The Carolina Hurricanes named Eric Tulsky as the club's general manager on Tuesday.

The Hurricanes had given Tulsky the interim GM title earlier this offseason after Don Waddell resigned. Waddell ran the Hurricanes for six seasons.

"Eric is ready for this opportunity," said owner Tom Dundon. "He has a proven history of managing people and overseeing operations both outside of hockey and over the last decade with the Hurricanes. His dedication, work ethic, and attention to detail make him the ideal candidate to become our next general manager. Everything we do here is collaborative, and Eric will work closely with Darren Yorke, Rod Brind'Amour, and our leadership team to continue building a championship-caliber hockey club."

Carolina hired Tulsky as a consultant in 2014 after he made a name for himself as a prominent analytics blogger. He worked his way up the organizational ladder across several roles before being named assistant GM in 2020.

Tulsky's already taken care of some business this offseason, inking defenseman Jalen Chatfield to a three-year contract. The Hurricanes are also reportedly working on a long-term extension for blue-liner Jaccob Slavin.

Carolina has approximately $23 million in cap space to work with this offseason, according to Cap Friendly. Forwards Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas, who's been the subject of trade rumors recently, are restricted free agents up for new deals. Jake Guentzel, Jordan Martinook, and Teuvo Teravainen are among the notable unrestricted free agents who could walk when the market opens on July 1.

The Hurricanes posted their third consecutive 100-plus-point season in 2023-24 but fell short in the playoffs, losing in the second round to the New York Rangers.

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Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is eager to prove Saturday's Game 4 dud against the Edmonton Oilers was an anomaly.

Bobrovsky was pulled from the contest in the second period after allowing five goals on 16 shots, allowing the Oilers to cruise to a lopsided victory and avoid a sweep. Bobrovsky says he's already moved past the shellacking.

"I try to stay in the moment, whether it's good or bad, it doesn't matter," the netminder said, per Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post. "You just move on to the next."

Bobrovsky continued: "It is what it is. It's hockey. They have a good team, they have a good offense. It's part of the journey. We're getting ready for the next shift. We will compete and fight."

Anthony Stolarz, who relieved Bobrovsky, allowed three goals on 19 shots as the Oilers fired on all cylinders. Connor McDavid led the way with a four-point performance, while only three Edmonton skaters were held off the scoresheet.

Bobrovsky entered Game 4 with a .953 save percentage in the series and is one of the favorites for the Conn Smythe Trophy should Florida win its first Stanley Cup. Bobrovsky is 15-6 in the playoffs with a .909 clip and 2.27 goals against average. He's only lost consecutive games once this postseason.

"I came out of the game, I did my best, and that's what happened," Bobrovsky said. "I'm just ready for the next game. It's a new game. It all starts from the beginning, 0-0 score, and I'm just getting ready for the next shot."

Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Sunrise.

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General manager Steve Staios has plenty of irons in the fire as he seeks to end the Ottawa Senators' seven-year playoff drought.

"There's lots of dialogue right now," Staios told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch on Friday.

Staios added that he's seeking improvements to the entire roster rather than a specific position.

"Yeah, there are some areas where you have to look at," he said. "You have to look at that, at the time, if the opportunity presents itself, but I think, in general, we're looking to improve in all areas."

The Senators are reportedly among the most aggressive teams pursuing Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom. Ottawa's netminders combined for a .881 save percentage this past season, which ranked 31st in the NHL.

The Sens are also gauging the level of interest surrounding defenseman Jakob Chychrun and are hopeful of unloading Mathieu Joseph's contract, sources told Garrioch. Chychrun is one year away from unrestricted free agency and was involved in rumors throughout the season. Joseph has two years remaining on his deal with a $2.95-million cap hit.

Beyond seeking external improvements, Ottawa has four restricted free agents on the books and approximately $12.4 million in cap space to work with, according to Cap Friendly.

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Brandon Montour isn't letting upcoming contract negotiations spoil his chase for the Stanley Cup in what could be his final days with the Florida Panthers.

"Things are going to change quick here (in) two-and-a-half weeks, three weeks," Montour told The Athletic's Michael Russo and Shayna Goldman. "I've played this out all year. Two to three weeks isn't going to hurt anything. My whole goal right now is to play the best I can for this team, and the rest will take care of itself afterward."

Montour is eligible to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and could be the odd man out as 57-goal-scorer Sam Reinhart is also up for a new deal. The Panthers only have 14 players signed for next season and have approximately $20 million to work with this offseason, per CapFriendly.

Evolving-Hockey's contract projection tool suggests Montour is likely to earn around $6.43 million annually on his next deal, which would slot him between Aaron Ekblad ($7.5 million) and Gustav Forsling ($5.75 million) on the Panthers' defensive hierarchy.

Florida acquired Montour from the Buffalo Sabres for a third-round pick in 2021. He registered a career-high 16 goals and 73 points in 2022-23 before playing an integral role in the Panthers' improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final, but recovery from a shoulder injury limited his availability and production this season.

As a 30-year-old right-shot blue-liner, Montour is likely to generate interest from several teams if he doesn't re-up with the Panthers. However, he said he's solely focused on ending this season on a high note.

"You work so hard and you dream about this since you were 3 years old," he said. "It's something that's tough. Last year was not something that I wanted to experience. So, luckily enough, we have this opportunity again to turn the story and change that."

The Panthers own a 2-0 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers with Game 3 set for Thursday night.

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The Carolina Hurricanes signed pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Jalen Chatfield to a three-year contract worth $3 million per season, the team confirmed Friday.

Chatfield was due to hit the open market on July 1. He earns a significant raise from the $762,500 cap hit he's carried over the past two campaigns.

"Jalen has been an integral part of our blue line over the last two seasons and firmly established himself as an NHL defenseman," interim general manager Eric Tulsky said. "His elite speed and tireless work ethic make him an incredibly dynamic player at both ends of the ice."

The Hurricanes signed Chatfield on a two-way contract in 2021 after an 18-game stint with the Vancouver Canucks. He's grown into a prominent role on Carolina's blue line, setting career highs in goals (eight), points (22), and average ice time (15:12) this past season.

Carolina is facing a potential exodus this summer, with several prominent players on expiring contracts. Jake Guentzel, Jordan Martinook, Teuvo Teravainen, and Brett Pesce are among the key UFAs on the Canes' books, while Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas are notable RFAs in need of new contracts.

The Hurricanes are reportedly working on a long-term extension for top-pair defenseman and 2025 UFA Jaccob Slavin, who is eligible to sign on July 1.

Carolina has approximately $23 million in financial flexibility with for the rest of the summer now that Chatfield's been signed, per CapFriendly.

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The Carolina Hurricanes are working on signing defenseman Jaccob Slavin to a long-term contract extension, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.

Slavin is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2025 and is eligible to sign an extension as of July 1. The 30-year-old is due to play out the final campaign of a seven-year, $37.1-million contract next season.

The Hurricanes are expected to be among the league's busiest teams this summer, as they have 13 expiring contracts and approximately $26.8 million in space to work with, per Cap Friendly.

Jake Guentzel, Jordan Martinook, Teuvo Teravainen, and Brett Pesce are among the notable names that can walk via free agency this summer, while Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas are key restricted free agents in need of new deals.

Locking up Slavin now would provide the Hurricanes with an important building block on the back end, as prospect Scott Morrow is their only blue-liner signed for 2025-26.

Slavin was a fourth-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2012, and broke into the NHL in 2015-16. He's blossomed into one of the league's top defensive defensemen, and he chipped in with 37 points in 81 games in 2023-24 while averaging over 20 minutes per contest.

He's received down-ballot Norris Trophy votes in seven of the past eight seasons, and is a two-time winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player.

The Hurricanes parted ways with general manager Don Waddell following the club's second-round playoff exit, and they're reportedly expected to hire an internal replacement.

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Florida Panthers star Aleksander Barkov was a full participant in practice Wednesday, but his status for Thursday's Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final will be determined after the club travels to Edmonton.

"Felt better today," head coach Paul Maurice said, per team reporter Jameson Olive. "Got through skate today as far as I know. He'll get checked after. Get him on a plane, get him off a plane, get him on the ice and we'll see where he's at tomorrow. He looked good today."

The Panthers flew out of Florida about three and a half hours late on Wednesday afternoon, departing at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET due to inclement weather.

Barkov left the ice after taking a high hit from Leon Draisaitl in the third period of Florida's Game 2 victory. The Oilers forward received a roughing minor but escaped supplemental discipline.

Florida's captain was on the ice Wednesday in a normal face shield and was in his usual spot on the top line between Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart.

Barkov has been instrumental in Florida's playoff success so far, registering 19 points in 19 games while logging over 21 minutes per night. The reigning Selke Trophy winner is routinely pitted against opponents' top lines but has only been on the ice for eight goals at five-on-five in the postseason, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Florida owns a 2-0 lead with the series now shifting to Edmonton. The Panthers are 6-2 on the road this postseason, while the Oilers are 6-3 at home.

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Despite being pleased with the Edmonton Oilers' effort in their Game 1 loss, superstar Leon Draisaitl believes his club can bring more to the table in Monday's clash against the Florida Panthers.

"We're a really good hockey team that, believe it or not, can play better than (Saturday) night," Draisaitl said Sunday. "We have more. We know that. We can play better. They're going to be better, and I expect us to be better as well."

Edmonton outshot Florida 32-18 to open the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, but Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky stole the show with a shutout. The Oilers also commanded 57.14% of scoring chances and 62.77% of expected goals at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, but couldn't find the back of the net.

"We played a good game," he said. "Created a lot of good looks for ourselves, especially in the first two periods. Obviously, their goalie had a great night. Those things happen sometimes. But I think if we can do more of the same, more often than not, I think we're giving ourselves a really good chance to win hockey games."

The Oilers have only lost consecutive contests once so far these playoffs - Games 2 and 3 in the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars. Edmonton rallied for three straight wins afterward to seal the series.

Puck drop for Game 2 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Monday.

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The Ottawa Senators have aggressively been trying to acquire goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames, sources told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.

Ottawa has also inquired about Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins and Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, Garrioch adds.

Markstrom's future with the Flames has been in limbo for months. New Jersey reportedly pushed to add him before the March trade deadline, and Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has made it known he intends to land a big-name goalie this summer.

Constant rumors during the regular season prompted Markstrom to call out the Flames' front office for how they're handling the situation, and after their campaign ended, the veteran goaltender admitted he doesn't know where he'll play in 2024-25.

Markstrom has two seasons left on his contract with a $6-million cap hit and a full no-movement clause. The 34-year-old had a .905 save percentage in 48 appearances this season and ranked third among all netminders with 28.93 goals saved above expected.

The Senators ranked 31st in the NHL with an .884 all-situations save percentage this past season. Ottawa's most-used netminder was Joonas Korpisalo, who posted an .890 save percentage across 55 games in the first campaign of a five-year contract.

Anton Forsberg is also under contract for 2024-25.

The Senators are estimated to have $12.4 million in cap space this offseason - Steve Staios' first full summer in the GM chair. Ottawa has missed the playoffs for seven consecutive years.

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The Washington Capitals have reached an agreement to purchase CapFriendly, the team announced Wednesday.

The transaction won't go through until after the draft and opening of free agency in July. After the sale, the website will go dark.

"The Capitals have agreed to acquire CapFriendly, including its tools and functions, for its in-house hockey operations department," Washington president and general manager Brian McLellan said.

"The strategic move will provide the Capitals organization with the ability to digest, present, and analyze both our internal and league-supplied data."

CapFriendly is a popular salary figure website used by fans, media, and NHL organizations. Teams were recently informed their contracts with the website will be terminated.

CapFriendly was launched in 2015.

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