Former NHLer Craig Cunningham went into cardiac arrest before a game with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners in 2016, and, after his heart stopped beating for 83 minutes, was lucky to survive. During recovery, an infection forced him to have his leg amputated.

In a true example of brotherly love, Craig's older brother, Ryan, will bike 1,600 miles (2,575 kilometers) from the Cunninghams' hometown of Castlegar, British Columbia all the way to Tucson, Arizona beginning Friday to help raise money for the All Heart Foundation - a foundation Craig created alongside Dr. Zain Khalpey, the surgeon who saved his life.

"I can’t even tell you in words what it means to me," Craig said about his brother's upcoming journey, according to ABC's Shane Dale. "It’s a huge thing he’ll do where we’ll not only promote the All Heart Foundation but the cause and the things that we're developing to try to change the game a little bit.

"I think the second part of it is just to show the resiliency of the human body and what it’s capable of when you do things the right way."

Ryan has created a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising $50,000. He's off to a good start, as it has already raised $19,600 - not including the separate $5,000 donations the Arizona Coyotes and Tucson Roadrunners will each make.

"I think he knows how close to my heart, no pun intended, cardiac screening is," Craig said of his brother. "I think he saw what I went through and saw, for lack of a better term, how much of a s--- show it was for me ... I was one of a million, and unfortunately, other people don’t end up with the same outcome as me.

"It means a lot. It’s probably next to Dr. Khalpey saving my life, the second-biggest thing that anybody has done for me in my life."

Cunningham, who is now a scout for Arizona, skated in 63 NHL games with the Coyotes and Boston Bruins.

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Artemi Panarin doesn't appear to be opposed to the proposition of a Windy City reunion, as the superstar winger would seriously consider a return to the Chicago Blackhawks if he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season, a source told The Athletic's Scott Powers.

Panarin told the Blue Jackets he's not ready to sign an extension in Columbus, and the club reportedly began to test the market for him in June. The 26-year-old sniper also said he won't negotiate once camp opens Sept. 13, so his future with the organization is largely up in the air at this point.

After going undrafted and spending seven years in the KHL, Panarin chose the Blackhawks as his first NHL club in 2015, finding immediate success on a line with Patrick Kane. He won the Calder Trophy on the strength of a 77-point rookie season, then followed up with 74 points in 2016-17 before Chicago sent him to Columbus in exchange for Brandon Saad.

While the Blackhawks got the cost certainty they were hoping for in acquiring Saad, the trade didn't pan out for them at all in Year One, as Saad recorded just 35 points in 82 games. Meanwhile, Panarin notched 82 points and carried the Blue Jackets to the postseason as the driving force of their attack.

Panarin has one more season remaining at $6 million before he hits the open market, where he's sure to have a litany of suitors.

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Dallas Stars forward Gemel Smith has earned a one-year, $750,000-contract in arbitration, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The Stars previously placed Smith on waivers in July, but he ended up clearing. Dallas now has no outstanding contracts to take care of and will have a projected $5.3 million in cap space, according to Cap Friendly.

Smith, 24, appeared in 46 games for the Stars in 2017-18, recording six goals and five assists.

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Ottawa Senators blue-liner Cody Ceci has been awarded a one-year, $4.3-million deal in arbitration, the team announced Friday.

He'll once again be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, per CapFriendly.

Ceci's initial ask was $6 million, while the Senators countered with $3.35 million. Ottawa also locked down restricted free agent Mark Stone earlier Friday prior to his arbitration hearing with a one-year deal worth $7.35 million.

Ceci was drafted 15th overall by the Senators in 2012, and he recorded five goals and 14 assists in 82 games last season.

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The Ottawa Senators and winger Mark Stone have avoided arbitration, as the 26-year-old put pen to paper on a one-year, $7.35-million contract Friday, the team announced.

The agreement makes Stone an unrestricted free agent next summer, though he could sign an extension with the club after Jan. 1. If he opts for the open market, the Senators face the possibility of losing Stone along with fellow pending UFA's Matt Duchene and Erik Karlsson next offseason.

Stone's hearing was scheduled for Friday afternoon, but both sides struck a deal before a third-party determination. His case was one of the most prominent among the 44 players to file for arbitration, and it was reported his initial ask was for a record $9 million, while Ottawa countered with $5 million.

Injuries derailed Stone's impressive 2017-18 season, as he recorded a team-best 62 points in just 58 games. With his new contract, Stone carries the highest cap hit on the Senators' roster, and the sixth-highest number of all right wingers in the NHL.

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Several household hockey names known for putting up strong fantasy numbers struggled mightily in the 2017-18 campaign.

In many instances, it might have been a sign of career regression, but these five stars are likely to bounce back this season:

Max Pacioretty, Canadiens

Pacioretty is coming off his least productive season since becoming a full-time NHLer during the 2011-12 campaign.

The 29-year-old posted just 17 goals in 64 games after scoring no fewer than 30 in the previous four seasons. That dropped his point total from 67 to 37.

The scoring woes can be blamed in part on bad puck luck. Pacioretty registered his lowest shooting percentage (eight percent) since the 2009-10 season, when he split time between the NHL and AHL. Playing most of his minutes alongside Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw, who combined for 18 goals, didn't set him up for success, either.

Pacioretty is expected to slot in next to Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher this season, which should lead to more offensive success.

It's also possible he'll be traded to a contender before the offseason concludes. Either way, expect his numbers to improve in a contract year.

Jason Spezza, Stars

Spezza will look to put a dreadful 2017-18 behind him.

The 35-year-old Dallas Stars forward had the worst statistical season of his career aside from his rookie campaign, in which he played just 33 games. He put up just eight goals and 26 points in 78 games after recording 15 and 50 in 68 games in the 2016-17 season.

Spezza averaged 3:10 less ice time per game last season compared to 2017 and his shooting percentage dropped to 5.8 percent, good for 460th in the NHL among those who played at least 25 games. It didn't help that he was moved from his native center to the wing for parts of the season.

New coach Jim Montgomery has already expressed interest in having Spezza move back to center, and he has high expectations for the veteran. He might not have another 60-point season, but he should manage more than 26.

Brandon Saad, Blackhawks

After returning to the team he spent his first three seasons with, Saad put up the lowest point total of his career (35) in a full season, with six fewer goals and 18 fewer points than the season prior. He tallied just one point on the power play, despite logging the fifth-most time with the man advantage among Blackhawks forwards.

Saad appears to be a victim of the team's overall regression last season, as he was coming off three straight 50-plus-point campaigns. The 25-year-old played alongside captain Jonathan Toews, who put up the lowest goal total of his career (20) and his lowest point total (52) in a full season.

With more puck luck (he recorded a career-worst 7.6 shooting percentage last season) and a return to form from his teammates, Saad can easily return to his former 50-point self.

Bryan Little, Jets

Little managed to produce less year over year in 2017-18 despite playing in 23 more games.

The 30-year-old put up 21 goals and 47 points in 59 games during the 2016-17 season and followed that up this past year with 16 goals and 43 points while playing all 82.

One of the biggest reasons for the drop appears to be a lack of opportunities. Little took just 10 more shots last year than he did in 2016-2017 despite playing in far more games.

He saw fewer chances once the Jets acquired Paul Stastny from the St. Louis Blues, as he was moved down to the team's third line. He went from playing alongside Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers to seeing regular minutes with Mathieu Perreault and Jack Roslovic.

With Stastny gone, Little's expected to move back into a top-six role, and the extra minutes should boost his production.

T.J. Oshie, Capitals

The 2017-18 season wasn't a disaster for Oshie - heck, the guy won the Stanley Cup - but there's no getting around the fact that he had a down year.

The 31-year-old recorded 18 goals and 47 points in 74 games after reaching a career-high 33 goals and 56 points in six fewer games in 2016-17.

The biggest difference year over year looks to be his linemates. In 2016-17, Oshie played 513 minutes at even strength alongside Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. This past year, he played just 50 minutes with that duo and split the majority of his time with either Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana or Backstrom and Andre Burakovsky. He had less lineup stability and fewer minutes alongside the team's superstars.

Of course, Oshie contributed 21 points in 24 playoff games, so perhaps we've already seen proof he'll have a stronger 2019 season.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Adding a perennial 30-goal candidate in Jeff Skinner gives Buffalo Sabres head coach Phil Housley an abundance of possible lineup combinations that he can roll out this coming season.

In addition to Skinner, the Sabres have several other new faces up front thanks to the acquisition of Conor Sheary and the Ryan O'Reilly blockbuster trade that brought in Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, and Tage Thompson.

In the midst of a busy offseason in Buffalo, here are the Sabres' five most interesting lineup possibilities:

Option 1: Stacked 1st line

Skinner, Eichel, and Reinhart would form quite the prolific top unit. All three are highly skilled, will make plays, and can finish. This leaves questions marks in the bottom nine, though.

Option 2: Top-6 balance

A top-line role would be nothing out of the ordinary for Sheary, as he spent ample time in Pittsburgh flanking Sidney Crosby. This would allow Skinner to slide down to the second line, providing dynamic playmaking rookie Casey Mittelstadt with a legitimate finisher.

Option 3: Total lineup balance

It may shock some to see Evan Rodrigues on the top line, but he and Eichel had great chemistry as linemates at Boston University and have played together on occasion in the NHL. Having both Sheary and Kyle Okposo on the third line creates excellent scoring depth.

Option 4: Offensive duos

Each of these four lines has two offensive-minded players. Thompson and his 6-foot-5 frame would get a glorious to chance to find some of his untapped offensive potential alongside Skinner and Eichel. The versatile Berglund would be able to provide defensive support to Mittelstadt. Sobotka is probably better suited for the wing but is more than capable of centering this third line.

Option 5: Ease Mittelstadt in

It's important to remember Mittelstadt is still a teenager, and it's possible he could struggle with the defensive responsibilities of a center in his first season. Starting a career on the wing isn't uncommon, and it would allow the Sabres to form an exciting top trio. Berglund, Sobotka, and Thompson are all capable of centering, but Thompson gets the call down the middle in this lineup.

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