Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion wants defenseman Mark Borowiecki to finish his career in the nation's capital.

"We hope to make Mark Borowiecki a Senator for life," Dorion said Thursday morning on TSN Radio 1200 Ottawa.

The 30-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and Dorion says he's begun discussing an extension with Borowiecki's agents.

The rearguard is enjoying a career-best season in 2019-20, recording seven goals and 18 points in 53 games. With the Senators in the midst of a rebuild, Dorion assured the veteran he wouldn't be moved ahead of the trade deadline.

"I told Borowiecki sometime in December he wasn’t going to be traded,” Dorion said, according to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch. “There’s got to be a human side to how we do our business here and everyone here knows that Mark and his wife were expecting their first child.

“To get the return that we probably would have gotten wasn’t worth it," Dorion said. "We wanted Mark to be here until the end of the year and possibly talk contract negotiations moving forward because we really like what he brings to our team and how he shows our younger kids how to play and how he practices hard every day and those are key elements for us in the rebuild.”

The Senators selected Borowiecki in the fifth round in 2008. The Ottawa native is the second-longest tenured player on the club behind netminder Craig Anderson.

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Edmonton Oilers forward Andreas Athanasiou is not expected to be out for long after exiting with a lower-body injury during Wednesday's contest against the Vegas Golden Knights.

"I don't think it's serious," head coach Dave Tippett said following his team's 3-0 loss, according to TSN. "I didn't see it because of any one play. He was hurt in the second (period) and tried it in the third but couldn't go."

The 25-year-old winger recorded one shot on net in 11 minutes of ice time before departing. He tallied one goal and one assist in his debut with the Oilers on Tuesday.

Edmonton acquired the native of Ontario from the Detroit Red Wings ahead of Monday's trade deadline in exchange for forward Sam Gagner and a pair of second-round draft picks.

Athanasiou contributed 10 goals and 24 points through 46 games with the Red Wings this season.

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In the fifth edition of theScore's 2019-20 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, we look at the leading candidates for the award through the first five months of the season.

5. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck's consistent play between the pipes has kept the Jets afloat in an extremely competitive Western Conference playoff race. The 26-year-old owns a .921 save percentage in the month of February and ranks third among netminders in expected goals saved above average at five-on-five on the season.

The Jets' most valuable player is heading for familiar territory in terms of workload. With 52 starts already under his belt, Hellebuyck will likely reach the 60-start mark for the third consecutive campaign.

4. Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues

Binnington has bounced back in a big way after an ugly January knocked him off our rankings.

Even after surrendering five goals Tuesday, the Blues puck-stopper has still allowed just six goals over his past four starts and has posted two shutouts in February. Binnington also ranks second among all netminders in both wins and high-danger save percentage.

3. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Vasilevskiy continues to climb up our list with his sublime play between the pipes. The Russian puck-stopper leads all netminders in wins by a wide margin and ranks third in total minutes played.

Prior to a forgettable two-game Western road trip, Vasilevskiy posted a record of 19-0-2 to go along with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage over a masterful two-month stretch.

2. Ben Bishop, Dallas Stars

The league's largest puck-stopper has been a model of consistency between the pipes all decade. With three top-three finishes in Vezina voting over the last eight seasons, Bishop has put himself in a strong position to finally capture the elusive hardware in 2019-20.

The 33-year-old has given the goal-starved Stars a chance to win nearly every night. He's allowed two or fewer goals in 64% of his starts and has only conceded four or more on six occasions.

1. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Rask is back at the top of our rankings for the first time since this season's opening edition.

The Finn ranks fifth among netminders in standard save percentage and third in high-danger save percentage. He sits second in goals saved above average at five-on-five. Before allowing 10 goals over his last two starts, Rask had surrendered two or fewer tallies in 11 straight outings, boasting a .951 save percentage in those games.

(Advanced stats source: Natural Stat Trick, Corsica Hockey)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have inked defenseman Jake Muzzin to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.625 million, the team announced Monday.

Muzzin, 31, was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His new deal includes a no-movement clause for next season that becomes a no-trade clause and then a 10-team no-trade clause in subsequent years, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The 6-foot-3 blue-liner has arguably been the Leafs' most consistent defenseman this season despite missing time with a broken foot.

Muzzin has mustered 22 points through 52 games in 2019-20 and leads the Maple Leafs in hits (108) and blocked shots (110). He also ranks second on the team in average ice time, logging 21:43 per game.

Extending Muzzin provides Toronto with some clarity regarding the future of the blue line. Here's a breakdown of the Maple Leafs' defense corps through the 2020-21 season, along with respective players' annual cap hits:

The Maple Leafs will also have a chance to extend Travis Dermott, who is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

Muzzin will play a key role down the stretch for Toronto with blue-chip rearguard Morgan Rielly sidelined with a broken foot. The Maple Leafs remain in the thick of a tight Eastern Conference playoff race with 19 games remaining.

Toronto acquired Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings in January 2019.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have been dealt a tough blow.

Goaltenders Petr Mrazek and James Reimer, as well as defenseman Brett Pesce, are out "longer term," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Monday, according to Chip Alexander of The News & Observer.

All three suffered separate injuries during Saturday's victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mrazek, who collided hard with Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford while leaving his net to play the puck, suffered a concussion on the play, Brind'Amour confirmed. Pesce sustained a shoulder injury during the second period and did not return. The exact nature of Reimer's injury remains unclear.

Carolina recalled netminders Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg from the AHL's Charlotte Checkers on Sunday.

The Hurricanes, who are already without blue-chip defenseman Dougie Hamilton, are in the midst of a tight Eastern Conference playoff race with 21 games remaining.

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The Colorado Avalanche acquired forward Vladislav Namestnikov from the Ottawa Senators for a fourth-round pick in 2021, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

More to come.

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Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid will play Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings, the team announced.

McDavid missed the club's last six games with a quad injury.

With Leon Draisaitl leading the way while tallying four goals and 12 points with his co-star out of the lineup, the Oilers posted a 3-2-1 record in McDavid's absence

The 23-year-old McDavid ranks second on the Oilers in both goals (30) and points (81) through 55 games this season.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated goaltender Joonas Korpisalo off injured reserve, the team announced Sunday.

Korpisalo, 25, suffered a knee injury during a shootout against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 29 and has missed the Blue Jackets' last 24 games.

The Finnish puck-stopper has recorded a 17-10-4 record with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage this season. He was named to his first NHL All-Star Game but didn't play due to the injury.

The Blue Jackets received sensational goaltending from netminder Elvis Merzlikins in Korpisalo's absence. The rookie has authored a .922 save percentage and five shutouts through 31 contests.

Columbus remains in the midst of a tight Eastern Conference playoff race with 19 games remaining.

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Following a historic game when he became the first emergency backup goalie to win an NHL contest, David Ayres took a moment to reflect on his improbable journey.

"I went through a kidney transplant 15 years ago, I never thought I was going to play hockey again at that moment," Ayres said, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

"It's unreal right now," he added. "It's hard to put into words, to be honest."

Ayres, a 42-year-old Zamboni driver for the Toronto Marlies, earned the decision for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

When netminders James Reimer and Petr Mrazek exited the matchup with injuries, Ayres was called upon for the opportunity of a lifetime.

"When I saw the text message, I was like, 'Are these guys playing with me right now? I'm going in?'" Ayres said.

After the Maple Leafs scored on their first two shots, Ayres stopped all seven he faced in the third period to collect the win. He credited the unwavering support from his teammates during the intermission for his success.

"They said, 'Have fun with it, don't worry about how many goals go in,' Ayres said. "They said, 'This is your moment, have fun with it.'"

Following the game, the Hurricanes put Ayres T-shirt jerseys up for sale on their website, with a portion of the proceeds going to a kidney foundation of his choice.

After everything he's been through, the Ontario native says his love of the sport has kept him going.

"It's just a passion for the game," Ayres said. "Being 42, it's not exactly easy to stay in shape with these young kids anymore."

Ayres helped the Hurricanes earn a critical two points, as Carolina and Toronto remain in the thick of a tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff race.

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Alex Ovechkin has entered rarefied air.

The Washington Capitals star netted career goal No. 700 against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, becoming the eighth player in NHL history to reach the elite regular-season scoring mark.

Here's where Ovechkin ranks on the all-time list. The 34-year-old is now 194 goals shy of Wayne Gretzky's record.

"It's pretty good company, I'm happy to be there," Ovechkin told reporters postgame.

Ovechkin netted the tally in his 1,144th career game, becoming the second-fastest player to reach the historic milestone, behind only Gretzky. He also became the second player to score 700 career goals with one team, joining Gordie Howe.

With 42 goals in 60 games this season, the Russian phenom is on pace to join Gretzky and Mike Bossy as the only players to register nine 50-plus-goal campaigns.

Since entering the league in 2005-06, the eight-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner has buried 437 even-strength goals, 259 power-play markers, and 110 game-winners, leading all players in each of those categories.

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