The Colorado Avalanche are apparently looking to strike a six- or eight-year deal with restricted free-agent forward Mikko Rantanen at an average annual value ranging from $8.4 million to $8.75 million, according to The Athletic's Ryan Clark.
The club's goal is to sign Rantanen to a long-term deal because of what's on the horizon, a source told Clark.
Colorado has six restricted free agents in need of a new deal for next season, and will also have to pay highly-touted defenseman Cale Makar and captain Gabriel Landeskog prior to the 2021-22 campaign.
Rantanen's agent, Mike Liut, said Wednesday that he is "not close" in negotiations on a new deal for his client.
The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported Thursday that the Avalanche are unwilling to give Rantanen the same amount of money that fellow restricted free-agent forward Mitch Marner fetched on his new deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marner signed a six-year, $65.63-million deal with an average annual value of $10.89 million.
The 22-year-old Finn is coming off a career year in 2018-19 in which he set career highs with 31 goals and 87 points in 74 contests.
The Avalanche hold $15.6 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly.
The Professional Women's Hockey Association announced Friday that the NHL Players' Association has been named as a premier partner.
"The success of women's hockey is integral to the growth of the sport," NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said. "NHL players are proud to continue with their support of the women's game by sponsoring the PWHPA. We look forward to seeing these talented hockey players on the ice as they demonstrate their skill and passion for the game throughout the PWHPA's Dream Gap Tour."
As part of the NHLPA's sponsorship, each player jersey worn at PWHPA on-ice events, beginning this weekend with the kickoff of the Dream Gap Tour, will be outfitted with an official NHLPA patch.
The Dream Gap Tour is a multi-city event that will feature nearly 200 of the world's top female hockey players in an effort to showcase the women's game and build a more sustainable future.
The tour is set to begin Sept. 21-22 in Toronto before moving to Hudson, New Hampshire, from Oct. 4-6, and Chicago, Illinois, from Oct 18-20.
The 20-year-old center was hit into the boards by Florida Panthers forward Dryden Hunt during the second period of the Canadiens' preseason opener Wednesday night.
Hunt was assessed a two-minute minor for boarding on the play.
Poehling remained in the contest, however, and assisted on the game-winning goal in the third period.
The St. Cloud State product was selected by Montreal with the 25th overall pick at the 2017 NHL Draft. He scored a hat trick in his first and only NHL contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.
Marner, who was also a restricted free-agent winger following his third NHL season, signed a six-year, $65.36-million pact with the Leafs last week. The deal carries an average annual value of $10.89 million.
The Avalanche made Rantanen a long-term offer earlier in September but negotiations have not progressed much since then, LeBrun adds.
Rantanen's agent, Mike Liut, said Wednesday he is "not close" to landing a new deal for his client.
The 22-year-old finished second in team scoring with the Avalanche last season, setting career highs with 31 goals and 87 points in 74 contests. Here's how the towering Finn's numbers stack up to Marner's through each player's first three NHL campaigns:
Player
GP
G
A
Pts (per game)
ATOI
Marner
241
67
157
224 (0.93)
17:41
Rantanen
239
80
129
209 (0.87)
18:53
Rantanen is currently skating with the Storhamar Dragons in Norway as he awaits a resolution to his contract dispute. The 6-foot-4 forward remains on the list of blue-chip restricted free agents who are still unsigned. Brayden Point, Matthew Tkachuk, Patrik Laine, and Kyle Connor are all awaiting new deals with their respective clubs as well.
Colorado holds a projected $15.61 million in cap space with Rantanen the only remaining player without a deal, according to CapFriendly.
The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Thomas Chabot to an eight-year contract extention with an average annual value of $8 million, the team announced Thursday.
Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland is hopeful that the club will have star forward Connor McDavid in the lineup on opening night.
"We're pretty optimistic about opening night. As for preseason games, there's a chance (McDavid) could play next week," Holland said, according to Sportsnet's Gene Principe.
Holland said last week that it was "very likely" McDavid would sit out every preseason contest, but it now appears that the 22-year-old could get into a game before the end of September.
McDavid suffered a torn PCL after slamming into a goalpost at high speed during the final game of the 2018-19 campaign. He did not require surgery and has been skating with teammates at Oilers training camp.
The 2017 Hart Trophy winner finished second in league scoring last season with a career-high 116 points in 78 contests.
The Oilers are slated to begin the 2019-20 campaign at home against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 2.
Load management has become one of the hottest topics in the modern NHL, with teams looking for new ways to gain an advantage during the regular-season slog.
In 2018-19, we saw more teams shift toward a platoon between the pipes, and the need for multiple netminders who can handle a significant workload has never been greater.
With that in mind, here's a look at the NHL's top goaltending duos entering the 2019-20 campaign.
5. Jonathan Quick - Jack Campbell, Kings
Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Quick
602
309-218-63
2.36
.914
51
Campbell
38
12-15-3
2.41
.925
2
When it comes to raw talent, few teams boast a stronger tandem in net than the Kings.
Quick struggled in 2018-19, but don't let one down year fool you. The two-time Stanley Cup champion posted a goals-against average of 2.45 or lower over his previous eight campaigns, and there's still plenty left in his tank.
Campbell, a 2010 first-round selection, is a highly touted netminder who finally put his bona fides on display last season. The 27-year-old posted a 2.30 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage over 31 games for a defensively weak Kings team.
Los Angeles will likely miss the playoffs for the second straight season, but the team's shortcomings won't come in goal.
4. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Curtis McElhinney, Lightning
Scott Audette / National Hockey League / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Vasilevskiy
208
124-59-15
2.55
.919
18
McElhinney
219
82-82-15
2.81
.909
10
Vasilevskiy is a safe bet to continue playing at an elite level after collecting his first career Vezina Trophy in 2018-19. The Russian won 39 of his 53 starts for the Lightning last season, losing consecutive games just once - and never in regulation.
The experienced McElhinney provides the team with a reliable second option to lean on while managing Vasilevskiy's workload.
McElhinney's career numbers don't exactly pop off the page, but the veteran has quietly been one of the league's steadiest backups over the last three seasons. The 36-year-old has notched 39 wins in 63 starts with a 2.51 goals-against average and .919 save percentage since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
McElhinney also impressed with a strong postseason stint for the Carolina Hurricanes last spring. He allowed just nine goals over five playoff contests while posting a .930 save percentage.
3. Ben Bishop - Anton Khudobin, Stars
Bill Smith / National Hockey League / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Bishop
369
201-112-32
2.30
.921
31
Khudobin
188
83-68-21
2.49
.917
8
With Bishop leading the way, the Stars conceded the fewest goals in the Western Conference despite giving up over 30 shots per game in 2018-19. The 32-year-old Vezina Trophy finalist last season was outstanding, allowing 87 goals in 46 starts to significantly outperform his expected goals against of 105.22.
When Bishop was out with an injury, Khudobin provided a reliable option in relief. The Russian collected 16 wins while posting a 2.57 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage over 37 starts.
The pair was also sensational when faced with top-quality scoring chances. Bishop led all goaltenders (minimum 1,000 minutes played) with a high-danger save percentage of .885, and Khudobin finished seventh at .850.
Even if Bishop stays healthy in 2019-20, the Stars can still lean on Khudobin to keep their starter fresh for another potential playoff appearance.
2. Pekka Rinne - Juuse Saros, Predators
John Russell / National Hockey League / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Rinne
623
341-187-70
2.38
.918
55
Saros
79
38-24-12
2.49
.920
7
The Predators finished in the top two in save percentage and top four in goals against in each of the past two seasons. With the same tandem protecting the crease in 2019-20, Nashville makes for a stingy opponent.
Saros could assume starting duties on a handful of NHL teams, but the 24-year-old has been stuck playing behind Rinne since debuting in 2015-16. The 5-foot-11 puck-stopper suffered back-to-back regulation losses on just two occasions in 2018-19, and his 17 wins over 27 starts were each career bests.
The 36-year-old Rinne continues to stifle opponents during the latter stages of his career. The towering Finn has posted a goals-against average of under 2.50 in five consecutive seasons, and he ranks second in wins (178) since the start of the 2014-15 campaign.
1. Tuukka Rask - Jaroslav Halak, Bruins
Boston Globe / Boston Globe / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Rask
495
265-150-58
2.28
.921
45
Halak
489
254-161-52
2.49
.916
47
Inking Halak to a two-year deal ahead of the 2018-19 campaign was easily the Bruins' most significant transaction that offseason. Adding the 34-year-old as a secondary option behind Rask made the team extremely difficult to beat.
Consequently, the Bruins allowed the third-fewest goals in the league last season, and the duo's combined nine shutouts also ranked third.
Of the four teams that finished with multiple 20-win goaltenders last season, Rask and Halak formed the only tandem still intact for 2019-20. Boston was also one of two clubs with both goalies posting a goals-against average below 2.50 (minimum 20 starts).
With Rask turning 33 next March, expect the Bruins to use a similar platoon this season, and that will cause problems even for the league's top offenses.
"It's a great trait to have to want more, to want more ice time, more playing time," Wheeler said, according to NHL.com's Mitchell Clinton. "I would say those are all good things. You want guys that are hungry for more and not content with where he's at."
In an interview with Pekka Jalonen of Finland's Iltalehti published on Monday, Laine suggested he would be a first-line player on most NHL teams.
“In contract negotiations, one thing always is who you are playing with,” Laine said, as Jalonen translated. “With the merits I have, somewhere else I’d have an opportunity to play with the best players. Everyone who understands hockey should know that.”
Laine, who's currently training in Switzerland amid his contract dispute with the Jets, finished with a career-low 50 points in 82 games last season, and his performance was wildly inconsistent. Of his 30 goals, 18 came in November, and he found the net just seven times after the Christmas break.
The 21-year-old ranked fourth among Winnipeg forwards while averaging 17:14 of ice time per game, but he logged just 3:30 per contest with the man advantage.
"He's certainly one of our best players. He spends a good deal of time on that top unit on the power play. We've been top five in the league the last couple of years and a big part of it is what Patty does," Wheeler said.
Laine is one of two Jets players who need a new contract. Fellow restricted free agent Kyle Connor also remains without a deal.
The Vancouver Canucks have signed restricted free-agent forward Brock Boeser to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $5.875 million, the team announced Monday.
