In preparing for the upcoming expansion draft for the Vegas Golden Knights, the Senators have asked defenseman Dion Phaneuf to waive his no-movement clause, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen.
Exposing Phaneuf to the Golden Knights would allow the Senators to protect another defenseman - likely Marc Methot - should the team opt to cover three blue-liners and seven forwards. Alternatively, the Senators could protect four defensemen and four forwards.
Phaneuf, 32, has four years remaining on his contract, which carries a $7-million cap hit. According to CapFriendly, Phaneuf holds a modified no-trade clause, while he can grant a deal to 10 teams of his choosing.
Phaneuf has yet to provide an answer to Senators general manager Pierre Dorion, while the deadline for his decision has been set for Friday at 5 p.m. ET. If Phaneuf declines to waive his clause, thus being protected from Vegas, Dorion may try to trade Methot before the roster freeze.
The Golden Knights will announce their expansion draft selections on June 21 as part of the NHL Awards ceremony.
The report confirms months of speculation, as the emergence of Matt Murray forced the Penguins to make a choice on their future in goal.
However, the agreement doesn't guarantee Fleury will wind up in Vegas. The 32-year-old remains eligible to be traded elsewhere, and should the Golden Knights select him in expansion, the new franchise could hypothetically flip him for assets.
Fleury was drafted by the Penguins first overall in 2003 and won three Stanley Cups with the organization. But the younger, cheaper Murray has proven more than capable as an NHL starter, helping Fleury backstop Pittsburgh to championships in each of the past two seasons.
In 13 seasons with the Penguins, Fleury appeared in 691 regular-season contests, posting a record of 375-216-68 with a career .912 save percentage and 2.58 goals-against average. He's Pittsburgh's all-time leader in games played, wins, and shutouts (44).
Fleury's contract includes two more seasons at a $5.75-million cap hit.
With a 2-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night in Game 6, the Penguins completed their quest to repeat, and what a ride it was.
Below, in no particular order, are five of the most memorable moments from Pittsburgh's second straight triumph.
Crosby's breakaway
The hockey world was yearning for Sidney Crosby to find the back of the net in the Stanley Cup Final, and he delivered a beauty to break his slump.
Without a goal in the finals since 2009, Crosby burned Pekka Rinne with a perfect backhand deke in Game 4. Although it came in a losing effort, Sid's highlight-reel tally was the turning point in his Herculean Cup Final performance that resulted in his second Conn Smythe trophy.
Kunitz ousts Ottawa
The road to glory is never easy, and everything was on the line in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.
In that epic contest versus the Ottawa Senators, Chris Kunitz slapped home his second goal of the game in double overtime to push the Pens through.
Fleury blanks Caps in Game 7
(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)
After squandering a 3-1 series lead, the Penguins traveled back to Washington looking to oust their rival Capitals on their home ice in Game 7 (again).
The Caps carried all the momentum into the series-deciding game, but the Penguins' longtime rock stole the show. Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for a shutout victory, rising to the occasion after allowing a combined nine goals in the previous two games.
Fleury would only earn one more win during the Penguins' march to the Cup, but the team couldn't have done it without him and his shutout in D.C.
Kessel and Malkin's mini-feud
Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin verbally joust after a shift. Sullivan has to calm Geno down pic.twitter.com/KTuidhd9GO
Tensions were high on Pittsburgh's bench during Game 2 of the Ottawa series, as Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin were caught in a bit of a disagreement.
As the Penguins struggled to score, the charismatic - but frustrated - duo got into it about offensive strategy, and the clip went viral.
Of course, the dispute stemmed only from the heat of the moment, and the linemates quickly overcame their disagreement en route to each finishing the playoffs as a top-three scorer.
Hornqvist's Cup-clinching tally
This was the crowning moment.
It came late - very late - but Pens forward Patric Hornqvist broke the Game 6 shutout and etched his place in NHL history by delivering the game-winning goal at 18:25 of the third period.
If there were any doubt, there isn't anymore: Sidney Crosby is one of the top five NHLers of all time. Sorry, haters.
All grown up now with three Stanley Cups and two Conn Smythe Trophies to his name, No. 87 cemented his legacy as one of hockey's all-time greats Sunday night. You can fight it, but much like facing the Pittsburgh Penguins, you'll lose.
He's not even 30
It's been a rather remarkable 18 months for Sid:
Crosby since Jan 1st 2016: Pts Leader 2016 Year Stanley Cup & Conn Smythe World Cup Champ & Tournament MVP Goals Leader 2016-17 Reg Season
Add another Stanley Cup and another Conn Smythe to the ledger. And all this a couple of months before "the kid" turns 30 on Aug. 7.
It's also crucial to remember that Crosby played only 99 of 212 regular-season games between 2010 and 2013 - his age 23-to-25 seasons, his prime! - and arguably remains one major headshot away from potentially having to consider retiring due to his concussion history.
When you take the long view, and the team view, things get even more impressive. Here's what the Penguins accomplished over the last 10 years:
Penguins
Number
Rank
Stanley Cups
3
T-1
Stanley Cup Finals
4
1
Conference Finals
5
T-1
Playoff Wins
90
1
Playoff GP
152
1
Regular-Season Wins
467
1
Dominance. Dynasty. Plain and simple. And it's been done in the salary cap era, when goals have been practically impossible to score, when coaching and defense has never been better, and when goalies have mastered their position. With all due respect to the Chicago Blackhawks, what Crosby and his Penguins have accomplished is downright incredible, especially when you consider the defense corps they just won the Cup with.
Legacy
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Crosby's a slam-dunk, first-ballot Hall of Famer. Even if he retired tomorrow. He's only the sixth player in NHL history to win two Conn Smythes, and only the third player to be named MVP of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The last player to do it? Penguins owner, Mario Lemieux, in 1991 and 1992.
Speaking of Lemieux, Crosby now has one more ring than No. 66 as a player. As The Tribune-Review's Kevin Gorman writes, Crosby and his running mate Evgeni Malkin will "go down as the greatest duo in the history of the City of Champions," no small feat when you consider Pittsburgh's legacy as a sports town.
There's more. Outside of Crosby, only one other player captained three teams to the Stanley Cup and won two Conn Smythe trophies, and you may have heard of him: Wayne Gretzky.
Rank 'em
Gretzky. Lemieux. Bobby Orr. Mike Bossy. Gordie Howe. That's five, and then there's Crosby, who very politely bullied his way into the group.
Bump who you need to bump, but, sorry, it's got to be Bossy or Howe, because Crosby - whose career 1.313 points per game in the regular season ranks sixth all time - belongs in the top five. Based on the era Crosby's played in, there's no longer denying the fact.
Crosby's done it all, won everything there is to win in hockey, and yet he remains as motivated as ever, because winning fuels him. He's addicted to it. That he's done what he's done in his age 28 and 29 seasons proves it. All things considered, these are the two best seasons of Sid's career. He's getting better, as unfathomable as that may be.
But perhaps the mistake is in doubting Crosby, in being amazed by what he's able to accomplish. This was his destiny, since before he was "the kid," since he was a little boy.
Up next
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Crosby is motivated by an unparalleled desire to succeed. And you know he's going to come into 2017-18 as if he's never won a Stanley Cup, or a Conn Smythe. He'll be all business, looking to three-peat, and make it four Stanley Cups.
You know who else won four Cups? Gretzky.
Forget about top five. As Crosby turns 30, his goal remains the same: win. And should he continue to do so - would you bet against this guy? - he'll be in the top-two conversation when it's all said and done.
Gretzky and Crosby. The best ever. It's no longer a stretch.
Much like there was only one Gretzky, there's only one Crosby. And that ain't fake news.
The Philadelphia-based hedge fund manager became the sole owner of the Arizona Coyotes on Monday upon completion of his transaction to buy out the club's minority owners, according to multiple reports.
Barroway initially purchased a majority stake in the Coyotes in December 2014, while Monday's move sees him attain full ownership of IceArizona, LLC, a group backed by Anthony LeBlanc and George Gosbee among other minority partners, who purchased the Coyotes in 2013.
Prior to the sale to IceArizona, the league held ownership of the Coyotes for a four-year period beginning in 2009.
The full sale to Barroway means LeBlanc, who doubled as the Coyotes' president and CEO, and co-owner Gary Drummond, who later became the Coyotes' president of hockey operations, will relinquish those roles at the end of the month, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon.
"The reorganization is an effort to consolidate and strengthen the ownership and to resolve various disputes among the existing owners," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. "We believe this will better position the club to achieve a long-term solution in the Valley."
The Coyotes' focus will now turn to ensuring their future in the desert. The team has one year remaining on its lease at Gila River Arena in Glendale.
Earlier this year, a proposal to build a new arena on the campus of Arizona State University fell through. Meanwhile, a subsequent discussion to build a new facility in the East Valley has garnered little support from the Arizona legislature.
According to Morgan, a new arena in downtown Phoenix is among the top possibilities being considered by Barroway.
Not even 24 hours after the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators for their second consecutive Stanley Cup, odds for the 2018 title were released.
Yup, you guessed it - the Pens top the 2018 list. And let's be honest, it's a pretty safe bet.
After referee Kevin Pollack cost the Nashville Predators Game 6's opening goal with an early whistle - a whistle that turned out to be extremely costly - the stripes did their best to ensure the home team had every opportunity to score.
Nashville ended up with four power plays to Pittsburgh's none, including a brief five-on-three advantage in the third period, but Matt Murray - and a couple of posts - ensured the Penguins went home with the Stanley Cup.
Meanwhile, Evgeni Malkin was still looking for a call - any call - after the game.
The playoffs' leading scorer took a shot to the nose during the Pens' celebration, leaving him with a nasty looking gash, and he couldn't believe the officials missed it.
"I don't know, we start celebrating and somebody hit me, it's like, it's crazy, you know, it's not (a) penalty, for sure," Malkin sarcastically said once the dust settled.
It was probably Phil Kessel. Actually, it was definitely Kessel, considering Malkin clocked him with an accidental left on the bench after Carl Hagelin scored an empty-net goal to ensure the Stanley Cup would be on the plane ride home.
Jake Guentzel etched his name in the record books multiple times this spring, but his final achievement was his best.
The young Pittsburgh Penguins forward became the first rookie to lead the NHL outright in playoff goal scoring since the league took control of the Stanley Cup in 1926-27.
Guentzel scored 13 times in his first postseason, edging teammate Evgeni Malkin by three for the league lead, and somewhat incredibly, five of Guentzel's playoff goals were game-winners.
Guentzel finished one goal shy of Ciccarelli's record for playoff goals by a rookie, but he set new benchmarks for goals and points by an American-born rookie with a two-goal effort in Game 2 of the championship round.
Matt Cullen might be hanging up his skates following the Pittsburgh Penguins' second straight Stanley Cup championship, but if that was his final act, he'll clearly have no regrets.
The 40-year-old forward played nearly 20 minutes in the Penguins' Cup-clinching victory in Game 6 on Sunday night - 19:42 to be exact - the most ice time he logged in a game all season.
Cullen was on the ice for Patric Hornqvist's winner, played 4:42 shorthanded, and won 10 of his 18 faceoffs. He played over 19 minutes for just the fifth time in two seasons with the Penguins, according to Bill West of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The veteran of 19 NHL campaigns previously said he was leaning toward retirement following this playoff run, and he reiterated that in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's win.
"Pretty good chance this is my last one," Cullen told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. "I can't imagine a better way to go out than this. It's pretty likely."
