The Ottawa Senators drafted forward Brady Tkachuk with the fourth pick in the 2018 NHL Draft on Friday.

Brady Tkachuk

Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 192 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Boston University (NCAA)
Nationality: American

(Stats courtesy: EliteProspects.com)

A hulking net-front presence with soft hands and the tendency to get under opponents' skin, Tkachuk's potential to develop into a dangerous power forward with the ability to create scoring chances and lay the body is very real.

"When Tkachuk goes to the crease, everyone watching knows he'll shoot as soon as he gets the opportunity - that's why he crashed the net in the first place. His offensive strengths lie more in his creative playmaking ability, however. His hockey sense and passing ability are high-end. He can make the kind of perfect pass in a tight space that other players might not be able to execute, and his stickhandling is good," theScore's draft expert Hannah Stuart wrote.

Tkachuk also brings an element of versatility to the table for the Sens, as the 18-year-old American can play up the middle and on the wing despite being utilized mostly on the latter at BU.

Described as a relentless puck pursuer who plays with more edge than both his brother Matthew and father Keith, Brady has the opportunity to carve out a niche for himself as a playmaker who can punish you physically. Any way you slice it, Tkachuk is sure to be a player to watch over the next number of seasons in the NHL.

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The Buffalo Sabres selected phenom blue-liner Rasmus Dahlin with the first overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft on Friday in Dallas.

Rasmus Dahlin

Position: Defense
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 185 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Frolunda HC (SHL)
Nationality: Swedish

(Stats courtesy: EliteProspects.com)

The cemented No. 1 pick since his stellar World Junior Championship this past winter, Dahlin is already an accomplished hockey player despite being still in his teens.

"Between finding success against much older competition in the Swedish Hockey League, winning a Champions Hockey League championship, and playing for Sweden at the Olympics, Dahlin has already had an illustrious hockey career - and he didn't turn 18 until April 13," theScore's draft expert Hannah Stuart wrote.

The smooth-skating rearguard is lethal at both ends of the ice, utilizing his speed and lanky frame to jump up in offensive rushes and close out the opposition in one-on-one battles in his own end. His game-changing offensive ability combined with a knack for knowing where to be in the defensive zone have had scouts and front offices salivating over Dahlin for much of the past year.

Dahlin is an NHL-ready, generational talent who is drawing comparisons to Erik Karlsson offensively, and Nicklas Lidstrom defensively. Quite obviously, if either one of those comparisons pans out, Sabres fans are in for a serious treat.

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The Vancouver Canucks signed centerman Markus Granlund to a one-year contract valued at $1.4 million, the team announced.

"Markus is a versatile forward with the ability to play in all situations," general manager Jim Benning said. "He plays a complete, two-way game and has shown he can produce offensively. We look forward to seeing Markus continue to develop as a Vancouver Canuck this season."

Granlund registered eight goals and four assists in 53 games for Vancouver last season. He was drafted 45th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2011.

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Ilya Kovalchuk's preferred NHL destination is starting to become much clearer, as the highly sought-after winger's agent, J.P. Barry, met with the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported earlier Friday that the quartet of clubs were expected to meet with Kovalchuk's camp.

Rumors have swirled regarding Kovalchuk and his desire to return to North American arenas since March. And there has been no shortage of teams showing interest in the 35-year-old Russian.

Kovalchuk hasn't suited up in the NHL since 2013, but scored 31 goals and added 32 assists in 53 games with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL this past season.

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The Ottawa Senators continue to try and turn the page on a difficult campaign and a strenuous offseason, as the team now searches for a new home for veteran netminder Craig Anderson, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Related: Senators trade Hoffman to Sharks for Boedker

Reports regarding Anderson's potential departure come only days removed from Mike Hoffman's trade to the San Jose Sharks, as Sens general manager Pierre Dorion looks to shake things up.

Related: Sens GM on trading Hoffman: 'Our dressing room was broken'

Anderson is under contract with Ottawa for the next two seasons at a cap hit of $4.75 million. He also has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to submit a list of 10 teams that he would not accept a trade to.

The 37-year-old had a rough season in 2017-18, registering a 23-25-6 record to go along with two shutouts, a 3.32 goals-against average, and a lowly .898 save percentage.

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After 13 seasons in the blue paint in Carolina, Cam Ward's time as a Hurricane appears to be nearing its end. The netminder is likely to hit the open market come July 1, Ward's agent told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer, although he'd prefer to stay on.

The 34-year-old Ward is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He stole the crease back from supposed No.1 Scott Darling last season, registering a 23-14-4 record to go along with a 2.73 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.

According to Ward's agent, some teams have already expressed interest in the goaltender's services.

Ward was drafted 25th overall by Carolina in 2002, and he's the franchise leader in games played (668), wins (318), and shutouts (27). He won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006, and also took home the Conn Smythe Trophy for that postseason performance.

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New Jersey Devils forward Brian Boyle took home the Bill Masterton Trophy on Wednesday, awarded annually to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."

At the beginning of Devils training camp, Boyle was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a type of bone marrow cancer. He was able to return on Nov. 1, and recorded 10 goals over his first 25 games.

Boyle also represented the Devils at the NHL All-Star Game in Tampa.

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Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid took home his second Ted Lindsay Award in as many years Wednesday night in Las Vegas, earning the hardware as the NHL's most outstanding player, as voted on by members of the NHLPA.

McDavid is the first player in the history of the award to receive it twice before the age of 22.

The 21-year-old is coming off another sensational offensive campaign in which he paced the league by hitting triple digits in points (108) with 41 goals and 67 assists in 82 games.

No. 97's blistering speed and video-game-like handles put fans in the seats despite the Oilers' struggles. If McDavid can maintain his health and continue to rack up impressive offensive numbers, he could add several more Ted Lindsay Awards to his trophy case.

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The National Hockey League will kick off the 2018-19 campaign with a juicy matchup between the reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins on Oct. 3.

The Capitals will be at home and indicated they will raise their Stanley Cup banner. Here are the rest of the home-opening dates by division:

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

Pacific Division

Central Division

The full NHL schedule is set to be released Thursday afternoon.

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Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson was arrested over the weekend and subsequently charged with domestic assault in Franklin, Tenn., police said Wednesday, reports Natalie Neysa Alund of the Tennessean.

The 26-year-old forward was arrested at 7:20 p.m. local time Saturday, and as of Wednesday, was free on a $4,500 bond. He's due to appear in court next on June 28.

Watson was selected 18th overall by the Predators in the 2010 NHL draft. In 216 regular-season games for Nashville, Watson has registered 23 goals and 24 assists to go along with 254 penalty minutes.

In 2017, Watson was a part of a public-awareness campaign along with his Predators teammates called "Unsilence the Violence," a project focused on bringing an end to violence against women.

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