The Tampa Bay Lightning remain hopeful that John Tavares will elect to sign with them on July 1, but general manager Steve Yzerman is aware that the team would have to do some serious juggling to make things work.

With roughly $5.3 million in cap space and Tavares likely to command at least $10 million per season, Yzerman said the team would have to clear cap room, but it would be worth it, according to Joe Smith of The Athletic.

"We think he's one of the best players in the league," Yzerman said.

On the free-agent front, the Lightning have restricted free agents Adam Erne, Cedric Paquette, and Slater Koekkoek to contend with, while Andrej Sustr is also a pending UFA after five seasons with Tampa Bay.

In the meantime, Yzerman is unsure when his camp will hear back from Tavares. The Lightning and Dallas Stars were the final two of six reported teams that met with Tavares and his representatives Wednesday.

Tavares left Los Angeles for his home in Toronto on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple, where he must now make the biggest decision of his career.

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Rick Nash is still undecided about whether or not he will play next season and in turn will forego the July 1 signing period, his agent Joe Resnick told TSN's Darren Dreger.

Dreger adds that the multiple teams that were planning to make offers for Nash on July 1 have been made aware of his decision.

More to come.

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Tobias Rieder appears to be a hot commodity north of the border.

The pending unrestricted free agent has reportedly engaged with four of the seven Canadian teams ahead of July 1, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

Rieder was due to become a restricted free agent, but he didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Kings.

Rieder was acquired by the Kings in February from the Arizona Coyotes in a deal that sent goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Coyotes. Following the trade, Rieder put up just four goals and two assists in 20 games.

The 25-year-old is coming off a two-year, $4.45-million contract.

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Among the Detroit Red Wings' offseason priorities is acquiring a dependable backup goalie, and it seems they have one in mind.

Jonathan Bernier has become the Red Wings' top target between the pipes and there is "significant interest" from both sides, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance.

The 29-year-old is coming off a solid season with the Colorado Avalanche that saw him post a 19-13-3 record with a .913 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average. He took on the role as the team's starter after Semyon Varlamov went down with an injury and then played in four of the six first-round playoff games against the Nashville Predators.

As for the Red Wings, Jimmy Howard is expected to resume his role as the No. 1 goalie after going 22-27-9 in 2017-18.

After Detroit dealt Petr Mrazek to the Philadelphia Flyers ahead of the deadline, Jared Coreau served as the backup, but proved he wasn't ready to take on the responsibility by going 0-5-1 with a 4.26 goals-against average and an .867 save percentage.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins made noise on Wednesday when they dealt forward Conor Sheary and defenseman Matt Hunwick to the Buffalo Sabres for a conditional fourth-round pick.

It was a compelling deal that, as general manager Jim Rutherford noted, is par for the course in the modern NHL.

"This is just part of the system now," Rutherford told reporters, via Jonathan Bombulie of the Tribune Review. "It makes it hard to keep all the players. If you're going to free up cap space these are the things you have to do."

With the deal, the Penguins were able to shed $5.25 million in cap space which could be used on a defenseman. And as Rutherford admits, adding another D-man is his priority going into the offseason.

On top of that, Rutherford also hopes to get restricted free agent Jamie Oleksiak and unrestricted free agent Riley Sheahan signed to new contracts.

"That's just in the process now," Rutherford said of a new contract for Oleksiak. "It'll get done at some point."

He added that the team was getting closer to a Sheahan deal.

Thanks to Wednesday's trade, Rutherford will now have a total of just over $10 million to address his needs at defense and his pending free agents.

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There is a bit more clarity to the John Tavares free-agency sweepstakes.

The pending unrestricted free agent has already spoken to the New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Boston Bruins, and on Wednesday will speak to representatives from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars. Outside of those six, Tavares' reps have no plans to speak to any other teams, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Related - Johnny T sweepstakes: Ranking contenders to sign Tavares away from Isles

This latest news comes after it was originally reported that Tavares would take additional calls from two to three other clubs, possibly meeting with one or two of them in person.

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Add another goaltender to the unrestricted free-agent field.

The Philadelphia Flyers did not give a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agent Petr Mrazek, meaning he will become a UFA on July 1, according to Sam Carhidi of Philly.com.

Related - Report: Blackhawks, Isles among 8 teams to reach out to Hutton

The 26-year-old was acquired by the Flyers from the Detroit Red Wings - who drafted him in the fifth round back in 2010 - in February, where he was went 6-6-3 in 17 games with a 3.22 GAA and a .891 save percentage.

While he's still young and the last couple seasons haven't been his brightest, Mrazek does have experience serving as a No. 1, including during the 2015-16 campaign where he put up a respectable 27-16-6 record with a 2.33 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 54 games.

With the free-agent interview period in full swing, teams can begin calling on Mrazek.

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The free-agent goalie market is thin, and as a result, St. Louis Blues netminder Carter Hutton has become one of the most sought-after names.

Once the UFA interview period opened on Sunday, eight teams reportedly reached out to Hutton's camp; the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes, and New York Islanders have been confirmed, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

LeBrun believes Hutton has cut the original eight clubs down to six and separated those teams into two groups: those offering him a backup position and those willing to ride him as their No. 1.

The Islanders, Sabres, and potentially the Hurricanes (who still have Scott Darling under contract) could offer starting positions, while the Blackhawks would like to have a healthy Corey Crawford between the pipes. But, after the veteran netminder missed 54 games last season due to injury, Chicago could be in the market for a serviceable backup.

Hutton is coming off his best season statistically in which he posted a record of 17-7-3 with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage.

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The list of potential destinations for pending unrestricted free agent John Tavares is starting to grow.

The New York Islanders captain's camp will meet with the San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning this week at CAA offices in Los Angeles, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

LeBrun adds that the Islanders remain in the mix and that Tavares will speak with two to three other teams over the phone, after which he may speak to one or two in person.

The UFA interview period opened Sunday, meaning teams can now speak to pending free agents ahead of July 1 to make their case.

Related: Lamoriello not discouraged as Tavares prepares to field rival offers

Tavares is coming off a strong 2017-18 season that saw him reach the 30-goal plateau for the fourth time and the 80-point threshold for the third time.

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The Vancouver Canucks pulled off a minor trade on Sunday, dealing forward Michael Chaput to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Tanner Kero.

Kero spent the majority of last season with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League where he had eight goals and 20 points in 36 games. He also contributed one goal and two assists for the Blackhawks in eight NHL contests.

Chaput also spent most of the season in the AHL, where he put up 17 goals and 42 points in 55 games. He also dressed in nine games for the Canucks this past season, where he went pointless.

Kero remains under contract for one more season, while Chaput is a pending restricted free agent.

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