Zach Hyman didn't realize he'd torn his ACL until after the Boston Bruins eliminated his Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past spring.

The Leafs forward sustained the injury late in Game 4 when he tried to lay a hit on Bruins star Brad Marchand. The team confirmed his injury following the conclusion of the seven-game series, but Hyman said he played through the ailment for the final three-plus contests because it didn't seem as severe as it was ultimately determined to be.

"I didn't know I tore my ACL, nobody knew," Hyman told Sportsnet 590 The FAN on Friday. " ... I thought I hyperextended it. (In Game 4), I tried without a brace and it was fine, but we ended up putting a brace on for (Games) 5, 6, and 7 and it was just pain tolerance ... and I thought I could manage the pain and I thought I could skate pretty well."

The 27-year-old added that he'd planned to undergo an MRI, but didn't want to do so until after the series due to the whirlwind postseason schedule and because he "felt fine" at the time.

Given a recovery timetable of at least six months following his April diagnosis, Hyman is projected to return in late October if his rehab progresses as planned. But he wasn't tipping his hand on how it's been going so far.

"I don't want to give anybody a date and then (have) it not be that date, but I have a date in mind," he said. "It's got to be approved by the medical team first, but it's always good to have a goal to strive for and it motivates you more and whether that's attainable or not we'll see."

Hyman established career highs with 21 goals and 41 points while playing 71 regular-season contests this past season. He tallied one playoff goal on a first-period deflection in Game 4.

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Mark Scheifele insists his Winnipeg Jets don't have chemistry problems.

"People can claim whatever, but I know we have a tight-knit team," the 26-year-old center told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger on Thursday. "We have great guys in our room. And there's no question in my mind about the character we have in our room, the unity that we have."

Reports of discord within the Jets' dressing room have led to speculation about the team's state of affairs, but Scheifele made it clear he's not going to get caught up in what's being said outside that room.

"That other stuff, that's the stuff as a team you block out," he said. "You know what's going on in your room. Anything extra is a bunch of baloney."

No Jets players or coaches have confirmed issues inside the dressing room, but head coach Paul Maurice hinted at it after Winnipeg was ousted from the first round of the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues.

"We’ve got a few ruffled feathers in there that we're going to have to flatten out before we get going," the bench boss told the Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre at the time.

McIntyre also wrote in April that he and colleague Jason Bell had heard from multiple sources that "things are anything but rosy with this group."

The Jets fell out of first place in the Central Division down the stretch, winning three of their final nine regular-season contests before losing to the Blues in six games.

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Andrew Shaw became one of the Chicago Blackhawks' many cap causalities during their dynasty when he was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens three years ago.

He's now back in Chicago, but his heart never left the Windy City.

"Guys always joked in the dressing room about cutting the cord, but it was obviously tough," he told the Chicago Tribune's Jimmy Greenfield. "Five successful years in Chicago. It was a team that took a chance on me in the draft and gave me an opportunity my first year in pro, then winning two Stanley Cups.

"Becoming friends with all those guys in the locker room, it was really tough to let go. I never really did. I had to move on, but (Chicago) was a part of me. I was never going to forget it and move on completely."

Shaw, a restricted free agent at the time, was traded to Montreal in 2016 for a pair of second-round picks - one of which was used to select Alex DeBrincat. Three days later, Shaw signed a six-year deal with the Canadiens carrying a $3.9-million cap hit, a price too steep for the Blackhawks.

Now only six players remain in Chicago from Shaw's last season there: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Erik Gustafsson, and Corey Crawford.

The 27-year-old says he enjoyed his time playing for the Canadiens' storied franchise, but Shaw was excited upon learning he was being traded back to the Blackhawks on June 30.

"It's something you wish for," he said. "You don't actually think it's going to come true. It did and I'm excited, I'm happy. (I'm) a lot different from when I left three years ago. I have a wife, a kid and I've matured a little bit. Chicago's still going to get the same hockey player but maybe a little bit of a different person."

Shaw has been regarded as one of the NHL's best pests during his seven-year career, but he's also taken strides offensively. Last season with the Canadiens, he tallied a career-high 47 points while only playing 63 games.

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It appears increasingly likely that the 2019-20 season will be a contract year for New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider.

Kreider's agent Matt Keator and Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton have yet to discuss what it would take to get the 28-year-old signed to a long-term contract, according to the New York Post's Larry Brooks.

"Not a number has been exchanged," Brooks added.

Kreider is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season, and his name has been floated around in trade speculation because of the Rangers' rebuild and cap crunch. His deal comes with a $4.625 million cap hit for 2019-20 and an 11-team no-trade list.

New York is already over $4 million above the salary cap with 23 players signed and two remaining restricted free agents to ink (Brendan Lemieux and Tony DeAngelo), according to CapFriendly.

After re-signing RFA Pavel Buchnevich on Friday, the Ranges will now receive a 48-hour buyout window beginning on Monday and concluding at 5 p.m ET Wednesday. The club could start to clear its logjam of blue-liners by buying out Kevin Shattenkirk, Marc Staal, or Brendan Smith. There are two years left on the deals for all three players.

If Gorton doesn't use the buyout window to clear cap space, he may be forced to pursue trades. Kreider, a speedy power forward coming off a 28-goal season, is the club's most appealing trade asset who could realistically be moved.

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Connor McDavid is arguably the best hockey player in the world, but he's also a pretty decent actor, as displayed in the newest series of CCM commercials.

Will we see McDavid set a new career high in shots this year?

This last ad in the series, in which McDavid dresses up as various arena employees, might earn him an Oscar.

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