Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith hopes his club will have a new leader in time for the 2021-22 season.

"We hope to, but that's a decision with (owner) Mr. (Eugene) Melnyk and (general manager) Pierre Dorion," Smith told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch. "But we feel we're at that time now where we're as close as we've been to naming a guy. It's time for someone to be the leader of this group."

The Senators haven't had a captain since the 2017-18 season. Erik Karlsson wore the "C" for four years before he was traded to the San Jose Sharks.

Smith believes choosing a captain will help his young core take the next step.

"I just think there has to be a face to it. We have plenty of guys who are leaders and could be captains, but I just think if you look at the Stanley Cup winners, they all have captains and they've had the same captain for three, four, five years," Smith said. "It's the voice of that team, the direction of that team and I think the real successful teams have their captains for a long time.

"We want to be that kind of hockey team."

Defenseman Thomas Chabot has seven years remaining on an eight-year extension signed in 2019 and is likely to be among the leading candidates given his reputation around the league and role with the club. Another option would be Brady Tkachuk, who is widely regarded as the heart and soul of Ottawa's attack. However, he's currently a restricted free agent.

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Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes paid tribute to his older brother Jimmy on Tuesday in an emotional Instagram post.

The elder Hayes died Monday at 31.

"Yesterday I lost my best friend, my brother," Hayes wrote. "My whole life it has always been 'Jimmy and Kevin,' or the 'Hayes brothers.' I have followed you around since I can remember and I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Whether it was youth hockey, Nobles, Boston College, or the NHL, you paved the way for me. You taught me everything I needed to know in order to succeed."

The Hayes brothers won a national championship together at Boston College in 2011. Jimmy, a second-round pick in 2008, played 334 NHL games split between the Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, and New Jersey Devils.

His professional career concluded in 2019 after a season with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

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CSKA Moscow of the KHL has announced Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov will not join the club this season, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.

The Russian outfit reportedly tried to lure Kaprizov, a restricted free agent, back overseas with a contract offer earlier this summer.

A new deal with the Wild isn't imminent, but conversations between the team and Kaprizov's representatives have picked up recently, Russo adds.

Kaprizov played three of his six KHL seasons with CSKA Moscow before joining the Wild for a stellar rookie campaign in 2020-21, during which he led Minnesota in scoring and captured the Calder Trophy. Wild general manager Bill Guerin said last week the possibility of Kaprizov returning to the KHL "doesn't bother me at all."

Kaprizov, 24, is Minnesota's sole unsigned restricted free agent. The Wild currently have approximately $13 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

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New York Rangers icon Rod Gilbert has died at the age of 80, the team announced Sunday.

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of Rod Gilbert - one of the greatest Rangers to ever play for our organization and one of the greatest ambassadors the game of hockey has ever had," said Rangers owner James Dolan.

Gilbert, nicknamed "Mr. Ranger," was one of the most prolific wingers of his era. He's New York's all-time leader in goals (406) and points (1,021). Gilbert suited up on Broadway from 1960-1978 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

His No. 7 was raised to the Madison Square Garden rafters in 1979. Gilbert was the first player in franchise history to have his number retired.

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Canada breezed past the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) with a 5-1 win Sunday night at the Women's World Hockey Championship.

It marked Canada's second consecutive victory to begin the tournament, having edged Finland 5-3 in a tight contest Friday.

After a scoreless first period, Sarah Fillier scored the first of three Canadian goals in the middle frame. Ella Shelton, Erin Ambrose, Melodie Daoust, and Rebecca Johnston recorded Canada's additional tallies.

Canada thoroughly dominated play, outshooting its opponent 62-7. The ROC's lone goal came with one second remaining in the contest.

Canada returns to action Tuesday against Switzerland in its third of four round-robin games.

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Juuse Saros is eager to fill Pekka Rinne's shoes in the Nashville Predators' crease next season.

"I was lucky and grateful for sharing the net with him for four or five years," Saros said, per NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "So, yeah, it was a little bit of a sad moment when he said he's not coming back. Personally, I'm ready to take that next step and be the guy in net, take the lead on the team."

Rinne announced his retirement this offseason after 15 years in Nashville. He's the franchise leader in every major goaltending statistic, and he won the Vezina Trophy in 2018.

Saros, meanwhile, inked a four-year, $20-million contract extension this summer. The 26-year-old is coming off a terrific 2020-21 campaign where he posted a 21-11-1 record with a .927 save percentage and 20.9 goals saved above average.

And after years of backing up Rinne, Saros is confident he won't be fazed by a larger workload.

"Of course, it's a bigger role, but at the same time, it doesn't really change," Saros said.

"I always try to do my best, whatever the role is. So, I think I'll adjust to that. Of course, I played as a No. 1 goalie before, too, in different leagues, but yeah, I'm just ready to get the season going."

Nashville drafted Saros 99th overall in 2013. He's appeared in 155 NHL games.

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The Philadelphia Flyers and defenseman Travis Sanheim have agreed on a two-year contract carrying a $4.675-million average annual value, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Sanheim entered the offseason as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He was the last player on Philadelphia's books in need of a contract.

The 25-year-old has emerged as a key piece on the Flyers' blue line. He notched 15 points in 55 games last season while averaging nearly 22 minutes per contest.

Sanheim was drafted 17th overall in 2014. He's played in 255 career games since breaking into the NHL during the 2017-18 campaign.

The Flyers transformed their defensive corps this offseason. The club traded Shayne Gostisbehere and Robert Hagg while bringing in Ryan Ellis, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Keith Yandle in separate moves.

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Auston Matthews believes years of playoff anguish for the Toronto Maple Leafs will soon pay off.

Toronto is fresh off its fifth consecutive first-round defeat after blowing a 3-1 series lead to the underdog Montreal Canadiens. Although Matthews said that loss is still fresh in his mind, he's confident in the club's current group.

"It's obviously really frustrating," Matthews said, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "It sucks right now. People have opinions and they can say what they want, and rightfully so, but I really believe in the team and I really believe in all the players on the team - the core group especially. I truly believe that we're going to get it done. We're going to be better from our losses, and from the adversity we faced.

"The only way is forward. (The playoff loss) sucked. There's no other way to put it. Extremely disappointing. But it'll just feel that much better when we eventually get to the top."

Matthews' sentiments echo those of general manager Kyle Dubas, who said earlier this offseason that he's "willing to bet everything" on the team's core.

"I don't think that's news to us," Matthews said of Dubas' remarks. "We know that's how he feels. When he reiterates that, it gives us confidence moving forward. That's all you can ask for: that your general manager and all your teammates truly believe in one another."

The Leafs' star-powered core - particularly Matthews and linemate Mitch Marner - faced intense scrutiny after they were eliminated this past spring. The pair combined for three points in their last three playoff games.

Matthews had a dominant regular season, leading the NHL with 41 goals in 52 contests while finishing second in MVP voting.

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The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Juuso Valimaki to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.55 million, the team announced Friday.

Valimaki's entry-level contract expired after the 2020-21 campaign, making him a restricted free agent.

The 23-year-old appeared in 49 games for the Flames last season and registered 11 points in just over 15 minutes per contest. Calgary drafted him in the first round in 2017.

With Valimaki's new deal in place, Calgary has approximately $6 million to sign remaining RFAs Dillon Dube, Glenn Gawdin, and Connor Mackey, according to Cap Friendly.

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The WHL will require all players, hockey operations staff, and league personnel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the 2021-22 season, the league announced Monday.

All three of the CHL's umbrella leagues will enforce the policy, as the OHL and QMJHL recently made announcements of their own.

"The health and safety of our players and staff continues to be the number one priority for the WHL," said WHL commissioner Ron Robison. "The policy is designed to further protect our players and staff in the WHL from the potential risk of exposure to COVID-19."

"With travel restrictions currently in place with the Canada-U.S. border as well as the province of Manitoba, it is important all players and staff are fully vaccinated in order to be eligible to play a full season in the WHL."

The WHL played an abbreviated 24-game season in 2021 due to the pandemic, and teams only played within their respective divisions. The QMJHL operated under a similar format, while the OHL canceled its campaign entirely.

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