A management group that is pushing for an NHL franchise in Seattle is seeking a general manager, even though the league is yet to offically grant the city an expansion team.

According to Dave Tippett, senior advisor with the Seattle hopefuls, the aim is to begin the GM search next spring and to have the right candidate in place by the draft.

"I think it happens probably around the draft next year - a year out. Vegas hired George McPhee about 15 months out from when they started," Tippett told 950 KJR. "We'll have a good list of candidates. Some may be working through the draft with the team. There might be somebody available before that. We'll see how it goes, but by next spring we'll start digging into that."

Tippett, who last served as head coach and executive vice-president of hockey operations of the Arizona Coyotes in 2016-17, hasn't ruled out the possibility of serving as Seattle's first coach, but will be looking for an experienced hand for the GM's chair.

"I've been lucky to touch a lot of different parts of the game, (and as) an advisor in a lot of those different roles," Tippett added. "(The) general manager I think is somebody who has done that job at the NHL level before. I really think that's important in an expansion team."

Of course, before Seattle hires a GM or begins assembling its roster, it must first be granted a franchise. When that announcement could come remains unknown, as an expansion vote won't be on the agenda for October's meeting of the NHL board of governors.

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed veteran forward Alex Chiasson to a professional tryout offer, the team announced Monday.

Chiasson appeared in 61 games with the Washington Capitals last season, netting nine goals and nine assists. He added another two points en route to the Capitals' Stanley Cup championship.

The 27-year-old has skated in 381 career games with the Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, and Capitals.

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Joel Bouchard was looking for a response that never came.

The bench boss of the AHL's Laval Rocket, the Montreal Canadiens' minor-league affiliate, handled the coaching duties for the Canadiens as part of the NHL Rookie Showdown this weekend.

But the first two games of the tournament, which precedes main camp and included the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, left Bouchard seeing red after two of his players were carted off the ice.

Canadiens prospect Jake Evans was stretched out of Friday's contest after taking a hit from the Senators' Jonathan Aspirot. A similar incident occurred Sunday when defenseman Jarret Tyszka was wheeled off the ice after he was driven into the end boards by Maple Leafs forward Hudson Elynuik.

A lack of response from teammates to the first hit left Bouchard upset, while the second incident in such quick succession only added to his anger.

"We didn't do anything both times," Bouchard told Kelsey Patterson of The Canadian Press. "Enough is enough. I gave them a chance the first time, now they're going to learn. The guys on the ice, nobody went to see the other team. Unacceptable. My players were warned.

"I'm not asking for my players to fight, but you have to stand up for one another. This is the Montreal Canadiens. I'm not promoting violence, but we're not going to get walked all over either."

Both players were hospitalized following the hits - Evans has since been released - while the incidents became the focal point of the tournament for the Canadiens, who dropped both contests by a combined 8-2 score.

Bouchard, a Montreal native, is entering his first season with the Rocket after spending the past three years as head coach of the QMJHL's Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

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Hockey's become a young man's game, with more and more players entering the NHL while they're still physically developing.

Elias Pettersson, the fifth overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks in 2017, is one such case. The Swedish import brings hulking height at 6-foot-2, but a slender figure that weighs in at just over 160 pounds.

But it's his skill, not size, that makes Pettersson a dominant force, as he told NHL.com's Kevin Woodley: "It isn't my weight that got me here ... My style of hockey is not to have big muscles."

That much was evident last season when the 19-year-old finished with 56 points in 44 games to lead his Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League in scoring. He then pocketed another 19 points in 13 playoff appearances en route to the championship and MVP honors.

Pettersson's year also marked the best junior-aged season in the SHL since Kent Nilsson's 53-point campaign more than 40 years ago. As he climbed the ranks, Pettersson passed the likes of Swedish hero Peter Forsberg (48 points) and Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin (45 and 47 points, respectively).

He appears ready for prime time, as he shifts his game to Vancouver, his second straight pro season as a rookie. On a rebuilding Canucks squad, Pettersson is expected to play in the top six and could see minutes alongside other budding young stars like Brock Boeser and Adam Gaudette.

Don't expect Pettersson to buckle under the pressure of playing in a Canadian market. He's already exceeded expectations in rewriting the SHL's record books. He's now tasked with repeating those exploits in Vancouver, as the Canucks rookie is considered a favorite to capture the Calder Trophy in 2018-19.

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There won't be an uproar over Josh Ho-Sang's jersey number this season.

After wearing No. 66 through his first two years with the New York Islanders, Ho-Sang has switched to No. 26 for the coming campaign.

Ho-Sang's new look comes as part of a series of organizational changes implemented by new general manager Lou Lamoriello that are meant to build team unity, including a preference for lower jersey numbers and a ban on facial hair.

"You'll definitely see the changes that have been made and the structure," Ho-Sang told Andrew Gross of Newsday. "The biggest thing visually is my face."

While No. 66 isn't honored by the Islanders, nor is it retired league-wide like Wayne Gretzky's No. 99, it's best associated with Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux.

Ho-Sang's decision to wear the number didn't sit well with some hockey traditionalists. In March, however, Lemieux voiced his support for Ho-Sang's number choice.

Only six players have worn No. 66 in NHL history. Ho-Sang and Calgary Flames defenseman T.J Brodie (2010-11 season) are the only players to wear it since Lemieux retired in 2006.

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If Matt Duchene is to re-sign with the Ottawa Senators, it could depend on two of his teammates landing contract extensions of their own.

Duchene can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, but the 27-year-old is keeping an eye on forward Mark Stone's and captain Erik Karlsson's futures in Ottawa to help decide whether he'll stick with the Senators.

Related: Duchene intrigued by free-agency route after watching Tavares

"Those are the things I want to sit back and watch," Duchene told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "The nice thing is is I'm kind of the last domino in that sense. Those are things I want to see."

Duchene, who is entering the campaign on the final season of a five-year, $30-million pact, could be among the top free agents available next summer should he choose to test the waters.

Like Duchene, both Stone and Karlsson can become unrestricted free agents in 2019. That became a reality for Stone after he agreed to a one-year deal in August ahead of an arbitration hearing, while Karlsson's future in the Canadian capital has been a subject of trade chatter dating back to last season's deadline.

"Erik, that's a little bit different situation, but with (Mark), that's a guy I'd love to move forward with as a teammate," Duchene added. "Him doing a one-year deal, it's a little bit different and makes you think a little bit, but I want to see what he's saying and we'll talk through it.

"Having talked about it, we both really like it in Ottawa and we both want it to work, so that's the biggest thing."

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Kevin Hayes is entering the season with a one-year contract extension, but the surrounding uncertainty doesn't necessarily mean his days are winding down as a member of the New York Rangers.

Many pundits saw the short-term pact as an opportunity for the rebuilding Rangers to cash in on Hayes at next year's trade deadline, but that doesn't appear to be the mindset of management.

"It is a one-year deal, but like I've told Kevin, we'd like to have him long term," Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton told Larry Brooks of the New York Post. "He's said that he wants to be here, so let's have him come to camp in great shape, be a leader, have a big season, and let's go from there. Nothing is set in stone."

Hayes, who scored a career-high 25 goals last season, hasn't been shy about his desire to remain in Manhattan.

"I'm a Boston kid, but I absolutely love New York City and I would love to be there my entire career," Hayes said in August. "At the moment, (a one-year contract) was best for both sides. We couldn't really come to a long-term agreement and a one-year deal is what came out of it.

"I'm not treating it like I'll be out of there in February or at the end of the year. Everyone keeps saying UFA at the end of the year, but that had nothing to do with the decision."

Hayes, 26, will earn $5.175 million this season, per CapFriendly. He's eligible to sign a new deal with New York as of Jan. 1, 2019.

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The Carolina Hurricanes are ready to talk contract with Sebastian Aho.

The two sides held negotiations earlier this offseason but put talks on hold once Aho headed home to Finland for the summer. But with the winger back in Raleigh for training camp, Carolina is prepared to take another crack at locking in a new deal.

"He's in town now and we'll pick up talks," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "We had some talks in the summertime, but just felt it wasn't the right time. So now that he's back, we'd like to put some time into (it), and I think they feel the same way. Hopefully we can come out of here with a resolution."

Aho is entering the final year of his entry-level contract that carries a $925,000 cap hit, plus performance bonuses.

After finishing with over 45 points in each of his first two NHL campaigns, there should be no doubt that the 21-year-old is due for a big-time raise.

Waddell's goal is to have Aho put pen to paper before the Hurricanes open the season on Oct. 4 against the New York Islanders.

"I'm not one to put these deadlines and all that right now, but the goal would be let's get it behind us so we all can move forward," Waddell said. "He's proven he's a good player. We don't know what the ceiling is yet for him, but you get to know him as a player and a person and he's the kind of guy you continue to build players and pieces around."

The Hurricanes selected Aho with the 35th pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

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Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen admits choices will need to be made on both Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky.

Both are pending unrestricted free agents. Panarin has already stated that he won't negotiate an extension once camp opens, while the Blue Jackets also remain far apart in negotiations with Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner.

"If we can't work out a contract, then we'll have to make some decisions," Kekalainen told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "I wouldn't say they're just going to stay and ride out into the sunset."

Still, Kekalainen remains hopeful that both players are long for Columbus.

"We're still optimistic we can get things done and we feel they can be a huge part of our team in the future," Kekalainen said. "We're going to have a good team into the future and hopefully they want to be part of it. That's our mindset right now, to keep working at it."

Panarin is entering 2018-19 on the final year of a two-year, $12-million contract. The 26-year-old was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in June 2017 as part of a multi-player trade involving winger Brandon Saad. Panarin's 82 points last year marked the best single-season total in the Blue Jackets' 18-year history.

Bobrovsky has posted a 176-106-26 showing across six seasons in Columbus, including 24 shutouts, a 2.37 GAA, and a .923 save percentage. That stretch also saw Bobrovsky capture the Vezina Trophy in 2012-13 and 2016-17.

The 29-year-old goaltender carries a $7.425-million cap hit on the final season of his four-year contract.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets and head coach John Tortorella are close to agreeing on a contract extension, according to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.

Kekalainen is confident a deal will be reached before the Blue Jackets open training camp next week, telling NHL.com's Tom Gulitti, "He's done a great job. I think the coaching staff has done a great job for us and stability is important, so I'm sure we’ll get something worked out."

The update comes just one day after the Blue Jackets inked Kekalainen to an extension, in addition to extending president of hockey operations John Davidson, and Bill Zito, who was promoted from assistant to associate GM.

Tortorella has one year remaining on his current contract, his fourth season with the Blue Jackets. The coming campaign is the first in which Columbus will pay all of Tortorella's contract after his former club, the Vancouver Canucks, was responsible for paying part of the deal following his 2014 dismissal.

Since joining Columbus, Tortorella has helped bring the team to the next level, guiding the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record 108 points in 2016-17. That season, Tortorella was the recipient of the Jack Adams Award presented to the NHL's coach of the year.

It marked the second time Tortorella has captured the award. He was also given the honor in 2004 after leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a championship.

The Boston native ranks first all-time among American-born coaches with 575 career wins in 1,175 games. He's posted a 129-87-23 record over nearly three seasons after becoming the Blue Jackets' bench boss in October 2015.

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