Not much can phase P.K. Subban.

The charismatic Montreal Canadiens defenseman was left off Team Canada's World Cup roster for September, but Subban, often a lightning rod for media speculation, is taking the decision gracefully.

The 27-year-old won gold for Canada at the Sochi Olympics, but his omission from September's tournament didn't come as a surprise.

"No, I'm not surprised," Subban told Sportsnet on Saturday. "It's a selection process. So, either you get selected or you don't. All you can do is be a model citizen. I'm Canadian so I support my country and I support my team just like everybody else."

Subban registered 51 points in 68 games throughout a rocky season in Montreal, but Canada added Brent Burns, Jake Muzzin, and Alex Pietrangelo to its final roster Friday.

Although he won't be apart of it, he'll be content with seeing his countrymen take home gold.

"I mean everybody wants to make the team, right?" Subban said." And there's a bunch of guys that I'm sure wanted to be on the team. But that's the way it goes. ... When I was speaking to (general manager) Doug Armstrong, my No. 1 thing was I just want to see Canada win gold. So I'll be there cheering just like everybody else."

The tournament gets underway Sept. 17 in Toronto.

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Only one series remains in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and with the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins set out to do battle for hockey supremacy, the path to this year's final was incredibly unpredictable - finally.

The postseason started with three new division winners in the Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, and Washington Capitals, and for the first time in 46 years, no Canadian teams were in the running. Although it started unfamiliar, now that a maximum of only seven games remain, hockey fans should take solace in the fact that for the first time in four years, commissioner Gary Bettman will be handing the Stanley Cup to someone other than Jonathan Toews or Dustin Brown.

Recently, parity in the NHL has vanished, but the Sharks and Penguins - two teams riddled with compelling storylines - offer something new.

Sure, the Penguins won it all in 2009, but only five players from that playoff roster remain with the club. And who remembers a 21-year-old Sidney Crosby anyway?

This is a reborn Penguins team, taking on a Sharks team with an ageless core that's finally reached new heights; ultimately providing one of the more interesting narratives the final has seen in years.

Both teams are incredibly similar, driven by blazing speed and reliable depth. But also having overcome much adversity to reach this point. The Sharks got a new coach, added pieces, and transitioned in the offseason, while Pittsburgh retooled themselves on the fly, starting with the hiring of head coach Mike Sullivan in December.

Whether it's Joe Thornton's (or Brent Burns') beard, the oft-ridiculed Phil Kessel overcome with joy about reaching this point, or two goaltenders shining in their first taste of the playoffs, there's something in this series for everybody.

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It appears Alex Chiasson's days as a member of the Ottawa Senators are over.

According to a report by Dhiren Mahiban of The Hockey News, Chiassion's agent, Kent Hughes, confirmed the 25-year-old is expected to be dealt ahead of June's draft.

"I think that's a potential scenario, but I don't know if you ever really know if anything materializes until it happens," Hughes said. "But yeah, (a trade) wouldn't surprise me."

Chiasson went to the Senators from the Dallas Stars as a part of the Jason Spezza trade, and is a pending restricted free agent. He scored only 14 points in 77 games this season.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers have to be very pleased with the progress made by their top prospects this season.

London Knights forward and Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Mitch Marner has been named the Canadian Hockey League player of the year Saturday, while Brandon Wheat Kings defenseman and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ivan Provorov earned defenseman of the year honors.

Including the OHL playoffs, Marner recorded 55 goals and 160 points in 75 games this past season, while Provorov scored 24 goals and totaled 86 points in 83 games on Brandon's blue line.

WHL goalie Carter Hart and OHL forward Alex Nylander - both of whom are draft eligible - earned goalie and rookie of the year awards, respectively.

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It's not hyperbole to suggest the fate of the Tampa Bay Lightning's future lies in the hands of general manager Steve Yzerman.

Fresh off two consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference finals and a Stanley Cup appearance a year ago, the club faces a period during which its core players will be seeking new contracts.

With the NHL's salary cap set to remain stagnant, the challenge will be keeping the band together for a few more cracks at creating the ultimate hit record.

"The next two summers will kind of define our team the next seven or eight years," Yzerman said Friday. "I have an idea of what we want to do. And we're doing our best to get everyone to buy in to what we're trying to do and keep it together."

Here's a look at the most significant contractual challenges that lie ahead:

(Courtesy: General Fanager)

Gulp.

The Steven Stamkos situation will be a significant marker on this journey. Whether a huge amount of money is sent his way by the Lightning will largely dictate what the team is able to do with the rest of the high-end talent on the roster.

That the club was able to push the Pittsburgh Penguins to seven games largely without the services of Stamkos and starting goaltender Ben Bishop may lend credence to the idea of building around the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy while filtering the money saved to complementary players.

How it all plays out is anyone's guess, and how Yzerman proceeds will not only define the Lightning, but his abilities as a general manager.

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The captain has no desire to jump ship.

After helping the St. Louis Blues come close to the Stanley Cup, David Backes doesn't appear set on testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent come July 1, preferring instead to re-sign with the club.

The 32-year-old is coming off a five-year deal that carried an average annual valuation of $4.5 million, and propped up his value by contributing seven goals and seven assists in 20 playoff games in 2016.

A second-round pick in 2003, Backes - who was named captain back in 2011 - has played all 727 games of his career in St. Louis, with 206 goals and 254 assists to his credit.

Whether the two sides can reach common ground, while still ensuring the club can take care of younger players in need of new deals in the coming years remains to be seen.

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The captain has no desire to jump ship.

After helping the St. Louis Blues come close to the Stanley Cup, David Backes doesn't appear set on testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent come July 1, preferring instead to re-sign with the club.

The 32-year-old is coming off a five-year deal that carried an average annual valuation of $4.5 million, and propped up his value by contributing seven goals and seven assists in 20 playoff games in 2016.

A second-round pick in 2003, Backes - who was named captain back in 2011 - has played all 727 games of his career in St. Louis, with 206 goals and 254 assists to his credit.

Whether the two sides can reach common ground, while still ensuring the club can take care of younger players in need of new deals in the coming years remains to be seen.

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P.K. Subban is making the most of summer.

The Montreal Canadiens defenseman is spending some time in his hometown of Toronto, and took part in Blue Jays batting practice Saturday, clad in full uniform complete with a No. 76 'Subbanator' jersey.

Clearly he's been taking tips from Jose Bautista.

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