The Arizona Coyotes aren't ready to make a major commitment to Anthony Duclair.

Duclair, 21, is a restricted free agent in need of a new contract. But those negotiations couldn't come at a worse time for the young winger, who struggled in his second full NHL season, netting just 15 points in 58 games.

It was a steep decline for the Quebec-born forward, who a year earlier starred alongside fellow Coyotes freshman Max Domi as he notched 20 goals and 24 assists in 81 games to finish seventh in NHL rookie scoring.

"It's going to be a one- or two-year deal," Coyotes general manager John Chayka told AZ Central's Sarah McLellan. "That's where we're at. We've talked. We understand where each other's at."

Unable to find the back of the net as often in 2016-17, Duclair was served with a short demotion to the AHL. But his scoring touch couldn't make up for his lost confidence, as he came away with just one goal (plus seven assists) through 16 contests with the Coyotes' minor-league affiliate.

While with the big club, former coach Dave Tippett challenged Duclair to re-establish himself as an NHL player. "We want him to play to his potential," Tippett said in March. "He set a standard for his play last year that he has to get back to. For whatever reason, he hasn't come close to that this year."

The veteran bench boss scratched Duclair for six contests last season, but there will now be a different voice calling the shots after Arizona announced the hiring of new head coach Rick Tocchet this week.

The Coyotes still see a lot in the scoring winger they acquired from the New York Rangers at the 2015 deadline, as Chayka told McLellan: "I like 'Duke' as a player a lot, as a person a lot, but he had a rough year. I think it's more just about getting him back on the horse, getting him going. For both the team and the player, short-term is the best."

But that doesn't mean a shorter contract couldn't be beneficial to Duclair, who is coming off his entry-level deal, as an improved 2017-18 campaign could see him cash in during an upcoming offseason.

Duclair is one of two Coyotes roster players who remain restricted free agents, along with fellow forward Jordan Martinook, who tallied 25 points in 77 games last season. The 24-year-old received a qualifying offer from the club but has since filed for salary arbitration, with his hearing set for July 26.

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The Dallas Stars have arguably the most talented group of forwards in the NHL, and they could get a significant boost to that unit as early as next year.

Valeri Nichushkin is expected to return to the Stars for the 2018-19 season, his agent Mark Gandler told Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News.

Nichushkin - the 10th overall pick in the 2013 draft - spent three seasons with the Stars, but returned home to play in the KHL last season, and will do so again for the 2017-18 campaign.

"Val is under contract with CSKA (Moscow) for another year. Based on the current NHL-KHL agreement, Val may not sign with Dallas until the '18-'19 season," Gandler explained to Heika. "I know that Dallas was watching Val in the KHL and playing for the Russian National team. They are happy with his progress and expect him back in a year. Val, too, plans to come back to Dallas after his contract with CSKA expires."

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Nichushkin showed flashes of brilliance as an 18-year-old rookie with the Stars. The 6-foot-4 winger potted 14 goals, added 20 assists, had only eight penalty minutes, and accumulated a plus-20 rating.

The next two seasons were a bit of a struggle, though. He played only eight games in 2014-15 due to injury, and scored just nine goals in 2015-16. With CSKA Moscow last season, he tallied 11 goals and 24 points in 36 games.

Stars general manager Jim Nill is content with the agreement, citing that another year overseas could be best for the 22-year-old's development.

"It's good for him," Nill said. "He has the opportunity to play a lot of minutes, he has the opportunity to possibly play for the national team, possibly play in the Olympics. This can be a very big season for him."

If Nichushkin does indeed return to the NHL in 2018-19, he would be a restricted free agent and Dallas would own his rights. He would be placed into the mix of a forward group already featuring Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Alexander Radulov, Martin Hanzal, and Radek Faksa.

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All was right again for Curtis Lazar.

Following a deal to the Calgary Flames at last year's trade deadline, the former junior star was seemingly back to his old self as the talented winger who had made a name for himself before arriving in the NHL.

"I saw my potential come back in Calgary. I was carrying the puck, skating well, being physical," Lazar told Jason Gregor of TSN 1260. "I felt happy again."

It was a stark contrast from the player who was a part of the Ottawa Senators for parts of the last three seasons. Lazar made his NHL debut with the Senators in 2014-15, putting up 15 points in 67 games.

But it was in 2016-17 when Lazar's game went off track, as he was limited to a single point through 33 games. He even struggled following a demotion to the AHL, registering just four points in 13 games.

In 2013-14, his final year in junior, Lazar was a key cog in leading the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings to its first Memorial Cup championship. Through 58 regular-season contests, Lazar netted 76 points. He put up another 22 points in the playoffs.

Lazar then added to his trophy case by taking home a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2015 world juniors. He scored nine points in the tournament, including five goals to tie Max Domi and Sam Reinhart for the team lead.

But the same success which Lazar enjoyed in junior didn't follow him to the Senators, the club which selected him 17th overall in 2013. And after three years, Ottawa had seemingly seen enough, deciding to move on from Lazar when he was shipped to Calgary.

At the time of the trade, Flames general manager Brad Treliving stated, "We're not making this bet based on what he's doing today - we think there is significant upside."

So far, the wager has worked out perfectly for Calgary, as Lazar collected a goal and two assists in four games with the Flames and seemed to rediscover the style that made him a junior standout.

"The skill set I had in junior kind of got washed away playing fewer minutes and games (in Ottawa)," Lazar added. "Muscle memory comes back and I feel it now."

On Friday, Lazar was rewarded for his quick turnaround with the Flames, as he inked a two-year extension with his new club.

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The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed forward Jonny Brodzinski to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $650,000 at the NHL level, the team announced Friday. The first year of the deal is a two-way contract, while the second year is one-way.

Brodzinski, 24, played in six games with the Kings last year, but he undoubtedly left his mark on the analytics community.

Scoring chance stats courtesy Natural Stat Trick, others courtesy Hockey Reference.

What the numbers above are saying is that while Brodzinski was on the ice, the Kings had the puck a lot, generated plenty of scoring chances, and limited the opposition's scoring chances. They did this despite starting more possessions in the defensive zone rather than the offensive zone.

Brodzinski may have only had two points in his six-game stint, but that was largely due to a below average on-ice shooting percentage, and the fact that he only played 12:17 minutes per night.

A fifth-round selection of the Kings in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Brodzinski has been an offensive force at every level thus far in his career.

The Ham Lake, Minn., native is expected to compete for a regular role with the Kings this coming season.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed restricted free-agent forward Ondrej Palat to a five-year, $26.5-million contract, the team announced Friday.

With the deal, the Lightning and Palat avoided their arbitration hearing, which was scheduled for July 25. Tampa has now locked up all of its pending free agents, with $3.25 million in cap space still available.

The 26-year-old is coming off his fourth full season with the Lightning and third in which he eclipsed the 50-point plateau. He finished fourth in team scoring with 17 goals and 52 points in 75 games.

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R.J. Umberger is hoping to resume his hockey career with the Dallas Stars.

The veteran forward, who did not play during the 2016-17 season, has agreed to a professional tryout offer with the Stars, reports Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch.

Umberger last skated in the NHL in 2016, when he spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers after a six-year run with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In his final season in Philadelphia, Umberger posted two goals and nine assists in 39 games. The Flyers elected to buy out the final year of his contract last June.

Should Umberger sign with the Stars, he'll be reunited with bench boss Ken Hitchcock, who coached Umberger in both Philadelphia and Columbus.

Umberger has appeared in 779 career games and has recorded 180 goals and 212 assists.

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A new arena situated on the right side of town is the final piece of the puzzle for the Arizona Coyotes.

That's the stance of Coyotes' owner Andrew Barroway, who spoke with Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports in a wide-ranging interview Friday, touching on several topics on a team that has had arguably hockey's busiest offseason.

Barroway, who assumed full ownership of the Coyotes in June, reiterated his commitment to the Arizona market, noting a new arena is the next big step for the franchise.

"I made the decision to expand my ownership in the Coyotes for a few reasons," Barroway said. "First, I love this team, I love hockey and I love being here in the Valley. I am a homeowner here. I voted here. We're committed to Arizona long-term. This is where we want to be.

"We're not relocating and I have no exit strategy here. My son would never forgive me. He (Jake) is transferring to the University of Michigan to study sports management and the plan is, when he is old enough, he'll be the future governor (of the team). I'm not flipping it. This is a family enterprise."

Barroway was on hand Thursday for a press conference introducing new head coach Rick Tocchet, as well as Steve Patterson, who the club appointed as president and CEO. Patterson is a familiar name to Arizona sports fans, as he was previously the athletic director at Arizona State University, most recently in 2013.

Patterson's past experience with stadium projects, including the construction of NRG Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans, and the redevelopment of Portland's Moda Center, the home court of the NBA's Trail Blazers, will be a key resource as the Coyotes continue to work toward a new arena. This expertise, in addition to his ties to the Valley of the Sun, makes Patterson a key hire for the Coyotes.

"Steve has the combined skills and experience and local contacts to help go about it," Barroway said. "Going forward on stadium stuff, we'll do everything aggressively and privately and when we have a firm deal to announce, we'll announce it.

"I think people want to know when it's a done deal. They don't need to live through the daily drama of it. There's no benefit to discussing it publicly until you have something to report. You're not going to get any false timelines from us, but trust me, I get up in the morning thinking about a new stadium and I go to sleep thinking about a new stadium."

The Coyotes certainly have the support of the NHL, particularly commissioner Gary Bettman, who according to Barroway described Arizona as a "home run" hockey market if a new stadium can come to fruition.

The Coyotes are in search of a new arena after the city of Glendale voted to end the team's long-term lease agreement at Gila River Arena, where it'll continue to play on a year-to-year basis.

The Coyotes hope to have a new arena in the East Valley, closer to most of the team's fan base and corporate sponsors. Past proposals have included a site on the campus of Arizona State, and reportedly a shared facility with the NBA's Suns in downtown Phoenix. The two clubs previously shared an arena prior to the Coyotes' move to Glendale in 2003.

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Filip Chytil has officially signed with the New York Rangers, the team announced Friday.

The Rangers selected Chytil 21st in this year's draft. The forward spent last season with Zlin of the Czech Extraliga, recording eight points in 38 games.

He later represented the Czech Republic at the under-18s, netting five points in five games.

Chytil's signing comes one day after New York agreed to terms with forward Lias Andersson, who was selected seventh overall this year.

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