Steve Mason's time with the Philadelphia Flyers may not necessarily be coming to an end.

That was the message relayed Wednesday by general manager Ron Hextall after Michal Neuvirth's two-year, $5-million extension was announced.

Related: Neuvirth extension a curious move by Flyers

And while Mason is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, Neuvirth's extension doesn't close the door on one of his own.

"We liked the term, and we liked the cap hit," Hextall said of Neuvirth's deal, per Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly. "I did not want to go into July 1 with no goalie because that is a recipe for disaster. So we felt like this one was a reasonable deal, a reasonable term."

Hextall added, "That doesn't suggest we won't sign Mase, but just that the timing ... I wanted to get something done before the (trade) deadline."

Something to keep in mind is the upcoming expansion draft, where the freshly signed Neuvirth can be exposed and potentially selected by the Golden Knights. That would allow the Flyers to protect prospect Anthony Stolarz while addressing the starter's job in free agency, be it with Mason or otherwise.

Neuvirth is under contract through the 2018-19 season, while Mason is expected to get the start Thursday against Florida.

Hextall further admitted neither Neuvirth nor Mason has played up to expectations this season, but at least some uncertainty has been set aside.

"We're in a lot better position than a day ago. I didn't like having two guys as UFAs. We like Neuvy's deal. It's a fair deal. And when he's playing hockey, he's pretty damn good."

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Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.

▲ The Metropolitan Division

The best teams in the NHL's most dominant division got even more intimidating over the last seven days.

First, the Pittsburgh Penguins addressed their sudden need for defensive depth last Thursday, trading for Ron Hainsey, then acquiring fellow veteran Mark Streit and the AHL-destined Frank Corrado in separate deals on deadline day.

The New York Rangers improved their back end, too, landing Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings, and the Columbus Blue Jackets secured defenseman Kyle Quincey in a deal with the New Jersey Devils.

Of course, the Washington Capitals made the biggest splash, trading for Kevin Shattenkirk in a blockbuster agreement with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

Each of the four likely playoff-bound Metro squads made moves to prepare for their postseason runs in the days leading up to the deadline, further cementing the division as one to be reckoned with.

▼ The New York Islanders

Every NHL team did something ahead of the deadline except for the Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres.

While the Sabres' inability to trade away their pending unrestricted free agents was surprising, the Islanders' inactivity was far more puzzling.

Buffalo merely missed a chance to further its rebuild, but New York failed to add to a team that's one point back of a playoff position with a game in hand.

The Islanders arguably had two areas to address, in a top-nine left winger and a right-shot defenseman, but couldn't agree on a deal that would satisfy even one of those needs.

Meanwhile, the teams they're battling with for that eventual playoff berth - the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning - were all proactive in adding pieces for the postseason push.

We should probably expect this from Islanders general manager Garth Snow by now, but it was still a blown opportunity.

Amid the (lack of) trade-deadline activity, there was a more interesting storyline worth acknowledging.

Nashville Predators defenseman Subban held court Wednesday in Montreal, discussing his excitement ahead of his much anticipated first game against the Canadiens on Thursday.

Subban, ever the model citizen despite the rumors and ill-conceived accusations to the contrary, was also honored for his humanitarian efforts earlier this week.

Canada's governor general gave Subban a medal Wednesday in recognition of his charity work, which has included a $10-million donation to the Montreal Children's Hospital that's believed to be the largest philanthropic gesture by a sports figure in Canadian history.

▼ Deadline day

Once considered one of the most exciting days on the NHL calendar, the 2017 edition of trade deadline day didn't live up to the hype.

Only 18 deals were made Wednesday, and only 33 players were sent to new destinations.

While that might have been a welcome development for the forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders who didn't get moved, it was a disappointing day for fans.

There are plenty of factors to blame for Wednesday's lack of major activity: The salary cap, the "loser point" creating false parity virtually league-wide that complicated the task of identifying buyers and sellers, the upcoming expansion draft, and the conservative approaches of many NHL GMs as it is.

Regardless of the reasons, though, this deadline was more about the moves that didn't happen - Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Marc-Andre Fleury, Radim Vrbata, Jaroslav Halak, Evander Kane, and Shane Doan all stayed put.

It wasn't the slowest deadline day ever, but it was another underwhelming one that's sure to be improved upon next season, if and when some of the obstacles are alleviated.

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It seems like "goal of the year candidate" is tossed out a bit too freely these days.

Case in point: Twitter blew up Wednesday with calls for this gem from Richard Panik of the Chicago Blackhawks to be nominated, and perhaps rightfully so.

Still, 2017 is barely two months old, and already there are others that have arguably been more impressive.

Here are three candidates.

Spurgeon's catch and release

Some might sleep on this one, but Jared Spurgeon's ability to catch the puck and immediately bat it into the back of the net was ridiculously impressive.

Now Athanasiou, now we don't

The Penguins fell prey to another beauty back in January, as Andreas Athanasiou went coast to coast and sliced through the defense like a hot knife in butter. The Detroit Red Wings have a keeper in this one.

Auston Matthews takes Carolina by storm

Auston Matthews with an all-timer against the Carolina Hurricanes.

No words necessary to describe this one.

Thanks for playing, everyone. That's probably your winner right there.

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The trade deadline has come and gone, and Marc-Andre Fleury remains a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, at least through the remainder of this season.

"It's been a little bit of a weird two weeks," Fleury said of trade speculation that surrounded him leading up to the deadline, per Jonathan Bombulie of TribLive. "A little bit stressful. I'm glad it's over and we're done with it."

Fleury added, "I guess I get to hang out with these guys again for a little while and have another shot at going far in the playoffs."

What happens beyond that remains well up in the air, as the Penguins are committed to Matt Murray as their starting goaltender, and with the expansion draft looming.

Fleury made 25 saves in a loss to Chicago on Wednesday, and will get a few starts down the stretch in order to rest Murray prior to the playoffs, but the Penguins will need to make a move and sort this situation out once their season is over.

In the meantime, another Stanley Cup ring could be added before his days in Pittsburgh are over.

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The Philadelphia Flyers appear comfortable with their goaltending, but it isn't clear why.

On Wednesday, the Flyers announced they're bringing back Michal Neuvirth, signing the veteran netminder to a two-year contract, with a pay raise to boot. But it's difficult to see how the new deal is a reward for performance.

Neuvirth owns the league's worst save percentage, a lowly .887, while playing for a club that's been middle of the pack for much of the season. By comparison, fellow Philadelphia netminder Steve Mason has a .903 save rate - not spectacular by any stretch, but closer to the mean.

Still, the 28-year-old will see his salary jump to $2.5 million next season, after taking in a more affordable $1.75 million this year.

Neuvirth and Mason were both set to become free agents this summer, and with Philadelphia's goaltending once again in need of repair, the Flyers had an opportunity to enter the offseason with a clean slate between the pipes.

But in bringing back Neuvirth, they may limit their offseason flexibility. Does it make sense for the Flyers to pursue a big-ticket addition, like Ben Bishop, a pending unrestricted free agent, with a goalie already signed to such a hefty deal?

Philadelphia has high hopes for young goaltender Anthony Stolarz, but it'd be premature to rely on him. He had two starts with the Flyers this season, plus 78 games over his AHL career since finishing junior three years ago. Stolarz's day is coming, but not in time for the 2017-18 campaign.

Still, Stolarz will require protection from the Vegas expansion draft, given his two years of pro experience. Like all clubs, the Flyers must expose one under-contract goalie in the expansion pool, and the odds are they'll protect the up-and-coming netminder.

That's where Neuvirth's new deal could come into play, but that leaves the multiple years of the extension and the raise unexplained, particularly when a handful of cheap goalies are available for expansion purposes.

Case in point: The Calgary Flames signed career minor leaguer Tom McCollum to fulfill the expansion draft requirements. McCollum is a product of the Detroit Red Wings' system, never suiting up for a Flames affiliate prior to this year.

In the end, Philadelphia appears to see Neuvirth as part of their goaltending future, likely splitting a tandem role next season. That arrangement hasn't worked out this season with Mason, so the decision to repeat it next year is a curious move at best.

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MONTREAL - P.K. Subban made a big splash in the flashy defenseman's return to face the Montreal Canadiens.

The Nashville Predators star received a medal from the governor general of Canada for his charity work and then met the media Wednesday at a packed news conference at Bell Centre.

''It's a privilege to play in the NHL and it's a privilege to be a player who is traded out of Montreal and still have this type of support,'' Subban said. ''Talk to a lot of guys who have been traded, I don't think they would be standing up here doing a press conference when they come back. So, I'm very honored and happy to know that, in the Mecca of hockey, fans still support me and are behind me.''

How much they remain on Subban's side will be seen Thursday night when Subban plays his first game against the team he played for from 2009 to last June 29, when he was dealt to Nashville for Shea Weber in a straight-up trade of All-Star defensemen.

Canadiens who are traded away are often booed on their return, but it might be different for Subban.

''I don't think it's fair to try to anticipate how you're going to feel,'' Subban said. ''You wait for the moment and take it in.

''My focus will be on the two points, but obviously I look forward to playing in a building and in front of fans that I played in for so long. Some big games and some fun games. Probably the thing I look forward to most is hopefully seeing Madame Beliveau there."

Subban is a favorite of Elise Beliveau, the widow of Canadiens great Jean Beliveau.

The trade was a stunning move by general manager Marc Bergevin, who was looking to change up a team that collapsed after goalie Carey Price was injured early in the 2015-16 season.

Subban was already a fan favorite for his skill and flair on the ice and his bubbly personality, but his popularity went through the roof in September 2015 when he made a pledge to raise $10 million over seven years for the Montreal Children's Hospital, mainly for a program called P.K.'s Helping Hand to support families of sick kids.

It was believed to be the biggest charitable commitment ever made by a Canadian athlete and it was the reason Gov. Gen. David Johnston was in the hospital's packed P.K. Subban Atrium to pin the Meritorious Service Cross on the player's chest. Subban's parents and two sisters, as well as many friends and fans, were on hand to share the moment.

''It was pretty spectacular,'' Subban said. ''It was the highest honor I've ever had in my life, so it's pretty special.''

This from a member of Canada's 2014 Olympic gold medal team and the 2013 winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman. He also was the Canadiens' highest-paid player, having been given an eight-year, $72-million deal ahead of the 2014-15 season.

Subban took the high road on all the controversy surrounding the trade. He had kind words for former coach Michel Therrien, who some felt stifled his free-wheeling style with an overly defensive system of play and benched him when risky moves went awry.

But he also had praise for Predators coach Peter Laviolette, who told Subban in their first phone call to be himself on and off the ice.

''When you're in the top two defense pairings and you're one of the highest-paid players you always feel you should get some sort of leash to do the things that make you the player that you are,'' he said. ''Ultimately, you have to play within a system, but there's a reason I made it to the NHL.

''There's a certain thing that I bring to the game that allows me to be the player I am, so you can't lose that. That's the thing about a good coach. You have 22 guys and you have to understand that there's 22 different people and you have to allow them to excel within their skill set. I think Lavvy has a really positive attitude.''

The trade is still hotly debated among Montreal fans, some who feel the team will regret losing the younger, quicker Subban and others glad to get the bigger and well-respected Weber.

Subban missed the first meeting with Montreal on Jan. 3 in Nashville with an upper-body injury. Weber scored a goal before his former home fans in the Canadiens' 2-1 win, which was mainly marked by the booing of former Predator Alexander Radulov on his return.

So far, the 31-year-old Weber holds a slight edge with 14 goals, 37 points and a plus-9 rating in 64 games for Montreal, while 27-year-old Subban has eight goals, 30 points, and is minus-6 in 47 games as a Predator. But Subban only got his game going after returning from his injury in late January. He has 12 points in the last 10 games.

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Nikita Kucherov is doing his best to help the Tampa Bay Lightning make good on preseason expectations.

Kucherov leads the Lightning - viewed as Stanley Cup contenders in October - with 27 goals and 34 assists, and his 61 points in 55 games put him five points shy of his career high.

That total has been boosted by six goals and six assists in his past four games, including a goal and two assists in Wednesday's overtime win over Carolina. The outburst matches a franchise legend in production:

The Lightning have a 3-1-0 record in that time, and sit three points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 20 games to play. The New York Islanders and Florida Panthers are also two points ahead.

There's still some work to be done, then. According to Sports Club Stats, Tampa Bay has only an 18.5 percent chance of making the playoffs, well behind both the Maple Leafs (54.4) and Islanders (45.5), and slightly ahead of the Panthers (16.7).

And help may be on the way, as Kucherov and Steven Stamkos - who's been sidelined most of the season due to injury - practiced one-timers together Wednesday.

For now, it's Kucherov carrying the team, and as well as anyone could have expected.

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Jaromir Jagr has played with hundreds of teammates over his 22-year career. He's about to have one more in Thomas Vanek.

The Detroit Red Wings dealt Vanek to the Panthers prior to Wednesday's trade deadline, receiving a third-round pick for the veteran winger who's clearly pumped to join a legend in Florida.

"To be on a team with (Jaromir Jagr) will be amazing," Vanek told Sportsnet, as reported by George Richards of the Miami Herald. "To be on the same team with him will be fun."

With 158 goals this season, Florida ranks in the league's bottom third in offense, so Vanek's acquisition makes sense. The streaky scorer had enjoyed a rebound season with the Red Wings - ranking second on the team with 38 points before the trade - after having his contract bought out by the Minnesota Wild last offseason.

Vanek hopes to carry forward his rediscovered scoring flair when he arrives in Florida. He'll have the chance to do so alongside one of the greatest scorers of all-time.

The Panthers next game comes Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, but there's no confirmation on whether Vanek will be in the lineup. He's traveling from Vancouver after the Red Wings faced the Canucks on Tuesday.

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