Throughout June, theScore will be projecting contracts for the star-studded restricted free-agent class. In this edition, we project Sebastian Aho's new deal.

The player

Aho has made significant strides in each season since joining the Carolina Hurricanes after slipping to 35th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.

What made Aho's most recent campaign so impressive is that he switched from playing left wing in his first two seasons to playing center in 2018-19. Centers are more valuable on the ice and are generally paid accordingly.

Aho has proven to be a hard-working, two-way player with a dynamic offensive skill set. He's quickly become the face of the Hurricanes franchise.

The team

The Hurricanes are in a pretty enviable position. Fresh off its first playoff appearance in nine years and a miracle run to the Eastern Conference Final, Carolina has $28.7 million in cap space to work with. Outside of Aho, the Hurricanes' only key free agents are goaltenders Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney and forwards Justin Williams and Micheal Ferland.

Considering Aho's importance to the franchise, an eight-year deal seems like a strong possibility. At max term, Aho's cap hit would rise, but the Hurricanes have the room to make it work. However, as a small-market team, it's unclear what the organization's actual budget is.

The comparables

Here's a select list of centers who signed contracts out of restricted free agency in the last few years:

CH% = Cap hit percentage, based on cap ceiling when the contract was signed

Despite being chosen 33 picks ahead of Aho in the 2015 draft, Eichel might offer the best comparison. Aho's 0.81 points per game in his first three seasons is less than Eichel's 0.85 mark, but Aho's 1.01 points per game in his contract year is better than Eichel's 0.95 in his.

Draisaitl is also on this list despite splitting time between center and wing during his career. He offers an interesting comparison after averaging 0.94 points per game in his contract year.

The projection

With ample cap space, it makes sense for the Hurricanes to lock up their best player for as long as possible. As was the case with the majority of the names listed above, it seems like there's a high probability of an eight-year deal.

The cap hit is tougher to gauge, though. Aho's value is much higher than it was a year ago after his smooth transition to the middle of the ice, so anything between $9 million and $11 million could be in the cards.

Verdict: 8 years, $82 million ($10.25 million AAV, 12.35 CH%)

Others in this series:

• Zach Werenski
• Charlie McAvoy
• Timo Meier (June 6)
• Mikko Rantanen (June 7)
• Brock Boeser (June 10)
• Patrik Laine & Kyle Connor (June 11)
• Brayden Point (June 12)
• Matthew Tkachuk (June 13)
• Mitch Marner (June 14)

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The Boston Bruins were without captain Zdeno Chara at practice Wednesday while defenseman Matt Grzelcyk returned to the ice in a non-contact jersey.

Chara took a puck to the face in Game 4 and reportedly suffered a broken jaw on the play. There's still no word on whether he'll be good to go in Game 5, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy.

Grzelcyk was on the ice for the first time since being hit from behind by Blues forward Oskar Sundqivst in Game 2. The 25-year-old blue-liner is still in concussion protocol and is hopeful to be cleared to play in Thursday's contest.

Here's how the Bruins' defensive pairings were set for practice with two regulars out.

Game 5 gets underway at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday with the series tied 2-2.

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Trading winger Jesse Puljujarvi remains a strong option for the Edmonton Oilers, reports TSN's Darren Dreger, citing league sources.

It was reported in February that the Oilers were open to trading the 21-year-old, but Edmonton's since remodeled its front office with the hiring of general manager Ken Holland.

Puljujarvi is finished his entry-level contract and is a restricted free agent this summer. After an underwhelming start to his career, Puljujarvi isn't in line for a big contract, but his agent quashed rumblings of a potential KHL deal in Finland, according to Dreger.

After Puljujarvi was put on the trade block earlier this season, his agent suggested a change of scenery could benefit his client.

Puljujarvi was drafted fourth overall by the Oilers in 2016. He's split time between the big club and the AHL's Bakersfield Condors but has only produced 37 points in 139 NHL games.

He appeared in just 46 games in 2018-19 due to season-ending hip surgery.

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Pavel Datsyuk put any rumors of a potential return to the NHL to rest Wednesday, signing a one-year deal to remain in the KHL with his hometown Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, the league announced Wednesday.

After three years with SKA St. Petersburg, Datsyuk announced in May that he wouldn't be returning to the club, prompting some speculation that the 40-year-old was interested in a return to North America.

Before the former All-Star opted to stay in the KHL, agent Dan Milstein said the only NHL team Datsyuk would suit up for would be the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he spent the entirety of his 14-season career.

Datsyuk recorded 918 points in 953 games during his NHL tenure, winning two Stanley Cups, four Lady Byng Trophies, and three Selkes.

The Magic Man posted 12 goals and 30 assists in 54 games with St. Petersburg last year.

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The ECHL championship has gone to the dogs.

With a 4-3 victory over the Toledo Walleye in Game 6 on Tuesday night, the Newfoundland Growlers captured the Kelly Cup in their very first season.

Newfoundland's Giorgio Estephan scored two goals over less than three minutes in the second period and added an assist early in the frame.

His second marker held up as the winner.

The Growlers, who joined the league in 2018-19 as an affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, became the first team to claim the ECHL title in its first campaign since the Greensboro Monarchs in 1990.

Newfoundland forward Zach O'Brien was named playoff MVP after leading all postseason scorers with 16 goals and 29 points.

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Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is ready to embrace the future after another disjointed season resulted in the team missing the playoffs for the third time in four years.

"There was a lot of moving parts, a lot of things going on," McDavid told TSN's Gino Reda on Tuesday. "Fire a coach, fire a GM - that's a lot of change for one season.

"It was an emotional ride, and I'm looking forward to a little stability."

The Oilers fired former head coach Todd McLellan in November and replaced him with Ken Hitchcock, who assumed the role on an interim basis. General manager Peter Chiarelli was then relieved of his duties two months later in his fourth season with the club.

The Oilers hired Dave Tippett last Tuesday, making him the third head coach employed during McDavid's tenure in Edmonton. The 22-year-old is excited about what the veteran bench boss brings to the table.

"He's been around for a long time and has had lots of success and coached different styles of hockey - coached offensive, coached defensive," McDavid said. "He has all the tools."

After Keith Gretzky finished the season as interim GM, the Oilers brought in legendary executive Ken Holland, who helped guide the Red Wings to Stanley Cup victories in 1998, 2002, and 2008.

"He comes with lots of experience (and) is a guy that's been wildly successful," McDavid added. "I'm really happy with that and really looking forward to working with him."

Despite the team's lack of success, McDavid became just the fifth player in NHL history to record at least three seasons of 100-plus points by age 22 and has collected two Art Ross Trophies, two Ted Lindsay Awards, and a Hart Trophy over four seasons.

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Zdeno Chara suffered a significant injury during Monday night's loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Boston Bruins captain broke his jaw, a source familiar with the situation told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford on Tuesday.

Chara left the game after Blues forward Brayden Schenn took a shot that deflected off the defenseman's stick and up into his face in the second period.

The 42-year-old blue-liner returned to the bench for the third period, but he didn't play another shift.

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The Vancouver Canucks have checked in with the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding the cost of acquiring defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, a source told Sportsnet's Rick Dhaliwal.

Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas announced last week that the team and Zaitsev are working together to find a fresh start for personal reasons.

Toronto originally signed Zaitsev from the KHL on a one-year deal in May 2016. He parlayed a solid rookie showing into a seven-year, $31.5-million extension awarded by then-general manager Lou Lamoriello.

Zaitsev's current contract carries a $4.5-million cap hit until 2023-24 and includes a 10-team no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1. The 27-year-old contributed three goals and 11 assists over 81 games with the Leafs last season while playing primarily in a shutdown and penalty-killing role.

Vancouver enters the summer with just over $30 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly, and has plenty of holes to fill on the blue line with just one defenseman under contract beyond next season.

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