Two players at Canada's selection camp ahead of the upcoming World Junior Championship tested positive for COVID-19, Hockey Canada confirmed Tuesday.

The players are in quarantine at the team hotel in Red Deer, Alberta.

Hockey Canada postponed Tuesday's scrimmage as a result. All players and team personnel will now go through an additional COVID-19 test before taking part in camp when it resumes.

The governing body of Canadian hockey said it has informed local and provincial health authorities and will continue to work with them.

Everyone involved in the selection camp took mandatory COVID-19 tests both upon arrival and continuously over the last 10 days, in accordance with Hockey Canada protocol.

On Saturday, the organization revealed that a non-core member of the national junior team staff had tested positive and that two of the squad's coaches, Michael Dyck and Jason LaBarbera, were self-isolating because they were close contacts.

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The Vegas Golden Knights aren't the only NHL club dealing with a potential outbreak.

Several Columbus Blue Jackets players recently tested positive for COVID-19, the team told TSN's Frank Seravalli on Tuesday. Those players quarantined immediately and are expected to return next week for voluntary workouts.

The Blue Jackets shut down their off-ice facilities on Nov. 16 and haven't reopened them since then. They scheduled no voluntary workouts this week due to Thanksgiving.

Columbus will continue to follow all health and safety guidelines, including those laid out by the NHL.

The Golden Knights confirmed Monday night that four of their players recently tested positive.

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Divisions:
Central | Metropolitan (Nov. 25) | Pacific (Nov. 26) ) | Atlantic (Nov. 27)

Several teams have done well in free agency, on the trade market, and with their own restricted free agents this offseason despite the unforeseen circumstances impacting the financial landscape.

Other clubs, of course, haven't fared as well, and the always competitive Central Division is a prime example of that. One club all but imploded, another made a slew of head-scratching decisions, while a pair of rival teams were more successful at retaining their top talent and adding to it.

There will undoubtedly be more moves to come if and when plans for the 2020-21 season are finalized, but here's how we rate the Central squads so far this offseason:

Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.

Chicago Blackhawks

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Blackhawks' offseason has been an unmitigated disaster. Chicago's core veterans were reportedly upset with the direction management took after it parted with multiple pieces from the franchise's championship years and let several others walk. Longtime Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews even went public to say the moves came as a shock.

In response to the team's leaders, the organization published a letter to fans, but in doing so, admitted it was committed to rebuilding. Former Chicago enforcer John Scott called the letter "embarrassing," and it's hard to disagree.

Most importantly, the Blackhawks needed to address their goaltending following Crawford's exit. They may still do so before 2020-21 begins, but entering the campaign with Subban and Collin Delia between the pipes inspires little confidence. All things considered, the offseason couldn't have gone much worse for Chicago.

Grade: F

Colorado Avalanche

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Avalanche have done an excellent job. Colorado retained most of its depth and added a couple of talented pieces without sacrificing much.

The Avalanche traded Zadorov to Chicago in the deal that netted Saad, then filled their defensive void by acquiring Devon Toews from the New York Islanders for a pair of second-round picks before signing the reliable blue-liner to a new four-year pact. Saad's acquisition more than offsets the loss of Namestnikov, and Toews is unquestionably an upgrade over Zadorov.

Colorado kept its roster deep and skilled from top to bottom while maintaining a prospect pool that still oozes with potential. Giving Burakovsky an AAV close to $5 million after his first 20-goal season was a bit generous, but that was only a minor blemish on what's been an otherwise superb offseason.

Grade: A-

Dallas Stars

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Stars didn't make any big splashes this offseason, but they did virtually everything they had to do. Most notably, Dallas brought back Khudobin - its goaltending savior. A three-year deal might not be ideal with all the mileage on the 34-year-old, but the AAV is quite team-friendly and he proved indispensable while carrying the team on its Cup Final run.

The Stars also took care of their RFAs and didn't suffer any major losses, roster-wise. Perry could still return to the fold, though Dallas' cap situation might make that difficult following the team's other signings.

Kiviranta's unexpected breakout was one of the best stories of the playoffs, and he's a virtual lock to make the squad in at least a bottom-six role despite his limited regular-season experience.

Grade: B+

Minnesota Wild

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Wild general manager Bill Guerin has certainly been active, but that doesn't mean all the moves were beneficial to his team. The Staal-for-Johansson swap was a clear win for Buffalo as well as a puzzling downgrade for Minnesota.

Sending Dubnyk to San Jose and replacing him with Talbot works in the short term, but Minnesota's new 33-year-old netminder is only one year younger than his predecessor, and Talbot hasn't taken on a starter's workload since his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers a few seasons ago.

Locking up Brodin was essential, but dealing away so much of the core without getting a whole lot in return is disappointing. Change was clearly necessary for the Wild after years of mediocrity, but transactions for their own sake - several of which risk alienating the fan base - don't seem prudent.

Grade: C-

Nashville Predators

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Predators upgraded their third defensive pairing by bringing in Borowiecki and Benning, but the team's forward group is worse off following Smith's departure and Granlund's likely exit.

However, Nashville GM David Poile may not be done adding in free agency, and nor should he be, considering the club has nearly $13 million in cap space. The longtime executive needs to acquire another top-six winger like Mike Hoffman or Anthony Duclair, and bolstering the squad's less than inspiring bottom six would be wise as well.

However, as things currently stand, the Predators' offseason has left something to be desired.

Grade: C

St. Louis Blues

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Losing Pietrangelo was devastating for the Blues, and the former captain's immense impact on the blue line will be missed in St. Louis. However, Krug was the next-best defenseman on the market and was more than just a consolation prize.

Blues GM Doug Armstrong signed the skilled rearguard for over $2 million less annually than the $8.8-million AAV Vegas paid for Pietrangelo. Though Krug isn't quite as good as his counterpart, he is a year younger, and he's a star in his own right. Considering the downgrade from Pietrangelo could've been worse, Armstrong made out well.

However, there is some cause for concern in goal. Going from Allen - who's arguably the best backup netminder in the league - to the unproven Ville Husso puts a ton of pressure on Jordan Binnington, who took a step back last season after his Cup-winning campaign one year prior.

All things considered, the Blues aren't all that much worse on paper. That's definitely a positive considering how things could've gone.

Grade: B-

Winnipeg Jets

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Jets needed a second-line center after doctors advised Bryan Little not to play next season, and reuniting with Stastny was a solid strategy. He's a soon-to-be 35-year-old pending UFA, but it was worthwhile considering Winnipeg only gave up defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and a conditional fourth-round pick.

Bringing back the underrated DeMelo was important as well in light of the Jets' somewhat desperate need on the back end.

However, Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff's best decision this offseason has been keeping Patrik Laine despite all of the chatter regarding the winger's future. Moving him for less than he's worth just to resolve the situation wouldn't be smart. Keeping him and letting the talk cool down has been an astute course of action.

Grade: B

(Salary source: CapFriendly)

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Four players on the Vegas Golden Knights recently tested positive for COVID-19, the team told TSN's Frank Seravalli on Monday.

The four players are currently in self-isolation and recovering, the club said. Out of caution, Vegas' off-ice player areas - including the locker room, gym, training room, and video room - will be closed through Thanksgiving weekend.

Some players have voluntarily returned to their club's cities to resume training ahead of the upcoming 2020-21 season. The NHL is targeting a start date of Jan. 1.

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Despite the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has created for Alex Ovechkin to chase down Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, Jaromir Jagr believes the Russian sniper can still make history.

"Earlier I thought Ovechkin doesn't have any chances to break Gretzky's goal record," Jagr said Monday, according to NHL.com. "It was six years ago. But Alex has changed and became a better and more effective hockey player than he was in (his) youth. I think he works harder now. He'll be able to (break Gretzky's record) if he can stay healthy and keep working as hard as (he is) now."

Ovechkin sits 188 goals behind Gretzky's record of 894. With 48 tallies in 68 games last season, Ovi was on pace for nearly 58 goals before the pandemic-induced hiatus.

If the NHL conducts a 48-game campaign this season, "The Great Eight" - who scored 32 goals during the lockout-shortened 48-game campaign in 2012-13 - should be able to notch around 30 tallies.

Assuming he gets to 30 this coming season and the NHL gets back to 82-game campaigns beginning in 2021-22, here's what Ovechkin would need to average to break the record:

Ovechkin, 35, recently said he wants to play a few more seasons in the NHL before ending his pro career with the KHL's Moscow Dynamo. It's hard to imagine him leaving for Russia if the record is within striking distance, though.

Regardless of whether or not he gets the record, Ovechkin could still be considered the greatest goal-scorer ever. During Gretzky's career, the average goals per game was 3.5. During Ovechkin's, it's been 2.85.

Additionally, Ovechkin has averaged 0.69 era-adjusted goals per game (56.6 per 82 games) compared to Gretzky's 0.50 (41 per 82 games), according to Hockey Reference.

If Ovechkin can find the fountain of youth that Jagr did and stay healthy, the record could be his.

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Although the Minnesota Wild find themselves without a captain for the first time in years, general manager Bill Guerin says the team will name a new leader before the 2020-21 season begins.

"We'll name a new captain and we'll move forward," Guerin said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "Big shoes to fill, but my personal belief is it's an important position to fill and you just don't want to leave the team in limbo."

Mikko Koivu, the team's first permanent captain in franchise history, held the title for the last decade but signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets this offseason.

The Wild have a number of veteran players that could be called upon to take on the new role. Ryan Suter and Zach Parise have been associate captains since signing 13-year deals in 2012, while the team also has some homegrown options such as Jared Spurgeon.

Guerin didn't reveal who he's considering naming captain, but he said there are "some good guys here, some really good people here."

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Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien hopes he can stick around in the NHL for as long as possible after successfully undergoing heart surgery in August.

"Right now, I'm back (at) 100%," Julien said, according to NHL.com's Jon Lane. "My heart is 100%. ... So, as long as my health is good and my passion and excitement remain, I'd love to keep coaching (for) as long as I can."

The 60-year-old left the Canadiens after experiencing chest pains during the 2019-20 postseason. He subsequently underwent a stent procedure.

Julien previously said he'll return to coach Montreal for the 2020-21 campaign. Despite the health scare and his age, he added that he still loves coaching and doesn't envision himself retiring any time soon.

"I love going to the rink every day to work with players and then prepare for games and practices," Julien said. "As long as you love your job and you have the energy to do it and the passion to do it, that's the most important part versus whether you feel like you should retire because you've been coaching long enough."

Julien began his NHL coaching career in 2002. He is one of four bench bosses aged 60 or older, alongside Rick Bowness, John Tortorella, and Joel Quenneville.

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The Boston Bruins have signed restricted free-agent forward Jake DeBrusk to a two-year contract carrying an annual cap hit of $3.675 million, the team announced Monday.

DeBrusk tallied 19 goals and 16 assists in 65 games last season. The 24-year-old got off to a slow start following his 27-goal campaign from 2018-19, scoring just once through his first 12 games. DeBrusk also scored just once in his final 14 contests, but he played at a 36-goal pace in his 39 games from Nov. 2 to Feb. 8.

The Edmonton, Alberta, native could get a shot to begin the season on the team's top line with both Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak likely out to start the year. However, the team expects the winger to settle on the club's second line with David Krejci and either Ondrej Kase or Craig Smith when the star duo returns.

The Bruins drafted DeBrusk 14th overall in 2015.

Boston is left with just under $3 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly.

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