With his client still seeking a contract from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Josh Anderson's agent has been in touch with Hockey Canada about the 2018 Olympics, Sportsnet's John Shannon reports.

Anderson is one of two restricted free agents across the NHL, along with Detroit Red Wings forward Andreas Athanasiou, who has threatened to play next season in the KHL if an agreement doesn't come to fruition.

With the start of regular season under two weeks away, Anderson still hasn't reported to Blue Jackets camp. If the two sides don't reach a deal before Dec. 1, he'll be forced to sit out the entire 2017-18 campaign.

Anderson only has one full season of NHL experience, but was a key contributor to Columbus' wildly successful 2016-17. In 78 games, the 23-year-old scored 17 goals and added 12 assists, while averaging 12:01 per night.

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Detroit Red Wings fans are bottling memories of Joe Louis Arena.

The club is selling limited-edition vials of melted ice from the team's old rink, with proceeds benefiting the Detroit Red Wings Foundation's mission to grow hockey.

"The Detroit Red Wings Foundation is thrilled to offer a unique opportunity for fans to support our cause while honoring the history of Joe Louis Arena," said Foundation director Kevin Brown. "These commemorative ice vials serve as a wonderful keepsake, capturing the essence of (Joe Louis Arena's) electrifying farewell."

The vials will cost $85 and be featured inside an individually numbered 6x8 inch shadowbox frame photo of Joe Louis Arena, lest anyone be tempted to quench their thirst with some nearby water.

Only 3,000 will be made available. Get them before they H2-GO.

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The Joffrey Lupul health saga took another turn Thursday, as a league source told The Athletic's James Mirtle that the injured forward will undergo an independent medical examination to determine his health status.

Lupul stirred controversy earlier in the week when he posted a comment on his Instagram account calling the Maple Leafs cheaters for the way they utilize the long-term injury reserve designation. He later retracted his comments and apologized in a Twitter statement posted to his official account Wednesday.

In his apology, Lupul also stated that he would not be seeking a second medical opinion.

But, as Mirtle reports, the NHL has apparently decided to step in, and Lupul will undergo an independent evaluation to determine whether he is physically able to compete.

Lupul hasn't played in a regular-season game since February 2016, and was placed on LTIR in July. As a result, his $5.25-million salary for the 2017-18 season won't count against Toronto's cap.

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed veteran winger Patrick Marleau to a hefty three-year, $18.75-million deal in July, many pundits - and media members - around the league expected him to be a natural fit on the top line, replacing Zach Hyman on Auston Matthews' wing.

While the calls for Marleau to join Matthews and replace Hyman continue to gain volume and media attention, head coach Mike Babcock isn't prepared to make any hasty moves just yet.

"I'm not dumb," Babcock told reporters Thursday, according to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel. "That's what I read - that you guys want. But here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to coach the team and you guys are going to write the articles."

Despite previously being a vocal supporter of Hyman and what he brings to the table, Babcock was prompted to once again voice his fondness over the 25-year-old Toronto native and his style of play.

"Hyman's a guy who gets the puck back all the time," said Babcock. "When you're a good player, I've learned from good players, they like to have the puck. When you have three guys who want the puck - like Datsyuk used to tell me all the time, 'No, put him on someone else's line. I want a guy to get me the puck.' He (Hyman) gets the puck back better than anyone."

Hyman might not light the lamp on the regular, registering only 14 goals across 98 career regular-season games, but it's clear that his work ethic and sound two-way game have left a positive impression on his head coach.

So much so, that Babcock has already seemingly decided that Hyman will be on the top line with Matthews when the puck drops on the 2017-18 season in just under two weeks' time.

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Marc-Edouard Vlasic is not afraid to make his feelings about the Olympics known.

In April, the San Jose Sharks defenseman tweeted a picture of the Olympic logo after the NHL announced its players would not be going to the 2018 Games in South Korea. He was back at it Thursday after the medals that will be handed out in Pyeongchang were revealed.

Vlasic couldn't help but point them out to the league's Twitter account.

Here they are:

Vlasic's tweet offers another reminder of how the players feel about not being able to compete in this edition of the Winter Games.

He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) General manager Jim Johannson has ruled out the possibility of the U.S. men's hockey team having NHL draft-eligible prospects competing at the Winter Olympics in February.

Johannson tells The Associated Press he doesn't view anyone from the 18-and-younger pool of prospects capable of cracking the projected lineup of non-NHL players, many of whom are opening this season playing in Europe.

USA Hockey's assistant executive director says he's also targeting a number of established college players, and would not rule out keeping a spot or two open for members of the U.S. team competing at the World Junior Championships this winter.

Johansson spoke in Buffalo, New York, on Thursday, where he is attending USA Hockey's sixth annual All-American Prospects game. The game features the top 42 U.S.-born players eligible to be selected in the NHL draft in June.

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For more AP NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

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The St. Louis Blues are adding one of the best defensemen of all time to their front office.

Larry Robinson is joining the Blues as the senior consultant to hockey operations.

The Hall of Fame blue-liner left the San Jose Sharks in May after occupying multiple roles with the club over the last five years, including associate coach and director of player development.

Robinson first became a coach with the New Jersey Devils when he was named an assistant in 1993, and guided the Devils to a Stanley Cup championship as head coach in 2000.

The 66-year-old won the Cup six times as a player, and he ranks ninth all time among defensemen in NHL history with 750 assists and 958 points.

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Desperate times call for desperate measures.

With the NHL's crackdown on both stick infractions and faceoff violations in full force, the Winnipeg Jets are going the extra mile to give them a special teams advantage.

The club will welcome former NHL referee Paul Devorski to training camp to help the club curb penalties, according to Sportsnet's Sean Reynolds.

Head coach Paul Maurice reached out to the NHL to help them fix their penalty woes. The plan is to have Devorski on the ice with the club while they do battle drills where the former ref of 26 years will point out ways the club can avoid taking penalties, per Reynolds.

The ploy is not just to help with the league's new stricter sanctions, but also to correct the team's previous discipline issues:

Related: Enraged Daley likens penalty-filled game to 'special teams practice'

On top of finishing sixth in the NHL last season with 835 penalty minutes, the Jets also boasted the fifth-worst penalty kill, so figuring out a way to take fewer penalties is imperative for the club.

In their first two preseason games, the Jets have taken 12 penalties, but surprisingly just three slashing minors and none for faceoff violations.

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Who will be this year's Jonathan Marchessault?

The diminutive forward signed a two-year, $1.5-million contract with the Panthers last summer and went on to score 30 goals.

The following five players all signed new contracts in the offseason. Whether they were RFAs and re-upped with their current clubs or UFAs who signed with new (or old) teams, these five deals will all prove to be steals:

Connor Brown, Maple Leafs

Term: 3 years
Average annual value: $2.1 million

A 20-goal campaign from a Toronto-born Maple Leafs rookie would have been the talk of the town in any other season. But in 2016-17, the big three of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner stole the spotlight.

Brown's stellar rookie campaign went seemingly unnoticed by the hockey world, partly because he isn't a flashy player. The 23-year-old doesn't have blazing speed or a lethal shot. What he does have, though, is a high hockey IQ. He's creative in the offensive zone and smart enough defensively to play on a checking line and kill penalties.

Despite his 20-goal, 36-point season, he isn't a lock to play in Toronto's top nine. The offseason addition of Patrick Marleau creates an even bigger logjam among Toronto's forwards. However, as a sixth-round pick who had to claw his way into the NHL, this will no doubt provide added motivation for the youngster.

Brown's defining moment may not come this season, but with James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, and Leo Komarov all being pending UFAs, he could be counted on for big minutes come 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Senators

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Term: 3 years
AAV: $3.1 million

Jean-Gabriel Pageau's point total fell from 43 in 2015-16 to 33 in 2016-17. It's understandable considering head coach Guy Boucher implemented his 1-3-1 neutral zone trap. However, Pageau made up for it during Ottawa's magical run to the Eastern Conference Final, scoring eight goals in 19 playoff games.

With Colin White (wrist) out for six-to-eight weeks and Derick Brassard (shoulder) potentially out to begin the season, Pageau will be relied upon to center the team's second line. Considering Brassard was largely unimpressive in his first season in Canada's capital, it wouldn't be shocking if the 24-year-old Pageau stuck in that role.

He's already an elite faceoff man with a strong two-way game, finishing in the top 25 in Selke Trophy voting each of the past two years. With more ice time (he averaged just 16:08 per game last year), he could conceivably collect 45-50 points.

Scott Hartnell, Predators

Term: 1 year
AAV: $1 million

Hartnell signed a one-year prove-it deal after what was considered a down season in Columbus. He scored 13 goals and added 24 assists in 78 games, but his ice time plummeted to 12:04 minutes per game. However, his 2.45 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five was his best since Natural Stat Trick began recording it in 2010-11.

Returning to the team that drafted him sixth overall way back in 2000, Hartnell could have a bounce-back season - especially if he's reunited with former linemate Ryan Johansen. A 25-goal season isn't out of the question.

Patrick Sharp, Blackhawks

Term: 1 year
AAV: $1 million

Sharp also signed a one-year prove-it deal with his former team after tallying just 18 points in an injury-riddled 48-game campaign.

The departure of Artemi Panarin opens up a gaping hole at left wing opposite Patrick Kane. At 35, Sharp clearly isn't the player Panarin is, but he could easily have a bounce-back season of 50 points if he can avoid the Q blender (coach Joel Quenneville is known for constant line juggling) and stick with Kane for the majority of the season.

Andre Burakovsky, Capitals

Term: 2 years
AAV: $3 million

The Capitals lost some key forwards in the offseason, most notably Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams. That opened up a top-six role for Burakovsky, who averaged just 13:16 minutes per game a year ago. In the limited role, here's where he ranked among Caps players in the following categories (all at five-on-five, excluding players who played less than 20 games):

As the stats show, all Burakovsky needs is an opportunity. At $3 million per season, the Caps could have a legitimate top-six forward. That would be extremely valuable for a team that's right against the cap.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images, unless otherwise noted)

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TORONTO - The NHL's third all-time leading point producer isn't too worried about the preseason crackdown on faceoff violations.

"It's just an adjustment period for the players. We got a little loose in the way we wanted the game officiated, and that happens," Mark Messier told theScore Wednesday at the launch of Bauer's "NeuroShield" collar.

"Every year, come September, (there's) a reminder for the players of what's tolerable and what's not, and the players will adjust," he said. "Once the season starts, I don't see it being an issue."

In the preseason, NHL officials have ramped up enforcement of slashing infractions as well as existing faceoff rules that previously went largely uncalled, drawing criticism from players as well as from fans and the media.

Offside challenges have been another source of officiating controversy, and while the league will reportedly attempt to curb the number of reviews with a minor penalty for lost challenges, Messier doesn't blame head coaches for using them to their advantage last season.

"Coaches are smart guys, and (if) they realize an opportunity to benefit the team, they'll use it," he said. "(Previously), there was no penalty for being wrong, and so they used it as a (way) to benefit the team, to rest a player or to get a timeout or whatever. Those are all things that are up for the general managers and the league, and all that. Whatever they decide upon, everybody will play by the rules."

Messier also weighed in on several other topics, including the NHL's lack of participation in the upcoming Olympic Games, the Stanley Cup hopes of the two franchises he's primarily associated with, and whether he sees any current player who reminds him of himself:

Alex Ovechkin has now accepted the NHL's position on the Olympics, and the league clearly isn't changing its mind on forgoing Pyeongchang, but do you think this is a missed opportunity?

"It's not (about) whether I like it or agree (about) whether they should or shouldn't go. It's a tough situation for the owners and it's a tough situation for the players. Ultimately, the players work for the owners, and (the) decision was not to go. The players have to live by it, it's just as simple as that. Who's right or who's wrong is really indifferent at this particular time. The decision has been made and everybody's going to have to live with it."

Are the Edmonton Oilers ready to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender or do they need a bit more time to grow as a team?

"Well, I think you can say (that) anybody that makes the playoffs can potentially be a Cup contender, and I think any time you've got a player like (Connor) McDavid leading the way, you have to be thinking that special things are on the horizon, but of course, they still have to prove it.

"They had a great year last year, and I think they might have been a little disappointed that they didn't go further because I think they probably could (have), so it'll be an interesting year for them this year. They're going to have to earn it. The teams around the league will be ready for them, and they won't surprise anybody this year. The better team you become, the tougher it could get, so it'll be interesting to see how it unfolds for the Oilers."

Can the New York Rangers get back to their Cup Final and conference final form of a few years ago, or are they going to continue to have difficulty getting back there?

"They're a playoff team for sure, (but) there's a lot of competition. A lot has to go right for any team to win the Stanley Cup. You've gotta be lucky, you've gotta be good, you've gotta stay healthy. They've proven that they've had the goaltending there, (but) they're in a bit of a transition period right now, so time will only tell there, but I think everybody would agree that they're a playoff team."

There are a lot of great players in the NHL these days, and you're one of the greatest of all time, but do you see any current players who remind you of yourself?

"(I) never compare players ever. Never liked to compare players. I don't think it's fair to any player to compare (them) to any player in the past or the future. I think every player has to make it on their own merits and their own individual characteristics.

"There will never be another Wayne Gretzky. There will never be another Mario Lemieux. There will never be another Gordie Howe. There will never be (another) Sidney Crosby. There will never be (another) Jonathan Toews. These guys are who they are, and the reason they are who they are is because they've been able to put their own (stamp) on it without comparisons (to) anybody else. I don't think it's fair to compare young kids. I think it puts undue pressure on them and I think it's important for them to make a name on their own for their own individual style and skill."

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