While John Tavares was the big fish for the Toronto Maple Leafs on the opening day of free agency, the team also secured a handful of depth players.

The signings include forwards Adam Cracknell and Josh Jooris, both of whom will carry a $650,000 cap hit. Defenseman Martin Marincin re-signed for one year at an $800,000 cap charge.

The Maple Leafs also announced the signing of blue-liner Jordan Subban, who inked a two-way deal. Subban has yet to make an NHL appearance and split last season between the minor-league affiliates of the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings.

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Drew Doughty is sticking in Hollywood, as he's agreed to terms on an eight-year extension with the Los Angeles Kings, the team announced Friday.

Doughty can officially sign the new deal as of July 1. The superstar blue-liner is entering the final season of his current eight-year pact that carries a $7-million cap hit, per CapFriendly.

"Drew Doughty is one of the best defensemen in the world and we are obviously excited to have reached this point in the process in which he has committed to the Kings long-term," general manager Rob Blake said in a statement. "This is great news for our organization and our fans and we will comment further once the contract has been signed and formally announced."

The second overall pick in 2008, Doughty has been a mainstay with the Kings, guiding the franchise to its first Stanley Cup in 2012, and a second championship two years later. In 2015-16, he captured the Norris Trophy as the defenseman of the year.

In 770 career games, Doughty has tallied 102 goals and 320 assists.

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Chuck Fletcher is joining the New Jersey Devils as a senior advisor, the team announced Friday.

"Chuck brings a vast array of experience working for teams at different stages of their growth. He has seen teams start from the beginning, teams that were building toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs and teams striving to be consistent contenders," Devils general manager Ray Shero said in a statement. "Those experiences will serve valuable to us, as we look to take the next steps here in New Jersey."

Fletcher's appointment follows a nine-year run as general manager of the Minnesota Wild highlighted by a handful of major moves, including the signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in 2012. The Wild won two playoff series during Fletcher's tenure.

In joining the Devils, Fletcher reunites with Shero after the two worked alongside each other with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Fletcher was part of Pittsburgh's Stanley-Cup winning team in 2009 as an assistant GM.

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Michal Kempny is staying in the fold, as the pending unrestricted free agent has agreed to a multi-year extension with the Washington Capitals, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

The Czech defenseman, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, had a breakout postseason with his new club, finishing the playoffs with five points and logging the fourth-most ice time among Washington defensemen.

Kempny was previously on a one-year contract that carried a $900,000 cap hit. The 27-year-old entered the NHL in 2016 as an undrafted free agent after signing with the Blackhawks.

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Scott Darling isn't going anywhere.

Despite being the subject of trade rumors, the Carolina Hurricanes netminder will remain with the team, general manager Don Waddell confirmed to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.

Darling joined the Hurricanes last summer but struggled through his first campaign in Carolina, posting an .888 save rate and just 13 victories in 43 appearances. The 29-year-old is under contract for three more seasons at a $4.15-million cap hit, per CapFriendly.

It remains to be seen how much ice time Darling will earn next season, as Waddell added the Hurricanes would like to bring in another goaltender and have reached out to five or six pending unrestricted free agents.

Waddell also said goalie Cam Ward is likely to become a free agent on July 1 after spending his entire career with the franchise.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are considering turning to Jonathan Bernier for a little insurance between the pipes, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic.

Bernier, 29, can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He's at least the second netminder the team has reached out to during the pre-free agency discussion period, as a Monday report indicated the Blackhawks had also expressed interest in Carter Hutton.

What sort of workload Bernier could expect in Chicago remains unknown, as starter Corey Crawford's injury status is unclear. An upper-body ailment limited Crawford to just 28 games last season, with his final appearance coming in late December.

On Thursday, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman told Powers that he could not provide an update on Crawford's status, but added he expects the goalie to be ready for training camp.

As for Bernier, a move to Chicago would mark his fourth stop since 2016 after spending the past three seasons with Toronto, Anaheim, and Colorado. He posted a 19-13-3 showing and a .913 save percentage across 37 appearances with the Avalanche in 2017-18.

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The St. Louis Blues hope Patrick Maroon is interested in a homecoming, and have touched base with the Missouri native during the pre-free agency discussion period, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic.

The hulking winger would bring size and some additional scoring talent to a Blues squad that finished 24th in goals last season.

Maroon spent the 2016-17 season with the Edmonton Oilers, and stayed with them for 57 games the following year before being shipped to the New Jersey Devils in a deadline-day deal. He wrapped the 2017-18 campaign with 17 goals and 26 assists in 74 games.

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The Detroit Red Wings may be interested in a reunion with a pair of familiar faces, as Craig Custance of The Athletic reported the team reached out to free-agent forwards Thomas Vanek and Valtteri Filppula.

However, it's unknown whether the Red Wings would like to sign both players, or if the team would limit it to one addition in order to keep more open roster spots for young players.

Vanek spent the 2015-16 campaign with the Red Wings, when he appeared in just 48 games but still managed to put up 38 points. Detroit dealt him to the Florida Panthers at the 2016 trade deadline, and the Austrian split last season between the Vancouver Canucks and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Filppula has a more extensive history with the Red Wings, as he was a third-round pick by the club in the 2002 draft. He skated one year with Detroit's minor-league club and then seven with the Red Wings, while his best season came in 2011-12, when he tallied 66 points in 81 games.

He was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017-18, which marked the final season of a five-year contract that carried a $5-million cap hit.

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The Detroit Red Wings indicated they would use free agency to shore up their goaltending, and it appears Robin Lehner has been identified as a possible fit.

According to Craig Custance of The Athletic, Lehner met with the Red Wings on Tuesday as part of the discussion period that allows players to negotiate with clubs prior to free agency officially opening on July 1.

Lehner became an unrestricted free agent after he failed to receive a qualifying offer from the Sabres. The 26-year-old spent the last three seasons with Buffalo, posting a 42-61-20 record over that time.

While Lehner was the starter in Buffalo, there are no assurances he'll find a similar role in Detroit, given that veteran netminder Jimmy Howard is under contract for one more season. However, the possibility remains that the younger Lehner could step into the top job in the future should he sign a multi-year deal with the Red Wings.

Custance adds that Detroit has also held discussions with free-agent goaltenders Carter Hutton and Jonathan Bernier. On Monday, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported that eight clubs have been in contact with Hutton.

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Wayne Gretzky isn't part of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee, but if he were, it sure sounds like commissioner Gary Bettman's induction would have gotten his stamp of approval.

"What makes the game of hockey so wonderful is the fans, the players, the coaches, the cities that back their teams, the global growth of hockey, the ever-expanding growth of our game in North America and, of course, the competitive balance we are fortunate to have in our league," Gretzky told Dan Rosen of NHL.com on Tuesday when the 2018 class was announced.

"The commissioner's vision to give every club a chance to win the Stanley Cup has made our game stronger. His leadership and love for hockey is very evident. And hockey has become more entertaining year after year, thanks in part to his passion for the game."

Named commissioner in 1993, the NHL has seen massive gains throughout Bettman's tenure, particularly expansion from 24 to 31 teams, largely in the southern United States. The Anaheim Ducks, Nashville Predators, and Vegas Golden Knights are among the success stories.

Under Bettman, the NHL has also secured cost certainty, introducing a salary cap to begin the 2005-06 season, and boosted league revenues more than tenfold. The average player salary has climbed to more than $3 million a year. However, he's also presided over three lockouts, including one that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season.

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