Tomas Tatar is reportedly seeking a longer-term contract than the Detroit Red Wings are willing to give him at the moment.
The restricted free-agent forward's camp is looking for a deal in the range of seven years, but the Red Wings have yet to offer more than five, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
If the two sides are unable to agree on a long-term deal before then, he'd be looking at a one-year pact that he recently admitted would "probably" be his last contract with the Red Wings.
Tatar led Detroit with 25 goals this past season, the final campaign of a three-year, $8.25-million deal he inked with the Red Wings in 2014.
At first glance, the news warrants a few questions. Who the hell is Jaccob Slavin? Why does his first name have two Cs? And why is he about to make $5.3 million annually through 2024-25?
We may not know the origins of Slavin's name, but we do know he quietly emerged as one of the steadiest blue-liners in the NHL last season, and that he's on the fast track to superstardom.
Here are three things to know about the young, under-the-radar Hurricanes defender as he pushes to become a household name.
His background
Slavin, a native of Colordao, was selected by the Hurricanes 120th overall in the 2012 entry draft. After three seasons with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, he went on to play two years at Colorado College before a 14-game pit stop with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL.
From there, Slavin was given his first NHL shot in 2015-16, recording 20 points in 63 games for Carolina as a rookie.
As Chip Alexander of The News & Observer recalls, Carolina dealt Alexei Ponikarovksy to the New Jersey Devils in January 2012 for a prospect and a fourth-round pick - which turned into Slavin.
It's probably fair to say the Hurricanes won that deal.
The numbers
However you slice it, Slavin has quickly developed into a top-pairing defender. Here are his stats compared to the league-average No. 1 blue-liner, courtesy of ownthepuck.blogspot.ca.
Among all defenseman with more than 1,300 minutes of ice time last season, Slavin ranked 12th with a Corsi For percentage of 53.01 at five-on-five, while Carolina controlled over 52 percent of scoring chances at even strength while he was on the ice. Slavin was regularly deployed on the Hurricanes' top pairing, and strongly contributed to their sixth-ranked penalty kill.
In terms of more traditional numbers, Slavin recorded five goals and 23 assists while averaging 23:26 of time per night. He ranked 13th in blocked shots with 161, and was the only blue-liner in the top 10 in takeaways, finishing second with 83. He was disciplined, too, committing just six minor penalties in 82 games all season.
Long-term benefits
Slavin has one year remaining on his entry-level deal, meaning his lucrative extension won't kick in until 2018-19. In only two seasons, he's proven to be valuable in virtually every facet of the game, leading general manager Ron Francis to deem him a "cornerstone" of the organization going forward.
At just $5.3 million per season, Slavin's extension also has the potential to become one of the best bargains in the NHL, annually costing less than the likes of Nick Leddy, Tyler Myers, Erik Johnson, and Johnny Boychuk, all of whom he's outperformed since becoming a regular on Carolina's back end.
Slavin's deal was the latest in a series of solid moves Francis has made this offseason, as he looks to keep improving a team that hasn't qualified for the postseason since 2008-09. The Hurricanes have gradually built a quality roster, and locking down their rising young defenseman ahead of his prime years was another massive step in their quest to contend in the Eastern Conference.
The Arizona Coyotes are adding decades of experience to their front office and giving their young general manager some more responsibility.
Steve Patterson was named the club's new president and CEO on Wednesday, and general manager John Chayka will take on a second job as the team's president of hockey operations.
Patterson helped bring the Texans and the Super Bowl (XXXVIII) back to Houston, served as general manager of the NBA champion Rockets in 1994, and, more recently, occupied the role of athletic director at Arizona State University and later the University of Texas.
He takes on the dual role with the Coyotes that opened up when Anthony LeBlanc stepped down June 16, four days after Andrew Barroway became the club's sole owner.
Gary Drummond resigned as president of hockey operations on the same day as LeBlanc's departure.
Sergei Gonchar has been promoted to assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the club announced Wednesday, one day after losing Rick Tocchet and adding Mark Recchi behind the bench.
Gonchar had been working as Pittsburgh's defensemen development coach for the past two seasons, which both resulted Stanley Cup championships. And while the Penguins' blue line was identified as a weakness during both runs, the former five-time All-Star played a key role in the postseason success.
"He was invaluable during the playoffs, especially working with our young defenseman," head coach Mike Sullivan said.
Over a 20-year playing career, Gonchar was one of the league's premier offensive defenseman, notching 811 points in 1,301 contests. He also captured a Stanley Cup with the Penguins as a player in 2009.
Slavin's new deal will begin in 2018-19 and run through 2024-25. He'll carry a cap hit of $742,500 in the final season of his entry-level deal beginning this fall.
The 23-year-old led the Hurricanes in time-on-ice, notched 34 points and played all 82 games in 2016-17, his second NHL season.
"Jaccob is one of the cornerstones of our team moving forward, and it was important to secure him with our organization long term," Carolina general manager Ron Francis said Wednesday in a statement.
The Hurricanes made Slavin a fourth-round pick in 2012.
The 24-year-old forward ranked second in the AHL with 32 goals for the Hartford Wolf Pack this past season, one behind Wade Megan of the Chicago Wolves in three fewer games.
Jensen got a qualifying offer from his parent club, the New York Rangers, meaning the team would retain his rights should he return to North America.
He appeared in only seven games for the Rangers this past season and was a restricted free agent after signing a one-year deal with New York last July.
As summer drags along, it's the time of year when hope springs eternal and NHL teams begin preparing for the new season.
September training camps are especially important for prospects, as they give those players - along with management and fans - the chance to see how they stack up against established pros.
A strong showing can improve a player's professional fate, while their performance can help determine whether they're developing fast and furious, or starting to drift.
Here are three rookies to keep an eye on in September.
That's because Puljujarvi had been running neck and neck with Patrik Laine in the second overall discussion all year long, and appeared to be a lock for Columbus and its general manager, Jarmo Kekalainen, who also hails from Finland. Instead, Dubois got the call, and was sent back to the QMJHL to develop his game last season.
There, Dubois scored 21 goals and added 34 assists in 48 games, while contributing five assists in seven games for Canada at the World Junior Championship, winning a silver medal.
The 19-year-old may need another season in junior hockey before making the jump to the NHL, but two factors have opened up an opportunity to improve his fate in training camp.
For one, the Blue Jackets traded away Brandon Saad for Artemi Panarin earlier this offseason, adding a high-end offensive talent while sacrificing a more well-rounded game. Meanwhile, Columbus failed to add a center who can play in the top six.
A similarly punishing two-way forward with size and zero deficiencies, Anze Kopitar, is the type of player Dubois will aspire to become at the next level. Pierre-Luc Dubois has the potential to develop into an elite two-way forward who excels as a positive catalyst in every facet of the roles he can play, be it the dynamic scorer, the set-up man, the intimidating power forward, or the defensive-minded shutdown guy. He is the type of player nobody likes to play against.
If Dubois can even come close to displaying a Kopitar-like form in training camp, Kekalainen's decision to pluck him third overall could begin to pay off as early as next season.
Jake DeBrusk, Boston Bruins
The first-round selections made by the Boston Bruins in 2015 have become a running joke, not so much based on the actual selections but rather because of who they passed up.
In fairness, when a team calls a handful of names at the annual event, it takes some time for a clearer picture of relative success or failure to emerge. Still, it's not a good look that Boston's three picks are the only players from the top 25 (other than a Russian goalie) who haven't yet made their NHL debuts.
That could change as soon as opening night, and Jake DeBrusk appears to have the inside track on being the first of the trio to crack the NHL roster.
DeBrusk spent last season playing for the Providence Bruins, for whom he registered 19 goals and 49 points, good for fifth among AHL rookies. He also chipped in six goals and three assists in 17 playoff games, gaining valuable pro experience along the way.
Team president Cam Neely is on record as saying the club needs to fill holes on the left side, and a strong showing by DeBrusk in training camp could go a long way toward that end, while also quieting the noise surrounding general manager Don Sweeney's apparent failures during the 2015 selection process.
Daniel O'Regan, San Jose Sharks
Speaking of players who excelled as AHL rookies, no one was more impressive than Daniel O'Regan last year. The San Jose Sharks prospect led all first-year pros with 58 points in 63 games for the Barracuda, a total that ranked him 12th among all AHLers.
That performance came on the heels of a successful college career, during which he averaged a point per game through 154 appearances with Boston University.
Drafted 138th overall by the Sharks in 2012, there now exists an opportunity for O'Regan to take on a prominent role in San Jose.
In the wake of Patrick Marleau’s departure to the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency last week, the Sharks will be depending on their young players, such as O’Regan, to step up and fill the void.
The organization believes O’Regan has to potential to play a role similar to that of Jake Guentzel with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who tied the NHL rookie record for points (21) in one Stanley Cup playoff season this spring.
"I honestly don’t remember the last guy to do what he did in the American League as a rookie," Sharks director of hockey operations Doug Wilson Jr. said. "The opportunity is there for him."
Marleau left massive skates to fill, but the 23-year-old O'Regan will be out to show he's up to the task once camp begins in September, which could also make him a draft-day steal in the process.
The man who put one European nation on the international hockey map will try to do so with another.
Ted Nolan has been hired as head coach of the Polish men's national hockey team, the IIHF announced Wednesday.
The former Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders bench boss took over the Latvian program in 2011 and helped it make great strides, including a quarterfinal appearance at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, where it put forth a strong showing in a 2-1 loss to Canada.
Nolan also coached Latvia at the World Championships from 2012-14.
Poland's men's team is ranked 20th internationally and will attempt to qualify for the 2019 worlds next spring.
“I love challenges," Nolan said upon arriving in Poland this week. "I’ve always been an underdog my whole life. When this opportunity came and seeing where Polish hockey has been for a while, hopefully I can make a difference and rise up to a higher level. I’m really looking forward. It’s probably my biggest challenge to date and my biggest excitement to date."
If Marian Hossa is eventually deemed eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve, it won't be this summer.
"Chicago is not attempting to utilize LTI(R) during the offseason for Hossa and, as a result, the determination of whether it will be available next season is not a time-sensitive matter," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic Chicago's Scott Powers in an email Tuesday.
Hossa has already been ruled out for the entire 2017-18 campaign due to a skin disorder, but the league hasn't yet decided whether the veteran forward can be placed on LTIR - thereby freeing up his $5.275-million cap hit.
Daily said in June that a decision was expected by July 1, but that deadline may have shifted when the club elected not to seek the move until the fall.
The Blackhawks have minus-$34,795 in projected cap space at the moment, according to CapFriendly.
