The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Jason Zucker to a two-year, $4-million contract extension.

A second-round pick at the 2010 NHL Draft (59th overall), the 24-year-old forward recorded 13 goals and 10 assists in 71 games this past season. Zucker scored a career-high 21 goals in 2014-15 while appearing in only 51 games.

The deal marks a nice raise over Zucker's average annual valuation of $900,250 over the past two seasons.

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The Nashville Predators are looking for offense.

The Tennessean's Adam Vingan writes that the club reached out to forwards Loui Eriksson and Andrew Ladd, who will be unrestricted free agents Friday. J.P. Barry, who represents both players, confirmed the conversations took place.

Ladd scored 25 goals last season, while Eriksson had 30. Ladd has ties to Predators head coach Peter Laviolette, who Ladd played for with the Carolina Hurricanes.

"Forward-wise, we're always looking to get a little bit better," said Predators general manager David Poile.

Poile added that his crew has had several meetings to discuss multiple players ahead of free agency, and that he'll look at all avenues to improve his club, including via trade.

Nashville locked up Filip Forsberg on a long-term extension Monday, and placed forward Eric Nystrom on waivers for buyout purposes Wednesday. They've got some money to spend.

Meanwhile, Barry spoke about his displeasure with the free-agency discussion window ahead of July 1.

"I just don't find it productive at all," he told The Canadian Press. "It's become like maybe a bit of a temporary beauty contest. It doesn't necessarily predict what's going to happen going forward."

For Barry and most NHL fans, July 1 cannot come soon enough.

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Cam Fowler was fully expecting to be on the move.

The Anaheim Ducks defenseman was reportedly in play on the trade market at the NHL Draft, and, having been well aware of the speculation, had been preparing himself mentally for a call saying he had indeed been moved.

"I've heard (trade speculation) before even at recent trade deadlines, but this time with the position the Ducks are in and some of the salaries, it just seemed like it was pretty real," he told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. "I was 100 percent prepared for something to happen. And was honestly pretty surprised when it didn't."

Still, Fowler knows the possibility that he will be traded remains wide open as the offseason continues.

"It's one of those things where I want to be prepared for it to happen, obviously I love playing in Anaheim and being a Duck, I feel like I have a great relationship with (general manager) Bob (Murray). I just know that his hands are tied a little bit with what he needs to do. I just have to sit and be patient and see what happens."

The 24-year-old was drafted 12th overall by the Ducks in 2010, and recorded a career-high 10 goals and 40 points as a rookie the following season. For his career, he's averaging 0.43 points per game, a number that rises to 0.49 in 49 playoff games.

Fowler remains under contract for the next two seasons at a cap hit of $4 million.

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A couple of veterans are being paid to leave.

The Calgary Flames placed Mason Raymond on waivers Wednesday, and the Nashville Predators did the same with Eric Nystrom. Both will be bought out of the final seasons of their contract.

The move costs the Flames $1.05 million against the salary cap in each of the next two seasons, and opens up $2.1 million in space for 2016-17, according to General Fanager. Raymond was due to make $3.15 million next season.

Nystrom's buyout will cost the Predators $500,000 next season, and $1 million in 2017-18, while opening up $2 million for 2016-17, according to General Fanager.

Raymond, 31 in September, had four goals and an assist in 29 games with the Flames last season.

Nystrom, 33, scored seven goals in 46 games for Nashville.

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It's Eric Staal's turn.

After his agent said his client's looking for a top-six role in unrestricted free agency, and the Carolina Hurricanes said their former captain won't be returning to Raleigh, Staal himself spoke about his future Tuesday.

ESPN's Pierre LeBrun caught up with the 31-year-old, who is both excited about the future and motivated to prove people wrong. The center is looking to put the past two years, which he called "challenging," behind him.

"It's an opportunity," Staal said about hitting the market. "It's been interesting so far and I'm sure it's going to get more interesting as the week goes on and we get to Friday."

Staal's getting older, and his production is slipping. He had 61 points in 2013-14, 54 in 2014-15, and only 39 last season. But he's not finished. At least not in his eyes.

"I feel like I've got a lot of good years left in me, I know I do," he told LeBrun.

That's what makes Staal's landing spot crucial - he wants to be put in a position where he can succeed. He's also going to take into account his family, as his three children were born in North Carolina.

"I feel like I've got a lot of miles left yet," Staal reiterated. "And just looking for that right fit and opportunity and go from there."

Staal said the shock of being traded at the deadline to the New York Rangers prepared he and his family for free agency. They've been through a move, they know what to expect.

As LeBrun notes, Staal won't be the first off the board Friday. As a center, he's going to get an opportunity, but he may be waiting a bit.

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Thomas Vanek is using his newfound unrestricted free-agent status as motivation.

Bought out by the Minnesota Wild, the 32-year-old winger is set to hit the open market with a will to prove he still has plenty of gas left in the tank.

Related: Top 15 unrestricted free-agent forwards

"(Vanek) is more motivated than I’ve ever heard him, talking about coming back and showing everybody he’s 30-goal scorer," agent Steve Bartlett told John Vogl of the Buffalo News.

The 30-goal mark hasn't been reached by Vanek since he scored 32 with the Sabres in 2010-11, and the 18 he scored in 2015-16 marked the lowest single-season output of his career.

Still, Vanek is averaging 31.7 goals per 82 games over the course of his career and hit at least 20 every season before last since entering the NHL in 2005.

While the Wild weren't willing to carry his $6.5-million cap hit for another season to find out if can indeed rediscover his scoring touch, the team that signs him could get nice value out of Vanek, especially if he comes in at a discounted rate.

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In a perfect world, Matt Martin would have signed a contract with the New York Islanders a while ago.

Set to hit unrestricted free agency Friday, Martin understands his tenure with the only NHL club he's ever known may be coming to an end.

"As the time ticks away here, you wonder what’s in store for you and your future," Martin said Tuesday, writes Newsday's Arthur Staple. "You still hope something can get done, but it's a business. I never thought it would get this far, but this is how these things go."

Martin scored nine goals and had 10 assists last season. For a fourth-line winger who loves to use the body, he's been remarkably durable, missing only nine games since becoming a regular on the club in 2011-12. He recorded 365 hits last year, and his 19 points were a career high.

According to Staple, Martin's looking for a four-year, $12-million contract - too rich for the Islanders.

"It’s not a situation where I want to leave," Martin added. "I'd hope they want to keep me as well, but it’s just how the business works."

Martin's the type of player who is typically overpaid on July 1. That's good news for him, even as the 27-year-old departs the team that he grew up with, and the community he made strong connections in.

In 438 career NHL games, Martin has 42 goals, 46 assists, and over 2,000 hits.

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Phil Kessel is big in Jamaica, apparently.

Redditor Cory7321 and his friends stumbled upon a shrine for the Pittsburgh Penguins forward at a sports bar in the Jamaican resort they were staying at, and of course, they had to share the incredible discovery.

The shrine dates back to Kessel's tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

(Courtesy: Imgur/Cory7321)

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