The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Jake Gardiner to a four-year contract with an annual average value of $4.05 million, the team announced Friday.

More to come.

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Joe Thornton has signed a one-year deal to remain with the San Jose Sharks for the 2019-20 season, the team announced Friday.

Terms of the contract weren't officially disclosed, but Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports it's worth $2 million.

"Words cannot equate the impact that Joe has had on this franchise since his arrival in San Jose in 2005," general manager Doug Wilson said in the team's announcement. "Joe is a generational player who seemingly blazes past an existing Hall of Famer with each game he plays. His leadership and dedication to the organization and his teammates is inspiring. He has the rare ability to make the players around him better and we're excited to see him healthy and back wearing the Sharks crest."

Thornton was an unrestricted free agent this summer. His one-year deal is the third in a row he's signed, with each coming cheaper than the last. His contract in 2017-18 was worth $8 million, and he earned $5 million last season.

At 40 years old, Thornton's future following San Jose's elimination in May's Western Conference Final was unclear, but he assured if he came back for a 22nd season, it would only be for the Sharks.

Thornton battled some injuries last season but still produced 51 points in 73 games before adding 10 more in 19 playoff contests.

With each point, Thornton continues to climb the all-time ranks. He currently sits 14th in league history with 1,478 career points and is well within range of hitting the illustrious 1,500-point plateau. He's also eighth all time in assists with 1,065, passing the likes of Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, and Steve Yzerman this past season.

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Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews doesn't want to see restricted free agent Mitch Marner's contract dispute go the same route that William Nylander's did last season.

"Willie, he didn't enjoy those three months not being with the team, not playing," Matthews told NHL.com for the Player Media Tour in Chicago. "Obviously jumping back in midseason, you haven't played a game in six or seven months, it's tough mentally and physically. I don't think anybody really wants this to drag out.

"Obviously, we'd love to see him (sign) as soon as possible. He's a big part of our team, so obviously when the season starts, you want to see him out there with everybody."

Nylander didn't sign his deal until minutes before the deadline on Dec.1. He struggled to find his game when he returned and said after the season that he regretted missing time.

Marner is a long way from reaching the point Nylander did, but Toronto's training camp opens next week and the club's leading scorer said he "probably" won't attend without a new contract.

Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said earlier this week that the two sides have continued to discuss the contract and he's hopeful Marner will be signed when the team convenes in St. John's, Newfoundland on Sept. 13.

Toronto is currently projected to have a cap hit of more than $700,00 over the NHL's $81.5-million salary cap limit, but it can build an offseason roster as rich as $92.05 million before placing David Clarkson and Nathan Horton on long-term injured reserve to drop back within the limit, according to Cap Friendly. The Maple Leafs can also shed some additional money by optioning players to the minors.

Marner is coming off the best season of his three-year career, as he posted 94 points in 82 games in 2018-19.

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This past offseason saw plenty of players undergo a change of scenery. While a new team can often mean a fresh start, here are three faces in new places to stay away from this fantasy hockey campaign.

Corey Perry, RW, Stars

Perry won't be pulling on an Anaheim Ducks sweater for the first time in his 14-year career. The 34-year-old signed a one-year deal in Dallas following his buyout from the team where he won a Stanley Cup, a Rocket Richard, and an MVP.

The veteran winger has been handed a new opportunity with the Stars but he likely won't come close to being the player he was in the past. He'll probably be buried on Dallas' second or third line and could be limited to second-unit power-play duties due to the club's bevy of options.

Injuries have derailed Perry's production over the last few years, so the bar for him to have a decent bounce-back campaign is pretty low. However, he's worth nothing more than a waiver pickup this fantasy season.

Micheal Ferland, LW/RW, Canucks

Ferland inked a lucrative four-year contract with the Canucks this offseason after posting 40 points in 71 games in Carolina last season. He has all the tools to be an effective player in Vancouver's lineup on the ice but he has a lot of red flags fantasy-wise.

First and foremost, Ferland's health is a major issue. He spoke last season about his concerns for his well-being after suffering the second concussion of his career.

Second, the 27-year-old doesn't register a ton of shots and is unlikely to earn big power-play minutes on a Canucks team laden with young talent.

Ferland has spent plenty of time alongside superstars in both Carolina and Calgary. If he gets a look alongside Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser on Vancouver's top line, Ferland could have some value as a streaming option. Otherwise, there's too much risk involved.

Robin Lehner, G, Blackhawks

Lehner was a steal in fantasy leagues last year, as the 28-year-old posted a career-high .930 save percentage across 46 games with the Islanders en route to being an out-of-nowhere Vezina Trophy finalist.

For whatever reason, the Isles couldn't come to terms with Lehner on a new deal, and now he'll share a crease with longtime starter Corey Crawford after winding up in Chicago.

Crawford's missed a ton of time in recent seasons due to injuries, so Lehner may have an opportunity to emerge as the Blackhawks' No. 1. However, he still needs to prove last season wasn't a flash in the pan. He may be in tough to do so, as he goes from the defensive-minded Isles, who allowed the 11th-fewest shots per game last season (30.9), to a Blackhawks squad that gave up 34.8 per contest - the second-highest number in the league.

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Vladimir Tarasenko says he's healthy.

The St. Louis Blues sniper allayed any fears about his status for training camp after suffering a pair of injuries en route to winning the Stanley Cup in June.

"Now everything feels fine," he told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti on Thursday. "I'm still recovering, but I feel strong, I feel good and ready to go."

Tarasenko revealed he sustained a dislocated shoulder early in the Cup Final against the Boston Bruins but continued playing.

"My shoulder popped out in Game 2 in the second period," he said. "They put it back in, and I was able to finish the game."

Tarasenko had surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder last offseason but didn't require a procedure this summer.

He also had a knee scope performed following the championship victory in June.

Despite the two injuries, the 27-year-old winger didn't miss a playoff game in 2019.

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The NHL's marketing department is certainly thinking differently, and that may not be a good thing.

A tweet shared by the league's primary account Thursday which clearly referenced Apple's 1997 "Think Different" ad campaign was met with confusion and scorn by Twitter users.

It doesn't take a Genius to figure out that the league might have missed the mark on this one.

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Bo Horvat says he's cut out to be captain of the Vancouver Canucks - if they call his number.

"Yeah I think so," Horvat told NHL.com from the Player Media Tour in Chicago on Thursday. "First of all, it would be an unbelievable honor to wear the 'C' and to wear any letter, for that matter. But to even be in consideration is definitely humbling. But it wouldn't change who I am."

He added: "It wouldn't change the type of player I want to be. I wouldn't let it affect me that me. I'd just try to be the best leader I can be."

The Canucks didn't have a captain last season, electing against naming a new leader after the retirement of Henrik (and Daniel) Sedin. Horvat was an alternate captain along with Alexander Edler, Brandon Sutter, and Chris Tanev.

The 24-year-old Horvat was drafted ninth overall by the Canucks in 2013. He's coming off the best season of his career, which saw him notch 61 points in 82 games and average nearly 21 minutes of ice time per contest.

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The Edmonton Oilers added some center depth by landing veteran pivot Riley Sheahan on a one-year, $900,000 contract, Sportsnet's Mark Spector reports.

Sheahan split last season between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers, collecting 19 points in 82 games while being deployed primarily on the fourth line.

The 27-year-old has totaled 149 points in 447 career NHL games. He was a first-round pick in 2010 by the Detroit Red Wings, who were run by current Oilers GM Ken Holland at the time.

Sheahan is expected to compete with Colby Cave and Kyle Brodziak, who's currently dealing with a back ailment, for Edmonton's fourth-line center job.

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