The best goaltender in Nashville Predators franchise history is hanging up his pads.

Pekka Rinne, 38, announced his retirement Tuesday after 15 NHL seasons.

More to come.

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The St. Louis Blues are preparing to give a "full pitch effort" to sign Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog if he hits free agency later this month, reports NHL.com's Lou Korac.

Earlier this season, both Landeskog and the Avalanche stated they hoped to agree on a long-term extension. Colorado has over $25 million in cap space this offseason, according to Cap Friendly, but general manager Joe Sakic needs to work out new deals with several key players.

In addition to Landeskog, goaltender Philipp Grubauer, an unrestricted free agent, and defenseman Cale Makar, a restricted free agent, are looking to sign new contracts this summer. Both players could command big-ticket deals after seasons in which they were both nominated for awards.

The Blues have about $17.3 million in available funds this offseason but could create $7.5 million in additional space by dealing sniper Vladimir Tarasenko, who reportedly requested a trade. Forwards Mike Hoffman, Tyler Bozak, and Jaden Schwartz are notable UFAs on St. Louis' books, and defenseman Vince Dunn is an RFA.

Landeskog's 52 points this season are the most of any UFA available this year. He's spent his entire 10-year career with the Avalanche since being drafted second overall by the team in 2011 and has posted 512 points in 687 contests. The 28-year-old's last contract paid him $5.57 million per season.

The NHL's free-agency period opens on July 28.

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Less than a week after the Tampa Bay Lightning won their second straight Stanley Cup, teams are already preparing for the Seattle expansion draft, the 2021 NHL Draft, and the start of free agency at the end of July.

It's all happening quickly, meaning now is the time to lock in early NHL value futures, with odds sure to change considerably over the next few weeks as teams shape their rosters for next season.

The Colorado Avalanche open as favorites to win the 2022 Stanley Cup despite the uncertainty surrounding captain and pending unrestricted free agent Gabriel Landeskog. Behind them are Vegas Golden Knights, followed by the Lightning, who will aim to be the first team to three-peat since the 1984 New York Islanders.

Tampa Bay Lightning (+700)

Everyone is waiting for the Lightning to be stripped for parts this offseason, but the situation might not get so grave for Tampa GM Julien BriseBois. Mathieu Joseph and Ross Colton look ready to step up should the team lose pending free agents Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman, and the Lightning have done a terrific job finding bargain players - like Goodrow - to round out their roster.

Might they consider finding a new home for Steven Stamkos - who had just six five-on-five points in 23 playoff games - while he still offers value at his current $8.5-million salary? Tampa will look different next season, but don't rule out another repeat with the core set to stay largely intact.

Toronto Maple Leafs (+1200)

Though it's considered an old-school line of thought, playoff success has largely remained contingent on good goaltending, strong depth, and size on the back end. Championship clubs obviously have high-end talent as well, but that alone is not enough to win in the postseason. Teams can't play their offensive stars 24 minutes a night and expect to survive a long playoff run. The ice-time distributions among the forward groups of this season's final four teams confirm as much.

The Maple Leafs have as much high-end talent as any team, and general manager Kyle Dubas could add another top-six forward this offseason. But the bottom six is dire, and the cap space isn't there to fix it. The goaltending situation, meanwhile, remains a massive question mark. Without those components settled, it's hard to take Toronto seriously in a playoff setting.

New York Rangers (+2500)

The Rangers are sure to be a big liability for sportsbooks next season, with the bandwagon filling up fast as fans fall in love with their young talent. Though they should push for a playoff berth in a tough Eastern Conference, the growing pains that accompany such a young roster could be enough to hold this team back. There's also uncertainty about the Rangers' depth down the middle.

New York is being priced under the assumption that its young players - particularly Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko - make considerable strides, but development isn't linear. Buying into the Rangers at this price means buying what they could be. Investing in a team's potential instead of its most likely outcome is a surefire way to lose money in the long run.

Dallas Stars (+3500)

This is as good a time as any to buy in on a Stars team that couldn't buy a break last season. COVID-19 issues and weather postponements forced Dallas to play an impossibly condensed schedule while already hamstrung by fatigue and injuries - Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov, and Ben Bishop played a combined 14 games. Getting those three back will be key, as the Stars are expected to return virtually all of their 2020-21 roster, including a trio of emerging superstars in Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, and Miro Heiskanen.

Seattle Kraken (+5000)

A Vegas-like first season from the Kraken is unrealistic - but also not impossible. The league's expansion format caters well to new teams, and the path is certainly there for GM Ron Francis to position this club for immediate success. Winning teams are built from the back out, and there will be no shortage of quality goaltenders and defensemen available to the Kraken in the expansion draft. Playing in a weak Pacific Division doesn't hurt, either.

Los Angeles Kings (+5500)

Speaking of a wide-open Pacific Division, the Kings - who have already been busy acquiring Viktor Arvidsson from the Predators - are another interesting team to watch. There's still some good hockey left in the core that remains from 2014, but it's the youngsters coming through the system who bettors should take note of. Los Angeles has the best farm system in the NHL and is about to be rewarded for it, with forwards Quinton Byfield, Arthur Kaliyev, Alex Turcotte, and Gabe Vilardi all expected to contribute next season.

The depth of the Kings' system gives them the flexibility to part with more of their significant draft capital, as they did once already for Arvidsson. They're being linked to several big-name players as general manager Rob Blake's rebuild nears completion, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him big-game hunting this offseason. Buy some early stock at 55-1.

New Jersey Devils (+10000)

There's a lot to like about the direction the Devils are heading. Injuries made it a lost year for Nico Hischier, but the club has to be thrilled with the steps taken by Jack Hughes. New Jersey is impressively deep down the middle with some exciting scoring on the wing. This team's glaring issue is defense, and though goaltending also plagued it last season, Mackenzie Blackwood deserves the benefit of the doubt.

If the Devils can improve their blue line and add some experience up front - they have the second-most cap space in the league to do so - they could surprise in a division featuring multiple other teams on the downswing.

Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have dealt franchise icon Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Caleb Jones and a third-round draft pick, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

The Blackhawks aren't retaining any salary in the deal. Keith, who turns 38 later this week, has two years left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $5.54 million, per CapFriendly. His deal includes a full no-movement clause, so Keith will have to be protected in the upcoming expansion draft unless he agrees to waive it.

Keith had reportedly expressed a desire to be closer to his family in Penticton, British Columbia, after 16 seasons in the Windy City.

The future Hall of Famer has shown serious signs of decline recently. He recorded 15 points in 54 games during the 2020-21 season while averaging 23:25 per contest. The underlying numbers were poor as well, especially on the defensive side of the puck.

However, Keith brings plenty of intangibles to the table. He's won three Stanley Cups, two Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Olympic gold medals in his storied career.

After spending the bulk of his career as a first-pairing defender, Keith projects to slot in on the left side of Edmonton's second unit behind Darnell Nurse. Fellow Oilers blue-liners Ethan Bear, Kris Russell, and Evan Bouchard remain under contract, while Tyson Barrie, Adam Larsson, and Dmitry Kulikov are unrestricted free agents.

Jones has registered five goals and 14 assists in 93 career NHL games over three seasons. The 24-year-old has one year left on his deal with an $850,000 cap hit. He'll become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in 2022.

The Blackhawks, who now project to have over $10 million in cap space, are reportedly in the market for an elite defenseman. Seth Jones, Caleb's older brother, and pending UFA Dougie Hamilton are the two big-name rearguards known to be available for trade.

The third-round pick being sent to Chicago is conditional, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. The Oilers don't own a third-rounder in the upcoming draft.

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The Ottawa Senators have appointed Pierre McGuire as senior vice president of player development, the team announced Monday.

McGuire will work closely with general manager Pierre Dorion and owner Eugene Melnyk.

"We are excited to add Pierre to our hockey management group. His experience will be instrumental as we continue to build an elite team," Melnyk said. "Pierre's knowledge of the game and its players is highly regarded, and I am confident that he will positively assist our team as it progresses to the next level."

McGuire, 59, has spent the last 24 years as a broadcaster. Prior to that, he served as a head coach, assistant coach, and scout with various NHL, ECHL, and college teams.

"I wanted someone that knew as many of the players as possible," Melnyk said, according to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch. "That's one of the key elements, is knowing who you're acquiring. ... You want to know that player's family, friends, who he hangs out with, who influenced him, and everything possible to know you're getting the right person."

Despite posting a 23-28-5 record last season, the Senators finished the 2021 campaign as one of the league's strongest teams. For Melnyk, that was apparently enough for him to deem the rebuilding club as ready to be competitive again.

"There's no more excuses. It's showtime," Melnyk said. "We've done the rebuild. We're still building, but we're almost done."

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