The Montreal Canadiens have exercised head coach Martin St. Louis' option and extended him for an additional two seasons, the team announced Wednesday.

St. Louis is now under contract through the 2026-27 campaign.

"He's very impressive, he's the right person for what we're doing here, and not a day goes by we're not happy with him," vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton told reporters, including The Athletic's Arpon Basu.

St. Louis, 48, was hired by Montreal midway through the 2021-22 season after the firing of Dominique Ducharme. Since taking over, the Canadiens are 75-100-26 and have finished last in the Atlantic Division all three seasons.

The Hall of Famer has been lauded for his work with young players. Cole Caufield blossomed under St. Louis' tutelage after rookie season struggles with Ducharme, and first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky broke out in the second half this season.

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Macklin Celebrini topped NHL Central Scouting's final rankings on Tuesday.

Celebrini maintains his spot at No. 1 among North American skaters from the mid-term rankings. The Vancouver native has been the projected first overall pick all season.

A standout at Boston University, Celebrini tallied 32 goals and 64 points in 38 games as a freshman this season. He became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as the most outstanding player in NCAA men's hockey.

Celebrini also starred with Canada's world junior team in December, leading the squad with four goals and eight points in five games.

"It's truly impressive how he is able to thrive in every environment he plays, possessing that rare ability with his skills and passion to face every challenge head-on and generate results all the while making himself a better player," vice president of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr said.

Here are the top 10 North American skaters:

On the international side, defenseman Anton Silayev jumps to the No. 1 spot after impressing in the KHL.

"It's not often you find a 6-foot-7, 211-pound defenseman capable of moving like him with his smooth and active skating stride," NHL director of European scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He seems to be ready to play in the NHL almost immediately."

Here are the top 10 international skaters:

Mikhail Yegorov of the USHL's Omaha Lancers paces North American goaltenders, while Finland's Eemil Vinni tops international netminders.

The 2024 NHL Draft takes place June 28-29 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

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Montreal Canadiens prospect Logan Mailloux has been cleared to play in the NHL, the league confirmed Tuesday, per Sportsnet's Eric Engels.

"We have met with Logan Mailloux multiple times over the course of the last 8-10 months," the league said. "We are comfortable that he recognizes the gravity of his prior conduct and is committed to making better and more responsible decisions in the future."

Mailloux is in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings, his club announced.

In November 2020, Mailloux was charged and fined for invasion of privacy and defamation in Sweden after photographing a woman without consent during a sexual encounter, identifying her to teammates, and sharing pictures with them.

Montreal recalled Mailloux after Monday's overtime loss against the Detroit Red Wings. He played three preseason games with the team in September.

The Canadiens controversially drafted Mailloux 31st overall in the 2021 draft. Mailloux had withdrawn from the draft, stating he didn't feel he'd demonstrated the maturity or character to have the privilege of being drafted, but Montreal still selected him.

Team owner Geoff Molson said the decision was a mistake days after the draft.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly noted in November 2022 that Mailloux wasn't yet eligible to play in the NHL.

Mailloux has 14 goals, 47 points, and 89 penalty minutes in 70 games this season with the AHL's Laval Rocket. He leads all AHL rookie defensemen in scoring.

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The Buffalo Sabres fired head coach Don Granato, the team announced Tuesday.

Granato, 56, took over as Sabres head coach midway through the 2020-21 campaign. Buffalo went 122-125-27 with him behind the bench, failing to make the playoffs all four seasons.

"I would like to thank Don for his time in Buffalo and commitment to the Sabres organization," general manager Kevyn Adams said. "He has been integral in the development of many of our players and has undoubtedly been the right coach to bring us to where we are now, but I felt it was necessary to move in a different direction at this point in time.

"My expectation is to be a consistent contender, and unfortunately, that goal has not been met."

The Sabres finished sixth in the Atlantic Division with 84 points and a 39-37-6 record. Buffalo was expected to challenge for a playoff spot after a strong end to the 2022-23 season. The team finished one point back of the Florida Panthers for the second wild-card spot last year.

Granato is the seventh head coach the Sabres have fired in the 13 straight years they've missed the playoffs. He joins Lindy Ruff, Ron Rolston, Ted Nolan, Dan Bylsma, Phil Housley, and Ralph Krueger.

The Downers Grove, Illinois, native was under contract through the 2025-26 season after inking a two-year extension in October 2022.

The Sabres also dismissed assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith.

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The Buffalo Sabres fired head coach Don Granato, the team announced Tuesday.

Granato, 56, took over as Sabres head coach midway through the 2020-21 campaign. Buffalo went 122-125-27 with him behind the bench, failing to make the playoffs all four seasons.

"I would like to thank Don for his time in Buffalo and commitment to the Sabres organization," general manager Kevyn Adams said in a statement Tuesday morning. "He has been integral in the development of many of our players and has undoubtedly been the right coach to bring us to where we are now, but I felt it was necessary to move in a different direction at this point in time.

"My expectation is to be a consistent contender, and unfortunately, that goal has not been met."

Hours later, Adams elaborated with more pointed remarks. The GM said his team is "craving accountability and structure," according to The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn.

Adams also had a message for his players.

"It's go time," he said. "It's time to perform on an individual level and a team level."

The executive added that previous NHL head coaching experience will be "important" as he chooses Granato's successor, per Spectrum News 1's Rachel Hopmayer.

The Sabres finished sixth in the Atlantic Division with 84 points and a 39-37-6 record. Buffalo was expected to challenge for a playoff spot after a strong end to the 2022-23 season. The team finished one point back of the Florida Panthers for the second wild-card spot last year.

Granato is the seventh head coach the Sabres have fired in the 13 straight years they've missed the playoffs. He joins Lindy Ruff, Ron Rolston, Ted Nolan, Dan Bylsma, Phil Housley, and Ralph Krueger.

The Downers Grove, Illinois, native was under contract through the 2025-26 season after inking a two-year extension in October 2022.

The Sabres also dismissed assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith.

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The Florida Panthers announced Monday they signed general manager Bill Zito to a multi-year contract extension.

Zito, 59, also now becomes the Panthers' president of hockey operations.

"From his first day as a Panther, Bill has demonstrated his complete commitment to success both on and off the ice," owner Vincent Viola said. "He has worked steadfastly and tirelessly to establish a new standard of excellence for our franchise. The future has never looked brighter in South Florida and we are thrilled that Bill will continue to lead the way."

Zito was hired by the Panthers in 2020 after seven seasons as an assistant GM with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Florida has made the playoffs each season with Zito at the helm, including a Presidents' Trophy in 2022 and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2023.

The Pittsburgh native has twice been a finalist for the GM of the Year award. On Friday, he was named an assistant GM on Team USA's staff for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympics.

Zito's marquee move to date is the acquisition of star forward Matthew Tkachuk in 2022, which sent franchise stalwart Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and a first-round pick to the Calgary Flames.

The Panthers also added Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Gustav Forsling, and Brandon Montour during Zito's tenure as GM.

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Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is returning to the lineup against the San Jose Sharks, he told reporters Monday, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

McDavid missed three games with a lower-body injury. He last played on April 6 against the Calgary Flames.

The 27-year-old has 130 points in 74 games to rank third in league scoring. McDavid is one assist away from becoming the fourth player in NHL history to tally 100 assists in a single season. He'd be the first to do so since Wayne Gretzky in 1990-91.

Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov also plays Monday and is two assists away from accomplishing the feat.

An Oilers loss in any fashion against the Sharks would see the Vancouver Canucks clinch the top seed in the Pacific Division.

Edmonton has two games remaining after Monday's contest. The Oilers face the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday and close out the regular season Thursday versus the Colorado Avalanche.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned goaltender Matt Murray to the AHL's Toronto Marlies on a long-term injured reserve conditioning loan, the team announced Saturday.

Murray, 29, hasn't played a game all season after undergoing bilateral hip surgery in October. He was expected to miss a minimum of six to eight months.

The two-time Stanley Cup champion remains on LTIR while in the AHL. Murray's conditioning loan lasts six days or three games, which will take him through the end of the NHL's regular season.

There is no salary cap in the playoffs, so the Maple Leafs can activate a healthy Murray after April 18 with no cap ramifications.

Murray posted a .903 save percentage in 26 games last season. He last played against the Detroit Red Wings on April 2, 2023, a game he left due to injury.

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The Montreal Canadiens signed top prospect Lane Hutson to a three-year entry-level contract beginning this season, the team announced Friday.

Hutson racked up 15 goals and 49 points in 38 games this season with Boston University. The defenseman had two more years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

The 20-year-old will join the Canadiens in Detroit on Monday ahead of their final two games of the season, TSN's Chris Johnston reports. He won't be with the team for Saturday's contest against the Ottawa Senators.

The first year of Hutson's contract will count toward the 2023-24 campaign regardless of whether he plays a game. He's also ineligible to be sent down to the AHL until next season.

The Terriers lost in the Frozen Four semifinals Thursday, paving the way for Hutson to sign and forgo the remainder of his collegiate career.

The Canadiens drafted Hutson 62nd overall in 2022. He exploded offensively as a freshman with the Terriers, recording 15 goals and 48 points. The 5-foot-10, 162-pound rearguard earned numerous accolades, including Hockey East Rookie of the Year.

Hutson was dominant again this season, finishing as a top-10 Hobey Baker finalist for the second year in a row.

With 97 points in 77 NCAA games, Hutson is the highest-scoring collegiate defenseman since 1997 on a per-game basis.

Hutson has starred with Team USA at the world juniors and World Championship. He tallied six points in nine games at the Worlds last spring and was the top blue-liner on the U.S. squad that won gold at the world juniors in January.

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The United States rounded out its management staff for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympics on Friday.

New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury, New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, and Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito will serve as assistant GMs for the two events, USA Hockey announced Friday.

The trio will support Bill Guerin of the Minnesota Wild for both tournaments, who was named USA's GM in February. Guerin also named Wild director of player personnel Chris Keller to his international staff in the same role.

"We've got a great management group, and I'm excited to work with them in representing our country," Guerin said. "It's an exciting time in USA Hockey, and we're focused on bringing home championships from both events."

Drury, 47, was a GM for the U.S. at the World Championships in 2019 and 2021. He was also an assistant GM at the event in 2016 and 2017. As a player, he represented his nation at three Olympics (2002, 2006, and 2010), three World Championships, and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He's been at the helm of the Rangers since 2021.

Fitzgerald, 55, has never been an executive with Team USA. He played for the U.S. at the World Championships in 1989 and 1991. He was named GM of the Devils in 2020.

Zito, 59, is the only member of the group who didn't play in the NHL. He was the United States' GM at the 2018 World Championship and has been GM of the Panthers since 2020.

The 4 Nations Face-Off runs from Feb. 12-20 in 2025, while the Olympics are set for February 2026 in Italy.

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