs could always just send both players to the AHL via waivers.A much less desirable strategy to meet the conditions of the salary cap could involve trading James van Riemsdyk, who is owed $4.25 million in the final year of his contract. The extremely team-friendly contract for the 29-goal scorer could fetch the Leafs some help on defense. A potential move would almost surely be a negative for van Riemsdyk as he would leave a team which ranked fifth in the league with 3.05 goals per game last season.Should he remain, Marleau will cut into the 238 shots on goal van Riemsdyk tallied last season with the two together on the team's second line.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)John Gibson, DucksWith former tandem partner Frederik Andersen traded to the Maple Leafs ahead of the 2016-17 season, Gibson appeared in a career-high 52 games and made 49 starts last year. He posted a career-best .924 save percentage, keeping him in net for the lion's share of starts over Jonathan Bernier who had a .915 SV%.Soon-to-be 37-year-old Ryan Miller now heads to Anaheim to serve as Gibson's backup. Miller started a total of 105 games over the past two years with the Vancouver Canucks and joins the Ducks with a much higher pedigree than Bernier along with the ability to make many more starts. Should Gibson struggle at any point during the 2017-18 season, Miller could take over as the starter for a prolonged stretch.Sam Gagner, CanucksGagner is coming off a career resurrection with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Playing for his fourth team in as many seasons, Gagner matched a career high with 18 goals and set a new career best with 50 points, his most since notching 49 in his rookie season. Eight goals and 18 of those points came on the man advantage, where he played with Cam Atkinson, Alexander Wennberg, Nick Foligno, and Zach Werenski for 46.1 percent of all the Blue Jackets' power-play minutes.Gagner goes from Columbus' 12th-ranked power play to Vancouver's 29th-ranked unit. The most common five-man configuration used by the Canucks consisted of Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Brandon Sutter, Sven Baertschi, and Troy Stecher.The Canucks scored 10 fewer power-play goals than the Blue Jackets, despite receiving an additional 16 opportunities with the man advantage. Last season's ineffectiveness should hand Gagner the opportunity to lead the special teams system, but he'll have a grossly inferior supporting cast than the one he worked with in 2016-17.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Max Pacioretty, CanadiensPacioretty played 12.21 percent of the Montreal Canadiens' 5-on-5 minutes last season with Phillip Danault and the recently departed Alexander Radulov. Pacioretty scored 35 goals - his fourth consecutive season with at least 30 - and tied a career high with 67 points. His 268 shots on goal were a four-year low, but he benefited from a 13.1 shooting percentage, largely inflated as a result of the quality of passes he received from Radulov.Radulov led the Canadians with 16 primary assists at full strength and ranked second with eight primary helpers on the power play. He recorded a total of 36 helpers in all situations.Radulov's pass-first style will be missed by Pacioretty and his prospective fantasy owners. Danault was able to record a career high of 40 points in 15:35 of ice time per game. Anyone selected to play with Pacioretty will be informed of their role to set up the team's top goal-scorer, but they'll have a difficult time doing so with Radulov's efficiency.Semyon Varlamov, AvalancheThe Avalanche's decision to protect Varlamov - who started just 23 games due to injury - in the expansion draft and the Vegas Golden Knights' subsequent selection of Colorado's backup goalie Calvin Pickard seemed to have Varlamov on track for an increased workload in 2017-18.However, Bernier rebounded in a backup role last season, greatly improving on two poor seasons as the Maple Leafs' starting goaltender. The recently signed free agent will likely be given a shot at a true platoon role with Varlamov, even on just a one-year deal, cutting into the Russian's minutes.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shayne Corson built a reputation as a gritty, fearless player over the course of 19 NHL seasons. But as the former member of the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs recently admitted, his toughest battles arguably came off the ice.An anxiety issue he largely kept secret first arose in summer 2000, when Corson said he thought he was having a heart attack."I was sweating," Corson told the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons. "I was shaking. I got down on my hands and knees beside the bed and I start saying goodbye to everybody in my mind. I'm thinking 'I'm dying right now. This is it.'"That was the first time it ever happened. It didn't really hit me until I was trying to decide whether to stay in Montreal or play for the Leafs. I was a free agent. I was torn. I didn't say anything to anybody. How do you explain that?"Though Corson said he feels much better today, he still has trouble sleeping and suffers from panic attacks. In hindsight, Corson, 50, regrets not leaning on others for support."I was afraid to tell anyone," he said. "I was afraid and embarrassed to show weakness. I probably should have opened up to someone like (Pat Quinn). He was the kind of guy who would have understood. I probably should have told people. I can see that now. I couldn't see it then. If you're trying to figure out what's wrong with you, how can you expect others to understand?"Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Lou Lamariello is a man of very few words.So when the Maple Leafs general manager opens up and answers a few questions, people tend to listen.Such was the case Tuesday, when Lameriello joined Sportsnet's Prime Time Sports to discuss Patrick Marleau's addition and what he brings to a young Leafs club already loaded with young offensive talent."It was a unanimous consensus on the player," Lamoriello said Tuesday. "He had a lot of teams that were interested in him for a lot of different reasons. First of all, the player he is and the way he plays and what his abilities are. And also the type of individual he is - and that played a role into the decision."At three years and with an annual cap hit of $6.25 million, many experts and fans around the league began to question whether the Leafs overpaid for a soon-to-be 38-year-old player.Lamoriello was quick to cast those doubts aside."Yes, there's always a risk in any decision you make," said Lamoriello. "But where the team is at, what he can bring to the players that we have and the education process, it was really a decision, as I said earlier and I feel comfortable saying, (that was) unanimous amongst our whole group.""... Yes, it's a pricey contract," he said. "We feel this is probably the only time in the careers of the young players that we have that we could take this type of a chance."As Lamoriello admitted, bringing in a guy at Marleau's age who has put up decreasing point totals in each of the last three seasons is obviously a risk.But, considering the fact that Marleau hasn't missed a regular-season game since 2009 and has "taken care of himself throughout his whole career," it's one the Leafs are willing to take.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In putting off his NHL return until next year - a decision confirmed Tuesday by his agent - Ilya Kovalchuk made it easier on himself to choose where he plays going forward.To recap: Kovalchuk left the NHL in 2013, and in doing so walked away from a contract with the Devils that was not set to expire until 2025. That deal was eventually terminated, but the NHL subsequently ruled New Jersey would hold Kovalchuk's rights until he turns 35.If he had decided to return this summer, he would have been forced to sign with New Jersey first, at which point the Devils could have traded him elsewhere.Now, after presumably spending another season over in the KHL, Kovalchuk will become an unrestricted NHL free agent as of April 15, 2018, joining an impressive group of forwards set to hit the open market next summer.Here's a look at the top options, from youngest to oldest.PlayerPositionAge2017-18 Cap HitEvander KaneF25$5.25MJohn TavaresF26$5.5MKyle TurrisF27$3.5MCam AtkinsonF28$3.5MJames van RiemsdykF28$4.25MJames NealF29$5MPaul StastnyF31$7MRick NashF33$7.8MMikko KoivuF34$6.75MIlya KovalchukF34N/AHenrik SedinF36$7MDaniel SedinF36$7MJoe ThorntonF38$8MCertainly John Tavares stands out from this group, but the franchise player could be signed to an extension by the Islanders at any time, similar to the one Carey Price recently agreed to in Montreal.It can be argued all names on that list are better options than Kovalchuk at this point. But know this: Kovalchuk still has some game.The Russian winger is coming off his best season in the KHL (32 goals, 46 assists in 60 games), including a league championship. He also hasn't been subject to the rigors of an 82-game schedule over the past few years, meaning he may return looking fresher than his age might suggest.Without the hassle of trying to work out a trade with the Devils, count on more than a few suitors vying for his services next year.- With h/t to Cap FriendlyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights signed restricted free agent Oscar Lindberg to a two-year contract worth $3.4 million Tuesday.Lindberg was selected by Vegas in the expansion draft from the New York Rangers.The $1.7-million cap hit is a bump from the $650,000 he carried over the past two seasons.The 25-year-old forward, who was drafted 57th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2010, registered 21 goals and 27 assists during 134 games in New York. He also contributed three goals and one assist in 12 playoff games this year.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals re-signed forward Andre Burakovsky to a two-year contract worth $6 million, the club announced Tuesday.The contract comes with an annual average value of $3 million, leaving the Capitals with a projected $5.59 million in cap space for the 2017-18 season with 16 players under contract, according to CapFriendly.Burakovsky is coming off his third NHL season, one in which he scored 12 goals and finished with 35 points in 64 games. His average ice time of 13:16 per game was his highest of the three years. His TOI increased to 14:20 per night over the Capitals' 13 postseason games, allowing Burakovsky to score three goals and add three assists with a plus-5 rating.Burakovsky's 1.73 shots on goal per game in 2016-17 was his highest average of his three-year career, though his shooting percentage of 10.8 was his lowest.The Capitals' losses of forwards Justin Williams and Marcus Johansson this summer have created two holes on the second line with Evgeny Kuznetsov. Burakovsky mostly spent last season in a third-line role, playing alongside Lars Eller and Brett Connolly. He'll now have the opportunity to move into a more offensive role.He'll also be among the first to be given a chance to operate on the top power play, as forwards Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and T.J. Oshie are the only returning members of the five-man unit.The Capitals have plenty of work left this season with very little cap room available. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer is their one remaining restricted free agent. They have just 10 forwards, five defensemen, and one goaltender currently signed for 2017-18.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers have signed veteran centerman David Desharnais to a one-year contract worth $1 million, the team announced Wednesday.Desharnais spent eight years with the Montreal Canadiens before being dealt to the Edmonton Oilers at last season's trade deadline. He finished the 2016-17 campaign with 14 points in 49 games, adding one goal and three assists in the playoffs.The 30-year-old will be tasked with filling a chunk of the services down the middle of the ice left behind by Derek Stepan, who was shipped to the Arizona Coyotes in a trade before the entry draft.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ilya Kovalchuk won't be coming back to the NHL this season after all.The former Thrasher and Devil will return to the KHL for at least one more year, agent Jay Grossman confirmed to Mike Morreale of NHL.com.The decision was first reported by Larry Brooks of the New York Post.New Jersey owns Kovalchuk's rights for one more season. Brooks added that the Devils made an effort to trade the Russian sniper, which was obviously unsuccessful.Kovalchuk, 34, will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2018. So if he still intends to return to the NHL after that date, he'll be free to sign with any team he chooses without the hassles and potential complications of completing a sign-and-trade.The former first overall pick is coming off a career-high 32 goals and 78 points in his most recent KHL season, leading St. Petersburg SKA to a Gagarin Cup title.In his NHL career, he totaled 417 goals and 816 points in 816 career games before heading home to Russia following the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. This came just three years after he signed a 15-year, $100-million contract with the Devils.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota Wild forward Nino Niederreiter has filed for arbitration ahead of Wednesday's deadline, Michael Russo of The Star Tribune reports.However, Russo notes negotiations between the Wild and the restricted free agent have begun. Both parties would meet with a neutral arbitrator to reach a deal before the season if discussions continue through the summer.Niederreiter, 24, is in prime position to vie for a considerable raise, coming off a career-best season in which he notched 25 goals and 32 assists in 82 games, despite averaging just 15 minutes of ice time per night.Minnesota has over $15 million in cap space this offseason, according to CapFriendly, with Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, and the newly acquired Marcus Foligno in need of new contracts.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks could hardly afford to lose Patrick Marleau's offensive production after finishing 19th in the NHL in goals for last season. But with Marleau, who's averaged 26 goals per season over the last four years, now in Toronto, the Sharks have a major hole to fill up front.San Jose has a little over $10 million in cap space, per Cap Friendly, but there are few options available in free agency. It's possible it could sign one of the remaining veteran wingers, such as Jaromir Jagr, Thomas Vanek, or Brian Gionta.However, if the Sharks choose to rely on internal options, the following three players have the best chance of getting it done.Timo MeierMeier, 20, was taken ninth overall by the Sharks in the 2015 draft.As a rookie in 2016-17, Meier had only three goals and three assists in 34 games, but he was often stuck on the third or fourth line, as he averaged just over 12 minutes of ice time per game.In the limited role, the Swiss-born winger had an astounding 85 shots on goal. In fact, he finished fourth in the NHL in shots per 60 minutes, behind Alex Ovechkin, Jack Eichel, and Jeff Skinner among players who played at least 10 games.Despite last season's low shooting percentage of 3.5, Meier does have a good shot - he buried 14 goals in 33 AHL games last year.At 6-feet, 210 pounds, Meier is physically ready for an increased role. He's heavy on his stick, great in the cycle, and could easily pot 25 goals with a full season in the top-six with Joe Thornton or Logan Couture as his center.Tomas HertlHertl played just 49 games in an injury-riddled 2016-17 season, totaling 10 goals and 12 assists. He spent parts of last season on the wing alongside Thornton and Joe Pavelski, but also spent a large portion of the year centering the third line.With Chris Tierney seemingly ready to take over third-line center duties full time, Hertl could spend more time on the wing in a top-six role, where his scoring touch can be put to better use.He scored 21 goals in 2015-16, and heading into his fifth NHL season, the 23-year-old Czech native could take off with a more prominent workload potentially on the horizon.Jannik HansenHansen isn't the flashiest player, but he is a very effective two-way winger capable of playing up and down the lineup. He can also put the puck in the back of the net when he's put in the right situation.In 2015-16, Hansen posted a career-high 22 goals in just 67 games while playing alongside the Sedin twins in Vancouver.The hard-working Dane could easily bury 20-to-25 goals if he can stay healthy and remain in the top-six all year. He'll certainly be playing with extra motivation given that he's in the final year of his contract.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Nail Yakupov, the team announced Tuesday.The contract is for one year and is worth $875,000, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Yakupov, taken first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2012 draft, was dealt to the St. Louis Blues last October, but didn't receive a qualifying offer at season's end.The 23-year-old never found his footing with the Oilers and failed to gain traction when given a new opportunity with the Blues. In 40 games during the 2016-17 campaign, Yakupov recorded nine points while averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time per game, frequently landing in the press box as a healthy scratch.For his career, Yakupov's notched 120 points in 292 games, never living up to the buzz he generated coming out of junior. His best season came as a rookie in 2012-13, when he tallied 31 points in the lockout-shortened 48-game season.For the Avalanche, who quite frankly have nothing to lose after a dreadful 48-point showing in 2016-17, it's a worthwhile gamble adding Yakupov at such a modest price.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes acquired forward Marcus Kruger from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2018, the team announced.Kruger, 27, had spent his entire NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks until he was dealt to the Golden Knights on July 2 for future considerations. Kruger's cap hit of $3,083,333 for the next two seasons simply became a luxury the Blackhawks could not afford for a fourth-line center.Though his career high in points is just 28, Kruger will immediately bring big-game experience and a championship pedigree to one of the NHL's youngest dressing rooms. He was a member of Chicago's 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cup teams, and has 398 regular season games, and 87 playoff games under his belt.Kruger won't head into the Canes' locker room as a complete stranger, though. Two of his former Blackhawks teammates, Scott Darling and Trevor van Riemsdyk, were also sent to Carolina this offseason. A third, Teuvo Teravainen, was acquired by the Hurricanes last offseason. Raleigh might need to start being known as Chicago-south.On the ice, the Hurricanes lack a true No. 1 center, so being able to roll out four lines with four trustworthy centermen is crucial to their success.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kevin Shattenkirk could've gotten more money but took less to join the New York Rangers.Joe Thornton could've gotten a multiyear deal from someone but wanted to stay with the San Jose Sharks.Brian Campbell and Patrick Sharp could've gotten more money the past two summers but took the Chicago discount to return to the Blackhawks.The NHL is becoming more like the NBA with top players forgoing longer, big-money contracts to pick their preferred destination, a trend that has added a new wrinkle to free agency.''It's their opportunity to go to where they want to go and sometimes you might have to take a little bit less money to go there,'' Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill said. ''Do you want to go to a good team? Is it a city you want to go to? Is it where your family wants to be? ... It's players finding the right fit for where they want to be and having the money that they can live with.''Shattenkirk is not exactly LeBron James, but the New Rochelle, New York, native filled that role on Saturday when he turned down offers of seven years and over $30 million to sign with the Rangers for $26.6 million over just four years. The 28-year-old defenseman felt like it may be his only opportunity to ''fulfill a lifelong dream'' and wants to help pull off what LeBron did in Cleveland.''No matter where you go you're trying to win your team a Stanley Cup,'' Shattenkirk said. ''There's no better place to try to do it for me than in New York.''Rangers GM Jeff Gorton praised Shattenkirk for leaving money and years on the table, and even New Jersey's Ray Shero - who made a strong push to sign the top free agent available - gave him credit for signing in New York because it was ''where he wanted to be.''The NHL's hard salary cap and players re-signing to so many long-term deals means super teams like in the NBA won't happen. But where and who matters more and more to hockey players than simply how much and for how long.Thornton had more than half the 31-team league reach out to sign him at age 38 and signed for $8 million for one year because he simply wanted to stay in San Jose.''It was nice getting courted by all these teams, and I felt bad saying, `Hey I'm going back to San Jose,' but that's where my heart is and that's where I'm happy,'' Thornton said.Likewise, Sharp couldn't pass up going back to Chicago where he was part of three Stanley Cup teams, even if his contract is worth just $850,000 with performance bonuses. Sharp said he was ''coming back to make some more great memories and try to help this team win another Stanley Cup,'' which Campbell tried last offseason, too.Familiarity with Nashville and coach Peter Laviolette led Scott Hartnell to return to the Predators one a $1 million, one-year deal, after playing his first six NHL seasons with them.''Absolutely love coming back to Nashville,'' Hartnell said. ''I wish it was October already.''That kind of natural excitement doesn't happen everywhere. Executives around the league don't begrudge players for making personal choices.''Players have priorities on where they want to play: family reasons, where teams are, whether they're on the verge of winning a Stanley Cup or a rebuilding situation,'' Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill said. ''I think that happens every year.''Some money factors could play a role, such as Alexander Radulov making more in Dallas than he would have earned on the same, exact contract in Montreal or Vegas, Tampa Bay and Florida having a leg up in states with no income tax. But the Stars wouldn't have attracted Radulov if they weren't contenders.''Trying to win is a huge component to players picking places,'' said veteran winger Chris Kunitz, who won the Cup three times with the Penguins and signed with the Lightning. ''I think we're all pretty fortunate in what we do, but we also want to go out there and compete and have a chance to win.''---AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo, New York, and freelancer reporter Jim Diamond in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed.---Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno .---More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As NHL general managers re-tool their teams through free agency, fantasy owners stand by and watch values rise and fall as players' addresses change and depth charts are shuffled.These five skaters have all landed in positive situations and should be selected a little earlier in 2017-18 fantasy drafts. Owners in keeper leagues could target each of these players via a buy-low trade before their improved statistics inflate their asking prices.Martin Hanzal, StarsHanzal finished the 2016-17 season ranked No. 225 by ESPN's Player Rater. He scored 20 goals in 71 games split between the Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild - his first career 20-goal season - but picked up just 19 assists. Though his point-per-game pace increased after being traded to the Wild, his shooting percentage regressed to his career average.Hanzal will likely take over as the Dallas Stars' second-line center, allowing the team to use fellow centers Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza on the top line with Jamie Benn full time.That would pair Hanzal with fellow free-agent addition Alexander Radulov, and he should have an opportunity to set new career highs with the pass-happy Russian. Hanzal tied a career high with 169 shots on goal last season, has averaged more than two SOG per game over his career, and has scored at a rate of 9.3 percent.Radim Vrbata, PanthersHanzal's most common linemate last season also has an improved outlook now he's been freed from Arizona.Vrbata may be in tough to replace Jaromir Jagr, but he'll likely take over as the third piece of the Panthers' top line with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau.Florida also lost forward Jonathan Marchessault to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. With him and Jagr gone, Vrbata needs to help account for their totals of 274 shots on goal, 46 goals, and 97 points.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Scott Hartnell, PredatorsHartnell's also charged with helping address a void created by the expansion draft, as he'll fill the hole left by James Neal on one of the Nashville Predators' top two lines. Neal registered 202 SOG, 23 goals, and 41 points while averaging 17:42 of ice time last season.The Columbus Blue Jackets bought Hartnell out after he scored 13 goals and totaled 37 points last season - his lowest point total in a season where he played at least 75 games since 2002-03, snapping a streak of three straight 20-goal campaigns. He'll likely see a dramatic jump from his 12:04 of ice time last year, and will probably have the opportunity to replace Neal on the Predators' top power-play unit after totaling just three points with the man advantage during his final year in Columbus.Mike Cammalleri, KingsCammalleri's 10 goals and 31 points in 2016-17 were his fewest since his sophomore season in the NHL, a year in which he played just 31 games.The Los Angeles Kings hope a reunion will help the 35-year-old Cammalleri turn back the clock. He still averaged well over two SOG per game last year, but his 7.0 shooting percentage - a career low - represented nearly half of his 2015-16 mark, and was a far cry from his 12.3 percent career average.Cammalleri could get a shot at filling one of the spots beside center Anze Kopitar, where his career 49.6 Corsi For percentage could be covered up by the routine Selke Trophy candidate. Kopitar's most common linemates last season, Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik, totaled just 24 goals and 57 points.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Trevor Daley, Red WingsThere's no doubt Daley's joining an inferior team with his move from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Detroit Red Wings, but fantasy owners only need to care about his personal opportunity.Daley played just 2.3 percent of the Penguins' power-play minutes last season, operating behind defenders Justin Schultz and Kris Letang. He totaled just four points with the man advantage.Defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Mike Green played the bulk of the Red Wings' power-play minutes last season. Kronwall was especially ineffective, recording just six assists and no goals.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It wasn't an easy decision for Patrick Marleau to leave the organization that drafted him 20 years ago.Speaking on Toronto's TSN 1050 on Monday, Marleau said he and his family spent a week weighing the pros and cons of parting ways with the San Jose Sharks as a free agent, making use of several notebooks to do so.In the end, the Maple Leafs won out for several reasons."It came down to the excitement, the management there, the coaching staff, all the excitement around the team, the players that they have there now, the players that are going to be coming up in their system," he said."It just felt right."Mike Babcock played a big role in recruiting the veteran winger, and the coach's belief in him played a huge role in the decision-making process."I know him from the Olympics, and I know he's going to expect a lot out of me. I've go to put in the work and prove him right. That's my job and that's what I'm looking forward to doing."Marleau added the up-and-coming Leafs are now seen as a team guys want to play for, and he feels he has plenty left in the tank to help the team rise to the top."Whatever my age is, I don't feel that old," said Marleau, who'll turn 38 on Sept. 15. "I feel like I'm still full of piss and vinegar, and I know that these kids they have here are full of it. I'm going to feed off of it and use it to my advantage."Marleau also talked specifically about Auston Matthews, calling him "a special, special player" who would be "awesome" to play with.He leaves the Sharks as the club's all-time leader in games played, goals, and total points in hopes of adding a Stanley Cup to his bio before he calls it a career.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jarmo Kekalainen is indirectly tapping the brakes on trade speculation revolving around Colorado forward Matt Duchene and his Columbus Blue Jackets.While he'd like to add a high-end player at the center position, Kekalainen isn't prepared to break the bank to get it done this summer."We have until the (trade) deadline next spring," Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Dispatch. "We're always trying to improve our team, but we've always said we're not going to go crazy and mortgage the future to try and get a short-term fix."We feel like our window is just starting to crack open. We're a young team. We don't see any reason to try and go crazy. We don't want to be kicking ourselves two or three years from now."The Blue Jackets are reported to be in the mix for Duchene's services, along with Nashville and Boston.Kekalainen already made a big move by trading Brandon Saad for Artemi Panarin, and only two players over 30 remain on the roster following the buyout of Scott Hartnell: Brandon Dubinsky (31) and Jack Johnson (30).Columbus also finished sixth in scoring last season and fourth in the overall standings.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

So, who's left?The NHL's free-agent signing period produced a bevy of action out of the gate, but things are cooling off a bit, with rather slim pickings remaining.There are, however, still a few notable names out there.Here's a look at the top 10 available unrestricted free agents based on 2016-17 performance.PlayerPositionAgeGoalsPointsSalaryThomas VanekF331748$2.6MJaromir JagrF451646$4MMike FisherF371842$4MAndrei MarkovD38636$4.25MBrian GiontaF381535$3.25MMatt CullenF401331$1MP.A. ParenteauF341328$1.25MJussi JokinenF341128$4MJarome IginlaF401427$5MShane DoanF40627$3.867MVanek and Jokinen are the youngest of the bunch, and could very well kick off the next, small wave of signings.Meanwhile, Cullen and Fisher appear to be contemplating their futures in the game, and Jagr, Iginla, and Doan may have to wait until Stanley Cup contenders get their salary-cap situations in order before being able to sign on.And with Alexander Radulov having signed in Dallas, all signs point to Markov returning to Montreal.Worst-case scenario: those who don't sign during the summer could be headed for professional tryouts come training camp, with no guarantee of a job come opening night.- With h/t to Cap FriendlyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Short, but sweet.That appears to be how Alexander Radulov will remember his time with the Montreal Canadiens after the Russian forward signed a five-year deal with the Dallas Stars on Monday.

The Dallas Stars had a concrete to-do list entering the offseason, and so far, they've completed each task with flying colors.After his team failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2016-17, general manager Jim Nill replaced Lindy Ruff behind the bench, luring Ken Hitchcock out of retirement. Hitchcock, a stickler for defensive structure throughout his lengthy coaching career, identified Dallas, where he won a Stanley Cup in 1999, as the only place for him.He'll be tasked with helping a team known for its high-powered offense to defend as well as it scores goals, and Nill has done an outstanding job supplying his new coach with the personnel to make it happen.In the crease(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Defense certainly wasn't Dallas' strong suit as Ruff's tenure flamed out, but its goaltending was a flat-out disaster. The duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi surrendered 260 goals - second-most behind the lowly Colorado Avalanche. Among all netminders with at least 30 games played last season, Niemi ranked dead last in save percentage at a dreadful .892, while Lehtonen was just two spots ahead, with a measly .902 mark.In light of this, Nill went out and acquired the rights to Ben Bishop (who owns a career save percentage of .919) from Los Angeles, then quickly signed the hulking goalie to a six-year, $29.5-million deal to give the club a new No. 1.On the blue lineIn terms of improving Dallas' defense, Nill acquired veteran defender Marc Methot from the Vegas Golden Knights - a move that helps solidify the D corps, and should provide a stabilizing presence for young, offensive-minded blue-liners John Klingberg and Esa Lindell.Dallas also addressed the future of its defense with the third overall pick, drafting Miro Heiskanen, who ranked fourth among international skaters on the NHL Central Scouting final rankings.Goals, goals, goals(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Perhaps most impressively, Nill has managed to build on his main position of strength: scoring. The Stars landed the big fish, signing Alexander Radulov to a five-year pact worth $31.25 million Monday. The soon-to-be 31-year-old resurrected his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens a season ago, netting 54 points in 76 games.Radulov often lacked a playmaker to match his capabilities during his pit stop in Montreal, and now he joins an offense that already features Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, and Martin Hanzal - Nill's other free-agent acquisition. This blend of size, skill, and speed has to be frightening for Western Conference opponents, and immediately provides the Stars with one of the most prolific forward platoons in the NHL.Despite finishing 25th in league standings at 79 points last season, Dallas ranked 16th in goals scored with 222, a mark that placed the Stars ahead of the Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Ottawa Senators - all of which qualified for the postseason. Dallas also averaged 30.5 shots on goal per game, good for 12th in the NHL. Adding the likes of Radulov and Hanzal - two players who move the needle in terms of shot generation - make the Stars even tougher to defend.Now, Hitchock may need time to implement the proper system. Chemistry, of course, is also a key factor in development when infusing new talent into a lineup. But in terms of addressing team needs, Nill and the Stars have stepped up and delivered, and are undoubtedly the early winners of the offseason.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill has been swinging for the fences lately, and so far, he's hitting nothing but jacks.Nill's successful offseason continued Monday with the signing of prize free-agent winger Alexander Radulov to a five-year, $31.25-million deal. The Stars already boast some of the best offensive talent in the league in Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, so it's understandable that he's excited about his crop of forwards."To add a forward of this stature to our lineup makes our top six as deep and talented as any group in this league," Nill said Monday.The trio of offensive studs may not line up together on every shift, but they'll be expected to combine for a ton of points while giving opposing goalies nightmares.If Dallas can find some form of consistent goaltending, which should be a lot easier with Ben Bishop in town and Antti Niemi now a Penguin, its depth up front should be enough to push the team back into the postseason for only the third time in a decade.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alexander Radulov has made his way to the Dallas Stars, but how close was he to staying in Montreal?The charismatic winger signed a five-year, $31.25 million contract with the Stars on Monday, but reportedly turned down the same offer from the Canadiens, according to Renaud Lavioe of TVA Sports.There was a catch in it all, however:

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan has been one of the busier GMs this offseason, and for good reason. His Capitals are up against the salary cap, and their roster has more holes in it than any Cup contender should.Related: Washington still in tight salary situation after Johansson dealAs of Monday, MacLellan had just over $8 million remaining in available cap space for next season, while still needing at least another six players (three forwards, two defenseman, and a backup goalie) to fill out his roster.Related: Capitals sign Devante Smith-PellySo, when he took the stage to address some of those looming issues, all eyes and ears were on the Washington executive.Here are four takeaways from MacLellan's press conference:No Cup, but still hung overAfter a team wins a Stanley Cup, you usually hear about it suffering from a "Cup hangover" - a clouded, thumping head full of confidence from the season prior.According to MacLellan, the Caps are suffering from a similar hangover - minus the hardware, of course.

The Dallas Stars signed forward Alexander Radulov to a five-year, $31.25-million deal, the club announced Monday.As one of the most sought-after free-agent names of the summer, Radulov was targeted by a number of clubs, but his decision came down to the Stars and Montreal Canadiens.In 76 regular-season games for the Habs last season, the 30-year-old registered 18 goals and 54 points - good enough for second in team scoring behind Max Pacioretty.The contract carries an average annual value of $6.25 million, making it the richest deal handed out so far during free agency, topping Kevin Shattenkirk's $26.6 million pact with the New York Rangers.As was rumored, Radulov was looking for longer term than Montreal was willing to offer - clearly that was a focal point for getting the deal done.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed veteran winger Ales Hemsky to a one-year contract, the team announced Monday.The one-way deal is worth $1 million, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.Due to surgery to repair a labral tear in his hip, Hemsky was limited to just 15 games for the Dallas Stars last season, in which he recorded four goals and three assists.The signing of the 33-year-old is just the latest move in what's already been a busy summer for general Marc Bergevin, already signing free agent defenseman Karl Alzner to a five-year contract, as well as dishing out an eight-year extension to all-star goaltender Carey Price.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Buffalo's hockey marathoners have overcome injuries, illness, fatigue and countless blisters to unofficially set the record for the longest continuous game.It happened shortly after 7 a.m. Monday, when the official time clock mounted in the stands overlooking center ice hit 10 days, 10 hours, 3 minutes and 21 seconds. The time surpassed the previous Guinness World Record mark of 250 hours, 3 minutes and 20 seconds established during an outdoor game outside of Edmonton, Alberta in February 2015.Fans stood, cheered and hollered, and play was stopped briefly as players hugged on the benches and on the ice. Team Blue was leading Team White 1,723-1,695 in an event dubbed the ''11 Day Power Play.''The game began at 9 p.m. on June 22, when 40 rec-league players - many of them in their 40s - embarked on a round-the-clock bid to break the record and raise $1 million for Buffalo's Roswell Park Cancer Institute.They topped the monetary goal before the opening faceoff, and had raised $1.179 million through Sunday.The game is scheduled to go for another hour.Marathon organizers must now submit the full-length video of the game and the official scoresheet, which tops more than 50 pages, to Guinness for verification.Team White's Kenny Corp was leading scorers with 267 goals based on the statistics compiled through midnight.The event was organized a year ago by Mike Lesakowski, a 45-year-old environmental engineer. He was motivated to raise money for cancer research after his wife, Amy, was successfully treated for breast cancer at Roswell in 2009, and in honor of his mother who died of cancer last year.The two teams were split into mostly seven-player groupings (five skaters, a goalie and one substitute), which rotated playing four-hour shifts. Play was allowed to stop each hour for 10 minutes while the ice was cleaned.Many were forced to take additional shifts or expand their ice time to fill in for those who became sidelined by injuries and illness during the 11-day stretch. Rules prevented the teams from adding replacement new players once the game began.All 40 finished the game, though goalie Ryan Martin missed several days after coming down with strep throat and had to be quarantined so not to infect other players, and Nicholas Fattey broke his nose after being struck by a puck.The ice-time was donated by the NHL Buffalo Sabres-owned two-rink HarborCenter hockey and entertainment complex. Numerous restaurants chipped in by donating meals. A group of athletic trainers and therapists were also on hand 24-hours a day to treat injuries, tape up blisters and provide massages.The players also didn't leave the facility, and crammed into four rooms that were turned into makeshift sleeping quarters.As mentally and physically grueling as the game was, Lesakowski was already considering the possibility of holding another marathon to set another record.''We've raised over $1 million, right? And that's a pretty powerful thing to do,'' Lesakowski said on Thursday. ''The guys in Canada did it several times and they've raised a lot of money for similar good causes. So definitely not going to say never.''---More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's offseason signing period was kicked into overdrive Sunday, as four star players were handsomely rewarded with fresh new contracts. The onslaught of news, which we'll get to below, created plenty of buzz in hockey circles, and rightfully so.Alas, it's time to dole out some grades, and come to a verdict on which teams will benefit from, or come to regret their recent blockbuster roster decisions.Carey PriceThe Montreal Canadiens got things started, handing out an eight-year, $84-million contract extension to Price, which will make him the highest paid goalie in the NHL at the start of the 2018-19 campaign.Price's new megadeal also ties him with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane for the highest AAV in the league at $10.5 million. That, of course, will only last until Connor McDavid puts pen to paper on an extension in Edmonton.Price has undoubtedly asserted himself as one of the world's best, and the Canadiens' most important player. He's two seasons removed from winning the Vezina Trophy and MVP, but eight years for a netminder who's about to turn 30 might be a tad lengthy.General manager Marc Bergevin isn't wrong to identify Price as the club's centerpiece, but whether the netminder can be just that until he's 38 remains to be seen.Grade: B-Patrick MarleauThe Toronto Maple Leafs made a considerable splash Sunday by landing Marleau, but what comes next will be paramount to determine the success of the three-year, $18.75-million deal.Marleau will be 38 when next season begins, but he hasn't missed a game since 2008-09, and is coming off a 27-goal campaign in San Jose. He should contribute nicely to an already potent Leafs attack as a complementary piece to Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner.However, the addition of Marleau alone doesn't exactly push the young club over the top. If he can replace a forward that perhaps gets dealt for the defensive help Toronto so desperately covets, this contract could be a major step toward the Maple Leafs contending while their window is wide open.Grade: BEvgeny KuznetsovKuznetsov can be a hell of a player, but his lucrative eight-year, $62.4-million extension certainly doesn't help the Washington Captials' salary cap conundrum.After recording 77 points in 2015-16, Kuznetsov appeared to be on the fast track to superstardom, but he dipped to 59 points last year, and his $7.8-million annual cap hit, among other choices from Brian MacLellan, has already forced Marcus Johansson out the door to alleviate some financial pressure.The cap hit for Kuznetsov, just 25, is reasonable, but offering max term with numerous key decisions still to make this offseason raises several questions for the Capitals' front office.Grade: CJoe ThorntonDespite many, many offers, and watching his partner in crime land in Toronto, Jumbo Joe opted to stay in San Jose on a one-year, $8-million contract.Even though he turned 38 the same day he signed his new deal, Thornton is still one of the premier set-up men in the NHL. He's recorded at least 50 points in every full season since 1998-99, is elite at both ends of the ice and in the faceoff circle, and has showed few signs of slowing down.The Sharks might face the same situation next offseason should Thornton decide to continue playing, but for now, retaining him for another year is a big win for San Jose's front office, especially when you consider the $10 million in cap space Doug Wilson still has to work with.Grade: A(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals took another step toward fixing their salary-cap issues Monday, signing right-winger Devante Smith-Pelly to a one-year, two-way deal worth $650,000 at the NHL level, the team announced.Smith-Pelly heads to Washington after spending the last year-plus with the New Jersey Devils.Related: Washington still in tight salary situation after Johansson dealThe 25-year-old Scarborough, Ontario, native was a second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks, and has 77 points over 266 career regular-season games.Adding Smith-Pelly continues Washington GM Brian MacLellan's busy offseason, with more deals to come in the following days, as the Capitals struggle to fill out a roster that needs at least six more players (three forwards, two defenseman, and a backup goalie) to be complete.It's sure to be a wild offseason in D.C.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got their man Sunday.The addition of Patrick Marleau not only adds some flair to what had been, up until this point, a relatively quiet offseason for the Leafs' front office, but it also marks an end to the rebuild in Toronto.However, for Marleau, the decision to leave the Bay Area after two decades wasn't an easy one."I think I've worn out a few carpets pacing around the house trying to make this decision over the last couple days," Marleau said Sunday, according to Kevin Kurz of NBC Sports. "But, I'm extremely excited and happy to be a part of the Maple Leafs organization."Related: Babcock not concerned with Marleau's age: 'Have you seen him skate?'Marleau leaves behind an impressive legacy in San Jose that should have Leafs fans salivating. The 37-year-old Aneroid, Saskatchewan native finishes his career in teal and black as the Sharks' leader in goals (508), points (1,082), power-play goals (160), and game-winning goals (98).With that being said, the veteran forward is excited to be spending the next three years in The Six."It's definitely an honor to be able to call myself a Maple Leaf. Obviously as a Canadian-born player," said Marleau. "This decision took me quite awhile to come to, but I've made it, and I'm happy with it.""I can't wait to get started."We're sure Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander feel the exact same way.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brian MacLellan had a productive Sunday, but he can't put the phone down just yet.Even after trading Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night, the Washington Capitals general manager remains in a bind as he attempts to fill out a depleted roster while simultaneously squeezing under the salary cap.The Johansson deal freed up about $4.58 million, giving Washington approximately $9.24 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.That's an improvement over the $4.65 million of room they found themselves with after signing Evgeny Kuznetsov to an eight-year contract for a cap hit of $7.8 million, but the Capitals only have 14 players signed to their NHL roster following Johansson's departure.Washington is now down to eight forwards, five defensemen, and one goaltender, with restricted free-agent winger Andre Burakovsky and RFA netminder Philipp Grubauer still requiring new deals.The Capitals need to sign at least three more players up front and conceivably four more for depth, then at least two more on the back end, in addition to Burakovsky and Grubauer.That would be eight new contracts with just over $9 million to work with.Washington lost multiple impact players when free agency opened Saturday, as its No. 1 target Kevin Shattenkirk signed with the New York Rangers, durable defenseman Karl Alzner landed with the Montreal Canadiens, and veteran forward Justin Williams returned to the Carolina Hurricanes.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: The following post contains coarse language.Joe Thornton certainly has a way with words.The San Jose Sharks forward didn't hold back when asked how many offers he had in free agency."I don't know the number, but there was a shit ton," Thornton told reporters Sunday, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.The Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, and Nashville Predators all reportedly reached out to the 38-year-old in the days leading up to the start of the free-agent signing period Saturday, when Thornton's new one-year deal with San Jose was first reported.The Sharks made it official Sunday, announcing the new contract, which according to his agency, Top Shelf Sports Management, is worth $8 million.Thornton told NBC Sports California's Kevin Kurz that during the free agency process he was in frequent contact with his former San Jose teammate Patrick Marleau, who signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier Sunday."I was in constant talks with Patty, texting and calling each other," Thornton said. "Obviously I’m bummed that Patty’s not coming back. But I think he’s going to do great in Toronto and I think it’s going to be a good fit."" ... Patty is going to be a Shark for life, and he’s going to go down as the best Shark of all time. I’m just happy for him and his family. As far as the Sharks are concerned, everybody has got to just pick up the goal scoring a little bit and move on.”Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks made it official Sunday, announcing the signing of Joe Thornton to a one-year deal.It's worth $8 million, according to his agency, Top Shelf Sports Management.

First it was Curtis McElhinney's turn. Then it was Ron Hainsey's and Dominic Moore's. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it was Patrick Marleau's turn to join a young, talented Maple Leafs squad brimming with youthful exuberance.Signing four veteran guys with a combined age of 143 doesn't exactly get you fired up. But maybe it should. Stabilizing veteran voices that will make the Leafs a deeper, more effective club.First of all, Hainsey is coming off an impressive playoff performance with the Pittsburgh Penguins in which he served as a top-pairing D-man, even if it was by default. In 25 postseason games, he recorded two goals and six assists to go along with 37 hits and 44 blocked shots while playing a crucial role in Pittsburgh's Cup victory.Hainsey will also provide some relief for the Leafs' top three defensemen in Jake Gardiner, Morgan Rielly, and Nikita Zaitsev.All three played a ton of minutes last season, and the wear and tear of the 82-game grind was evident on the trio of blue-liners. Hainsey, who has logged a career average of just over 21 minutes of ice time per game, will lighten the load for the core rearguards while also bringing an element of leadership the club is looking for.McElhinney and Moore continue the Leafs' trend of going with low-risk, high-reward guys that A) know their roles well, and B) have proven track records getting the job done in backup and bottom-six roles, respectively.In 82 games last season for the Boston Bruins, Moore - a Thornhill, Ontario native - registered 11 goals and 14 assists while also winning nearly 57 percent of his faceoffs.Meanwhile, McElhinney had a respectable season as well. In 14 games for the Leafs, the 34-year-old veteran put up a record of 6-7 while posting a 2.85 goals-against and .914 save percentage - good enough numbers from your backup, especially for $800,000.Lastly, the addition of Marleau completes a quartet of veteran signings for Lou Lamoriello and Co. that make Toronto a much more complete team.Sure, he's 37. And three years at an average annual value of $6.25 million seems like a lot. But when you consider the fact that Marleau is in excellent shape and rarely misses any time due to injury, and the Leafs could have just added a game-changer.

The Washington Capitals gave themselves a little cap flexibility Sunday night, trading forward Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils for a second-round pick and a third-round pick, both in 2018.The second-round pick was originally sent to the Devils by the Florida Panthers in the Marc Savard trade, and the Toronto Maple Leafs originally gave New Jersey the third-rounder as compensation for the hiring of Lou Lamoriello, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Johansson set career highs with 24 goals and 58 points with the Capitals this past season.He has two years left on his contract at an annual cap hit of about $4.58 million.Washington now has about $9.2 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly, but only has 14 players signed to its NHL roster, and still needs to sign restricted free agents Andre Burakovsky and goaltender Philipp Grubauer.The Capitals found themselves with only about $4.65 million in cap space after signing Evgeny Kuznetsov to an eight-year, $62.4-million contract earlier Sunday, so a move like the Johansson trade was inevitable, and more transactions may still be necessary.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Evgeny Kuznetsov is committing to the Washington Capitals for the long haul.The club signed the dynamic forward to an eight-year, $62.4-million contract Sunday.He was a restricted free agent whose $7.8-million cap hit will be on the books through 2024-25.Kuznetsov notched 19 goals and 59 points in his fourth season in the U.S. capital, and he's two years removed from a 20-goal, 77-point campaign.The 25-year-old joined the Capitals after spending five seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL.Washington selected him 26th overall in 2010.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a big splash on the free-agent market Sunday, signing veteran Patrick Marleau to a three-year deal with an annual average value of $6.25 million.At 37 years old, the Leafs clearly feel that Marleau has a lot left in the tank. According to head coach Mike Babcock, that has a lot to do with they way the veteran can still move on the ice."Even if he doesn't score goals, he can skate," Babcock said, as reported by Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com. "He can play against the best people and do it right every single night." "... Have you seen him skate?"Related: Maple Leafs sign Marleau to 3-year dealRegardless of his age, Marleau's numbers indicate one thing: The guy can still put the puck in the back of the net.Since entering the league in 1997, Marleau has totaled 508 goals and 574 assists in 1,493 career regular-season games - good enough for fifth on the active scoring list.By the time the puck drops on the 2017-18 season, Marleau will be 38. But according to Babcock, that shouldn't be an issue, per Cotsonika: "I think (Toronto) will be a fountain of youth for him."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Patrick Marleau is a Toronto Maple Leaf.The club signed the veteran forward to a three-year, $18.75-million contract Sunday.His annual cap hit will be $6.25 million, and the salary is reportedly front-loaded.

Carey Price was nonchalant when asked about his mammoth new contract."We just kind of banged one out," the star goaltender quipped to reporters Sunday, according to NHL.com's Arpon Basu.Earlier in the day, the Canadiens signed Price to an eight-year extension worth a reported $84 million, making him the highest-paid goalie in the league and all but ensuring the 2015 Hart and Vezina Trophy winner will finish his career with the only organization he's ever known.Related - Poll: Did the Canadiens overpay Price?Price didn't deny the notion that he should be among the highest-paid players in the league, and he clearly wasn't ready to put on another team's sweater after spending his first 10 NHL seasons with the Canadiens."I thought it would be too weird, I guess," he said, according to Basu, adding that he's "obviously ecstatic" to have the opportunity to close out his career with Montreal, via The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno.The 29-year-old has one more year left on his previous deal and is now under contract until 2025-26.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers, the NHL's ninth-oldest team during the 2016-17 season, according to NHL Numbers, took a most unconventional route to get younger for 2017-18.The Panthers elected to let go of 45-year-old Jaromir Jagr and instead chose to sign Radim Vrbata, who may be nine years Jagr's junior but still comes in at an overly ripe 36 years of age and ties captain Derek MacKenzie as the team's oldest player.Vrbata is coming off a superior offensive season when compared to Jagr's campaign, but only by a very slim margin:PlayerGPGAPVrbata81203555Jagr82163046The potential reward of milking a few more points out of a slightly younger Vrbata isn't worth the risk of losing one of the league's top attendance draws for a team which ranked just 26th in the league, with an average home crowd of 14,620.Regardless of where the Panthers play, fans of No. 68 come out in droves to support their long-haired hero and the man who ranks second to Wayne Gretzky on the league's all-time points list.(Photo courtesy: @68isgr8/Twitter)The riskThe decision to walk away from Jagr was not an easy one for Panthers general manager Dale Tallon. "I was torn. It’s been a tough couple of months and I can’t thank him enough for what he did for our kids, myself, and the organization; you can’t measure it," said Tallon, according to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel.The pivot from Jagr to Vrbata unnecessarily jeopardizes the progression and puts at risk the relationship between the team's two brightest stars and the aforementioned "kids." Mostly playing with Jagr, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov ranked 40th and 27th among all qualified NHL skaters, respectively, in points per game over the past two years. Jagr ranked 73rd, and Vrbata ranked 161st while playing with inferior linemates for the lowly Arizona Coyotes.Tallon tried to convey his rationale, adding: "It’s time our core young guys take over this team and that was our thought process as well.”While Huberdeau and Barkov may well be ready to lead the Panthers on their own, they've reached that point due in part to Jagr's leadership and tutelage. They may improve with a (slightly) better player in Vrbata alongside them, but the move puts at risk the elite level of play at which they were already capable of when playing with Jagr.The reward?

Carey Price is arguably the best goalie on the planet, and on Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens made sure he was paid as such.Habs general manager Marc Bergevin inked his franchise netminder to an eight-year deal worth a reported $84-million at an annual average value of $10.5 million, making Price - who will be 30 on Aug. 16 - the highest-paid goalie in the NHL.Quite simply, is he worth it?Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens general manager dropped a bit of a truth bomb while announcing Carey Price's mega-contract extension.Price signed an eight-year deal that will keep him with the team for the next nine seasons, but the more immediate futures of free agents Andrei Markov and Alex Radulov remain murky.