The Carolina Hurricanes are ready to talk contract with Sebastian Aho.

The two sides held negotiations earlier this offseason but put talks on hold once Aho headed home to Finland for the summer. But with the winger back in Raleigh for training camp, Carolina is prepared to take another crack at locking in a new deal.

"He's in town now and we'll pick up talks," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "We had some talks in the summertime, but just felt it wasn't the right time. So now that he's back, we'd like to put some time into (it), and I think they feel the same way. Hopefully we can come out of here with a resolution."

Aho is entering the final year of his entry-level contract that carries a $925,000 cap hit, plus performance bonuses.

After finishing with over 45 points in each of his first two NHL campaigns, there should be no doubt that the 21-year-old is due for a big-time raise.

Waddell's goal is to have Aho put pen to paper before the Hurricanes open the season on Oct. 4 against the New York Islanders.

"I'm not one to put these deadlines and all that right now, but the goal would be let's get it behind us so we all can move forward," Waddell said. "He's proven he's a good player. We don't know what the ceiling is yet for him, but you get to know him as a player and a person and he's the kind of guy you continue to build players and pieces around."

The Hurricanes selected Aho with the 35th pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

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Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen admits choices will need to be made on both Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky.

Both are pending unrestricted free agents. Panarin has already stated that he won't negotiate an extension once camp opens, while the Blue Jackets also remain far apart in negotiations with Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner.

"If we can't work out a contract, then we'll have to make some decisions," Kekalainen told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "I wouldn't say they're just going to stay and ride out into the sunset."

Still, Kekalainen remains hopeful that both players are long for Columbus.

"We're still optimistic we can get things done and we feel they can be a huge part of our team in the future," Kekalainen said. "We're going to have a good team into the future and hopefully they want to be part of it. That's our mindset right now, to keep working at it."

Panarin is entering 2018-19 on the final year of a two-year, $12-million contract. The 26-year-old was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in June 2017 as part of a multi-player trade involving winger Brandon Saad. Panarin's 82 points last year marked the best single-season total in the Blue Jackets' 18-year history.

Bobrovsky has posted a 176-106-26 showing across six seasons in Columbus, including 24 shutouts, a 2.37 GAA, and a .923 save percentage. That stretch also saw Bobrovsky capture the Vezina Trophy in 2012-13 and 2016-17.

The 29-year-old goaltender carries a $7.425-million cap hit on the final season of his four-year contract.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets and head coach John Tortorella are close to agreeing on a contract extension, according to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.

Kekalainen is confident a deal will be reached before the Blue Jackets open training camp next week, telling NHL.com's Tom Gulitti, "He's done a great job. I think the coaching staff has done a great job for us and stability is important, so I'm sure we’ll get something worked out."

The update comes just one day after the Blue Jackets inked Kekalainen to an extension, in addition to extending president of hockey operations John Davidson, and Bill Zito, who was promoted from assistant to associate GM.

Tortorella has one year remaining on his current contract, his fourth season with the Blue Jackets. The coming campaign is the first in which Columbus will pay all of Tortorella's contract after his former club, the Vancouver Canucks, was responsible for paying part of the deal following his 2014 dismissal.

Since joining Columbus, Tortorella has helped bring the team to the next level, guiding the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record 108 points in 2016-17. That season, Tortorella was the recipient of the Jack Adams Award presented to the NHL's coach of the year.

It marked the second time Tortorella has captured the award. He was also given the honor in 2004 after leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a championship.

The Boston native ranks first all-time among American-born coaches with 575 career wins in 1,175 games. He's posted a 129-87-23 record over nearly three seasons after becoming the Blue Jackets' bench boss in October 2015.

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There has been further progress in contract talks between Tyler Seguin and the Dallas Stars.

The 26-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason; in late August, Seguin expressed disappointment that a new deal had not yet been reached.

"We are deep in discussions. It's moving in the right direction," Stars general manager Jim Nill told team reporter Mark Stepneski.

Talks picked up steam upon Seguin returning to Dallas prior to training camp.

"I think once he got down around the team and stuff, that was important for him," Nill added. "Like I said, things are moving in the right direction.

"I'd like to get it done before the season starts, but with negotiations, you never know. But I think both parties would like to get it done before. I think it's always been the plan to get it done before the season starts."

Time is of the essence, as Dallas opens the season Oct. 4 against the Arizona Coyotes.

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Drew Stafford is getting his shot to make the New Jersey Devils, as the veteran forward will attend camp on a professional tryout, the team announced Friday.

Stafford appeared in 59 games with the Devils last season, registering eight goals and seven assists. He inked a one-year deal worth $800,000 with New Jersey in August 2017.

Stafford, 32, has notched 415 career points across 784 games with the Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, and Devils.

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Artemi Panarin's agent, Dan Milstein, doesn't foresee his client being traded before the start of the regular season.

Panarin made it clear this offseason that he doesn't intend to sign a contract extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets and he will not discuss business with the team once training camp opens. However, following recent discussions between the club's management and Milstein, it doesn't appear as though Panarin is going anywhere.

"We've spoken with management and we expect Panarin to be with the Blue Jackets," Milstein said, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance.

Related - Report: Rangers are Panarin's preferred destination

Panarin has just one year left on his current contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this season. The possibility of the 26-year-old hitting the open market in July isn't something Panarin's camp appears to be worried about, as Milstein insists going to free agency is merely a player's right.

"Look at it this way, you only become a UFA once in your career when you have an option and opportunity to sign a long-term contract," Milstein said. "Loyalty is important but you're given the right by the CBA to see what's out there."

Panarin is coming off his first season with the Blue Jackets, during which he set a career high with 82 points in 81 games.

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Matt Duchene's tenure in Ottawa could wind up being very brief, as the 2019 unrestricted free agent confirmed to reporters Friday that he and the Senators haven't had any contract talks yet.

"There's been some big things going on that obviously take precedent over that," Duchene told TSN's Frank Seravalli, potentially referring to the ongoing Erik Karlsson saga.

On Tuesday, Duchene noted that negotiations hadn't started and said it "would be awesome" if a long-term deal worked out with the Senators. He reiterated Friday that he is open to re-signing in Ottawa, but added that he couldn't help but watch John Tavares carve his own path in free agency this summer. Tavares signed a seven-year deal worth $11 million per season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"It's the first time you have that ultimate power as a player and you have to do what's best for you," Duchene said.

Duchene was acquired by the Sens in a blockbuster three-way trade last November, in which Ottawa sent its 2019 first-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche.

His time in Ottawa got off to a rocky start, but despite the team's struggles, the 27-year-old finished the season strong with 20 goals and 23 assists in his final 44 games. Centers in their prime rarely hit the free-agent market, so he would likely fetch a pretty penny come July 1.

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