The Winnipeg Jets signed defenseman Declan Chisholm to a three-year, entry-level deal, the team announced Monday.

The contract has an average annual value of $825,000 and will begin next season.

Chisholm, a fifth-round pick of the Jets in 2018, ranked tied for second among OHL blue-liners with 56 assists and third with 69 points in 2019-20. The 20-year-old was third on the Peterborough Petes in points behind forwards Nick Robertson and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev.

The Jets have a need for defensemen at the NHL level, but their prospect pool is brimming with talent. Winnipeg's top three prospects - Ville Heinola, Dylan Samberg, and Logan Stanley - all play defense.

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Evander Kane is pleased with what he's seen so far from a growing number of prominent white figures in the NHL after he called upon them to speak out against racial injustice and anti-black racism in the wake of George Floyd's death.

"For me, it's been … it's been a good step. A small step in the right direction," the San Jose Sharks forward told The Athletic's Ryan S. Clark on Sunday. "It was great to see not only from white players in the league but our owner, Hasso Plattner, being the first on that front with his own words and not just issuing a general statement on behalf of the organization. That was awesome to see from him. It shows the type of character he has and the type of character we have in this organization.

"I am a believer in things starting at the top, and it does not get any higher at the top than with ownership. It was great he was taking the lead on these type of things."

Several white players, including Kane's teammate Logan Couture, Blake Wheeler, Anze Kopitar, Kyle Turris, Brian Boyle, and Connor Carrick posted messages denouncing racism and calling for change after Kane said Friday that more white sports figures needed to do so.

Kane wasn't entirely satisfied with the responses - or, in some cases, the lack thereof - from the sports world as a whole. He pointed to the fact that the NBA's Toronto Raptors addressed racism as an organization Saturday night, but the Maple Leafs, who have the same ownership group, had not yet done so. The franchise released its own statement after Kane spoke to Clark on Sunday evening.

"People might say, 'You're nitpicking' and, 'You're looking for something that is not there,' that it's bullshit," the Sharks forward said. "It does not come off that way to me or to us. It speaks to the culture of hockey at the highest level and the people in positions who are at the highest level."

A multitude of sports leagues and teams - including the NHL and many of its clubs - have condemned racism over the last few days. Floyd, a black man, died Monday after a white police officer in Minneapolis kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The incident was captured on video and has led to protests across the United States.

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Hockey is a team game, but often a head-to-head matchup can significantly impact the outcome of a contest. Below, we highlight five of the most important individual battles in the qualifying round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Phillip Danault vs. Sidney Crosby

This may seem like a completely one-sided mismatch, but Danault is one of the league's most underrated two-way centers. Among all pivots to play 500-plus minutes at five-on-five this season, he finished near or at the top of the league in several advanced possession stats. That includes ranking first in CF% (59.4), first in xGF% (59.9), first in SCF% (59.5), and fourth in HDCF% (60.3), according to Natural Stat Trick.

Obviously, Danault's hands will be full while battling Crosby. The Canadiens will also be dealing with a mismatch regardless of who tries to slow Evgeni Malkin. So if Danault can't contain Crosby - or if Carey Price can't stand on his head - this series will be over early.

Seth Jones vs. Auston Matthews

The Maple Leafs-Blue Jackets series pits Toronto's juggernaut offense against one of the league's stingiest defensive clubs. For the Jackets to win, Matthews, the Leafs' offensive catalyst, needs to be contained, and Jones is bound to see heavy minutes against his fellow countryman.

Jones wasn't supposed to take part in this year's playoffs. He was given an 8-to-10 week timeline in February after suffering a fractured ankle, but now that the season has been on pause for nearly three months, the 25-year-old should be ready.

Jones is a huge X-factor in this series. Defending Matthews is extremely difficult because he needs just a sliver of space in the slot to unleash his lethal wrister. But with Jones' superb skating and long reach, he can take time and space away from Matthews. He's also a good shot-blocker, and Matthews finished fourth in the league this season with 290 shots.

Patrick Kane vs. Oscar Klefbom

Connor McDavid vs. Jonathan Toews is the more narrative-filled head-to-head matchup, but Kane vs. Klefbom could leave a greater impact on the series.

The Blackhawks simply don't belong in the playoffs after placing last in their division and finishing 32-30-8. For them to stand a chance against a far superior Oilers team, Kane needs to go off. While Toews' defensive presence can be huge, no Chicago player can take over a game offensively like Kane.

As Edmonton's top left-handed defenseman, it'll likely be Klefbom contending with Kane for the majority of each game. The Swede was a workhorse for the Oilers this season, finishing fifth in the NHL in average time on ice (25:25). He's not very physical despite his size, so Klefbom will attempt to use strong positioning and an active stick to keep Kane in check.

Connor Hellebuyck vs. Matthew Tkachuk

Over just four NHL seasons, Tkachuk has made a long list of enemies with his in-your-face style of play. While his disputes with Drew Doughty and Zack Kassian come to mind first, Tkachuk's willingness to go hard to the net - sometimes too hard - has led to many run-ins with goalies.

There's no big, tough defenseman like Dustin Byfuglien or Jacob Trouba on the Jets anymore to make Tkachuk think twice about crashing the net. He's going to live right in front of the blue paint all series, and Hellebuyck can't let Tkachuk get to him. The netminder is a Vezina Trophy favorite and the Jets' most important player. If he's off his game because Tkachuk is wreaking havoc, that's a huge advantage for the Flames.

Jonas Brodin vs. Elias Pettersson

There's a bevy of options available among the Wild's blue-liners to match up against the highly skilled Pettersson, but perhaps nobody is better suited than Brodin. He doesn't get the same attention that Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, or even Matt Dumba receive, but Brodin is one of the league's better shutdown defensemen.

As The Point Hockey's Mike Kelly highlighted in his breakdown of Brodin's game, the Wild's rearguard led all defenders in five-on-five zone-entry denials, and he finished second in defensive zone blocked passes.

Pettersson is difficult to defend because he can burn opponents off the rush with his vision or shot, and he can also beat defenders in tight with his slick hands. But Brodin is a skilled defender at all areas of the ice.

Minnesota's goaltending is a question mark, so the Wild's defense needs to keep shots to the outside. The Canucks, meanwhile, don't get much production beyond their top-six forwards, so if Pettersson's line struggles to create offense, more pressure will fall on Bo Horvat's trio. This all Swede matchup will be integral.

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph hopes the protests that have followed the death of George Floyd will lead to real positive changes in society.

"Watching the events unfold across America is extremely sad. I wish I could say what happened to George Floyd was an isolated event, but I know it's not," Joseph said Sunday on Twitter. "The problem is that everyone has known that for a long time, and yet very little was done about it. And now people have had enough.

"That said, once it all boils over, what concrete actions will be taken? It is not enough to be non-racist and events unfolding today have proven that. But violent protests are not the answers or a good way to be anti-racist ... we need to focus on the solution. On making a change in the way we educate children."

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died Monday in Minneapolis after now-former police officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground with his knee for over eight minutes while Floyd was handcuffed. Chauvin has since been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

"George Floyd's death was unacceptable, my heart bleeds for him and his family, and I assume he would want us to fight for a better world," Joseph wrote. "Let's lead with love and demand change all together as a human race. The only way out is through."

Several other teams and players around the league have shared similar thoughts to Joseph's regarding racism and injustice.

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, who, with Joseph, is among a small minority of black players in the NHL, called on high-profile athletes to speak up during this time. Sharks captain Logan Couture backed his teammate on Friday.

Minnesota native and Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler also released a message expressing his anger and frustration not only in his own city but across the country.

"America is not OK," Wheeler said Saturday.

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The Los Angeles Kings and team captain Anze Kopitar spoke out Sunday against racism and injustice amid protests throughout North America following the death of George Floyd.

"The L.A. Kings are united against racism and acts of hatred toward others," the team said in a statement. "Our voice is here to support the black community and condemn those injustices. Now is the time to raise the volume peacefully.

"Enough Racism. Enough Senseless Violence. ENOUGH."

Kopitar shared a similar sentiment through his own personal Twitter account, denouncing racism and inequality while calling for action toward a better future.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died Monday in Minneapolis after now-former police officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground with his knee for over eight minutes while Floyd was handcuffed.

Minnesota native and Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler took to social media on Saturday to share his feelings.

"America is not OK ... I'm heartbroken that we still treat people this way," he wrote. "We need to stand with the black community and fundamentally change how the leadership in this country has dealt with racism."

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, one of only a few black players in the NHL, also called for more globally recognized athletes to use their platform to speak out against racism. Sharks captain Logan Couture supported his teammate Friday, saying athletes can't continue to turn a blind eye to racism.

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Former New York Rangers defenseman Sean Day cleared unconditional waivers Sunday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Day, who was granted "exceptional status" into the OHL as a 15-year-old, was selected by the Rangers in the third round of the 2016 draft. He's just one of seven players - including John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, and Connor McDavid - in CHL history to earn the honor.

The 22-year-old failed to crack the Rangers' NHL roster. He's spent the last two seasons in both the AHL and ECHL, amassing 18 points in 62 AHL games during his career.

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Pittsburgh Penguins president and CEO David Morehouse rescued Ian Smith, a cameraman for local station KDKA, after the journalist was attacked during police brutality protests in the city, the club confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey on Saturday night.

Morehouse departed PPG Paints Arena, found Smith, and helped him inside before the cameraman was taken to the hospital, according to Mackey.

Smith detailed his ordeal while sitting in the ambulance.

After seeing Smith's tweet, KDKA anchor and reporter Larry Richert called him and inquired about the incident. Smith told him he didn't know who saved him, so Richert contacted Paul Martino, a reporter for the network who'd been with Smith reporting on the protests. Martino confirmed it was Morehouse who saved Smith, and the Penguins later confirmed it to Mackey.

Protests began across the United States this week and continued through Saturday following the death of George Floyd on Monday. Floyd, a black Minneapolis man, died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes while holding him in handcuffs.

The statue of Mario Lemieux outside PPG Paints Arena was spray-painted during the protests in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Morehouse joined the Penguins as a consultant on the then-arena project in 2004. He was named team president in 2007 and was given CEO responsibilities in 2010.

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