The prospect of becoming an unrestricted free agent and signing a sizable contract can be an enticing thought, but it's not one Brad Marchand currently has on his mind.

The Boston Bruins forward is coming off a career year that saw him amass 37 goals and 60 points in 77 games. So - as he enters the final year in a four-year contract - it was no surprise when this past July Bruins general manager Don Sweeney confirmed that both sides had begun talks on a new contract.

However, with the World Cup of Hockey approaching, Marchand admits his impending contract status is not something that he's been losing sleep over.

"I don't know, I've never really been in that situation and I haven't really thought about it," Marchand said, according to Matt Kalman of NHL.com. "It's a whole year away. A lot of things can happen in a year's time. If it ever gets down to that then we'll worry about that then. But right now I have too many things that I need to focus on to even worry about that. I've always been the kind of guy to take it day by day with not a whole lot of worries.

"Right now I'm focusing on the World Cup. Then I'll focus on the season and whatever has to be dealt with that will be dealt with."

Marchand will represent Canada on the game's biggest stage, an opportunity he's extremely grateful for. However, after enjoying his best statistical season he understands that entering the tournament it is important not to get wrapped up in trying to hit certain offensive goals.

"The main thing is to not try to chase it," he said. "I think when you chase something like that then things will go wrong and you stop playing the game the right way. I'm not so much focused on hitting that number as I am playing a good game and being a good player for the team, being strong defensively and playing my role the way they want me to do it. I'm sure if I didn't get back there, as long as I played well and did the right things, then they'll still be happy with my game. So it's more about being the right player for the team than it is hitting a certain number because when you do that, you may start to cheat and play the wrong way and that can ultimately affect the team."

Marchand last represented Canada at this year's World Championship where he helped the team capture their second straight title.

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The New Jersey Devils are in the process of terminating 22-year-old prospect Ben Johnson's contract after he was found guilty of sexual assault in a Windsor, Ontario courtroom Thursday.

The Devils released the following statement:

Earlier today, the club was informed of Windsor Superior Court Justice Kirk Munroe’s ruling against Mr. Johnson. Based on the ruling, the club has initiated the process required to terminate Mr. Johnson’s Standard Player’s Contract.

The charge originated from Johnson's time with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. A woman alleged Johnson forced her to perform oral sex and then had non-consensual intercourse with her at a nightclub on March 17, 2013, according to CTV Windsor. She was 16 at the time and her friends testified that she was extremely intoxicated on the night in question.

In his ruling, Justice Munroe said he had no doubt an assault occurred and called Johnson's testimony, in which he said the girl pulled him into a bathroom stall and consented to perform oral sex, "a huge mystery to me."

Johnson was drafted 90th overall by the Devils in 2012, and spent the past three seasons in the AHL and ECHL.

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Connor McDavid is already playing a big part in shaping the history of Rogers Place.

The Edmonton Oilers' star center became the first player to take to the ice at the club's new downtown arena Thursday, skating half a lap before being joined by local minor hockey players and a handful of teammates.

It's a piece of team history he wasn't aware he'd be owning.

"No, (I didn’t know I’d be first). I just heard we were going to come here and do a little skate with some of the kids," McDavid said, per the Oilers website. "But it was pretty special to be on the ice and do all that.

"I can't wait to play here. The fans are going to be great. I hope it's loud," he added.

If Oilers fans are going to have anything to cheer about in the coming years following a lengthy rebuild, it'll most certainly be as a result of McDavid's impact.

The first regular-season game at Rogers Place is scheduled for Oct. 12 against the Calgary Flames.

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The Buffalo Sabres signed restricted free-agent forward Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year contract on Thursday, the team announced.

Girgensons is coming off his third season with the club where - after amassing career highs in goals and points with 15 and 30 respectively during the 2014-15 campaign - he managed just seven goals and 18 points in 71 contests.

"Zemgus has grown into a solid two-way player since beginning his career," general Manager Tim Murray said in a release. "We hope to see him continue this positive trend and find a consistent role within the club this season as another young player to grow with our group."

Girgensons also made headlines during the 2015 season when he miraculously led all players in fan voting for the All-Star game.

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Team Europe. Team North America. Team Buyout?

That's what has been suggested by David Booth - whose deal was bought out by the Vancouver Canucks back in 2014 - in advance of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

But could it work? Are there are enough players to fill out a 23-man roster?

Let's take a look, using players whose contracts have been bought out since the latest NHL lockout that resulted in a shortened 2013 season.

Goalies

This is by far the biggest area of weakness, as Ilya Bryzgalov is the only goaltender not officially retired, meaning he would have to play every minute of the tournament.

The interviews, however, would be tremendous.

Defense

The crew would have been quite thin were it not for a handful of players cut loose this offseason.

As it stands, there are enough defensemen who played this past NHL season to at least put out on the ice. Though, mobility may be an issue.

Forwards

The field of forwards whose contracts have been bought out is well populated, although more than a few candidates were eliminated after having announced their retirements.

Booth was given a nod because, well, the team was his idea in the first place, while the other free agents on the roster could use the opportunity to impress general managers taking in the tournament.

It's hard to say whether this roster could hang with the other eight teams playing in the tournament, but since two have been arbitrarily created for the sole purpose of participating in the World Cup, we think the Buyout All-Stars at least deserve a chance.

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The World Cup of Hockey, where teammates become enemies.

That is exactly the case for Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, who starting next week will be hoping to put pucks past teammate Braden Holtby.

Oshie will be suiting up for Team USA while Holtby will be looking to man the crease for Canada and ahead of the tournament Oshie is already trying to get an edge on last season's Vezina Trophy winner on the chance the two meet in a shootout.

"I actually just brought a couple new ones (moves) out here today," Oshie told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "I've got to try to get in his head just in case."

It's safe to say that if Team USA is forced to go to a shootout Oshie will be called upon, especially after his dazzling shootout display against Russia at the Sochi Olympics.

"That was one of the more special moments of my career for sure, but hopefully I can be remembered for more than just a shootout when it comes to USA Hockey," Oshie said. "I was kind of playing in more of a grinder, support, penalty-kill role in Sochi. I didn't get too much ice time, so hopefully I can have a good camp here and get some more (ice time) and show some of my offensive abilities as well."

Meanwhile, after setting a career high with 26 goals in his first season with the Capitals, Oshie is hoping his proven knack for scoring will land him more ice time this time around.

"I think it should play a little bit of a factor (with Team USA) because I had more success offensively, especially scoring goals, this past year," Oshie said. "So hopefully that can translate into more ice time."

As for the growing rivalry with Holtby, Oshie can put his mind tricks to the test when Canada and the USA go head-to-head in two exhibition games Sept. 9 and 10.

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Only one year ago, the Calgary Flames were among hockey's hottest teams.

A second round loss to the Anaheim Ducks - Calgary's first playoff appearance since 2009 - was viewed as a learning curve for a team made up of budding stars like Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.

The Flames pushed the needle that offseason, bolstering their blue line with young defenseman Dougie Hamilton, fresh off a 42-point campaign with the Boston Bruins.

But the good times in Calgary took a turn for the worst, as the Flames won 10 fewer games than the year before.

Veteran winger Jiri Hudler, now 32, tailed off after a career-best 76 points. Between the pipes, the Flames allowed nearly 50 more goals, as netminders Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, and Jonas Hiller posted some of the NHL's worst numbers.

The Flames hope to reverse that trend this season, following their acquisition of goalie Brian Elliott from the St. Louis Blues.

New head coach Glen Gulutzan, who brings a fresh voice behind the bench, is sure to heavily rely on Elliott. The former Blues goalie was among the league leaders last season, posting a 2.07 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.

Meanwhile, Flames center Matt Stajan is among the returning players looking to shake off last season's memory. The 32-year-old has posted back-to-back career lows of 17 points, and realizes he must pick up his own game in order for the team to improve.

"I think we have something to prove as a team that two years ago wasn’t a fluke," Stajan told the team's official site. "I think we want to bounce back from last season because it didn’t go the way we wanted it to.

"We’ve had some nice additions coming in that are going to want to make a difference and that’ll be great for our hockey club."

The Flames open their season Oct. 12 vs. the rival Edmonton Oilers.

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Jay Rosehill got a pretty harsh welcome from the Elite Ice Hockey League.

The veteran forward, who signed with the Scottish club Braehead Clan in July following stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers, suffered a broken palate and three lost teeth over the weekend after taking a slap shot to the face in a preseason friendly.

Thirty stitches later, this is what Rosehill looks like:

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