Mike Ribeiro appears to be in dire straits.

The longtime NHL forward's family and representatives haven't been able to contact him recently and he had a substance abuse relapse in December, his agent, Bob Perno, told TSN 690's Tony Marinaro on Thursday.

The agent last spoke to Ribeiro at the end of last season and has been attempting to contact his client lately to no avail.

"I have been trying as (recently) as last week and he's not answering any calls ... so this is a real issue now," Perno said, adding that not even Ribeiro's wife or children have been able to reach him.

"The last time he saw the kids was at the end of the season ... (his wife) Tam(ara) let him see the kids for a little while and then he left and basically has dropped off the map," the agent lamented.

Despite these troubling revelations, Perno doesn't believe Ribeiro has hit rock bottom.

"I really don't think so, because all the experts say, when you hit rock bottom, that's when you reach out for help. And he hasn't reached out for help yet this year," Perno said.

"He had a relapse probably just before Christmas, so ... I don't think he's hit rock bottom," the agent added. "We're trying to get a hold of him in Nashville. We know he's somewhere in Nashville. His family has seen him. His wife has seen him, briefly, and then he disappeared into the woodwork. We're trying to get a hold of him (but) he doesn't answer his phone. Nobody hears from him, so I don't think he's hit rock bottom."

Perno declined to get into the specifics of which substances Ribeiro is struggling with, but said Ribeiro was clean for about two years before cutting his most recent rehab program short.

"It is a nightmare, and it's a very sad situation that a player with such talent (who has) had such a great career ... to end on this note is ... it's sad and I'm worried," Perno said. "I'm just frustrated because what else can you do?"

Ribeiro, 37, played the last three seasons with the Nashville Predators. He was waived by the club in February and eventually assigned to the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, with whom he finished out the 2016-17 campaign.

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The Calgary Flames' 2017 first-round pick is officially under contract.

Juuso Valimaki, the 16th overall selection in last month's draft, signed his entry-level deal Friday.

The 18-year-old Finnish defenseman scored 19 goals and racked up 61 points in 60 regular-season games with the WHL's Tri-City Americans this past season.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have secured a significant piece of their young core for the long haul.

Jaccob Slavin agreed to a seven-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.3 million Wednesday.

Slavin's new deal will begin in 2018-19 and run through 2024-25. He'll carry a cap hit of $742,500 in the final season of his entry-level deal beginning this fall.

The 23-year-old led the Hurricanes in time-on-ice, notched 34 points and played all 82 games in 2016-17, his second NHL season.

"Jaccob is one of the cornerstones of our team moving forward, and it was important to secure him with our organization long term," Carolina general manager Ron Francis said Wednesday in a statement.

The Hurricanes made Slavin a fourth-round pick in 2012.

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The frenzy never gets old.

More than 70 contracts were consummated in the first four hours after the NHL's annual summer signing window opened, according to CapFriendly, though some of the biggest names remained unsigned.

A deluge of deals came down before the biggest fish on the market was scooped up, and some of them were better conceived than others.

Here are some winners and losers from the first afternoon of this summer's free-agency period:

Winners

New York Rangers

It took about two-and-a-half hours, but the Rangers made the most significant splash, landing the No. 1 target, Kevin Shattenkirk.

Getting the offensively skilled blue-liner signed was a big enough win on its own, but landing him on a four-year deal rather than a five or six-year pact was the real victory for the Blueshirts.

He gives New York a productive power-play quarterback and bona fide top-pairing defenseman on a contract that could have been much worse.

Nashville Predators

The Predators made a couple of solid depth signings Saturday, turning back the clock by adding versatile veteran Scott Hartnell on an extremely team-friendly one-year, $1-million deal and picking up former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bonino on a four-year, $16.4-million agreement.

The Hartnell deal was particularly savvy despite the 35-year-old's decreased production this past season, considering the Columbus Blue Jackets still owe him $5 million over the next four years after buying out his previous deal earlier this week.

Carolina Hurricanes

Reunited and it feels so good.

Justin Williams was one of a handful of players who rejoined former teams Saturday, and the Hurricanes did well by getting him to return to Raleigh on a two-year, $9-million deal.

Yes, he's 35, but he scored more than 20 goals in each of the last two seasons with the Washington Capitals, and his playoff prowess is well documented.

The up-and-coming Hurricanes should benefit from his experience, his nose for the net, and of course, his knack for timely scoring.

NHL general managers as a whole

If there was one major takeaway from the initial hours of free agency, it was that NHL GMs clearly learned from the blunders of years past.

Only a few of the contracts signed Saturday were unreasonable, cap hit-wise, and most of the deals were of the relatively short-term variety.

No free agent signed a contract of more than five years in length in the opening hours of the frenzy, as the majority of the agreements came with one, two, or three-year terms.

Whether it was due to the newly flat salary cap or the less-than-elite free-agent crop, or both, the trend toward shorter, more affordable contracts was clearly evident.

Losers

Winnipeg Jets

Yes, the Jets went out and got a defenseman and a goaltender, but both players come with big-time question marks.

Dmitry Kulikov was limited to 47 games this past season with a back injury that made him feel like an old man, as he told the Olean Times Herald's Bill Hoppe back in February.

He's 26 years old.

The Jets also addressed their goaltending Saturday, but Steve Mason hardly inspires confidence.

The former Philadelphia Flyers netminder posted a .908 save percentage and a 2.66 GAA while losing more games (29) than he won (26) in 2016-17. He's definitely capable of playing well for stretches, but it's been a few years since he's been reliable over a full season.

Montreal Canadiens

Marc Bergevin just loves making questionable moves.

This one certainly wasn't on the level of the P.K. Subban trade as far as controversial transactions go, but the Canadiens GM pulled off another head-scratcher Saturday, giving bottom-pairing defenseman Karl Alzner a five-year deal worth a reported $23.125 million.

Alzner is incredibly durable, and plays a stay-at-home style, but if the Canadiens are counting on the rearguard to consistently log top-pairing minutes, it could be a long season in Montreal.

Bergevin failed to address the Canadiens' biggest need, that being down the middle, coming away with journeyman Peter Holland rather than landing a much better center like Martin Hanzal.

The Canadiens GM could redeem himself in the coming days if he's able to sign Carey Price to an extension and get Alexander Radulov back on a reasonable new deal, but Saturday's moves left something to be desired.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are adding experience on the blue line.

Ron Hainsey agreed to a two-year deal worth "around $3 million per year," according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

The 36-year-old helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win their second consecutive championship this spring after being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in February.

Hainsey ranked second on the Penguins in average ice time in the playoffs, logging 21:06 per game.

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Free-Agent Signing Period
When: Saturday, July 1, 12 p.m. ET
TV: TSN (Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. ET), Sportsnet/Sportsnet 360 (11 a.m.- 7 p.m. ET), NHL Network (1 p.m.- 6 p.m. ET)

The mayhem is almost upon us.

It all begins Saturday at the stroke of noon ET, when pending unrestricted and restricted free agents can officially sign new deals, and when qualifying offers can officially be accepted.

The 2017 free-agent class lacks the star power of previous years, but there will be plenty of talent available to clubs looking to either land a big fish or simply add depth.

Pending UFAs have been visiting teams and RFAs have been discussing potential deals with their clubs all week, but they aren't allowed to put pen to paper until Saturday.

Here's what you need to know before the money starts flying:

The biggest prize

Kevin Shattenkirk will be the top name available when the mayhem begins, and the skilled puck-moving defenseman is already garnering interest.

• Report: Lightning reach out to Shattenkirk
• 5 teams with best shot at landing Shattenkirk in free agency

The consistent point producer and power-play quarterback could slide right into a contending team's top-four, or instantly become a rebuilding club's No. 1 blue-liner.

The best of the rest

Alexander Radulov is arguably the best forward available, but several other players could cash in when the floodgates open.

Could Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau really leave the San Jose Sharks? Both 37-year-old forwards are pending UFAs, and Thornton already has at least three teams calling about his services.

• Report: Kings have been in contact with Joe Thornton
• Report: Maple Leafs, Predators have reached out to Thornton

It's hard to imagine either of the Sharks' elder statesmen putting on other uniforms, but it's entirely possible.

Shattenkirk isn't the only member of the 2016-17 Washington Capitals who'll likely be leaving D.C.

Karl Alzner has reportedly been in contact with several teams this week.

• Report: Jets, Canadiens showing strong interest in Alzner
• Report: Blackhawks, Canadiens among teams interested in Alzner

Then there's Justin Williams.

• Report: Justin Williams narrows list down to 3-4 teams
• Report: Justin Williams being targeted by at least 10 teams
• 3 viable landing spots for Justin Williams in free agency

Nick Bonino is reportedly in high demand after helping the Pittsburgh Penguins win their second straight Stanley Cup while playing through a broken tibia and a fractured ankle.

One of the Penguins' biggest rivals is apparently in the mix to sign him.

• Report: Blue Jackets among 10 teams with serious interest in Nick Bonino

Another veteran forward with championship experience is getting some attention, too.

• Report: 9 teams have reached out to UFA Patrick Sharp

The top 80

Earlier this month, we compiled an extensive list of the best pending UFAs expected to hit the market.

Some of them have signed since then, most notably T.J. Oshie, who inked an eight-year, $46-million deal to stay with the Capitals.

Still, if you want to be fully prepared for Saturday's frenzy, here they are from bottom to top:

• 80-66
• 65-51
• 50-41
• 40-31
• 30-21
• 20-11
• 10-1

What's actually going to happen Saturday?

It's crystal ball time. Who goes where? What will be the biggest surprises? Who will be left without a new deal when the dust settles?

• 5 predictions for NHL free agency

Looking back

Last summer, there were big names on the market, but the biggest star took care of business before the official start of free agency.

Steven Stamkos chose to stay with the Tampa Bay Lightning, agreeing to a mega-deal that was reported two days before the frenzy began.

On July 1, 2016, players like Kyle Okposo, Milan Lucic, Andrew Ladd, and Loui Eriksson signed long-term contracts with new clubs.

Some of those pacts aren't looking so good now.

Will teams learn from the 2016 frenzy or continue to shell out heavy coin and term for less than top-tier talent?

We'll find out Saturday at high noon ET.

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The first round of the NHL draft featured a slightly unexpected opening selection, a lack of fireworks in the middle, and a trio of late deals.

The New Jersey Devils took Nico Hischier over Nolan Patrick with the first overall pick, but no genuine drama came until the opening round was about to conclude.

Here are the winners and losers on the first day and night of the 2017 draft festivities in Chicago:

Winners

St. Louis Blues

The Blues were clearly the biggest winners, and it wasn't particularly close.

St. Louis landed 25-goal scorer Brayden Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers for Jori Lehtera, the 27th overall pick that became Morgan Frost, and a conditional first-rounder next year.

The Blues also dealt grinder Ryan Reaves and the 51st pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Oskar Sundqvist and the 31st selection, which they used to take Klim Kostin, the top-ranked European skater coming into the draft.

Not only that, but they made a smooth pick by taking Rob(ert) Thomas 20th overall.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Mark Hunter worked his magic yet again.

The Leafs assistant general manager and resident draft guru nabbed promising Swedish defenseman Timothy Liljegren at No. 17, telling Sportsnet's Chris Johnston afterwards that he "would have been shocked" last year to hear Liljegren would be taken in that spot in 2017.

Toronto's historical success in first round is well documented - most notably with Mitch Marner and William Nylander - but Hunter's latest pick earned universal praise in its own right.

Finland

It was a good night to be a Finnish draft prospect.

A record six Finns were taken in the first round, according to Sportsnet, including third overall choice Miro Heiskanen and 30th pick Eeli Tolvanen.

Heiskanen was the only one to go in the top 10, but Finland accounted for four defensemen and two wingers in the first 31 selections.

Nashville Predators

When you're a Stanley Cup finalist, you're not typically going to have a high pick, and the Predators were stuck with the penultimate choice in Round 1, but that didn't stop GM of the Year David Poile from making his mark.

Nashville went for Tolvanen, who ESPN's Corey Pronman called "the steal of the first round," according to The Tennessean's Adam Vingan.

Losers

Pittsburgh Penguins

The two-time defending champions came into the night holding the final pick of the opening round, but GM Jim Rutherford decided to package it with Sundqvist to get his hands on Reaves, a physical winger who hit career highs with seven goals and 13 points to go along with his 104 penalty minutes this season.

If Kostin turns into the dynamic scorer some believe he will be, this one's going to look even worse on Rutherford than it already does.

Colorado Avalanche

In a bit of trade deadline deja vu, Matt Duchene didn't go anywhere on the first night of this draft.

The Avalanche were happy to take Cale Makar fourth overall, but Joe Sakic missed an opportunity to move into the top two for Hischier or Patrick despite boasting one of the league's biggest trade chips.

Duchene could certainly be moved later Friday night or on Saturday when the draft resumes, but Colorado's reluctance to pull the trigger on a trade at the top of the draft might be a decision the Avalanche brass comes to regret.

Detroit Red Wings

Ken Holland is clearly not used to picking this high.

Michael Rasmussen wasn't a brutal selection at No. 9, but the Red Wings had better options on the board, arguably including Gabriel Vilardi, who went to the Los Angeles Kings two picks later.

Detroit hasn't picked in the top 10 since 1991, but that doesn't excuse a choice that could have been better.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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The Philadelphia Flyers traded forward Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues for the 27th overall pick in this year's draft, center Jori Lehtera, and a conditional first-round pick in 2018.

The Flyers took Morgan Frost, a center from the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, with the 27th selection.

Schenn is coming off his second straight season with at least 25 goals and 55 points, following a 26-goal, 59-point campaign in 2015-16. He signed a four-year, $20.5-million contract extension with the Flyers last summer.

Lehtera's production declined again in his third NHL season, as he posted only 22 points in 64 games.

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The Philadelphia Flyers selected Nolan Patrick with the second overall pick in the NHL draft on Friday night.

Nolan Patrick

Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 198 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Nationality: Canadian

(Even-strength stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)

Patrick battled through a pair of injuries this season, missing 35 games in the regular season and all four of the Wheat Kings' playoff games, but he was the consensus top prospect coming into this draft.

He seemed to put any lingering health concerns to rest at the scouting combine, getting medically cleared for all tests, then holding his own despite being bested by the other highly touted prospect, Nico Hischier, in many of the events.

The 18-year-old had a productive season considering its abbreviated nature, and that came after a 41-goal, 102-point campaign in 2015-16.

Patrick finished as the top-ranked North American skater this spring, and while he's not considered to be a generational talent like Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid, scouts still expect big things from him.

"He has more than proven over the last three years that he is the real deal and he will be an impact NHL player," Central Scouting director Dan Marr told NHL.com in April.

He has a pro hockey pedigree, too, as the son of former NHL forward Steve Patrick and the nephew of former defenseman and coach James Patrick.

"He's got a good understanding of the game, has been taught good fundamentals from a young age," NHL Central Scouting's Matt Ryan told NHL.com. "There are a lot of guys who don't seem to have that understanding of the effort it takes to play at a high level with and without the puck. Nolan Patrick does."

Click here to watch Patrick highlights.

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Craig Anderson's difficult season is ending with some recognition.

The Ottawa Senators goaltender is the 2017 recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

Anderson took multiple leaves of absence to attend to his wife, Nicholle, who was diagnosed with a rare form of throat cancer last October.

The veteran netminder returned at her request when Andrew Hammond suffered a groin injury in the fall, departing again in December to be with Nicholle while she underwent treatment.

Anderson rejoined the Senators after the All-Star break, notching a shutout in his first game back, then helping Ottawa reach the Eastern Conference Final this spring.

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