As is the case every season, numerous players are within reach of accomplishing major career milestones. Some are even set to etch their name atop their franchise's all-time lists.

Ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, let's look at some notable milestones and team records that are attainable this season.

A duo chase 1,000 career points ... plus a wild card

Two players in very different situations are within striking distance of joining the list of 97 NHLers to have tallied 1,000 career points.

Phil Kessel's the closest active player to the mark. The 35-year-old is only eight points away but remains without a contract through mid-September. Will someone give the NHL's ironman an opportunity to extend his consecutive games streak and reach the 1,000-point crew?

Considering the uncertainty around Kessel as we approach the new campaign, Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares is the most likely new addition to the career 1,000-point scorers table.

The Maple Leafs captain starts the season 25 points shy of hitting the milestone. When he reaches the plateau, he'll be the 15th player to have been drafted first overall to accomplish the feat.

While Kessel and Tavares are the only two with a high percentage chance of reaching 1,000 career points this season, there's one other wild card who can put his name on the list: Connor McDavid.

The Edmonton Oilers superstar begins the 2023-24 campaign with 850 career points. He's 150 points shy of 1,000 - a single-season total seen only once since 1996. Of course, that lone occasion was last year when McDavid hit 153.

Should Tavares and Kessel add their names to the 1,000-point list early in the season, the next player to hit the mark would be the 100th in league history.

A late-season McDavid chasing a second-straight 150-point campaign and 1,000 career points to become the 100th player ever to accomplish the feat? Yes, please.

Two icons seek even more history

As is the case every year, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will continue to drive their names up all-time lists this season.

No milestone or record chase has garnered as much attention as Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky atop the goal charts. The 38-year-old won't do it this season, as he enters the campaign 72 goals back of 894. But he could put a significant dent in the deficit to put himself within reach for 2024-25.

That said, Ovechkin still has significant totals within reach. He's already the all-time leader in power-play goals, but he'll become the first player to reach 300 tallies on the man advantage with his first power-play goal of the campaign.

Ovechkin also needs only 15 points to become the 16th player to reach 1,500 career points.

As for Crosby, he begins the year 15th on the all-time scoring list at 1,502 points. If the 36-year-old can play another full season, he could pass Phil Esposito to reach the top 10 in career points. Crosby needs 88 points to move into a tie for tenth with Esposito - a total he surpassed for the first time in four years last season.

20 aim for a silver stick

Ryan O'Reilly, Victor Hedman, Brad Marchand, and Erik Karlsson are among the 20 players who can reach the 1,000-game mark this season.

Though the list of players who can accomplish the feat includes multiple marquee names, none would be as notable as Marc-Andre Fleury reaching the plateau.

Just three goaltenders have reached 1,000 NHL games, and each is in the Hall of Fame - Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, and Patrick Roy. Fleury will add his name to the list with his 15th appearance of the campaign.

Here's the list of players who can earn a silver stick in 2023-24:

Fleury's also within punching distance of second all-time on the wins list. With 544 victories entering the campaign, the 38-year-old's just eight wins away from surpassing Roy for sole possession of the No. 2 spot behind Brodeur.

Even with Filip Gustavsson expected to take more of a starting role after a breakout 2022-23 campaign, there's still plenty of history to be made for Fleury this season.

Trio of coaches close on career marks

Jon Cooper enters his 11th full season behind the bench of the Tampa Bay Lightning on the verge of a major career milestone. The 56-year-old's 20 wins away from becoming the 29th head coach in league history to reach 500 career victories.

Most impressively, every win on his NHL resume has come with Tampa Bay. Barring an unforeseen disaster, Cooper will be just the sixth coach to reach the 500-win mark with a single franchise.

Two veteran bench bosses in the Metropolitan Division will coach their 1,500th games this season. John Tortorella is set to be the seventh coach to reach the milestone in the 35th contest of the campaign, and Peter Laviolette will become the eighth to do so shortly afterward. The New York Rangers' recent hire will accomplish the feat in game No. 70 this season.

Team records up for grabs

• Anze Kopitar can add two more Los Angeles Kings records to his resume in 2023-24. The team's captain will pass Dustin Brown as the franchise's games-played leader after he suits up in just five contests next season. He's primed to do so on Oct. 21 at home against the Boston Bruins. The Slovenian will also pass Marcel Dionne for the most assists in a Kings jersey with his 10th helper of the campaign.

• Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov's primed to take another franchise record early next season. After he plays eight games, he'll surpass former teammate Jonathan Huberdeau as the team's all-time games-played leader. He can set the mark as early as Oct. 30 in Boston against the Bruins.

• Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner will pass Rick Nash as the team's all-time games-played leader after 18 contests. Should he suit up in each game to start the campaign, he'll accomplish the feat in Washington against the Capitals on Nov. 18.

• Steven Stamkos ticked off the Lightning record for goals in March 2019 and points in April 2022. Next up on his list are the team records for games played and assists. He'll set the former after 35 contests to pass Vincent Lecavalier and will accomplish the latter if he manages 48 helpers to knock Martin St. Louis from the top spot in 2023-24.

• Despite being in constant trade rumors for a couple of years, John Gibson remains with the Anaheim Ducks and is primed to become the franchise's games-played leader among goaltenders. He ranks third entering the campaign behind Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Guy Hebert but needs only 17 appearances to claim the top spot. Gibson would need 27 wins on the year to become the winningest goalie in Ducks history - a long shot considering the team won only 23 contests last season.

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Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl are committed to the San Jose Sharks for the time being, but general manager Mike Grier admitted on Thursday that the team would try to accommodate them if either player requested a move in the future.

"I check in with (Hertl and Couture) a lot, and if there ever were to come a time when they felt like they needed or wanted to go somewhere else, it's definitely something I would listen to, and if it made sense for us, I would explore it," Grier said, according to Bay Area News' Curtis Pashelka.

Both Couture and Hertl have spent their entire careers with the Sharks. Couture - the team's captain - has four years remaining on a contract signed in 2018. The 34-year-old has accrued 14 seasons in San Jose and is coming off a 27-goal, 67-point campaign in 2022-23.

Hertl's entering the second season of an eight-year extension signed in 2022. The 29-year-old scored 22 goals and 63 points in 79 games last year and is beginning his 11th campaign with the Sharks.

Despite the acknowledgment from Grier, he made it clear that neither player is interested in a move away from San Jose at the moment.

"They're all in," Grier said, according to San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng. "They enjoy working with (head coach David Quinn) and the coaching staff. They're excited by some of the young players."

Should either Couture or Hertl want to play elsewhere, both have a significant say over where they can be traded. Hertl holds a full no-move clause through 2025, while Couture has a 29-team no-trade clause, according to CapFriendly.

Grier's no stranger to obliging a trade request. Erik Karlsson wanted a move this summer after he won the Norris Trophy, and Grier found him a new home with the Pittsburgh Penguins in a complex transaction involving 12 pieces.

Couture's currently unavailable on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury. He confirmed there's no timetable for him to get back on the ice, per Pashelka.

"I'm doing everything that I possibly can," Couture said of being ready for opening night on Oct. 12, according to Peng. "That's all I can give you."

The Sharks commence their preseason schedule on Sunday against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.

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The Ottawa Senators signed forward Josh Bailey to a professional tryout Thursday.

Bailey, 33, tallied eight goals and 25 points in 64 contests last season with the New York Islanders and averaged a career-low 15:08 minutes of ice time. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in June and subsequently bought out of the final year of his contract. Bailey was set to cost $5 million against the cap prior to his buyout.

The 15-year veteran has played his entire career with the Islanders since the team drafted him in 2008. He amassed 184 goals and 580 points in 1,057 contests on Long Island.

Bailey's best season came in 2017-18 when he scored 18 goals and 71 points in 76 games. He signed a six-year, $30-million contract after his career campaign.

The Senators have $895,953 of cap space should the team opt to sign Bailey, according to CapFriendly.

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The Colorado Avalanche are looking at goaltending options amid concerns over Pavel Francouz's availability to begin the season, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports.

Francouz underwent adductor surgery in the offseason after starting just 16 games with the Avalanche last year. The 33-year-old posted an 8-7-1 record with a .915 save percentage in that span.

The Avalanche have four other netminders under contract - starter Alexandar Georgiev, plus prospects Justus Annunen, Arvid Holm, and Trent Miner.

Should Francouz miss time, only one of Colorado's backup options - Annunen - has NHL experience. The 23-year-old has played four games with the Avalanche over two seasons with a .859 SV%.

Jaroslav Halak, Brian Elliott, and Michael Hutchinson are the only goaltenders who remain free agents and played notable minutes in the NHL last season.

Halak, 38, backed up Igor Shesterkin with the New York Rangers in 2022-23. He had a 10-9-1 record in 25 appearances with a .903 SV%.

Elliott, also 38, was Andrei Vasilevskiy's No. 2 for the Tampa Bay Lightning over the past two seasons. Last year, Elliott started 22 games and had a .891 SV%. The 16-year veteran played part of the 2010-11 campaign with Colorado.

Hutchinson, 33, returned to NHL action after he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to the trade deadline last year. He played 16 contests with the Blue Jackets, going 2-6-3 with a .875 SV%. Hutchinson notably played four games with the Avalanche in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars.

Colorado has $525,000 of cap space with Gabriel Landeskog's $7-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve, according to CapFriendly. The Avalanche would gain an extra $2 million of room if Francouz is out long enough to be placed on LTIR.

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Defenseman Michael Del Zotto announced his retirement from professional hockey in an Instagram post Wednesday.

"Today is a bittersweet day," Del Zotto wrote. "I was fortunate enough to play 14 years of professional hockey. The blood, sweat, tears, broken bones, triumph, heartbreak, and sacrifice were worth every second."

The 33-year-old played 736 games over the course of his 13-season NHL career. He spent the 2022-23 campaign in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers and San Diego Gulls, finishing the year with 41 points in 65 contests.

Del Zotto was drafted 20th overall in 2008 by the New York Rangers. The Stouffville, Ontario, native spent five seasons in a Rangers uniform from 2009-14, the longest stint of his career with one team.

He burst onto the scene in 2009-10 when he tallied nine goals and 37 points in 80 games as a 19-year-old. Del Zotto landed on the All-Rookie Team and finished eighth in Calder Trophy voting. At the end of the year, he made his lone appearance with Team Canada when he suited up at the 2010 World Championship.

After a slight sophomore slump, Del Zotto bounced back in 2011-12 for the best season of his career. He racked up 10 goals and 41 points in 77 contests and finished 12th in Norris Trophy voting.

The Rangers traded Del Zotto to the Nashville Predators in January 2014 in exchange for Kevin Klein. He spent 25 games with the Predators, registering five points, and left the team as a free agent that summer, signing with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Del Zotto accrued 20 goals and 63 points in 167 contests with the Flyers over three seasons. After joining the team on a one-year pact, Del Zotto signed the biggest deal of his career with Philadelphia in 2015 when he inked a two-year, $7.75-million contract.

Following his Flyers tenure, Del Zotto bounced around the league. He was traded twice in the 2018-19 campaign and signed three one-year contracts over a four-year period. The two-year deal he inked during this stretch was bought out by the Ottawa Senators in 2022.

Del Zotto appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs twice with New York in 2012 and 2013. He made the final in 2012 when the Rangers lost to the Los Angeles Kings.

He was on the St. Louis Blues' roster for the 2019 playoffs. Despite not playing a postseason game with the team, Del Zotto's name was engraved on the Cup after the Blues' victory.

In total, Del Zotto accumulated 63 goals and 262 points across stints with the Rangers, Predators, Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Ottawa Senators.

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The Arizona Coyotes signed general manager Bill Armstrong to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.

"For the past three years, Bill has done an excellent job restructuring our hockey operations department and rebuilding our hockey team," Coyotes owner, chairman, and governor Alex Meruelo said in a statement. "He has acquired elite talent through the draft, trades, and free agency and has established a winning culture by adding a great coaching staff and other key hockey operations personnel."

"I am confident that under his leadership, the Coyotes will soon become a perennial playoff team, and we will continue to work towards our goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to the Valley," Meruelo continued.

Armstrong, 53, was hired as the Coyotes' GM in September 2020. Arizona's 77-116-27 record is the second-worst in the NHL since Armstrong took over.

"Being the general manager of the Arizona Coyotes is an honor and a privilege and I am very proud of all the hard work that our hockey operations staff, coaching staff, and players have done to improve our organization," Armstrong said in a statement. "We still have a lot of work to do but I firmly believe that we are on the right track to becoming a playoff-caliber team for years to come. We have a very bright future here in Arizona."

Prior to joining the Coyotes, Armstrong was a member of the St. Louis Blues organization for 16 seasons. The Richmond Hill, Ontario native worked his way from an amateur scout to assistant GM by the end of his tenure with the Blues. He won a Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019.

Arizona signed head coach Andre Tourigny to a three-year contract extension in August.

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Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk is firmly in support of NHLers returning to the international stage at the Olympics.

"There's so many great Americans in the league now, it's a shame that we haven't had a chance to show off," Tkachuk said on the "Cam and Strick Podcast." "It's crazy that, you know, Auston (Matthews) and (Nathan) MacKinnon and (Connor) McDavid, these guys haven't played in one (Olympics). It's sad."

"I think that every single player that could be in a position to play is beside themselves that there hasn't been one," he added.

NHL players haven't appeared at the Olympics since 2014. It was anticipated that NHLers would return at the 2022 Games in Beijing before plans were canceled in December 2021 due to a rise in COVID cases.

The league plans to send its players to the 2026 Games in Italy. The NHL and NHLPA agreed on Olympic participation at the 2022 and 2026 Games in July 2020.

Tkachuk's yet to make his senior debut with the United States. Representing his country alongside younger brother Brady is high on his hockey bucket list.

"My No. 1 dream is to win a Stanley Cup. My No. 2 dream is to win a gold medal with my brother for Team USA," Tkachuk said.

Tkachuk donned the red, white, and blue at the U17 and U18 levels, as well as at the 2016 world juniors. He also played two seasons with the U.S. NTDP before moving to the OHL's London Knights.

"Even playing in the U.S. national team when I was 15 or 16, however old I was, wearing that jersey, there's something about it that you just can't replicate," he said.

Olympic participation runs in the Tkachuk family. Matthew's father, Keith, played at four Games and holds the American record for Olympic games played with 23.

"He said there's nothing like it," Tkachuk said.

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Divisions: Metropolitan (Sept. 5) | Pacific (Sept. 6) | Atlantic (Sept. 7)

With the NHL offseason all but wrapped up, we're handing out comprehensive grades for all 32 teams. The four-part series starts with an in-depth look at each club in the Central Division.

Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.

Arizona Coyotes

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned

Rookies who could crack the lineup

General manager Bill Armstrong said in July that the Coyotes are looking to take the next step in their rebuild in 2023-24.

Arizona shed a pair of bad contracts and added multiple legitimate NHLers through trade and free agency without sacrificing long-term salary cap flexibility.

All five of the Coyotes' free-agent additions are only inked for two years or less. Not only does that give the club a handful of candidates to flip at the trade deadline for more future assets, but each signing is also a short-term commitment should any underperform.

The biggest move of Arizona's offseason was a bit of a surprise when Logan Cooley reversed course and signed an entry-level contract at the end of July. Inking Cooley nullifies any concerns that he might've played out his career at the University of Minnesota and elected free agency. The 19-year-old immediately adds an exciting offensive piece down the middle to the NHL roster.

Armstrong completely overhauled the Coyotes' defense. As many as four new blue-liners could be in the lineup for the season opener from what Arizona rostered at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

An offseason featuring moves for the present rather than the future is a much-needed change of pace for the Coyotes. Still, they remain a long shot to contend for a playoff spot. But make no mistake, they're in the right direction and will be fun to watch next season.

Grade: A-

Chicago Blackhawks

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Blackhawks' offseason strategy significantly changed when they landed the first overall pick in the draft lottery.

Adding Connor Bedard legitimately changes the franchise's trajectory. Chicago is still far from contention, but it now has a superstar-level prospect to build around.

Every move GM Kyle Davidson made this summer seemed to link back to Bedard. It began two days before the draft when the Blackhawks acquired Taylor Hall and the free agent rights to Nick Foligno. It continued on Day 2 of the draft when Chicago traded for Corey Perry's rights.

Chicago made all three additions to help Bedard transition to the NHL. Hall is a former first overall pick and gives the 18-year-old a talented winger to play with. Foligno captained the Columbus Blue Jackets for six years, and Perry is a perennial winner.

However, the Blackhawks could've done more to utilize their cap space to acquire future assets rather than spending it to overpay on veteran free agents. They added a 2026 second-round pick to buy out Josh Bailey, but that was their lone move this offseason to add draft capital.

That said, Chicago's offseason had a clear direction, which is more than what can be said for others. The Blackhawks will remain a bottom-feeder in 2023-24 while insulating Bedard with experience and skill to make his rookie season as smooth as possible - that's pretty much a best-case scenario for the state of the franchise.

Grade: B-

Colorado Avalanche

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

GM Chris MacFarland's job this summer was to find a way to reconstruct the Avalanche's forward depth with six departures in free agency and another by trade. The end result is impressive.

Colorado will look to Ryan Johansen to fill its second-line center void that's been empty since Nazem Kadri's departure. But even if the 31-year-old can't reach those heights, adding the veteran pivot at a 50% discount with no assets lost is a worthwhile swing.

MacFarland's best work came when he dealt the underwhelming Alex Newhook to the Montreal Canadiens. He used the assets received in the deal to acquire Ross Colton and draft Mikhail Gulyayev, immediately filling the depth lost in Newhook and replenishing the prospect pool.

The six-year gamble on Miles Wood is quite risky, though his $2.5-million cap hit is fairly manageable. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the short-term reclamation project in Jonathan Drouin is among the bigger low-risk, high-reward signings of the summer.

The decision to bridge Bowen Byram was a necessary evil considering the salary cap, but it could come back to bite Colorado in 2025.

The Avs managed to replace J.T. Compher's and Evan Rodrigues' departures and improve the upside of its bottom six while adding draft capital. There's certainly risk involved in a handful of moves, but there's a lot to like in what MacFarland accomplished this summer.

Grade: B

Dallas Stars

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

It wasn't a flashy offseason for Jim Nill after reaching the Western Conference Final. With a contract extension in hand and the core of his roster locked in, the GM's summer consisted of adding a trio of new depth forwards.

Dallas' biggest addition was Matt Duchene, who surprisingly became available when the Nashville Predators bought out the skilled veteran prior to free agency. At a very reasonable $3-million cap hit, Duchene gives the Stars another option to play down the middle or on the right wing while bringing significant offensive upside.

The 32-year-old scored 22 goals and 56 points in 71 contests in 2022-23 and is only one season removed from a career-high 43 goals and 86 points. The Stars don't need Duchene to be that type of player at a reduced price tag. But if he clicks alongside veterans like Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin or is rejuvenated with a young gun like Wyatt Johnston, Dallas could become among the deepest offensive threats in the league.

Re-upping Evgenii Dadonov for $2.25 million after his impressive post-deadline stretch is a solid bit of business, as is bringing in Craig Smith and Sam Steel for minimal cap hits.

On the blue line, shipping Colin Miller to the New Jersey Devils opens the door for Nils Lundkvist to take a bigger role in the fall. After spending a first-round pick last year to bring in the skilled Swede, the Stars need Lundkvist to start making his potential a reality.

Nill didn't accomplish a lot this summer, but he also didn't need to. The moves he made don't impact the Stars' long-term flexibility and enhance their chances in the short term.

Grade: B+

Minnesota Wild

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Hamstrung by an eye-watering $14.7 million of dead cap space thanks to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts, GM Bill Guerin barely had any room to make additions to his squad this summer.

And that shows in the results. Pat Maroon, acquired via trade, is the only player Minnesota brought in who played most of his games last campaign in the NHL.

Re-signing Marcus Johansson - a seamless fit alongside Matt Boldy in 2022-23 - was a quality move, as was locking in Filip Gustavsson to a sub-$4-million cap hit following a breakout campaign. But the reliance on internal growth is too significant for a team that has lost in the first round each year under Dean Evason and hasn't won a playoff series since 2015.

The Wild boast an impressive prospect pool that'll see Brock Faber take a full-time role after debuting in the postseason. If Minnesota is to take a step forward, the pressure will be on top-10 pick Marco Rossi to find his form in the NHL after lackluster stretches to this point.

Even when considering the cap restraints and solid contracts for Johansson and Gustavsson, only adding a 35-year-old Maroon over an entire offseason makes it difficult to give the Wild a positive grade.

Grade: C-

Nashville Predators

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Few teams had as much significant change over this summer as the Nashville Predators.

David Poile - the only GM in team history - retired and handed the keys over to first-time GM Barry Trotz. The two-time Jack Adams winner wasted no time making his mark on the roster, retaining 50% of Johansen's salary in a trade and buying out Matt Duchene.

Rather than handing roster spots to up-and-comers, Trotz splurged in free agency to add "serial winners." Ryan O'Reilly fills the center void left by Johansen, while Roman Josi may find himself with a new partner in Luke Schenn.

But Trotz wasn't done adding, inking Gustav Nyquist and taking a low-risk flier on Denis Gurianov.

It's a somewhat confusing offseason, with the Predators undergoing massive change at forward. But Schenn is the lone addition on the back end, and the impressive duo of Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen return in net from a year prior.

Nashville eats almost $9 million of dead space this season, which balloons to nearly $12 million in 2024-25. Committing $10.45 million over these two campaigns in O'Reilly, Nyquist, and Schenn doesn't necessarily hurt, but it leaves the roster in an awkward spot.

None of the trio make the Predators legitimate Stanley Cup contenders and instead leave the team where it's lived since 2018 - good enough to contend for a fringe playoff spot and likely lose in the first round if it makes it.

Grade: C

St. Louis Blues

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

For a time, it seemed like the Blues were working on a blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia Flyers that would alter the makeup of their roster.

Instead, Kevin Hayes arrives at a 50% discount for a measly sixth-round draft pick with minimal other notable moves over the summer for GM Doug Armstrong.

Hayes is a solid addition to a St. Louis team that underwhelmed in 2022-23. The 31-year-old produced 18 goals and 54 points last season, and he brings much-needed center depth (Kasperi Kapanen, of all players, took reps down the middle for the Blues last season). For about $3.6 million - rather than his $7.2-million ticket in Philadelphia - Hayes can be a beneficial presence in a middle six.

However, it remains to be seen whether Hayes' addition - in conjunction with Oskar Sundqvist and Mackenzie MacEachern returning - is enough to push the Blues back into playoff contention. St. Louis still has an old, declining blue line and an overpaid Jordan Binnington in the crease.

If the Blues are to bounce back in 2023-24, it'll likely come on the back of a resurgent forward group. While technically not offseason additions, the club acquired the likes of Kapanen, Sammy Blais, and Jakub Vrana around the trade deadline, and those forwards showed signs that they could again be useful pieces.

Armstrong started reshaping his forward group ahead of the summer and attempted to shake up the defense before being rebuffed by a no-trade clause. Though his biggest move didn't come to fruition, Armstrong had a decent offseason with no significant losses to the roster.

Grade: B-

Winnipeg Jets

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned

Rookies who could crack the lineup

With rumors swirling about Connor Hellebuyck's and Mark Scheifele's futures, this summer could've turned south quickly for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. However, it ended up being fairly tame - except for two significant moves.

It was time for Winnipeg and Blake Wheeler to go their separate ways. Though he was still effective offensively last season, his poor defensive game and a bloated $8.25-million cap hit made him an easy player to move on from after the club's tough end to the campaign.

Pierre-Luc Dubois' departure came as no surprise. But it's a strong move for Cheveldayoff to get three NHL players in return - particularly a promising young player in Gabe Vilardi and an established, consistent scorer in Alex Iafallo - for someone widely known to want out of Winnipeg.

After dealing with injury concerns, Vilardi broke out for 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season. He's a versatile forward with underrated size (he's listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds) who can slot directly into Wheeler's role.

Iafallo rounds out an impressive group of top-nine wingers that sees trade-deadline acquisition Nino Niederreiter return. The primary concern is down the middle, where Vilardi or Vladislav Namestnikov may be required to play as the second-line pivot.

Outside of those two transactions, the Jets didn't make many notable moves this summer. Re-acquiring Laurent Brossoit to be Hellebuyck's backup is Winnipeg's only new signing guaranteed to be on the NHL roster.

Considering how dire things were when it appeared all of Dubois, Wheeler, Scheifele, and Hellebuyck could be out the door, Cheveldayoff managing to maintain a roster that can compete in the Central Division has to be considered a win.

Grade: B

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Forward Filip Zadina is excited to begin anew with the San Jose Sharks after a disappointing five-season tenure as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.

"Right now, I just feel differently, and I'm not even there yet," Zadina said at the NHL European Player Media Tour, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "So, we'll see. I just feel excited about that season coming up and the competition battling for a spot and stuff like that."

Zadina signed a one-year contract worth $1.1 million with the Sharks on July 10 after he and the Red Wings mutually terminated the remaining two seasons of his contract.

The 2018 sixth overall pick requested a trade from Detroit and was subsequently placed on waivers when the team couldn't find a deal. He forfeited $4.56 million in salary upon his contract's termination.

"It just didn't go the way that I guess we both wanted," Zadina said of his time in Detroit. "Going as a kid into that rebuild situation didn't help much as well. It just didn't work out.

"I got hurt almost every single season. ... It kept adding up each season, and last season was the worst one. I just said that I didn't know what's going to be the next season if I stay."

Zadina played just 30 games last campaign due to a fractured fibula, recording seven points. The 23-year-old reached career-high totals in 2021-22 when he tallied 10 goals and 24 points.

Highly touted for his immense offensive skill set coming out of the QMJHL, Zadina's looking forward to battling for minutes in San Jose to prove he can be a contributing presence in an NHL lineup.

"I said, 'I would do anything for a chance,' and (Sharks head coach David Quinn) said if I work hard and deserve that spot, I will get the chance I never got. So, I'm really excited about that."

"I've just got to stay healthy," Zadina added. "Once I stay healthy the whole season, for the future, it will come. I believe I'm a good player. I'm strong and fast. I can shoot the puck. I can pass the puck. I have the tools that I needed to have, and it's just about staying healthy and play hockey and have fun."

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The Professional Women's Hockey League announced its inaugural general managers Friday.

Natalie Darwitz (Minnesota), Pascal Daoust (New York), Gina Kingsbury (Toronto), Michael Hirschfeld (Ottawa), Danielle Marmer (Boston), and Daniele Sauvageau (Montreal) were named the first six GMs in league history.

Darwitz, 39, starred at the University of Minnesota from 2002-05. Her 114 points in 2004-05 with the Golden Gophers remain the team's single-season record. The Eagan, Minnesota, native was a member of the U.S. national team from 1998 to 2010 and was the American captain from 2007-10. Darwitz has been an assistant coach with the Golden Gophers' women's team for the past two seasons.

Daoust was GM of the QMJHL's Val-d'Or Foreurs from 2016-2023. He was previously an assistant coach with the University of Montreal's women's hockey team, where he helped win two national titles.

Kingsbury, 41, played for the Canadian national team from 2000-2010 and appeared in both the CWHL and WWHL. She was an assistant coach with the CWHL's Calgary Inferno for three seasons before joining Hockey Canada's hockey operations department in 2018, where she has managed the women's team. Born in Saskatchewan and raised in Quebec, Kingsbury was promoted to Hockey Canada's vice-president of hockey operations in March. Her stacked resume includes two Olympic gold medals and three World Championship titles as a player. She has an Olympic gold, two Women's World Championships, and a World Championship as an executive.

Hirschfeld has been the executive director of the NHL Coaches' Association since 2016. A former Bay Street corporate lawyer, Hirschfeld was in the running for the Philadelphia Flyers' president role that went to Keith Jones, according to reports in May.

Marmer was a scouting assistant for the Boston Bruins last season and also worked in the team's player development department. Prior to joining the Bruins, she was the director of hockey operations for Quinnipiac University's women's hockey team.

Sauvageau, 61, has been a coach and executive in women's hockey since 1996. After becoming the first female coach in the QMJHL in 1999-2000, Sauvageau led the Canadian national team to gold as a head coach at the 2001 World Championships and 2002 Olympics. The Montreal native was the GM of the University of Montreal's women's hockey team from 2010-18, where she captured national titles in 2013 and 2016. Sauvageau was an associate head coach and GM in the PWHPA last season.

The PWHL's 24-game regular season will begin in January.

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