John Tavares will soon be faced with the reality of change in the New York Islanders locker room after an offseason of notable roster moves.

Gone are forwards Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo, both of whom were valued teammates in the captain's eyes.

"It hasn’t even really sunk in, maybe until you don’t see them at training camp or during the season, and that hasn’t happened yet," Tavares told Arthur Staple of Newsday. "I don’t think people realize how much I lean on Kyle and Frans, as well as guys like Travis (Hamonic), Clutter (Cal Clutterbuck), Johnny Boychuk.

"Having those different perspectives is a huge help. And personally for me, you go through a lot of ups and downs and you’re trying to manage a lot of things. When you have people you can rely on, especially with those friendships I have with Kyle and Frans are deep."

One of the veteran players brought in to fill the void left by the departure of Tavares' alternate captains is winger Andrew Ladd, with whom he is already familiar and looking forward to adding to the locker room.

"I know Ladder a bit - he’s got a great family, he’s a leader and the two Cups he’s won, he’s been through a lot in his career," Tavares said. "He’s someone to definitely really count on and will make a great impact in our room. Someone who’s been through it and succeeded will be great for our young guys. He’ll be someone I lean on in a lot of areas."

Tavares himself can become an unrestricted free agent in 2018, with the opportunity to sign a contract extension as early as July 1, 2017. Ownership has made it quite clear they intend to lock him up as soon as possible, using some of the money saved by not re-signing Okposo and Nielsen to boost the star's current team-friendly average annual valuation.

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Canada said an emotional goodbye Saturday night.

The Tragically Hip played what is expected to be their final show, wrapping up their "Man Machine Poem" tour at home in Kingston, Ontario. Gord Downie, the band's iconic lead singer, has terminal brain cancer.

The concert was broadcast nationally on CBC and NHLers were tuned in, much like the rest of the nation - including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in attendance.

Recently retired Brad Richards was emotional right off the bat:

Sam Gagner got in on Canada's ultimate trending topic on Twitter:

Logan Couture watched from home:

Teddy Purcell said what everyone in the North has been saying throughout the tour:

Former forward turned broadcaster Jeff O'Neill let a photo do all the talking:

Like millions of Canadians over the years, Marc Methot shared The Hip with those closest to him:

James Neal put it perfectly:

At the band's final show in Toronto, Downie said goodbye.

"I'll see you down the road somewhere," he said, writes Stephen Marche in The New Yorker. "I love you."

The feeling is clearly and undoubtedly mutual.

Thanks, Mr. Downie.

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Like all others participating in September's World Cup of Hockey, Ryan Getzlaf's offseason is getting cut a little bit short, but the Anaheim Ducks captain is up to the task.

"We're going into a playoff-type atmosphere, so we've got to be ready to go," Getzlaf said, according to Abbey Mastracco of NHL.com. "We're going to have to ramp it up."

Getzlaf is representing Team Canada, who will face the pressure of delivering on home soil, but wearing the maple leaf is nothing new for the 31-year-old, having won two Olympic golds and one World Junior Championship.

Getzlaf says preparing for the tournament requires an accelerated workout plan, but he feels he's trained well enough thus far.

"I tried to simulate what I would do for camp and I've been back working out," Getzlaf said. "I think that the amount of skating and stuff I've been doing is a lot more and it's a lot earlier. These next two weeks are going to be about trying to get up to that speed where we're playing at a high level."

Getzlaf and Team Canada begin their quest for hockey supremacy Sept. 17 versus Czech Republic.

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The World Cup of Hockey is around the corner, and the host country is listed as the early favorite.

Team Canada comes in as champions of the last two Olympics and IIHF World Championships, and with the deepest roster of NHL talent, it's no surprise the Canucks are atop the list.

Following the Canadians is the Russian squad, led by Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin.

The tournament-inspired teams, Team North America and Europe, come in at the bottom of the poll, trailing more internationally experienced teams in the USA, Sweden, Finland, and Czech Republic.

In the last running of the tournament, held in 2004, Canada defeated Finland in the finals.

(Odds courtesy: Westgate Superbook)

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Dan Hamhuis expects to play a big role in any present and future success by the Dallas Stars.

The veteran defenseman, who signed a two-year, $7.5-million contract on July 1, will be called upon by the coaching staff to help shepherd the likes of Stephen Johns, Esa Lindell, Patrik Nemeth, and Jamie Oleksiak, who may all be required to step up in light of the departures of Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, and Kris Russell.

Hamhuis was brought in with a view to setting an example for the younger players on how to succeed at the NHL level, and it's a role he's more than comfortable with.

"I enjoy helping these guys along to learn what it is like to play in the NHL," he told Mike Heika of the Dallas News. "It’s tough to get here, but it is even tougher to stay. It’s those habits and the day-to-day things that can make you a better player, and the ultimate goal is winning the Cup."

On top of that, Hamhuis will bring a measure of defensive responsibility to a club known for an up-tempo, offensively minded style.

"The strength of this team is the offensive power, and I’m hoping what I can bring to the team is sound defensive presence," Hamhuis said. "That’s the way I have played throughout my career, I take a lot of pride in my defensive game."

Head coach Lindy Ruff said Hamhuis will play big minutes for the Stars, meaning the team's ability to take the next step next season may hinge on how well he fares in each of those areas.

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Frolunda forward Carl Grundstrom pulled a Patrik Stefan during Champions Hockey League action Friday night, completely missing what should've been an easy empty-net goal.

Grundstrom, a Toronto Maple Leafs 2016 second-round pick, had an opportunity to give Frolunda a 3-1 lead late in the third period, but the puck ended up bouncing off the goal post.

Frolunda still went on to win, though, defeating Germany's Grizzlys Wolfsburg 2-1.

Here's Stefan's infamous empty net miss from 2007:

- With h/t to Puck Daddy

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While Sean Monahan was awarded with a long-term, big-money deal Friday, the statuses of other prominent restricted free agents remain up in the air as August draws to a close.

The list is headlined by Johnny Gaudreau and Nikita Kucherov, both of whom broke out in big ways this past season.

There are several other notable names, however.

NHL training camps are set to begin Sept. 12, and the World Cup of Hockey - which unsigned players will be able to participate in - runs from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1.

The NHL regular season begins Oct. 12, with or without these names under contract.

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Add another name to the list of candidates for the current Colorado Avalanche head coaching vacancy.

Brad Larsen, who currently serves as an assistant to John Tortorella with the Columbus Blue Jackets, has entered the mix for the position, according to Terry Frei of the Denver Post.

Larsen joins two AHL head coaches - Jared Bednar of the Cleveland Monsters (Columbus) and Travis Green of the Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks) - as well as New York Rangers associate coach Scott Arniel and Washington Capitals assistant Lane Lambert as those being considered for the post by Colorado general manager Joe Sakic.

The various ties to the Blue Jackets - which includes Arniel - make sense, considering Colorado's assistant GM, Chris MacFarland, came to the club by way of Columbus.

Larsen, however, also has a personal connection with the Avalanche, having been drafted by the team in 1997 and appearing in 92 games over five years during Sakic's days as a player. He previously served as head coach of the AHL's Springfield Falcons, leading the team to a pair of division championships before bring promoted to an assistant at the NHL level.

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