There's growing speculation the Toronto Maple Leafs will name a captain for the first time since Dion Phaneuf's departure in 2016. Auston Matthews, the face of the franchise, is one of a handful of logical candidates to don the "C," and he understands its importance.

"The captaincy in hockey, in general, is a huge honor, but especially in Toronto," Matthews told The Athletic's Craig Morgan. "You see the names of the guys that have come before you. We have all the captains' banners lined up for us in our practice rink. You know the names, what they brought to the team, their competitiveness, what they did throughout the community, so it’s a bit of a bigger honor, in my opinion, to bestow that in Toronto.

"Whether it's me or it's someone else, it comes with a lot of responsibility, but whether I get it or not, I feel comfortable regardless. We've got a lot of good candidates, guys that have been in the league for a while, guys that have been captains before like John Tavares, and guys that have worn letters for quite some time."

Matthews, Tavares, and Morgan Rielly are generally considered to be in the running. Tavares was the captain of the New York Islanders before signing a seven-year deal with his hometown team in the summer of 2018. Rielly is the longest-serving Leaf and has worn an "A" as an alternate captain for the past few seasons.

Asked if he thought it might be odd for Tavares to be passed over for the honor - given he's the elder statesman of the group and has a been a captain before - Matthews dismissed the theory.

"I don't think it would be awkward," he said. "Everybody has the same goal in mind. Everybody wants to contribute in their own way and do what's best for the team. When somebody is ready, (GM) Kyle (Dubas) and the staff will make a good choice. No matter who it is, you move forward, do your thing and put in the work."

Faced with similar questions about the captaincy prior to the start of last season, Matthews said he's never won the "C" in his life; since he consistently played a level or two higher than his own age group growing up, he was always one of the youngest players on his team.

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Warning: Video contains graphic content

Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov has been suspended by the IIHF for four years after testing positive for cocaine at the 2019 World Championship.

"The prohibited substance was found in a doping control which occurred on 26 May 2019 at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship," the IIHF stated in its release.

Kuznetsov did not require the analysis of his B-sample - a secondary procedure to verify the accuracy of the initial test - and was provisionally suspended June 13, 2019, the IIHF said. His suspension will conclude June 12, 2023. If the NHL goes to the Olympics in 2022, he will not be eligible to participate.

A video surfaced on May 27 showing Kuznetsov sitting at a table next to two lines of white powder.

Following the release of the video, Kuznetsov claimed he had "never used drugs" and said the footage was taken after the Capitals' Stanley Cup victory in 2018.

The NHL issued a statement on the matter in May, saying, "while we certainly do not condone or endorse some of the decisions he made on the night in question, Mr. Kuznetsov's account of the events that transpired aligns with other information we have been able to gather, and we have found no basis to question his representations with respect to what did - and what did not - occur. We consider the matter formally closed."

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly addressed Kusnetsov's suspension Friday morning, noting, "cocaine isn't considered a performance-enhancing drug and is therefore not a prohibited substance under the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program."

Kuznetsov also issued a statement Friday, taking ownership of the situation and accepting the IIHF's four-year ban:

The 27-year-old center helped lead Russia to a bronze-medal finish at the 2019 worlds after the Carolina Hurricanes bounced his Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Kuznetsov was phenomenal during the Capitals' postseason run in the spring of 2018, leading all players with 32 playoff points en route to Washington's first championship. He followed that up with a 72-point campaign in 2018-19.

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Brock Boeser's agent, Ben Hankinson, is seeking a four-year contract with an average annual value of $7 million for his client, reports The Province's Ben Kuzma.

The Vancouver Canucks forward is one of several high-profile restricted free agents who remain unsigned as NHL training camps draw near.

Aside from Sebastian Aho, who inked a five-year, $42.27-million deal with Carolina after the Hurricanes matched an offer sheet from the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier is arguably the most significant RFA to come off the market so far. Meier signed a four-year, $24-million contract July 1 and, along with unsigned Winnipeg Jets restricted free agent Kyle Connor, has been used as a comparable in negotiations between Boeser's camp and the Canucks.

"Those are some of the names we've used," general manager Jim Benning said of Meier and Connor. "They (Boeser's camp) have been reasonable and we're continuing to talk to get to some common ground. I'm hopeful to get something done before camp, but we're not there yet."

While Meier's $6-million AAV would be reasonable for the Canucks, Benning has no intention of handing out a similarly structured contract. The base salary in the final year of Meier's contract is $10 million, setting him up for a $10-million qualifying offer as a restricted free agent when it expires. Boeser would also be an RFA after a four-year deal.

"That scares me a bit," Benning said.

Vancouver prefers a salary structure more closely resembling that of Bo Horvat's contract, Kuzma adds. The Canucks pivot signed a six-year pact with an average annual value of $5.5 million shortly before training camp opened in 2017. Horvat's deal does not include any signing bonuses and he'll earn a base salary of just $4.45 million in the final year of the contract.

"We're looking at all of our options and are talking what long and short deals look like," Benning said.

Boeser, 22, scored 26 goals and added 30 assists in 69 games for the Canucks last season. Meier had 30 goals and 36 assists in 78 games, while Connor potted 34 tallies and 32 helpers in 82 contests.

The Canucks have just over $5 million in projected cap space with 24 players signed, according to CapFriendly. They could create additional cap space by placing Antoine Roussel on long-term injured reserve and optioning players to the minors.

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed free-agent forward Valeri Nichushkin to a one-year contract, the team announced Monday.

The deal is worth $850,000, the club confirmed to The Athletic's Ryan Clark.

Nichushkin was originally drafted 10th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2013. He then played in the NHL right away as an 18-year-old, tallying an impressive 14 goals and 20 assists in 79 games. However, injuries held him to just eight appearances the following season, and he struggled to recapture his rookie form in 2015-16, scoring just nine goals.

After two campaigns in the KHL, Nichushkin returned to the Stars in 2018-19 but didn't enjoy much success. In 57 regular-season contests, the Russian failed to score a single goal and was scratched for all but one of Dallas' 13 playoff games.

Despite the lack of offensive production, the 24-year-old winger boasts a tantalizing combination of size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and speed.

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The Vancouver Canucks have signed general manager Jim Benning to a three-year contract extension, reports Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre.

A report of Benning's extension surfaced on Friday but the length was unknown at the time.

Benning was heading into the final year of his previous deal, so the extension will keep him in Vancouver through the 2022-23 season.

The Canucks made the postseason in Benning's first year at the helm during the 2014-15 campaign, but they've missed the playoffs in the four years since.

Benning is responsible for rebuilding the organization's farm system by drafting the likes of Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and Quinn Hughes. However, he's drawn criticism from the fanbase for certain signings, such as Loui Eriksson's six-year, $36-million deal in 2016, and Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel's matching four-year, $12-million pacts in 2018.

The GM was busy this summer, as he acquired J.T. Miller via trade and Tyler Myers, Micheal Ferland, and Jordie Benn through free agency.

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Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets appear to be at a crossroads.

The restricted free agent said contract talks with the Jets have been non-existent all summer, and he isn't sure what it means for his future with the organization, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Laine said he'll be playing "somewhere" next season; he just doesn't know where.

"Well, you never know. It's still business, you've got to be prepared for anything," Laine said. "But yeah, you never know where you’re going to play next year so I’m just prepared for anything."

Laine did admit he wants to be back in a Jets uniform next season.

"Well I’ve got nothing bad to say about Winnipeg, you know? It's been good so far. But you never know, so that's kind of my comments."

Laine is among a long list of unsigned, star-studded RFAs, along with Mitch Marner, Brayden Point, Matthew Tkachuk, Mikko Rantanen, and others. Player agents are reportedly waiting for Marner's contract to set the market.

Kyle Connor, Winnipeg's other big-name RFA, said earlier this week that he plans to sign a new deal before the start of training camp.

The Jets already watched Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot, and Brandon Tanev depart in unrestricted free agency, and they traded Jacob Trouba. The club has a projected $17.6 million in cap space remaining, according to CapFriendly.

Laine and Connor combined for 64 goals last year, although Laine was plagued by inconsistency, scoring 18 of his 30 markers over a 12-game span.

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With news that the NHL is "cautiously optimistic" that current CBA talks might lead to a World Cup in February 2021, we've decided to predict what each team's roster could look like should the tournament take place.

We adopted the NHL's format for the 2016 World Cup. Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the Czech Republic all send teams, while Team North America (players aged 23-and-under from Canada and the U.S.) and Team Europe (players from other European countries) round out the field.

Teams are comprised of any combination of 20 skaters and three goalies. Any Canadian or American player under 24 years old on Feb. 1, 2021, is automatically assigned to Team North America. However, we've added our own caveat: If a player suited up for Team North America in 2016, he is eligible to represent Canada or the U.S. this time around, even if he's still under 24.

In this edition, we project Team Canada's roster.

Head coach: Mike Babcock

Babcock may draw criticism from Toronto Maple Leafs fans, but his record with Team Canada is flawless. Until he proves otherwise, he's the man for the job.

Forwards

Notable omissions: Logan Couture, Brayden Point, Claude Giroux, Jonathan Huberdeau, Sean Monahan, Sean Couturier

The Marchand-Crosby-Bergeron trio was unstoppable at the 2016 World Cup and is essentially unbreakable, even though all three players are already in their 30s. Stone and his puck-retrieving prowess would be an excellent complement to offensive dynamos McDavid and Stamkos. MacKinnon, Tavares, Scheifele, Hall, and O'Reilly are all virtual locks.

Choosing the last couple of forward spots was difficult, but a more proven Seguin got the nod over Point; if the Lightning phenom puts together another 40-goal season, that could change. Leaving off Couture, a proven clutch performer, was tough, but Toews, who had an offensive resurgence in 2018-19, got the nod instead.

Defense

Notable omissions: Mark Giordano, Kris Letang, P.K. Subban, Shea Weber, Mathew Dumba, Shea Theodore

Giordano was the most difficult cut from this team. If the tournament took place today, the reigning Norris Trophy winner is undoubtedly on it, but he will be 37 by 2021 and it's unlikely he'll be playing at his 2018-19 form. Chabot, Rielly, and Morrissey will all be in their primes.

Leaving Letang off the team was also difficult. However, he brings many of the same elements that Doughty and Burns do, while the 6-foot-6 Parayko offers more defense and penalty-killing prowess.

Goalies

Notable omissions: Braden Holtby, Devan Dubnyk, Jordan Binnington

Unless injuries catch up to Price, there won't be much debate as to who should start between the pipes.

Others in this series:

• United States (Friday night)
• Sweden and Finland (Saturday)
• Russia and Czech Republic (Sunday)
• North America and Europe (Monday)

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NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is "cautiously optimistic" about collective bargaining agreement talks with the Players' Association, and he believes the two sides are committed to a 2021 World Cup of Hockey if the current CBA can be extended or renewed, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

If a 2021 World Cup came to fruition, it would occur in February, with the NHL taking a break during the 2020-21 season to stage the event.

"The general state of things, there seems to be a lot of agreement on," Daly told Johnston. "It's very kind of amorphous right now but there doesn't seem to be like a huge sticking point on the issues we've talked about. I think there’s general agreement kind of directionally. Where we should be going.

"I think both sides have been open that the agreement's not a perfect agreement and could be improved, but nobody’s holding out for a home run."

The NHL gets until Sept. 1 to trigger a 2020 end date for the current CBA. If the league elects against that, the NHLPA would get until Sept. 15 to do the same. If neither side exercises its termination option, the current CBA would run through September 2022.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr called the deadline "artificial" because there would still be a year left on the current agreement if either side triggered early termination.

Regardless, there's ample time to find a resolution, which increases the chances of best-on-best international hockey returning.

The two sides would love to establish a long-term calendar for international events, Johnston added. Olympic participation is a sticking point. However, the NHL and NHLPA want to add an in-season World Cup, which would replace the 2021 All-Star Game.

Daly said a 2021 World Cup would be "about a week in length."

The United States won the inaugural World Cup in 1996, while Canada took the next two in 2004 and 2016, with the latter marking the last best-on-best tournament because the NHL skipped the 2018 Olympics.

The NHL originally targeted a fall 2020 return for the World Cup, but the league abandoned that possibility in January.

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It was just like old times at the San Jose Sharks' practice facility on Monday.

Former NHL defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Sharks, bumped into franchise icons Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, who were skating together at the practice rink.

Thornton, 40, remains unsigned, but already committed to playing in the 2019-20 season and said he'd do so only with the Sharks.

Marleau is also a free agent. He was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Carolina Hurricanes in June and was subsequently bought out. The soon-to-be 40-year-old had a full no-movement clause and was eyeing a move back to the west coast for family reasons. He said in June that "it would be nice to come back (to San Jose) and play where I started."

If the two veterans do return to the Sharks, it'll have to be on hometown discounts. The Sharks have $4.68 million remaining in projected cap space with 11 forwards signed, according to CapFriendly. Marleau carried a $6.25-million cap hit in 2018-19 while Thornton earned $5 million last season.

Thornton and Marleau are widely regarded as the two greatest players in Sharks history. Thornton remained productive with 51 points in 73 games last year and Marleau managed to chip in 37 points in 82 contests with the Leafs.

- With h/t to NBC Sports

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Ceci and his common-law partner, Jamie Thompson, are being sued by a guest at a May 2018 dinner party, according to the Ottawa Citizen's Aedan Helmer.

Hana Engel suffered second- and third-degree burns covering 35 percent of her body as a result of an incident during which Thompson tried to refill a burner on an outdoor tabletop fireplace and accidentally ignited Engel with flaming liquid fuel.

Thompson squirted the ethanol into the burner "without checking to determine if the burner had cooled and/or completely extinguished," causing "flames and ethanol to jet out of the bottle," according to the lawsuit. She then "immediately threw the burning bottle in Hana's direction."

"Hana's clothing caught fire and she was immediately engulfed in flames," the lawsuit states.

Engel was placed in a medically induced coma and required 18 hours of surgeries and skin grafts over three separate operations. She's seeking $6 million for "loss of income, loss of competitive advantage in the marketplace, and loss of economic opportunities," $500,000 for "pain and suffering, loss of amenities, and loss of enjoyment of life," and $300,000 in damages for "loss of housekeeping and homemaking capacity."

None of Ceci, Thompson, nor Clair de Lune Products Inc. - the manufacturer of the tabletop ethanol fireplace - have filed a statement on the matter. Clair de Lune stopped selling the fireplace after the incident, according to the lawsuit.

Jake Cardwell, Engel's partner and Ceci's former teammate in junior, is also listed as a plaintiff. He's seeking $500,000 for the value of "nursing, attendant care, and other services, including loss of income," $200,000 in damages for "loss of care, guidance, and companionship," and $200,000 for "nervous shock" and "intentional infliction of mental suffering and emotional distress."

Cardwell "watched in helpless horror" as he tried to put out the flames with the help of other guests. He was playing overseas in the Czech Republic but had to take a leave of absence to care for Engel.

Engel's parents are also listed as plaintiffs, as they are seeking $700,000 in damages for nursing, attendant care, and other services. Her siblings are also seeking $200,000 in a similar claim.

The lawsuit states: "Hana has undergone indescribable emotional trauma and personal upheaval" as a result of the incident, her injuries, scars, and impairments, which include emotional distress and post-traumatic stress inflicted "by the incident itself (and) by the complete and permanent change to Hana's appearance."

Engel owned and operated a yoga studio in Ottawa but has been unable to return to work.

The suit claims Ceci "failed to inform himself and Thompson of the hazards," failed to warn the invited guests, and "failed to keep his premises safe." It also claims both Thompson and Ceci were "intoxicated and unable to appreciate the danger and ought not to have used dangerous or ignitable objects such as the fireplace."

Ceci was traded from Ottawa Senators to Toronto on July 1 and signed a one-year, $4.5-million contract with the Leafs a few days later.

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