If you're eagerly awaiting Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner to sign a new contract, don't hold your breath.

General manager Kyle Dubas addressed the ongoing negotiations between the two sides this weekend, and it doesn't appear there's been much progress of late.

"It's just really the status quo at this point," Dubas told TSN at the World Junior Summer Showcase. "I think the reality is, it's the status quo with all these types of players throughout the league. There doesn't seem to be anything really transpiring, and as it gets into August, it's kind of into a bit of a slog where there doesn't seem to be any real progress. You don't even hear of any progress in any of the other situations."

High-profile restricted free agents are reportedly waiting for Marner, the Leafs' leading scorer, to sign and set the market. Brayden Point, Matthew Tkachuk, Brock Boeser, Patrik Laine, and Mikko Rantanen are all RFAs without a deal for next season.

Marner's said he "probably" won't attend Toronto's training camp - set to open Sept. 17 - without a deal, though he added he'd prefer to be there.

The 22-year-old winger is coming off a monstrous season in which he put up 94 points - the ninth-highest total in the NHL. He also added four points in seven playoff contests.

The Maple Leafs are currently above the $81.5-million salary cap. However, they can build an offseason roster with a projected cap hit as rich as $92.05 million, then place David Clarkson and Nathan Horton on long-term injured reserve to become cap compliant, according to Cap Friendly.

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The Buffalo Sabres agreed to terms with goaltender Linus Ullmark on a one-year contract at a cap hit of $1.325 million, the club announced Saturday.

Ullmark split time with Carter Hutton in the Sabres' crease this past season, posting a .905 save percentage in 37 games.

The 26-year-old, who had a salary arbitration hearing Friday, was reportedly seeking an average annual value of $2.65 million, while the team was initially offering $800,000.

Ullmark has spent four campaigns in the Sabres organization. Buffalo drafted him in the sixth round of the 2012 draft.

The Sabres also inked defenseman Jake McCabe earlier Saturday, avoiding arbitration by signing him to a two-year, $5.7-million pact.

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The Minnesota Wild are apparently interested in talking to a third candidate for their vacant general manager position.

Wild brass has requested permission to speak with Montreal Canadiens assistant general manager Scott Mellanby, The Athletic's Michael Russo reports.

Russo reported Thursday that Minnesota conducted preliminary interviews with Ron Hextall and Peter Chiarelli after firing Paul Fenton on Tuesday.

Mellanby has been the Canadiens' assistant GM since July 2014 and joined the club as director of player personnel in May 2012.

The former NHL forward spent two years as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues. He also served as a special consultant to former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis for three years following Mellanby's retirement as a player.

Fenton was dismissed after just one season at the helm.

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Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving said on Friday that he expects restricted free agent Matthew Tkachuk to sign a new contract prior to training camp, according to Aaron Vickers of NHL.com.

"That's been our expectation, our hope, our goal," Treliving said. "That's what we're working toward. I know that's what Matthew wants as well. We've got to keep working away at it and get to the point where we can get a deal done that works for everybody. That's certainly our goal. Nothing has changed in that regard."

Tkachuk is one of several high-profile RFA's currently without a contract for next season. The respective agents for the young superstars are reportedly waiting for Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner to sign first and set the market.

The Flames hold $7.7 million in available cap space, which may not be enough to meet Tkachuk's demands. Calgary also needs to sign fellow RFA Andrew Mangiapane.

"In the cap world, there's only so many dollars to go around," Treliving said. "We've got good young players that we think are right in the prime or starting the prime of their careers. Matthew has established himself as a top-end player, top-end young player just three years into his career. You're trying to get them looked after and fit into the course of your overall team structure."

Since being drafted sixth overall in 2016, Tkachuk has become a franchise player for the Flames. He serves as an assistant captain at 21 years old, and in 2018-19, Tkachuk set career highs with 34 goals and 77 points in 80 games, leading Calgary to a first-place finish in the Pacific Division.

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The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with Jake McCabe, agreeing to a two-year contract with the defenseman that carries an average annual value of $2.85 million, the team announced on Saturday.

McCabe was a restricted free agent and scheduled for a hearing on August 4 before the two sides reached a deal.

Buffalo drafted the 25-year-old in the second round (44th overall) in 2012. This past season, he appeared in 59 games, registering four goals and 10 assists while averaging just under 19 minutes per contest.

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Nikita Gusev shed some light Friday on why the Vegas Golden Knights traded him to the New Jersey Devils earlier this week.

While thanking Vegas for accommodating the move, the dynamic forward revealed that the team wanted to give him a contract resembling the two-year, $9-million pact they agreed to with Vadim Shipachyov in May 2017, but couldn't do so due to its cap constraints.

"I'm very grateful to (the Golden Knights) for letting me go," he told Sport-Express' Igor Eronko. "Big thanks to them for all they (did) for me. They promised me a deal similar to Shipachyov's. Just couldn't find a room for me under the salary cap."

The Golden Knights currently have just over $1 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

Coincidentally, after acquiring Gusev, the Devils signed him to the exact length and financial terms that the Golden Knights gave Shipachyov, who retired from the NHL in November 2017 and signed in the KHL after Vegas suspended him for failing to report to its AHL affiliate.

Gusev, the KHL's 2018-19 points leader, told Eronko he's looking forward to joining New Jersey and is familiar with the Devils because he knows Russian-born defenseman Egor Yakovlev, who played for them this past season.

"The (Devils) showed me they very much need me," the 27-year-old said. "It's very important for me and it tells a lot. I followed them because my friend Yakovlev played there so I have an idea what kind of a team it is. With all the new players, I'm sure we can play well and win."

Gusev racked up 82 points in 62 regular-season games with SKA St. Petersburg this past campaign before adding nine goals and 19 points in 18 playoff contests.

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