A dazzling first season with the Vegas Golden Knights saw head coach Gerard Gallant capture the Jack Adams Award as the 2017-18 NHL coach of the year.

Now, his hometown of Summerside, Prince Edward Island has an even more impressive way to celebrate the coach's accomplishment.

On Wednesday, city councillor Gordie Whitlock proposed commissioning a statue that would pay tribute to the hometown hero, saying many residents want to commemorate the coach locally.

Another suggestion is to rename the street Gallant grew up on, changing it to Turk Street. The Vegas Golden Knights coach has long gone by the nickname "Turk."

While Gallant has been coaching in the pros for two decades, he spent three seasons as the bench boss of the Maritime Hockey League's Summerside Western Capitals before making the jump to the IHL in 1998.

Gallant was born in Summerside in 1963. He's among a handful of NHL alumni hailing from the city of less than 15,000, a list that includes Dave Cameron, Doug MacLean, and Steve Ott.

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The Detroit Red Wings want to lock up Dylan Larkin, as the Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James reports the two sides are negotiating a five- or six-year agreement.

A restricted free agent, Larkin led the Red Wings in scoring last season with 63 points. He's also emerged as the team's top option at center after he began his career on the wing.

"I feel pretty confident that something will get done before training camp," Larkin told St. James. "No worries about it."

Given his production and the length of a potential deal, Larkin is looking at a substantial raise. He's coming off his three-year entry deal that carried a $925,000 annual cap hit, plus another $1.5 million in performance bonuses, according to CapFriendly.

As it stands, the Red Wings have just $2.8 million in cap space, meaning the team will need to find some financial wiggle room to fit in Larkin.

Teams can exceed the salary cap by 10 percent in the offseason. Detroit can also free up more dollars once Johan Franzen, who carries a $3.95-million cap hit, is placed on long-term injured reserve. Franzen hasn't played since October 2015 due to battles with concussions, and is under contract for the next two seasons.

The Red Wings selected Larkin with the 15th pick in the 2014 draft. He's tallied 56 goals and 84 assists in 242 career games.

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Jim Benning says he had nothing to do with Trevor Linden's decision to leave the Vancouver Canucks.

The general manager's statement comes after a report indicated Linden left the organization following a power struggle against Benning and owner and chairman Francesco Aquilini. Linden had served as president of hockey operations since 2014.

"Trevor was my boss. I had no part of this decision," Benning told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "I've worked in this business for 27 years and if you talk to people from other teams, I'm an honest, straight-forward guy. I work hard.

"We always had a really good relationship. Always. We had the same plan and that plan hasn't changed - drafting and developing to get to where we need to be. We were always on the same page on that."

The Canucks described Linden's separation as amicable, while Benning, who signed a multi-year extension in February, added the organization currently has no plan to fill the vacancy.

"I don't know what happened between Trevor and ownership, and it's not my place to ask," Benning added. "I've got a job to do building this hockey team. I've never been into politics. I have a hard enough time finding a defenseman who can help our power play. I don't have time for politics ... If people think I had anything to do with Trevor leaving, that's just wrong."

Meanwhile, other reports have speculated that Linden was not in favor of the team's offseason moves, particularly the free-agent signings of Antoine Roussel and Jay Beagle, both of whom inked four-year deals. The former president may have preferred a slow and steady rebuild, while ownership could be angling for home playoff dates in the nearer term.

Vancouver last advanced to the postseason in 2015, while the team hasn't won a playoff series since its run to the Stanley Cup Final four years earlier. Although the playoffs could be a long shot in 2018-19, Benning still sees value in adding veteran voices to the locker room given the leadership and support these players can offer to young talent ready to step into the NHL.

"If we were thinking about making the playoffs next season, we'd have signed James Neal or David Perron or someone like that. But we didn't," Benning said. "Every year we're going to add one or two good, young players and at some point, we're going to be really good. But we can't rush this process."

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The Colorado Avalanche and defenseman Patrik Nemeth have agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million, reports CapFriendly.

Adrian Dater of BSN Denver was first to report the Avs had re-signed the restricted free agent, who was coming off a one-year deal paying $945,000. Both sides will now avoid an arbitration case that was set for Saturday.

Nemeth was the last player on the Avalanche without a contract, meaning the team now has its full roster signed with about $12 million in remaining cap space, as per CapFriendly.

In 68 appearances with Colorado last season, Nemeth picked up three goals and 12 assists. He also finished just shy of 20 minutes in average ice time, trailing only Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie for the team lead.

Colorado claimed Nemeth off waivers from the Dallas Stars last October.

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Joel Edmundson likes what he sees.

The St. Louis Blues defenseman, fresh off a one-year, $3-million extension, is so impressed by general manager Doug Armstrong's summer shake-up that he's confident the club will be one of the league's best in the coming campaign.

"We think we're top-five in the NHL right now," Edmundson told Louie Korac of NHL.com. "We want to come into camp and from camp on, we want to be one of the top teams in the league. We were middle of the pack last season, but with the team we have and the confidence we have, we're excited to come to camp with a new team, new look."

St. Louis was a middle-rung team last season before a costly year-end skid saw them win just one of their final six games, ultimately missing the postseason by a single point. The hope is that the new faces, including free-agent additions Tyler Bozak, David Perron, and Patrick Maroon, plus big-time trade acquisition Ryan O'Reilly, will help prevent a similar outcome in 2018-19.

As for Edmundson, he's coming off a career-high 17 points, while his nearly 21 minutes in average ice time ranked third on the Blues behind only captain Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko. The 25-year-old is likely to play alongside the captain again next season, and improved numbers should only help his cause when he's due for an extension again next summer.

"The second half of the year and the start of summer, I was thinking long term," Edmundson said. "But then I saw the trade they made and guys we signed and then my agent said it could be one year and it could work out better for me, so I had no problem signing for one year."

Edmundson won't have to wait much longer to see if the Blues can live up to his offseason expectations, as St. Louis opens the season Oct. 4 against the Winnipeg Jets.

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Mark Stone is banking on a payday, as the Ottawa Senators' scoring winger is seeking $9 million annually in arbitration, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Wednesday.

Stone is scheduled for a hearing Friday. While the parties typically work out a deal beforehand, arbitration is likely in this case given the gap in negotiations - the Senators have countered with a $5-million offer.

Should Stone be awarded his salary demands, it will be the largest amount in arbitration history, topping the $7.5 million that Shea Weber was granted in 2011. Stone, 26, is coming off a three-year agreement that carried a $3.5-million cap hit, per CapFriendly.

Working in Stone's favor is that he tied for the team lead in scoring last season, notching 20 goals and 42 assists. However, knee and leg injuries limited him to just 58 appearances on the campaign, which brought his nightly production to 1.07 points per game, a career high.

While the Senators will continue to work toward a deal with Stone, they'll first face an arbitration case with defenseman Cody Ceci later Wednesday. The two sides were more than $2.6 million apart as of Monday.

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If there is one reason behind the Vegas Golden Knights' accomplishments in their inaugural season, forward Ryan Reaves believes he has the answer.

"The team is not made up of superstars and there are no big egos that you have to deal with," Reaves told Tim Campbell of NHL.com. "It's just a bunch of guys that proved something last year and I think now want to prove they can win a Stanley Cup. We proved everyone wrong last season, but nobody remembers who was second. It's about who won the Cup."

The Golden Knights rewrote the NHL record book last year, not only by advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, but also by setting several expansion team highs, including 51 wins and 109 points.

For the coming campaign, Reaves believes the Golden Knights have the pieces to take that final step this season.

"I think the expectation in the locker room, for sure, is to do what we did last year and then to finish the job in the Final," Reaves added. "I think we know we have the team in there and with the city behind us and the buzz in the city and the way they support the team, we're ready to make another run."

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins late last season, the pugilistic Reaves was a surprising offensive force in the postseason as he potted a pair of goals, including the series-clincher over the Winnipeg Jets in the semifinals. Such a performance made the Golden Knights comfortable in betting on a two-year, $5.55-million extension for Reaves, signed in late June.

Reaves and his teammates will begin their second quest for the Stanley Cup when they open the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 4.

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The sports gambling landscape has changed following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in May, and now the NHL wants a piece of the pie.

While bets have traditionally been more geared toward other sports, there may be a price to pay for bookies looking to cash in on hockey.

"From our standpoint, we believe that whether it's our intellectual property or data, whether it's video of our game, we have important assets," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told Associated Press podcast Sports Now. "And if somebody is going to avail themselves or want to avail themselves of those assets in order to conduct their business, then we're going to need to have a negotiation."

It's not the first time the NHL's top executive has touched on the topic.

"I'm not sure I buy the term 'integrity fee.' I don't worry about the integrity of our players," Bettman said in May. "I think, though, if you're going to allocate for yourself to run a business on our intellectual property and on the performance of our athletes, and the platform that we put on for our games, we're entitled to be involved in that."

While not the most popular league on the sportsbook, the NHL gained some momentum last season thanks to the Vegas Golden Knights, whose surprise run to the Stanley Cup Final nearly resulted in some big-time payouts.

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Jack Hughes has opted for familiar surroundings.

The projected top pick in the 2019 NHL Draft will remain with the U.S. National Team Development Program next season, turning down opportunities with the University of Michigan as well as the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads, who held his Canadian junior rights.

"I just felt like the NTDP was the best spot for my development," Hughes told Mike Morreale of NHL.com. "I love my teammates, my coaches, the resources, and love being able to put on the USA jersey. I tell everyone no one trains as hard as us at the NTDP. We're working out in season, skating four times a week, and playing games on top of that."

In passing on Michigan, Hughes turned down a shot to suit up alongside his brother Quinn, the seventh overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks in this summer's draft. On Saturday, Quinn committed to returning to the Wolverines next season.

"I knew the NTDP was a great spot, and Michigan was a great spot as well," Jack added. "Quinn had really good success there and any time I have a chance to play with Quinn it's really appealing. I took that into consideration, but I think the NTDP was the best spot."

Expect to hear Jack's name plenty next season, particularly from fans of teams near the bottom of the standings. Across 60 games with the NTDP, the Orlando product amassed 116 points, one shy of the high-water mark Auston Matthews paced in 2015. The only difference is that Hughes did it at age 16, one year earlier than the Toronto Maple Leafs center.

His production shattered the totals of a handful of NHL stars and NTDP graduates, including Jack Eichel, Patrick Kane, and Phil Kessel, and scouts haven't been shy about likening his potential to Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.

After "Fall for Hall" and "Fail for Nail," don't be surprised when "Lose for Hughes" makes its way into hockey circles next season.

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Brady Tkachuk is still mapping out his future path.

The fourth overall pick of the Ottawa Senators is debating whether he's ready to turn pro next season, or if further seasoning at Boston University would be better for his long-term goals.

Signing an entry-level contract would make Tkachuk ineligible for the NCAA. However, if he's not quite ready primetime, he could also be assigned to Belleville, home of the Senators' AHL club, or to the OHL's London Knights, who hold his junior rights.

"The decision will be based on what's best for my development short and long term; I want to have a long career and don't want to go somewhere and not have an impact," Tkachuk told Mike Morreale of NHL.com. "I want to make an impact wherever I go and be able to contribute and play my best. Having both options is a great problem to have; they are two great spots."

Tkachuk has turned to his family for advice, counting on his father, Keith, one of the top American-born players of all time, and brother, Matthew, who broke in with the Calgary Flames two seasons ago at 18 years old.

"It's tough for me to be on the phone with my parents because we're not in the same city," Tkachuk added. "But I want to talk to them face-to-face because their opinion, and the opinion of my brother and sister, are important so they'll tell me what they think but it'll be my decision in the end.

"It's one of the biggest decisions of my life. It's tough and stressful but when it happens it'll be nice to have it off the shoulders. I just want to be 100 percent committed to wherever I decide."

Should Tkachuk choose the pro ranks, there's a good chance he could make the immediate jump to the NHL given the potentially open spots on the Senators' roster.

But there are also some advantages to returning to the Terriers. Tkachuk would likely see increased ice time as a sophomore and would also get a shot at working alongside new bench boss Albie O'Connell following David Quinn's appointment with the New York Rangers.

Tkachuk finished fourth in Terriers team scoring last season, netting 31 points in 40 games. He also impressed as part of Team USA at the World Junior Championship, posting nine points in seven contests.

The budding power winger has circled Aug. 12 as the latest he intends to make his decision, giving both sides nearly a month to prepare for training camp. For now, the clock ticks.

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