The Los Angeles Kings claimed forward Nikita Scherbak off waivers from the Canadiens, Montreal announced Sunday.

Scherbak, 22, made the Canadiens out of training camp but did not appear in a game this season. He put up one point in five games during a conditioning stint in the AHL before suffering a lower-body injury.

The Kings sit in last place with 19 points and had first priority when Scherbak was placed on waivers Saturday.

The Canadiens selected Scherbak with the 26th overall pick in 2014.

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A former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs believes the current front office made a misstep in re-signing William Nylander.

Minutes before Saturday's deadline, Nylander and the Maple Leafs agreed to a six-year, $45-million extension, ending a months-long stalemate and avoiding the possibility of the Swedish forward sitting out the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign.

But the deal is apparently too rich for Brian Burke, who served as Maple Leafs GM from 2008 to 2013.

"My objection to the Nylander deal is two-fold. One, he's the sixth-best player on the team," Burke said Saturday on Sportsnet's To The Point. "He's the sixth-best, arguably the seventh-best, on the Toronto Maple Leafs and they paid him all this money.

"I also think that if they were going to throw this much money at him, they should have done it in August and not had him miss training camp. If you're going to give away the farm like this, do it early and get him in camp."

Nylander is the first member of the Maple Leafs' Big Three to reach restricted free agency, with fellow forwards Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews due for new deals next summer. Those contracts, plus the signing of John Tavares last offseason, could force other players to move elsewhere.

"I do believe (Nylander won the negotiation)," Burke added. "The notion that you'll put more money on the table late, that's a lesson that the agents for these other players are going to learn that with Toronto all you have to do is hold out and they'll up the ante. That's dangerous ground."

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Ron Hextall didn't see it coming.

Fired by the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, to say the former general manager was caught off guard by his dismissal may be an understatement.

"I was shocked," Hextall told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I was hoping to finish my career here."

Hextall had been on the job since 2014, a tenure which saw him reshape the team's salary cap situation and twice qualify for the playoffs.

He believes internal pressure to take the team to the next level - before it was ready - was ultimately his undoing. The team described Hextall's approach as "unyielding" upon his dismissal.

"I didn't feel we were at go-time," Hextall added. "I didn't feel (like) the Winnipegs and Nashvilles and the Tampas, that we were quite there."

While Hextall was methodical in his attempt to rebuild the Flyers, he rejected the idea that he didn't look at bigger moves to help the team climb the ladder. In fact, those discussions were happening as recently as the days leading up to his firing.

"Was I open to moving prospects and/or young players who could help us this season and beyond? Absolutely," Hextall said. "We had some talks in the works at the time. Whether something would have happened, I don't know. I can assure you I was being aggressive."

With Hextall ousted, the Flyers have begun an extensive search to find his replacement. Former GMs Chuck Fletcher, Ron Francis, and Dave Nonis are reportedly among the candidates.

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Another day, another candidate in the mix to become the next Philadelphia Flyers general manager.

The Flyers have received permission to speak with Dave Nonis about their opening, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports. Nonis is currently a consultant with the Anaheim Ducks and previously served as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks.

Nonis was promoted to Maple Leafs GM in 2013 and oversaw one playoff appearance in three seasons. His notable moves included long-term extensions for Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf, plus the free-agent signing of David Clarkson. Nonis was fired following the 2014-15 campaign.

In addition to Nonis, the Flyers are also reportedly interviewing Buffalo Sabres assistant GM Steve Greeley, former Carolina Hurricanes GM Ron Francis, Columbus Blue Jackets assistant GM Bill Zito, and ex-Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher, who is now a senior advisor with the New Jersey Devils.

The Flyers are in search of a new GM following Ron Hextall's firing Monday.

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Could Valentin Zykov be the latest winger to ride shotgun with Connor McDavid?

We'll know soon enough, as the Edmonton Oilers claimed the 23-year-old forward off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

In his first full season with the Hurricanes, Zykov was expected to be a big contributor after leading the AHL with 33 goals last season.

However, that production hasn't translated to the next level just yet. The Russian winger was limited to three assists through 13 games with Carolina this season.

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Add Bill Zito's name to the list of candidates who could become the next general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, as TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports the club has received permission to speak with the seasoned executive.

Zito has served as the assistant GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets since 2013-14, and has doubled as GM of the AHL's Cleveland Monsters since 2015-16. The 54-year-old was also the GM of Team USA at the 2018 World Championships, where the American squad finished with the bronze medal.

It's not the first time Zito has been considered for GM opportunities. Last offseason, he reportedly sat down with the Minnesota Wild before the job ultimately went to Paul Fenton, then of the Nashville Predators.

Zito is one of at least four candidates interviewing with Philadelphia. Steve Greeley, the assistant GM of the Buffalo Sabres, former Carolina Hurricanes GM Ron Francis, and Chuck Fletcher, a senior advisor with the New Jersey Devils and former GM of the Wild, are also reportedly under consideration.

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The Arizona Coyotes claimed goaltender Calvin Pickard off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

The move comes with Arizona's top two netminders, Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper, both listed as day to day with lower-body injuries.

Pickard was in his first season with the Flyers after being claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this year. Through 11 games, he owns a 4-2-2 record with a .863 save percentage.

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The Carolina Hurricanes placed veteran goalie Scott Darling on waivers Thursday, general manager Don Waddell confirmed, according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer.

Darling is in the second season of a four-year, $16.6-million deal he signed in May 2017. A no-trade clause in his contract allows him to list 15 teams to which he'd accept being moved.

After a strong showing in his previous stint with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Hurricanes hoped Darling could take their top job, but he's struggled.

Darling finished last season with 13 wins and an .888 save rate across 43 games. So far this season, the 29-year-old owns a 2-4-1 record with a .892 save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average.

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Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber is back in the lineup versus the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, marking his first NHL action in nearly a year.

Weber hadn't suited up since Dec. 16, 2017. He missed the remainder of last season due to a tendon tear in his left foot.

The veteran blue-liner was expected to make a full recovery over the offseason, but a knee injury kept him sidelined for the first 24 games of the 2018-19 campaign.

Weber returns with Montreal holding down the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. It's his first appearance for the Canadiens since being named the 30th captain in franchise history.

The 33-year-old finished last season with 16 points in 26 games.

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The Philadelphia Flyers may not wait until the general manager's chair is filled before looking for some insurance between the pipes.

That was the message from team president Paul Holmgren - the Flyers' GM from 2006 to 2014 - at a Tuesday press conference following Monday's firing of Ron Hextall.

"If I can make our team better, I'd be foolish not to look at it," Holmgren said when asked if he's interested in adding short-term goaltending help, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

To say it's been a challenging campaign in the Philadelphia crease would be an understatement. Starter Brian Elliott has missed the past two weeks with a lower-body injury and backup Michal Neuvirth has been limited to a single appearance due to an undisclosed ailment.

Those injuries have forced the Flyers to reach deep down their depth chart; Calvin Pickard, Alex Lyon, and Anthony Stolarz have all been called upon through 23 games this season.

Carter Hart remains the team's future in goal though the 20-year-old has struggled in his first pro season, posting a 3.61 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage in 12 AHL games.

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