Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone further cemented his status as a warrior by revealing he played through Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final with a fractured wrist during a recent appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show."

Stone said he "took a whack" to his left wrist in the first period of Vegas' Cup-clinching contest and had to take "a few things in between periods" so that he could play through it.

Despite the ailment, Stone scored in each stanza of the Golden Knights' 9-3 shellacking of the Florida Panthers - including a one-timer in the second period and an empty-netter in the third frame - to complete the first hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final since Peter Forsberg in 1996.

Stone went on to celebrate winning Lord Stanley's Mug, and he emphasized that he had to be "dialled in to lift the trophy," injury be damned.

"I made sure I wasn't feeling much in the wrist during that celebration," Stone joked.

He added, "You never know when you're gonna win again, right? You might never win. While you're there, you gotta give it a try."

That wasn't the only injury Stone had to work through. The 31-year-old battled back issues for the past two campaigns, and his 2022-23 regular season ended in January after he re-injured himself. He underwent his second back surgery in a span of nine months in February, but he was able to return for Game 1 of the first round against the Winnipeg Jets in the spring.

Stone ended up appearing in every single game of the playoffs, totaling 11 goals and 24 points in 22 contests while averaging just under 19 minutes per outing.

Prior to Game 5 against the Panthers, the veteran said he was prepared to do "whatever it took" to be ready for the postseason.

Puck drops on Vegas' 2023-24 campaign Oct. 10 against the Seattle Kraken.

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Matt and Blake discuss who fits with Pius Suter on the Canucks third-line, how Suter can help the team offensively, Elias Pettersson's goal to top 102 points, number changes for current and new Canucks, and the 12th anniversary of the passing of Rick Rypien. Patrick Johnston stops by with his two cents on Suter, his preferred linemates, his offensive upside; as well as Filip Hronek and the challenges ahead for the Canucks new defenceman. Patrick also discuss Pettersson's season ahead, and the legacy of Rypien. B.C Lions QB Vernon Adams Jr joins fresh off a four-touchdown performance in a victory over the Stampeders to tell us what is going right for the Lions offence, how that spectacular defence affects his side of the ball, and the challenge ahead this week in Regina. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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Forward Paul Byron will retire before the 2023-24 season, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes confirmed Tuesday, according to La Presse's Richard Labbe.

Byron, 34, didn't play last season due to a hip injury. The four-year, $13.6-million contract he signed in September 2018 expired this summer.

Hughes added that he'll meet with Byron in September to discuss a position with the club, according to Labbe.

Byron was drafted in the sixth round by the Buffalo Sabres in 2007. He played eight games with the Sabres in 2010-11 before being traded to the Calgary Flames.

The Ottawa native played 130 games in Calgary over parts of four seasons. He spent the remainder of his career with the Canadiens after they claimed him off waivers in October 2015.

Byron tallied back-to-back 20-goal campaigns with Montreal in 2016-17 and 2017-18. He racked up career highs in 2016-17 with 22 goals and 43 points.

From 2018 through 2022, Byron was an alternate captain in Montreal. However, he missed 133 games during that span due to injury before missing the entire 2022-23 campaign.

In the playoffs, Byron scored five goals and 11 points in 38 postseason games with the Habs. He played all 22 contests in Montreal's Stanley Cup Final run in 2021.

Byron accrued 81 goals and 160 points in 383 regular-season contests with the Canadiens. He totaled 98 goals and 208 points in his 521-game career.

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Jeff Petry is on the move again, but this time, he's heading home.

The Detroit Red Wings acquired Petry - an Ann Arbor, Michigan, native - from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for fellow defenseman Gustav Lindstrom and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2025, the teams announced Tuesday.

The Habs will retain 50% of Petry's remaining salary, bringing his cap hit down to $2.34 million for the next two seasons.

Montreal will receive the lower of Detroit's two fourth-rounders in 2025. The other one originally belonged to the Boston Bruins.

Petry was dealt from Pittsburgh to Montreal nine days ago as part of the trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Penguins. Pittsburgh also retained $1.56 million of Petry's original $6.25-million cap hit, so he'll receive paychecks from three different teams this season.

The 35-year-old recorded 31 points in 61 games with the Penguins last season after spending eight years with the Canadiens. His underlying numbers over the last three seasons are strong, although they have gotten worse each year.

Goaltender Casey DeSmith, who arrived in Montreal from Pittsburgh with Petry, could be on the block next. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said the club could trade DeSmith or facilitate a different move to make room for him on the depth chart, according to TVA's Renaud Lavoie.

Petry will likely slot in behind stalwart Moritz Seider on the right side of Detroit's revamped blue line. Here's a look at the Red Wings' projected defense, where Petry could potentially reunite with his former Canadiens teammate Ben Chiarot.

*Offseason addition

Petry, who's listed at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, has racked up 353 points in 864 career games across 13 NHL seasons with the Oilers, Canadiens, and Penguins. He helped the Habs reach the 2021 Stanley Cup Final and finished a career-high 13th in Norris Trophy voting that season.

Petry's father, Dan, pitched 11 seasons for the Detroit Tigers, helping them capture the World Series in 1984.

It's been a busy offseason for Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, who also beefed up the forward group by trading for Alex DeBrincat and signing J.T. Compher and Daniel Sprong as free agents.

Lindstrom, meanwhile, was a second-round pick by the Red Wings in 2017. The Swedish right-handed defenseman tallied a goal and seven assists while averaging 14:10 per contest in 36 games with the Red Wings last season. He turns 25 on Oct. 20 and will likely battle for a spot on Montreal's blue line this training camp.

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Toronto Maple Leafs icon and four-time Stanley Cup winner Bob Baun has died at 86 years old, the NHL Alumni Association announced Tuesday.

Baun suited up for the Maple Leafs for 14 seasons and also had brief stints with the Oakland Seals and Detroit Red Wings across a 17-year NHL career.

"The Toronto Maple Leafs are deeply saddened by the passing of Bob Baun, whose enduring legacy of remarkable resilience includes his iconic overtime game-winning goal during a Stanley Cup Final despite playing with a broken leg," Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement.

"Bob possessed unquestionable toughness and incredible pride in being a Toronto Maple Leaf. His inspirational presence continues to embody the heart of the game. He will be greatly missed by the team and its fans. Our thoughts are with Bob's loved ones during this difficult time."

Baun famously scored the overtime winner in Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Final despite breaking his ankle earlier in the contest. The goal forced Game 7 and helped propel Toronto to its third consecutive championship.

He racked up 224 points in 964 career games and finished top-five in Norris Trophy voting on three occasions.

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Colorado Avalanche blue-liner Cale Makar has heard the comparisons to Bobby Orr, but he doesn't consider himself anywhere close to the most famous defenseman in NHL history.

"Those are crazy comments. To be compared to a guy like that is crazy," Makar told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "It's hard for me to comprehend that. I'm 24. The amount that he accomplished in his career is pretty much insurmountable. I'm nowhere near that point yet. Obviously, a comparison is a comparison. But for me, (I'm) just kind of bringing it down to Earth a little bit."

He added: "Anytime you're compared to somebody like that, obviously, you're humbled. But at the same time, I just feel like I've almost done nothing yet here. I'm still so young."

During Colorado's Stanley Cup run in 2022, Wayne Gretzky said Makar is the closest player the league has seen since Orr. This past summer, Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy shared the same opinion.

Makar's point production through his first four seasons has been similar to Orr's. However, the Boston Bruins legend was more decorated at the same stage of his career and set a ridiculously high bar with his body of work afterward.

Orr went on to play five more full seasons before debilitating knee injuries kept him off the ice for much of his final three campaigns. From age 22 to 26, he collected the Norris Trophy each year, two more MVPs, and one more Cup and Conn Smythe, as well as an additional Art Ross. Orr also eclipsed 100 points in all of those seasons, including 139 in 1970-71 - an NHL record by defensemen.

Orr is the all-time leader in points per game by a defenseman (1.39) and ranks fifth overall behind only Gretzky (1.92), Mario Lemieux (1.88), Mike Bossy (1.49), and Connor McDavid (1.49). The only other blue-liner above the point-per-game threshold is Paul Coffey (1.09), but Makar (1.03) is on track to this point.

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The Carolina Hurricanes don't appear close to extending their key pending unrestricted free agents, but general manager Don Waddell isn't sweating it.

"Pretty much everything has gone quiet the last couple of weeks," Waddell said regarding Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, and Teuvo Teravainen, according to Chip Alexander of The News & Observer. "Not much talk at all."

Waddell added that it's not a concern: "Not at all."

A report from June stated that the Hurricanes would trade Pesce this offseason if they couldn't agree to an extension, but there haven't been many trade rumors regarding the 28-year-old defenseman.

With Pesce and Skjei still in the fold, the Hurricanes boast one of the best blue lines in the league after signing arguably the top free-agent defenseman in Dmitry Orlov. The club also added Tony DeAngelo and Caleb Jones for a combined $2.45 million. Here's their projected blue line:

Waddell conceded that if a trade isn't made, the club will likely lose a defenseman on waivers.

"You never have too many (defensemen)," he said. "We'll have to put someone (on) waivers eventually, and if you lose them, then you're down. We just figured this was a strategy we'll do this year, and we'll figure it out as we go along."

The Hurricanes are set at forward, though, Waddell said.

Carolina's only notable addition up front was Michael Bunting. But the club also expects Andrei Svechnikov to be ready for the start of the season after tearing his ACL in March. Waddell already took care of a key piece of business by signing the team's most prominent pending UFA, No. 1 center Sebastian Aho, to an eight-year, $78-million extension.

The Canes enter the 2023-24 campaign as one of the top Stanley Cup favorites.

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We may be in the dog days of NHL summer, but there are still several logical high-profile trade candidates - even after the Erik Karlsson swap. So we decided to argue over the legitimacy of seven hypothetical deals.

Here's how this exercise went down: Four of theScore's NHL news editors (Kyle Cushman, Kayla Douglas, Sean O'Leary, and myself) submitted trades for the rest to determine which team says no. "Both" and "good deal" were options, too.

Below, I dive into the trades and analyze which aspects are sensible and which aren't.

Leafs, Rangers pull off blockbuster

Rangers receive: William Nylander (7x$9.5M extension), Timothy Liljegren, Calle Jarnkrok, Pontus Holmberg
Maple Leafs receive: Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, Braden Schneider, Barclay Goodrow (20% retained)

Submitted by: Wegman

Why it could work: Latest reports indicate there's a sizable gap between the Leafs and Nylander in extension discussions. If talks completely fall apart, the Leafs might be better off trading Nylander - who can become an unrestricted free agent in 2024 - than losing a core piece for nothing. Nylander may be more open to extending with the Rangers - one of his father's former teams.

Nylander is undoubtedly the best player in the deal, but Chytil, who's just 23 and locked up for four years at $4.44 million annually, would allow John Tavares to move to the wing, where he's likely best suited at this point in his career. Kakko's career got off to a slow start, but the 2019 No. 2 pick is coming off his best year and still has room to grow. Schneider also brings far more top-four upside than Liljegren and could be a long-term partner for Morgan Rielly. Goodrow and Jarnkrok would be swapped at near identical cap hits with the retention.

Why it might not: Nylander is a rare game-breaking talent who's arguably been the best postseason performer of Toronto's Core Four, and our voters think there's not enough value in return. If this is the best offer at new genral manager Brad Treliving's disposal, he might use the season to keep working on a Nylander extension and even be prepared to use him as his own rental if a deal can't get done.

Jackets make another offseason splash

Blue Jackets receive: Elias Lindholm (6x$8.5M extension)
Flames receive: Adam Boqvist, Cole Sillinger, 2025 1st-round pick

Submitted by: O'Leary

Why it could work: Lindholm reportedly turned down Calgary's big offer to re-sign, so new Flames GM Craig Conroy would be wise to move him ASAP. The Flames simply can't afford to lose him for nothing, and they could likely maximize a trade return during the offseason when teams have more flexibility.

Boqvist and Sillinger are two enticing pieces for Calgary, and both are replaceable for Columbus. Lindholm would essentially take Sillinger's spot at center, and the Jackets are loaded on right defense. Boqvist, the 2018 No. 8 pick, showed great strides in his development before a foot injury derailed his season. Sillinger is coming off a rough sophomore campaign, but he's still only 20 years old.

GM Jarmo Kekalainen isn't afraid to make bold moves, and he's been aggressive this offseason, acquiring Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson to bolster the blue line. Adding Lindholm would be the final piece of the puzzle to fill a massive weakness down the middle of the ice.

Why it might not: Calgary would likely prefer a 2024 first-rounder as part of the deal - even if it's protected in some manner. Lindholm might also be unwilling to sign a long-term deal in Columbus. He'll likely try to get maximum term when he signs his new contract, too.

Stars bolster blue line with Hanifin

Stars receive: Noah Hanifin (5x$7.5M extension)
Flames receive: Radek Faksa, Mavrik Bourque, 2024 1st-round pick

Submitted by: O'Leary

Why it could work: Like Lindholm, Hanifin is in the last year of his deal and reportedly isn't interested in re-upping, either. Given the state of the Flames, their best bet is to reset and deal these pending UFAs if they can't agree to extensions.

The Stars, meanwhile, are a legitimate Cup contender. But if they have one area of improvement, it's the blue line - most notably the top four. Hanifin hasn't quite lived up to his billing as a top-five pick, but he's still quite good. He's big and mobile, and at 26 years old, he isn't done developing.

For the Flames, it's a pretty solid return: Bourque was a first-round pick in 2020, while Faksa, a 29-year-old veteran, is signed for two more years at $3.25 million annually and is one of the game's best pure defensive centers. The Stars have cheaper in-house options to replace Faksa, too, including 2018 No. 13 pick Ty Dellandrea - a natural center who's played mostly on the wing so far in his career.

Why it might not: The Stars may be hesitant to move essentially a pair of first-round picks along with Faksa, who's become an underrated part of their success in a thankless role. Hanifin may also seek maximum term on his next contract.

Kraken land proven top-line center

Kraken receive: Mark Scheifele, Jansen Harkins
Jets receive: Alexander Wennberg, Kole Lind, Ryan Winterton, 2024 1st-round pick (top-10 protected), 2024 4th-round pick

Submitted by: Cushman

Why it could work: Scheifele is in the last year of his deal, and the Jets' core as currently assembled isn't good enough to be a Cup contender. The club already traded away Pierre-Luc Dubois and let Blake Wheeler walk as a UFA, so this would be a fitting time to part ways with Scheifele.

As shown in the Dubois trade, which netted a package including Alex Iafallo, Gabe Vilardi, and Rasmus Kupari, the Jets may be intent on getting young NHL players in return rather than just picks. Wennberg is an obvious downgrade from Scheifele, but he can fill a middle-six center role. Lind, 24, is ready to compete for an NHL job.

The Kraken have a deep group of forwards, but they could use an alpha up front. Scheifele, who's coming off a career-high 42-goal campaign, is exactly that. Seattle also has the cap flexibility to make Scheifele a generous extension offer.

Why it might not: Wennberg only has one year left on his deal and, frankly, hasn't played up to his $4.5-million cap hit with Seattle. Lind and Winterton aren't exactly high-end prospects, so while this return package carries quantity, the overall quality is lacking.

Sabres go for it with Hellebuyck acquisition

Sabres receive: Connor Hellebuyck
Jets receive: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Noah Ostlund, 2024 1st-round pick

Submitted by: Douglas

Why it could work: The Sabres are one of the NHL's most exciting up-and-coming teams and finished one point out of a playoff spot in 2022-23. Overall team defense and goaltending are the club's biggest issues, even with Devon Levi's promising seven-game debut down the stretch.

A world-class goalie like Hellebuyck could push the Sabres over the top. And since he's in the last year of his deal, the Jets would more than likely be willing to move him - especially for a package that includes a young replacement between the pipes in Luukkonen and the 2022 No. 16 pick in Ostlund.

Why it might not: Giving up a substantial package for Hellebuyck without an extension in place is risky business for Buffalo. It's almost unheard of to see a team go from missing the playoffs to winning the Cup - there's usually at least one playoff failure sandwiched in between. So this doesn't quite seem like the time for Buffalo to surrender key assets for a player who may be a one-year rental.

Bruins find Bergeron replacement

Bruins receive: Logan Couture (33% retained)
Sharks receive: Derek Forbort, Trent Frederic, Matthew Poitras, 2025 1st-round pick

Submitted by: Wegman

Why it could work: It's officially a fire sale in San Jose. The Sharks dealt Timo Meier at the 2023 trade deadline and Karlsson earlier this month. Couture would control his own destiny with a three-team trade list built into his contract, but it's hard to imagine he'd pass up a move to the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners in favor of sticking around for the rebuild in San Jose - despite his recent comments.

For the Bruins, there's no "replacing" the retired Patrice Bergeron - or David Krejci, for that matter - but the need for a center is obvious, and Couture would be a pretty nice fill-in. A two-way center with excellent leadership skills, he's coming off the second-highest point total of his career (67), and a $5.36-million cap hit (including the retention) is a pretty fair number for Boston. The inclusion of Forbort and Frederic makes the deal work cap-wise.

Why it might not: The Bruins might not want to give up multiple assets for a 34-year-old center signed for four more seasons - even at a reduced price. They may also be hesitant to deal their 2025 first-round pick in case the 2023-24 season goes sideways.

San Jose, meanwhile, may not be too enthused about the return package - even though Poitras is coming an impressive year in the OHL - or eating 33% of Couture's contract considering it only retained 13% on Karlsson.

Ducks, Jackets make goalie swap

Blue Jackets receive: John Gibson
Ducks receive: Elvis Merzlikins, Andrew Peeke, 2024 1st-round pick (top-10 protected)

Submitted by: Cushman

Why it could work: The Blue Jackets' biggest issue during their nightmare campaign - other than injuries - was Merzlikins' poor goaltending. His minus-26.74 goals saved above expected was the worst among all NHL goaltenders.

Gibson was one of the best netminders in the entire league from 2015-19, so if he could regain that form, it could help push the Blue Jackets to the playoffs again. Given how aggressive they've been this offseason landing Provorov and Severson, it's possible they'd try to make a splash in net.

Why it might not: It's an expensive price to pay for a goalie who's not a guaranteed upgrade. While Gibson was better last season, Merzlikins was the superior goalie in the three years prior. Merzlikins is also a year younger and $1 million cheaper (both are signed for the next four seasons).

So while the idea of upgrading in goal is logical for Columbus, surrendering Peeke, a 25-year-old right-handed defenseman signed for three more seasons at $2.75 million annually, and a protected first-round pick might ultimately be too steep - and risky.

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