Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee should be an awfully proud man.

Not only is McPhee primed to win GM of the year - and go down in history - for being the architect of the best expansion team in any sport, but he's also largely responsible for constructing the roster that will take the visitors' side of the rink at T-Mobile Arena on Monday night.

McPhee was GM of the Washington Capitals from 1997-98 until the 2013-14 campaign. He built a perennial regular-season juggernaut in D.C., but postseason failures, missing the playoffs in his final year, and the horrendous Filip Forsberg-for-Martin Erat trade ultimately led to his demise.

However, he acquired the majority of the Capitals team in place today, mostly through the draft.

McPhee's ability to hit on first-round picks is uncanny. While nearly any GM can make a good selection in the top five, he's made shrewd picks in the latter half of the first round, which is what makes or breaks an organization.

As an encore, McPhee's found legitimate NHLers beyond the first round too. In the salary-cap era, having cheap, homegrown players to surround your core is crucial for building a winning team.

Current Capitals GM Brian MacLellan deserves a large amount of credit, too. While McPhee was in charge, MacLellan was his right-hand man, serving as a pro scout, then director of player personnel, then as assistant GM for seven seasons before taking the reins when the team didn't renew McPhee's contract.

The two combined to build a perennial powerhouse in Washington. McPhee appears well on his way to doing so again in Vegas, and now the former coworkers will meet in the Stanley Cup Final.

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The San Jose Sharks took a gargantuan risk when they inked forward Evander Kane to a seven-year contract extension worth a reported $49 million on Thursday.

There's no denying Kane is a quality player. He's a rugged, physical winger with annual 30-goal potential. Power forwards like him are rare, but that doesn't mean paying him $7 million per year through his age-33 season is a good decision.

Kane hasn't performed at a $7-million level yet in his career. In nine NHL seasons, he's averaged 26 goals and 51 points (calculated over an 82-game average). That's OK, but he's also missed an average of 14 games per year.

His lack of durability should've been a red flag for the Sharks. Players that have an intensely physical style and dish out roughly 150 hits per year, as Kane does, often don't age well.

Not every skater who plays with an edge is set for a shorter prime. Alex Ovechkin is one of the game's most physical forwards, but he rarely gets injured. Some can handle the added toll on the body, while others break down.

Even if Kane avoids further injury pitfalls and doesn't decline quicker, paying a winger top dollar isn't always a smart idea. Unless of course it's a franchise player, and that label doesn't apply to Kane.

Here's a look at every winger in the NHL with a cap hit of $7 million-plus for the 2018-19 season:

Every player on the list had much more success than Kane prior to signing long-term contracts, and now some of those signings (Perry, Parise, Ryan) haven't quite panned out as their teams had hoped.

With a $7-million cap hit, Kane is now paid more than fellow wingers Johnny Gaudreau ($6.75M), David Pastrnak ($6.6M), Brad Marchand ($6.125M), and Filip Forsberg ($6M). All those players signed long-term contracts within the past couple years, were coming off a season better than Kane has ever had, and with the exception of Marchand, were all younger when they signed.

Unless a winger is putting up near point-per-game numbers, a team's $7 million-plus is probably better spent on a center or defenseman - positions that have a greater impact on the 200-foot game.

This contract could go south because of Kane's individual performance, and worse, it might handcuff the Sharks moving forward.

With Kane's $7 million on the books, the Sharks only have $7.43 million left in cap space. Buying out Paul Martin would save them another $2.85 million. But that's still not a lot considering Tomas Hertl and Chris Tierney are restricted free agents and will need new contracts. Also, San Jose surely wants to bring back Joe Thornton on a one-year deal.

Assuming Hertl and Tierney require a combined $7 million to sign (that's being very conservative, and it could easily be more), the Sharks would be left with a little over $3 million to bring Thornton back, and not much money for anything else.

Looking beyond this summer, both Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski are scheduled to be UFAs after next season. They each currently carry cap hits of $6 million. Couture will likely require a raise, while Pavelski could come back for around the same price, or even slightly less if he has a poor year.

Had the Sharks not locked up Kane, they could've taken a serious run at John Tavares this offseason. San Jose checks off all the boxes to attract a top free agent:

• No. 1 center vacancy
• Enough cap room to outbid other teams
• A roster ready to win now
• Minimal media attention
• Beautiful California weather

Now the Sharks are going all in this year before their core of Couture (29 years old), Pavelski (33), Brent Burns (33), and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (31) start to decline, and doing that while expecting Kane to play better than he has previously in his career.

Including the playoffs, Kane scored 13 goals in 26 games with the Sharks in 2017-18. It's an extremely small sample size, but that's a 41-goal pace over an 82-game season, providing optimism he can flourish on a playoff-caliber team.

However, the Sharks are banking on Kane being that type of player for full seasons to make this contract justifiable - a risk they certainly didn't need to take.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Evander Kane to a seven-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday. As per club policy, the terms of the deal were not disclosed, but TSN's Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the agreement is worth $49 million with the following breakdown:

The contract equates to an average annual value of $7 million.

The deal also comes with a modified no-trade clause, with Kane having the ability to choose three teams he's willing to be dealt to, according to LeBrun.

Kane, who will turn 27 in August, had 29 goals and 54 points this past season. Of those totals, nine and 14, respectively, came with the Sharks after he was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline.

"At only 26 years old, Evander has established himself as one of hockey's true power forwards and an impact player," GM Doug Wilson said. "We think his abilities mesh perfectly with our group of skilled, young players and veteran leaders. It's extremely heartening to have Evander join a trend of elite players who have chosen to remain in San Jose. It speaks volumes as to how players view this organization and further illustrates the continued commitment to our fans by our owner Hasso Plattner."

In his first taste of playoff hockey this season, Kane performed admirably, potting four goals in nine games as the Sharks were bounced in the second round by the Vegas Golden Knights.

He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

As part of the trade that sent Kane to the Bay Area, the Sabres will receive San Jose's first-round pick in 2019. The selection is lottery protected, meaning if the Sharks were to miss the playoffs next season, they'd have the option to keep the pick. In this scenario, Buffalo would receive the Sharks' 2020 first-rounder instead, per Cap Friendly.

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Although just two teams remain in the hunt for the Stanley Cup, it's still a wide-open race for the Conn Smythe Trophy. Here are the top five leading candidates:

5. Jonathan Marchessault

The Golden Knights' top line of Marchessault, William Karlsson, and Reilly Smith have been nearly unstoppable this postseason. Marchessault has been the most dangerous of the three, leading the team in goals, points, shots, and is second in assists.

4. Braden Holtby

What a whirlwind of a season it's been for Holtby. By now, many forget it was Philipp Grubauer - not Holtby - who was between the pipes for the Capitals in their first two playoff games against the Blue Jackets after the former Vezina Trophy winner endured a turbulent season. That's all in the past, though, as Holtby has played fantastic when it's mattered most.

3. Evgeny Kuznetsov

Given that Kuznetsov leads all players in postseason points, there's an argument to be made that he should be higher on this list. He's seemingly brought his speed and creativity every single night. He's gone toe-to-toe with some of the game's best centers in the past two rounds, but yet, he's the one left standing.

2. Alex Ovechkin

Ovechkin is in rarefied air, as he sits second in both goals and hits this postseason. Armed with arguably the best shot of all time, plus a 235-pound frame, Ovechkin has simply been a nightmare for the opposition during a grueling playoff run. He's the heart and soul of the team. If he goes, they go. Right now, he's firing on all cylinders.

1. Marc-Andre Fleury

Fleury has held the top spot on these power rankings since the get-go, and with good reason. He's been absolutely lights out since the beginning of the postseason without any blips on the radar. If the Golden Knights are to win yet another round and hoist the Stanley Cup, Fleury's play in goal will be a massive reason why.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to rebuild their front office, as the team announced Thursday the hiring of Laurence Gilman as their new assistant general manager.

Gilman was the Vancouver Canucks' assistant GM from 2008-15. Prior to that, he worked in the Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes organization for 13 years, including a five-year stint as the assistant GM. He most recently served on the NHL's expansion draft rules and regulations committee in 2016.

With the Maple Leafs, Gilman will be the GM of the AHL's Toronto Marlies - a position previously held by current Leafs GM Kyle Dubas. He will also assist with player personnel duties and manage the club's player development department.

"Laurence provides terrific experience to our management team," said Dubas. "His 20-plus years in the NHL have seen him manage nearly every type of department in professional hockey and have success doing so."

Gilman is a highly regarded executive around the league, as he was strongly considered to be the next commissioner of the East Coast Hockey League before taking the job with Toronto, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

After naming Dubas the new GM on May 11, the Leafs have lost two key front-office executives in Lou Lamoriello and Mark Hunter. Lamoriello fled for Long Island after being bumped from the Leafs' GM job into a senior advisor role, while Hunter and the Leafs parted ways after he was passed over for Dubas for the GM role.

On Wednesday, the Leafs also promoted Brandon Pridham to the position of assistant GM - a role he and Gilman will fill.

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Longtime NHL goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck was named the assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey on Wednesday, taking over for the late Jim Johansson.

"I'm really humbled and honored to have this opportunity," Vanbiesbrouck said. "I look forward to building on the foundation that has been put in place by Art Berglund and Jim Johannson, among others, and while I know I have much to learn, it's a challenge that I'm really excited about."

Most recently, Vanbiesbrouck served as the general manager and director of hockey operations for the United States Hockey League's Muskegon Lumberjacks.

The Detroit, Mich., native will be tasked with oversight of all of USA Hockey's international programs, including its men's, women's, and sled programs, as well as the National Junior Development Program.

"It is really exciting to get someone with John's background," said Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey. "He brings a unique perspective, including being a key volunteer for our organization for the last year eight years."

During a playing career that saw him appear in 882 games over 20 seasons, Vanbiesbrouck was a two-time NHL All-Star and a two-time Vezina Trophy finalist, winning the award in 1985-86. He's probably best remembered for his play during the 1996 playoffs, in which he posted a .932 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average as he carried the underdog Florida Panthers all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

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Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is enjoying every second in the lead-up of a winner-take-all Game 7 against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

"There's a lot of teams that would love to be in our position, you're writing history," he told Fox Sports' Caley Chelios. "If you're not enjoying it, you're not human."

History certainly will be made, as Wednesday's victor will have a chance to take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. Though unlikely, it's possible star players such as Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos never get this close to the Cup again, so Game 7s can leave a lasting impact on the legacy of a team or player.

The Lightning, however, have been vastly outplayed in this series. They've been outshot in every game so far, and the total shots in the series are 209-145 in Washington's favor. Given that Andrei Vasilevskiy might have to steal yet another game for the Bolts to be victorious, it's surprising Cooper is so at ease.

Cooper owns a lifetime record of 2-1 in Game 7s as an NHL coach. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET.

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It appears Toby Enstrom's time as a member of the Winnipeg Jets could be over, and it if that's the case, it ended on salty terms.

Tied with Bryan Little as the longest-serving player on the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers - dating all the way back to 2007-08 - Enstrom was a healthy scratch in Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights, which turned out to be the team's final game of their season.

Enstrom was reportedly unhappy with head coach Paul Maurice's decision to leave him out of the lineup because he'd been playing through the series with a rib injury, according to Jeff Hamilton and Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press.

One anonymous source told Hamilton and McIntyre that Enstrom suffered broken ribs, but didn't say when the ailment occurred.

Maurice refuted this notion, however, when asked whether Enstrom played through broken ribs.

"No, he had dealt with broken bones in his feet during the year. But nothing broken," Maurice said, per Hamilton and McIntyre.

Jets players had their final exit meetings with coaches and management and met with the media during locker clean-out Tuesday, but Enstrom was nowhere to be found. Reporters who requested to speak with him were told he was "long gone."

Enstrom was one of three regulars to be scratched from the lineup for Game 5, along with fellow defenseman Ben Chiarot and forward Andrew Copp. Dmitry Kulikov, Joe Morrow, and Joel Armia stepped in instead. Maurice said he was "looking for some legs and for some jump" after his team had lost three straight.

The 2017-18 campaign was the last season of a five-year contract carrying a $5.75-million average annual value for Enstrom. A two-time 50-point defenseman, he was a shell of his former self over the last four seasons, suffering numerous injuries and never regaining his offensive form. He had just six points in 43 games this year.

Given the Jets' depth on the blue line - including 21-year-old Sami Niku, who was named the AHL's top defenseman in 2017-18 - a return to Winnipeg seems highly unlikely for Enstrom, and if so, it certainly didn't end the way he had hoped.

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The Washington Capitals shut out the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final on Monday to force a winner-take-all seventh game. Theoretically, only one goal was necessary thanks to Braden Holtby's efforts between the pipes, but Devante Smith-Pelly's third-period insurance marker gave the Caps a crucial two-goal lead they wouldn't look back on.

While Smith-Pelly was credited with the goal, Chandler Stephenson did all the work to make it happen. Below, we'll break down the play, and how his hustle also prevented the Lightning from having a great scoring chance at the other end.

For a full video of the goal, click here.

It all started with Smith-Pelly - the eventual goal-scorer - firing the puck all the way down the ice from his own end. At this point, Braydon Coburn (left, No. 55) had a full step and a half on Stephenson (right), so beating him out for the icing call seemed like a forgone conclusion.

However, thanks to his outstanding speed and will, Stephenson ended up step for step with Coburn and got his stick on the puck first to negate the icing call. Had he not done so, Washington's fourth line would've been stuck on the ice while Tampa's top unit would've presumably hopped over the boards for the offensive-zone faceoff - a huge chance to tie the game.

While Stephenson was charging down the ice, Jay Beagle (No. 83) followed up the play and was first to the loose puck that Stephenson chipped into the corner. As Beagle picked up the puck, Stephenson stayed behind the net to give him an outlet down low.

After receiving a pass from Beagle, Stephenson sensed pressure from Victor Hedman (No. 77), and instantly turned his body to shield the puck. It's worth noting that Smith-Pelly isn't even visible in the frame yet, although you can just barely see the tip of his stick on the right of the screen.

In one motion, Stephenson spun and fired a no-look pass from his backhand into the slot where the trail guy (Smith-Pelly) was flying in. It all happened so fast that even though the puck was nearly at Smith-Pelly's stick already, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was still hugging the left post and peaking into the corner behind him. Meanwhile, Nikita Kucherov (No. 86), was roaming in the high slot, but failed to pick up his man.

As Vasilevskiy pushed across the crease to get back into position, Smith-Pelly one-timed the pass from Stephenson and beat the goaltender five-hole.

Not only was this a sensational display of speed and hustle from Stephenson to beat out the icing and prevent a defensive-zone faceoff, but he also showed intelligence, poise, and vision by finding Smith-Pelly for the clutch goal.

(Photos courtesy: NHL.com)

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The Montreal Canadiens re-signed goaltender Antti Niemi to a one-year contract worth $950,000, the team announced Tuesday. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Niemi's 2017-18 season got off to a turbulent start, but he really settled in after joining the Canadiens.

The 34-year-old is expected to serve as the backup netminder behind Carey Price, while Charlie Lindgren - who is waivers exempt - will likely begin the season in the AHL.

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