The Carolina Hurricanes and burgeoning superstar Sebastian Aho appear to be on the same page when it comes to his future with the franchise.

Aho's currently playing out the final year of his entry-level contract and is in line for a major raise. Negotiations on a long-term pact began in the offseason, and Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell is optimistic a deal will be signed before the end of this season.

"We've had lots of discussions and everything has been positive," Waddell told Chip Alexander of The News & Observer on Monday. "We both have the same goal, and that is we want to sign him to a long-term deal and he wants to be here long term. That's always the starting point, which is always good."

Waddell added that the two sides aren't too far apart when it comes to finances.

"The amount of money we're talking, there's not a crazy difference," he said.

Last month, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon called Aho's next contract one of the organization's top priorities, and for good reason. Since being drafted 35th overall in 2015, the forward's managed 131 points in 172 contests.

So far this season, his game looks to have reached another level. In 12 contests, Aho's already notched 17 points and matched an NHL record set by Wayne Gretzky and Ken Linseman by recording an assist in 12 consecutive games to start a season.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have placed goaltender Mike Condon on waivers, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.

Condon has started just two games for the team this season, allowing eight goals. On Tuesday versus the Arizona Coyotes, Condon was pulled after giving up three goals on eleven shots, including one from the blue line at the other end of the ice.

He's been with the Senators since the 2016-17 season, managing a .906 save percentage over 73 games.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders farmhand Josh Ho-Sang doesn't think he was given a fair shake at cracking the big club out of camp this season.

Ho-Sang, who's been vocal about his lack of opportunity with the Islanders in the past, believes New York's new-look regime under Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz had its team predetermined in training camp.

"I felt like they had their minds made up on what was going to happen and what the team was going to look like," Ho-Sang told Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post. "It's OK. They had the whole summer to plan that. I don't know if you watched any of the games, but I didn't play a lot. It's OK. It is what it is."

Ho-Sang was drafted 28th overall by the Isles in 2014. While he possesses an NHL-level skill set, his commitment on both sides of the puck and actions off the ice have shaped his reputation as a player.

Even in the AHL, he's not sure he's being deployed properly.

"They tell me they want me to be a top-six forward up there, but I'm not a top-six forward down here, so it's confusing," he said. "Sometimes, it's like you're sprinting with a rubber band on. You constantly have tension. You run until you're exhausted and then the band is going to pull you back. If I was going to say anything, it would be: Just watch. I'm just pointing it out."

In nine games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season, Ho-Sang has recorded four assists. Over his NHL career, he's amassed 22 points in 43 contests.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks will welcome Joe Thornton back into their lineup on Tuesday night versus the New York Rangers, the team announced.

Thornton has missed the last nine contests after experiencing swelling in his surgically-repaired right knee. He was on the ice for the club's first two games of the season, but then the veteran was placed on injured reserve.

Knee injuries have slowed the 39-year-old for much of the last year. Thornton sat out of the Sharks' final 35 games of the 2017-18 season and their playoff run after tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee, nine months after suffering the same injury in his left knee.

Limited action has caused Thornton to collect just one assist so far in 2018-19, but he's inching toward two major career milestones. With five more games played and three more goals, he'll reach 1,500 and 400, respectively, for his career.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes netminder Scott Darling will make his 2018-19 season debut on Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins, head coach Rod Brind'Amour confirmed to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.

Darling suffered a hamstring injury during Carolina's final preseason game, and he was recalled from his AHL conditioning stint last week. In his absence, the Hurricanes have been rolling with the tandem of Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek in net. The struggling duo has combined for a .882 save percentage in all situations, per Corisca, which ranks 26th in the NHL.

Despite the issues between the pipes, the Hurricanes are off to a 6-4-1 start on the strength of a dominant offense. The return of Darling could provide some consistency as the team looks to become a real threat in the Eastern Conference.

However, Darling still has a lot to prove while attempting to take over the reins and become Carolina's bonafide No. 1 goalie. In 2017-18, his first season of a four-year, $16 million contract, Darling won just 13 of 43 starts while managing a .888 save percentage.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Amid complaints from goaltenders across the league about the new specifications for their equipment, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly isn't considering backtracking.

For the 2018-19 season, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to new specifications for goaltender chest protectors, making them more form-fitting to help increase scoring across the league. Despite the early gripes, Daly said the new equipment standards will not be reverted.

"Some of the concerns we're hearing now, they may grow in number, because you may hear somebody else do it, so you do it, too," Daly told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "But I don't think we'll ever reach the point where we'd consider making changes."

Numerous prominent netminders have voiced their displeasure with the modifications. Ben Bishop of the Dallas Stars told ESPN the new gear is more susceptible to leaving bruises, while Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals is wary of the added potential for serious injury.

"I like to not overreact to things," Daly said. "I don't think that some of the concerns we're hearing about currently are really reflective of a large majority of goaltenders."

The league has seen an increase in goals this season, with the average rising to 6.18 goals per game, up from the 2017-18 mark of 5.94.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Auston Matthews' projected four-week absence is a tough pill to swallow for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there's a small silver lining in the wake of his shoulder injury, with the 21-year-old confirming on Monday that it won't require surgery.

Winnipeg Jets blue-liner Jacob Trouba hit Matthews on Saturday, which resulted in an injury similar to the one he suffered last season, though on the opposite shoulder.

His shoulder ailment in 2017-18 forced Matthews to miss 10 games. If his four-week recovery timeline holds up this time around, he could miss up to 14 contests for a team that's started the 2018-19 campaign 8-3-0, largely due to Matthews' offensive contributions.

In 11 games, Matthews has recorded 10 goals and six assists.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Move aside, Saint Patrick.

With his 290th career win on Saturday night, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price surpassed Hall of Famer Patrick Roy on the franchise's all-time wins list.

He did so in grand fashion, too, stopping all 33 shots he faced to shut out the rival Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

Next up on the Habs' all-time list is another legend: Jacques Plante, who managed 314 wins in 556 games with Montreal from 1952-63.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews left Saturday's contest against the Winnipeg Jets in noticeable discomfort after a hard hit from defenseman Jacob Trouba, and subsequently missed the remainder of the game with a shoulder injury.

After the game, a 3-2 victory, head coach Mike Babcock was asked about Matthews' status:

"He's got a shoulder injury, we'll look at it on Monday and we'll know more on Monday," Babcock said. "He won't be playing on Monday. We'll know more at that time. We'll give you an update on Monday if he's not ready right away, for sure."

Here's a look at the play:

Matthews missed 20 games last season due to numerous injuries, including one from a similar-looking play against the New York Islanders in February.

Entering Saturday's matchup, Matthews had recorded 10 goals and six assists in 10 games.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Max Pacioretty will be out on a day-to-day basis with an upper-body injury after taking a high hit Friday versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, head coach Gerard Gallant announced, per the team.

Pacioretty was on the receiving end of a collision with Braydon Coburn in the first period of Friday's loss. He exited the game afterward and didn't return.

Pacioretty's recorded two goals and 26 shots in his first 10 games with Vegas.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.