The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed defenseman Jack Johnson on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract, the team announced Monday.

Johnson has three years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $3.25 million.

More to come.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs re-signed veteran Jason Spezza to a one-year deal with a value of $700,000, the team announced on Monday.

The contract marks the second straight one-year, league-minimum deal for the 37-year-old, who signed with Toronto last season for the same amount.

The Mississauga, Ontario native filled a bottom-six role with Toronto, recording nine goals and 16 assists in 58 games while averaging 10:50 of ice time last season.

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Over the years, there have been some fascinating debates in the lead-up to the NHL draft. Taylor Hall versus Tyler Seguin in 2010. Auston Matthews against Patrik Laine in 2016. Heck, even this year's No. 2 discussion - Quinton Byfield versus Tim Stuetzle - is heated.

Though the greater hockey world might not realize it, similar debates often play out at lower levels. In early 2018, for instance, executives, coaches, scouts, and fans of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League were heatedly debating the merits of Jeremie Poirier versus William Villeneuve, two of the top defensemen available for the league's entry draft. As dominant players from different areas of southern Quebec, they carved out an on-ice rivalry while going head to head in a hard-fought midget AAA provincial semifinal series. Villeneuve's team, the Magog Cantonniers, defeated Poirier's Chateauguay Grenadiers in seven games, with both starring for their respective squads.

"Everybody was talking about it, taking sides," Saint John Sea Dogs general manager Trevor Georgie said. "Our staff was totally split, basically 50/50, heading into the draft."

This dynamic made for an awkward moment when the rebuilding Sea Dogs selected Villeneuve second overall and Poirier six picks later at No. 8. The QMJHL draft is typically held in person, so the oft compared rivals were forced to acquaint themselves in the club's suite.

"It was kind of weird at the beginning because we didn't expect to be drafted onto the same team," Poirier said of the pair's brief draft-day interactions. "But we were also so happy. We knew it'd be good to have two high prospects in Saint John."

"We were rivals," Villeneuve recalled, "but we always had the respect for each other."

Despite the subdued meeting, Georgie and the coaching staff worried about how "explosive" the upcoming training camp might be. With playing time and clout within the organization hanging in the balance, there was a decent chance Poirier or Villeneuve - or perhaps both - would put up a fuss or refuse to cooperate. Instead, the two hit it off.

"You wondered how they were going to manage it," Sea Dogs assistant coach Jeff Cowan said. "From Day 1, though, there was no big competition, no big egos or unhealthy competitiveness, nothing like that."

Roughly two years later, after anchoring Saint John's blue line through a rebuild, the still-green Poirier and Villeneuve are once again up for a draft, this time with NHL teams making the selections. Plenty of junior teams will see several players picked during the 2020 NHL Draft, which is being held virtually on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the Sea Dogs are one club to keep a close eye on because they have three draft-eligible defensemen. (The third is Charlie DesRoches, also scooped up in the 2018 QMJHL draft.) The crown jewel, Poirier, might be the most polarizing player in the entire class.

On one hand, Poirier is a tantalizing offensive weapon, a one-man wrecking crew from the back end who can stickhandle through an entire team before creating a scoring chance for himself or a teammate. On the other hand, he's been, as one NHL scout framed it recently, a "train wreck defensively." The Montreal-area product is projected to go late in the first round. However, since he's the type of player teams either love or hate, he could slide into Day 2.

Georgie offered a sports-car analogy to simplify Poirier's strengths and weaknesses at this point in his career. "Whoever drafts Jeremie," he said, "is purchasing the Ferrari knowing that the transmission needs some work. Everyone knows the transmission needs some work, but it's a Ferrari."

Poirier racked up an impressive 53 points in 64 games last season. He led all QMJHL defensemen with 20 goals despite being just 17 years old. The Ferrari-like attributes are easy to identify. Poirier operates with supreme confidence when he's on the attack, dancing in and out of zones. He can regroup, dish a nifty pass, or unleash his trademark shot, which is hard and accurate.

"He's got a shot that gets through to the net. It's not getting blocked and turning into two-on-ones the other way," Dan Marr, longtime NHL Central Scouting director, said of the 6-foot-1, 196-pounder whom the agency ranked 18th among all draft-eligible North American skaters. "He sees the ice well enough and he's got a quick release where he really steps into it."

"He's so good at making plays in tight, making little dekes and plays under guys' sticks," said Cowan, who played eight NHL seasons. "For me, having coached here in Saint John for seven years, I haven't seen a defenseman or maybe a forward who has that skill with the puck. He's so confident with it in the plays he makes. Those are his pluses. His skill level is crazy."

Poirier elicits oppositely extreme views for his play without the puck. His slow pivots from skating forward to backward are a concern. Scouts question his dedication to defense, in general, because of his poor body language and lackadaisical approach to battling. He also turns the puck over far too often.

Georgie, Cowan, and Poirier himself all accept this to be true. There's no question his risk-reward ratio must be recalibrated, and his attention to detail, or lack thereof, in certain areas of the game needs an adjustment. That said, the GM, coach, and player report a change in approach over the offseason and into the start of the 2020-21 season. To them, these deficiencies can be fixed.

"When I was coming back into the defensive zone, I was thinking about offense, trying to gain the puck back, go on offense, and go, go, go," Poirier said of his first two years of junior, which featured an ugly minus-66 rating. "Now, I'm trying to be more aware of what's going on in my zone. Stop the play, get the puck back first, and then change my focus."

"Jeremie is committed. He wants to be dominant. He wants to be an elite-level player," Georgie added. "The feedback I'm getting, unprovoked from teammates, is that this is a different Jeremie Poirier."

Poirier looked up to superstar Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane as a kid and played forward until his peewee coach suggested he switch to defenseman so he could expand his view of the ice and, most importantly, get more ice time. Asked if any teams in pre-draft interviews broached the subject of reverting back, Poirier had a good laugh.

"I make sure everybody knows I'm a defenseman," he said. "It's good to have this really big offensive upside because I can bring it every night. There's not a lot of defensemen in this draft year and around the world who can play offense like I do. If I keep improving my defense and keep getting better, overall, it'll help me be one of the top defensemen."

One thing that isn't up for debate is how abundantly aware Poirier is of his shortcomings. His own coaches have let him know. NHL scouts too. And, of course, the internet, with Poirier trying his best to avoid the criticism but nevertheless stumbling upon some negativity while cruising social media.

"At the end of the day, it can be frustrating if you're reading all of those comments," Poirier said of what he's read on Instagram and elsewhere. "But I'm just here to improve and get better. Sometimes I take those criticisms as motivation. I can go out there and improve."

That brings us back to Villeneuve, who's not only one of Poirier's best friends now but was also his defense partner for the 2019-20 season. (The pair has been split up to start 2020-21, which began with back-to-back losses over the weekend. Poirier recorded a goal and three assists.) In Villeneuve, Poirier has found someone to lean on for brotherly support on and off the ice.

"Some people are bugging him about his defensive game, but they don't really know how hard he's worked over the past two years," Villeneuve said defiantly.

"I like to say that we went through the same things," he continued. "Being 16 years old in the (QMJHL) is not easy. Also, coming into a rebuilding team (the Sea Dogs have won just 43 of 134 games since the duo's arrival), we've had some good but also tough moments, playing a lot of hard minutes. To have a player like Jeremie and a person like Jeremie by my side to go through everything, it's been great. Since we put our feet in Saint John, we've been hanging out a lot together. We push each other to get better every day."

Villeneuve, a 6-foot-1 righty, was the top point-getter among QMJHL defensemen last year with 58 in 64 games. He's not as flashy as Poirier, but he does earn high marks in the vision and poise categories. He's expected to go off the board relatively early on Day 2, perhaps in the second round not long after Poirier.

"He doesn’t have the high-end skills of a Poirier, but he’s a notch above him in terms of defending and hockey sense," reads a report on Villeneuve in HockeyProspect.com's draft bible. "We are hoping that as he continues to physically mature, some of those skills will continue to improve, such as skating and shooting. He has some two-way upside, but his lack of athleticism and high-end skills might hurt his chances of one day playing in the NHL."

Once rivals, Poirier and Villeneuve are close to inseparable in Saint John. They were classmates at a French-speaking high school prior to finishing Grade 12, they play the NBA2K video game together, and they've been known to frequent Tim Hortons and a local mall as a pair. In a strange, pandemic-shortened draft year filled with criticism, it's been nice to have each other.

"I think JP's improved a lot defensively and he's still working on it. We both need to," Villeneuve said. "People are really hard on him, but I'm not worried about him. He's going to prove them wrong really soon."

John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.

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It appears as though future Hall of Fame netminder Henrik Lundqvist is hungry to return for another season.

The pending unrestricted free agent took to Twitter on Sunday to express his desire to continue playing.

Lundqvist's future became unclear when he was bought out by the New York Rangers earlier this week with one year remaining on his deal. He's spent all 15 seasons of his career with the club, helping it reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.

The 38-year-old owns a .910 save percentage and 3.05 goals-against average in 145 appearances over his last three campaigns.

Though his best days are behind him, the veteran puck-stopper could make an impact in a backup role, while his leadership and experience could prove invaluable to a team in the hunt for a Stanley Cup.

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The Dallas Stars have re-signed Andrej Sekera to a two-year deal carrying an average annual value of $1.5 million, the team announced Sunday.

The 34-year-old was a reliable third-pairing option for the Stars during their run to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. The veteran only tallied one assist in 24 playoff games, but his 2.04 expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five ranked third among Stars defensemen, according to Natural Stat Trick.

"Andrej did an outstanding job coming in and immediately making a difference on our back end last season," Dallas general manager Jim Nill said. "With his intelligence and experience, we look forward to Andrej continuing to play an impactful role in our defense corps."

Sekera was Dallas' only impending free agent on the blue line.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Brad Morrison, the Kings announced Sunday.

"Olli is a well-rounded player who will fit well with our group of defensemen," Kings general manager Rob Blake said. "He is a young player that already has a lot of valuable NHL experience, including a pair of Stanley Cups, and we look forward to having him join our organization."

Chicago is retaining roughly $750,000 of Maatta's $4.08-million salary for each of the next two seasons, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The move appears to be a salary dump for the Blackhawks, as Morrison spent his 2019-20 season with the ECHL's Fort Wayne Comets, registering 19 points in 17 games. Selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, the 23-year-old hasn't played an NHL game to date.

Maatta, 26, joined the Blackhawks in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer. The 2012 first-round pick has notched 124 points in 427 career games and won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh.

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The offseason has officially begun, and the free-agent frenzy is right around the corner. With the salary cap remaining flat at $81.5 million for next season, general managers will be more desperate than ever to find low-cost impact players on the market while pinching their pennies.

We all saw what talents like Corey Perry and Pat Maroon were able to contribute to their clubs after inking team-friendly deals last offseason. The following players will likely be available at an appealing cost, and they could outplay their contracts in 2020-21.

Jason Spezza - C/RW

Spezza has made it clear he'd love to stay with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs if he plays in 2020-21, but it's uncertain the cap-strapped team can keep the veteran in its plans going forward. If the Leafs move on, lots of clubs could benefit from using Spezza in a depth role.

The 37-year-old put together a solid 2019-20 campaign while proving he can still contribute in several areas. Spezza produced more points per game last season (0.43) than he did in 2018-19 (0.35) despite logging considerably less ice time. He also showed off his versatility, playing center and wing throughout the season and winning 54.4% of his faceoffs.

Spezza's off-ice value also can't be overlooked. The 17-year pro adds plenty of experience, his teammates love him, and he's on a mission to end his career with a Stanley Cup win.

Mikael Granlund - LW/RW

How quickly things can change. Nashville Predators general manager David Poile appeared to have fleeced the Minnesota Wild when he acquired Granlund for Kevin Fiala just over 18 months ago, but the latter has become the far more productive player ever since.

The aftermath of that trade could impact how much a team is willing to invest in Granlund. We're not suggesting the 28-year-old pivot will end up signing for low-end money, but his recent decline will likely prove costly. However, his offensive potential could lead to Granlund outperforming his next contract, making him a bargain candidate.

The 5-foot-10 Finn has registered a pair of 60-plus point seasons, and he's capable of playing throughout the lineup. Granlund has also been a strong possession player for most of his career, and the Predators boasted an impressive 62.42% of expected goals when he was on the ice at five-on-five in 2019-20.

Henrik Lundqvist - G

Despite Lundqvist's bona fides, it's unlikely a team will overpay for a No. 2 goalie, so he should be available for a reasonable price if the veteran continues his career. It's tough to picture King Henrik in another jersey, but taking a chance on him wouldn't be the worst idea for a contender looking to shore up its crease.

The 2012 Vezina Trophy winner has declined statistically in recent years, but he didn't receive much help from a Rangers team that's been one of the worst defensively over the past several seasons. Fulfilling a lighter role for a stronger club could help give Lundqvist a second wind. At the very least, his presence and experience would be invaluable to a Stanley Cup contender.

Tyler Ennis - LW/RW

Ennis was on our 2019 edition of potential free-agent steals, and for good reason. The veteran winger's production in 2019-20 far outweighed his six-figure contract. Although he's due for a slight raise, Ennis should still be a low-cost option who can provide plenty of value.

The 30-year-old paced all players making under $1 million who were not on entry-level deals last season in both goals and points. He outscored multi-million dollar pending free-agent forwards such as Granlund, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Craig Smith despite logging less ice time per game than the former two.

Ennis also plays a lot larger than his 5-foot-9 frame suggests, as evidenced by his career-high 96 hits last season. His mix of grit and skill makes him a versatile talent who can play up and down a club's lineup.

Wayne Simmonds - RW

Despite his body of work, it became clear that Simmonds' value had dropped after he managed just a one-year contract last offseason. The 6-foot-5 winger failed to meet expectations in 2019-20, so he'll likely be securing a far less lucrative salary now.

However, Simmonds spent 2019-20 playing for a pair of struggling teams in the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres. His ice time dropped noticeably with Buffalo, and he wasn't able to find his game before the season was cut short in March.

Simmonds' days as a top-six option are clearly behind him, but the 32-year-old power forward can still bolster a club's depth. He recorded 145 hits last season while also showing he can still contribute on the power play, recording five of his eight tallies with the man advantage.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)

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