Team Canada isn't lowering the bar.

Despite the fact that NHLers won't partake in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Team Canada general manager Sean Burke feels he can still put together a team that can compete for the top spot.

"We go into Pyeongchang believing gold is realistic," Burke told Andrew Podnieks of IIHF.com. "The last time that Canada wasn't favored was back in 1994, and I played in 1988 and 1992 so I remember those days very well.

"But even then, when the Russians were so powerful and the Czechs weren't far behind, you still went into the Olympics expecting to compete for a gold."

In scouting out who could make up the final roster, Canada played six exhibition games as part of the Sochi Hockey Open and the Nikolai Puchkov Tournament held in Russia.

Canada came away with a 4-2 record, posting wins against Metallurg Magnitogorsk and SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, plus two victories against HK Sochi, while falling to SKA St. Petersburg and the Russian "B" team.

"We know there's a lot of work to do and that things are different," Burke added. "We have to build our team differently. We'll be as prepared as we can possibly be when we go into Pyeongchang to compete for a gold, and that will give us a chance to win."

Participants in the exhibition games included former NHL netminder Ben Scrivens, in addition to defensemen Cam Barker, Carlo Colaiacovo, and forwards Derek Roy, Mason Raymond, and Ryan Garbutt.

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Tyler Seguin had his heart set on the Olympics.

The NHL won't participate in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, and it's a missed opportunity for at least one member of the Dallas Stars.

"It's a bit heartbreaking for sure," Seguin told reporters Friday. "Growing up as a kid, for myself at least, and I'm sure a lot of guys in the league, it was a dream to play in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup, and also represent your country. That's the pinnacle of sports and the pinnacle for a hockey player."

Seguin last represented Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championships, when he netted a tournament-leading nine goals in 10 games to help push Canada to a gold-medal victory. It marked Canada's first gold at the worlds since 2007.

The NHL has been involved in the past five Winter Olympics, beginning in Nagano, Japan in 1998. However, in April, the league announced it would not break for South Korea in the coming season.

"It's definitely not something I really support, not going. I wish we could," Seguin added. "But at the end of the day, you've got to go about the business."

As for Seguin, he's entering his fifth campaign suiting up for the Stars, a club that underwent a major offseason makeover in a bid to return to the playoffs after failing to qualify for the 2016 postseason.

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NHL 18, the latest in the video game series produced by EA Sports, released a sneak peak of its player ratings Friday, with some of the grades taken tongue-in-cheek by NHLers:

As per EA Sports, player ratings are based by position, then further categorized by individual talent. No player rates lower than 75 overall, a grade given to some fourth-liners, spare defensemen, and backup goalies, while the maximum mark comes in at 99.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid will headline the latest version of the video game franchise, which launched its first hockey title in 1991. The game hits shelves Sept. 15.

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There's no resting on laurels when you play for a last-place team.

Joe Colborne's first season with the Colorado Avalanche was one to forget, as the center followed up an opening night hat trick with one goal over the next 61 games and was often scratched altogether.

As a squad, the Avs earned only 48 points in the standings, finishing with the lowest point percentage in the shootout era.

Quite simply, Colborne knows there is plenty of room for improvement all around.

"The only way you can take anything positive out of that was, it was a learning experience," he told Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. "I don’t think any of us had ever been through the hardship that we went through. Part of being a pro is putting that season behind you as much as you can and realize that every single one of us has to be better. There wasn’t one guy who can honestly say that was something you can be proud of."

Nathan MacKinnon led the team with 53 points, while only Matt Duchene also eclipsed 40. The lack of offense and porous defense amounted to a league-worst goal differential of minus-112, with Arizona ranking 29th at minus-63.

"It hurt," Colborne added of the embarassment, "and being a professional, being someone who’s proud of themselves, none of us are happy with it and it’s up to each of us to come back and make sure that we’re a lot better."

Unfortunately for Colorado, the arrival of the Vegas Golden Knights means there actually is somewhere else to go but up.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins signed veteran center Jay McClement to a professional tryout contract, the team announced Friday.

McClement spent the past three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, serving as a valuable penalty killer. He's also quite proficient in the faceoff circle and contributed 15 goals and 40 points in his past 224 games.

Related: Penguins GM seeking 3rd-line center

The Stanley Cup champions are on the hunt for depth at center following the departures of Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen via free agency, thereby giving McClement a good shot at cracking the opening night lineup.

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It's not for a lack of trying.

Petr Svoboda, the agent of Jaromir Jagr, admits he's "working around the clock" to get the future Hall of Famer signed to a contract.

While Svoboda wasn't specific about where Jagr could land, he told Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 Sports that a deal will get done.

Related: Jagr didn't expect finding a new team to be so difficult

Jagr spent part of the past three seasons with the Florida Panthers, finishing fourth in team scoring in 2016-17 with 46 points. However, his tenure in Florida ended this offseason, as the Panthers chose to cut ties.

Despite his age, the 45-year-old was a picture of health over the past two seasons, missing just three contests. He also appeared in all six playoff games in 2015-16.

Arguably his best moment as a Panther came last December, when he past Mark Messier for second all time in NHL scoring. Jagr now ranks behind only Wayne Gretzky - 943 points separate the two stars.

As for his future, a move to a new NHL city - should he not return to one of his former stops - would mark Jagr's ninth team. At the least, it means there could soon be an opening with the Travelling Jagrs.

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Will Butcher appears to be doing some last-minute consulting ahead of his big reveal.

The college free-agent defenseman previously stated that he would decide on the NHL team he'll sign an entry-level contract with on Sunday, and on Friday the 22-year-old was scheduled to travel to New Jersey to meet with both the Devils and Los Angeles Kings, according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.

Per Chambers, the two clubs are believed to be among Butcher's top choices.

On Thursday, Butcher's agent, Brian Bartlett, confirmed that both the Vegas Golden Knights and Buffalo Sabres were among a list of four teams in the mix to ink Butcher.

Bartlett further stated that Butcher is looking for a club that can give him the chance to have a long and prosperous career.

Butcher had seven goals and 30 assists in 43 games last season at the University of Denver, captaining the team to the NCAA championship.

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Brandon Dubinsky is tweeting what some in hockey circles are thinking about the NHL's free-agency rules when it comes to college players:

Last summer, Hobey Baker Award winner Jimmy Vesey spurned the Nashville Predators - who drafted him in 2012 - then chose not to sign with the Buffalo Sabres - who acquired his rights from Nashville - instead agreeing to an entry-level deal with the New York Rangers.

This year's Hobey Baker recipient, Will Butcher, elected not to sign with the Colorado Avalanche, who selected him in the 2013 draft, opting to test the unrestricted free-agency waters. He'll decide on his NHL destination Sunday.

Harvard forward Alexander Kerfoot made the decision not to sign with the New Jersey Devils, who picked him in 2012, officially landing with the Avalanche on Thursday.

College players can elect not to sign with the club that drafts them, and those players can choose to become UFAs in mid-August.

It's a process that could be debated before the league's collective bargaining agreement comes up for renewal in 2022. The NHL and the players can renegotiate the CBA as early as 2019.

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