The Washington Capitals were able to keep John Carlson in the fold, and now they're looking to re-sign his defense partner.

The Capitals are apparently "making a serious run" at keeping hold of Michal Kempny, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Kempny was acquired in a midseason trade from the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he struggled to get into the lineup on a regular basis. With the Capitals, he excelled in a top-four role, serving as a steady, low-risk partner for the dynamic Carlson.

As one of the few blue-liners under 30 years old set to hit the open market July 1, there would surely be no shortage of interest in Kempny.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs might be knee-deep in the John Tavares sweepstakes, but that doesn't mean the team isn't still open for business when it comes to other players in its system.

After a season in which the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies won the Calder Cup, the club's two goalies are garnering interest at the NHL level, as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports the Buds have fielded calls on both Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard.

Sparks, a 2011 seventh-round pick of the Leafs, was lights-out for the Marlies over their Calder run, registering a 14-5-0 record to go along with a 2.22 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in the playoffs.

As for Pickard, who was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in October, he put up solid numbers during the regular season, owning a 21-9-1 record and .918 save percentage.

Both 'tenders have proven they can hang in the NHL, and with Freddy Andersen anchoring the blue paint for Toronto and backup Curtis McElhinney under contract for next season, either Pickard or Sparks could find themselves rocking different colors next year.

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Add Cam Ward to the list of potential backup goaltenders for the Chicago Blackhawks after the team reached out to the veteran netminder, reports The Athletic's Scott Powers.

Rumors have also connected the Blackhawks to fellow unrestricted-free-agent goalies Carter Hutton and Jonathan Bernier.

Chicago received subpar goaltending last season when Corey Crawford went down. He missed the bulk of the 2017-18 campaign due to vertigo-like symptoms, and with his health for next season still unclear, the team wants to ensure it has a better contingency plan.

Ward was solid early in his career, though he's likely no longer a name that will excite Blackhawks fans. A Conn Smythe Trophy winner in his rookie season, the 34-year-old hasn't had a year with a save percentage over .910 since 2011-12.

Last season, Ward posted a .906 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against-average in 43 games with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Anton Forsberg, Jeff Glass, and the recently traded J-F Berube started most of the games for Chicago with Crawford sidelined in 2017-18.

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The Arizona Coyotes shored up their back end Wednesday, agreeing to a new two-year contract with defenseman Kevin Connauton, the team announced.

His new deal comes with a $2.75-million price tag, sources told Arizona Sports' Craig Morgan.

"We are very pleased to sign Kevin to a contract extension," general manager John Chayka said. "Kevin is a versatile defenseman with a great work ethic. He had an excellent season last year and he adds depth to our blue line. We're happy to have him back."

Connauton, 28, is coming off a very respectable season for the Desert Dogs, as the underrated rearguard registered a career high in goals (11) and chipped in with 10 assists in just over 15 minutes of ice time per night.

With Connauton's signing, Arizona now has all of its top six defensemen under contract for next season; a list of players that also includes Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers, Alex Goligoski, Jakob Chychrun, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Connauton was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the third round of the 2009 NHL Draft.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed forward Riley Sheahan to a one-year contract worth $2.1 million, the team announced Wednesday.

Sheahan didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Pens before Monday's deadline, making an unrestricted free agent, and he could've signed with any team on July 1.

Coming off a season in which he scored just two goals with the Detroit Red Wings, Sheahan rebounded nicely in 2017-18 with the Penguins, tallying 11 goals and 32 points.

With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Derick Brassard all under contract next season, Sheahan will likely be relegated to fourth-line center duties.

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Devante Smith-Pelly wants a chance to repeat.

The Washington Capitals have agreed to terms on a one-year, $1-million contract with the forward, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Smith-Pelly, who was previously set to be a restricted free agent, was not given a qualifying offer by the Caps prior to Monday's deadline, granting him unrestricted status. He therefore could've signed with any team he wanted on July 1, but apparently chose to remain in D.C.

His decision to stay came in spite of multiple offers - including a two-year deal - that were worth more, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Smith-Pelly had just seven goals in 75 regular-season games in 2017-18, but matched that total in only 24 playoff contests. The 26-year-old will likely fulfill a fourth-line role with the Caps once again next season.

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He might not be generating the kind of attention that another highly sought-after center is, but Sabres pivot Ryan O'Reilly's name has been in the mix regarding a potential deal out of Buffalo over the last couple weeks.

Related: Report: Habs nearly dealt Pacioretty, landed O'Reilly in 3-team blockbuster at draft

Most recently, reports indicated the team had a deal in place during Friday's draft that would have sent O'Reilly to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a first-round pick. However, that deal did not exist, according Buffalo general manager Jason Botterill.

"There are a ton of rumors our there about Ryan and I think a lot of them are very creative," Botterill told Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.

Botterill was then asked whether there was a deal in place at the draft, to which he responded, "No."

O'Reilly has been drawing interest from a number of clubs recently, including the Canadiens, who have an obvious need at the center position. The 27-year-old enjoyed a solid offensive campaign for the Sabres last season, racking up 24 goals and 37 assists in 81 games.

He has five years remaining on his current contract, which carries an annual average value of $7.5 million.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins intend to sign pending unrestricted free-agent Jack Johnson to a five-year contract that will be in the $16-million range, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Wednesday.

Johnson's new deal can't be made official until July 1, when free agency officially opens.

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said earlier Wednesday that the club made adding a defenseman a priority this offseason.

Johnson spent parts of the last seven seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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