It would appear nothing has changed in terms of Max Pacioretty's uncertain future.
At his charity golf tournament Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens captain told reporters, including TVA's Renaud Lavoie, that no contract extension talks are happening at the moment.
Canadiens owner Geoff Molson told the assembled media including TSN that the relationship between Pacioretty and the organization's brass is "fine," and both Molson and general manager Marc Bergevin said they expect Pacioretty to attend training camp.
Pacioretty is entering the final season of his current deal after reportedly nearly being traded at the draft and at the deadline in February.
In July, The Athletic's Marc Antoine Godin reported there would be no negotiations and that Bergevin intended to trade the talented 29-year-old forward as soon as possible.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are making a legendary addition to their front office.
Hayley Wickenheiser has been hired as the team's new assistant director of player development, the club announced along with several other moves Thursday morning.
Wickenheiser won four Olympic gold medals for Canada and seven World Championship golds. She is the all-time points leader for the nation's women's hockey program with 379 in 276 games and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011.
The 40-year-old former forward was a trailblazer in the sport, becoming the first woman to play full-time professional hockey in a position other than goaltender.
She represented Canada from 1994 until her retirement last year, and now serves on the IOC's Athletes' Commission.
Wickenheiser served as a guest coach for the Maple Leafs at the club's development camp back in June.
NHLers dealing with or coming back from significant injuries can get lost in the shuffle in fantasy draft preparation, but identifying those players is an important annual exercise that can give you an edge over your competition on draft night.
They can be overlooked, either because they get buried in default pre-draft rankings by virtue of having missed significant time, or because fantasy owners are wary of drafting someone coming off, or dealing with, an injury. Particularly in deeper leagues, keeping tabs on them can make the difference between making the playoffs and missing out.
Here's a handful of players returning from injury at some point this season to keep an eye on as fantasy drafts approach:
Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues
Fabbri's had some terrible misfortune, tearing the ACL in his left knee in February 2017 and then tearing it again in training camp seven months later. He didn't play a single game last season, but he got medical clearance to return to action last month and thus warrants fantasy consideration.
It remains to be seen both where the 22-year-old will fit in on the Blues' newly stacked lines - with Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Bozak entering the fold up the middle and David Perron and Patrick Maroon giving St. Louis depth on the wings - as well as how effective Fabbri will be coming off the two serious knee injuries.
He's probably going to begin the season in St. Louis' bottom six, but if he can crack one of the top two lines, his fantasy value would skyrocket. He's worth a late look given the opportunities he may receive among what is now - at least on paper - one of the NHL's deepest groups of forwards.
Kevin Shattenkirk, New York Rangers
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Shattenkirk had a disappointing first campaign with the Rangers, as he played through a knee injury before opting for season-ending surgery in January. However, he's expected to be ready to go when training camp rolls around next month.
He won't be high on draft boards after being limited to 46 games in 2017-18, but it's worth noting that he still managed to chip in 12 power-play points, and 23 points overall, while dealing with the injury.
It's also worth remembering how effective Shattenkirk has been in his career as a point producer and power-play quarterback. He'll be on the Rangers' top defensive pairing and first unit with the man advantage, and as such, could be a late-round steal for fantasy owners.
Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
A knee injury limited Jumbo Joe to 47 games last season, but like Shattenkirk, Thornton was still productive, chipping in 36 points, half of which came on the power play.
The 39-year-old is on track to be in the Sharks' lineup when the season begins in October, and he told NBC Sports Bay Area's Marcus White last month that his two surgically repaired knees feel great.
Thornton should center San Jose's top line between Evander Kane and Joe Pavelski, and he'll get plenty of power-play time, too, assuming he stays healthy. He's not what he once was, but don't forget about him or his potential impact.
When he does return, the veteran blue-liner will log heavy minutes, produce points, and rack up high shots on goal totals, giving him value in most fantasy leagues. Yes, Weber just turned 33, but he should come close to replicating his past production in the aforementioned categories when he steps back on the ice, making him worthy of late-round consideration for injured reserve-stashing purposes.
Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Relying on Crawford as a No. 1 fantasy goaltender this season would be a mistake. Owners should avoid drafting Crawford where they normally would given his uncertain status for the upcoming season, but he's at the very least worth keeping on the radar as fantasy drafts draw near.
The veteran goaltender was having one of the best campaigns of his career when he was forced out of the lineup for what turned out to be the rest of the season back in December with what were later reported as symptoms of vertigo.
Injuries aren't the only thing working against Crawford; he's 33, he could be rusty when he returns, and he has a pair of aging defensive anchors in front of him in Duncan Keith (35) and Brent Seabrook (33).
However, he posted a .929 save percentage and a 2.27 goals against average in 28 games last season before his absence, and as such shouldn't be dismissed entirely, whether it be on draft night or once the season begins.
Couturier will participate on a limited basis at the start of training camp and will be ready to go a few weeks later, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi.
Hextall said Couturier's injury happened in a charity game and is in a different spot than that of the MCL tear in his right knee that he endured during the playoffs in April.
The 25-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2017-18, setting career highs in goals (31), assists (45), and points. He was the runner-up for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded to the NHL's best defensive forward.
The president of the Humboldt Broncos minor hockey team is leaving the organization.
Kevin Garinger will not seek re-election to the role, he announced at a club board meeting Tuesday, according to The Canadian Press.
He cited wanting to spend more time with his family and his job as a CEO in the Saskatchewan school system as reasons for his decision. He will continue to sit on the Broncos' board and provide support for the incoming president, Jamie Brockman.
Garinger became the public face of the team following the bus crash in April that left 16 people dead and 13 injured.
Both forwards are unsigned restricted free agents, and both were selected in the first round of the 2013 draft, with Rychel going 19th to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Shinkaruk selected five picks later by the Vancouver Canucks.
Rychel was traded to the Canadiens by the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the deadline deal for Tomas Plekanec. Rychel scored a goal and added an assist in four games with Montreal. He spent most of the campaign in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies (with whom he produced 30 points in 55 contests) and the Laval Rocket (12 points in 16 games).
Shinkaruk played in the AHL for the full season, notching 17 goals and 32 points in 63 contests with the Stockton Heat.
The 28-year-old spent all of last season with the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, posting a .915 save percentage in 39 contests.
"I think we're too good of a team where we're not at least competing in the playoffs or not in the race," the Oilers forward told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger on Thursday. "And even if we are, that's probably not good enough. We want to make the playoffs and I think we have the team to do it. Now it's up to the players to show it."
The Oilers finished with the NHL's ninth-worst record in 2017-18 after qualifying for the postseason for the first time in 11 years and advancing to the second round in the prior campaign.
Edmonton won only 36 games last season, but Draisaitl appears motivated to ensure the club gets back in the playoff hunt.
"We, as players, need to take ownership and be the best team we can be," he said. "I think that last year we weren't the team that we are, or that we want to be. Seasons like that happen, but we have to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Yet another player is taking legal action against the NHL over head injuries.
Former defenseman Bryan Berard is suing the league, claiming that it failed to protect him from repetitive brain injuries throughout his career, and that he now has serious medical problems as a result, according to TMZ.
The first overall pick in 1995 said the NHL has a responsibility to "cease (its) patent glorification of, and profiting from, fist-fighting and violence in the league."
Berard, who claims to have suffered at least five concussions, added that the NHL needs to not only care about the former players "on whose backs and brains (it) reaped billions of dollars," but also that it must prioritize long-term safety over profit.
Several other former players, including Garth Butcher, Ian Turnbull, Mark Hardy, and John Cullen, have filed similar suits against the league, according to TMZ.
More than 100 former players are part of an ongoing concussion lawsuit against the NHL for which a federal judge recently denied class-action status. Had that been permitted, more than 5,000 former players would've been allowed to join the case.
