Toronto Maple Leafs veteran Morgan Rielly doesn't care about the details of a potential Auston Matthews extension, he just hopes one gets signed.

"As a friend, a teammate, you name it, you want that guy on your team," Rielly told NHL.com's Dave McCarthy. "I think he loves playing in Toronto, so if he comes back - long-term deal, short-term deal, whatever it is - we'll take it. He's a great player and helped our team tremendously over the years.

"I've got to know him, and obviously, his skill level and who he is as a player is extremely high level."

Matthews is entering the final year of a five-year, $58.1-million pact signed in 2019. He's eligible to sign an extension as of July 1, the same day his full no-move clause is triggered.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said an extension for the 2022 MVP is among his top priorities at his introductory press conference earlier this month. Matthews stated he wants a new deal before the start of the 2023-24 campaign after the club was eliminated from the playoffs by the Florida Panthers in Round 2.

The Maple Leafs star's current $11.64-million cap hit is the fourth-highest in the NHL. His next contract could exceed Nathan MacKinnon's $12.6-million benchmark. Matthews leads all players with 299 goals in 481 games since he entered the league as the first overall pick in 2016. He has two Maurice "Rocket" Richards, two All-Star nominations, and a Hart Trophy to his name.

Toronto qualified for the playoffs in each of Matthews' seven seasons but has only won one round - this spring against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Matthews contributed 44 points in 50 career postseason appearances.

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Sitting in for Matt is the co-host of the Rink Wide: Vancouver podcast, Jeff Paterson. Blake and Jeff get into the NHL's decision to hault all specialty jerseys in warmup, the B.C. Lions' big win over the Blue Bombers on Thursday to push their record to 3-0 and the Canucks pre-season schedule. Less than a week until the NHL Draft, our Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal shares what he's hearing around the club in terms of who they like at pick eleven, the notion of trading up, the latest on Ethan Bear's qualifying offer and what potential free agents and trade options the Canucks could pursue.

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The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is less than a week away! All the attention is being focused on Connor Bedard and who will follow him - Adam Fantilli or Leo Carlsson? How far will Matvei Michkov fall? However, I see the betting value a little further down the board.

Let's take a look at three plays that stand out, all of which can be found on theScore Bet.

Nate Danielson over 10.5

Danielson is a solid two-way center who had a productive year with the Brandon Wheat Kings. He put up 78 points in 68 games while leading the team in goals, assists, and points.

He's a well-balanced pivot who can do a bit of everything. But there have been questions about his ceiling, which would need to be quite high for him to warrant a top-10 selection in a very strong draft.

Bob McKenzie slotted Danielson 16th in his final draft rankings, which are informed by opinions from scouts representing 10 NHL teams. It's also worth noting that none of said scouts ranked him higher than 11th overall.

Although it only takes one team to love Danielson's game, I'm happy to take plus money on the over for a prospect who ranked closer to 20 than 10.

Odds: +140 (playable to -110)

Oliver Moore under 14.5

High-end skating ability is more important than ever before. Everybody wants to play fast to help win pucks, be it on the forecheck or pressuring on the backcheck. Oliver Moore has it in spades.

This kid is an excellent puck-transporter who can kill teams both in transition and off the rush with his straight-line speed. He also works hard without the puck and, again, his wheels are a huge factor.

The Buffalo Sabres (picking 13th) and Pittsburgh Penguins (14th) are a couple of teams I'd keep a close eye on with Moore.

Buffalo is one of the fastest teams in the NHL, so Moore would fit in nicely. Meanwhile, the Penguins are starved for quality prospects, particularly up front. A talented, competitive, speedster who is perhaps a little undersized strikes me as a player president and interim general manager Kyle Dubas could target.

It'll be tight, but I think Moore sneaks into the top 14.

Odds: -105 (playable to -125)

Colby Barlow under 16.5

Barlow had a remarkably impressive year in the OHL. Serving as the captain of the Owen Sound Attack, he netted a whopping 46 goals in just 59 games while pacing the team with 79 points.

He has a relentless work ethic, doesn't shy away from the dirty areas of the ice, and contributes in all aspects of the game.

Players with his kind of goal output don't tend to last long in drafts. He's also a complete player and a leader, making teams all the more interested.

The hard-working winger came in 12th in McKenzie's rankings and was ranked sixth by HockeyProspect.

Barlow strikes me as the kind of player more likely to be over-drafted than free fall, which is what would need to happen for this play to lose.

The price is a little juicy, but I think it's worth paying.

Odds: -160 (playable to -185)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Patrick Marleau is back with the San Jose Sharks.

The team announced his hiring as a player development coach and hockey operations advisor Friday. It's the first front-office role for the 43-year-old after he retired in 2022.

"I'm extremely excited to be officially back as part of the Sharks organization," Marleau said. "I'm looking forward to working with our players on the ice to help them reach their full potential and sharing the knowledge I have garnered from playing 23 years in the National Hockey League. I'm also eager to work with (general manager Mike Grier) and his staff, and continuing to learn about the game and business side of hockey."

Marleau is the Sharks' franchise leader in games played (1,607), goals (522), and points (1,111). He set the NHL's all-time regular-season games played mark April 19, 2021, surpassing Gordie Howe's record of 1,767 contests.

San Jose retired Marleau's No. 12 on Feb. 25, making him the first player in the team's history to receive the honor.

"It's rare that you get the opportunity to add someone to your organization that brings a level of talent and character like Patrick Marleau," Grier said. "As one of the top players of his generation, Patty possesses an unlimited wealth of institutional knowledge about the game."

"Perhaps more importantly, he was a cornerstone piece in the Sharks becoming one of the NHL's most dominant franchises over the last two decades and knows what it takes to win and succeed in the NHL," Grier continued. "We are extremely happy to bring Patty back into the Sharks family as we continue building a team that our fans can be proud of."

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The New Jersey Devils re-signed forward Erik Haula to a three-year, $9.45-million contract, the team announced Friday.

Haula was set to become an unrestricted free agent. His new deal sees his cap hit rise from $2.375 million to $3.15 million.

The 32-year-old tallied 14 goals and 41 points in 80 games with New Jersey last season. Haula was acquired from the Boston Bruins last summer for forward Pavel Zacha.

"When I traded for Erik, we talked about how he was the type of player that we needed to help us continue to move the group forward," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "He played key minutes in all situations throughout the season - power play, penalty kill, taking faceoffs - and provided leadership for our team."

"I don't want to play for any other team," Haula said in May, according to NJ.com's Ryan Novozinsky. "I want to come back here."

The versatile Finn was the fourth-most-used forward in the postseason for New Jersey, averaging 17:35 of ice time. He scored four goals and six points in 12 playoff contests.

Haula has played 614 NHL games across stints with seven teams.

The signing leaves the Devils with just over $23.5 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. Notable restricted free agent Timo Meier remains unsigned, while Jesper Bratt was extended on an eight-year contract earlier in June.

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There's an awful lot of uncertainty surrounding the Ottawa Senators.

Questions swirl around the involvement level of new owner Michael Andlauer, the job security for head coach D.J. Smith, the trade market for winger Alex DeBrincat, the options between the pipes - and that's just the high-level stuff.

Something the Senators don't have to worry about? Jake Sanderson's ceiling.

The rookie defenseman wasn't named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, so he won't be at the NHL awards show Monday in Nashville. However, given the state of Sanderson's game - mature and well-rounded - you can bet he'll be invited to future awards gatherings as a contender for the Norris Trophy.

Seriously, don't be shocked if Sanderson's counting stats pop as a sophomore and by his third or fourth year he's being strongly considered for the Norris. The details of his three-zone game are already pretty polished. More NHL experience, a jump in points, and team success should vault him into the elite tier of defensemen who can impact the game in multiple ways.

"A lot of the D-men coming up are more focused on offense than defense. Jake's different," DeBrincat told theScore prior to Ottawa's second-last game of the season, a 4-3 loss to Buffalo on April 13. "He's got that old-school mentality of protecting the front of our net before going on the attack."

The tracking data from Sportlogiq backs up DeBrincat's insight.

A total of 289 NHL defensemen, including 10 on Ottawa, logged 100 minutes in 2022-23. On a per-game basis, Sanderson finished first on the Sens and fifth in the league in blocked passes. He also ranked first on his team in puck-battle wins (21st in NHL) and blocked shots (10th), while ranking second in stick checks and outlet-pass completions, third in zone entries, and fourth in zone exits. Keep in mind the Sens' blue line isn't filled with a bunch of AHLers; Thomas Chabot, Jakob Chychrun, and Artem Zub are on the top two pairings.

So, the eye test and underlying numbers both suggest Sanderson's a high-end defender at 20 years old. Often trusted by Smith to shut down the other team's best line, he skated for 21:55 a night in all situations. Sanderson, an incredible skater and evasive puck mover, pitched in offensively, too, trailing only Owen Power for points by a first-year defenseman with 32 in 77 games.

"He thinks like an offensive guy when he's playing defense, if that makes sense," Sens winger Drake Batherson said. "It's a huge advantage for him and for us that he knows what the attacker will want to do offensively, and then he's one step ahead of them to defend it. Honestly, he's just a treat to watch."

"I can't even imagine what Jake's going to be like when he's 27," he added.

Sanderson recently switched his representation to super agent Pat Brisson of CAA Sports. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder's entry-level contract expires after next season, which means he's eligible to sign an extension on July 1.

Now, that extension shouldn't be atop the to-do list for Sens general manager Pierre Dorion. There's too much uncertainty elsewhere. But the new deal shouldn't be far down the list, either. Assuming he avoids injury in Year 2, Sanderson's stock will only rise - and rise exponentially - moving forward.

One word to describe Bedard

Connor Bedard, the most hyped hockey prospect since Connor McDavid, will officially become a member of the Chicago Blackhawks next Wednesday. Bedard roasted the WHL for 71 goals and 72 assists in 57 regular season games in 2022-23, somehow exceeding the sky-high expectations for his draft year.

If I could use one word to describe Bedard at this moment between junior and pro, it'd be "alien." Both his shot and hockey sense are otherworldly.

At the scouting combine in early June, I asked 13 of Bedard's draft class peers to pick just one word to describe the next great Connor.

Leo Carlsson, forward: "Incredible."

Brayden Yager, forward: "Generational."

Jakub Dvorak, defenseman: "Unpredictable."

Tanner Molendyk, defenseman: "Special."

Andrew Cristall, forward: "Greatness."

Carson Bjarnason, goalie: "Humble."

Nate Danielson, forward: "Exceptional."

Gracyn Sawchyn, forward: "Dynamic."

Matteo Mann, defenseman: "Complete."

Zach Benson, forward: "Exceptional."

Larry Keenan, defenseman: "Impressive."

Caden Price, defenseman: "Exceptional. Elite. One of those, probably."

Jakub Stancl, forward: "Not human. Yeah, that's two words …" (Laughs)

Sizing up the 2023 goalie crop

Four goalies have been selected in the first round over the past four drafts.

Florida picked Spencer Knight at 13th overall in 2019, Nashville tapped Yaroslav Askarov at 11th in 2020, and Detroit and Minnesota picked up Sebastian Cossa and Jesper Wallstedt at 15th and 20th, respectively, in 2021.

There's a decent chance a goalie goes off the board in the first round this time around. Overall, though, 2023 lacks a true stud like the highly touted Askarov.

"It's a pretty average crop. It's not outstanding, and it's not poor," Washington Capitals assistant GM Ross Mahoney said Thursday on a conference call. (The longtime scout sprinkled in a bit of humor: "I'm sure some of them will prove me wrong in the future here.")

The scouting service HockeyProspect.com lists five goalies in the top 50 of its final ranking of the entire 2023 class. Michael Hrabal, a 6-foot-6 Czechia native playing in the USHL, comes in at 24th; Slovak Adam Gajan, who was eligible for last year's draft, is 35th. Italian Damian Clara and Americans Jacob Fowler and Trey Augustine are bunched in the mid-40s: 44th, 46th, and 48th.

"There's a beautiful blend of different talent at the position this season," reads a section in HockeyProspect.com's draft guide. Fowler and Augustine are "ultraefficient and technically proficient." Clara and Gajan are "freak athletes."

"What separates Hrabal is he has arguably the best blend of these qualities," the scouting service gushes. "His hockey sense isn't as high-end as Fowler's or Augustine's, and his athleticism isn't as high-end as Gajan's or Clara's, but (Hrabal) is the most well-rounded when you look at the total package."

To sum up industry consensus: Expect a run on goalies in the second round.

Parting shots

Hockey Hall of Fame: If I had to choose one or the other, I'd rather Curtis Joseph be inducted, not Mike Vernon. I'd also rather have two women's hockey players enshrined in November, not just Caroline Ouellette. It's insane that Alexander Mogilny remains on the outside looking in after not only stringing together a Hall of Fame-caliber career but also being a trailblazer for European players. However, none of these complaints compare to my No. 1 issue with the Hall: its lack of transparency. The secrecy surrounding the annual induction announcement taints the entire process. Transparency wouldn't eliminate criticism, of course, but at least the public would be better informed and thus move on to celebrating the inductees faster. In the current setup, we don't even know if Mogilny has ever been nominated. How foolish.

Combine hero: Caden Price, a strong-skating, left-handed defenseman for the Kelowna Rockets, puked out his breakfast prior to the fitness tests at the scouting combine in Buffalo in early June. "Little nervous, but I think I had some acid reflux. I couldn't keep it down," Price told me afterward. By the end of the day, the projected second-rounder's name was all over the high-achievers list released by Central Scouting. Among 100-plus combine participants, he finished with a top-20 score in seven different categories, most notably recording the fourth-highest vertical jump. Now that's an athlete!

Calgary Flames: A fascinating experiment is underway in Calgary. In trying to avoid a repeat of what happened last offseason with unrestricted free agent Johnny Gaudreau, new GM Craig Conroy is asking for commitments from the club's core pieces. Noah Hanifin and Tyler Toffoli have both expressed they don't plan on re-signing, while Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund are both "leaning towards" not re-signing, according to Daily Faceoff. All four are set to become UFAs in July 2024. On one hand, Conroy's gaining valuable intel on the Flames' future, and if he wants, the team can start shopping the players. On the other hand, it's almost as if Conroy's created problems for himself by being so proactive, giving not one but four players an out on their remaining time in Calgary. There's no guarantee any of them will be traded, and hey, maybe a couple ultimately re-sign. If it all works out wonderfully for Calgary in some form, Conroy could look like a genius. If it doesn't ... well.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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