Both the New Jersey Devils and Wayne Simmonds are coming off a highly disappointing 2018-19 campaign, which is why the rugged winger thinks they're a perfect match.

"Our minds are set the same way. I didn't have a good year; they didn't have a good year," Simmonds told Sportsnet's Luke Fox from BioSteel Camp. "It's redemption for both myself and New Jersey, wanting to come back and prove to the league that I'm a good player and they're a good organization. It just fit well."

Simmonds was an unrestricted free agent this summer. He signed a one-year, $5-million deal with the Devils after being traded to the Nashville Predators at last season's deadline.

"I'm coming off a down year. I realize that. I know my worth, and I'm not going to sign for anything under my worth. So, it's kind of a prove-it deal, right?" Simmonds said. "Be healthy, play your game, and get back to where you want to be."

The 31-year-old had his worst showing in years last season, posting just 17 goals and 13 assists in 79 games. The dip in production came after six consecutive full seasons of burying 24 or more tallies, and can largely be attributed to a slew of injuries he dealt with the previous season.

"I actually got to work out this summer - that's a huge difference. Last year I had bilateral hernia surgery, torn abductor and hip surgery, so when you're rehabbing all summer and you don't get a chance to work out, your mind thinks you can do anything but your body tells you something different," Simmonds said.

The Devils finished last in the Metropolitan Division one year after making a stunning push to the playoffs on the back of Taylor Hall's MVP season.

New Jersey is in a good position to improve in 2019-20, though. On top of adding Simmonds, the club also brought in P.K. Subban and Nikita Gusev in separate trades, and drafted phenom Jack Hughes No. 1 overall in June.

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The NHL is expected to announce its intent to decline its option to reopen the current collective bargaining agreement, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

The announcement should come within a day or two and is based off progressive discussions with the NHLPA, Dreger adds.

The NHLPA Executive Board and additional players are set to meet Wednesday in Chicago to discuss whether their side wants to opt out for 2020, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported earlier Thursday.

The Players' Association has until Sept. 15 to make a decision. If they opt to reopen negotiations, it will terminate the current CBA and potentially cause a work stoppage in September 2020. If they decline, the agreement runs through the 2020-21 season.

The current CBA was put in place in 2013 after a lengthy dispute between the two parties shortened that season to just 48 games. The NHL and NHLPA also failed to come to terms on an agreement in 2004-05, which wiped out the entire campaign.

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The NHL Players' Association executive board, comprised of player representatives from all 31 teams, will meet in Chicago on Sept. 4 for a CBA update discussion, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Other players will also attend the meeting, LeBrun notes.

The NHLPA has until Sept. 15 to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, which is scheduled to run through the 2020-21 season. The NHL has until Sept. 1 to make its own decision on the matter.

The two sides have held multiple meetings throughout the summer, LeBrun adds, but it's unclear how much progress has been made.

Both parties will look to avoid a labor stoppage after failing to do so during each of the previous two negotiations. The NHL lost an entire season in 2004-05 and convened a 48-game campaign in 2012-13 after the league and the NHLPA reached an agreement in January 2013.

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Veteran defenseman Ben Lovejoy is hanging up his skates after 11 NHL seasons.

The 35-year-old announced his retirement during a broadcast on NHL Network on Wednesday night.

Undrafted, Lovejoy broke into the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2008-09 season. He also spent time with the Anaheim Ducks and the New Jersey Devils before finishing his career with the Dallas Stars in 2018-19.

Lovejoy captured a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016, contributing two goals and six points while averaging 17:46 of ice time over 24 playoff contests.

The 6-foot-1 rearguard recorded 20 goals and 101 points over 544 career games.

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