The Buffalo Sabres re-signed forward Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year, $2.5-million contract, the team announced Tuesday.

Girgensons could have tested the market as an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 29-year-old just played out the last season of a three-year pact with a $2.2-million cap hit.

The Latvian registered 10 goals and eight assists in a career-high 80 games this season while averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time per contest.

Girgensons has put up 81 goals and 174 points in 625 career NHL games, all with Buffalo.

The longest-tenured member of the Sabres, Buffalo selected Girgensons with the 14th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.

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The Arizona Coyotes are parting ways with a couple of veterans, waiving forward Zack Kassian and defenseman Patrik Nemeth for the purpose of buying them out, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Kassian had one season left on the four-year, $12.8-million deal he signed with the Edmonton Oilers in January 2020. The Oilers traded him to the Coyotes last July.

Arizona will now pay him $766,667 in each of the next two campaigns, with a cap hit of approximately $1.67 million next season and $766,667 in 2024-25, per CapFriendly.

Nemeth also had one year left on his contract. The New York Rangers inked him to a three-year, $7.5-million pact before Arizona acquired him in July 2022 - six days after the Kassian trade.

The Coyotes will pay $1,166,667 to Nemeth for each of the next two seasons at a cap hit of $166,667 in 2023-24 and $1,166,667 in 2024-25.

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The Montreal Canadiens are bringing back Sean Monahan on a one-year, $1.985-million contract extension, the club announced Tuesday.

Monahan was limited to 25 games this past campaign due to injury. He sustained a season-ending lower-body ailment against the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 5.

The 28-year-old collected six goals and 11 assists in 2022-23 while winning a career-high 55.1% of his faceoffs, albeit in the small sample size.

Monahan played his first season with the Canadiens after the Calgary Flames traded him to Montreal along with a conditional first-round pick in 2025 for future considerations last August.

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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill's coming-out party in the playoffs culminated in a Stanley Cup championship, and the pending unrestricted free agent is looking to keep the party going in Sin City.

"We're obviously going to give it the big college try to get him signed in Vegas," Hill's agent, Gerry Johannson, told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "I think that's always the goal when a guy likes it in a spot.

"We're keeping an eye on everything else, too, but if we can make it work in Vegas, that would be the best thing, right?"

Hill just played out the last season of a two-year, $4.35-million pact and is likely due for a raise after establishing himself as one of the most interesting names on the free-agent goalie market.

The Golden Knights turned to Hill in Game 3 of the second round following an injury to Laurent Brossoit. The 27-year-old went 11-4 the rest of the way with a sparkling .932 save percentage and 2.17 goals against average.

Hill has served as a backup goalie throughout his NHL career and posted a .915 save percentage in 27 regular-season appearances with Vegas last campaign.

Youngster Logan Thompson started the lion's share of the Golden Knights' regular-season games in 2022-23 and is signed for two more years. Like Hill, veteran Jonathan Quick - who Vegas scooped up prior to the trade deadline - and Brossoit can hit the open market on July 1 as unrestricted free agents.

The Golden Knights have just under $3.5 million of cap space, but that number can rise to almost $8.5 million, per CapFriendly, if netminder Robin Lehner remains on long-term injured reserve next season.

Lehner's NHL future is in doubt after he missed the entire 2022-23 campaign due to a hip injury. He has two seasons remaining on his current deal.

Vegas also has decisions to make up front, with forwards Ivan Barbashev, Teddy Blueger, and Phil Kessel set to hit free agency.

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Connor Bedard is going to need a bigger trophy case.

The projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft took home another award Monday, being named the inaugural IIHF Male Player of the Year.

"This is such a huge honor," Bedard said. "I'm not sure how to compare it to others I've received, but it's pretty incredible to receive this award with all the unbelievable players that have competed in the IIHF this season and the amazing players that were nominated for this award."

The 17-year-old phenom captured 31.8% of the votes, beating out Latvian goalie Arturs Silovs (19.6%), Swiss forward Andres Ambuhl (19.2%), German defenseman Moritz Seider (14.3%), and Canadian forward Adam Fantilli (11.9%).

Bedard made the most of the only IIHF event he played in this year, racking up nine goals and 14 assists in seven games at the World Junior Championship. He won a gold medal for Canada and was named tournament MVP.

He became Canada's all-time leader in goals and points at the world juniors and set Canadian records for most assists and points in a single tournament. Bedard also broke the record for most points in a single tournament by a player under 18 years old, surpassing Jaromir Jagr.

Bedard claimed the CHL's Top Prospect Award, Top Scorer Award, and David Branch Player of the Year Award in early June, becoming the first player to ever win all three in the same season. He tallied 143 points in 57 games with the WHL's Regina Pats this past campaign.

American forward Hilary Knight was named IIHF Female Player of the Year on June 1.

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