The Philadelphia Flyers and restricted free-agent forward Travis Konecny remain at a standoff.

While the Flyers are reportedly working hard Thursday to reach an agreement with fellow RFA Ivan Provorov, they are not close to a new deal with Konecny, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

The Flyers are apparently basing their offer on the fact that Konecny has averaged under 15 minutes of ice time during his first three seasons. However, the 22-year-old argues that he's been one of the most productive goal-scorers at even strength for his age, McKenzie adds.

Konecny ranks ninth among players age 23-and-under with 43 even-strength goals during the past two seasons. He sits 21st in total goals and 28th in points within that same group.

The Ontario native finished 2018-19 with a career-high 49 points and matched his goal total of 24 from the prior campaign.

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Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore revealed Thursday in an article on The Players' Tribune that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer during the offseason.

In an entry titled "To My Golden Knights Family," the 24-year-old revealed he had surgery to remove the affected area and has made a full recovery. He will, however, continue to be monitored closely.

Theodore's cancer was discovered when he took a drug test while playing for Canada at the World Championship in May.

Before the quarterfinal game, the British Columbia native was informed that he failed his test due to the discovery of a hormone called hCG, which is typically found in pregnant women. Doctors told him, though, that it can also be a sign of testicular cancer.

Theodore returned home following the tournament to see his doctor and officially received the diagnosis.

After sharing the news privately, Theodore received support from family and friends, including fellow NHLer Phil Kessel, who faced his own battle with testicular cancer in 2006.

Theodore is entering his fifth NHL season and third with the Golden Knights. He didn't reveal whether he will have to miss any time but is currently included on Vegas' training camp roster.

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The Winnipeg Jets have inked defenseman Josh Morrissey to an eight-year, $50-million contract extension, the team announced Thursday.

Morrissey is entering the final year of his current deal and was set to become a restricted free agent after this season.

More to come.

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The NHL is one of the most unpredictable leagues in professional sports, as the playoff landscape is ever-changing. Such volatility also makes it difficult on sportsbooks to adjust lines year-to-year, and it would be rude of us not to take advantage.

So, who's going to be in the playoffs this season? With a revolving door of contenders every year, it's a great market to find value. Here are some spots to exploit ahead of the 2019-20 season:

Winnipeg Jets: No playoffs (+150)

The Jets were outplayed significantly during the second half, as they closed out the regular season with a 13-14-2 record and made a premature first-round playoff exit. Their underlying numbers support that record, too. Connor Hellebuyck took a step back and resembled the goalie he was in 2017 more than he did the Vezina nominee we saw in 2018. Now, In three years as a starter, he's been average twice. Which season sounds like the outlier here?

Injuries exposed Winnipeg's lack of depth on defense, and that's going to be a major area of concern for the club after losing Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers. Bryan Little wasn't nearly as effective, suggesting he may no longer be suited as a second-line center, which leaves the Jets thin down the middle after Mark Scheifele. Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine remain unsigned, and the Jets will be right up at the cap when - or if - they agree to a deal, leaving the team little room to add pieces during the campaign. In the toughest division in hockey, Winnipeg is a lot closer to being a 90-point team than a 100-point one.

Carolina Hurricanes: Yes playoffs (-160)

Unlike Winnipeg, the Hurricanes were one of the NHL's best teams over the second half. They already boasted one of the deepest defensive units in the league before signing Jake Gardiner. With that addition, they have an embarrassment of riches on the back end, which should help goalie Petr Mrazek build off what was his best season since 2016. Carolina has an elite group of young forwards and should be a lock to make the playoffs this year. If sophomore Andrei Svechnikov takes the leap toward becoming the elite scorer he was expected to be when he was drafted, this team could be looking at a division title.

Calgary Flames: No playoffs (+180)

Every year we see a team go from the top of the division to close to the bottom the following season. Anaheim did it last year. Montreal, Chicago, and Edmonton the year prior. The season before that, Dallas and Florida. And the Flames look like the next team to be added to that list.

They need to clear out cap space before they can sign Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane, which could result in T.J. Brodie being traded. Can they really absorb such a blow on the back end? How will David Rittich handle a bigger workload with Mike Smith gone? Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm, and Mark Giordano all set career highs in points last year, surpassing their previous best totals by a wide margin. Can they really sustain that sort of production? Is this the team that won its division with 107 points, or the one that was bounced in five games in the playoffs without so much as a whimper? It feels safer betting on the latter.

New York Rangers: No playoffs (-150)

There's no doubt that the Rangers were offseason winners, but that's hardly a harbinger for immediate success. Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba, and Kaapo Kakko should have fans excited in the Big Apple, but let's all settle down on anointing the Rangers as a playoff team. They were awful after trading Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes, posting a 5-10-5 record without them. The production gained from the recently acquired players will have to be otherworldly to mitigate those losses. They missed the playoffs by 20 points last year, and that was with more than half a season from the aforementioned duo.

This team is also very weak down the middle. Mika Zibanejad is excellent, but behind him are Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson, and Brett Howden. Howden is the oldest of that group at 21. New York might have the weakest crop of centers in the NHL. It's a young team that, despite the hype, is looking at a developmental season, not a return to the playoffs in a tough Eastern Conference.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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The New York Rangers agreed to a new one-year contract with restricted free agent forward Brendan Lemieux, the club announced Wednesday.

Lemieux, the son of former NHLer Claude Lemieux, produced three goals and three assists in 19 games with the Rangers last season, after notching nine markers and 11 points in 44 contests with the Winnipeg Jets in 2018-19.

The 23-year-old winger was part of the package sent to New York in exchange for Kevin Hayes in a late February deal before the deadline.

Lemieux spent parts of two seasons with the Jets after being dealt by the Sabres, who drafted him 31st overall in 2014. He did not play a game for Buffalo.

Tony DeAngelo is now the Rangers' lone unsigned RFA.

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The Edmonton Oilers are going to play it safe with their superstar captain.

Oilers general manager Ken Holland told reporters Wednesday that he doesn't believe Connor McDavid will see much, if any, game action this preseason as the forward continues to work his way back from a leg injury suffered in the team's 2018-19 season finale.

"I think if he was healthy, probably ... two or three, but obviously it's a unique situation, so either one at most or very likely zero," Holland said. We've got three weeks to go and ... we're going to be conservative, (I'd) rather be safe than sorry. If he's not ready for opening night, he's not ready for opening night."

McDavid has been skating with his teammates in the lead-up to the exhibition schedule.

"He's scrimmaging and he's doing things three-on-three down low, so I think he's in a great spot, but we might as well be conservative and safe," Holland added.

McDavid said after Saturday's session that he felt good but cautioned that it's up to the team's medical staff to determine whether he'll be cleared to play in the season opener Oct. 2 against the Vancouver Canucks.

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