Teams have until Monday at 5 p.m. ET to extend qualifying offers to their restricted free agents in order to gain the right to match an offer sheet from another club or receive draft-pick compensation.
The 22-year-old center tied for third on the Panthers with 25 goals and ranked fifth on the club with 53 points in his third season with Florida.
As for the "big fish" in potential unrestricted free agency, Panthers general manager Tom Rowe told Fialkov Saturday that Steven Stamkos "isn't a high priority and that won't change for a couple of days."
The Panthers have nearly $19 million in cap space, but the GM said only small tweaks are required to improve the club that won the Atlantic Division title.
"We only have a third-line position we need to fill. We're targeting a bunch of guys we put together. We'll start calling around the agents, get the interviewing process going, and see if there's interest on the other side and go from there.
"Getting (defenseman Keith Yandle) signed before free agency and (acquiring defenseman Mark Pysyk for Dmitry Kulikov during the draft) filled a couple of holes. We still got a couple more up front we got to take care of."
Rowe's comments - along with the Panthers' cap flexibility and activity at the draft - suggest they should continue to be active when the free-agent frenzy begins July 1.
Ray Bourque knows he made an error in judgment after being arrested on a drunk driving charge over the weekend.
“For the first time in my life, I find myself in unfamiliar territory. I am not happy about the situation I put myself into on Friday night," the Hall of Fame defenseman said in a statement Sunday, according to The Boston Globe.
No injuries were reported, and he was released on bail.
The 55-year-old took the blame for his arrest in Sunday's statement, which was released by Celebrity Marketing, Inc., a Boston-based firm run by former Bruins goaltender Cleon Daskalakis.
"I am a very proud person that accepts the responsibility of my actions and have always accepted being in the media eye," Bourque said.
He asked the public to respect his privacy during the legal proceedings.
"I have used this popularity to try and positively impact as many lives as possible. I am happy that no one was hurt in the accident and thank everyone who has reached out in support of my family and me. Please be patient as I go through this process and respect my family and my privacy."
Bourque is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Lawrence District Court.
After recording a career high 58 points in his fourth NHL season, Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli is enjoying his offseason by attending his first NASCAR race at the Save Mart 350 in Sonoma.
The 24-year-old also took to Twitter to share who he is pulling for in Sunday's race - the current Sprint Cup points leader and the lone female in the Sprint Cup series.
The NHL season is long and taxing. Especially when you make the Stanley Cup Final and play into June.
That's what San Jose Sharks defenseman and most interesting hockey player on the planet Brent Burns did, and after coming up short in the finals, he's enjoying some time off.
Alexander Radulov's return to the NHL wasn't meant to be.
Reported to be seeking a two-year, $15-million contract back in North America, Radulov was unable to find any suitors and will now be returning to the KHL after signing with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Though the Detroit Red Wings' interest in Steven Stamkos is now well-known, that's not the only upgrade general manager Ken Holland is looking to make this offseason.
The Red Wings are looking to acquire a defenseman via trade, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, and Holland has already had discussions regarding two of the biggest names available.
Kevin Shattenkirk was one of the Red Wings' targets, but the St. Louis Blues reportedly wanted All-Star forward Dylan Larkin in return. Shattenkirk is owed $4.25 million next season, the final year of his contract.
St. James also says Holland had discussions with the Anaheim Ducks regarding 24-year-old Cam Fowler. He will earn $4 million in each of the next two seasons.
The Red Wings have already stated they are unlikely to re-sign 30-year-old blue-liner Kyle Quincey, while Danny Dekeyser and Alexey Marchenko are both set to hit restricted free agency.
Here's our evaluation of the teams in the Pacific Division:
Anaheim Ducks
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
24
Max Jones
1
30
Sam Steel
3
85
Joshua Mahura
4
93
Jack Kopacka
4
115
Alex Dostie
7
205
Tyler Soy
The Ducks landed a couple of solid forward prospects late in the first round. Jones has issues with discipline, but his offensive skills are undeniable. Steel can skate, has a high hockey IQ, and put up 70 points in 72 OHL games. The Ducks did well getting Mahura and Soy in the third and seventh rounds, respectively.
Grade: B-
Arizona Coyotes
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
7
Clayton Keller
1
16
Jakob Chychrun
3
68
Cam Dineen
6
158
Patrick Kudla
7
188
Dean Stewart
The Coyotes were one of the consensus winners of the draft, and they made the most of it despite having only five picks. They managed to get a tantalizing center and two defensemen with potential in their first three selections.
Keller was one of the most productive players in the history of the U.S. national team program, Chychrun could evolve into a top defensive prospect, and Dineen was one of the best blue-liners in the OHL.
Arizona had the cap space to take Pavel Datsyuk's contract from the Detroit Red Wings, who had to package the 16th pick to make it work. That allowed the Coyotes to move up from No. 20 and grab Chychrun.
Grade: A+
Calgary Flames
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
6
Matthew Tkachuk
2
54
Tyler Parsons
2
56
Dillon Dube
3
66
Adam Fox
4
96
Linus Lindstrom
5
126
Mitchell Mattson
6
156
Eetu Tuulola
6
166
Matthew Phillips
7
186
Stepan Falkovsky
The Flames were the other consensus winner, and it's an assessment that's hard to argue. They snagged a blue-chip forward in Tkachuk, who was expected by many to go in the top four.
Calgary also acquired an affordable veteran goaltender in Brian Elliott from the St. Louis Blues. Parsons was a bit of a reach in the second round, but the Flames were clearly focused on improving their goaltending - now and in the future.
Grade: A
Edmonton Oilers
Draft picks
Round
PIck
Player
1
4
Jesse Puljujarvi
2
32
Tyler Benson
3
63
Markus Niemelainen
3
84
Matthew Cairns
3
91
Filip Berglund
5
123
Dylan Wells
5
149
Graham McPhee
6
153
Aapeli Rasanen
7
183
Vincent Desharnais
Puljujarvi fell into the Oilers' lap when the Columbus Blue Jackets chose Pierre-Luc Dubois at No. 3, but they still deserve credit for nabbing the phenomenal Finnish forward when they did, rather than opting for Tkachuk or another player in the four spot.
The rest of Edmonton's draft was very well done, too. Benson has simply been plagued by injuries, and he was a nice get who could have gone off the board earlier.
The Oilers have plenty of forward prospects, and addressing on the blue line was clearly a priority. Edmonton used four of its nine picks on defensemen.
Grade: A-
Los Angeles Kings
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
2
51
Kale Clague
4
112
Jacob Moverare
5
142
Michael Eyssimont
7
202
Jacob Friend
The Kings didn't have much to work with, but they did get a strong two-way defenseman in Clague late in the second round. He put up a 43-point season for Brandon in the WHL, and was a good value pick considering he was Central Scouting's eighth-highest ranked North American defenseman.
Grade: C+
San Jose Sharks
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
2
60
Dylan Gambrell
4
111
Noah Gregor
5
150
Manuel Wiederer
6
180
Mark Shoemaker
7
210
Joakim Blichfeld
Like the Kings, the Sharks didn't have a first-round pick, and it's hard to make shrewd moves like the Coyotes did when most of the five picks you do have are late in their respective rounds.
Gambrell has been on scouts' radars for a long time, but his upside is limited. Gregor potted 28 goals and 73 points in 72 games for Moose Jaw in the WHL.
Grade: C
Vancouver Canucks
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
5
Olli Juolevi
3
64
William Lockwood
5
140
Cole Candella
6
154
Jakob Stukel
7
184
Rodrigo Abols
7
194
Brett McKenzie
Jim Benning may not be the smoothest when it comes to free agents, but he made out reasonably well at the draft table this weekend.
Juolevi was the first defenseman off the board, and rightfully so. The Canucks and their fans should be giddy about landing an elite defensive prospect, and Lockwood has the offensive skills that could make him a nice complementary winger in the future.
Vancouver should be pleased with those two selections, even if the rest of its draft class is a bit underwhelming.
Having missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the Boston Bruins are in a transitional period, trying to locate the winning formula that recently slated them as a powerhouse in the East.
General manger Don Sweeney has tweaking to do, and while he's exploring landing Steven Stamkos, he believes some of the teams' problems can be solved with current personnel - notably, forwards Jimmy Hayes and David Pastrnak - elevating their game.
"We have internal candidates that might have to step up, and David is a player like that ... Jimmy is a player like that. There's no question we're not a complete team right now," Sweeney said, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com. "So we'll go to work now, and that could be through free agency, or through potential trade stuff. It could also be about the excitement if somebody pops from the development side of things."
Hayes, acquired by the Bruins last offseason, contributed 29 points in 75 games, but wasn't an impact player for most of the campaign.
"I think Jimmy had a pretty start to the year, but he really tailed off when the team needed him most," Sweeney said. "He should take some serious responsibility for that. We had a pretty frank discussion about that to challenge him to take his game to another level, and be able to help out a younger player."
Hayes, 26, is locked into the Bruins books for another two seasons at a $2.3-million cap hit.
With the draft now in the rearview mirror, NHL organizations and their new prospects move onward into the next stages of attempting to build a championship-caliber team.
That being said, it's only fair to assess each teams picks and hand out some grades.
The Blackhawks didn't have a first round pick, but still managed to make a big splash in selecting an elite point producer in Alex DeBrincat. Chicago also did well in adding picks via the Andrew Shaw trade to Montreal, totaling nine picks on the second day. After their second-round haul, Chicago showed balance by nabbing a goalie, two forwards and three defenseman. DeBrincat has the highest potential, but overall, Chicago did well.
Grade: B+
Colorado Avalanche
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
10
F Tyson Jost
2
40
F Cameron Morrison
3
71
D Josh Anderson
5
131
G Adam Werner
6
161
D Nathan Clurman
7
191
F Travis Barron
The Avalanche got their man in Tyson Jost at No. 10 - a two-way center workhorse set to suit up for North Dakota next season - but Colorado didn't wow anybody after the first round. Morrison is a towering two-way forward, while Anderson and Clurman could turn into useful pieces on a blueline in need of an overhaul.
Grade: B-
Dallas Stars
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
25
F Riley Tufte
3
90
F Fredrik Karlstrom
4
116
F Rhett Gardner
5
128
G Colton Point
5
146
F Nicholas Caamano
6
176
D Jakob Stenqvist
The Stars nabbed 6-foot-5 power forward Riley Tufte straight out of high school, and followed up with five prospects that stand over 6-foot-1. Karlstrom developed strongly as his season progressed, and should become serviceable for the Stars. General manager Jim Nill addressed a dire team need by taking a goaltender. Although Point won't be with the big club, he shot up the Central Scouting Rankings from No. 17 to No. 4.
Grade: B
Minnesota Wild
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
15
F Luke Kunin
4
106
F Brandon Duhaime
7
196
F Dmitry Sokolov
7
204
D Brayden Chizen
With only four picks, it's difficult to declare draft weekend a success for the Wild. General manager Chuck Fletcher traded away Minnesota's mid-round picks in a series of questionable trades over the past few seasons, but went with three skilled forwards to help a Wild team plagued by an inability to score.
Grade: C-
Nashville Predators
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
17
D Dante Fabbro
2
47
D Samuel Girard
3
76
F Rem Pitlick
3
78
D Frederic Allard
4
108
D Hardy Haman Aktell
5
138
F Patrick Harper
6
186
G Konstantin Volkov
7
198
D Adam Smith
Nashville's blueline just got even deeper. Fabbro at 17 was a terrific choice, as was Girard at 47. Both have strong offensive instincts combined with a steady defensive game, and should both eventually find minutes on the Predators back end. Pitlick scored 46 goals in the USHL this season, while Allard had 59 points, as Nashville hit on both third round selections. The Predators put emphasis on size and skill, while stockpiling future assets.
Grade: A
St. Louis Blues
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
26
F Tage Thompson
2
35
F Jordan Kyrou
2
59
G Evan Fizpatrick
4
119
F Tanner Kapsick
5
125
F Nolan Stevens
5
144
F Conner Bleackley
7
209
F Nikolaj Krag Christensen
7
211
F Filip Helt
It's clear the Blues want offense, adding seven forwards to their crop of prospects. However, none of St. Louis' selections are bursting will point-producing skills. A multitude of late picks helped, and adding bodies to the system is a solid plan, but time will tell if Doug Armstrong and company chose an effective personnel.
Grade: B-
Winnipeg Jets
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
1
2
F Patrik Laine
1
18
D Logan Stanley
3
79
D Luke Green
4
97
D Jacob Cederholm
5
127
F Jordan Stallard
6
157
G Mikhail Berdin
Winnipeg confirmed the inevitable by taking Patrik Laine No. 2, then orchestrated a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, ultimately moving up four spots for their second selection of the first round. With the pick, the Jets selected a 6-foot-7 behemoth in Stanley, but the choice raised some eyebrows as Winnipeg already has a multitude of towering defenders.
Afterward, the Jets created some balance by taking Green, a skill-oriented rearguard. Ultimately, Winnipeg landed a future star, and added mid-level pieces to a strong prospect pool.
Legendary former NHL defenseman Ray Bourque was arrested on a drunk driving charge late Friday night.
Bourque was arrested in Andover, Mass., and charged with operating under the influence after getting into an accident, Lt. Cecilia Blais told Felicia Gans of The Boston Globe.
There were no injuries in the two-car accident and Bourque was released on bail, according to Blais.
Bourque was arrested around 11:30 p.m. ET on Friday night.
The 55-year-old played 21 seasons for the Boston Bruins and won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.