Goaltender Alex Lyon's future will be a lot clearer in 48 hours.
A free agent after three years at Yale University, Lyon had a stellar 2015-16 season, posting a .936 save percentage and 1.64 GAA in 31 games.
"Word is his decision's coming down in the next 48 hours," reported Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Saturday's "Headlines" segment. "Edmonton and L.A. (are) among the favorites, not apparently Calgary," Friedman added.
Lyon's 23 years old and is from Baudette, Minn. He stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 200 pounds.
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Martin Ouellette stopped all 31 shots he faced as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms shut out the St. John's IceCaps 4-0 on Saturday in American Hockey League action.
Reece Wilcox, Tim Brent, Colin McDonald and Cole Bardreau suppli...
The New York Rangers' all-world goaltender was pulled Saturday after allowing three goals on nine shots to the Buffalo Sabres, marking the seventh time he's hit the bench early this season. The Sabres defeated the Rangers 4-3, keeping New York from clinching a playoff spot. And there's no doubt "The King" is in a slump.
Lundqvist had a March to forget, winning only two of nine starts and posting very un-Lundqvist-like numbers: a .906 save percentage and 3.38 GAA. And those stats came on the heels of a .922 January and .934 February.
Interestingly enough, Lundqvist left his first start in March with a neck injury, after he was injured against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh collided with Lundqvist in that game, and the Swede lost it, tossing the net off its moorings in frustration. He left after 40 minutes and didn't return to action until nine days later, when he was stellar against the Detroit Red Wings, stopping 40 of 43 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss.
Since then, though, Lundqvist has allowed three or more goals in six of eight starts.
Lundqvist turned 34 on March 2. He's getting up there in age, though he went into action Saturday with a .921 save percentage - the seventh straight season he's been at .920 or better. As he goes, so too the Rangers.
The Rangers probably aren't worried. Lundqvist has played some of his best hockey in the spring, posting a .927 save percentage in 25 playoff games in 2013-14, and a .928 save percentage in 19 playoff starts last season. He'll find his game when they matter.
The Detroit Red Wings may have a massive hole to fill on their roster this summer.
There's a "legitimate chance" center Pavel Datsyuk will forego the final year of his contract with the club in favor of returning to his native Russia and signing with a KHL club, Sportnet's Elliot Friedman reported Saturday on the "Headlines" segment of Hockey Night In Canada.
From Friedman:
We've all understood that at some point, Pavel Datsyuk would go back to Russia and play. There is a legitimate chance, according to sources, that might be after this season, and if it does occur, it would be for family reasons.
Datsyuk isn't commenting, and neither is the club. It is expected that everyone will sit down after the season for a final decision.
Now the key thing to remember here if he does go, his cap hit of $7.5 million stays on the Wings roster since he signed after he turned 35.
Datsyuk's agent, Dan Milstein, responded quickly, but stopped short of refuting the report.
"Pavel is concentrating on helping his team to make the playoffs and winning another Stanley Cup for the Red Wings," he told Ansar Khan of MLive. "Pavel also has one more year left on his NHL contract. We will sit down with Ken Holland at the conclusion of the season for our annual year end meeting."
Datsyuk, who's played solely for the Red Wings since entering the NHL in 2001, signed a three-year, $22.5-million deal with Detroit prior to the 2014-15 season. The extension couldn't be made official until July 5 - just over two weeks after his 35th birthday.
Holland said he hasn't addressed the speculation with Datsyuk and won't until after the season --- says all these are, are "rumors"
The two-time Stanley Cup champion and three-time Selke Trophy winner has recorded 16 goals and 31 assists in 62 games, and remains a key piece of the puzzle for the Red Wings.
With 916 points in 949 games with the Red Wings, he ranks sixth on the team's all-time scoring list.
TORONTO - Zach Hyman and Ben Smith had a goal and two assists each to lead the Toronto Marlies past the Grand Rapids Griffins 6-3 on Saturday in American Hockey League action.
Shane Conacher had the eventual winner for the Marlies (50-15-5), ...
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Jordie Benn has 55 points in his five-season career with the Dallas Stars. That's about the same number scored by his younger brother, NHL scoring champion Jamie Benn, in the last four months.
Yet when the Dallas Stars n...
The first-round pick from 2014 collected his first NHL point Saturday night, landing an exact, no-look backhand feed onto the stick of goal-hawk Brandon Saad in the second period of their matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is out with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
The team announced the news before Saturday night's game against New Jersey.
Stamkos has 36 goals and 64 points in 77 games.
Stamkos sat out practice Friday and wasn't a participant at the team's morning skate.
He was vocal following Thursday's shutout loss to the Montreal Canadiens, challenging the "passengers" in the Lightning lineup. From the press box, he'll now have a better vantage point at who may or may not be coasting.
Tampa Bay remains two points behind the first-place Florida Panthers with five games remaining.