Toronto Maple Leafs star center Auston Matthews says he's feeling well enough to return to game action, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Matthews has yet to be medically cleared but hopes to be in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the San Jose Sharks.

The 21-year-old has been sidelined for the past 14 games after he suffered a shoulder injury against the Winnipeg Jets in late October. He still sits fifth in team scoring with 16 points in 11 games despite the missed time.

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It wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement, but Dave Hakstol's performance behind the Philadelphia Flyers' bench was given a light vote of confidence by team president Paul Holmgren at Tuesday's press conference.

"Under the circumstances, Hakstol has done a decent job," Holmgren said, according to Dan Gelston of the Associated Press.

Holmgren was speaking following Monday's dismissal of general manager Ron Hextall, who'd been at the helm since 2014. On Tuesday, he noted that one of the reasons leading to Hextall's firing was his unyielding approach.

"(Hextall) had his plan and he was sticking to it," Holmgren said.

As for Hakstol, he remains on as head coach, though his future will be determined by the incoming general manager.

"I'd hate to say Dave Hakstol's fate is in the hands of the new GM, but it is," Holmgren said, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Hakstol's in his fourth year with the Flyers and owns a 132-97-40 record. He's made the playoffs in two of the past three seasons.

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Dean Lombardi won't be the next general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, and apparently, it won't be Chris Pronger either.

Team president Paul Holmgren said Tuesday that Lombardi is not interested in filling the GM vacancy, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Lombardi guided the Los Angeles Kings to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 and currently serves as senior adviser with the Flyers.

Former Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger isn't a candidate for the job, a source told Carchidi. Pronger's spent the past two seasons as senior adviser with the Florida Panthers.

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The latest candidate in the Philadelphia Flyers' search for a new general manager is Buffalo Sabres assistant GM Steve Greeley, reports TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Greeley is in his second season with the Sabres after spending two years as assistant director of player personnel with the New York Rangers. The 38-year-old was considered for the Carolina Hurricanes' GM opening earlier this year before the job went to Don Waddell.

The Flyers haven't asked the Sabres for permission to talk to Greeley yet, according to Seravalli.

Initial reports indicated Philadelphia is also considering former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher and former Hurricanes GM Ron Francis.

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The Arizona Coyotes announced Sunday that the team has dealt forwards Brendan Perlini and Dylan Strome to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for center Nick Schmaltz.

The moves sees the Coyotes part with their top picks in the 2014 and 2015 entry drafts in Perlini and Strome, respectively.

Perlini was in his third season with the Coyotes. Through 22 games this year, he's tallied two goals and four assists.

Arizona drafted Strome third overall in 2015, behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, and one spot ahead of Mitch Marner, who went to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 20 appearances this season, Strome has recorded three goals and three assists.

Schmaltz comes to the Coyotes after collecting 11 points in 23 games this season, good for fifth in team scoring with the Blackhawks. He finished last campaign with 52 points in 78 games.

The move marks the latest deal between the Coyotes and Blackhawks following recent trades involving Vinnie Hinostroza, Richard Panik, and Niklas Hjalmarsson, among others.

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist is sidelined with a concussion, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed Saturday.

Hornqvist suffered the injury in the second period of Friday's contest against the Boston Bruins and didn't return.

Across 21 contests this season, Hornqvist has picked up nine goals and six assists.

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All good things must come to an end.

On Friday, for the first time in 18 games, Florida Panthers forward Mike Hoffman failed to pick up a point. Over that stretch, dating back to Oct. 13, Hoffman collected 10 goals and 10 assists.

The 28-year-old wasn't without his chances, as he put four pucks on Carolina Hurricanes netminder Curtis McElhinney, only to have each shot turned aside.

Acquired in an offseason deal with the San Jose Sharks, Hoffman's had an instant impact in Florida, as he leads all Panthers in scoring, one point ahead of teammates Keith Yandle and Evgenii Dadonov, both of whom have 19 on the season.

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The St. Louis Blues have fired head coach Mike Yeo, the team announced. Craig Berube has been named interim head coach.

Yeo's dismissal comes after the Blues struggled to start the season, posting a 7-9-3 record. The team was shut out in its two most recent games, including a 2-0 loss to the last-place Los Angeles Kings on home ice on Monday.

Yeo was in his third season as head coach after first joining the team as an associate coach. He previously served as head coach of the Minnesota Wild for five seasons.

Berube is in his second season with the Blues. Prior to joining St. Louis, he had a two-year stint as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Blues' next game comes Wednesday against the Nashville Predators.

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An NHL outdoor appears to be headed to Colorado in the near future.

Speaking with Adrian Dater of BSN Denver, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the league's interest in hosting one of its premier events in the Rocky Mountain state.

"It's going to happen sooner rather than later," Daly said. "It'll be there, and it's real."

Air Force Academy's Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs would be the host site. The stadium's capacity is just shy of 47,000; however, the Falcons played before a record crowd of more than 56,000 in 2002.

An outdoor game would mark the second such appearance for the Avalanche, after hosting the 2016 Stadium Series at Coors Field in Denver.

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Max Domi's exploits early in his first season with the Montreal Canadiens have placed his name in the legendary franchise's record books.

Domi is the first Canadiens player with 24 or more points in his first 20 games with the franchise since Odie Cleghorn posted 30 in 1918-19.

He's collected five goals and eight assists in his current nine-game point streak. He had one helper in Saturday's victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

In total, the 23-year-old has accrued 10 goals and 14 assists on the campaign.

The Canadiens acquired Domi in an offseason deal with the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk.

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