Chalk up another win for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The defending champs announced the signing of college free agent Zach Aston-Reese to a two-year, entry-level contract Tuesday.

The 22-year-old wrapped up his fourth and final year at Northeastern in style, leading the NCAA in scoring with 31 goals and 32 assists in 38 games. He leaves the collegiate ranks as a better than point-per-game player.

Aston-Reese will spend the rest of this season in the AHL with the baby Pens, on an amateur tryout, and his contract will begin next season.

The Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Ottawa Senators were reported to have interest in the forward, but the Pens came out on top.

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Anthony Mantha did some soul searching over the past few days.

Healthy scratched from the past two Detroit Red Wings games, the young winger is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday and with renewed focus.

"Obviously there are plenty of questions that go through your head," Mantha said. "There has to be an idea behind (head coach Jeff Blashill's) decision and he talked to me about it and for me it comes down to playing better in general. I'll keep my head up. I'll come back stronger than I was the last few games.

"It's just being more prepared to play in every game, every shift, to compete at a higher level, that's the message they wanted to send me and that's what I was thinking about when I was sitting out, so I'll have to bring my 'A' game tomorrow."

Mantha, 22, has scored 14 goals and added 19 assists in 50 games for the Red Wings in his first full NHL season. He ranks fifth among all Detroit forwards in average ice time (16:41) and sits in a tie for third in goals with veterans Henrik Zetterberg and Frans Nielsen.

Still, as a key piece of the puzzle moving forward, and based on his high-scoring junior career, more is expected and needed for the Red Wings to be more competitive in the future.

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Valeri Nichushkin appears to remain in the Dallas Stars' long-terms plans.

Speaking on 630 CHED in Edmonton on Tuesday, general manager Jim Nill disclosed he'll likely protect Nichushkin from this summer's expansion draft, even though the forward is currently playing for CSKA Moscow in the KHL.

"We're planning on him coming back, I don't know if it's going to be one year or two years," Nill told Bob Stauffer on "Oilers Now." "He's probably a player we're going to protect. He's only 21 years old, he's got a lot of upside and a lot of value."

As a reminder, teams can protect up to seven forwards from being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights, and protecting Nichushkin could expose a player like Cody Eakin or Antoine Roussel, assuming Brett Ritchie and Radek Faksa are also protected.

Nichushkin recorded 11 goals and 13 assists in 36 KHL games this season. He's scored 23 goals and added 41 assists in 166 games for the Stars after being drafted 10th overall in 2013.

He left for CSKA Moscow after not signing a new deal with the Stars as a restricted free agent and amid reports he was not getting along with Dallas head coach Lindy Ruff, a notion the bench boss has since refuted.

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If Marc-Edouard Vlasic had it his way, he would play his entire career with the San Jose Sharks.

Expanding on earlier comments, Vlasic explained Tuesday he'd love to remain with the Sharks long term, according to CSNBayArea.com's Kevin Kurz.

"If it works out, that would be great. It’s a priority," Vlasic said. "I like the team, I like the area. Competitive every year. At the end of my contract next year I’ll have been here for 12 years, so I guess I do like it here if I’m here for 12 years."

Vlasic is in the fourth year of a five-year, $21.25-million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of next season. While he understands the logistics, he admits he'd be open to a contract similar to that of Brent Burns' eight-year, $64-million deal, which he signed in November.

"Hopefully. Every individual player’s contract is different from one guy to another,” he said. "So, hopefully I can ... I’d like to sign here long term, yeah."

While Vlasic can't hold a candle to Burns offensive numbers - with four goals and 21 points - he's second on the team in blocks and short-handed ice time, while seeing the second most ice time, next to Burns.

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Records are great, but that isn't what John Tortorella and the Columbus Blue Jackets are chasing.

With their 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night, the Blue Jackets set franchise records for the most wins and points in a season with 44 and 94, respectively. But as Tortorella stated postgame, breaking records isn't the team's focus.

"We're looking at other things," Tortorella said, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. "You don't make your name with regular-season records and stuff like that."

Forward Brandon Dubinsky echoed his coach's words, insisting the season is far from over.

"Feels good, but we've got a lot of work left," said Dubinsky. "We've got 14 games."

The Blue Jackets find themselves in a very precarious position, as the team sits just one point back of both the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins for top spot in the Metropolitan Division. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers are nipping at their toes at just four points back.

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The Ottawa Senators announced forwards Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris will be back in the lineup Tuesday when the team takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Both men return after dealing with finger injuries. Ryan has been out since Feb. 18 with a broken finger, while Turris has missed the last three games with a bruised finger.

For Ryan, the return allows him to get his season back on track. Prior to his injury, he'd gone 10 games with a single goal, totaling just 12 goals and 24 points in 50 games.

Meanwhile, Turris will look to follow suit having gone pointless in the three games prior to his exit.

As for the team, the injuries appeared do little to slow them down as the Senators look to pick up their seventh straight victory.

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Tuesday night's contest between the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets has been postponed due to a severe winter storm impacting the New Jersey area, the league announced.

Newark, N.J. is under a winter storm warning, and may see as much as one to two inches of snow per hour, according to the Weather Network.

Tuesday's game has much larger implications for the Jets, who risk falling out of the playoff picture with a 10-point separation between them and the final wild-card spot in the West.

Meanwhile, thanks to six straight losses, the Devils find themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference.

The game has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 28.

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Each day this week, we'll publish mock expansion keeper lists by division, and up next is the Pacific. On Friday, we'll publish our mock expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights roster.

Atlantic | Pacific | Metropolitan | Central

*NMC = No-movement clause
*All first- and second-year professionals, as well as all unsigned draft choices, will be exempt from selection (and will not be counted toward their club's applicable protection limits).

Anaheim Ducks

• The Ducks depth at defense appears to be a curse and as such will be forced to make Josh Manson available lest they swap out one of the defensemen above.
• That move will also guarantee Jakob Silfverberg's availability. The Ducks are sure to lose someone of significance to the Golden Knights.

Arizona Coyotes

• The blessing for the Coyotes is that few members of their future are eligible for the expansion draft, so the team is unlikely to lose anyone significant.
• Unfortunately, having to make available two players who are signed through 2017-18 means Brad Richardson gets exposed.

Calgary Flames

• The Flames should have no problem locking up all their heavy hitters. That said, new acquisitions Curtis Lazar and Michael Stone are sure to be exposed, while goaltender Chad Johnson - who's had stints as the club's starter this season - is also likely to be available.

Edmonton Oilers

• The Oilers' most notable moves heading into the expansion draft will be leaving a couple of veterans exposed.
• Players such as Matt Hendricks and Benoit Pouliot, who have produced very little, are likely to be exposed, while Anton Lander - who is producing 1.6 points per game in the AHL - could be protected in lieu of the men above.
• Once again, exposure requirements could leave utility player Mark Letestu available.

Los Angeles Kings

• The most intriguing decision for the Kings will be to almost certainly make Ben Bishop available.
• What could skew the above list is if the team decides to make players such as Marian Gaborik and Dustin Brown available. Both are under contract for the next four and five years, respectively, with a combined cap hit of $10.75 million.
• The Kings could decide to risk that Vegas won't want to add those contracts and in turn protect more depth forwards.

San Jose Sharks

• The Sharks could be forced to expose some of their depth forwards and defensemen, but their strong core is safe.

Vancouver Canucks

• Given his age and contract, it's clear the Canucks will expose Ryan Miller.
• On defense, the most notable exposure is Erik Gudbranson, while the team is also expected to leave some depth prospects available.
• As for forwards, limited contracts leave Brandon Sutter as the Canucks' choice to be left exposed.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Tuesday, March 14 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

• LW Jamie Benn (63K) & C Tyler Seguin (66K), Stars (at Oilers): The Stars' top line of Benn, Seguin and C Jason Spezza played just 13.91 percent of 5v5 minutes in their most recent game. The team ranks third in Corsi For percentage over the past month, while the top trio owns a rating of 51.50 percent in more than 160 minutes of 5v5 this season. The Oilers have an expected goals against per 60 minutes of 2.51.

• LW Patrick Maroon (44K) & C Connor McDavid (92K), Oilers (vs. Stars): Despite the Stars' improved Corsi rating, their expected goals allowed per 60 minutes sits at 2.61. The Oilers' top line should top 400 5v5 minutes together for the season during this game, and they average a whopping 12.18 scoring chances and 3.30 expected goals per 60 minutes.

• LW Ondrej Palat (51K) & RW Nikita Kucherov (68K), Lightning (at Senators): Despite the Senators' winning streak, they rank in the bottom five of the league in Corsi For percentage over the past month, while the Lightning is seventh. They're averaging just 48.47 percent of all shot attempts over their past 14 games. Tampa Bay played Monday night, but Ottawa is also without RW Mark Stone for the foreseeable future.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET - Frederik Andersen (99K), Maple Leafs (at Panthers): The Panthers have averaged 32.71 shots on goal per 60 minutes since Feb. 14, but they've had just 6.66 scoring chances and 2.26 expected goals. They've relied heavily on power-play production, but the Maple Leafs have the ninth-ranked penalty kill. Andersen has allowed just two goals in each of his past five starts.

• BARGAIN - Andrei Vasilevskiy (78K), Lightning (at Senators): Peter Budaj started and won Tampa Bay's game, Monday, making Vasilevskiy the likely candidate for the second half of the back-to-back. The Senators will be without their No. 2 points leader in Stone, once again handicapping an offense which has scored three or more goals in five-straight games.

• FADE - Thomas Greiss (94K), Islanders (at Hurricanes): The Islanders will head to Carolina for the second half of a back-to-back, after dropping Game 1 in New York by a score of 8-4. G Jean-Francois Berube allowed four of those goals in a 28-minute start. Greiss allowed four goals in relief, and he isn't likely to fare much better in the rematch.

• CONTRARIAN - Braden Holtby (100K), Capitals (vs. Wild): Holtby has not looked like the reigning Vezina Trophy winner over his past three starts, allowing 12 goals on 67 shots. The Wild lead the league in shots on goal per 60 minutes since Feb. 14, averaging 34.83 SOG. They do get 9.17 scoring chances and 2.80 expected goals per 60 minutes, but Holtby does have the potential for a high saves total.

(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

Bargain Plays

• C Josh Ho-Sang (25K), Islanders (at Hurricanes): After a slow start to his NHL career, Ho-Sang now has four points in his past four games, including a goal and an assist in Monday's loss to Carolina. It was his first game with multiple shots on goal since his debut and his very first two-point game. He sees time on the second power-play unit, and he has been seeing some 5v5 time with C John Tavares.

• LW Miles Wood (25K), Devils (vs. Jets): Wood has been playing his 5v5 minutes on the left side of fellow top prospect C Pavel Zacha. Wood snapped a four-game point-less streak his last time out, notching three shots on goal in 13:20 of ice time. Winnipeg has the fourth-highest expected goals allowed per 60 minutes since Feb. 14.

• D Marc Edouard-Vlasic (30K), Sharks (vs. Sabres): The Sabres own the league's 29th-ranked penalty kill at just 76.4 percent kill rate. Vlasic plays on the Sharks' second unit, though he has just six power-play points this season. His value is frequently returned via blocked shots and hits in more than 20 minutes of TOI per game.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Top Fades

• C John Tavares (80K), Islanders (at Hurricanes): Tavares was held off the score sheet in the Hurricanes' beat down of the Islanders Monday. His salary remains extremely high, even though the Hurricanes have played better on home ice. Opt for New York's cheaper options if looking for a contrarian.

• RW Brendan Gallagher (60K), Canadiens (vs. Blackhawks): Gallagher picked up an assist and tallied six SOG in Montreal's most recent game, but he played just 12:34 and 11.45 percent of 5v5 minutes. Chicago has allowed just 6.75 scoring chances per 60 minutes over its past four road games.

• D Jaccob Slavin (28K), Hurricanes (vs. Islanders): A low salary mitigates the risk with Slavin but it may also attract more recency bias, after Monday's hat trick. Prior to the career game, he had just four career goals. He has been receiving large amounts of ice time, but he doesn't factor on the power play.

(Photo courtesy Action Images)

Contrarian Options

• D John Klingberg (41K), Stars (at Oilers): Klingberg has played at least 22:30 in three-straight games, though he has just one assist to show for it. The majority of his 5v5 and power-play time comes with the top trio of Benn, Seguin and Spezza. He should factor in if the forwards are able to notch some goals.

• LW Mike Hoffman (62K), Senators (vs. Lightning): Hoffman has played his best hockey of the season with C Derick Brassard and Stone, but he currently skates on a 5v5 line with C Jean-Gabriel Pageau and LW Tom Pyatt. The three have a Corsi rating of just 47.79 percent at 5v5, but Hoffman is easily the primary shooter. He had a goal and an assist on four SOG in Ottawa's most recent outing.

• C Nicklas Backstrom (61K), Capitals (vs. Wild): LW Alex Ovechkin is in the well-documented worst slump of his career, but Backstrom hasn't fared much better. He has just two goals and two assists in March. Ovechkin won't be kept off the score sheet much longer, particularly in a difficult matchup, but Backstrom's lower salary represents much less risk, while the two remain tied together for point production.

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Winning games in bunches has become a hot trend this season.

With a 4-3 win by the Calgary Flames over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night, the Flames pushed their winning streak to 10 games, becoming the fourth team to record a double-digit winning streak this season. It's the first time in NHL history four teams have accomplished the feat in one season, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

The Flames join the Columbus Blue Jackets - who came within a win of tying the NHL record of 17 straight victories, the Minnesota Wild who strung together a streak of 12, and the Philadelphia Flyers who recorded 10 straight wins.

The current streak eclipses last year's mark which had served as the only year in which three teams had recorded such winning streaks.

Of the four teams above, the Flyers are the only club not currently in a playoff spot.

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