Evgeny Kuznetsov's status for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final won't be determined until shortly before puck drop.

“I don’t know,” the Washington Capitals center told reporters, including NHL.com's Tom Gulitti, when asked whether he'll play against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. "We’ll see if I’m in, I definitely can help in the morning skate, no?"

Capitals head coach Barry Trotz wouldn't confirm one way or another, either, simply giving his star forward the game-time decision designation.

Kuznetsov said he felt good after taking part in the morning skate Saturday, a session in which he took first-line rushes in his usual spot between Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson.

When asked about the hit by Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb that injured him in Game 2, Kuznetsov said he didn't have an issue with it, calling it a "hockey play," and confirming he didn't go through concussion protocol, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post.

Kuznetsov is the leading point producer among all skaters in these playoffs with 25 in 21 games.

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Add Brooks Orpik to the list of Washington Capitals players with banged-up mitts.

After Nicklas Backstrom missed four games earlier in the playoffs with a hand injury and Evgeny Kuznetsov exited Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final while appearing to favor his wrist, Orpik took a slash from Vegas Golden Knights forward Erik Haula in the waning seconds of Washington's 3-2 win on Wednesday that required upwards of 15 stitches on his index finger, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Despite the repairs, Orpik said he'll be good to go for Saturday's Game 3.

Orpik also surprisingly netted the game-winning goal in Game 2 - his first tally since the 2015-16 campaign - and has averaged just under 17 minutes per night in 21 games for the Capitals in these playoffs.

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WASHINGTON -- If fans in Las Vegas seem a bit spoiled by the rapid success of the Golden Knights, rest assured that the Washington, D.C. area has paid its dues.

The Capitals, who host Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, are carrying the hopes of a city that hasn't seen a Big Four sports team play for a championship since, well, the Capitals way back in 1998 when they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings.

"I think everybody (is) excited in Washington," Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin told NHL.com. "It's going to be fun. It's going to be interesting. It's going to be hard. That's why we worked so hard to be in this spot and be in this moment."

With the series tied 1-1, Washington carries the momentum into Game 3 and got a boost Friday when center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who left Game 2 with an upper-body injury in the first period, took part in an optional practice.

"He wanted to come back out there in the game, I think, but it just wasn't in the best interest, and I think him and the medical staff made the right call," Washington's Jay Beagle told The Washington Post on Friday. "He says he's feeling better today, and that's a great sign."

Kuznetsov, who regularly centers a line with Ovechkin and Tom Wilson, is the NHL's top postseason scorer with 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in 21 games.

Washington is 4-5 at home in the playoffs but did win a huge Game 6 at Capital One Arena against Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference Final.

"I love playing at home," Capitals center Lars Eller told NHL.com. "There's no reason we can't play our best game (Saturday) night."

Vegas enters Game 3 looking to overcome the frustration of "The Save" as it's being referred to. Goaltender Braden Holtby's amazing stick save on Alex Tuch's potential game-tying one-timer with two minutes remaining in Game 2 is already being compared locally to Washington's greatest sports moments.

Holtby, who also stoned Vegas during a five-on-three advantage in Game 2, is 13-7 with a 2.19 GAA and .921 save percentage since replacing Philipp Grubauer in the second game of the first round, but the save on Tuch dominated the conversation after Game 2.

"We know it's never going to be easy to win a Stanley Cup," Vegas coach Gerard Gallant told the team's website. "So you've just got to focus on the next game. You don't worry about the last game ... "

Vegas is 3-0 after a loss in the playoffs and 3-0 in Game 3s. They bring an 8-2 road playoff record into Washington.

"I think we try to play the same game no matter what building we're playing in," Gallant said. "It worked very well in the postseason. Try to play the same game, play a quick, fast game, an up-tempo game."

Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has a 3.56 goals-against average and an .870 save percentage in the two games. He posted a 1.68 GAA and .947 save percentage in the first three rounds of the playoffs.

"There were maybe a few unfortunate goals throughout this series," Fleury told NHL.com. "I don't think I've sweat it too much so far."

Knights defenseman Shea Theodore said his team needs to be more aware of Washington's physicality, which helped it swing the Tampa Bay series and has carried over into the final.

"They're a fast group and their physical," Theodore told the team's website. "They finish all their checks and I think that's something we have to be a bit more aware of. We have to use our speed and we have to turn over less pucks definitely."

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Ilya Kovalchuk is ready to return to the NHL for the long haul.

The Russian superstar and unrestricted free agent is courting interest from possible NHL suitors, with the idea of a two- or three-year deal in mind, reports Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

Kovalchuk has spent the past five seasons in the KHL after he retired from the New Jersey Devils in 2013, a move that cut short his previously signed 15-year contract.

The Devils retained his rights following his NHL retirement, a rule that may have prevented his return in past offseasons. But that's no longer the case, as Kovalchuk is now over age 35 and thus free to join any team of his choosing. He can officially sign as of July 1.

The New York Rangers are among the teams who have reached out to Kovalchuk.

In 53 games with the KHL's SKA St. Petersburg this season, Kovalchuk collected 63 points. The former Atlanta Thrashers forward tallied 816 points in as many NHL appearances.

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The Nashville Predators have arguably the NHL's best defense core, and general manager David Poile intends to keep it that way beyond the 2018-19 season.

Ryan Ellis is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2019, but Poile said signing him to a contract extension this summer is the team's top priority, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

LeBrun added that Poile has already been in communication with Ellis' agent Rick Curran, and the two plan to talk again at the draft in Dallas later this month.

Ellis is going into the last year of a team-friendly five-year, $12.5-million contract, and is bound to get a substantial annual raise from his $2.5-million cap hit.

The former 11th overall pick has blossomed into one of the NHL's most effective blue-liners. He missed the first half of the 2017-18 campaign after undergoing offseason knee surgery, but still recorded nine goals and 32 points in 44 games.

Poile could find himself in a similar situation next offseason, as fellow stud defenseman Roman Josi - who also carries a bargain cap hit at $4 million - will be a UFA after 2019-20.

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Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford set the record straight Friday after a reported rift between Phil Kessel and head coach Mike Sullivan was revealed Tuesday.

According to the report from The Athletic's Josh Yohe, Kessel was angry he didn't play on a line with Evgeni Malkin for most of the 2018 postseason. Yohe believes Sullivan and Kessel don't get along, and that the Penguins are "willing to listen" to trade offers for the winger.

In an interview with The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Friday morning, Rutherford provided some clarity on the matter.

"This is something that I believe has been blown out of proportion," the GM said. "I don't know where this story started. It's unfortunate. I don't think it's been any secret here for three years that Phil's preference is to play with Gino. But, when Sully looks at our team, he believes balance throughout the lineup is the best way to win, and we won two Cups that way with Phil not playing with Gino. So there's times where they play together, when they're both really going, and there's times when they don't.

"But for someone to suggest it's an issue within our team, that can't be taken care of or resolved, I don't believe that's accurate."

Rutherford came to Kessel's defense, squashing any trade rumors, and said the team being worn down by two Stanley Cup runs - not Kessel's lackluster play - was the main reason they were eliminated in the second round this year.

"So, I don't feel that we have to trade Phil Kessel," he said. "He was a difference-maker when we won the two Cups, he's coming off a year where he had 92 points, and we didn't win the Cup, we didn't three-peat, and now people are trying to come up with ideas why we didn't do that.

"And the reason we didn't do that is because we didn't have the energy to win three championships in a row. I'm not sure anybody has it. To me, that's ultimately what happened to us this year. I don't think pointing the finger at any one guy as the reason we didn't win the Cup is fair at all."

Rutherford admitted that though the 2018-19 Penguins will have new faces, that doesn't mean drastic changes will be made.

"I said it at the end of the season that we wouldn't come back the same team. That doesn't mean that it's going to be a total overhaul," he said. "There's a couple of areas where we'd like to strengthen, and I'll try and do that. But it doesn't necessarily mean that it's any certain player that's going to be part of fixing that."

Kessel has four years left on his contract with a $6.8-million annual cap hit and a no-trade clause in which he can choose eight teams he's willing to be traded to.

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Adam Mascherin is hoping to hear his name called again on draft day.

The 38th overall pick by the Florida Panthers in 2016 will re-enter the coming draft after he failed to sign an entry-level contract prior to Friday's deadline.

Mascherin has spent the past four seasons with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers, for who he contributed a team-leading 86 points in 67 games this year. Only seven players league-wide topped Mascherin's 40-goal finish.

A report by Craig Custance of The Athletic indicated that the Panthers tried to trade the rights to Mascherin before losing him for nothing, but the team was ultimately unsuccessful. A team only receives compensation from the league if it is unable to sign a first-round draft choice.

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Barry Trotz isn't tipping his hand as much as his captain may have about Evgeny Kuznetsov's status for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night.

The Washington Capitals head coach wouldn't go as far as Alex Ovechkin, who declared after Friday's practice that he was "pretty sure" Kuznetsov would play.

Kuznetsov did take part in Friday's optional on-ice session.

The Capitals' first-line center suffered what the club would only call an "upper-body injury" on a big hit by Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb in Wednesday's Game 2.

Kuznetsov leads all skaters in these playoffs with 25 points.

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