Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is prepared for the emotions he'll experience when he faces the St. Louis Blues in future years.

"It'll be emotional for sure, it always is when you get into those situations, it definitely won't be easy," Pietrangelo told NHL Network on Thursday. "Look, I met my wife here, she's from here, we got family here, there's so many things that attach us to this city. At the end of the day, I still have a job to do when I do come and play. It's gonna be emotional for a long time, not just the first time I play. It's gonna be emotional every time I come here."

The 30-year-old has spent his entire NHL career with the Blues since they drafted him fourth overall in 2008. He became team captain in 2016 and helped guide the club to a Stanley Cup victory in 2019.

He signed a seven-year, $61.6-million contract with the Golden Knights as a free agent this offseason.

Pietrangelo knows, however, that once the puck drops, it'll be all business against his former team.

"I grew up here, I grew up as a player, I grew up as a person. I still got family and friends here, I'm sure they're going to be at the games, too," Pietrangelo said. "So all that comes into play but I'm sure once the game gets going, these guys don't let me get off easy and it'll be a wakeup call for me."

He appeared in 758 games with the Blues, racking up 109 goals and 341 assists. Since his rookie season in 2010, Pietrangelo ranks seventh among all defensemen in points.

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The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a one-year contract with a value of $1.15 million, the team announced Thursday.

The veteran blue-liner spent the last three seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. He appeared in 51 games during the 2019-20 campaign, recording two goals and eight assists while averaging 20:01 of ice time per contest.

"Kulikov is an experienced, physical left-shot defenseman who skates well," general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "His ability to play both the right and left side brings value to our defense corps."

The 29-year-old was selected 14th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers. He's skated in 677 career games, tallying 35 goals and 135 assists.

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The Dallas Stars have re-signed forward Denis Gurianov to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.55 million, the team announced Thursday.

Gurianov was a restricted free agent and played a crucial role in the Stars' run to the Stanley Cup Final this summer. He finished second on the team with nine postseason goals, totaling 17 points through 27 games.

The 23-year-old also paced the Stars in regular-season tallies, netting 20 -including seven on the power play - across 64 contests.

Gurianov posted gaudy possession numbers in 2019-20. The 6-foot-3 winger had a Corsi For of 55.99%, and the Stars owned an expected goals for percentage of 59.23 with him on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Dallas selected Gurianov with the 12th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

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The Calgary Flames signed forward Dominik Simon to a one-year deal worth $700,000, the team announced Thursday.

Simon, who underwent shoulder surgery in April, didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he became an unrestricted free agent on Oct. 9.

The 26-year-old recorded seven goals and 22 points over 64 games with the Penguins in 2019-20. He's amassed 19 goals and 64 points while averaging 13:14 of ice time across 173 NHL contests.

Calgary holds $2.58 million in projected cap space with a roster of 19 and only one outstanding restricted free agent in defenseman Oliver Kylington.

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The Vancouver Canucks re-signed forward Jake Virtanen to a two-year, $5.1-million contract, the team announced Thursday.

Virtanen was a restricted free agent and had an arbitration hearing set for Oct. 28.

More to come.

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The Ottawa Senators signed forward Connor Brown to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $3.6 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Brown was a restricted free agent and had an arbitration hearing scheduled Thursday.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a career season in his first year with the Senators, amassing 16 goals and ranking second on the club with 43 points through 71 games.

He also logged a career-high 20:07 of average ice time per game last season and was a key player on Ottawa's penalty kill while also contributing on the power play.

The Senators acquired Brown from the Toronto Maple Leafs in July 2019.

Ottawa has $17.8 million in projected cap space with only one outstanding restricted free agent in forward Chris Tierney.

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