In the summer of 1983, Dominik Hasek - future Hockey Hall of Famer and six-time Vezina Trophy winner - learned he had been drafted into the NHL by happenstance after his traveling companion glanced at a newspaper while visiting France.Not only was getting drafted a surprise but so too was the rookie contract he was later offered by the Chicago Blackhawks: five years and $1.2 million, which he had absolutely no intentions of accepting. Hasek, who was visiting France with his longtime Czechoslovakian national team teammate Frank Musil when he learned of the NHL's interest, could only relocate to the United States if he was willing to defect from the then Soviet-controlled nation, something hockey players had been tortured and imprisoned for attempting in the past.Hasek eventually did play in the NHL, becoming one of the league's most celebrated goaltenders. In fact, a talented core of Czech and Slovak players put its mark on the NHL once the Soviet Bloc started to crumble in the late 1980s, including Hasek, Musil, Jaromir Jagr, Patrik Elias, Milan Hejduk, Petr Nedved, Bobby Holik, and David Pastrnak for the Czechs, while Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik, Peter Bondra, and Zdeno Chara led the Slovaks. How hockey flourished there to become a pathway to the rest of the world is a story that began more than 75 years ago in 1946. It's a story detailed in Ethan Scheiner's newly released book, "Freedom to Win." It's a story that begins with Holik's father."By far the most important thing is what the men of that previous generation did for our generation to have opportunities," Holik said. Simon & SchusterIn 1948, on the heels of World War II, the Communist Party seized power in Czechoslovakia, heavily guided by Soviet influence. The regime was repressive from the outset, and dissent was out of the question.These circumstances would color the childhood of Holik's father - Jaroslav Holik Jr. - who was born in 1942, just in time to fall in love with hockey in the brief lull between their Nazi occupiers and the rise of the Communist Party. It was Christmas morning in 1946 when he received his first pair of skates - money for which his parents had scrupulously saved from the proceeds of their small butcher shop that also doubled as the family's living quarters.The idyll didn't last long. Two years later, the Communist government forced Jaroslav Sr. to sell the butcher shop at a price they named, and the future began closing in on the family, like most in the country at the time."We would never say, 'I want to do this with my life,'" said Bobby Holik, who was born into the repression in 1971. "We had no idea. Because, at any given moment, the government was so powerful that it could end any path."But at the start of the Communist Party's rule, Bobby's grandfather - Jaroslav Sr. - imparted a fateful lesson about the future. He told his sons, "If you want to get anywhere in life, you have to play a sport. It won't happen any other way." It was their path out of tyranny.In the late 1960s, Czechoslovaks were increasingly dissatisfied with their stalled economy, and signs of defiance grew, causing their new leader, Alexander Dubcek, to initiate the "Prague Spring" reforms at the start of 1968, which seemingly signaled a period of political transformation and increased civil liberties.But those who dared to believe the era of Soviet dominance could be drawing to a close were disappointed. The Soviet Union was prepared for a show of military might, and on the evening of Aug. 20, 1968, it launched a full-scale invasion with four allied nations - the Warsaw Pact invasion - that sent shockwaves through the nation.Tanks rolled through the streets of Prague on Aug. 20-21, 1968. Keystone-France / Gamma / Getty ImagesInitially, Czechoslovaks resisted. But as the Soviets clamped down, the avenues of resistance narrowed. That's where hockey comes into play.The occasion: The 1969 Ice Hockey World Championship. The event had been awarded to Prague, but organizers sought to avoid trouble and moved it to Stockholm. Czechoslovakia would have to wage its proxy battle against the Soviets on neutral ice."Sometimes you have no other outlet," said Scheiner, whose book delves into the Czechoslovakian team's two triumphs over the USSR at the tournament. "This was actually one of those cases where there was no other way for these people to get back at the Soviets or to express themselves in any way."By then, Jaroslav Holik Jr., following his father's advice to create his future in sports, had made a name for himself as a dominant force on the ice. He had earned a spot on the national team, along with his brother Jiri, and they took their fighting spirit to the ice - something that took on a special weight for fans.Jiri, left, and Jaroslav Holik after the second game against the Soviets at the world championship in 1972. Copyright Jiri Pekarek / Courtesy Simon & Schuster"Hockey was basically the national identity," Bobby Holik said. "We didn't have much at the time; we were occupied by the team that was far superior than we were. We were occupied by a country that had a hockey team that was the most superior hockey team in the world."The Soviets came into the 1969 tournament having won the previous six world titles and the last two Olympics. The Czechoslovaks hadn't won a match against them since 1961. So prolific was their losing record that a rumor had circulated in the intervening years that they were forbidden from winning against the region's political masters.That said, by 1968, the Czechoslovaks had improved greatly on the ice and managed a high-stakes win against the Soviets at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble but ultimately placed second in the tournament after tying with Sweden in their subsequent matchup.Czechoslovak and Soviet player tangle up in front of the Czechoslovak net during the 1968 Olympics. Agence-France Presse / Getty Images"Originally, the Soviet Union had no interest in competing with the West in these sports," Scheiner said. "But once they saw that they could get actual, real propaganda out of it, then they were really enthusiastic about doing it."The Czechoslovaks sought to prove that while their country's liberalizing reforms might have been rolled back, at least on the ice, they would still dominate.The 1969 tournament was a six-team affair that also featured Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the U.S. Each team would play the others twice in the round robin, with the title being decided by the team with the best overall record. Czechoslovakia would have two swipes at their tormentors."The situation just presented itself to make it stand," Holik said. "It wasn't politics. It was a national pride. It was national identity."The 1969 Czechoslovakia national team. CTK / Havelka Zdenek / Courtesy Simon & SchusterThe first of their matchups fell on March 21. Czechoslovakia came into the game with a 3-1 record, having beaten Canada, the U.S., and Finland by at least three goals but losing 2-0 to Sweden. The Soviets had rolled to four straight wins over the same teams, scoring 34 goals and allowing just six. Half of those goals came in a 17-2 drubbing of the U.S.The Czechoslovak players didn't let that bother them. In an intense battle - with the Swedish crowd adopting the Czechoslovaks as the hometown team - they secured a stunning 2-0 victory. Jaroslav Holik Jr. celebrated the first goal by ripping the net from the ice and tossing it toward the boards. Emotions were running so high on the Soviet side that coach Anatoli Tarasov suffered a heart attack before the final whistle blew.From left, Jiri Holik, Jaroslav Holik Jr., and Vaclav Nedomansky celebrate Jan Suchy's goal in Game 1. Jan Delden / TT / Imago Images / Courtesy Simon & SchusterIn their second encounter on March 28, the intensity ratcheted up another level. Both teams were 7-1 with two games left to play. Czechoslovakia drew first blood and secured a two-goal lead - the first goal of which was scored by Jiri Holik. But then the team faltered, giving up two before the end of the second period. Both teams remained locked in a stalemate until the middle of the third period when Czechoslovakia rallied with two goals - one of them by Jaroslav Holik Jr. - and held off a late Soviet rally to clinch an extraordinary 4-3 triumph.From left, Jan Hrbaty, Jaroslav Holik Jr., and Jiri Holik at the 1969 Worlds. CTK / Havelka Zdenek / Courtesy Simon & SchusterThe victory of the Czechoslovakian hockey team roused the nation to action. Half a million Czechoslovaks took to the streets in celebration that turned to defiance and protest. Not even Soviet military barracks were safe from the unleashed anger of the masses.People took to the street to celebrate the Czechoslovaks' victories. Miroslav Zajic / Corbis Historical / Getty Images But the tournament and the protests didn't have a Hollywood ending. Czechoslovakia lost its final game to Sweden and was relegated to the bronze medal, while the Soviets earned gold. The protests also didn't result in any gains. "After these hockey matches, the repression got even worse in Czechoslovakia. That led to the reformist leader getting kicked out of power," Scheiner said.With reform fully squashed, Jaroslav Holik Jr. did what he knew best, returning to hockey while passing down his father's nugget of wisdom to his own children: Sports were the only way out. Those children happened to be Bobby Holik and his peers, Musil and Hasek."One of my favorite parts of the story was all these boys who grew up in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and the 1980s. They were living in this horribly repressive society. But their parents would tell them, 'OK, in 1968, we were invaded by the Soviets. Their troops are still here. But, back in 1969, our hockey players were some of the few people who were able to fight back," Scheiner said.The memory of that victory and its national importance spawned a generation of world-class hockey talent. A few defected: The Holiks' teammate Vaclav Nedomansky escaped in 1974; the Stastny brothers went out in 1980. Nedved was the last to go that route in 1989."It was just like, 'You have to be a really good athlete, and that will help you find your way out, or you're going to live in this country forever,'" Bobby Holik said.Czechoslovakia would endure another two decades of Soviet rule before it successfully toppled the Communist Party regime through the Velvet Revolution in late 1989. While some hockey players - such as Musil, who defected in 1986 to play for the Minnesota North Stars - found escape routes during the Communist Party rule, other Czech and Slovak stars, such as Jagr, Holik, and Hasek, realized their NHL dreams following the fall of the regime. Jagr chose to wear No. 68 in the NHL in tribute to his grandfathers and the brief taste of freedom the country experienced that year.The Czech Republic won Olympic gold in 1998 with Robert Lang, Dominik Hasek, and Richard Smehlik. Olivier Moran / AFP / Getty ImagesIn 1998, they did get their Hollywood ending. The Czechs bested the Russians 1-0 in the ice hockey final at the Nagano Winter Olympics to earn gold."There's no way (our parents) could change what happened or what was going to happen - the oppression that was going to be there. But they had an opportunity to just say, 'You know what, occupiers or not, we can still compete on the ice,'" Holik said.Jolene Latimer is a video producer and feature writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks bolstered their forward depth on Friday by signing Pius Suter to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.6 million, the team announced.Suter recorded 14 goals and 10 assists in 79 games while averaging 14:04 per contest with the Detroit Red Wings last season.The 27-year-old Swiss product has played both center and wing throughout his three-year NHL career, although he figures to slot in at the former in Vancouver, given the Canucks' lack of depth down the middle. After Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, Vancouver's center depth is comprised of Teddy Blueger and Nils Aman. Suter will likely compete for the third-line center role."Bringing in Pius for the next couple of years really helps us strengthen our centre ice position," Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said in a statement."Adding a player who has scored 43 goals the past three seasons will be a boost for us up front and he will also add to our penalty-killing unit as well," Allvin added. "His flexibility to be able to play down the middle or on the wing will give (head coach Rick Tocchet) more options when putting together his forward lines."Suter's posted excellent defensive metrics throughout his career - both at even strength and on the penalty kill. The latter will be a welcomed boost to a Canucks team that owned the NHL's worst penalty kill at 71.6% last season. Evolving-HockeyThe 5-foot-11, 179-pound forward initially signed with the Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He spent one year in Chicago before playing for the Red Wings the last two seasons.Suter has averaged 16 goals and 16 assists per 82 games across his three NHL campaigns.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Evgeny Svechnikov is heading home.The Russian free-agent winger signed a two-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL, the team announced Friday.Svechnikov came up through Kazan's junior program before coming to North America to continue his career.The 26-year-old skated in 58 games with the San Jose Sharks last season, notching eight goals and six assists. He's tallied 20 goals and 25 assists in 172 games in his six-year NHL career.The Detroit Red Wings drafted Svechnikov 19th overall in 2015.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes signed defenseman Caleb Jones to a one-year contract worth $775,000, the team announced Thursday.Jones tallied four goals and a career-high 16 points in 73 games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 26-year-old played 19:13 per contest, ranking third among Blackhawks blue-liners."Caleb is a reliable, two-way defenseman," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "His NHL experience will help boost our depth on defense."Chicago didn't tender Jones a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.He's the younger brother of Blackhawks defenseman Seth and the son of longtime NBA player and current Denver Nuggets assistant coach Popeye.The Edmonton Oilers drafted Jones in the fourth round in 2015. The Arlington, Texas, native accrued 50 points in 217 games between the Oilers and Blackhawks.Jones becomes the ninth Hurricanes defenseman signed to a one-way contract. Carolina had $845,583 of cap space prior to the signing, according to CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed 2023 first-round pick Easton Cowan to a three-year, entry-level contract Thursday, the team announced.The selection of Cowan at 28th overall came as a bit of a surprise, as most analysts projected him to be picked in the second or third round.Cowan, a native of Mount Brydges, Ontario, said it was a "dream" to be picked by his hometown Maple Leafs.The speedy winger collected 53 points in 68 games with the OHL's London Knights last season, adding nine goals and 12 assists in 20 postseason contests. He figures to play a more sizeable role for the Knights in 2023-24.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We've reached the point in the offseason when things typically slow to a crawl, so it's time to have a little fun.Connor Bedard is poised to enter and excel in the NHL after the Chicago Blackhawks drafted him first overall. Connor McDavid is the best active player in the world, coming off his second Hart Trophy-winning season in three years and the third MVP nod of his career.The league's abundance of elite Connors doesn't end there. Fans in Winnipeg know all about them. The Jets boast not one but two stellar players who go by that name, with perennially underrated sniper Kyle Connor and consistently dependable goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.There are so many Connors in the NHL that we wondered how a team full of them would look and fare. But despite the high-level talent at the top, there weren't quite enough players who use the more common spelling, so we decided to allow single "n" Conors, as well.Without further ado, let's explore the would-be roster for this hypothetical squad on which every active player shares a first or last name with each of their teammates.Forwards Codie McLachlan / Getty Images Sport / GettyLeft wingCenterRight wingKyle Connor (WPG)Connor McDavid (EDM)Connor Brown (EDM)Conor Sheary (TBL)Connor Bedard (CHI)Conor Garland (VAN)Drew O'Connor (PIT)Connor Dewar (MIN)Logan O'Connor (COL)Connor Zary (CGY)Connor McMichael (WAS)Connor Bunnaman (UFA)Conor Geekie (ARI)The top six is clearly formidable. Garland might make more sense on the top line to some, but Brown and McDavid played together in junior and recently reunited when the Edmonton Oilers signed Brown as a free agent on July 1.Bedard hasn't played a minute in the league yet. However, his sky-high potential cements him as the second-line center between a pair of experienced wingers. The bottom six leave something to be desired, but it's not bad considering the limitations in forming this roster. We made another exception by including the two O'Connors, and this third line isn't terrible as a result.The fourth line is thin, with a trio who played primarily in the AHL this past season. Zary is a center by preference, but he played as a left-winger in junior. Bunnaman, also a left-shot center, has to play out of position by necessity here. Zary gets to line up on his strong side because he's coming off a 21-goal, 58-point effort over 72 games with the Calgary Wranglers.Geekie has no NHL experience, but the 19-year-old - whom the Arizona Coyotes drafted 11th overall last year - impressed over his previous two WHL seasons with the Winnipeg Ice. He's also older than Connor Hvidston, a winger with seven games of AHL experience who turns 19 in September and whom the Anaheim Ducks chose 139th in the same draft.Defensemen Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport / GettyLeft defenseRight defenseConnor Clifton (BUF)Connor Murphy (CHI)Connor Mackey (NYR)Conor Timmins (TOR)Connor Carrick (SEA)Connor Corcoran (VGK)Connor McCarthy (Slovakia)As the above chart makes clear, defense is the one significant area of concern for this imaginary team. Mackey would play his natural position on the left side, but Clifton and Carrick need to slide over due to the team's lack of depth on the back end. But hey, at least they'd have Murphy and his 10 years of NHL experience to provide leadership and log heavy minutes.The club has to rely on a less-than-inspiring group to round out the defense corps. Corcoran is a 22-year-old Vegas Golden Knights farmhand who has yet to play an NHL game, while the 27-year-old McCarthy only has pro experience in the AHL and ECHL.In June, McCarthy signed with Slovakian side Banska Bystrica for next season. We're betting he'd rather play - or even ride the pine - for this star-studded collection of namesakes.Goaltenders Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyDepth chartPlayerStarterConnor Hellebuyck (WPG)BackupConnor Ingram (ARI)ThirdConnor Murphy (CGY)As far as crease tandems go, this team would be in better shape than many NHL clubs. Hellebuyck won the 2020 Vezina Trophy and is a perennial contender for the hardware. He's about as consistent as they come. Ingram is a solid No. 2, though his experience at the highest level is limited.Murphy - the netminder, not the aforementioned blue-liner - signed with the Wranglers in March after four years in the NCAA split between Northeastern University and Union College. As fun (and confusing) as it would be to see two Connor Murphys on the ice simultaneously, we have a feeling that might not be preferable for this team.The coaching staff Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images Sport / GettyOur options are even more limited in this category, but we found our bench boss. Former NHL and WHA winger Cam Connor (seen above battling with The Great One during the Heritage Classic Megastars game in 2003) gets the honor of leading this illustrious group. He's a Manitoba Hockey Hall of Famer and was best friends with WWE legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper growing up, so that sounds like coaching material to us.The Winnipeg-born 68-year-old would likely gel well with this team considering all the Winnipeg connections on the roster. He also had a few productive seasons as a WHA player in the '70s. And even though he didn't make much of an impact in the NHL, he learned from legendary head coach Scotty Bowman while playing for the Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens in 1978-79.Rounding out the staff (remember, there aren't a lot of choices here) is Peterborough Petes assistant coach Patrick O'Connor. He'd presumably be happy to get promoted from the OHL even while keeping the same job description. The English-born leader captained Great Britain's national junior team and won the British Hockey League championship after turning pro.There you have it. We initially didn't foresee an entire 23-player roster of Connors, Conors, and O'Connors capable of competing at the highest level, but here we are.Could this team beat an actual NHL club like the basement-dwelling Ducks of this past season or the rebuilding San Jose Sharks after recently trading Erik Karlsson? We may never know. But despite its defensive deficiencies, we'd give this unique, talented squad the edge against several subpar real-life teams.Given that the NHL (led by commissioner Gary Bettman) and NHLPA have experimented with numerous All-Star and World Cup formats over the years, why not assemble this group for real and see how it does in a one-off exhibition game for charity? We'd pay to see that, and we know some other people reading this would as well.Make it happen, Gary.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture isn't planning an exit from the Bay Area as the club looks to become competitive again."If I thought it was going to be a five-, six-, seven-year rebuild, then obviously things would change," Couture told NHL.com's Jon Lane."But I think (general manager) Mike (Grier) has done a good job of retooling (with) some really good (draft) picks. It's tough to predict what happens a couple of years from now, but I'm excited about this season. I want to turn this thing around here in San Jose. I think they have the management group to do it. They have a great coaching staff that's going to get things going."San Jose finished 29th in the league last season with a 22-44-16 record - its lowest win total in a full campaign since Couture joined the club in 2009-10.The Sharks have signified their intentions to rebuild in recent months by trading former franchise cornerstones Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson in separate deals. Couture could theoretically be an attractive trade chip as well, but the 34-year-old doesn't intend to trigger the modified no-trade clause in his contract that allows him to submit a list of three teams he'd accept a deal to."Change is hard, and if there ever comes a day where it has to happen and I think it's best for myself and my family, then we'll come to that," Couture said. "I'm sure down the road maybe my role diminishes on the ice, but for now I want to do whatever I can to help this team and be the best player that I can be for the Sharks."Couture is under contract through 2027 at a cap hit of $8 million. He ranked second in Sharks' scoring last season with 67 points in 82 games while logging over 19 minutes per night.San Jose drafted Couture ninth overall in 2007. He's racked up 700 points in 927 regular-season games and added 101 more in 116 playoff contests.The Sharks named Couture captain ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Erik Karlsson has one clear goal in mind following a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday: win the Stanley Cup.The three-time Norris Trophy winner has accomplished more than most in his 14-year NHL career, but he's still chasing that elusive Stanley Cup ring.Karlsson, whose contract contains a no-movement clause, said he didn't give the San Jose Sharks a list of preferred destinations - he just wanted to go to a contender. When Pittsburgh got involved, he became interested."I was very excited about the opportunity to go somewhere I could be on a team where we're contending," he said Wednesday during his introductory press conference. "It was a lot of ups and downs and hard to get a grasp of where things were at. It was exciting when I heard they were interested. I'm happy it worked out in the end."At 33 years old, Karlsson is the youngest member of Pittsburgh's new core four, joining Sidney Crosby (36), Evgeni Malkin (37), and Kris Letang (36). Even though the Pens missed the playoffs last season, Karlsson still believes the group has what it takes to go on another deep run."You have a lot of strong players that have been here for a long time with extreme success," Karlsson said. "I am excited to work alongside players like that, learn from them. ... We're all trying to do the same thing - win hockey games and win the Cup."Karlsson has experienced Pittsburgh's playoff prowess first hand. During his nine years with the Ottawa Senators, Karlsson lost to the Penguins on three separate occasions in the postseason, including the 2017 Eastern Conference Final when Pittsburgh went on to win it all."I've played against Pittsburgh many times, and lost to them a few times when they went on to win the ultimate prize," he said. "That's something they know how to do here, and the players that they've had here for a long time are still really good players."If the Penguins can qualify for the postseason and make some noise in the spring, Karlsson will undoubtedly play a key role. He's coming off a historic campaign that saw him become the sixth defenseman in history to record 100 points in a single season, and he did so despite playing on the NHL's fourth-worst team.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed goaltender Martin Jones to a one-year, $875,000 contract, the team announced Wednesday.Jones spent last season with the Seattle Kraken, going 27-13-3 with an .886 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average.The 33-year-old veteran gives the Leafs insurance between the pipes behind starter Ilya Samsonov and backup Joseph Woll. Jones' signing comes two weeks after Toronto announced netminder Matt Murray is out indefinitely and would be placed on long-term injured reserve to begin the 2023-24 campaign.Prior to Jones' signing, no healthy goaltender in the Leafs organization behind Samsonov and Woll had any NHL experience. Even Woll, despite shining in limited opportunities last season, only has 15 NHL games - including regular season and playoffs - under his belt.Jones was stellar during the first five years of his career. He played at least 60 games in three straight seasons for the San Jose Sharks from 2015-18, accumulating a .915 save percentage and 21.1 goals saved above expected in that span, per Evolving-Hockey. He was excellent in the postseason during those three years with San Jose too, posting a .926 save percentage in 40 starts. He also led the Sharks to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.However, Jones has been one of the league's worst goalies ever since, recording an .895 save percentage over his last five seasons. His minus-10.74 goals saved above expected was the ninth-worst mark among NHL goaltenders last season.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Even though the personnel changes have been minimal so far this offseason, Nazem Kadri believes viewers will see a new-look Calgary Flames team in 2023-24."I think a lot of guys on the team are ready to kind of play to their potential," Kadri told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "For whatever reason, we got a little restricted last year, so I'm just looking forward to a clean slate and starting the year off strong."After missing the playoffs last year despite lofty preseason expectations, the Flames' only notable roster move has been trading leading scorer Tyler Toffoli for Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick. However, Calgary replaced general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Darryl Sutter with Craig Conroy and Ryan Huska, respectively.Kadri was one of several Flames players - including winger Jonathan Huberdeau and goaltender Jacob Markstrom - to have a down season in 2022-23. The center recorded 56 points in 82 games after notching a career-high 87 in 71 contests the year prior with the Colorado Avalanche.But Kadri believes the club will play more freely under Huska in 2023-24, which will lead to better results."Any time you get fresh faces, it's just a new energy and a new enthusiasm," Kadri said. "So, of course, with the type of personnel we have, we can play creative. We have a lot of skill."However, there's still plenty of time between now and the start of the season for Conroy to make significant changes to the current roster. After all, the new GM said in his introductory press conference that he doesn't want to let key players walk for free, as Johnny Gaudreau did a year ago.Kadri, who's signed for six more years, likely isn't going anywhere. However, the team has several players entering the final years of their deals, including Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov, who've all been the subject of trade speculation.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Coyotes have set their sights on building a new arena in the city of Mesa, Arizona, the team announced Wednesday."We can confirm that Coyotes owner, chairman, and governor Alex Meruelo has executed a letter of intent to purchase a parcel of land located in Mesa, Arizona, to be the potential site for a sports arena and entertainment district for the club," the team said in a statement.Mesa is the state's third-largest city with a population of roughly 520,000.The Coyotes' last bid to construct a new arena in Arizona failed when residents of Tempe voted against building a new $2.1-billion entertainment district back in May.The franchise, which is currently playing out of the 4,600-seat Mullett Arena at Arizona State University in Tempe, has vowed to remain in Arizona despite plenty of relocation speculation. The team's agreement to play at Mullett Arena expires after the 2024-25 campaign."The Coyotes remain committed to building the first privately funded sports facility in Arizona history and ensuring the Valley as the club's permanent home. In addition to this property in Mesa, the club will continue to explore other potential sites in the East Valley," the team's statement said.Mullett Arena is already the Coyotes' third arena since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg in 1996. The team played at America West Arena in downtown Phoenix before moving to Glendale's Gila River Arena in 2003.Forbes ranked Arizona as the NHL's least valuable franchise in December.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Hoffman is excited to be a San Jose Shark again but for real this time.The veteran sniper is a member of the Bay Area club for the second time in his career after being included in the three-team deal that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins last week. The Sharks acquired Hoffman for the first time in 2018 but flipped him to the Florida Panthers on the same day."It's funny how we're circling back to, maybe, four years ago," Hoffman said, according to San Jose Hockey Now's Josh Frojelin."Maybe longer. I was only there for maybe an hour the last time, and it looks like it might be a little longer than that this time. Like I said, it's a great opportunity, it's gonna be a cool experience, and looking forward to it."Although Hoffman never officially suited up for the Sharks after the first trade, he made an impact among loyal San Jose fans.

Veteran center Brandon Sutter is joining the Edmonton Oilers for training camp in September on a professional tryout agreement, according to team reporter Bob Stauffer.Sutter hasn't played the past two seasons due to long-term COVID symptoms. He was one of several Vancouver Canucks to test positive during the 2021 campaign but returned to the ice to finish the year.The 34-year-old signed a one-year deal with Vancouver for 2021-22 but didn't suit up for the duration of the contract due to his health.Sutter has played in 770 NHL games split between the Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, and Pittsburgh Penguins. The 2007 11th overall pick has registered 152 goals and 137 assists over his career.The Oilers are thin on center depth, but Sutter will have to come cheap if he parlays his audition into a contract. Edmonton has $3.5 million in cap space, according to Cap Friendly, and still needs to sign restricted free-agent star Evan Bouchard.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jeremy Swayman was thrilled to re-up with the Boston Bruins this summer but hopes he never has to go through third-party contract negotiations again.The 24-year-old netminder was awarded a one-year, $3.48-million contract in arbitration earlier in August, and it's safe to say he didn't love the process."The biggest thing was living day by day, understanding that what you hear might not be the truth at all times," Swayman said Tuesday, per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa."It's a business. I wanted to make sure that whatever was thrown my way, I was going to be able to attack it with a good mindset and making sure that at the end of the day, I was doing everything I could to be a Boston Bruin."There's no ill will on the process. Because I understand I'm not the first player to go through it and not the last. But I definitely don't wish it upon any of my friends or teammates moving forward. And I don't want to do it ever again as well."Swayman became a restricted free agent this summer upon the expiration of a three-year, $3.15-million deal signed in 2020 - his first NHL contract.He's eligible for arbitration as an RFA in 2024.Swayman has made 88 appearances with the Bruins since debuting during the 2020-21 season, owning an impressive .920 save percentage overall. He qualified for the All-Rookie team in 2022 and was one of the league's top backup netminders this past season on the strength of a 24-6-4 record.Despite Swayman's strong resume to date, he's behind Linus Ullmark on the Bruins' depth chart after the veteran won the Vezina Trophy and backstopped Boston to the best regular season in NHL history in 2023.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers veteran Chris Kreider still feels the heartbreak of his club's first-round defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils this past spring.The Blueshirts jumped out to a 2-0 series lead, but lost four of the next five to their Metropolitan Division rivals."Like every guy on the team, I've got a pit in my stomach still and I expect that to turn into a bit of a chip on everyone's shoulders," Kreider told NHL.com's Dan Rosen."We thought we had a good group. I still think we had a good group and we should have done better. We all know that."The Rangers loaded up for a deep run in the 2023 playoffs, acquiring Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko in separate trades. The postseason failure came one year after reaching the Eastern Conference Final and led to the firing of head coach Gerard Gallant, who was replaced by Peter Laviolette.Kreider is optimistic that a new voice behind the bench will help the Rangers rebound in 2023-24."My impression is that his teams have always been very hard to play against," Kreider said. "I recently remember the Washington team, but even with some of those Nashville teams, incredibly hard to play against."On top of the coaching change, the Rangers brought in Blake Wheeler, Nick Bonino, Erik Gustafsson, and Jonathan Quick on one-year deals in free agency.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan has been actively shopping for forwards throughout the summer and still aims to reinforce his club's top six before training camp gets underway next month."We had a few discussions at the draft; it might carry forward or it might not carry forward," MacLellan said, per The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir. "We'll see where it goes."The Capitals brought in six-time 30-goal scorer Max Pacioretty on a one-year contract in free agency, but his age and recent injury history likely aren't enough to rectify Washington's 20th-ranked offense from last season.MacLellan reportedly told teams in June that forward Anthony Mantha is available to be moved, but a deal never materialized. This summer, longtime center Evgeny Kuznetsov asked to be dealt and is also rumored to be a trade option throughout the summer.The Capitals' options for a potential trade are limited, as the club is currently $700,000 over the $83.5-million limit, according to Cap Friendly.Washington missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 this past season. The down year resulted in the club replacing head coach Peter Laviolette with Spencer Carbery.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Missing the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs didn't sit well with Tom Wilson and the rest of the Washington Capitals."There's a lot of winners in that room, and when you don't make the playoffs, it's a failure to what we believe in, in our group," he said during a press conference Monday, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers.The Capitals missed the postseason by 12 points. It was their first time falling short of the playoffs since 2013-14, which was Wilson's first campaign with Washington."We're hungry to get back at it and get this moving back in the right direction and show the culture of what it is to be a Cap," Wilson continued. "And that's winning games, that's playing hard, that's making it hard for teams to come into our building."We built that for a long time. You talk to other players around the league, they're like, 'Hey, we knew when we came into D.C., our chances weren't good.' That's what we've got to get back to."The 29-year-old has been a Capital for his entire career thus far. He opted to prolong his stay Friday by signing a seven-year, $45.5-million extension, which begins in 2024-25.Wilson saw his name pop up in trade rumors this offseason, which he said was a "weird" experience, per The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir. However, all that hearsay motivated Wilson and general manager Brian MacLellan to come to an agreement sooner rather than later."I wanted to get rid of that, not have to worry about that," Wilson said. "I knew I wanted to be here for as long as I could, and the team expressed the same."Wilson's 2022-23 season debut was delayed until early January due to an ACL injury. He accrued 13 tallies and 22 points in 33 contests while ending the campaign on a four-game goal streak.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kyle Dubas thinks he sent a clear message to the Pittsburgh Penguins after acquiring star defenseman Erik Karlsson in a complicated three-team, nine-player trade."I think it's just an affirmation that we believe that they have a chance to contend and compete for a championship," the general manager said during a press conference Monday.He added: "(Karlsson's) still an elite player, as he showed last year. ... We have a chance to add him, we're gonna do it because we believe in the group."Dubas said he wanted to bring in Karlsson to help the Penguins move the puck out of their own zone, and he hailed the 6-foot Swede as "one of the top skaters" in the league.Karlsson, 33, enjoyed a resurgent 2022-23 campaign, potting 76 assists and 101 points in 82 games en route to winning his third career Norris Trophy. The San Jose Sharks retained 13% of his salary in the trade, meaning Karlsson will cost the Penguins $10 million in each of the next four seasons.Dubas acknowledged that the road to landing Karlsson was a "fairly lengthy process" that seemed to have kept him awake some nights."When it's a good player that you really want, that's why you spend a lot of your nights staring up at the ceiling rather than sleeping, (thinking) of different ways you can make it happen," he said. "(You have to) know the market, which other teams are gonna jump in, who can beat you to it, how can they beat you to it, how can you outdo them."Pittsburgh was mired by uncharacteristic inconsistencies last season. The team won three-plus consecutive games just three times and lost four-plus straight contests four times, including a seven-game slump.As a result, the Penguins missed the postseason for the first time since 2005-06 by one point."There's a lot of work that has to be done. ... I know that there'll be lots of people that doubt the group, and rightfully so," Dubas said. "We have to go out and prove it."Dubas officially took on the title of Pittsburgh's GM on Thursday, in addition to his role as president of hockey operations. He joined the Penguins' front office in June shortly after parting ways with the Toronto Maple Leafs.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks signed unrestricted free-agent goaltender Alex Stalock to a one-year deal, the team announced Monday.His deal has an average annual value of $800,000, according to CapFriendly.Stalock enjoyed a solid bounce-back campaign in 2022-23 with the struggling Chicago Blackhawks. He posted a .908 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average in 27 showings while saving 2.98 goals above average, per Evolving Hockey.The 36-year-old was limited to just one NHL game over the previous two seasons following a myocarditis diagnosis, and he also battled through a concussion and ocular dysfunction this past campaign.Stalock was a finalist for the 2022-23 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in recognition of his perseverance.He owns a career .908 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average in 179 career NHL games. Stalock has also suited up for the San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild.The Sharks selected him in the fourth round of the 2005 NHL Draft.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It required a three-team trade involving nine players, but Erik Karlsson is now a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.The San Jose Sharks sent the star blue-liner, prospect Dillon Hamaliuk, and a 2026 third-round pick to Steel City on Sunday in exchange for veteran forward Mikael Granlund, defenseman Jan Rutta, and a 2024 first-rounder (top-10 protected). The Montreal Canadiens received rearguard Jeff Petry, goaltender Casey DeSmith, winger Nathan Legare, and a 2025 second-round selection from Pittsburgh.In addition, the Penguins also got forward Rem Pitlick from Montreal, while the Sharks received Mike Hoffman.The Sharks are retaining $1.5 million of Karlsson's $11.5-million cap hit. He has four years remaining on his pact. The Penguins, meanwhile, will retain 25% of Petry's $6.25-million salary. He is under contract for the next two seasons.Karlsson paced all defensemen this past season with 25 goals and 101 points while skating in all 82 games for the first time since 2015-16. He also became the first rearguard to hit the 100-point mark since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.The 33-year-old took home his third career Norris Trophy in June as the league's top defenseman. The last time the reigning Norris Trophy winner was traded in the offseason was in 1961 when the Habs sent Doug Harvey to the New York Rangers, per Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.Even with the retention, Karlsson now carries the highest cap hit ($10 million) on the Penguins. Pittsburgh shed around $3.1 million in cap space as a result of the trade, per CapFriendly, and is now approximately $80,000 over the cap.As for the rest of the Penguins' haul, Hamaliuk was selected by the Sharks in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft. He put up four goals and three assists in six games with the ECHL's Wichita Thunder this past season. Pitlick, 26, recorded six tallies and 15 points in 46 contests with the Canadiens in 2022-23 and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer upon the expiry of his two-year, $2.2-million deal.Despite shedding the bulk of Karlsson's salary, San Jose added $2.25 million to its books with the trade and now has almost $4 million in cap space."While it is always difficult to trade a player of the caliber of Erik Karlsson, this trade accomplishes several goals for our franchise," Sharks general manager Mike Grier said. "It adds two forwards to our roster who have proven ability to produce offensively at the NHL level and solidifies our NHL defense corps."Additionally, acquiring another first-round pick gives us the opportunity to continue fortifying our development system with high-end prospects and provides us some financial flexibility to add players as we see fit in the future."Granlund, 31, split the 2022-23 campaign with the Nashville Predators and Penguins, amassing 10 goals, 41 points, 78 hits, and 60 blocks in 79 outings. The bottom-six forward carries a cap hit of $5 million for the next two seasons.Rutta logged nine points in 56 contests in 2022-23 while averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time. He spent the previous four seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, capturing back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. The 33-year-old signed a three-year, $8.25-million deal with Pittsburgh as a free agent last summer.Hoffman, meanwhile, potted 14 goals and 34 points in 67 games during his second campaign with the Canadiens. He's eclipsed the 20-goal mark six times in his career. The 33-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent in 2024 and is under contract for $4.5 million.The Habs are not retaining any of Pitlick's or Hoffman's salaries.Petry spent eight seasons in Montreal and was part of the team's miracle run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. The 35-year-old chipped in with five goals and 26 helpers in 61 outings this past campaign while averaging the second-most ice time (22:21) among all Penguins skaters.The Canadiens traded Petry and forward Ryan Poehling to the Penguins last July in exchange for rearguard Mike Matheson and a 2023 fourth-rounder without retaining any salary.Sportsnet's Eric Engels reports that there's a "strong chance" the Canadiens will trade Petry, either before the season starts or at the trade deadline. His contract includes a 15-team no-trade list.DeSmith, 31, appeared in 38 contests for the Penguins in 2022-23, posting a 15-16-4 record to go along with a .905 save percentage and 3.17 goals against average. He has spent his entire 134-game NHL career in Pittsburgh and is signed for one more year at a $1.8-million cap hit.Legare, the last player involved in this deal, put up 19 points in 68 games in the AHL this past campaign. The 22-year-old was selected by the Penguins in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft.Montreal is currently $5.17 million over the cap, but it can get $10.5 million in relief with goaltender Carey Price on long-term injured reserve.Karlsson's name has been on the rumor mill since November when Grier said he would listen to offers for the blue-liner's services. The Swede emphasized on multiple occasions that, though he enjoyed playing for the Sharks, he wanted to be moved to a contender.The Penguins fired president of hockey operations Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall in April after failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06. They ultimately hired Kyle Dubas to fill both roles.In July, Dubas expressed his interest in Karlsson, and he reportedly got the backing of Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang to make it happen.Karlsson hasn't appeared in a playoff game since 2019, when the Sharks were eliminated by the St. Louis Blues in the conference finals. He spent five seasons with San Jose, accruing 243 points in 293 games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes signed unrestricted free-agent defenseman Matt Dumba to a one-year deal, the team confirmed Monday.His new pact carries a cap hit of $3.9 million, reports PHNX Sports' Craig Morgan.Dumba has spent his entire 10-season NHL career with the Minnesota Wild. He put up four goals and 14 points in 79 games this past season while averaging 21:17 minutes of ice time per contest, his lowest since 2016-17.The 29-year-old also racked up 104 hits and 116 blocks in 2022-23."We are very pleased to have Matt join our organization," Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong said. "He is a talented, reliable, physical defenseman who competes hard every night and will contribute offensively."He is also a great leader who will add a veteran presence to our blue line. We are very excited to have him on our team this season."Dumba just played out the final season of a five-year, $30-million deal. He was rooted in trade speculation for much of the 2022-23 campaign.His best statistical season came in 2017-18 when he totaled 14 goals and 50 points in 82 games, but his underlying numbers have taken a hit in recent seasons. The Wild were outscored with Dumba on the ice at five-on-five in five consecutive campaigns, per Natural Stat Trick.Dumba has amassed 79 tallies and 157 helpers in 598 NHL games, as well as 15 points in 49 playoff contests. Minnesota selected him with the seventh overall pick in 2012.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield is looking forward to the chance to get off to a hot start for the first time in his young career this October.A broken ankle in 2021-22 and an extended illness in 2022-23 sidetracked Byfield off the hop in each of the past two campaigns, and he's ready to start the upcoming season at full strength."It's just nice to feel good to do things like this and be feeling good heading into a new season for a change," Byfield said, per NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "That hasn't been the case in previous years."He added: "You know, it's always been a struggle for me for the start of seasons. The one year it seemed like I broke my ankle in a thousand different places. And even at the start of last season I was sick for a bunch of weeks. That's why this is important. Hopefully this year, going in, I can stay healthy, be able to produce early on and help the team."Byfield was drafted second overall in 2020 with tremendous hype after a prolific junior career with the OHL's Sudbury Wolves. He's only appeared in 99 NHL games to date and registered 33 points.The soon-to-be 21-year-old admitted his setbacks have been frustrating to endure."It hasn't been fun at all," he said. "You're excited all summer for the season, and you train all summer for it. And then, for something to happen to sideline things both years, that definitely (stinks)."Byfield set career highs in games played (53), points (22), and shots (74) last season, then added four points in six postseason contests as the Kings were eliminated in Round 1 at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.Los Angeles will enter the 2023-24 season with heightened expectations after landing Pierre-Luc Dubois in a blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets earlier this summer.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Finally, the reigning Norris Trophy winner is on the move.The Pittsburgh Penguins reeled in star defenseman Erik Karlsson in a three-team megadeal Sunday to enliven a dull part of the hockey calendar. The trade also advances the San Jose Sharks' rebuild and has the potential to shake up next season's Eastern Conference playoff race.The transaction loops in the Montreal Canadiens and breaks down as follows:PIT gets: Karlsson, forward Rem Pitlick, prospect forward Dillon Hamaliuk, SJ's 2026 third-round draft pickSJ gets: Forwards Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman, defenseman Jan Rutta, PIT's 2024 first-rounder (top-10 protected)MTL gets: Defenseman Jeff Petry, goalie Casey DeSmith, prospect forward Nathan Legare, PIT's 2025 second-rounderSan Jose retains $1.5 million of Karlsson's $11.5-million cap hit over the next four seasons. Pittsburgh will foot 25% - or close to $1.6 million - of Petry's $6.25-million AAV for two more years. Montreal retains no salary.Let's evaluate this blockbuster from all sides.Penguins Kavin Mistry / NHL / Getty ImagesKarlsson, 33, hasn't reached the postseason since the Sharks surged as far as the third round in 2019. Two years earlier, he dragged the Ottawa Senators within an overtime goal of the Stanley Cup Final while nursing two heel fractures, exhibiting his toughness and greatness.He's this move's biggest winner. Karlsson departs a cellar-dweller to join the team that eliminated those 2017 Senators en route to clinching Sidney Crosby's third Cup. Pittsburgh remains committed to Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang despite failing to win a playoff round for the last five years.With the franchise legends staying put, new boss Kyle Dubas had to swing big to try to prolong the contention window. Dubas' first seismic move as president of hockey operations and general manager delivered an incandescent talent who made NHL history last season.Karlsson's 101 points shattered his previous career best and were the most a blue-liner has produced since 1992. He was the first NHL defenseman to clear the century mark in his 30s, signaling he'll age gracefully if blessed with good health. Karlsson tallied one fewer point at even strength (74) in 2022-23 than runaway scoring champion Connor McDavid. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesAcquiring Karlsson relieves the pressure on Letang, who turned 36 in April, to carry the Penguins' defense corps. Head coach Mike Sullivan can ice a puck-mover on the right side of the first and second pairings and at the helm of both power-play units. Karlsson will raise Pittsburgh's offensive floor even if Letang misses games or Jake Guentzel is hampered by the aftereffects of ankle surgery.Dumping Granlund's bloated contract ($5 million through 2025) is a triumph for Dubas. Moving Rutta and Smith made Karlsson affordable while also saving the Penguins about $3.1 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. If Pittsburgh bounces back into the playoff picture - maybe by vaulting the New York Rangers and Islanders to rise to third place in the stacked Metropolitan Division - that'll soften the blow of parting with multiple picks.Crosby, set to celebrate his 36th birthday Monday, is signed for two more seasons. The Penguins have about that much time to compete in the Metro before he, Malkin, and Letang finally fade. If things proceed to go south, Karlsson could net Pittsburgh a passable trade return or, at worst, would disappear from the cap sheet before long.Resisting for as long as possible what's eventually bound to happen - the post-Crosby teardown - makes sense for Dubas. He landed the Norris winner and conserved money in the process. Karlsson might never advance in the playoffs again, but his and Pittsburgh's odds just improved substantially.Grade: ASharks Joe Sargent / NHL / Getty ImagesKarlsson appeared in all 82 games and skated for 25:37 nightly last season. That means he was on the ice for close to 45% of San Jose's campaign. The Sharks plummeted in the standings anyway, recording 60 points to drop to fourth-last in the league while posting the franchise's worst points percentage (.366) since 1996.Next season promises to be miserable. That's for the best. Drafting future stars is what makes a rebuild tolerable. Jettisoning Karlsson positions the Sharks to tank and add a cornerstone who'll play with Will Smith and William Eklund, headliners of GM Mike Grier's ascendant yet unspectacular prospect pool.The problem with the Karlsson deal is the pool didn't improve Sunday. Grier obtained one decent asset - Pittsburgh's 2024 first-rounder - while committing to pay Granlund and Rutta for two seasons. The Sharks assumed that burden, as well as the final year of Hoffman's contract, to avoid retaining more than 13% of Karlsson's AAV.Karlsson's age and steep price tag conspired to lighten the return. To land him in 2018, San Jose sent Ottawa two budding star centers: Josh Norris and the draft pick that became Tim Stutzle. Between the Karlsson, Timo Meier, and Brent Burns trade packages, Grier procured two Round 1 selections, using the first in June to draft winger Quentin Musty at 26th overall.The Sharks' cap sheet remains messy. Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who's 36 years old, is signed for $7 million annually through 2026. Captain Logan Couture, 34, owns an $8-million cap hit through 2027. Tomas Hertl is only 29 but commands more than $8.1 million per year through 2030 on a pact that predates Grier's hiring.More trades await. The returns for those players, if and when they're moved, will probably underwhelm. Grier didn't get a ton back for the one guy who made his squad watchable.Grade: D+Canadiens Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesMontreal swapped a depth NHLer in Pitlick and a one-dimensional scorer on the decline in Hoffman to bring in Petry at a reduced cap hit and DeSmith to back up Jake Allen in net. GM Kent Hughes also added a second-round pick without sacrificing draft capital or retaining part of Karlsson's salary.Petry was a pillar of Montreal's North Division championship team in 2021. Dealt to Pittsburgh a year ago for Mike Matheson, he's 35 but spry enough to play with Matheson on a temporary top pair. Hughes could trade Petry again this summer or at next year's deadline. If he sticks around, his presence will buy time for young defensemen Kaiden Guhle, Justin Barron, and Arber Xhekaj - plus top prospects David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson - to make strides.The cost to butt into the Karlsson trade was minimal. Even if Samuel Montembeault outplays Allen and DeSmith in training camp, making one netminder redundant, Hughes strengthened the Habs by getting involved. That warrants a solid grade.Grade: B+Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers signed goaltender Samuel Ersson to a two-year extension, the team announced Saturday.The extension, which has an average annual value of $1.45 million, will take effect in 2024-25.Ersson was slated to become a restricted free agent after the expiration of his entry-level contract next summer.The 23-year-old got his first taste of NHL action in 2022-23, posting a 6-3 record, .899 save percentage, and 3.07 goals against average in 12 showings.Ersson also took some reps in the AHL this past season, registering a .900 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average in 42 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.Philadelphia selected Ersson in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks restricted free agent Trevor Zegras is looking to sign a new contract soon as he ramps up for the start of training camp next month.Zegras became eligible for a new deal after his entry-level contract expired this summer. He's currently training on the east coast of the U.S. and said he's eager to return to Orange County for his fourth NHL campaign."Hopefully, we get something done soon," Zegras said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I do miss California and my teammates, so it would be nice to get back there."He added: "It's kind of out of my control. Obviously, this is why you have people in place to handle this type of stuff. In the summertime, I just have to keep doing my thing, what I've always done, and that stuff should take care of itself."The Ducks completed a key piece of offseason business earlier this week by signing Troy Terry to a seven-year, $49-million contract. Terry is now Anaheim's highest-paid player, but the Ducks still have over $20 million in cap space to accommodate a new deal for Zegras and RFA defenseman Jamie Drysdale.Zegras led Anaheim with 65 points in 82 games last season. The 22-year-old has quickly become one of the league's most popular players due to an otherworldly skill set that often leads to highlight-reel plays.Despite Zegras' exploits, the Ducks owned the league's worst record at 23-47-12. The difficult campaign led to Anaheim hiring Greg Cronin as head coach, with whom Zegras is excited to expand his repertoire alongside."He thinks that defensive side can be a lot better, which I agree with," Zegras said. "And he thinks it's more of just learning how to play defense. You get to a certain level, the effort is always going to be there, but it's the little stuff that he can teach me in the (defensive) zone that could potentially change the way I play 200 feet. It's exciting. He's got a clear passion for it. I'm ready to go."The Ducks drafted Zegras ninth overall in 2019.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals signed forward Tom Wilson to a seven-year contract extension with an average annual value of $6.5 million, the team announced Friday.Wilson's entering the final season of a six-year pact signed in 2018 that carried a cap hit just under $5.2 million. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.The 29-year-old tallied 13 goals and 22 points in 33 games in an injury-riddled campaign last season. He set career highs with 24 goals and 52 points in 2021-22."Feeling extremely honored today as I get to sign an extension with the city that I've called home for the last 10 years," Wilson said on social media. "Being a Cap means so much to me, and I can't wait to continue to compete and leave it all out there with this team."The new deal signs Wilson through the 2030-31 campaign when he'll be 36 years old. He has a 15-team no-trade clause for the first four years of the contract, which becomes a 10-team list for the final three seasons, according to CapFriendly."Tom possesses all the intangibles needed to win in this league, and we are extremely pleased to sign him to a long-term contract, giving him the opportunity to finish his career in a Capitals uniform," Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement."Throughout his career, Tom has improved every facet of his game through his drive and competitiveness. We feel his work ethic and leadership qualities will be a tremendous asset to our organization for years to come," MacLellan added.Wilson has accrued 128 goals and 295 points in 680 games with the Capitals over 10 seasons. He was drafted by Washington 16th overall in 2012.The Capitals have eight forwards signed to NHL contracts for the 2024-25 season after the signing, combining for just under $47 million of cap space. Wilson will be the fourth-highest-paid forward on the roster after Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Evgeny Kuznetsov.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel underwent successful right ankle surgery and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, the team announced Friday."As Jake continued to increase the intensity of his preparation for the upcoming season, it was apparent that his ankle injury was not resolving in a way that was satisfactory to he or the Penguins," general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement.Guentzel will miss at least the first seven games of the season based on the 12-week timeline.The 28-year-old tallied 36 goals and 73 points in 78 games last season. Guentzel has led the Penguins in goals in consecutive years and has reached the 40-goal mark twice in his career. He's averaged over 20 minutes each of the past four seasons.Guentzel's $6-million cap hit will be eligible to begin the season on long-term injured reserve. The Penguins would have just under $2.8 million of cap space should Guentzel be placed on LTIR, according to CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Torching the Ottawa Senators, Auston Matthews pumped four shots past Craig Anderson in his magical NHL debut in 2016. Matthews' 40-goal rookie year sparked the sluggish Toronto Maple Leafs into a new competitive era.Connor McDavid was slammed into the boards and fractured his clavicle as a rookie but otherwise produced at a point-per-game rate, scoring 48 points in 45 contests. Ahead of his second season, months before McDavid turned 20, the Edmonton Oilers named him the youngest captain in NHL history.Connor Bedard was born two weeks before Sidney Crosby was drafted No. 1 overall. The Pittsburgh Penguins signed prominent veterans to surround Crosby with help, but he barely needed it, erupting for 102 points even as his team placed last in the Eastern Conference.Sidney Crosby in 2005. Dave Sandford / Getty ImagesConnor McDavid in 2015. Ronald Martinez / Getty ImagesHe set a high bar for the NHL's new phenom to target. Bedard is the prospective savior of the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks, who gleefully drafted him first overall in June. His hotly anticipated rookie campaign begins Oct. 10 on the road against Crosby's Penguins.Hockey news has slowed to a trickle, so let's think ahead to Bedard's NHL arrival. What immediate impact will he have in Chicago? What are fair expectations for fans to establish? Will he produce the greatest rookie season since Crosby's breakout?A 5-foot-10 center, Bedard annihilated junior competition for the Regina Pats. He joined John Tavares as the only draft prospects this century to pot 70 goals in a Canadian Hockey League season.Bedard's longest Western Hockey League point streak lasted 35 games. His 31 points across 14 appearances at the world juniors paced Canada to back-to-back gold medals. Those exploits guaranteed Bedard would be chosen first when the Blackhawks, the NHL's third-worst squad in 2022-23, lucked into winning the draft lottery.Bedard enters the NHL as one of its nastiest shooters. Few snipers rip the puck like he can. Bedard picks corners off the rush, from a standstill, and through heavy traffic, barraging goalies even when he's denied time and a favorable angle.He's no perimeter floater; Bedard rarely shoots from above the faceoff circles. Smart and rugged, he patiently waits or works to generate space to fire from the slot, The Athletic's Scott Wheeler found when he watched every goal Bedard netted - 100 across all competitions - in his draft year.A stellar dangler and playmaker, Bedard's speed, dexterity, vision, and gravitational pull create countless openings for his line. Three impalpable attributes make him special. Skills coach Nick Quinn, who trains Bedard and dozens of other NHLers through the Power Edge Pro consultancy, raved about those traits to theScore last season.Quinn on Bedard's brainpower: "(We) create an environment that puts extreme stress on the player's mind to think and have his feet and his hands respond at the same time. When you watch Bedard, that's what you see. You see an elite multi-tasker - a player who can create deception at top speed. He's reacting to defenders quicker than they can respond."Bedard's guile: "He hasn't played a day in the show, and I think he shoots the puck better than 95% of NHLers," Quinn said. "It's the way he can give deception to get that defender to bite to get his stick in a different lane or his body in a different lane so he can shoot."His attitude: "He has a lot more fun than most kids playing hockey. I think he loves the game so much that it doesn't feel like a job to him. It doesn't feel like pressure," Quinn said. "I don't think I've ever trained a guy who loves scoring goals the way he does, whether it's 9-0 or it's 2-1. He just wants to bury shots."Bedard celebrates Canada's gold-medal victory at the 2023 world juniors. Minas Panagiotakis / Getty ImagesBedard signed his entry-level contract in July on his 18th birthday. He'll be that age for the duration of next season. By contrast, Matthews was 19 and had already dominated the Swiss pro league when he reached the NHL. Alex Ovechkin waited out a lockout in Russia, debuted at 20, and racked up 52 goals and 106 points to edge Crosby for the 2006 Calder Trophy.These kids excelled in the league right away.Crosby's rookie year was chaotic yet electric. Health issues forced two Penguins forwards, Zigmund Palffy and Mario Lemieux, to retire suddenly that January in the span of a week. Pittsburgh's .354 points percentage was second-worst in the league. Crosby shone anyway, tallying 44 more points than his next-closest teammate, veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar, to become the NHL's youngest triple-digit scorer.The totals Patrik Laine, Nathan MacKinnon, and Jeff Skinner achieved are more attainable, though only MacKinnon subsequently matured into an elite scorer. Other No. 1 draft picks - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (52 points in 62 games in 2012), Ilya Kovalchuk (51 in 65 games in 2002), and Steven Stamkos (46 in 79 games in 2009) - were decently productive at 18.Recent top selections underwhelmed as rookies. Juraj Slafkovsky managed 10 points in 39 games last season before injuring his knee. Alexis Lafreniere's 21 points in 2021 foreshadowed that he'd struggle to seize a top-six role.Jack Hughes was held to 21 points the previous year, but concerns about his upside were premature. Some budding superstars require time to blossom.When the 2005 lockout ended, Pittsburgh signed John LeClair, Palffy, and Gonchar to strengthen Crosby's supporting cast. The Blackhawks made similar moves to insulate Bedard. General manager Kyle Davidson traded for Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno, and Corey Perry in June. He signed Ryan Donato and extended Andreas Athanasiou, Chicago's highest remaining scorer at the end of last season with 40 points.Corey Perry has played in four Stanley Cup Finals. Andrew Bershaw / Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesTaylor Hall was drafted first overall in 2010. China Wong / NHL / Getty ImagesThe new-look forward corps is surprisingly recognizable. Eight vets aged 27 or older - Colin Blackwell, Jason Dickinson, and Tyler Johnson are the others - are there to ease Bedard's transition. None are signed beyond 2025.Bedard and Hall should form a fun duo. Hall once suited up in Edmonton next to fellow No. 1 picks McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Nail Yakupov. The Hart Trophy winner in 2018, Hall averaged 0.75 points per game with four teams over the past five seasons. He drives possession on the left wing, meaning Bedard won't have to carry Chicago's top line himself.Bedard is the runaway Calder Trophy favorite, a rarity for a teenager. The last five recipients - Matty Beniers, Moritz Seider, Kirill Kaprizov, Cale Makar, and Elias Pettersson - had previous pro or college experience and ranged in age from 20 to 24. Mathew Barzal left the WHL and promptly claimed the Calder in 2018, but by then, he was three years removed from the draft.Maybe Bedard can recreate Patrick Kane's promising first year. Kane turned 19 in the fall of his rookie season. He tallied 72 points to lead Chicago in scoring and take home the Calder in 2008. Two years after that, Kane's overtime winner in the Stanley Cup Final vanished in the netting and launched a Blackhawks dynasty.Chicago dreams of getting Bedard to that stage. It won't happen soon, but the journey starts Oct. 10 in Pittsburgh.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock conceded he was far from perfect during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, which ended in a messy split in the fall of 2019."Do I like how I was talked about after I left? No," Babcock told Sportsnet 590. "Do I think I did anything wrong? Absolutely."After being fired by the Leafs early in the fifth season of an eight-year agreement, Babcock was the subject of severe scrutiny for asking then-rookie Mitch Marner to rank the club's hardest-working players. The veteran coach then shared the winger's list with the rest of the team.Babcock was out of the NHL until his contract with the Leafs expired July 1. Columbus officially hired him that day, and the 60-year-old is adamant he's learned from prior transgressions."Well, first thing I would say to you is I answer these questions over and over again," he said. "And I'm happy to do that in saying that I got nothing to hide. I'm not trying to hide from anything I've ever done. I think it's important you own any mistake you've made, and you try to get better."On top of the situation with Marner, Babcock caught flak from a pair of players he coached with the Detroit Red Wings. Johan Franzen called his old coach a "bully" and the "worst person I have ever met." Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios said Babcock "verbally assaulted" Franzen to the point of a nervous breakdown during the 2012 postseason.Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski recently said Babcock's past isn't a concern for the team going forward. Columbus missed out on the playoffs each of the past three seasons.Babcock has 700 NHL wins across an 18-year career. He's the only head coach in the Triple Gold Club, which requires a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold, and world championship gold.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kyle Dubas is adding more to his plate in Pittsburgh.The Penguins executive is taking on the title of general manager in addition to his role as president of hockey operations, the team announced Thursday.Pittsburgh hired Dubas as its president of hockey operations in early June, replacing Brian Burke, who was fired in April alongside GM Ron Hextall after the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06.During his introductory presser, Dubas said he would begin his search for a new GM in July and would guide the Penguins through the draft and free agency himself."At this time, I feel it is best for continuity that I formally continue in both roles as president and general manager in the hockey operations department," Dubas said Thursday."We will continue to reevaluate the GM position alongside all others in future offseasons to ensure that we are optimizing all facets of the department."The Penguins' front-office shake-up didn't stop there. Andy Saucier was named director of pro personnel, and Erik Heasley is now the Penguins' director of minor league and amateur scouting operations, while Amanda Kessel and Trevor Daley were both promoted as special assistants to the president of hockey operations and GM.Dubas has been busy so far this offseason.He acquired forward Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade, re-signed goalie Tristan Jarry and restricted free-agent forward Drew O'Connor, and inked the likes of Noel Acciari, Lars Eller, Ryan Graves, Alex Nedeljkovic, Matt Nieto, Andreas Johnsson, and Vinnie Hinostroza.Dubas has also expressed an interest in acquiring star defenseman and premier trade target Erik Karlsson.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers hired player agent Jeff Jackson as their CEO of hockey operations, the team announced Thursday.As an agent, Jackson represented the likes of Connor McDavid, Alex DeBrincat, and Aaron Ekblad. He led the negotiations for the eight-year, $100-million extension McDavid signed in 2017. The Oilers' captain was the highest-paid player in the league before Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon inked an eight-year, $100.8-million contract last offseason.In his role within the Oilers' office, Jackson will oversee all aspects of the organization's operations at the NHL, AHL, and WHL levels while reporting directly to owner and chairman Daryl Katz."This is a big commitment to the long-term success of our organization," Katz said. "Jeff has well-established relationships across the NHL, including a strong relationship with (general manager) Ken Holland."He brings tremendous industry insight, knowledge and leadership built through a unique career experience that is ideal for this leadership role at (OEG Sports & Entertainment). He understands what it takes to build an elite organization for the modern NHL and will work closely with Ken and our whole team to put the Oilers in the best possible position to win."Holland will continue in his role as GM and president of hockey operations and will report to Jackson.Jackson, 58, played in the NHL for parts of eight seasons and suited up for his last game in the 1991-92 season. He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs' staff as an assistant GM and director of hockey operations in 2006. Four years later, he became an NHL agent and eventually helped establish leading agency Wasserman Hockey."I can't think of a more exciting franchise to join or a better opportunity for me to put into practice everything I have learned during the past three decades in and around the NHL," Jackson said.Jackson's first NHL client was Sam Gagner, who was drafted by the Oilers sixth overall in 2007.McDavid will remain a Wasserman Hockey client, with Judd Moldaver taking over as his agent. He has three years remaining on his current pact.Moldaver also represents Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom will miss the first half of the 2023-24 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon, the team confirmed, according to The Athletic's Eric Stephens.Lundestrom underwent surgery and isn't expected back until January.The 23-year-old tallied four goals and 10 assists in 61 games this past season. He was much more productive in 2021-22, registering 16 goals and 13 assists in 80 contests.Lundestrom was projected to center the team's third line behind Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish. His absence could open the door for 2023 No. 2 pick Leo Carlsson to make the team out of training camp.The Ducks drafted Lundestrom 23rd overall in 2018.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis isn't expected to continue his NHL playing career due to a torn psoas muscle, president of hockey operations Keith Jones said Wednesday."We all wish for Ryan just as a human being because I've been through that at the end of my career when there's uncertainty about whether you would come back or not and then dealing with the reality of not coming back," Jones said, per NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "It's a tough time. It's a very, really difficult time. I'm very sympathetic to what he's gone through."Ellis hasn't played since November 2021. He only suited up in four games for the Flyers since being acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators in July 2021. The 32-year-old has four seasons remaining on his contract with a $6.25-million cap hit.Ellis was a stellar two-way blue-liner during his prime years. From 2016-21, he averaged 49 points per 82 games and 23:47 per contest. He tallied 275 points in 566 career regular-season games, plus seven goals and 31 assists in 74 playoff contests.The Flyers did receive good news on Wednesday, though, as Jones announced that forwards Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson are expected to be ready for training camp."The end of last season, they were ready to come back then," Jones said. "So now they're getting a full offseason of training and getting ready to prepare for the rigors of a long regular season. All indications are that they are full-go, and we're really excited about that."Couturier underwent two back surgeries in less than a year, having procedures in February and October of 2022. The 2020 Selke Trophy winner missed all of last season and was limited to just 29 games in 2021-22, notching six goals and 11 assists.Atkinson missed all of 2022-23 due to a neck injury, which required surgery in December. The speedy winger produced 23 goals and 27 assists in 73 games in 2021-22.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks signed restricted free-agent winger Troy Terry to a seven-year extension, the team announced Wednesday.His deal carries an average annual value of $7 million, reports The Athletic's Eric Stephens, earning himself a handsome raise over his previous $1.45-million cap hit."Troy is a major part of our team as a character player and leader, and we look forward to seeing him continue his ascent to being one of the league's top players," general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement.Terry and the Ducks were originally scheduled to have their arbitration hearing on Wednesday. The two sides were initially $3.5 million apart, with Terry coming in at $8 million and Anaheim filing for $4.5 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The 25-year-old potted 23 goals and 61 points - trailing only fellow RFA Trevor Zegras for the team lead - in 70 games this past season. Terry is one campaign removed from a career-high 37 goals and 67 points.He now carries the highest cap hit on the Ducks, but Zegras remains unsigned. Terry's signing puts Anaheim over the $61.7-million cap floor, but the team still has $20.2 million in space to work with, per CapFriendly.Terry has accumulated 75 goals and 101 assists in 274 career games since the Ducks drafted him in the fifth round in 2015. He's played in each of the last two All-Star Games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy thinks Brad Marchand has what it takes to succeed Patrice Bergeron as the team's next captain."Not that many guys are the perfect mix of everything, right? I think Bergeron was good at that, he led by example," Cassidy said during a recent appearance on "The Cam & Strick Podcast.""He was still the hardest worker in practice; off ice, he made sure everyone felt welcome ... and set some of those rules that (Zdeno Chara) had put in place. Brad will be a great leader in terms of leading by example, will to win, been there done it."Following Bergeron's retirement in late July, Marchand is now the longest-tenured Bruin. The 35-year-old has worn the "Spoked B" since the 2009-10 season and has amassed 372 goals and 862 points in 947 contests, ranking within the top 10 in franchise history in all three categories.Marchand also won the Stanley Cup with the team in 2011 and is the organization's active leader in playoff goals (53), points (128), and games played (146).Cassidy coached Marchand for six seasons before Boston fired him last June. He won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights this past spring during his first year behind the bench in Sin City.The bench boss said the Bruins have plenty of "great choices" for the captaincy and may want to "go younger" by giving the nod to David Pastrnak or Charlie McAvoy.If the Bruins end up tapping Marchand for the job, Cassidy said the talented pest will have to "learn how to deal with the younger players.""He's got high expectations of everybody," he said. "That's just the way he is, there's nothing wrong with that, but how he communicates with those guys will probably be - my guess - his biggest challenge if he's the guy."Bergeron donned the "C" in Beantown beginning in 2021, while Marchand has served as an alternate captain since 2018-19. Prior to naming Bergeron captain, the Bruins pranked the six-time Selke Trophy winner. The team pretended to give the honor to Marchand instead, even going as far as sewing a "C" onto his No. 63 jersey.

The Pittsburgh Penguins avoided arbitration with restricted free-agent forward Drew O'Connor on a two-year deal with an average annual value of $925,000, the team announced Wednesday.O'Connor's arbitration hearing was set for Aug. 4. He can become an unrestricted free agent once his new contract expires.The 25-year-old skated in a career-high 46 games this past season, racking up five goals and 11 points while averaging just under 10 minutes of ice time.O'Connor also registered eight tallies and 22 points in 20 showings with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2022-23.The Penguins signed O'Connor as an undrafted free agent in March 2020. He has amassed 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 78 career NHL games, all with Pittsburgh.Pittsburgh is now approximately $3.2 million over the cap with a roster of 24 players, per CapFriendly. Teams can have a maximum of 23 players on the active roster during the season.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers avoided arbitration with restricted free-agent center Ryan McLeod, agreeing on a two-year contract carrying an average annual value of $2.1 million, the team announced Tuesday.McLeod was set to have an arbitration hearing Aug. 4. He'll remain an RFA with arbitration rights after the end of his new deal.The 23-year-old recorded a career-high 11 goals and 23 points in 57 games with the Oilers last season while serving primarily as the team's third-line center. He averaged 14:11 per contest and won 48.2% of his faceoffs.McLeod has posted strong underlying numbers defensively, both at five-on-five and on the penalty kill, throughout his three-year career: Evolving-HockeyThe Oilers drafted McLeod 40th overall in 2018.Defenseman Evan Bouchard is Edmonton's lone remaining RFA. The club has $3.5 million left in cap space, per CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Free-agent signee Vladimir Tarasenko is thrilled for the opportunity that lays ahead as the newest member of the Ottawa Senators."I like that it's a young team, very hungry to win," Tarasenko told reporters Tuesday. "With the ownership change and talking to the coach and to the general manager and to the guys, it sounds like they really, really want to win and take the next step and I'm very happy to be a part of it."Tarasenko inked a one-year, $5-million deal with the club Thursday. He was arguably the top unrestricted free agent remaining.The Senators have missed the postseason in six straight seasons - the third-longest active drought in the league - but Tarasenko is up to task of helping the team get over the hump from rebuilder to contender."It's very exciting when you have some challenges ahead of you," he said. "I'm very excited to be a part of it and to maybe share my experience from what I've had in previous years and help a team take the next step, win more games, make the playoffs, and go from there."Tarasenko will bring valuable championship pedigree to the team, as he and Mathieu Joseph are the only players on the roster who've won a Stanley Cup. Tarasenko did so with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, tallying 11 goals and six assists in 26 playoff games during the Cup run. Overall, he has 97 contests of postseason experience and has made the playoffs in 10 of his 11 NHL seasons.The Russian winger is 31 now, but he proved last season he can still be productive in a top-six role, registering 18 goals and 50 points in 69 games split between the Rangers and Blues.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman was awarded a one-year contract worth $3.48 million in arbitration, the team announced Tuesday.The Bruins had filed at $2 million, while Swayman's camp came in at $4.8 million. The award is $75,000 more than the middle of the two amounts. Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov received a $3.55-million salary in arbitration on July 23.Boston had the option of choosing a two-year contract in arbitration, according to PuckPedia. Swayman will be a restricted free agent next summer.Swayman's coming off an entry-level contract that carried a cap hit of $925,000.The 24-year-old posted a .920 save percentage and a 2.27 goals against average in 37 games last season. Alongside Linus Ullmark, he won the William M. Jennings Trophy.Boston opted to start Swayman instead of Ullmark in Game 7 of the first round against the Florida Panthers. He allowed four goals on 31 shots in the overtime loss.Swayman turned pro in 2020 after a stellar tenure at the University of Maine, where he won the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA's best goaltender in his final season. Over three NHL seasons, he's compiled a 54-23-7 record and a .920 SV% in 88 games.The Anchorage, Alaska, native has started six playoff games with the Bruins. He took the starting job from Ullmark in Game 3 of the 2022 first round against the Carolina Hurricanes. He went 3-2 with a .911 SV% but ultimately came up short with a 3-2 loss in Game 7.Internationally, Swayman has represented the United States twice. He was a third-string netminder at the 2018 world juniors and started for the U.S. at the 2022 World Championship.The Bruins have $429,166 of cap space after the signing with a 22-man roster, according to CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins signed forward Trent Frederic to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.3 million on Tuesday.Frederic, 25, set career highs with 17 goals and 31 points in 79 games last season. He failed to register a point in five playoff contests.The two sides were set for an arbitration hearing Tuesday. Frederic's camp came in at $2.9 million for one year, while the Bruins filed at $2.8 million over two seasons, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Frederic will be an unrestricted free agent at the expiration of the contract. He's coming off a two-year contract signed in 2021 that carried a cap hit of $1.05 million.He accrued 29 goals and 54 points in 198 total games with Boston over five seasons. The Bruins drafted him 29th overall in 2016.The St. Louis native was the most penalized player in the 2019-20 AHL season, racking up 148 penalty minutes in 59 contests. He's accumulated 194 PIM in the NHL.Boston has $3.1 million of cap space after the signing, according to CapFriendly. Jeremy Swayman is the Bruins' only restricted free agent left unsigned.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong believes he built a team that can show signs of significant growth this upcoming season.The Coyotes have taken on unwanted contracts in exchange for draft picks over the last couple of years to springboard their rebuild. But that time appears to be over, as they didn't take on any such deals this summer and instead spent money and assets to bring in players who can help in 2023-24 and beyond."It's been a tough two years in the desert in terms of watching our team with the rebuild in place and taking bad contracts. Now it's getting to the good stuff," Armstrong told NHL.com's Jon Lane."Listen, we're going to have some challenges. We're going to have some moments we're not very good, but we've got an ability now to go into the ring from the first day of training camp. Now, we can take that next step. The next step for us is trying to play meaningful games the whole year and push to see how good we can become."Despite the obvious rebuild, the Coyotes performed better than many expected last season by finishing 27th out of 32 teams with a 28-40-14 record. Arizona projects to be much improved this coming campaign after signing Jason Zucker, Alexander Kerfoot, Nick Bjugstad, Troy Stecher, and Travis Dermott in free agency.The cap flexibility at the Coyotes' disposal helped land the free agents, but Armstrong was convincing enough to squash players' concerns about organizational instability."Guys that we acquired through free agency, I said, 'Listen, I don't build rinks. I build organizations, and I build teams, and we're trying to build a championship team here in the desert, and here's what we can do for you to bring you in and make you a Coyote. This is the opportunity that's in front of you.' Players bought in," Armstrong said.Armstrong also helped convince Logan Cooley to turn pro instead of returning to college as the 2022 No. 3 pick originally planned. Additionally, the team made a notable trade splash, sending a second-round selection to the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Sean Durzi, who Armstrong said will quarterback the team's top power-play unit.Arizona's 2023-24 campaign will start unconventionally with a pair of preseason games in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 22 and 23 before returning to North America. While jet lag is a fair concern, Armstrong said he believes the trip will help the team come together early."I think that's going to be a huge bonding thing for us as an organization," Armstrong said. "We're going to be bonded before our first (regular-season) game takes place. I think coaches yearn to have their natural team together, and that gives an opportunity for our coach right away to work with our team right out of the get-go, so I think that's a big positive if we can fight off the jet lag and get our legs underneath us."Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild announced Monday that they signed goaltender Filip Gustavsson to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million.The two sides were scheduled for arbitration Friday. Gustavsson is coming off of a two-year contract that carried a $787,500 cap hit.His new deal features a five-team no-trade clause in the final year of the contract, according to PuckPedia. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.The 25-year-old posted a 22-9-7 record and a 2.10 goals against average last season. His .931 save percentage ranked second among goaltenders with over 10 NHL appearances.In the playoffs, Gustavsson had a .921 SV% in five starts, including a spectacular 51-save performance in the Wild's Game 1 double overtime win against the Dallas Stars. The only postseason game he didn't start was Game 2, which went to Marc-Andre Fleury. Gustavsson was pulled following the second period in Game 6 after allowing three goals on 26 shots.Minnesota acquired Gustavsson from the Ottawa Senators in 2022 in a straight swap with Cam Talbot. He's played 66 games over three seasons split between the two clubs and has a career .920 SV%.The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted the Swede 55th overall in 2016. He was shipped to the Senators in 2018 as part of the Derick Brassard trade.Internationally, Gustavsson has played for Sweden at every level. He was named the best goaltender at the 2016 U18s and 2018 world juniors. He won gold at the 2018 World Championships as Sweden's third-string netminder, and silver at the world juniors, U18s, and Hlinka Gretzky Cup as starter.The Wild have $1.6 million in cap space after the signing, according to CapFriendly. Calen Addison is the last restricted free agent yet to sign.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks and forward Troy Terry have a $3.5-million gap to overcome in arbitration, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.Terry's camp reportedly filed at $8 million, while the Ducks came in at $4.5 million.The 25-year-old winger finished the season tied for the team lead in goals (23) and second in points (61) over 70 games. He represented Anaheim at the All-Star Game for the second straight year.Terry broke out offensively during the 2021-22 campaign with 37 goals and 67 points. He's coming off of a three-year contract signed in 2020 that carried a $1.45-million cap hit.He has accrued 75 goals and 176 points in 274 games with the Ducks. Terry turned pro in 2018 after a productive three-year tenure at the University of Denver. Anaheim drafted him 148th overall in 2015.The Ducks have $27 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly, and still have to sign restricted free agents Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mark Stone may be relishing the offseason and his time with the Stanley Cup, but the Vegas Golden Knights captain is already thinking about the club's quest for a repeat."It's been a short summer but a great summer," Stone told NHL.com's Darrin Bauming and Amalie Benjamin. "I'd do anything to do this all over again next year, but I'm excited to get back again."Stone had his time with the Cup earlier this week, taking it to a children's hospital in his hometown of Winnipeg with family. Vegas won the trophy in mid-June, and training camp is scheduled to start in mid-September. But the 31-year-old wants to hit the fast-forward button."We are getting the itch to get back in the gym, getting the itch to get back on the ice," Stone said. "Sometimes you think (a teammate) wants the time off, and then you get a month in, and you're ready to get back. I'm ready to get back."Stone underwent his second back surgery in a nine-month span on Jan. 31 after injuring it less than three weeks earlier. He missed the rest of the regular season but returned for the playoffs, racking up 11 goals and 13 assists over 22 games to help Vegas triumph over the Florida Panthers in the championship round.The two-way dynamo has been limited to 80 regular-season games combined over the last two campaigns due to injuries.Stone has spent four full seasons and part of another with Vegas. The Golden Knights acquired him in a trade with the Ottawa Senators in February 2019. He played parts of seven campaigns with the Sens to begin his career.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes announced Sunday that they signed forward Jack McBain to a two-year contract.The annual average value is $1.6 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.McBain's arbitration hearing was set for Sunday. His camp filed at $2.25 million for the season, while the Coyotes countered at $2.4 million over two years, according to Friedman.The 23-year-old accrued 12 goals and 26 points in 82 games last season with the Coyotes as a rookie."We are very pleased to sign Jack to a new contract," Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong said in a statement. "He's a big, strong, physical center who led our team in hits last season and contributed offensively. We look forward to having him back on our roster this season."McBain played four seasons at Boston College before turning pro after the 2021-22 season. The Coyotes acquired his signing rights in March 2022 from the Minnesota Wild for a 2022 second-round pick.The Toronto native represented Canada at the 2022 Olympics, where he tallied a goal and two points in five contests. McBain recorded two goals and four points in 10 games en route to a gold medal at the World Championships in May.Arizona had $8.7 million of cap space prior to the signing, according to CapFriendly. This doesn't include cap hits for Shea Weber, Jakub Voracek, or Bryan Little, who are eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators inked Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year, $5-million contract, the club announced Thursday.Tarasenko was an unrestricted free agent. His new pact includes a full no-trade clause.Other teams - including the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, and San Jose Sharks - made him offers before he chose Ottawa, reports The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.Tarasenko collected eight goals and 13 assists in 31 games with the New York Rangers this past season after the St. Louis Blues traded him there in February. He produced 10 tallies and 19 helpers over 38 contests with the Blues in 2022-23.The 31-year-old spent his first 10 full seasons with St. Louis, notching at least 30 goals in six seasons, including five straight from 2014-15 through 2018-19. That included a career-best 40 in 2015-16. However, he was then slowed by three shoulder surgeries in a span of 28 months.The Blues drafted Tarasenko 16th overall in 2010.Ottawa is down to just $32,620 in cap space as a result of the signing, according to CapFriendly. The Senators have two of their own young forwards left to sign in restricted free agent Egor Sokolov and Shane Pinto, who's a 10.2(c) player - essentially an RFA but ineligible for arbitration or an offer sheet.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman are $2.8 million apart ahead of the goaltender's arbitration hearing Sunday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Swayman's camp filed at $4.8 million, while the Bruins are coming in at $2 million. The two sides can still come to terms on a new contract prior to the start of Sunday's hearing.The 24-year-old is coming off of an entry-level contract signed in 2020. Swayman posted a .920 save percentage in 37 games last season, sharing the William M. Jennings Trophy with Linus Ullmark.Swayman started over Ullmark in the Bruins' pivotal Game 7 against the Florida Panthers in the first round. He made 27 saves on 31 shots in Boston's 4-3 overtime loss.In 88 games over three seasons, Swayman has a sparkling 54-23-7 record and a career .920 save percentage. He was named to the All-Rookie Team in 2022.Swayman won the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA's top goaltender in 2020 while playing at the University of Maine. He played for the United States at the 2018 world juniors and the 2022 World Championship.The Bruins have $5.4 million of cap space, according to CapFriendly. Swayman and fellow restricted free agent Trent Frederic have yet to be signed.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Logan Cooley is turning pro after all.The Arizona Coyotes signed the 2022 third overall pick to a three-year, entry-level contract on Thursday.His pact carries a cap hit of $950,000 with an additional $3.5 million available in performance bonuses, thus bringing up the average annual value to $4.45 million, per CapFriendly.Cooley originally intended to return to Minnesota next season. He acknowledged in late May that the Coyotes' failed bid to build a new arena in Tempe factored into his initial decision to prolong his college career, per PHNX Sports' Craig Morgan.The 19-year-old addressed his change of heart shortly after his signing was announced."When I posted about coming back to school a few months ago, I was fully planning to return for my sophomore season," Cooley wrote in an Instagram story shared by Minnesota. "Over the past months, I have realized that deep down, I feel ready for the challenge of playing at the highest level in the world and I want to fulfill my lifelong dream of being an NHL player."The hardest part of coming to this decision was feeling like I was letting people down, but I have to be true to myself and do what's in my heart."Cooley led Minnesota in 2022-23 with 22 goals - including six game-winners - and 60 points in 39 contests during his freshman campaign. Cooley was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which honors the top player in men's college hockey."We are thrilled to sign Logan to an NHL contract," Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong said. "Logan is an incredibly skilled player who had an excellent season with the Golden Gophers last year. He has established himself as one of the top prospects in the world."He is a very important player for us, and he has an extremely bright future ahead. We look forward to watching him play for the Coyotes for many years to come."The Golden Gophers' 2022-23 season ended in an upset after they dropped the championship game to Quinnipiac in overtime.Cooley also dazzled at the 2023 World Junior Championship, leading Team USA with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in seven games while capturing a bronze medal.The Pennsylvania native is a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens youngster Juraj Slafkovsky didn't enjoy the smoothest transition to the NHL this past season, but the 2022 first overall pick is confident he'll improve in 2023-24."I expect the pressure from the fans to be even higher," Slafkovsky said in a recent interview with Slovak reporter Tomas Prokop. "I believe I'm well prepared, and I'll play better than in my rookie season. I have my goals, but I'll keep them secret."Expectations were high after Montreal picked Slafkovsky over Shane Wright, who tumbled to the Seattle Kraken in the No. 4 spot at the 2022 NHL Draft.Slafkovsky struggled to live up to the hype, registering just four goals and 10 points in 39 contests before suffering a season-ending knee injury in mid-January.The 6-foot-3 winger is hopeful that he's "100% now," adding that he's lost some weight and expects to be faster on the ice. Slafkovsky has also been working to improve his lung capacity and said he's "seeing a positive change.""I'm feeling a bit better compared to last year," he said. "I was just working on the little things. ... Everything is on track."By the time the Habs' season opener arrives on Oct. 11, Slafkovsky will have gone almost exactly nine months between regular-season games.Slafkovsky put up five goals and five assists in 31 games and added seven points in 18 playoff contests as a member of TPS in Finland's top hockey league during the 2021-22 season.The 19-year-old has also dominated on the international stage, netting a tournament-high seven goals in seven games to help Slovakia win bronze at the 2022 Olympics. Slafkovsky then added a team-leading nine points in eight contests at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sebastian Aho has high hopes for the 2023-24 Carolina Hurricanes after inking an eight-year, $78-million extension that will keep him in Raleigh for the next nine seasons."To me, this is the best team on paper that we ever had," Aho said Wednesday. "I think we have a really capable team in many ways, and obviously that's one of the reasons why it was an easy decision for me (to sign) since (general manager) Don (Waddell) and (owner) Tom (Dundon) and those guys, they're building a really good team."As a player, all you can ask, really, from the team (is) you have a chance to win, and we definitely have a chance to be the best team in the league. I'm really excited for the next year."The Hurricanes have made some key additions so far this summer, reeling in unrestricted free agents Dmitry Orlov and Michael Bunting while reuniting with blue-liner Tony DeAngelo, who found success with the team in 2021-22.Carolina held onto some familiar faces, too, re-signing goalies Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, as well as captain Jordan Staal and forward Jesper Fast.The Hurricanes have made the playoffs for the last five seasons and boast the fourth-best regular-season record (226-107-37) in the league dating back to 2018-19. Carolina also finished first in its division for the past three straight campaigns.As a crucial part of the Hurricanes' success, Aho said it was a "no-brainer" for him to stick around in Carolina. The Finn could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer."This is the place I want to play. ... The organization has taken huge steps over the course of the last five years," Aho said. "Obviously, we feel like we're building every year."Carolina has advanced to the conference finals twice during Aho's tenure and most recently got swept by the Florida Panthers this past spring.Despite signing Aho, the Hurricanes still have a plethora of players who can hit the open market next offseason, including Teuvo Teravainen, Brett Pesce, and Brady Skjei. Waddell said the Hurricanes are "not close" to getting any other deals done with their next crop of unrestricted free agents.Carolina has just under $850,000 in cap space remaining, according to CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.