Jonathan Drouin is optimistic that signing with the Colorado Avalanche is what he needs to resurrect his career.

Drouin joined the Central Division powerhouse on a one-year, $825,000 contract when free agency opened July 1, putting an end to an underwhelming six-year tenure with the Montreal Canadiens.

"I think I needed a fresh start,” Drouin said, per Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now. "Obviously, there was a lot of ups and downs in my six years in Montreal, so I’m super excited to get a fresh start somewhere new. It’s a great team, and it’s been a great team for a lot of years, so I’m just going to try to help them any way I can, and try to find my game again. I know it’s there, it’s just a matter of confidence."

Drouin was traded to the Canadiens in 2017 for Mikhail Sergachev. His stint in his home province was encouraging to begin with, but on- and off-ice issues derailed his trajectory as an up-and-coming star. On top of injuries, Drouin revealed he was dealing with insomnia and anxiety severe enough to keep him out of the lineup during Montreal's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

The 28-year-old winger said reuniting with Nathan MacKinnon was a key reason in signing with Colorado. The pair were junior teammates for the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads and won the Memorial Cup together in 2013 before both going top three in that year's NHL draft.

"We definitely were texting quite a bit in the past couple of weeks," Drouin said. "Obviously, I’ve known Nate for quite a while now. To get a text from him at this time of my career was something I was looking forward to."

Avalanche general manager Chris McFarland believes Drouin should mesh well with Colorado's high-octane attack.

"I believe Drouin’s skillset will definitely play well with our other skilled players," he noted.

Drouin notched two goals and 27 assists in 58 games this past season while averaging nearly 15 minutes per contest.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to shed the final season of goaltender Matt Murray's contract for salary cap relief, Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports.

Murray is on Toronto's books for $4.6 million in 2023-24 before he hits unrestricted free agency next summer. The Maple Leafs' preferred route is a trade, per Johnston, but the club may also be able to use the league's second buyout window later this summer if a deal doesn't come to fruition.

Teams that have any player go to arbitration are granted an additional buyout window after the final hearing. Goaltender Ilya Samsonov is currently unsigned as a restricted free agent and may need to use a third party to get a contract done.

Since the Ottawa Senators retained 25% of Murray's salary when they traded him to Toronto, a buyout would have financial implications for both teams. Here's a breakdown, courtesy of Cap Friendly.

The Maple Leafs are currently $8.8 million over the $83.5-million cap after a busy start to free agency that saw the club bring in Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, John Klingberg, and Ryan Reaves. Toronto can get $5.625 million in relief by placing Jake Muzzin on long-term injured reserve but still needs to rid itself of approximately $3.2 million.

Murray's contract includes a 10-team no-trade clause.

The 29-year-old's debut season in Toronto was marred by multiple lengthy injury absences. Murray went 14-8-2 in 26 appearances, posting a .903 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average.

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The Montreal Canadiens signed forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.1 million, the team announced Monday.

Harvey-Pinard scored 14 goals and 20 points in 34 games with the Canadiens last season as a rookie. He was a restricted free agent.

The Saguenay, Quebec, native made his season debut with Montreal on Jan. 17. Harvey-Pinard led all rookies in goals after this date. He was awarded the Canadiens' Molson Cup in March.

Prior to being recalled by Montreal, Harvey-Pinard tallied 16 goals and 31 points in 40 contests with the AHL's Laval Rocket.

The 24-year-old doesn't require waivers to be sent down in the fall, and his new cap hit can be completely buried in the AHL. He'll be a restricted free agent on the expiration of his new contract and will require a $1-million qualifying offer in 2025.

The Canadiens have just under $10 million of space after the signing, per CapFriendly. This projection includes Carey Price's $10.5-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve.

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The Detroit Red Wings placed forward Filip Zadina on waivers Monday.

Zadina scored three goals and seven points in 30 games with the Red Wings last season. The 23-year-old tallied a career-high 10 goals and 24 points in 74 contests over the previous campaign.

The Czech native has two more seasons remaining on his contract with a $1.825-million cap hit. He'll be a restricted free agent in 2025 with a $2.19-million qualifying offer.

Detroit selected Zadina sixth overall in the 2018 draft, one spot ahead of Quinn Hughes. He was a star in the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads and dazzled at the world juniors with Czechia in his draft year.

However, Zadina failed to live up to the top-10 hype, registering just 28 goals and 68 points in 190 games with the Red Wings.

Teams will have a chance to place a claim on Zadina before Tuesday 2 p.m. ET in reverse order of the 2022-23 standings. As such, the Anaheim Ducks will have the first chance to snag the young winger.

The Red Wings have just under $10 million of cap space, per CapFriendly.

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The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Marc Staal to a one-year deal worth $1.1 million, the team announced Monday.

Staal played all 82 regular-season and 21 playoff games with the Florida Panthers this year. He tallied three goals and 15 points before failing to get on the scoresheet in the postseason.

The 36-year-old signed a one-year contract with a $750,000 salary - the league minimum - in Florida last July.

Staal has also played for the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings in his 1,101-game NHL career, collecting 52 goals and 229 points in that span. He played under the Flyers' current head coach, John Tortorella, from 2008-13 in New York.

Philadelphia has $11.7 million of cap space after the signing, per CapFriendly. This projection includes Ryan Ellis' $6.25-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs added more grit and scoring to their lineup on Sunday, signing forward Max Domi to a one-year, $3-million agreement, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.

It's the second splash on Day 2 of free agency for Toronto, which also added Tyler Bertuzzi on a one-year, $5.5-million contract.

Domi recorded 20 goals and 36 assists in 80 games between the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars last season. He added 13 points in 19 postseason games during an impressive playoff run with the Stars.

The 28-year-old was born in Manitoba, but he grew up in Toronto while his father, Tie - a beloved fan favorite and enforcer - was playing for the Leafs.

While Domi isn't a true enforcer like his father, he certainly isn't afraid to drop the gloves or mix things up physically, as he recorded 82 penalty minutes last season. The toughness may be a welcome addition to the Leafs' lineup, but he's proven to be a defensive liability. Here's a look at his underlying numbers over the past three campaigns.

He's capable of playing both center and wing, but he's most suited to the wing due to his defensive struggles. His best asset is his playmaking.

Domi's best season came in 2018-19 with the Montreal Canadiens when he racked up 28 goals and 72 points. His 56 points this past season represented his second-most productive campaign. He's bounced around a lot, as Toronto will be his fifth team since the beginning of the 2021-22 season and seventh overall as he enters his ninth year in the NHL.

New Leafs general manager Brad Treliving goes way back with Domi. Treliving was the assistant GM with the Arizona Coyotes when the club drafted Domi 12th overall in 2013.

There will also be familiarity for Domi in the Leafs' lineup, as he and Mitch Marner played together with the OHL's London Knights from 2013-15. He may even get a chance to play alongside Marner. Bertuzzi is likely locked into a spot on the first or second line at left wing, meaning Domi and rookie Matthew Knies will compete for the other top-six role on that side.

The Maple Leafs are now roughly $2.5 million over the cap with a roster of 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies, although teams are allowed to be 10% over the cap during the offseason. Netminder Ilya Samsonov is the club's lone remaining restricted free agent of significance. Shedding Matt Murray's contract - either via trade or the second buyout window - is the most likely avenue to creating additional cap space.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning traded three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Maroon to the Minnesota Wild for a 2024 seventh-round pick, the teams announced.

The Bolts will retain 20% of Maroon's $1-million cap hit as part of the deal. It's the last year of his contract.

Minor-leaguer Max Cajkovic is also heading to Minnesota in the trade.

Maroon, 35, recorded five goals, nine assists, and a league-leading 150 penalty minutes last season in a fourth-line role with the Lightning. He'll bring toughness and championship pedigree to the Wild's lineup, having won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and back-to-back rings with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021.

The Wild replace the toughness they lost when Ryan Reaves signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Lightning, meanwhile, will have a new-look fourth line next season. In addition to Maroon leaving, Corey Perry also departed, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is a free agent. The fourth line now projects to consist of Logan Brown, Luke Glendening, and Josh Archibald, who were all signed by the club on Saturday.

Cajkovic, a third-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2019, spent most of the 2022-23 campaign in the ECHL, registering 27 points in 41 games.

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