The Carolina Hurricanes are apparently pressing the pause button on their pursuit of a new general manager.

Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is putting the GM search on hold for now, Sportsnet's John Shannon reports.

"Tom hasn't had the time he needs to do face-to-face interviews and feels that waiting will pay off," a Carolina source told Shannon on Saturday.

The club will wait until the offseason, when a wider field of candidates may emerge, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported earlier in the day.

Several candidates have withdrawn from consideration for the vacant position over the last week, including Los Angeles Kings assistant GM Mike Futa, Nashville Predators assistant GM Paul Fenton, and New Jersey Devils AGM Tom Fitzgerald.

The Hurricanes made it clear upon stripping former GM Ron Francis of that title and appointing him president of hockey operations that the new GM will report directly to Dundon.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Roberto Luongo was taking responsibility for a loss to the Oilers in Edmonton on Saturday.

Despite entering a save-of-the-year candidate in the second period, the Florida Panthers goalie was highly critical of his play later in the game, saying the winner off the stick of defenseman Adam Larsson is one that should have been stopped.

"It's just a bad goal, I don't know what happened exactly," he said via Fox Sports Florida. "It went underneath my glove and between my pants. It's a bad goal, no excuse for it. That shouldn't go in ever."

Here's a look at the play in question:

Luongo reiterated the goal was his fault, adding, "Needless to say I don't feel too good about myself after tonight, and feel like I cost the team a win here."

As a result of the loss, the Panthers failed to make up ground in the wild-card race, and with only 13 games remaining, time is running out to make up the difference.

For the season, Luongo has posted a record of 14-8-2 with a .926 save percentage, and his performance since returning from an early-season injury is a major reason why Florida has any chance at all of grabbing a playoff spot.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Evgeny Kuznetsov's injury will keep him out of Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Washington Capitals forward is listed as day to day with what the club would only call an upper-body ailment.

He left Friday's win over the New York Islanders late in the second period after taking a Thomas Hickey slash and then crashing into the boards. He left the ice holding his arm and didn't return. Hickey was given a slashing minor.

Kuznetsov ranks second among Capitals skaters with 71 points in 71 games this season. He leads the club with 50 assists.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will undergo back surgery and is expected to be out eight weeks, head coach Paul Maurice said, according to Jets TV's Jamie Thomas.

It is apparently the same injury he had last season when he missed 35 games with the Buffalo Sabres, per TSN's Sara Orlesky.

Kulikov, who signed three-year, $13-million contract with the Jets this offseason, had 11 points in 62 games this season.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev will play Saturday against the San Jose Sharks after missing the last 17 games due to a leg injury, the player confirmed.

Tanev, known more for his defensive abilities than his offensive prowess, has two goals and 11 points in 38 games this season. He hasn't scored Oct. 12, which is ironic because the Canucks have gone over a week without a goal.

While it's unlikely Tanev helps the team bust out of their offensive funk, he will no doubt provide stability to a blue line that will need it against a Sharks team coming off a seven-goal performance Friday against the Flames.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ilya Kovalchuk wants to return to the NHL this summer and play for "several more years," he told Russia's state sports channel Match TV, according to CBC.

The 34-year-old added that if he doesn't return to the NHL to try and win a Stanley Cup, "I won't forgive myself for it when I get older."

For now, Kovalchuk's top priority is winning another Gagarin Cup with his KHL club, SKA St. Petersburg, but will "examine offers" from the NHL this summer.

He added that he wants to join the prestigious Triple Gold Club as a player to win an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and a Stanley Cup. He won gold with the OAR at PyeongChang 2018, has two World Championship gold medals, but a Stanley Cup ring still eludes him.

Kovalchuk, who last played in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils in 2012-13, has 816 points in 816 career NHL games.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs phenom Auston Matthews will miss his ninth straight game Saturday with a shoulder injury, but head coach Mike Babcock said he "looks like he's getting close" to returning, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

With Matthews, Leo Komarov (lower-body injury), Nikita Zaitsev (illness), and Frederik Andersen (upper-body injury) all sidelined, the Leafs will be a bit shorthanded when they take on the Montreal Canadiens.

The Maple Leafs sit five points behind the Boston Bruins (with two more games played) for second place in the Atlantic Division, but are 14 points ahead of the Florida Panthers. With the third spot in the division all but secured, there's been no reason to rush Matthews back into the lineup.

The Leafs have gone 4-2-2 in their most recent stretch without Matthews. Despite playing in just 53 of the team's 71 games, he still ranks second on the team with 28 goals and third with 50 points.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey and wrestling will collide Saturday when the Florida Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers during their second annual Pro Wrestling Night.

The promotion will feature several matches hosted by Coastal Championship prior to puck drop, as well as a live edition of the "Something to Wrestle" podcast with former WWE star Bruce Prichard, a.k.a. Brother Love, and Conrad Thompson after the game. The duo will be joined by a surprise guest for their first-ever appearance in South Florida, according to Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald.

Green T-shirts will be given out to the first 10,000 fans, and all-you-can-eat food and drink are included in one of the ticket packages.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel will play Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks after missing the last 15 games with a high-ankle sprain, head coach Phil Housley said.

Despite missing well over a month, Eichel still leads the team with 22 goals and 53 points.

The Sabres currently sit dead last in the NHL with 56 points, so it's possible Eichel could play his team out of the league's basement, hurting his team's chances to obtain the No. 1 overall pick and select Rasmus Dahlin.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders' poor goaltending and awful defensive play have been under the microscope all season. The club ranks dead last in goals against per game, shots against per game, scoring chances against per game, and high-danger scoring chances against per game, per Natural Stat Trick. This comes despite the fact they have one of the league's most dynamic offenses.

Related: Capitals' Burakovsky gives harsh critique of Islanders' defense

However, it appears help in regard to goal prevention could be coming. Ilya Sorokin, a third-round pick of the Islanders in 2014, is having a lights-out postseason for CSKA Moscow over in the KHL.

For those counting at home, that equates to a 0.20 goals-against average and a .999 save percentage. These are downright ridiculous numbers that don't appear to be a fluke, either. He was the KHL's goalie of the year in 2015-16 and has backed it up with two solid regular seasons:

The only problem is Sorokin is signed through the 2019-20 season in the KHL, so unless that deal breaks, or has an out clause (which isn't uncommon with KHL contracts), it could be another couple years before Sorokin makes his way over to North America.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.