Relatives of Tampa Bay Lightning players and staff who aren't already in Canada won't be allowed to join the team for a possible Stanley Cup championship celebration if it occurs in Montreal on Monday night.

The Canadian government won't waive its mandatory quarantine period for those entering the country and make family members exempt, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Emily Kaplan on Saturday.

The NHL and NHLPA reportedly requested as much from the Canadian government this week. The players' union wasn't optimistic the request would be granted, and with no agreement in place as of Saturday, the possibility of families being allowed to cross the border for a potential celebration after Game 4 on Monday was ruled out, according to Kaplan.

The matter could be resolved before Game 6 on Wednesday if the series reaches that point, but neither the league nor the union reportedly expects that to happen.

Beginning Monday, fully vaccinated travelers can enter Canada under certain conditions, but they must quarantine for 14 days.

In June, Canada's lawmakers gave NHL teams travel exemptions for the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Clubs were given the go-ahead to cross the border without quarantining, though enhanced measures have been followed, such as daily testing and a modified bubble.

If the Lightning win the championship Monday, it will be the second consecutive season most family members haven't been allowed to participate in the team's title celebration. When Tampa Bay claimed the Stanley Cup in the Edmonton bubble in September, only Canadian family members living in the country could be present.

The Lightning lead the best-of-seven series 3-0.

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Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin refuted speculation Saturday that contract negotiations with star forward Kirill Kaprizov have stalled.

"We've never cut off (contract) talks," Guerin said, per NHL.com's Jessi Pierce. "It's not like we're talking every day, but there's nothing that's been cut off or dried up or anything like that. It's just an ongoing process.

"Sometimes it takes three days. Sometimes it takes three months. ... But we have plans to talk next week. It has not gone cold, contrary to what some people have reported."

Guerin added: "We have plans to really get going."

Kaprizov is an impending restricted free agent. He's not eligible for an offer sheet as he's only played one NHL campaign.

Minnesota drafted Kaprizov 135th overall in 2015, but he spent the following five seasons in the KHL before coming to North America. Kaprizov claimed the Calder Trophy this past campaign after leading all freshmen in goals (27) and points (51).

The Wild have just over $16 million in cap space this offseason, according to CapFriendly, after they inked Joel Eriksson Ek to an eight-year, $42-million contract Friday. In addition to Kaprizov, Minnesota also plans to sign another impending RFA forward in Kevin Fiala.

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Carey Price has revealed the first Stanley Cup Final of his illustrious career isn't going according to plan after a disheartening 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 on Friday night.

The Montreal Canadiens star goaltender said his play hasn't been meeting his standards, with his club sitting one loss from a sweep.

"I can definitely play better," Price said, per NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "It's just not good enough so far."

Price had been sensational in the first three rounds, authoring a .934 save percentage across 17 starts. In three games against the Lightning, Price owns an .835 clip with 13 goals against.

Now facing elimination, the 33-year-old said he and his teammates have no other option but to leave it all on the ice.

"We don't have a choice," Price said. "We've overcome adversity all season. Our backs are obviously against the wall, so we've got to start bringing our best."

Game 4 is scheduled for Monday night in Montreal.

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Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke says general manager Ron Francis has the green light to spend in the organization's inaugural season.

"Our GM has lots of options," Leiweke told The Athletic's Ryan Clark. "What owners want is for our GM to build a long-term winner. He’s gotta figure out how to do that. If that strategy involves us going to cap in Year 1, he has the authority to do it.

"I think that is one of the reasons we are all optimistic. We have this fan base. We have this arena. We have the Kraken Community Iceplex and owners willing to give Ron resources. Our hope that is we are going to reward these fans, who have been incredible, with a competitive team for years to come."

Seattle's expansion draft is scheduled for July 21 and follows the same rules the Vegas Golden Knights adhered to in 2017. It will be difficult to spend anywhere near the NHL's $81.5 million limit while simply taking exposed players, but the club could take advantage of teams facing salary cap issues by manufacturing side trades for stronger assets like Vegas did.

The Kraken have signed just one player, minor-leaguer Luke Henman, since officially becoming the league's 32nd franchise. The franchise recently hired Dave Hakstol as its first head coach.

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Jon Cooper effusively praised Tyler Johnson after the forward scored twice to help the Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 and take a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final on Friday.

"There's a reason Tyler Johnson's trophy case is fairly full," the Lightning head coach said postgame. "It's because he's an ultimate team player. He's selfless, and there was a time in this organization when we needed to take another step and Tyler Johnson was one of the leaders of that. He's just carried that on for years now."

"As teams change and they evolve, and the salary cap (comes into play) ... guys are coming up. But there was one thing we never lost faith in: Tyler Johnson," Cooper continued. "He never lost faith in himself. And roles change, you have to adapt, and nobody's done it better than Tyler. ... I couldn't be more happy for somebody, and I know that his teammates were for his performance tonight, and being rewarded for everything he's gone through.

"I'm extremely happy for the win," he said. "I might be a little happier for Tyler Johnson."

Johnson went unclaimed in October after the Lightning placed him on waivers. The veteran center will turn 31 on July 29. He's often considered an expendable player in trade and expansion-draft chatter because of his $5-million cap hit and diminished offensive production.

Cooper and Johnson both joined the Lightning in 2012-13, and the two have been with the club since. They won the Cup together last season after reaching the championship round in 2015.

Johnson, who stands just 5-foot-8, is a two-time 29-goal scorer. Tampa Bay signed him as a free agent in March 2011 after he went undrafted.

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The Edmonton Oilers are open to acquiring Duncan Keith if the Chicago Blackhawks can ease their financial burden.

Edmonton is interested in the veteran defenseman, but only at the right price and under the right circumstances, a team source told The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

The Oilers reportedly want the Blackhawks to retain a portion of Keith's salary or take one of Edmonton's "bad" contracts in a potential deal. But the Oilers don't expect the Blackhawks to part so easily with Keith, who played a major role in his team's three championships from 2010-15.

On Wednesday, it was reported Keith is working with Chicago to facilitate a trade to either the Pacific Northwest or western Canada so he can be closer to his family in Penticton, British Columbia. Keith, who'll turn 38 on July 16, has a full no-movement clause in his contract. Two years remain on that pact at a roughly $5.54-million cap hit.

Keith's play significantly declined this season, as he collected only 15 points in 54 games. However, he averaged a team-high 23:25 of ice time in 2021.

The Oilers have about $16 million in cap space, but they still need to sign pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Adam Larsson and soon-to-be UFA goalie Mike Smith. Edmonton also has a slew of additional pending free agents, including young forward Kailer Yamamoto and more experienced winger Alex Chiasson.

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The Minnesota Wild inked versatile forward Joel Eriksson Ek to an eight-year contract carrying an average annual value of $5.25 million, the club announced Friday.

Eriksson Ek was a pending restricted free agent.

The 24-year-old produced a career year in 2021, ranking third on the team with 19 goals and fifth with 30 points over 56 games. He also finished fourth in Selke Trophy voting.

Eriksson Ek authored a stellar 57.38 expected goals for percentage at five-on-five this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Swedish center also led the Wild with 395 faceoff wins on 839 attempts.

Minnesota drafted Eriksson Ek 20th overall in 2015.

There are still two more impact players on the Wild's roster for them to sign. Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov and talented forward Kevin Fiala - the squad's leading scorers - both need new contracts.

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