Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres still haven't shaken hands on a contract extension, but the young star says a new pact is inevitable.

"It's going to get done at some point, whether it's now or a couple months or next year," the 20-year-old told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti on Thursday. "Who knows? I just know if my play takes care of itself, then good things will happen."

Earlier this week, one of Eichel's agents, Peter Donatelli, said his client was prepared to start the upcoming season without a new deal.

Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said last month that the club wants to sign Eichel for the longest term possible - in other words, an eight-year extension - adding that Eichel shares that desire.

The 2015 second overall pick, who has one year left on his entry-level contract, characterized talks as "ongoing," according to Gulitti, as the discussions reportedly have gone on for much of the summer.

Connor McDavid's new eight-year, $100-million megadeal is likely being used as a high-end comparable for a potential Eichel extension, but the Sabres phenom says he isn't fixating on the player drafted one spot above him a couple of years ago.

"There are some players in the league who are always going to be linked together just because people like comparisons," Eichel said. "People like to compare two things no matter what it is. Obviously, (McDavid has) had some great accomplishments early in his career.

"For me, it's more about worrying about myself. We're in two different situations, we play in two different areas, so I'm just trying to worry about Jack Eichel and helping Jack Eichel be the best that he can be."

Eichel led Buffalo with 57 points last season, despite missing 21 games due to injury.

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Artemi Panarin won't stop until he has a bread-themed sponsor.

After making a pass at Panera Bread with a picture of bread shoes to no avail, the "Bread Man" reached out to Wonder Bread with a nice Photoshop job in search of a better result.

A quick Google search will show the Columbus Blue Jackets forward placed his head and a hockey stick onto the body of Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell's character from "Talladega Nights."

You have to admire Panarin's persistence, because, heck, if you ain't first, you're last.

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It was not the news the Nashville Predators wanted to hear with the beginning of the regular season just a month away.

The team announced on Thursday that defenseman Ryan Ellis will be out several months as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery.

General manager David Poile noted the team is hopeful he will be able to rejoin the Predators around Christmas. A return at Christmas would mean Ellis misses the Predators' first 35 games of the season, or just under half the season.

At first glance, there is no question that filling in Ellis' spot will not be easy. On the other hand, it's become common knowledge around the league that the Predators boast the best defense corps in the NHL. And while Ellis is a big part of that, the Predators have enough depth to handle his absence.

Others veterans on guard

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

One of the biggest reasons why the Predators will be able to withstand the storm is that they have some veteran defenders at the ready.

Matt Irwin is waiting on deck, the club acquired Alexei Emelin to further bolster the blueline this offseason, and Anthony Bitetto also remains an option.

Now that is certainly not to say that these players live up to Ellis' talent level, especially offensively, but Emelin and Irwin are everyday NHLers, and Bitetto is no stranger to the Predators lineup.

Last season Irwin suited up for 74 games with the Predators, Emelin dressed in 76 games for the Montreal Canadiens, and Bitetto - while spending some time in the American Hockey League - played in 29 games with the Predators.

As mentioned, these three will not provide the same kind of offense that Ellis can. The three combined for five goals and 31 points in 179 games, while Ellis tallied 16 goals and 38 points in on his own.

Then there is the other side of the puck. Last season Ellis paced the Predators with 137 blocked shots. However, Irwin finished second in that category with 121, while Emelin blocked 127 shots of his own in Montreal.

They won't be able to replicate his offense, but if they can remain sound in their own end while Ellis is out, the team should be able to find goals elsewhere.

Then there's the other three

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

On the other hand, it's important not to forget who is still there.

Ellis being out hurts, but the Predators still have Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, and Mattias Ekholm who will still be there doing their thing.

Last season Josi and Subban finished first and second in scoring among Predators defenders, with 49 and 40 points respectively, and averaged 25:04 and 24:24 of ice-time per game each, leading the Predators in that category.

Then there is Ekholm. While he might not get as much attention as the other two, he has proved to be a rock on the back end. Ekholm logged the fourth-most ice-time during the regular season for the Predators - including the third-most on the penalty kill. He also logged the third-most during the playoffs - even more than Ellis.

In the end, Ellis' lengthened recovery time just means that Josi, Subban, and Ekholm have to step up a little more, and they are certainly capable of doing that. Heck, they did as much during their playoff run this past spring.

So sure missing Ellis hurts - especially as the 26-year-old appears to be entering his prime - but the fact is the Predators depth on the blue line is precisely the reason the club was able to snag a playoff berth and reach the Cup Final last season. Are the Predators worse off without Ellis? Of course. Are they doomed? No way.

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Cody Franson will apparently have a shot at cracking the Chicago Blackhawks' opening-night roster.

The veteran defenseman agreed to a professional tryout contract with the club, a source confirmed Thursday to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, as first reported by freelancer Dhiren Mahiban.

Franson was one of the better unrestricted free agents still available, and while there's no guarantee he sticks in the Windy City, he would help solidify the team's back end.

The Blackhawks traded Niklas Hjalmarsson to the Arizona Coyotes, let Johnny Oduya walk, and Brian Campbell retired in mid-July.

Franson spent the last two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. He began his NHL career with the Nashville Predators, one of the Blackhawks' biggest Central Division rivals, and also played parts of four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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It turns out the artistry displayed by some pro hockey players extends beyond the rink. Others? Not so much.

Eight NHLers did their best to draw the logos of their respective clubs Thursday, as shared by USA Today's Jimmy Hascup.

Here's a closer look at each attempt, beginning with a solid effort from Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere didn't have a high degree of difficulty, but he nailed his, nonetheless.

Minnesota Wild center Charlie Coyle had a tough task, but did quite well.

Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers didn't do too poorly recreating the shield logo introduced by his team last season.

Like Gostisbehere, Tanner Pearson's assignment was pretty easy, and the Los Angeles Kings winger didn't screw it up.

This, on the other hand, was a whale of a drawing by Chris Tanev of the Vancouver Canucks.

Johnny Gaudreau's Calgary Flames logo looks like a jellyfish, and he may have also revealed a new spelling of his first name.

Finally, Jeff Skinner took a simple, yet fairly accurate, approach to the Carolina Hurricanes' logo.

(Images courtesy: Jimmy Hascup)

Next year, we need to see them draw their teammates.

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Before they head off to their respective training camps, Brent Burns and Connor McDavid are having some last minute fun and games.

The San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers stars took part in a trio of hockey style carnival games as part of a new CCM campaign.

Things started out with some shots at milk bottles - a carnival classic - which McDavid took quite handily.

Round 2 saw Burns unleash complete destruction on a set of plates.

The games concluded with McDavid giving Burns and his beard a nice soak in the dunk tank.

Both Burns and McDavid can pickup where they left off on Dec. 18 when the Sharks visit the Oilers for their first meeting of the regular season.

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The Nashville Predators were dealt a serious blow Thursday, as general manager David Poile announced defenseman Ryan Ellis will be sidelined several months as he recovers from offseason knee surgery.

Ellis underwent the procedure in June, and the team was initially optimistic he'd be ready for training camp, which is set to open next week. Now, Poile hopes the star blue-liner can return by the start of the new year.

The 26-year-old was an integral piece to the Preds' endearing run to the Stanley Cup Final in the spring, racking up 13 points in 22 playoff contests to build off a career-best regular season in which he scored 16 goals and added 22 assists.

Thankfully for Nashville, defensive depth is the organization's best asset. The Predators can still roll out a star-studded top three of P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, and Mattias Ekholm to help combat the absence of Ellis, while it appears newcomer Alexei Emelin and fellow defenders will see an increased role to start the season.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs named former defenseman Stephane Robidas as assistant director of player development, the team announced Thursday.

Robidas, a veteran of 937 games and 15 seasons in the NHL, suited up for the Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and Anaheim Ducks before ending his journey with the Maple Leafs.

Despite not being able to contribute on the ice for Toronto since 2015 due to multiple injuries, Robidas joined the Leafs' front office as a consultant last year when he was deemed physically unable to compete.

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Your move, Brian Gionta.

The veteran winger appears to have options on the table should he choose to suit up for another season.

"Gio has not made any final decision on his future," his agent, Steve Bartlett, wrote to John Vogl of the Buffalo News. "We have had a number of teams that have indicated they would sign him, but he is not sure right now which if any offer he would accept.

"He will continue to prepare as though he will play, and we will see how things play out here over the next couple weeks."

Gionta, 38, registered 15 goals and 35 assists in 82 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season. It's believed his first choice was to return, but his spot in the lineup was filled via the offseason acquisition of Jason Pominville, and he'd even admitted it was very unlikely he'd be able to re-sign.

Along with retaining the ability to chip in offensively, Gionta has served as captain of the Sabres and Montreal Canadiens over the past seven seasons, providing experience and leadership that teams covet.

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Circle your calendars: The NHL's trade deadline has reportedly been set for Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.

The wheeling and dealing will come to a close early this season, as last year's deadline was March 1.

Typically, the precise cutoff is 3 p.m. ET on the assigned day. Over the past couple of years, though, teams have gotten a jump on things by announcing meaningful trades days or weeks in advance of the deadline date, taking a bit of the drama out of the proceedings.

Safe to say it's worth paying close attention once Valentine's Day has come and gone.

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