Evgenii Dadonov has only a handful of NHL seasons under his belt, but he's set to find himself in a veteran role with the youthful Ottawa Senators.

"They told me I would have a good role on the team because there's not a lot of veterans on the team," Dadonov said, according to Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan. "It's time for me to step up, as one of the most experienced guys on the team. I'm ready for that."

The 31-year-old inked a three-year pact with the Senators as a free agent. He's set to join a club undergoing a massive overhaul, with seven forwards who are 25 years old or younger.

Dadonov went overseas to play in the KHL for five seasons from 2012 to 2017 before rejoining the Panthers ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

Over the past three seasons, Dadonov scored 25, 28, and 28 goals, respectively. He'll bring a much-needed goal-scoring presence to the budding Senators lineup, and he hopes the team will compete for the Stanley Cup while he's there.

"I'm really excited to play for this team," Dadonov said. "It wasn't a decision made because of the contract - I hope this team is going to have success and be in the race for the Cup for the next few years."

Dadonov also expressed his confidence in franchise cornerstones Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot, saying they "have a chance to be superstars in the league."

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With the departure of franchise cornerstone Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is calling on his young players to take the team to the next level.

"Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc, it's their time," Wilson said, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "They need to step up to the next level.

"We have to be the sum of all our parts. There are teams around this league that have lost some good players. Some teams lost their best players in their prime and they found their team game, they found their collective connection and had a lot of success. We need everyone to bring something to the table, learn from what happened last year, re-establish our game and bring that love and juice and energy that 'Jumbo' brought to the rink."

Thornton's departure marked the second straight offseason in which a key veteran player moved on from the Sharks. Last year, Joe Pavelski opted to sign with the Dallas Stars after spending 13 years in San Jose.

The Sharks have only two forwards on their active roster who are at least 30 years old: Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. Wilson expressed his confidence in his team's young lineup and sees the potential for players to step up and take on bigger roles next season.

"We have five top-six forwards, guys who have scored 30 goals or close to 60 points, we need someone to come in and compete for that (sixth) spot," Wilson said. "I like our defense. I want to leave a spot open for some competition for some of the younger guys. We think we have the bones of a good team. We have some competition. We have some young guys coming in."

The Sharks finished last in the Western Conference this past season with a 29-36-5 record.

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Joe Thornton is hoping to finally see his name etched on the Stanley Cup, and he believes the Toronto Maple Leafs offer the best chance to get him there.

"It's the hardest hockey decision I've ever had to make, but I truly believe with the roster they have, with the guys they picked up this offseason, I think this team is ready to win now. I'm ready to win," Thornton said, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.

"I need to win a Stanley Cup, and I think this is a great team that can do that," he added.

The 41-year-old has been chasing the Cup throughout his 22 NHL seasons. He lost in the finals once and reached the conference finals on three other occasions. He's amassed 133 points in 179 postseason games.

Thornton is particularly impressed by Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen.

"I love their goalie. I like Freddie a lot," he said. "I think that was a big part of my decision, I think he's a great goalie."

Despite the star power currently on the roster, the Maple Leafs haven't reached the second round of the postseason since 2004.

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Joe Thornton was given the opportunity to continue wearing his No. 19 jersey with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he'll take a new number for the first time in nearly 20 years instead.

Jason Spezza, who wears No. 19 for Toronto, offered it to Thornton after the club signed the 41-year-old. But the former Shark declined, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Spezza said he respects Thornton so much that he had to offer the number. And while he certainly appreciated the gesture, Thornton didn't want to take it away from Spezza.

"I couldn't do that to him," Thornton said. "He really is a special guy."

Thornton will wear No. 97 with the Leafs, a number that he's sported in international play throughout his career. He's the first player in Leafs history to don the number.

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The ball is in Zdeno Chara's court.

The Bruins captain is an unrestricted free agent for the first time since arriving in Boston, and general manager Don Sweeney is willing to let the defenseman take his time in making his decision for the 2020-21 season.

"We have communicated consistently with Zdeno and (agent) Matt Keator," Sweeney said, according to Boston Hockey Now's Joe Haggerty. "We're just waiting for him to initiate what he'd like to do moving forward. I feel very comfortable allowing (the decision-making process) to take the necessary time and let Zdeno make his own decisions along that route."

Chara's agent recently said his client is "looking at all options" in free agency, Haggerty adds.

The 43-year-old has spent the last 14 seasons in Boston, winning a Stanley Cup as captain in 2011. He proved to still be an effective top-four defenseman in 2019-20, averaging 21:01 per game while tallying five goals and nine assists.

After locking up defenseman Matt Grzelcyk on Saturday, the Bruins have $6.65 million in cap space remaining with only forward Jake DeBrusk left to re-sign.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Cody Ceci to a one-year contract worth $1.25 million, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

More to come.

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The New York Islanders agreed to terms with goaltender Cory Schneider on a one-year deal Monday, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance.

The New Jersey Devils recently bought out the final two years of Schneider's contract. The 34-year-old split time during the 2019-20 season between the Devils and the AHL. He finished with a .887 save percentage and a 3.53 goals-against average in 13 NHL games.

The Islanders already have goaltenders Semyon Varlamov and rookie Ilya Sorokin under contract for 2020-21. The 24-year-old Sorokin signed with the Islanders in April and agreed to join the team for the upcoming season after spending the last eight seasons in the KHL.

Schneider has appeared in 409 career games split between the Vancouver Canucks and the Devils. He's earned a 170-159-58 record with a .918 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average.

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The Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Mattias Janmark to a one-year contract valued at $2.25 million, the team announced Monday.

The 27-year-old skated in 62 games with the Dallas Stars last season, where he recorded six goals and added 15 assists. Janmark averaged 14:37 minutes of ice time per game and was a key penalty killer for the Stars throughout the season.

Janmark - originally selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft - has spent his entire NHL career with the Stars. He's appeared in 297 games over a span of four seasons, tallying 46 goals and 63 assists.

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Vladislav Namestnikov to a two-year contract, the team announced Sunday.

The contract carries an average annual value of $2 million, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The Red Wings have already signed Bobby Ryan, Troy Stecher, Jon Merrill, and Thomas Greiss since the opening of the free agency period on Friday. General manager Steve Yzerman previously drafted Namestnikov in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 27-year-old appeared in 65 games last season with the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and Colorado Avalanche. He totaled 17 goals and 14 assists.

Namestnikov has played in 425 career games, amassing 83 goals and 106 assists.

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The Nashville Predators signed defenseman Mark Borowiecki to a two-year contract that carries an average annual value of $2 million, the team announced Friday.

Borowiecki has spent his entire career with the Ottawa Senators since they selected him in the fifth round of the 2008 NHL Draft.

In 375 games, Borowiecki has amassed 15 goals and 36 assists. Since his first full NHL season in 2014-15, he ranks fifth among all skaters in penalty minutes with 647 and first among all defensemen with 1,505 hits.

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