If the Colorado Avalanche are poised to make a major splash in the trade market, it won't be Tyson Barrie heading the other way.

Avalanche GM Joe Sakic has informed Mike Chambers of the Denver Post that the able puck-moving defender will not be dealt. Rather, Sakic hopes to sign Barrie long term, but will go to arbitration if the two sides fail to iron out a more substantial commitment.

"Either way, he'll be here," Sakic said.

Barrie's quietly been one of the most efficient offensive defensemen over the last two years, and hasn't relied heavily on the power play to produce offense. He's one of just seven defenders with 100 points over that span, and ranks fifth in even-strength contribution behind Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Roman Josi, and P.K. Subban.

That sort of production will see no shortage of suitors, but at the same time make it challenging for the team to the keep the price point manageable on a defender limited in certain aspects.

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The Calgary Flames are reportedly looking into the availability of a certain Stanley Cup-winning goaltender.

Flames general manager Brad Treliving has been in contact with Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford about Marc-Andre Fleury, reports Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun.

Matt Murray supplanted Fleury as the Penguins' starter in the playoffs and led Pittsburgh to its fourth title Sunday.

Fleury's cap hit is $5.75 million for each of the next three seasons. He signed a four-year, $23-million extension in the fall of 2014.

Murray's on the books for $620,000 before potentially becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

The Penguins are about $2.4 million over the cap ceiling, according to General Fanager.

Related: Penguins to qualify Beau Bennett, but not Justin Schultz

Rutherford said Thursday that "in a perfect world," he'd love to keep both Fleury and Murray, according to DKPittsburghSports.com's Josh Yohe.

Given the Penguins' cap situation, that utopian scenario seems somewhat unrealistic.

- With h/t to Pro Hockey Talk

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The Los Angeles Kings have named forward Anze Kopitar the 14th captain in team history, general manager Dean Lombardi announced Thursday.

The 28-year-old has played his entire 10-year NHL career with the Kings, recording 234 goals and 441 assists. He also helped the franchise win its first two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.

A three-time All-Star, Kopitar's been nominated for both the Lady Byng and Frank J. Selke Trophy in the past two seasons. He's under contract with the Kings through the 2023-24 season.

The Slovenia native has served as an assistant captain since 2008. He inherits the captaincy from teammate Dustin Brown, who's worn the "C" since 2008 and won the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2014. The 31-year-old is under contract until 2022.

Kings insider Jon Rosen believes defenseman Drew Doughty will wear an "A," and the Kings are now "Kopi and Drew's team."

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It's "only game," but Ilya Bryzgalov is looking to play it professionally again.

“I feel the passion inside and the fire in my eyes. I want to face new challenges and I want the chance to play in the best league," the eccentric goaltender told Chris Lomon of the NHLPA.

“When I told my son I was looking to play in the NHL again, his eyes lit up," Bryzgalov said. “He was so excited. Now he’s older and he understands the game more. It would be great if he could watch me play again, maybe to learn some things that can help him.”

The 35-year-old netminder last played with the Anaheim Ducks in 2014-15, posting a 4.19 GAA and .847 save percentage in eight games.

Bryzgalov yearned to return after watching the 2016 postseason unfold.

"I watched a lot of hockey, but when it came to the playoffs, that’s when it really hit me,” offered Bryzgalov. “I realized I really needed to feel that excitement again, the rush of playing, the challenge of trying to stop the most talented players in the world. I was really missing all of that. The more I watched, the more passion I had inside of me."

His time away from the game allowed him to recharge and spend quality time with his family.

“I was able to rest, both spiritually and mentally, and I also had the opportunity to spend time helping my wife and spend time with our kids,” he continued. “So, it was nice to have that year to recharge the batteries. Right now, I feel amazing. I feel great. I kept myself in shape and worked out a lot.”

Bryzgalov's agent believes his client is ready to return to the form he displayed playing nine playoff games for the Minnesota Wild in 2014.

"Having worked with (Hall of Fame goalie) Dominik Hasek on his return after a year off and knowing the training Ilya has in place for the summer, there is no doubt in my mind he will perform at the level he did leading the Wild to the playoffs two years ago,” Rich Winter said.

“With Ilya prepared to play for a modest salary and take most of his compensation in bonuses, this will be a unique opportunity for a team looking for an experienced goaltender to challenge for a starting job.”

Whether the aging netminder is still capable of contributing in the crease is one thing, but the NHL could certainly benefit from having his personality back.

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Embattled defenseman Jared Cowen cleared waivers Thursday, making him eligible to be bought out by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto will earn a $650,000 cap credit with Cowen's impending buy out, but the transaction will cost them $750,000 in valuable cap space in 2017-18, Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reports.

Cowen was acquired in the trade that sent former Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf to the Ottawa Senators.

His tenure will come to an end without dressing for the Maple Leafs.

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R.J. Umberger admitted he expected to be bought out by the Philadelphia Flyers after a difficult 2015-16 season, and general manager Ron Hextall confirmed Thursday that the team will buy out the final year of the forward's contract.

The 34-year-old was owed $4.6 million next season, and his buyout will help the Flyers gain an extra $3 million in cap space.

Umberger broke into the NHL with the Flyers in 2005. After a six-year stint in Columbus, he returned to Philadelphia in a June 2014 trade that sent Scott Hartnell to the Blue Jackets - a deal that now looks incredibly lopsided.

Production since trade

Despite Umberger's struggles, Hextall said he's "fine" with how the trade worked out, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Following the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup victory, general manager Jim Rutherford is already back to work, including dealing with his team's pending restricted free agents.

The Penguins will make a qualifying offer to forward Beau Bennett, but will not give one to defenseman Justin Schultz, Rutherford told reporters Thursday, according to DKPittsburghSports.com's Josh Yohe.

Bennett, 24, was limited to just 33 games this season due to injury, recording six goals and six assists. He appeared in just one playoff game, posting a minus-2 rating in 11 minutes of ice time during his team's Game 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final.

He earned $900,000 last season.

Schultz agreed to a one-year, $3.9-million deal with the Edmonton Oilers last offseason before being moved to the Penguins at the trade deadline. Although he recorded a career-low 18 points this season, Rutherford would like to bring the 25-year-old back.

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Evgeni Malkin's nagging elbow injury could require surgery.

The Pittsburgh Penguins forward told reporters Thursday he has an MRI pending on his elbow, according to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford then revealed the extent of Malkin's ailment:

Malkin said his MRI is scheduled for Friday, and he can't rule out surgery until the results come in.

He missed the final 15 regular-season games and the Penguins' first playoff contest against the New York Rangers with what the club only referred to as an upper-body injury at the time.

Malkin collected six goals and 18 points in 23 playoff games after posting more than a point per game in the regular season. He notched two goals and an assist in six Cup Final games.

Penguins forward Bryan Rust said Thursday he broke his finger in Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks, according to Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe.

The rookie scored six postseason goals and had multi-goal games in two series-clinching wins.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have extended their partnership with Cam Ward for two more seasons, the club announced Thursday.

Ward will earn $6.6 million over the two-year term, including $3.5 million in the 2016-17 season.

The veteran netminder was a lightning rod for criticism in recent seasons, and throughout his mammoth six-year deal that expired at the end of the year. He's largely provided mix-bag results during his tenure, and led Carolina into the postseason just once since his breakthrough performance in the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Ward has provided career-average numbers over the course of the last two seasons, but his efficiency has been well below the league's current standard. Ward's .907 save percentage over the last four seasons ranks second-to-last among goaltenders with at least 100 starts.

He'll take almost a 50 percent pay cut to remain in Carolina, but the organization clearly sees value - or doesn't quite have enough trust in Eddie Lack - in having Ward contribute in goal as they continue to develop. This includes grooming their own goaltending prospects, namely U.S. world junior netminder Alex Nedeljkovic.

Ward had the largest cap hit among goaltenders scheduled to hit the open market.

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The Florida Panthers have promoted NHL great Peter Mahovlich to special advisor to ownership after six seasons as a professional scout, the club announced Thursday.

Mahovlich will continue lending his services to the scouting department in his expanded role.

"Peter is highly respected within our organization and with his peers around the league," owner Vincent Viola said in a press release. "His wealth of experience and knowledge from his years as a player, coach and scout are tremendous assets for our organization."

The four-time Stanley Cup winner has previously worked in the Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Atlanta Thrashers organizations.

Florida has brought extensive changes to its front office structure this summer, Mahovlich's promotion included.

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