The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Jake Guentzel to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $6 million, the club announced Thursday.

The deal includes a partial no-trade clause in the final two years, during which Guentzel can submit a 12-team no-trade list, according to TVA's Renaud Lavoie.

The 24-year-old Guentzel is enjoying a breakout season with 15 goals and 33 points in 36 games while averaging a career-high 18:41 of ice time per night. He was set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of this campaign.

"Jake established himself as an impact player for our team from the beginning, especially during 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "He has become a core player on the team and we are thrilled to get Jake signed long-term with the Penguins."

In his short career, Guentzel's established himself as a clutch playoff performer with 23 goals and 42 points across 37 postseason contests. He helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup in the 2016-17 campaign.

Based on the additional $6-million cap hit of Guentzel's contract, the Penguins are now projected to enter the upcoming offseason boasting just $5.13 million in cap space with six unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents, according to CapFriendly.

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The St. Louis Blues will host the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, league sources told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

St. Louis hasn't hosted the annual festivities since 1988; that game was highlight by a marvelous performance by Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux.

2020 would mark the third time St. Louis has played host to the All-Star Game. This year's showcase will take place at the San Jose Sharks' SAP Center.

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The Nashville Predators are getting two of their star players back.

Defenseman P.K. Subban and top-line winger Viktor Arvidsson were both activated off injured reserve, the club announced Thursday.

Subban's missed the last 19 games with an upper-body ailment, while Arvidsson's been out for 21 contests with a broken thumb.

However, the Predators have managed to stay competitive without Subban, Arvidsson, and Filip Forsberg in the lineup. They sit four points behind the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division, albeit with one extra game played.

In a corresponding move, Nashville placed Yannick Weber on IR.

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With 2018 winding down, theScore looked back at the previous 12 months and voted on the top 25 sportspeople of the year. Here's the first installment, highlighting Nos. 25-21.

25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 (Sat.) | 10-6 (Sun.) | 5-1 (Mon.)

25. Gritty, mascot, Philadelphia Flyers

After being without a mascot since the 1970s, the Philadelphia Flyers went all-in with a monstrous mess of terrifying tangerine fibers and bulbous eyes when they unveiled Gritty in September. As the antithesis of the cute and cuddly mascots running rampant across North American sports, Gritty came in like a wrecking ball and immediately built a singular online presence that's heavy on memes while distracting Flyers fans from the sorry state of their team. - Michael Chandler

24. Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir, Figure Skating

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir entered the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang as two of the biggest names in figure skating. They exited as the most decorated pair in the sport's Olympic history following a series of transcendent performances - including a world record in the short ice dance - that elevated figure skating into the mainstream for a few weeks. Virtue and Moir's chemistry may or may not extend beyond the ice, but that's irrelevant. Name a better duo - we'll wait. - Arun Srinivasan

23. Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox

It's unlikely that Mookie Betts will ever have a better year than he did in 2018. The superstar outfielder filled his trophy case with both individual and team accolades while establishing himself as one of baseball's most dynamic players. Betts won his third Gold Glove, was named to his third All-Star team, claimed his second Silver Slugger, and became the second player in Boston Red Sox history to record a 30-30 season. If that wasn’t enough, Betts capped off his incredible year with a World Series title, an American League MVP Award, and the birth of his first child. - Brandon Wile

22. Lewis Hamilton, F1

Lewis Hamilton roared to a fifth world championship in 2018 due to steely driving in treacherous rain, spectacular maneuvering in dire circumstances, and an error-free finish to the season. The 33-year-old also wowed fans with an audacious triple pass at the Bahrain Grand Prix and later showed the determination and poise of a champion at the German Grand Prix, winning from 14th place on the grid. Hamilton - who's already cemented himself as an all-time great Formula 1 driver - is now in position to break Michael Schumacher's record for the most wins (91) and titles (seven) in history. - Anthony Lopopolo

21. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

The powerhouse that Nick Saban's built at Alabama is often thought to win regardless of its quarterback, but Tua Tagovailoa's done his best to prove that notion false this year. The Hawaiian-born standout arrived as a highly touted freshman and then announced himself to the nation with a monster second-half performance in relief of Jalen Hurts during the 2018 national championship game.

Three touchdown passes from Tagovailoa - including the overtime winner - helped Saban claim his fifth title with the Crimson Tide while continuing to build his legacy. Tagovailoa then took over as the starter this season and wowed the country on a weekly basis, throwing for a school-record 37 touchdowns despite playing almost no fourth-quarter snaps. Next, he'll have a chance to end 2018 the same way he started it, as Alabama's back in the College Football Playoff with a semifinal date versus Oklahoma on Dec. 29. - Dane Belbeck

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With 2018 winding down, theScore looked back at the previous 12 months and voted on the top 25 sportspeople of the year. Here's the first installment, highlighting Nos. 25-21.

25-21 | 20-16 (Fri.) | 15-11 (Sat.) | 10-6 (Sun.) | 5-1 (Mon.)

25. Gritty, mascot, Philadelphia Flyers

After being without a mascot since the 1970s, the Philadelphia Flyers went all-in with a monstrous mess of terrifying tangerine fibers and bulbous eyes when they unveiled Gritty in September. As the antithesis of the cute and cuddly mascots running rampant across North American sports, Gritty came in like a wrecking ball and immediately built a singular online presence that's heavy on memes while distracting Flyers fans from the sorry state of their team. - Michael Chandler

24. Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir, Figure Skating

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir entered the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang as two of the biggest names in figure skating. They exited as the most decorated pair in the sport's Olympic history following a series of transcendent performances - including a world record in the short ice dance - that elevated figure skating into the mainstream for a few weeks. Virtue and Moir's chemistry may or may not extend beyond the ice, but that's irrelevant. Name a better duo - we'll wait. - Arun Srinivasan

23. Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox

It's unlikely that Mookie Betts will ever have a better year than he did in 2018. The superstar outfielder filled his trophy case with both individual and team accolades while establishing himself as one of baseball's most dynamic players. Betts won his third Gold Glove, was named to his third All-Star team, claimed his second Silver Slugger, and became the second player in Boston Red Sox history to record a 30-30 season. If that wasn’t enough, Betts capped off his incredible year with a World Series title, an American League MVP Award, and the birth of his first child. - Brandon Wile

22. Lewis Hamilton, F1

Lewis Hamilton roared to a fifth world championship in 2018 due to steely driving in treacherous rain, spectacular maneuvering in dire circumstances, and an error-free finish to the season. The 33-year-old also wowed fans with an audacious triple pass at the Bahrain Grand Prix and later showed the determination and poise of a champion at the German Grand Prix, winning from 14th place on the grid. Hamilton - who's already cemented himself as an all-time great Formula 1 driver - is now in position to break Michael Schumacher's record for the most wins (91) and titles (seven) in history. - Anthony Lopopolo

21. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

The powerhouse that Nick Saban's built at Alabama is often thought to win regardless of its quarterback, but Tua Tagovailoa's done his best to prove that notion false this year. The Hawaiian-born standout arrived as a highly touted freshman and then announced himself to the nation with a monster second-half performance in relief of Jalen Hurts during the 2018 national championship game.

Three touchdown passes from Tagovailoa - including the overtime winner - helped Saban claim his fifth title with the Crimson Tide while continuing to build his legacy. Tagovailoa then took over as the starter this season and wowed the country on a weekly basis, throwing for a school-record 37 touchdowns despite playing almost no fourth-quarter snaps. Next, he'll have a chance to end 2018 the same way he started it, as Alabama's back in the College Football Playoff with a semifinal date versus Oklahoma on Dec. 29. - Dane Belbeck

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Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara will return to the lineup Thursday against the New Jersey Devils, head coach Bruce Cassidy announced.

The 41-year-old Chara missed the past 19 games with a knee injury.

In that time, the Bruins went 10-7-2 and find themselves in the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot, three points back of the Buffalo Sabres for third in the Atlantic Division.

Cassidey also announced that forward Jake DeBrusk, who missed the last nine games with a concussion, and defenseman Kevan Miller, who missed the last 13 contests with a throat injury, will also return against New Jersey.

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The Ottawa Senators will be without Craig Anderson for the near future, as the goaltender suffered a concussion before the Christmas break and will miss at least two games, general manager Pierre Dorion announced Thursday.

Anderson has started in 30 of the Senators' 37 games this season, posting a 14-13-3 record and 3.58 goals-against average. He was pulled in his last start against the New Jersey Devils after allowing five goals in two periods.

The Senators play the New York Islanders on Friday before returning home to face the Washington Capitals the next night.

Ottawa recalled goalie Marcus Hogberg from the AHL's Belleville Senators to fill Anderson's spot.

Dorion also announced defenseman Justin Falk suffered a concussion before the break and won't play this weekend.

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Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin, and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon were named the captains of the 2019 NHL All-Star Game on Thursday.

Fan voting was used to select the captains for each division.

McDavid will represent the Pacific Division for the third straight year. The 21-year-old sits fourth in league scoring with 52 points, seven back of Mikko Rantanen.

Matthews will make his third All-Star game appearance in as many seasons since entering the league. By being named the captain of the Atlantic Division, the 21-year-old earned a Schedule A bonus of $212,500, according to Cap Friendly. Matthews has recorded 19 goals and 34 points in 23 games this season.

Ovechkin's eighth NHL All-Star Game appearance will come this year. The game will also mark the third time in the past four years that he's been named captain of the Metropolitan Division. The sniper leads the NHL with 29 goals through 35 games.

MacKinnon, playing in his third straight All-Star game, will lead the Central Division, ending Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban's two-year run as captain. The 23-year-old sits third in NHL scoring with 56 points.

The annual 3-on-3 tournament takes place Jan. 26 at the SAP Center in San Jose.

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