With a new contract now sorted, Michael Stone will turn his focus to returning to the ice.

The Arizona Coyotes defenseman continues to rehab his knee, following ACL and MCL surgery, which he feels is improving.

"I’m doing really good actually," Stone said, according to Sarah McLellan of AZCentral Sports. "I think my knee is coming along nicely."

Stone has not taken the ice since Mar. 26, in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, where he went down after getting his leg tangled along the boards.

"It’s still not real strong just yet," Stone said. "But I feel really good, and the fact that I’m doing the things that I’m doing right now is a positive sign for me."

While Stone continues to work at getting back to full health, he admits there is no timeline in place for his return, though he is hopeful to be back for the start of the regular season.

"I’m pushing to be ready to go for the start of the season," Stone said.

"Whether that happens or not, I guess in some way it's in my control. But you have to see how everything responds. It’s something where your legs are what you’re using 100 percent of the time on the ice. You gotta be ready to go, so we’ll see what happens with that."

Stone is coming off his fourth full-season with the Coyotes where he hit a career-high 36 points in 75 games.

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The effects of the Dennis Wideman incident are still very real for NHL linesman Don Henderson.

The official underwent neck surgery early in July to repair damage from the hit, and there's concern his on-ice career may be finished, according to Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe.

Henderson was knocked to the ice by the Calgary Flames defenseman in a game back on Jan. 27.

Wideman - who was later diagnosed with a concussion - was originally suspended 20 games, and the sentence was later reduced to 10 by a neutral arbitrator.

Henderson, meanwhile, was unable to return to the ice through the balance of the regular season.

"I know a lot of people are saying stuff like, 'Hey, Wideman’s not that type of guy . . . that’s not in his nature . . . he’s a good kid,'" a fellow official told Dupont. "And I say, 'Yeah, so what?!' That doesn’t make it any less egregious. He attacked him from behind, the puck was nowhere near the two of them, and now Henderson’s career may be finished."

The NHL has since filed a lawsuit against the Players' Association with a view to vacate the reduced suspension ruling.

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Matt Cullen's family sure milked their time with the Stanley Cup.

The veteran center's three sons kicked off Saturday with some cereal eaten out of the greatest trophy in sports.

The unrestricted free agent has said he'd like to return to the NHL for one more season, preferably with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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The hockey offseason can often feel like watching paint dry.

Thankfully, the Las Vegas NHL franchise has offered a cool alternative in the form of the first sheet of ice being installed at T-Mobile Arena.

Behold the transformation.

It's not exactly the most enthralling process, but it's a big step towards the rebirth of professional hockey in Sin City.

Hopefully there will be a logo at center ice in the near future.

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A day after Sam Gagner's agent said his client was getting closer to signing a new deal, the unrestricted free agent appears to have made a decision.

Gagner and the Columbus Blue Jackets are closing in on a one-year contract, according to Aaron Portzline of the Post-Dispatch.

The deal is believed to be one-way in nature, despite the fact Gagner spent some time down in the AHL during one of the least productive seasons of his career.

The 26-year-old is averaging 0.57 points per game for his career, the majority of which was spent in Edmonton prior to seasons with Arizona and Philadelphia, respectively.

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Milwaukee Admirals fans will have a chance to take home bobblehead likenesses of the two major candidates up for U.S. President in 2016.

The Nashville Predators AHL affiliate will be giving away Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton bobbleheads, both of whom will be clad in team colors.

The team gave away Barack Obama and Mitt Romney bobbleheads in 2012, according to Fox Sports Wisconsin.

No word on whether the gloves come off these inanimate political rivals.

- with h/t /r/hockey

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theScore is ranking all 30 NHL jerseys. We're counting down by six each day this week.

• Jersey Rankings: 30-25
• Jersey Rankings: 24-19
• Jersey Rankings: 18-13
• Jersey Rankings: 7-12

6. New York Rangers

Talk about making colors pop.

The Rangers' beautiful combination of red, white, and blue makes for one of the best uniforms in the game.

"Rangers" emblazoned diagonally across the front of New York's sweater is a timeless look.

5. Boston Bruins

Boston's uniforms are as recognizable as any.

Whether it's soaring through the air on Bobby Orr's chest, or scaring opponents out of the TD Garden, the Spoked B always looks good.

4. Detroit Red Wings

Simply a classic.

Detroit is one of three teams in the NHL with only two colors on its uniforms, and man, does it work.

The Red Wings' logo has never changed, and it never should.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

Although the uniforms haven't yet taken the ice, Toronto designed a winner with its newest rendition of the Maple Leaf.

Clean, crisp, and classic, no matter what the results, the Leafs will be looking good as they embark on a new era.

2. Montreal Canadiens

It will never change.

Through over 100 years and 24 Stanley Cups, the Canadiens have rocked the same look as hockey's pinnacle franchise.

It's difficult to find any flaws in such a time-honored uniform.

1. Chicago Blackhawks

The best of the best.

A colorful, historic logo, tied in with vibrant red and consistent striping from top to bottom equates to the No. 1 jersey in hockey.

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Unrestricted free agent Sam Gagner is getting closer to signing a new contract, with a number of teams, including the Canucks, in the mix, Gagner's agent told News 1130 in Vancouver on Friday.

The 26-year-old forward appeared in 53 games for the Philadelphia Flyers last season, recording eight goals and eight assists. For his career, he is averaging 0.57 points per game, which works out to 47 for every 82 games played.

Gagner signed a three-year deal that carried an average annual valuation of $4.8 million, and will likely be in line for a short-term, lower-money deal this time around.

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George McPhee reportedly has found his right-hand man.

Brandon Wheat Kings owner, general manager and head coach Kelly McCrimmon is likely to be named assistant GM of Las Vegas' NHL franchise, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

TSN 1260's Guy Flaming first linked the WHL bench boss to the expansion team Wednesday.

McCrimmon was courted by the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer, interviewing with the club before turning them down in June.

He's been with the Wheat Kings since 1988-89, when he joined the club as an assistant coach, taking over as GM one year later. He coached Brandon from 2004-2011 and went back behind the bench in 2013.

McCrimmon became the Wheat Kings' sole owner in 2000.

The 55-year-old has guided the club to four Memorial Cup appearances, including one as a player in 1979. He was named WHL Executive of the Year in 1995, 2010, and 2015, and also earned the CHL's Executive of the Year award in 2010.

McPhee was named Las Vegas' first-ever GM earlier this month.

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For the first time this offseason, player and team met with an independent arbitrator in order to determine the value of his next contract.

In this case, it's Tyson Barrie and the Colorado Avalanche who were unable to reach a deal prior to the hearing date, unlike all others scheduled up to this point. As a result, the two sides squared off in Toronto on Friday, with arbitrator Elizabeth Neumeier presiding over the hearing, according to Terry Frei of the Denver Post.

Multiple reports suggest Barrie is looking for $6 million on a one-year contract, while the Avalanche presented a two-year offer that would see the defenseman earn $4 million and $4.25 million in the next two seasons.

Neumeier's decision must be announced within 48 hours of the hearing's conclusion, and she's not bound to select either party's number. The two sides can also agree to a deal of their own within the two-day window, but that seems unlikely in this case.

The Avalanche can also choose to walk away from the decision, rendering Barrie an unrestricted free agent, while the possibility of a trade remains ever-present amid the apparent void that exists between Barrie and management.

Barrie, 25, is averaging 0.58 points per game over the course of 264 appearances with the Avalanche, and is coming off 53- and 49-point seasons in Colorado.

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