Don't order your Milan Lucic jerseys just yet, Edmonton Oilers fans.
Lucic reportedly met face-to-face with the Dallas Stars, led by owner Tom Gaglardi, his agent, Gerry Johannson told NEWS 1130 Sports.
The discussion took place in Lucic's hometown of Vancouver, and Johannson also said it will be his final face-to-face meeting with July 1 approaching.
The bruising winger disputed a report that indicated he agreed to a deal with the Oilers, but Lucic is garnering plenty of attention from around the league as one of the most sought-after free agents.
Lucic, 28, carried a cap hit of $6 million in the final season of his contract, played out with the Los Angeles Kings.
The Stars have plenty of cap flexibility, but are also in the market for a new starting goaltender.
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The decision to trade Shea Weber was not one taken lightly by Nashville Predators general manager David Poile.
The defenseman, who's served as captain and face of the franchise for years, was dealt Wednesday to the Montreal Canadiens for P.K. Subban, and the decision came only after Poile conducted numerous meeting with his staff since the NHL Draft, he told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.
"(Weber) grew up here. I call him a foundation piece. He's probably had the most influence and impact on our franchise of any player, Poile said. "He was our captain. It's one thing to trade a player, but somebody that's been with you 12-13 years, you don't stay that long without having an impact on the franchise.
"This was not a normal trade. From ownership to coaches to all of us in hockey ops, this was not an easy decision. It was a hard one."
On the flip side, however, was the opportunity to add one of the most exciting players in the NHL to an already electric roster.
"Hey, I'm a general manager, but I'm a fan, too. We're in the entertainment business. We've got some exciting players," Poile said.
"I love our goalie and how acrobatic he is, I love Roman Josi rushing the puck or Ryan Ellis rushing the puck, I like the swagger of James Neal, the goal-scoring ability of Filip Forsberg, I like the potential of Ryan Johansen, and now you can add in P.K. Subban - arguably one of the most energetic and most dynamic players in the National Hockey League."
Seemingly always on the verge of making noise in the Western Conference, Poile has added both Johansen and Subban in the past seven months, giving his team as good a chance as ever of becoming legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.
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The dust has settled, but the chaos hasn't.
P.K. Subban - the face of the NHL's pinnacle franchise - was dealt to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday for reasons unknown, seemingly buried in the depths of the Montreal Canadiens' front office.
Subban was a fan favorite. He brought booming slapshots, frequent pirouettes, and thrilling escapades with the puck on his tape, followed up by must-see celebrations. All combined with world-class production, it made him one of the most captivating figures in the sport, and fittingly, Habs fans were upset to see him go.
All told, here are five unforgettable moments from Subban's time in Montreal. Hopefully, Habs fans, it can make the grieving process a little easier.
5. - Massive hit on Brad Marchand
Two of the epicenters of the modern Habs-Bruins rivalry, Subban and Marchand, met rather violently in this instance in 2010.
With Marchand streaking up ice, Subban stepped up and delivered a textbook open-ice hit - an underrated facet of P.K.'s game - on the Bruins' pest, much to the delight of the onlooking Canadiens fans.
4. - Incredible individual effort versus Colorado
After exploding out of the penalty box, Subban took matters into his own hands for a remarkable goal versus the Avalanche in 2014.
Provided with an inexplicable amount of time and space, Subban displayed his scoring touch with a series of quick moves in dispatching a hapless Calvin Pickard.
3. - OT winner versus Boston
If anyone's happy to see Subban leave Montreal, it's Bruins fans.
Subban often put on a show against the Canadiens' biggest rival, and didn't shy away from the spotlight in the biggest moments.
In Game 1 of the second round in the 2014 postseason, Subban silenced TD Garden with his patented laser slapshot, his second goal of the game.
2. - Capturing the Norris Trophy
No defenseman was better than Subban in 2013.
In the lockout-shortened campaign, Subban scored 11 goals and 27 assists in 42 games, becoming the first Canadiens rearguard to win the award since Chris Chelios in 1989.
1. - Breakway goal versus Bruins
Two games after his overtime winner, Subban proved to be the X-factor against Boston once more.
Again escaping the penalty box, Subban was sprung on a breakaway and made no mistake in beating Tuukka Rask, sending the Bell Centre into an absolute frenzy.
As expected, Subban followed up the goal with a Herculean fist-pump at center ice, a lasting image in what was an other-worldly playoff performance.
Honorable mention: Donating $10 million to local children's hospital
Subban's reputation goes much further than his on-ice contributions.
On top of being a perennial All-Star, Subban's philanthropic legacy is deeply rooted in the Montreal community.
In September 2015, Subban made a $10 million donation over seven years to Montreal Children's Hospital - the largest financial commitment from a sports figure in Canadian history.
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The Tampa Bay Lightning will buy out defenseman Matt Carle, according to multiple reports.
Carle, 31, falls victim to Tampa Bay's pressing cap issue, but the decision could prove to be valuable for the Lightning, as the team will save $3.67 million over the next two seasons, according to General Fanager.
Carle carried an AAV of $5.5 million and signed with the Lightning through 2018.
Despite retaining captain Steven Stamkos, general manager Steve Yzerman has decisions to make in the near future regarding Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, and Ben Bishop, among others.
Not as offensively potent as he used to be, Carle posted nine points in 64 contests last season. Still, he will likely be sought after by plenty of teams in search of a middle-pairing blue-liner.
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The Boston Bruins are buying out the final two years of defenseman Dennis Seidenberg's contract, as first reported by Bob McKenzie of TSN.
The veteran defenseman confirmed the report to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE, adding he's going to miss playing for the Bruins.
As a result, the Bruins will save $2.833 million against the salary cap this year and $1.833 million in 2017-18, according to General Fanager. They will, however, be on the hook for a cap hit of $1,666,666 for the two seasons after that point.
Seidenberg, 34, has been with the Bruins since 2010 and was a member of the 2011 Stanley Cup championship squad. He was limited to 61 games this past season due to injury.
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Beau Bennett offered a fitting end to his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The oft-injured winger took to Twitter to thank the organization and its fans after recently being traded to the New Jersey Devils, and added some humorous and healthy self deprecation for good measure.
Thank you Pittsburgh! pic.twitter.com/MOy5s1KK0C
— Beau Bennett (@BeauBennett19) June 30, 2016
Bennett was drafted 20th overall by Pittsburgh in 2010 but was limited to 129 games in four seasons due to various injuries.
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Eric Staal has at least one desirable landing spot on his radar.
The unrestricted free agent has spoken to the Minnesota Wild, with both sides seeing potential for a fit.
"There's mutual interest and consideration that there is a fit with Minnesota," Staal's agent, Rick Curran, told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. "We've had conversation and I would also suggest Eric was extremely impressed."
The 31-year-old recently said he feels he has "a lot of miles left" but would likely be in line for a short-term, team-friendly deal with the Wild, who have limited cap space.
That his point production is in decline will also affect his ability to secure term and big dollars as a free agent.
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The New York Islanders are hosting pending free-agent forward Andrew Ladd, according to Arthur Staple of Newsday.
#Isles hosting pending UFA Andrew Ladd today on LI.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) June 30, 2016
Ladd has made it clear he wants to play for a contender, and with Kyle Okposo set to hit the market, Isles' general manger Garth Snow could be looking at a suitable replacement.
The Islanders have over $15 million in cap space to work with this offseason, and although he could be seeking a raise, Ladd carried a cap hit of $4.4 million on his last contract.
The 30-year-old scored 46 points between the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks last season and has been courted by multiple teams heading into July 1.
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Troy Brouwer is in a good spot heading into free agency.
The 30-year-old winger is coming off a solid regular season and impressive playoff performance with the St. Louis Blues, all of which will serve him well on the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
Brouwer remains in talks with the Blues on a new contract and would be happy to remain in St. Louis, but told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN he'd welcome a new opportunity and is indeed being pursued by other clubs.
"I’ve talked to a few teams. I’ve gotten phone calls to my agent from a handful more teams, so it seems like there’s a lot of good interest," Brouwers said. "I’m encouraged, absolutely, by the phone calls I’ve gotten from the teams that have reached out, and the interest that they’ve displayed. It’s kind of a pins-and-needles situation where you’re just waiting."
One of those teams, LeBrun reports, is the Calgary Flames, whom Brouwer met with in person this week.
Nothing, however, has been decided.
"All you can do is speculate right now. The teams that have shown the most interest in me are teams that I would be excited to go be a part of."
Brouwer recorded 18 goals and 21 assists in 82 games for the Blues this past season, adding eight goals and five assists in 20 playoff games. He's coming off a three-year contract that carried a salary cap hit of $3,666,666.
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