Yet another player is taking legal action against the NHL over head injuries.

Former defenseman Bryan Berard is suing the league, claiming that it failed to protect him from repetitive brain injuries throughout his career, and that he now has serious medical problems as a result, according to TMZ.

The first overall pick in 1995 said the NHL has a responsibility to "cease (its) patent glorification of, and profiting from, fist-fighting and violence in the league."

Berard, who claims to have suffered at least five concussions, added that the NHL needs to not only care about the former players "on whose backs and brains (it) reaped billions of dollars," but also that it must prioritize long-term safety over profit.

Several other former players, including Garth Butcher, Ian Turnbull, Mark Hardy, and John Cullen, have filed similar suits against the league, according to TMZ.

More than 100 former players are part of an ongoing concussion lawsuit against the NHL for which a federal judge recently denied class-action status. Had that been permitted, more than 5,000 former players would've been allowed to join the case.

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Ryan Ellis had more than just his own interests in mind when he agreed to an eight-year, $50-million contract extension earlier this week.

"I'm getting paid more than enough to play hockey," the Nashville Predators defenseman told reporters Thursday. "It was just about coming across a fair deal that would work for both sides. We have other guys that need to be re-upped and need to be signed in the future, and I had to do my part to keep this thing going in the right direction."

Ellis is entering the final season of the five-year, $12.5-million pact he inked with the club in 2014, which carries a cap hit of $2.5 million. His new cap hit will be $6.25 million beginning in 2019-20.

He likely could've commanded more money had he chosen to enter free agency next summer, but he felt giving the Predators a little cap flexibility would help them remain Stanley Cup contenders for years to come.

"If we can keep everyone here and keep the core together, I think we can compete for a Stanley Cup for the next 10 years, at least," Ellis said. "That's bold to say, but I think we believe a lot in the people that we have in our room … and I just really wanted to be a part of it."

Nashville has about $7.6 million in cap space with no remaining free agents. However, franchise goaltender Pekka Rinne has one year left before hitting unrestricted free agency, talented defenseman Roman Josi has two years remaining on his deal, and gifted young forward Kevin Fiala is one year away from restricted free agency.

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William Nylander says he doesn't feel there's any heightened need to get a contract done with the Toronto Maple Leafs following Dylan Larkin's new long-term pact with the Detroit Red Wings.

"Now that contract negotiations have started you're more aware of what's going on with things like that," Nylander told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger on Thursday. "Right now, once something like that happens, you're more updated on what's going on around the league, more educated. But once you sign, I don't think you pay attention to that.

"There is no extra pressure or urgency to get something done just because guys like (Larkin) sign."

Nylander is a restricted free agent without a contract entering the upcoming season.

It's not unreasonable to compare the 22-year-old Maple Leafs forward's situation to that of Larkin, who was an RFA himself before inking a five-year, $30.5-million deal with the Red Wings last Friday. Larkin is also 22, and he produced 63 points while Nylander posted 61 last season.

However, Nylander doesn't appear concerned with Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas' approach to his negotiations.

"I've said all along that Kyle wanted to take things slow and I'm fine with that," Nylander said. "They're going back and forth with my agent from what I hear. We'll see what happens. They said it would take a while and I'm still not worried. When it gets done, it gets done."

Related: Projecting William Nylander's next contract

Earlier this month, Nylander told theScore's John Matisz that he'd prefer to sign a long-term contract rather than a bridge deal.

Dubas insisted back in July that "we can and we will" retain the dynamic young trio of Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner, the latter two of whom became eligible to sign new deals July 1.

Leafs training camp will open with medicals Sept. 13, followed by the first on-ice session the next day.

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Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson believes he can replicate last season's success and ink the lucrative contract he desires.

After finishing third in the league with 43 goals, the 25-year-old couldn't come to terms on a long-term deal with the club, instead settling on a one-year, $5.25-million contract.

"It's me betting on myself a little," Karlsson said, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "It would be great with a long-term (deal) but we couldn't agree on that. Both sides wanted it long term but it couldn't work out.

"I believe I can have another productive year, show that last season was no fluke, and earn something long term."

Karlsson's monstrous campaign came after never managing more than nine goals or 25 points in his first two full seasons in the league with the Columbus Blue Jackets. With Vegas, he saw an increase of 34 goals and 53 points, which he attributes largely to an increased role with the Golden Knights.

"I'm not sure what happened in Columbus but when your confidence is down it affects you," Karlsson said. "All I wanted is a chance to show what I can do. Vegas let me do that. It let a lot of guys do that."

If Karlsson can put up another 40-goal season, he could command a long-term contract in the ballpark of $9 million per season.

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The Carolina Hurricanes and forward Sebastian Aho have begun talks regarding a contract extension.

Aho is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and is hoping to sign long term, but for now, discussions appear to be in the infancy stages.

"We've been talking about something," Aho said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "But I've got nothing to say yet."

Aho made significant strides in his sophomore season, pacing the Hurricanes in both goals and points with 29 and 65, respectively. The 21-year-old is also coming off a stellar performance at the World Championship where he put up nine goals and 18 points in just eight games.

The Hurricanes finished last season 14 points outside the final wild-card spot in the East. Another stellar campaign for Aho is a must if they are to return to the postseason for the first time since 2008-09.

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Patrik Laine is not sweating the fact that he remains without a contract extension heading into the 2018-19 season.

The Winnipeg Jets sniper still has a year remaining on his entry-level deal and, as such, is preaching patience.

"It's not something we need to hurry because I still have a contract," Laine said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti "But obviously that's something I want to do at some point and they want to do. But there's no rush.

"I really don't care," Laine said. "There's no rush, really. I can do it next summer or this summer. I don't mind."

While the former second overall pick doesn't appear pressed to sign an extension, he did admit that when the time comes he'd prefer to put pen to paper on a long-term deal.

"It's always easier if it's long term so you don't have to think about doing a new contract for a while, and I'm happy where I'm at," Laine said. "I want to stay there for sure. That's something I want to do and hopefully, they're thinking the same way."

Given that the 20-year-old has tallied 80 goals in his first two NHL seasons - only Alex Ovechkin has more in that span - it's safe to say the feeling is likely mutual on the Jets' part.

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One month out from the start of training camp, the Detroit Red Wings still remain uncertain as to whether or not Henrik Zetterberg will be healthy enough to suit up this season.

The 37-year-old has been dealing with back issues and in turn has been unable to do any training this offseason, leaving the 2018-19 campaign up in the air.

"He's had a hard summer and I don't think his back is reacting great," head coach Jeff Blashill said Wednesday, according to Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. "Certainly we'll know more in a month (at training camp), but as of today, there's a lot of doubt as to whether his back will be healthy enough to play."

Zetterberg did manage to get into the lineup for all 82 games last season, but as Blashill explained, it wasn't easy for the veteran center.

"As you know, Hank wasn't able to practice for half the year," Blashill said. "He was able to gut it out through those last two months where he wasn't able to practice. There were nights I didn’t think he'd able to play and he did play."

Zetterberg hasn't missed a game since the 2014-15 campaign. He still has two more years remaining after this season on his current 12-year, $73-million contract, which holds an annual average value of just under $6.1 million.

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