Another day, another NHL free agent joining Avangard Omsk.

The KHL club signed defenseman Alexei Emelin to a three-year pact Sunday, about 24 hours after Kris Versteeg's one-year deal with the team became official.

Emelin became an unrestricted free agent after skating in 76 regular-season games and 10 playoff contests for the Nashville Predators in 2017-18.

He's not known for his offensive production, but the 32-year-old chipped in nine points in the regular season while averaging fewer than 17 minutes of ice time.

He made $4.4 million in base salary during the final year of a four-year, $16.4-million extension he inked with the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, according to CapFriendly.

Emelin was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draftand then traded to the Predators for a third-round pick.

He joins an Avangard squad that, in addition to Versteeg, also boasts former NHLers Max Talbot and David Desharnais.

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Kris Versteeg is off to Russia.

The longtime NHL forward agreed to a one-year pact with Avangard Omsk in the KHL, the league announced Saturday.

Versteeg was beset by a hip injury last season, undergoing surgery in December and playing only 24 games, in which he chipped in eight points for the Calgary Flames.

The 32-year-old spent two campaigns with the Flames after stints with the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and two tours with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2010 and 2015.

Versteeg's deal was first reported by Sportsnet's Ryan Leslie on Aug. 17.

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The defending champs are adding some depth up front.

Sergei Shumakov agreed to a one-year, two-way, entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals, the club announced Saturday. The deal is worth $925,000.

The 25-year-old tied for the team lead among CSKA Moscow skaters in 2017-18 with 40 points in 47 games. He spent parts of seven seasons in the KHL.

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Patrice Bergeron isn't going to see the Great Wall, but he's aiming to be in the lineup this fall.

The Boston Bruins star center will not travel with the club to China for a pair of preseason games against the Calgary Flames, he told reporters including NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin on Friday.

Bergeron will stay back to continue his rehab following offseason surgery and is hoping to be ready for the team's season opener.

The four-time Selke Trophy winner underwent a groin procedure in June and was expected to be back at full strength by early August.

For what it's worth, he did take part in practice Friday.

The Bruins will face the Flames in China on Sept. 15 in Shenzhen, and on Sept. 19 in Beijing. Boston begins its regular-season schedule Oct. 3 on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.

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Warning: Story contains coarse language

Nearly two months after irking John Tortorella with a comment he made after signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jack Johnson claims he was simply praising his new club.

"I was paying a compliment to Pittsburgh," the Penguins defenseman, and former Columbus Blue Jackets blue-liner, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey on Wednesday. "They’ve won two Stanley (Cup championships) in the past three years. It is a winning organization. I was expressing how excited I am to be here. Nothing more."

Johnson, who spent six-plus seasons with the Blue Jackets, said the following to reporters after agreeing to a five-year, $16.25-million contract with the Penguins on July 1.

“I've been really wanting to be a part of a winning culture and a place where the expectations to win are as high as they can be. I don't think I could have asked for a better opportunity here.”

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford also drew the ire of Tortorella when he said he knew why Johnson wasn't playing at the end of the season, and that it wasn't due to his play.

Neither utterance sat well with the Columbus head coach, who took both as shots at him and the organization as a whole.

"All I know is, this organization, from the lawyers, the front office, (president of hockey operations John Davidson), the managers, the coaches, players ... has done nothing but try to help Jack," the Blue Jackets bench boss told The Athletic's Aaron Porzline at the time. "And for (Johnson) to backhand slap us like this is utter bullshit, and he should know better.

"No one wishes anything bad to happen to him and his family," Tortorella continued. "We wish him the best. But for him to put it the way he put it today is bullshit. And to have a general manager question our decision-making from three hours away, he must be a fucking magician."

Johnson posted 11 points in 77 games while ranking fourth on the Blue Jackets in average ice time at 19:33 last season.

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Brett Connolly isn't interested in going to the White House should the Washington Capitals be feted by U.S. President Donald Trump.

"Personally, I don’t think I’m going to go ... it has nothing to do with politics," Connolly told reporters, including theScore's John Matisz, at BioSteel camp Wednesday. "For me, I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion," he added. "I think there’ll be a few guys not going, too. Like I said, it has nothing to do with politics, it’s about what’s right and wrong, and we’ll leave it at that.”

Devante Smith-Pelly said back in June that he already had his mind made up and criticized the president for his "racist and sexist" rhetoric.

Related - Smith-Pelly: Easy decision to forgo White House visit if Caps get invite

Several Capitals, including Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Evgeny Kuznetsov, said they would go if invited.

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Those in charge of the potential NHL franchise in Seattle will get their chance to impress the league in the not too distant future.

“We now know that in early October we’re going to see the executive committee," Tod Leiweke, the president and CEO of the prospective team, told 950 KJR on Tuesday. "We believe that will be on October 2nd in New York City ... We then go in front of the entire membership of the NHL to make our case, and we’re going to be ready."

Leiweke reiterated that he isn't underestimating the importance of the meeting.

“We are not taking anything for granted," he said. "It would be an incredible honor to be the 32nd franchise, so we’re going to be prepared for that day and that test. We are right now building a spectacular presentation that we’ve been working on for weeks. I’ve never prepared like this for a presentation or meeting, and I’ve had a few in my career. This is an important moment because we owe it to the city to do our best.”

Leiweke left his previous post as the NFL's COO in March and was hired in his current role in April. He joined his brother Tim, the CEO of Oak View Group, which will serve as the team's owners if a franchise is granted.

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Matt Stajan is heading across the pond.

The longtime NHL forward signed a contract with the Munich Red Bulls in Germany, the club announced Wednesday, as reported by Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Stajan was an unrestricted free agent who spent the last eight-plus seasons with the Calgary Flames after being traded there by the Toronto Maple Leafs in January 2010.

Despite serving in a bottom-six role for most of his career, the 34-year-old played 1,003 NHL games, chipping in 146 goals and 413 points.

He racked up a career-high 40 assists and 55 points with the Leafs in 2008-09. Toronto selected him 57th overall in 2002.

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Devante Smith-Pelly hasn't struggled with his decision to not go to the White House should his Washington Capitals be invited by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The winger shed more light on his stance Tuesday after first making his feelings known back in early June.

"It was an easy decision," he told TSN's Mark Masters. "I said it at the time and the decision was made a long time ago."

The Stanley Cup champion Capitals haven't been officially invited by the president yet, but he said in June that they'd likely be welcome.

Two days before that, Smith-Pelly told Postmedia's Michael Traikos that "the things that (Trump) spews are straight-up racist and sexist," adding that "some of the things he's said are pretty gross," and that he "definitely" doesn't agree with Trump's rhetoric.

About a week later, Smith-Pelly told reporters he'd "still love" Alex Ovechkin and any other teammates who decide to go. He shared a similar sentiment Tuesday while adding that he hasn't changed his mind about passing on a potential visit.

"I made my decision when the question was asked, so that hasn't changed," Smith Pelly told Masters. "(My teammates) don't care. The thing about that team is everyone is an individual and they let you be yourself, so I'm not going to hold it against anyone if they want to go. That's fine, they can go ahead, and no one's going to hold it against me or any other player who says, 'Hey, we don't want to go,' so they're all supportive. They don't care what I do."

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Tom Wilson says he isn't letting the haters get to him.

When asked Tuesday about the six-year contract he signed worth about $5.17 million annually in late July, the Washington Capitals forward downplayed the critics.

“It doesn’t really matter to me what everybody says," Wilson told reporters, including theScore's John Matisz. "No matter what happens ... half the people are going to be happy, half the people aren’t. That’s just the way anything in life is, so I’m not going to read too much into it.”

Wilson urged those criticizing the club to wait and see how the deal plays out, adding that linemate Evgeny Kuznetsov appreciates his game.

"We’ll see in five or six years," Wilson said, according to The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. "If you ask Kuzy, he’d rather I go and get the puck so he doesn’t have to because it takes him out of the play.”

Despite his occasional suspension-worthy style of play, Wilson secured a top-line role with the Capitals alongside Kuznetsov and captain Alex Ovechkin last season, producing a career-high 14 goals and 35 points to go along with 187 penalty minutes.

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