The New York Rangers have signed prized prospect Kaapo Kakko to an entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

New York drafted Kakko with the second overall pick in June's draft. He's expected to make an immediate impact at the NHL level for the rebuilding Rangers.

Kakko had a gigantic draft year, setting a Finnish league record for goals by a player aged 18 or younger. He also scored the golden goal to lead Finland to a world junior title and dominated the World Championship in May, posting six goals in 10 games en route to another gold medal.

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed restricted free agent Joel Armia to a two-year contract worth $5.2 million, the team announced Thursday.

Armia had an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 20 if a deal wasn't struck before then.

The 26-year-old winger played his first season with the Canadiens in 2018-19 and set a career high with 13 goals while adding 10 assists in 57 contests.

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The Dallas Stars have signed forward Jason Dickinson to a two-year contract with a $1.5 million average annual value, the team announced Thursday.

Dickinson, a restricted free agent, had an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 20.

"Jason is a conscientious player who plays a very detailed, 200-foot game," said general manager Jim Nill. "As last season progressed, he began impacting games night in and night out, and he really established himself during the playoffs. We fully expect him to continue to build upon that and be a big part of our team for years to come."

The former 29th overall pick recorded 22 points in 67 games during his first full NHL season in 2018-19. The 24-year-old added five points in 13 playoff games with the Stars.

The Stars now have just under $1 million in projected cap space with a roster of 22 players, according to CapFriendly. Defensemen Julius Honka and Niklas Hansson are the club's remaining RFAs.

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Arizona Coyotes fans are thrilled to see Phil.

Following the acquisition of Phil Kessel, the club's ticket sales have increased by 550 percent compared to the same week last summer, according to the Arizona Republic's Richard Morin.

The Coyotes have also seen an uptick in their website traffic, mobile app visits, and social media engagement since the June 29 trade that brought Kessel to the desert. Additionally, 94 percent of season-ticket holders have renewed for next season - the highest mark since 2004.

"It's certainly satisfying and exciting to see us doing something as a franchise that we feel makes us a much more competitive team and puts us in a better position to win," Coyotes president and CEO Ahron Cohen said, according to Morin. "The fact that other people in this market are seeing that, fans are seeing that, and they're jumping on board, it's good, positive momentum for this organization."

Kessel ranks eighth in the NHL in goals since entering the league in 2006-07 and hasn't missed a game since 2009-10. He's totaled 174 points over the past two seasons, marking the most productive two-year stretch of his career.

"Obviously, Phil is an elite player," Coyotes general manager John Chayka said earlier in July. "Personally I can't (recall) the last time we've had a player of this caliber who has had this production and this resume on this team. I think it's exciting for our fans and it's exciting for our players."

The Coyotes finished just four points out of the playoffs last season despite an injury-riddled campaign. They were one of the league's top defensive teams but finished 27th in scoring - a weakness that Kessel will certainly help address.

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Joe Pavelski is providing a window into the thought process that led him to bid farewell to the San Jose Sharks after more than a decade.

"Oh yeah, it was tough," the Dallas Stars forward and former Sharks captain told NBC Sports Bay Area's Josh Schrock on Wednesday. "I don't want to say it was harder than I thought it was going to be because I knew it was going to be hard once we got to that state and started looking at different teams and understanding that it was a real possibility that we should be prepared in case it gets there."

Pavelski, who'll turn 35 on Thursday, signed a three-year, $21-million deal with the Stars on July 1 after playing the last 13 campaigns with the Sharks.

The veteran center, who wore the 'C' in San Jose for the last four seasons, ranks among the club's all-time leaders in goals, assists, points, and games played.

"I've only got good things to say about San Jose and the organization there," he said. "The way the guys have treated me and the teammates that I've had that are still there. It was tough to leave. You don't stay somewhere for 13 years and not grow attached to it.

"I've just got some tremendous friendships there and you know it's not really goodbye; it's more of a thank you to the fans and everyone that was involved and helped turn me into the player and person I am today. Those decisions never come lightly and it wasn't easy."

Pavelski was an unrestricted free agent who also reportedly garnered interest from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild.

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Alex Iafallo to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.425 million, the club announced Wednesday.

Iafallo, who was a restricted free agent, had an arbitration hearing scheduled for July 20.

The 25-year-old scored 15 goals and added 18 assists during his second NHL season.

He signed with the Kings as an undrafted free agent in April 2017 following a standout collegiate career at Minnesota Duluth.

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