On Friday the Ottawa Senators a made surprising, yet seemingly calculated move, inking goaltender Craig Anderson to a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the club until the end of the 2019-20 season.

The deal means so much more to the club than just reassurance and stability between the pipes going forward. At an annual average of just $4.75 million per season, the price point makes the extension a sure win for the Senators.

Great value for what Anderson brings

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

It's quite clear that the Senators were able to ink Anderson well below the going rate for a No. 1 goalie in today's NHL. While Anderson's extension won't kick in until next season, the $4.75-million cap hit would be just the 18th highest in the league this year.

That's despite the fact that he is coming off a strong campaign in which he posted the third-highest save percentage (.926), 10th-best goals-against average (2.28), and a tie for the seventh-most shutouts (7).

This all came during a season that saw Anderson take multiple leaves from the team as he accompanied his wife during her battle with cancer. In the end, he played just 40 games, making these numbers all the more impressive.

A cheap one-two punch

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

What also makes the new extension so beneficial to the Senators is that along with Mike Condon's relatively cap-friendly deal, it gives the Senators a solid, yet inexpensive duo.

Last season - due in large part to Anderson's absences from the club - Condon was forced to play 40 games, and the 27-year-old proved to be incredibly steady when called upon.

Condon posted a 19-14-6 record with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. His reliability is precisely why the Senators brought him back as Anderson's deputy.

Once Anderson's extension kicks in, the two will combine for just $7.15 million. That total would rank as the 15th-most expensive goaltending duo in the NHL this season, which is not bad given the two helped the Senators boast the 10th-best defense last year.

Cap space to retain free agents later

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

It's fitting that Anderson's extension will kick in at the end of the upcoming season as that is precisely when it will become so noticeably valuable.

That's because the Senators will see a number of players hit the restricted and unrestricted free-agent markets.

Stone, Turris, Ceci, Claesson, and Borowiecki will be presumably be the team's main priorities and it could be argued all would be deserving of raises.

Perhaps most crucially, captain Erik Karlsson will become a UFA the following offseason. The two-time Norris Trophy-winner could demand near Connor McDavid-like money, and deservedly so.

When that happens, the Senators - who aren't known as a cap team - will be forced to cough up the money to keep their star player. It's at that moment they'll be glad to have saved some pennies with Anderson's affordable extension.

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Jordan Eberle's first goal as a member of the New York Islanders was a thing of beauty.

The former Edmonton Oilers forward corralled a pass from Anders Lee, pulled it between his legs, then fired a wicked backhand over the blocking glove of Buffalo Sabres netminder Robin Lehner on Friday night.

If this is just a sample of what is to come from Eberle in an Islanders uniform, the club should be mighty pleased with their new acquisition.

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There's no question as to whether Nico Hischier will play in the NHL this season.

The 2017 first overall draft pick has put on a show during the preseason, scoring four goals in as many games and leading the New Jersey Devils with seven points.

As a result, he's played his way into a prominent role with the club, according to head coach John Hynes.

"Right now he's a top-six forward. He's played his way and earned his way into that role," Hynes said Friday, per Chris Ryan of NJ.com. "We didn't start him there, but he played his way into that. I think he's done a nice job, also, when he's gotten the opportunity to play on the power play. And we think he's been able to play center very well."

It can take time for a center to transition from junior hockey to the professional level, and some never find their way, ending up on the wing. Hischier, Hynes says, is up to the task.

"It looks like he's been able to handle the responsibilities of a centerman with not too much of a problem. There's certain things he can adjust to, but that's where we see him right now."

Hischier will make his NHL regular-season debut against Colorado on Oct. 7.

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Pick your favorite.

Oddsmakers can't seem to come to a conclusion in regards to the 2018 Vezina Trophy, with three of the NHL's top goalies sharing 5-1 odds.

Washington's Braden Holtby won the award in 2016, while Montreal's Carey Price took it - along with league MVP honors - in 2015. Matt Murray, meanwhile, has backstopped Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cup wins.

Interestingly, the 2017 winner - Columbus' Sergei Bobrovsky - comes in fifth on the list.

Here's a look at the eight goalies with 15-1 or better odds at winning the Vezina.

(Odds courtesy: Bodog)

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The Colorado Avalanche had a 2016-17 season to forget, recording a league-worst 48 points (22-56-4) under first-year head coach Jared Bednar.

Since the shootout was adopted following the 2004-05 lockout, no team has finished with fewer points in a full season. Colorado's .296 point percentage ranks dead last even including the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign.

To make matters worse, Colorado missed out on a top-three draft pick, settling for defenseman Cale Makar fourth overall, a player who won't make the kind of immediate impact expected from Nico Hischier (New Jersey) or Nolan Patrick (Philadelphia).

So how can the Avs turn things around? Here are three ways they can avoid another disastrous season:

Resolve the Matt Duchene situation

Questions surrounding Matt Duchene's future in Colorado date back almost two years, and even he believed there was a good chance he'd be traded at some point this summer.

But general manager Joe Sakic appears to be asking for the moon. He is dealing with a player who's averaging 25 goals for every 82 games played over the course of his career, and should fetch a nice package of players, prospects and/or picks, with Columbus, Nashville and Ottawa believed to be the most interested parties.

For everyone to move forward, a split here is necessary. Duchene could use a change of scenery, and the rest of the team - both on and off the ice - doesn't need that cloud hanging over its head any longer.

Receive steadier goaltending

A Vezina Trophy finalist in 2014, Semyon Varlamov has been hindered by a steady stream of injuries in recent years, culminating in career-worsts across the board last season.

Varlamov underwent offseason surgery meant to repair these nagging issues, and has looked good in the preseason. If he can maintain his .916 career save percentage, the Avalanche will have a fighting chance.

Jonathan Bernier was brought in to replace Calvin Pickard as backup. He filled in admirably for an injured John Gibson in Anaheim last season, and has shown an ability to carry a team at times in his career.

Between the two of them, Colorado's goaltending should perform better than the lowly .894 team save percentage Bednar had to work with a year ago.

Develop the young core

On paper, Colorado has a decent core of young talent to build around.

Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Tyson Jost are the key players up front, while Sven Andrighetto, J.T. Compher, Alex Kerfoot, and Nail Yakupov (really!) round out a nice group of guys 25 and under.

Granted, there are major questions on the blue line, but if Nikita Zadorov can make strides, and rookies Andrei Mironov, Chris Bigras, and Nicolas Meloche make the jump at some point, the future could be bright.

This team likely won't make a push for a playoff spot at the end of the day, but Colorado can't possibly be as bad as last season - right?

If they can move on from Duchene, get a boost in net, and develop the youth movement - while adding another lottery pick - the Avs should see both short-and long-term improvement.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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Jaromir Jagr is playing it safe.

The legendary forward has been practicing with Rytiri Kladno, a second-tier team he owns in the Czech Republic, but has decided to sit out this weekend with his future in North America still uncertain.

"I won't play for Kladno because there are still some negotiations in the NHL," Jagr told Czech publication iDNEZ.cz, according to NHL.com's Michael Langr. "Those teams don't want me to play here and I have to respect that."

The 45-year-old unrestricted free agent lamented not being able to play in front of his hometown fans and gave an additional reason for taking the weekend off.

"It is unpleasant because people expected I would play," he said. "On the other hand, we haven't promised anything to anybody. It would make no sense to meddle in something when I'm not 100 percent sure that (I'm) stay(ing) here. I don't (want to) interfere with someone who has a roster spot (in Kladno)."

On Thursday, St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong acknowledged his club has had internal discussions about signing Jagr in addition to several other players in the wake of the season-ending injury to young forward Robby Fabbri.

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When a player asks for a trade, it's usually a high-profile name, such as Dany Heatley or Chris Pronger. But Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson's request to be moved in the midst of a contract dispute may have left some hockey fans outside of Ohio with no clue why a player they've never heard of wants to be dealt.

Anderson, a restricted free agent, is loaded with potential, but the 23-year-old hasn't gotten the opportunity to let the hockey world know just how good he could be.

Last season, he scored 17 goals in 78 games, and did so while averaging just 12:01 minutes per game. His 1.07 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five was the best on the Blue Jackets, and 29th-best in the entire league. That put him ahead of Brad Marchand, Patrick Kane, and Nikita Kucherov.

Anderson was able to produce without getting any power-play time either, as he was buried in Columbus' bottom-six forward group all year, primarily playing with subpar linemates William Karlsson and Matt Calvert. In fact, he ranked 12th in average time on ice among Blue Jackets forwards who played at least 25 games.

Though the goal-scoring is obviously a major attraction, Anderson's likely drawing interest because he's a rare breed: the prototypical power forward who can set the tone of a game with a bone-crushing hit, and isn't afraid to drop the mitts.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

The 6-foot-3, 221-pound winger racked up 89 penalty minutes and 147 hits last season. The pure enforcer role has faded out of the league, making players such as Anderson who can throw haymakers and actually contribute offensively more valuable. It's a big reason why the Oilers gave Milan Lucic a massive contract.

The desirability of this type of player is also a huge reason why the Blue Jackets gave the Vegas Golden Knights a first-round pick in exchange for expansion draft assurances, which reportedly included not selecting the exposed Anderson.

A lot of questions about Anderson still need to be answered, however. Can he sustain his production rates against better competition? Is he capable of playing a defensive role on a shutdown line? With a 14.3 shooting percentage a year ago (league average was 9.01), was he lucky to score 17 goals?

Some of these uncertainties could explain why Anderson's camp and the Blue Jackets have reached a stalemate in their contract negotiations. In what will be his second full season, Anderson will offer a better indication as to exactly what kind of player he can be - especially if he gets his wish and is moved to a team where he can play a larger role. Then, whether or not hockey fans know his name will be up to him.

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The Minnesota Wild released veteran forward Ryan Malone from his professional tryout, the team announced Friday. He will now try out for Minnesota's AHL affiliate in Iowa.

Even if he signs an AHL contract, Malone would still be eligible to suit up for Team USA at the upcoming Olympics.

Malone last played in the NHL in 2014-15 with the New York Rangers, but only dressed for six games and didn't record a point. He did enjoy success early in his career, however, compiling six 20-goal season from 2003-04 to 2011-12.

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The Ottawa Senators signed netminder Craig Anderson to a two-year, $9.5-million extension Friday, the team announced.

Anderson's new deal has an average annual value of $4.75 million, and includes a 10-team no-trade clause.

At age 36, he has proven he can still anchor the Senators' crease. Across 40 regular-season games in his last campaign, which was cut short due to his wife battling cancer, Anderson posted a solid record of 25-11-4 to go along with an impressive 2.28 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.

His current deal expires at the end of the 2017-18 season.

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