Jimmy Howard is leaning toward leaving the only NHL franchise he's ever played for.

The Detroit Red Wings goaltender will "probably not" play for the club next season, he told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Sunday.

Howard, who's a pending unrestricted free agent, added that he's not planning to retire.

"Someone is going to have to tell me I can't play anymore," he said, adding that 2019-20 isn't the way he wants to end his career.

The 36-year-old also said he's been training for the last two months and that he talked to his family about relocating for a year if he can't play for a team close to home.

Howard struggled mightily this past season, posting a save percentage of .882 (the worst mark in the league among goalies who played at least 27 contests) and minus-22.12 goals saved above average to go with his 2-23-2 record.

He's spent his entire 14-year NHL tenure with the Red Wings, who drafted him 64th overall in 2003.

If Howard elects to hit the market, he'll join a crop of free-agent goaltenders that could include Anton Khudobin, Robin Lehner, Jacob Markstrom, Thomas Greiss, Corey Crawford, and Braden Holtby.

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Dallas Stars netminder Anton Khudobin continues to bolster his Conn Smythe Trophy case after another incredible performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The 34-year-old turned aside 35 shots - including all 22 he faced in the third period - to secure his fourth straight victory and sixth in his previous seven starts.

"He’s been a rock for us all playoffs, it was no different tonight," Stars forward Blake Comeau said following the 4-1 win, according to NBC Sports' Sean Leahy.

"We got into penalty trouble there in the third and he was there to bail us out, and that’s been the storyline this playoffs. Every time we’ve needed a big save, he’s been there for us."

Khudobin is now 9-1 with a .930 save percentage when facing 30 or more shots in a game this postseason, according to Sportsnet Stats.

His biggest save of Saturday's contest came in the final minutes of the second period, as he reached back to deny Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli during a mad scramble in front of the net. The Stars would add a goal to make it 3-1 just moments later.

Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who scored the eventual game-winning goal in the second period, said the club has been riding the momentum of Khudobin's hot play all postseason.

"His play’s been speaking for itself," Oleksiak said. "It looks like whenever he’s out there, he’s just having fun. I think we’re feeding off that energy. He’s been great. I can’t say enough about him."

Khudobin stifled the high-powered Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, recording a .950 save percentage while allowing just 10 goals during the five-game series.

Off the ice, the 5-foot-11 puck-stopper appears to be using his unique sense of humor to keep his teammates loose:

Khudobin will look to pick up his 14th win of the playoffs in Game 2 on Monday after recording just 16 victories during the regular season while serving as the backup to starter Ben Bishop.

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The Dallas Stars knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.

Stars netminder Anton Khudobin continued his brilliant play between the pipes, turning aside 35 shots to secure the win.

Joel Hanley potted his first NHL goal to open the scoring for Dallas in the first period, while Jamie Oleksiak, Joel Kiviranta, and Jason Dickinson also found the net for the Stars.

Tampa Bay went 0-for-3 on the power play in the third period, and couldn't solve Khudobin despite outshooting Dallas 22-2 in the final frame.

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Patrick Maroon was forced to sit out the opening 10 minutes of the third period after letting his frustration get the best of him during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night.

The officials handed Maroon a 10-minute misconduct after he shot the puck into the Dallas Stars' bench just before the intermission.

Here's a closer look of the incident, which shows the shot actually hit Stars forward Joel Kiviranta, who had scored with 28 seconds left in the frame to give Dallas a 3-1 lead.

Kiviranta appeared no worse for wear in the third period. He took a 46-second shift that began less than a minute into the frame and then jumped over the boards for a 42-second spin about two minutes after his previous shift ended.

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Joe Pavelski says the Dallas Stars' style of play was a major reason he signed with them instead of the Tampa Bay Lightning in free agency last summer.

"I liked the goalies here," Pavelski told reporters Friday. "I liked the structure defensively. They played a lot of one-goal games (and) they didn't give up a lot of goals, and I always believe ... you need that, especially in the playoffs, to find those types of wins. So that was one of the reasons I kind of identified them, and there's also some high-end talent on this team as well."

The 36-year-old inked a three-year, $21-million contract with the Stars on July 1, 2019 after meeting in-person with representatives of both Dallas and Tampa Bay, the two clubs now facing off in the Stanley Cup Final.

On Thursday, Pavelski told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun there were important off-ice considerations that factored into his decision as well.

“There were different things, hockey was one of the big ones obviously, but with (my son) Nate and his hockey and schooling, and (my wife) Sarah and I have been on the West Coast for 13 years, so if there was an option to get closer to home (Madison, Wisconsin), maybe in the same time zone, where the games don’t start at 9:30 every night for the parents, just try to experience something closer to home," the veteran forward said.

"So, can you get a team that you believe can contend, and then hope all the other boxes line up," he added. "We definitely had a few good options with good teams and places we could live in."

Before joining the Stars, Pavelski spent his entire 13-year career with the San Jose Sharks, including serving as captain over the final four seasons of his tenure.

Dallas boasted the NHL's second-best goals against per game rate during the regular season, thanks in large part to netminders Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin, as well as blue-liners Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg.

Pavelski entered the Cup Final tied for the league lead among players still competing in 2019-20 with nine goals in 21 playoff games. He produced 14 goals and 31 points in 67 regular-season games in his first campaign with the Stars.

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Following a report the St. Louis Blues cut off contract talks with Alex Pietrangelo on Friday, the pending unrestricted free agent acknowledged he'll likely be testing the open market this October.

"There was a discussion today, and I guess the best way to sum it up, we haven’t really made much progress," Pietrangelo said Friday, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

"We just think right now, with where things are at, that maybe it’s best for both sides to see what’s going on in free agency, what the team can explore, what I can explore and if there are better fits for each side."

The Blues are among many teams that have been significantly impacted by the flat $81.5-million salary cap in 2020-21. St. Louis has $5.15 million in projected cap space for next season and Pietrangelo is due for a big payday after making $6.5 million annually on his latest deal.

Pietrangelo, 30, admitted he's unhappy with the way contract talks have gone to this point, but said he hasn't yet ruled out re-signing with the team he's spent all 12 years of his NHL career with.

"We’re a little disappointed that we’re in this situation," he said. "We weren’t able to hammer out the details what we wanted in a deal. There was some work that we tried to get done that we couldn’t get done, so both sides agreed that maybe it’s in the best interest.

"We’re two weeks away. Not saying anything can’t change, but as of right now, that’s kind of our plan, and we’ll see where things go."

Free agency is set to open Oct. 9, and Pietrangelo would easily be the most coveted blue-liner on the market.

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