Get your catfish ready because the Nashville Predators are heading back to the playoffs.

The Predators became the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season with a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

This will be the Predators' fourth consecutive playoff appearance and the 11th in their 19-year history.

Nashville now sits comfortably with a four-point cushion in the Presidents' Trophy race at 104, and is just six points away from matching the franchise record of 110 set during the 2006-07 campaign.

Last season, the Predators came within two wins of capturing the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup, ultimately falling short in Game 6 of the final against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Evander Kane got himself a rooster trick.

The San Jose Sharks forward tipped home his fourth goal of the game against the Calgary Flames early in the third period Friday night.

Here's a look at his first three of the evening:

Surprisingly, it was the first hat trick of Kane's NHL career.

The dynamic winger now has five goals in eight games with the Sharks since being acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on deadline day.

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Evgeny Kuznetsov was forced to exit Friday's game against the New York Islanders late in the second period.

The Washington Capitals forward was ruled out for the rest of the game and will be further examined Saturday after taking a slash and then crashing into the boards.

Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey was assessed a slashing minor for his role in the play, which came with about six seconds left in the second stanza.

Kuznetsov picked up his 49th and 50th assists of the season on the Capitals' first two goals of the game. He has 71 points in 71 games and ranks second on the club in goals and points in 2017-18.

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Cross another name off the list of potential hires for the vacant general manager's position with the Carolina Hurricanes.

New Jersey Devils assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald has pulled out of the race for the job, he told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"This is nothing against Tom Dundon," said Fitzgerald. "I am very happy in New Jersey and this is not the right time for me."

Fitzgerald joins Nashville Predators AGM Paul Fenton and Los Angeles Kings AGM Mike Futa as executives who were considered for the job but have since pulled their name out of the running.

Earlier in the day, Friedman reported that former Vancouver Canucks AGM Laurence Gilman, Buffalo Sabres AGM Steve Greely, and Hurricanes AGM Mike Vellucci were among the remaining candidates.

Fitzgerald has served as the Devils' AGM since July 24, 2015.

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Braden Holtby's break is over.

The Washington Capitals goaltender is starting Friday's game against the New York Islanders after sitting out for four contests.

Capitals head coach Barry Trotz implied he was giving Holtby "a little reset" last week.

The 2016 Vezina Trophy winner has a save percentage of .854 and only one win in his last eight games.

Washington went 3-1-0 in his absence, including a 7-3 victory over the Islanders on Thursday night.

"It was obviously good to clear (my) mind and step back, and it makes it a lot better that we had success while (I was sitting out)," Holtby told reporters before Friday's game. "(The break) is something I haven't had in quite a few years, so there's a positive in it for sure, mentally and physically, to just regroup a bit."

Philipp Grubauer posted a .940 save percentage in the four games Holtby sat out, and the backup netminder has been solid all season long, holding a .925 save percentage in 29 appearances.

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Scratch Paul Fenton's name off the list.

The Nashville Predators assistant general manager has withdrawn from consideration for the vacant Carolina Hurricanes GM position, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports.

Remaining candidates include New Jersey Devils AGM Tom Fitzgerald, former Vancouver Canucks AGM Laurence Gilman, Buffalo Sabres AGM Steve Greeley, and Hurricanes AGM Mike Vellucci. Some are expected to be interviewed in-person next week, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Fenton is in his 10th season in his current role with the Predators, and his 18th year with the franchise.

Greeley has already interviewed for the job, as McKenzie reported earlier this week. Kings AGM Mike Futa also withdrew from consideration, according to Friedman.

The Hurricanes' new owner, Tom Dundon, stripped Ron Francis of his GM duties and anointed him president of hockey operations last week. The new GM will report directly to Dundon.

Don Waddell, the Hurricanes president who oversees the business side of both the franchise and PNC Arena, is reportedly expected to represent the club at the upcoming GM meetings in Florida.

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After making an early exit in Thursday's win over the Buffalo Sabres with a lower-body injury, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov will have an MRI to see if there's any damage, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

Komarov collided with teammate William Nylander and sat out the remainder of the contest, though head coach Mike Babcock said he appeared to be fine postgame.

In 71 games this season, Komarov has recorded seven goals and 12 assists.

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Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa is expected to miss two to five weeks as he undergoes surgery to remove scar tissue in his left hand, the team announced Friday.

The procedure could mark the end of his season, as the Ducks sit one point outside the final wild-card spot in the West with 11 games remaining.

The 36-year-old is playing out the conclusion of his two-year, $8-million contract, and has eight assists in 59 games this season.

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James van Riemsdyk's 2017-18 season was always going to be under the microscope.

Entering the final year of an incredibly team-friendly deal that carries a $4.25-million cap hit, the Toronto Maple Leafs faced a tough decision. They could've used him as an offseason trade chip while he still had term, presumably to fetch reinforcements for a blue line everybody knew needed some work.

They opted to hold off, then did so again at the trade deadline, keeping the 28-year-old winger in-house for their playoff push, while taking the risk he could walk away in the offseason for nothing.

For the moment, at least, it's a gamble that's provided quality returns.

Van Riemsdyk is fresh off back-to-back three-point games - including five goals in less than four periods - to propel the Leafs to two wins while passing the sidelined Auston Matthews for the team lead in goals with 31, a new career-high despite averaging just 14:48 of ice-time (10th among Leafs forwards).

His value to the Leafs has never been more apparent than it is right now, and while there's surely more to squeeze out of Van Riemsdyk down the stretch and into the postseason, he's likely played himself out of the slim possibility of re-signing with the club in July.

Van Riemsdyk is one of three Maple Leafs forwards bound for unrestricted free agency, joining longtime linemate Tyler Bozak as well as Leo Komarov. There's no question JVR is the most difficult of the trio to replace, yet as is general manager Lou Lamoriello's wont, no indications of any contract talks between the two parties have seeped through the impenetrable walls of Toronto's front office.

Even if some sort of information were to leak to the public, it's difficult to imagine a scenario where the Leafs and Van Riemsdyk reach an agreement.

Plain and simple, Van Riemsdyk is going to be one of the hottest commodities in this summer's free-agent class. Behind John Tavares, who's scored the same number of goals and might not end up hitting the market at all, JVR is the top player available.

Since arriving in Toronto via a one-for-one deal in exchange for Luke Schenn (we'll call that trade a win for the Leafs), Van Riemsdyk has been one of the league's premier goal scorers. His 149 tallies - 43 on the power play - in Leafs colors since 2013 ranks 18th in the NHL. Narrowed down to left wingers, JVR sits third among his peers, tied with Jeff Skinner and James Neal, while trailing Max Pacioretty, Brad Marchand, and Jamie Benn (173 each), and the incomparable Alex Ovechkin (261).

The Maple Leafs have one more season before Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner are off their entry-level contracts, and the negotiations of those three will be the ultimate priority for Toronto management. Unless Van Riemsdyk takes significantly less term and salary, the Leafs won't be able to match offers from around the league, and will likely end up filling his void with internal options.

Glancing at some recent deals, it's easy to infer Van Riemsdyk is bound for a considerable raise. Here's a look at a few examples of contracts signed by free agent wingers over the past two offseasons, which could serve as the basis of JVR's asking price.

Based on those deals alone, and the quality of the players in comparison to Van Riemsdyk (0.64 points per game), it's fair to assume he'll have his fair share of suitors willing to commit at least $6 million - $7 million per season, with notable term included.

Should he put pen to paper on a deal similar to those above, he'll also be in the same ballpark as the NHL's best wingers. Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Taylor Hall, Filip Forsberg, Johnny Gaudreau, and Artemi Panarin all fall within that range.

Van Riemsdyk may not bring as much to the table as those players in terms of all-around play, but he's established himself as one of the NHL's most consistent goal scorers.

Now he's about to get paid like one.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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