The 26-year-old spent last season with the KHL's Bratislava Slovan, netting four goals and seven assists in 44 games. He last appeared in the NHL in 2016-17 with the Anaheim Ducks but was limited to just one game due to concussion symptoms.
The Ducks bought out the final three years of Despres' contract in June 2017.
A native of Laval, Quebec, Despres was selected in the first round of the 2009 draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
While it's hard to say whether the NHL free-agent interview period tipped the scales in the John Tavares sweepstakes, the process certainly didn't sit well with New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello.
"I was extremely disappointed with the window of interviews; that was not the intention of how the league and union intended it," Lamoriello told Andrew Gross of Newsday. "I was very disappointed with the way the process was. I've never seen it like this one."
In 2013, the NHL introduced an interview period allowing teams to speak with pending unrestricted free agents prior to July 1. It was intended as an opportunity to gauge the interest of soon-to-be available players, but the interview period has gone one step further, with both sides talking parameters and agreeing to terms ahead of free agency.
Lamoriello's remarks come after Tavares used the interview period to sit down with five clubs, plus the Islanders, prior to signing with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks, and Tampa Bay Lightning also presented to the 27-year-old. Each club had the option of signing the center to a maximum seven-year pact, save for the Islanders, who could offer an additional eighth year up until June 30.
While the Islanders ultimately lost out on Tavares, the club's newfound cap space didn't last long, as New York added veteran forwards Leo Komarov and Valtteri Filppula in free agency, then re-acquired tough customer Matt Martin in a deal with the Maple Leafs.
The Tampa Bay Lightning remain a favorite to land Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators, but with less than $4 million in cap space, and with the superstar blue-liner due for an extension, Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman will need to shed some salary in order to make a deal work.
Karlsson is due $6.5 million next season, per CapFriendly, but he could be seeking a new contract in line with Drew Doughty's recently signed eight-year, $88-million extension.
Enter the Rangers, who are reportedly interested in a reunion with Callahan. The 33-year-old has a $5.8-million cap hit for the next two seasons, and while he holds a modified no-trade clause, accepting a trade back to New York seems like a safe bet.
Brooks notes that should the Rangers take on Callahan's contract, the Lightning would likely need to sweeten the deal, possibly with a draft pick. New York already owns Tampa Bay's second-round pick in next year's draft as part of last season's Ryan McDonagh trade. As per the conditions of that deal, the draft pick will become the Lightning's first-rounder if they win the Stanley Cup in 2019.
New York dealt Callahan to Tampa Bay at the 2014 trade deadline in the deal that brought Martin St. Louis to the Rangers.
Callahan tallied five goals and 13 assists in 67 games with the Lightning last season. He underwent shoulder surgery in late May and was given a five-month recovery period.
Maroon's agent, Ben Hankinson, confirmed to The Athletic's Michael Russo that the Minnesota Wild have shown interest, too. But cap space is an issue for the Wild, making a Maroon signing unlikely.
Cap concerns aren't a problem in New Jersey ($23 million) or Arizona ($14.8 million), meaning a deal with either club could come together easily.
Maroon, a St. Louis native, might take a hometown discount. That would help the Blues, as with just $5 million in cap space and restricted free-agent defenseman Joel Edmundson needing a new contract, dollars are tight in St. Louis.
Here's what I got: told that Patrick Maroon to #stlblues has been finalized, could be announced Monday & expected to be for one-year, $1.7 million & that Blues and Maroon will entertain a contract extension when first allowed in January. Looks like Oakville native is coming home.
Maroon, 30, recorded 43 points in 74 games last season, split between the Edmonton Oilers and Devils. He potted a career-high 27 goals with the Oilers in 2016-17.
Richardson comes to the Canadiens after one year as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders. He previously spent three seasons as an assistant with the Ottawa Senators, followed by a four-year run as the bench boss of the Senators' minor-league club.
The Ottawa native is the Canadiens' second coaching hire this offseason, after the team appointed Dominique Ducharme as assistant coach in April. The two will work under associate coach Kirk Muller and head coach Claude Julien.
"I'm delighted with the addition of Luke Richardson to our coaching staff. Luke is a very credible hockey person and a very knowledgeable coach," Julien said in a statement. "We undertook a process to select a coach with specific criteria in mind, and after taking the time to meet with several candidates, we're very happy that Luke accepted to join our group. He has already been told that his role on our staff will be to work with our defensemen."
The top pick in the 2018 draft, Dahlin is expected to immediately step into the Sabres' lineup and stabilize the Buffalo blue line alongside defensive stalwart Rasmus Ristolainen.
In 41 games with the Swedish Hockey League's Frolunda HC last season, Dahlin notched seven goals and 13 assists. The Swedish import has been compared to fellow countrymen Nicklas Lidstrom and Victor Hedman.
Dahlin is the third player in the Sabres' franchise history to be selected with the first-overall pick, following Gilbert Perreault (1970) and Pierre Turgeon (1987).
Don't underestimate the value of freshmen in your fantasy league.
Often overlooked, rookies can provide important production. Better yet, given their relative inexperience, these under-the-radar performers can be picked up in the later rounds of your draft.
For first-year players on top teams, where they are surrounded by high-end talent, the rewards can be even more significant. With that in mind, here are five names to keep an eye on when your draft team gets called to the podium:
Anthony Cirelli
Load up on the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are once again a Stanley Cup favorite.
While Bolts rookie center Anthony Cirelli won't be among the top contributors on this potential champion - Tampa Bay's offensive riches means Cirelli will likely be used in a bottom-six role - it stands to reason he will play alongside other scoring threats, possibly Yanni Gourde and veteran winger Alex Killorn. Gourde finished third in rookie scoring last year, while Killorn has been a consistent contributor across six seasons in Tampa Bay.
As for Cirelli, while he spent most of last season in the minors, Lightning fans got a sneak peak of what's to come when the budding center put up 11 points in 18 appearances with the big club. Expect his production to climb alongside his experience.
Ryan Donato
Few have made better debuts than Ryan Donato, whose first game with the Boston Bruins last year saw him pick up a goal and two assists. In fact, Donato was only the second player in franchise history to notch three points in his introduction to the NHL.
While his production expectedly tailed off - he tallied six points in the next 11 contests, and was held pointless across three postseason games - Donato should be a key contributor next season on a Bruins squad capable of securing top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Current projections have Donato on Boston's third line, possibly alongside fellow freshman Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and second-year pro Danton Heinen.
Jordan Greenway
For leagues that value size with skill, look to Jordan Greenway of the Minnesota Wild. The hulking winger brings both a scoring touch and impressive size, so you're sure to see his name across a handful of fantasy categories.
Greenway wrapped his third campaign with Boston University just shy of a point-per-game pace, while his 52 penalty minutes ranked second to only 2018 draftee Brady Tkachuk. He got a short stint with the Wild following the college season, which included five playoff games, where he notched one goal and one assist.
The New York native also brings winning pedigree, as he was a member of Team USA's gold-medal squad at the 2017 World Junior Championship. That international experience helped Greenway land a role with the Americans at 2018 Pyeongchang, where he scored one goal in five outings.
The team's top pick in the 2017 draft, Thomas impressed last season in what is sure to be his last year skating in the junior ranks. After beginning the season with the OHL's London Knights, where his production eclipsed 1.7 points per game, a deadline deal saw Thomas shipped to the Hamilton Bulldogs. While his offensive output dipped early on with his new club, Thomas turned heads in the postseason, finishing third in league scoring with 32 points in 21 games.
Loads of offensive options with the Blues means not only solid linemates for Thomas, but also the likelihood of him fitting into a lower spot in the top nine, where he won't be matched against top defenders and will be given plenty of time to shine.
Eeli Tolvanen
After a record-setting rookie season in the KHL - including a hat-trick in his debut game - you can't fault Nashville Predators fans for buying into the hype surrounding 2017 first-rounder Eeli Tolvanen.
The 18-year-old Finnish forward, who set the KHL record for the most points in a season by a teenager (a mark previously held by Evgeny Kuznetsov), made the move to Tennessee at the end of the year, ready to tackle the next pro league. But his scoring stopped there, as Tolvanen skated in just three regular-season contents, where he was held scoreless in each, and was then scratched for all 13 of the Predators playoff games.
Still, the betting here is Tolvanen will hold down a more regular role next season, and most likely a spot alongside two other dynamic forwards, given Nashville's wealth of scoring options.
The free-agent winger has held discussions with the Blue Jackets, his agent confirmed to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. However, Columbus is one of a few teams in the mix for the young forward.
Philippe Lecavalier, Duclair's agent, told Portzline that a deal could get done by Monday.
Duclair began last season with the Arizona Coyotes prior to a January trade that sent him to the Chicago Blackhawks. He finished the year with 11 goals and 12 assists in 56 games. The 22-year-old became an unrestricted free agent after the Blackhawks declined to extend him a qualifying offer.
An attorney representing Ottawa Senators assistant general manager Randy Lee will file a not guilty plea and a motion to dismiss harassment charges in Buffalo court Friday, according to the Associated Press.
Lee, who has been suspended by the Senators until the court makes its ruling, faces a second charge of harassment after he was accused of making lewd comments and rubbing the shoulders of a 19-year-old male shuttle bus driver while attending the NHL draft combine in Buffalo. He was later arrested.
The 56-year-old has been a part of the Senators' organization since 1995.
