The Toronto Maple Leafs locked up their final restricted free agent Friday afternoon, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $2.5-million contract with defenseman Martin Marincin.
He'll earn $1.2 million this upcoming season, and an additional $100,000 in 2017-18, the Maple Leafs announced.
Marincin found a home in Mike Babcock's simplistic defensive system after a trying start to his NHL career as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. With strong possession numbers and a positive goal differential relative to his teammates, Marincin emerged as one of Toronto's more effective even-strength defensemen, despite offering essentially no offensive upside.
With the deal, the Maple Leafs did manage to squeeze all their restricted free agents under the cap, but now have negligible cap room with a backup goalie still needing to be signed.
It's believed that Toronto's recourse will buying out the remainder of Jared Cowen's contract.
No current members of the Toronto Maple Leafs were present, and former captain Dion Phaneuf - who flew in for the celebration from his offseason home in Prince Edward Island - was the only former teammate.
A rowdy P.K. Subban, meanwhile, showed up hooting and hollering at around midnight, still wearing a cowboy hat from his introductory press conference in Nashville that afternoon.
The crowd was made up of friends, many of whom were from the city's hospitality industry, which makes sense seeing as Kessel frequented many high-end restaurants (not hot dog stands) during his tenure with the Maple Leafs.
Contrary to popular and somewhat cynical belief, the Pittsburgh Penguins winger didn't take the Cup to Toronto to rub it in anyone's face, as confirmed by former NHL forward and party attendee Wojtek Wolski.
"Phil's not the type of person to bring the Cup to Toronto out of spite," Wolski told Mirtle. "He brought it because his friends live here. His family came to Toronto to celebrate. It made a lot of sense."
Between this and Kessel's trip to a local children's hospital, it seems as though Kessel's homecoming of sorts was everything that's good about winning a pro sports championship.
Mike Santorelli has signed a two-year contract with Geneve-Servette in Switzlerand, the club officially announced Friday.
The 30-year-old unrestricted free agent recorded nine goals and nine assists in 70 games for the Anaheim Ducks this past season, carrying a cap hit of $875,000 on a one-year deal. He added a goal in four playoff games.
Santorelli appeared in 406 career NHL games, setting career highs in goals (20) and points (41) as a member of the Florida Panthers in 2010-11.
His Swiss contract will expire at the end of the 2017-18 season.
The Blues' top defenseman says Backes' decision to sign with the Boston Bruins was hard to hear - even admitting to succumbing to tears - but adds he would welcome the opportunity to don the captain's 'C' now that the forward has moved on.
Pietrangelo says Backes may have been low-key preparing him for the role all along.
"I think being so close with Dave over the five years he was captain, I’ve learned a lot from him just kind of sitting back and seeing how he operates on a daily basis," he told Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Not only on the ice but off the ice, which is a big part of it trying to keep the locker room together and doing the off-ice stuff.
"He was always trying to help me through that. I think he knew this opportunity might come some day for me. He was always willing to answer my questions, and I was always eager to ask him. So if there is a guy that I was lucky to learn from, it was him. Being such good friends of his made it that much easier."
General manager Doug Armstrong affirmed Piertangelo's exceptional leadership qualities, and it appears he is indeed the frontrunner to be named captain at some point prior to the start of the regular season.
Heading into the 2016-17 season, no fewer than seven of the NHL's 30 teams are in search of new captains.
Here's a look at the top candidates to fill each role.
Carolina Hurricanes - Jordan Staal
Who better to take up the mantle from the departed Eric Staal than brother Jordan Staal?
The 27-year-old center is under contract with the Carolina Hurricanes until the end of the 2022-23 season, and brings a wealth of experience to the emerging club as a Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009).
If all goes according to general manager Ron Francis' plan, Jordan could be the second Staal to accept the Cup from the commissioner.
Edmonton Oilers - Connor McDavid
Already one of the most talented players in the game, Connor McDavid would become the youngest captain in NHL history.
The 19-year-old was already credited as being the leader of the Edmonton Oilers by the since-traded Taylor Hall, and at this time next summer, he could have one of the longest and biggest contracts in hockey history.
McDavid may be young, but he's a special breed of hockey player, and will likely handle anything tossed at him with ease for years to come.
Florida Panthers - Aaron Ekblad
The Florida Panthers boast a bevy of young talent complemented by savvy veterans, but make no mistake - this emerging powerhouse is built around cornerstone defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
Set to become the team's highest-paid player when his eight-year, $60-million contract extension kicks in at the beginning of 2017-18, the 20-year-old has already displayed a maturity well beyond his years both on and off the ice.
He'll have plenty of help in the locker room, but the Panthers are Ekblad's team for the foreseeable future, and the "C" should be his to reflect that.
The 27-year-old defenseman became the Predators' highest-paid player, and Nashville would be well-served by marketing Subban as the new face of the franchise.
Giving him the captaincy would be a clear signal of moving in a new and exciting direction.
St. Louis Blues - Alex Pietrangelo
David Backes shipped up to Boston, meaning Ken Hitchcock and Mike Yeo must decide on whom to place the "C" moving forward.
Hitchcock clearly doesn't see leadership potential in the team's best player, namely Vladimir Tarasenko, meaning the steady presence of defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is probably the safer bet.
Veteran Jay Bouwmeester, however, could be a dark horse candidate here.
Toronto Maple Leafs - Auston Matthews (2017)
The Toronto Maple Leafs remain in rebuild mode, and head coach Mike Babcock has already said he's in no rush to name a new captain after Dion Phaneuf was traded to Ottawa last season.
The head coach did cite players like Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly as emerging leaders, but 2016 first overall draft pick Auston Matthews is the player whom this team will be built around moving forward.
As such, he's the top candidate to be named the next captain of the Maple Leafs, but probably not until 2017-18.
Winnipeg Jets - Blake Wheeler
A longtime assistant while Andrew Ladd held down the captaincy, 29-year-old Blake Wheeler is already viewed as a leader for the Winnipeg Jets, both as the team's highest scorer and in terms of work ethic off the ice.
Dustin Byfuglien and Mark Scheifele serve as worthy choices, but the former is somewhat polarizing while the latter is still rather young.
Wheeler has already said he'd be honored to wear the "C," and that his mindset won't change either way.
"Regardless of what letter I have on my jersey, my role on the team and who I am with the team is not going to change," Wheeler told Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press. "I think last year was a big growing year for me, with (my) foot on the gas the whole time."
That kind of example is exactly what a captain should bring to the table.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman may have to further answer to his claim that a direct link between concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can't yet be proven.
Lawyers for former players who are suing the league over its failure to properly handle head injuries want to question Bettman after the commissioner recently wrote the science linking concussions and CTE "remains nascent."
Bettman's statement came in response to a letter from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
Lead counsel Charles Zimmerman filed Bettman's letter to the court, and wants Bettman to testify under oath in regards to his statements, according to Rick Westhead of TSN.
"We should have the chance now to walk him through some of his denials and find out why he has made his statements and ask him what makes him so sure," Zimmerman said. "Why is he so willing to go against conventional science which says repeated blows to the head cause damage to the brain?"
The NHL did not offer comment on the matter, while NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is scheduled to be questioned by lawyers in early August.
The National Hockey League Players' Association has hired Bruce Meyer as senior director of collective bargaining, policy, and legal.
"Bruce will be a great addition to the NHLPA's staff. He brings a wealth of knowledge to this new role coming from his law firm where he gained three decades' worth of valuable experience, including effectively representing the NHLPA and other Players' Associations as outside counsel," said NHLPA executive director Don Fehr.
"Protecting the rights of professional athletes has been a passion for me throughout my career," added Meyer. "This is an exciting opportunity for me to join the NHLPA's team, and I look forward to taking on this new challenge."
The hiring comes less than two months after the NHL filed a lawsuit against the PA over Dennis Wideman's reduced suspension, and with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire after the 2021-22 season.
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U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal didn't get the response he was expecting from Gary Bettman when he wrote the NHL commissioner questioning the league's repeated denial of a link between concussions and a chronic brain disease.
"I was surprised and appalled, because I thought the response would be more receptive," Blumenthal told Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Bettman responded to a letter from Blumenthal which sought answers from the NHL about its reluctance to admit a link between the sport and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which scientists say is caused by repeated blows to the head.
The commissioner cautioned the senator against "speculation and fear mongering," reiterating his long-held stance that the relationship between concussions and CTE remains unclear.
Blumenthal said Thursday that Bettman's response should have been more proactive.
"I would've welcomed an acknowledgement for stronger action and a commitment to determining whether the game is causing these heartrending injuries with such painful consequences, rather than dismissing the link between hockey and CTE."
The senator also expressed his disappointment with the league in a series of tweets earlier Thursday morning.
Disappointed @NHL continues to deny link between concussions & #CTE. I will continue to press for real answers: https://t.co/NRvyqSgRvK
