With longtime Vancouver Canucks netminder Jacob Markstrom signing in Calgary, Thatcher Demko is poised to play a larger role this season following his incredible 2019-20 playoff performance.

"I think last year was a good year for me to go through some ups and downs and learn a little bit more about what it's like to be (in the NHL) full time," Demko said, according to Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre.

He added, "I feel really confident going into this year. I'm right where I want to be in my career right now. I think there's a lot on the table, and I'm just really excited to get the opportunity (to) take that next step. I want to be in Vancouver as long as I can. I want to be the guy. This is the next step in that direction."

Demko allowed just two goals on 130 shots against the high-powered Vegas Golden Knights to finish with an absurd .985 save percentage over four playoff appearances. The 24-year-old picked up consecutive wins - including a 48-save shutout in Game 6 - to help the Canucks erase a 3-1 series deficit and push the series to the limit.

After struggling to find his consistency during the regular season, Demko recognized the importance of seizing his chances in the bubble.

"When that second opportunity came around in the playoffs, it was like: OK, I've been in this situation before. I learned a ton the first time around and now these games are even bigger," he said. "I was able to kind of settle in and just be a lot more confident in myself after learning from my failures. I knew the second time around, I wasn't going to make the same mistakes."

Demko is entering the final year of his current deal - which carries an annual cap hit of $1.05 million - and will become a restricted free agent after this season. The Canucks added veteran puck-stopper Braden Holtby on a two-year pact this offseason, and the two will likely split time between the pipes.

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Vegas Golden Knights netminder Robin Lehner and San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane are looking to take their fighting skills from the ice to the boxing ring.

After Youtube star Jake Paul knocked out former NBA guard Nate Robinson during Saturday night's boxing event at Staples Center, Kane and Lehner chimed in with challenges of their own.

The two continued with some friendly chirps.

The 29-year-old Lehner then directed his attention to Paul and was rather blunt in his challenge.

Lehner, who stands 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, has a background in mixed martial arts training and is known as one of the NHL's most intense and intimidating players.

Kane is also a really tough customer. The 6-foot-2 winger has recorded 21 fights over 11 NHL campaigns, according to hockeyfights.com.

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Montreal Canadiens forward Phillip Danault is entering the final year of his contract, and the pivot says he hasn't started to seriously discuss an extension with the club.

"Right now there’s no negotiations," Danault said Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu. "So we’re at square one."

Danault, who's set to make $3.1 million next season, registered 13 goals and 47 points in 71 games during the shortened 2019-20 campaign. He was on pace to set career highs in both of those departments over 82 contests, and the 27-year-old finished sixth in Selke Trophy voting.

The Quebec native tallied just one goal in 10 playoff games while being asked to play a larger defensive role. Danault voiced his frustration with the change following the team's elimination, but he clarified those comments on Tuesday.

"I never said I want to be the first-line center and be, like, the man every game," he said, according to Basu. "The way I view things is the day I will be set on a defensive role, full time, that day will be like I want to stop getting better every year.

"... I want to get better offensively, defensively, I want to do both. I don’t want to be sitting in one chair."

With youngsters Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi slowly moving toward full-time roles at center, Danault understands he may slip down the depth chart. He hopes to offer guidance through his experience.

"I’ll kind of be a mentor for the kids, I’ll show them some tricks, I want us to help each other a lot," he said.

Danault has spent the past five seasons with Montreal. He ranks third on the club in scoring over that span after recording 170 points through 307 regular-season outings.

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Two of the NHL's top talents have come together to prepare for the 2020-21 campaign.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews are sharing ice in Arizona four times a week. While they may be rivals during the season, there's no shortage of mutual admiration between the two.

"The respect goes back for so long," Matthews said of McDavid, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. "Connor's hockey IQ, speed, and edges are so impressive - to say the least - and his vision at the speed he moves obviously stands out, yet it really is the whole package with him."

The pair were teammates on an electric Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and have since taken the NHL by storm. McDavid says sharing more ice with the Maple Leafs star has allowed him to appreciate Matthews' game beyond his lethal scoring ability.

"When you watch his game, his shot is the first thing you notice. But, spending more time together, I've noticed just how smooth he is on the ice. It's very impressive," McDavid said.

The star duo's peers have taken an interest as well. Jonathan Toews joined the pair last week, while other players, including Jake Bean, Anthony Duclair, Matt Dumba, Alex Galchenyuk, and several Arizona Coyotes have also participated, according to Friedman.

Longtime Coyotes captain Shane Doan runs the practices, and the 44-year-old is impressed by what he's seen from the two world-class talents.

"They do everything at 99 percent," Doan said, per Freidman. "I don't know if there's any difference when (Matthews/McDavid) have the puck or don't have the puck. Other players aren't as fast when carrying it ... It’s just the way they do everything at top speed, so impressive."

The NHL is targeting Jan. 1 for opening day next season, which means training camps would likely open in mid-to-late December.

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The Ottawa Senators signed forward Egor Sokolov to a three-year, entry-level deal, the team announced Friday.

Sokolov, 20, has spent the previous three seasons with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The Russian sniper led the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 46 goals and finished third with 99 points in 2019-20 after going undrafted in his first two years of eligibility.

"To Egor's credit, he's worked especially hard for this," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. "Despite initially being undrafted, he applied himself to improve many facets of his game to the point where he led the Quebec league in goals last season. We were pleased to be able to select him where we did last month and look forward to seeing his career progress."

Sokolov signed a professional tryout contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets in September 2019, but was released by the club after appearing in one preseason game.

The 6-foot-4 winger also represnted Russia at the 2020 world juniors, contributing three goals and one assist through seven contests.

Sokolov was selected by Ottawa in the second round (61st overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

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Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen believes the club will lock up blue-chip pivot Pierre-Luc Dubois before training camp begins.

"I'm 100% sure it will get done," Kekalainen said Wednesday, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.

"We've been in this situation before where we've had RFAs that want to take their time to agree on a contract, and we respect that and they have that right," Kekalainen said. "But I'm confident he'll be signed before training camp starts."

It remains unclear when training camp will begin, but the NHL is targeting Jan. 1 as opening day for the 2020-21 campaign.

Dubois, 22, is a restricted free agent and paced the Blue Jackets with 49 points through 70 games in 2019-20 before notching a team-best four goals and 10 points over 10 playoff contests.

The 6-foot-3 center has tallied 65 goals and 158 points in 234 games since being selected third overall by the Blue Jackets in 2016.

Columbus has $9.22 million in projected cap space with no outstanding restricted free agents beyond Dubois.

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Canada's deputy chief of public health feels optimistic regarding the proposed health and safety protocols for the 2021 world juniors in Edmonton.

"We've been engaged in ongoing discussions with Hockey Canada and all the relevant partners, including public health officials from the province of Alberta," Dr. Howard Njoo said Tuesday, according to The Canadian Press.

"I think the proposals and what's been put forward to us at the present time look very promising. It looks very good."

The planned Edmonton bubble will require players and team personnel to isolate themselves from the public during the event. Additionally, fans won't be permitted to attend games.

The NHL did not record a single positive COVID-19 test between the Edmonton and Toronto bubbles during the playoffs. Njoo believes Edmonton's experience handling the situation will be beneficial.

"Certainly the lessons learned, the experience Alberta had, because they had one of the hub cities for the NHL playoffs, will certainly serve them in good stead," Njoo said. "So, at this point, we're still looking at the proposals, but I can say, from a technical public health point of view, it looks good."

However, Njoo said public health officials are still reviewing the proposals.

Canada's selection camp began Tuesday, but 14 players were apparently not on the ice due to mandatory quarantines, because they didn't receive their test results in time to travel Monday, or because they weren't cleared to travel, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.

The tournament is set to begin Christmas Day and conclude with the bronze and gold medal games Jan. 5.

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Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan didn't expect to find himself in a new city for the 2020-21 campaign.

The veteran winger had the final two years of his contract with the Ottawa Senators bought out in September after spending seven seasons with the club.

"It was about a minute conversation. There’s really not much to say," Ryan said, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance. "What do you say, really? I said, 'OK, thank you, good luck' and that’s it. It came as a complete shock … It was not the call I expected on that Friday morning for sure."

Ryan won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2020 after publicly sharing his battle with alcohol abuse. The former first-round draft pick took three months off during the season to seek treatment and scored a hat trick upon his return to Ottawa in February.

The 33-year-old says he's forever grateful for the love and support he received from the city despite his abrupt ending with the organization.

"I’ve always liked the people in Ottawa," Ryan said, according to Custance. "I won’t say I ever truly fell in love with the city part of it. The people in the community are just incredible. I had so many ups and downs there. So many highs, like the playoffs. And lows, slumps, and last year. They always embraced me ... you never got the sense that they’d given up on you."

Ryan inked a one-year, $1-million deal with the rebuilding Red Wings in October. The 6-foot-2 right-handed shooter scored 15 goals and 42 points through 78 games during the 2018-19 season and now wants to prove he's still got plenty left in the tank.

"I knew that I needed to prove there is still some high-end hockey in me. I didn’t want to go somewhere and immediately be a third- or fourth-line guy. I still think I can play in the top six to nine."

The New Jersey native has amassed 254 goals and 555 points over 833 NHL contests.

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The Boston Bruins are "full steam ahead" with netminder Tuukka Rask for the upcoming campaign, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy.

"I think everything that happened in the bubble has been addressed, dealt with," Cassidy said Wednesday, according to NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin. "We're moving on, getting ready to win next year. That includes our goaltender."

Rask opted out of the league's return in August following Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes to tend to a family emergency. The Finnish goaltender received support from the organization and his teammates after making the decision.

Cassidy said Rask's absence affected the team mentally before the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Bruins in five games. The 55-year-old bench boss believes the 2020 Vezina Trophy finalist is excited to get back and compete.

"... I think he just wants to get back in the net and play hockey and play well and give us a chance to win," Cassidy said.

"Probably nobody more excited on our team to (be) getting back in there," he added. "I would assume that Tuukka would sort of say 'hey, I'm still the goalie I was last year and I'm ready to go. Family's good, I'm good. Everyone's in a good place. Let's play hockey.'"

Rask is entering the final year of his current deal and will become an unrestricted free agent after the season. The 33-year-old has spent all 13 campaigns of his career with the Bruins, and Rask said in October he wouldn't want to play anywhere else.

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The NHL is getting creative in exploring its options for the 2020-21 season.

While the league is looking for ways to have teams play in their own buildings, it's also discussed using short-term hubs and temporarily realigning the divisions to reduce travel amid the coronavirus pandemic, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday.

"You'll play for 10-12 days," Bettman said of the potential hub system, according to NHL.com's Nicholas J. Cotsonika. "You'll play a bunch of games without traveling. You'll go back, go home for a week, be with your family. We'll have our testing protocols and all the other things you need.

"It's not going to be quite as effective as a bubble, but we think we can, if we go this route, minimize the risks to the extent practical and sensible. And so that's one of the things that we're talking about."

With the Canada-United States border closed to nonessential travel, a division including all the Canadian teams is another possible adjustment.

"Obviously, we're not going to move all seven Canadian franchises south of the 49th parallel, and so we have to look at alternative ways to play," Bettman said.

He added, "As it relates to the travel issue, which is obviously the great unknown, we may have to temporarily realign to deal with geography, and that may make sense, because having some of our teams travel from Florida to California may not make sense."

The NHL is targeting Jan. 1 as the start date for the 2020-21 campaign and reportedly won't consider playing less than a 48-game season. Bettman, who previously said he'd prefer to avoid playing in the summer, says he's focused on getting back to the league's usual calendar.

"While we're in the middle of working on our return to play as well, which I hope to have put to bed soon, our goal is to get back to a normal schedule starting (next) fall and being done before July on a longer-term basis," Bettman said. "That is the goal."

The NHL and NHLPA each need to agree upon any potential plan as they did for the 2020 return to play.

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