Matthew Tkachuk is confident the Florida Panthers will get the job done in Tuesday night's Game 5 to win the Stanley Cup.

"We have a chance to go capture the biggest goal of our lives tonight," Tkachuk said, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "We're gonna go do that."

The Panthers failed in their first attempt to clinch the series Saturday, losing to the Edmonton Oilers 8-1. But that shellacking hasn't robbed Tkachuk of his belief.

"I think this two-day break was really good for us to reset, re-evaluate where we're at right now, and absolutely enjoy the position we're in," he said. "Couldn't have dreamed of a better spot."

Tkachuk has been relatively quiet in the Stanley Cup Final, producing one assist in four games. However, he was integral to getting Florida to this point, tallying five goals and 15 helpers in 21 playoff contests. He said he's looking to have his "best game of the series" Tuesday.

Fellow assistant captain Aaron Ekblad also appears to be soaking in the moment.

"It's another opportunity, right? Another brilliant chance. An opportunity to realize our dream," Ekblad said. "We're excited and anxious to get it going."

The Panthers have lost consecutive games only once this postseason, dropping Games 2 and 3 to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

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The Philadelphia Flyers continue to explore options for veteran winger Cam Atkinson, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

The San Jose Sharks are interested in the 35-year-old, but Atkinson isn't keen on a move to the Bay Area, sources told Dreger. Atkinson's contract contains a 10-team no-trade list.

Keeping Atkinson or buying him out are also options on the table for Philadelphia, Dreger adds.

Atkinson is in the last year of his deal with a $5.875-million cap hit. The Flyers would reportedly be willing to retain a large chunk of his salary in any move. A buyout would go as follows:

Atkinson produced 13 goals and 15 assists in 70 games with the Flyers last season after missing the prior campaign due to neck surgery. He was a healthy scratch on multiple occasions down the stretch in 2023-24.

The 5-foot-8, 176-pound winger has reached the 20-goal mark seven times in his 12-year NHL career, potting a personal-best 41 in 2018-19 with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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The New York Rangers and restricted free-agent winger Kaapo Kakko agreed to terms on a one-year contract, the team announced Thursday.

The contract carries a $2.4-million cap hit, reports the New York Post's Larry Brooks. Kakko's qualifying offer was worth $2.4 million.

The 2019 No. 2 pick recorded 13 goals and six assists in 61 games in 2023-24. He added two points in 15 postseason contests.

Kakko's best season came in 2022-23 when he produced 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games.

The 23-year-old can't hit unrestricted free agency until 2026.

The Rangers have two more key pending RFAs to take care of with defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider.

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The Vancouver Canucks have been working to trade winger Ilya Mikheyev since their playoff run ended, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports.

The Canucks also reportedly shopped him at the deadline.

Mikheyev is entering the third season of a four-year contract carrying an average annual value of $4.75 million.

The 29-year-old recorded 11 goals and 20 assists in 78 games with the Canucks this season. He failed to record a point in 11 playoff contests.

Teams are asking the Canucks to attach an asset to Mikheyev in order to take on the contract, Seravalli reports. The Canucks are reportedly balking at that, though, noting that Mikheyev was coming off a torn ACL and should be better in 2024-25.

Mikheyev's best season came during his contract year in 2021-22 with the Toronto Maple Leafs when he produced 21 goals and 11 assists in just 53 games.

The Canucks have several notable pending unrestricted free agents, including Elias Lindholm, Teddy Blueger, Dakota Joshua, Sam Lafferty, Nikita Zadorov, and Tyler Myers. Filip Hronek and Arturs Silovs are restricted free agents due for raises.

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The San Jose Sharks hired Ryan Warsofsky as the 11th head coach in franchise history, the team announced Thursday.

Warsofsky had been an assistant coach under David Quinn in San Jose for the last two seasons. Quinn was fired following a last-place finish in 2023-24.

The 36-year-old is the youngest active head coach in the NHL. He'll be one of the 100 youngest coaches in league history when he's behind the bench for his first game and the youngest since Jeremy Colliton debuted for the Chicago Blackhawks at age 33 in 2018.

"His track record of success at nearly every level of hockey as a head and assistant coach speaks for itself," general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. "Ryan knows our existing group well, has the respect of the players who he will be working with, and will be a great teacher for the young players who will be joining our organization."

Warsofsky previously worked as the head coach of the AHL's Chicago Wolves for two campaigns, where he won the Calder Cup in 2022. He won another Calder Cup in 2019 as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Checkers.

He was in charge of the Sharks' defense and penalty kill for the last two seasons. He oversaw the NHL's 18th-ranked shorthanded unit and Erik Karlsson's 101-point Norris Trophy campaign in 2022-23.

"I'm overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement to be named as the head coach of the San Jose Sharks," Warsofsky said. "This a tremendous opportunity to continue to be part of a well-respected organization, and my family and I couldn't be more excited for this next chapter."

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The usually lethal Edmonton Oilers power play has been neutralized so far in the Stanley Cup Final, failing to convert on seven opportunities.

Captain Connor McDavid said the Oilers need to counter the Panthers' aggressive penalty kill by abandoning some structure and letting their instincts take over.

"We call it playing road hockey," McDavid said. "We've got to be elite at that."

Edmonton's power play has operated at 32.8% during the postseason, second only to the Colorado Avalanche, who were bounced in Round 2. McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins rank one through four among postseason skaters in power-play points. Zach Hyman ranks tied for second with five power-play goals.

The Oilers have led the league in power-play percentage three times in the past five seasons. They've never finished worse than fourth in that span.

"The power play has been together for a long time and we've been great at what we do," McDavid said. "We usually solve penalty kills, and I would expect us to figure this one out, too."

Florida's penalty kill has been excellent, though, killing off 89.7% of power plays this postseason - second only to Edmonton's 93%. The Panthers' PK ranked sixth during the regular season.

The series shifts to Edmonton for Game 3 on Thursday. Darnell Nurse is expected to play despite logging just 4:20 in Game 2 while playing through an apparent injury. Corey Perry is also expected to draw back into the lineup up front, though it's unclear who would come out. Evander Kane notably appeared to be laboring in Game 2.

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Connor McDavid knows the haters are going to hate.

The Edmonton Oilers captain is prepared to embrace the underdog mentality with his team trailing the Florida Panthers 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final.

"I'm looking forward to people doubting us again," McDavid said after Edmonton's 4-1 loss in Game 2. "We're good with our backs against the wall."

The Oilers fell behind the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in Round 2 and were down 2-1 to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final but managed to win both series.

Rallying against the Panthers will prove to be a much more difficult task, though. Historically, teams that start the Stanley Cup Final down 2-0 have only marched back to win five times in 54 attempts.

"It's another opportunity for our group to come together and dig our way out," McDavid said. "It's supposed to be hard, it's supposed to be difficult. I'm excited to see what our group is made of."

The Oilers have been limited to just one goal in the series courtesy of Mattias Ekholm's opening strike in Game 2.

Leon Draisaitl took responsibility for some of Edmonton's offensive shortcomings.

"We can certainly be better," Draisaitl said. "It starts with me."

He added: "I certainly have a lot more to give. Not my best tonight."

The Oilers will have to wait until Thursday for a chance to rebound in Game 3.

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Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will continue to be evaluated before his status for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final is determined.

Barkov didn't play the final 9:28 of Monday's Game 2 after taking a high hit from Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had no postgame update on Barkov, but noted Tuesday that the Selke Trophy winner needs more time to recover.

"It wasn't worse, so that's good for us. The real update will come tomorrow," Maurice said, per Florida Hockey Now's Colby Guy.

Maurice added: "We had some things to get looked at today, they got that and there's nothing sinister there, but you got to give it another 24 hours to make sure he's feeling strong and effective. If he continues to progress, he'll be a player for us."

Draisaitl received a two-minute minor for roughing on the play and won't face supplemental discipline, according to Sportsnet.

When pressed for his feelings on the hit, Maurice responded with some of his patented dry humor.

"This isn't 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,'" he said. "My feelings don't matter."

Draisaitl explained his perspective of the hit.

"I don't think that's frustration," he said, per The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman. "It was just a hit. I don't think there's anything dirty about it. Maybe I got him a little high. Certainly not with intent to injure, though, or anything like that."

Draisaitl has never been suspended in his 10-year NHL career. He's been fined twice, though: for spearing in 2017 and for tripping in 2023.

Barkov has recorded 19 points in 19 games this postseason. The 2024 Selke Trophy winner has also played a key role in neutralizing the opponent's top lines.

"You never want to see your captain go down," Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues said.

The Panthers won Monday's contest 4-1 to take a 2-0 series lead.

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Edmonton Oilers winger Warren Foegele received a five-minute major and game misconduct for kneeing Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen in Monday's Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Here's another look:

Luostarinen briefly left the game but returned shortly thereafter.

After producing his first career 20-goal season, Foegele has been in and out of the lineup for Edmonton in the playoffs, managing three points in 17 games. He's never been suspended in his seven-year NHL career.

Not only did the Panthers fail to score on their five-minute power play, but they took a penalty of their own and allowed the Oilers to open the scoring at four-on-four.

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Dallas Stars architect Jim Nill won the 2024 Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award on Monday for the second consecutive season.

The award is voted on by NHL GMs, a panel of league executives, and print and broadcast media after Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Nill beat out Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito and Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin for the honor. Here are the full voting results:

*No longer with club

Nill is the second repeat winner of the award since its creation in 2009-2010. New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello won in 2020 and 2021.

The Stars finished first in the Western Conference during the regular season before being ousted by the Edmonton Oilers in the conference finals.

Nill has largely built the Stars through the draft during his 11 years in Dallas, producing homegrown talent such as Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Jake Oettinger, Thomas Harley, Wyatt Johnston, and Logan Stankoven. He also made a handful of key additions over the past year: Matt Duchene was arguably the league's best free-agent signing, and Chris Tanev was one of the most impactful trade deadline pickups.

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