Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin says the team has done its part and is now playing the waiting game with restricted free-agent forward Kevin Fiala.

"We've made him a fair offer and he's deciding," Guerin told The Athletic's Michael Russo on Tuesday. "I understand the position he's in. I've been in it a couple times myself. We want to get him in as quick as possible because if you miss training camp, the chances of you having a good year aren't very good. We want to get him in here and get him going."

Fiala collected seven points in 19 games with the Wild after Minnesota acquired him from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Mikael Granlund ahead of last season's trade deadline.

The Wild open training camp Friday, and Fiala is the team's lone remaining RFA.

"I'm just speaking from experience that you're better off being in camp than not," Guerin said. "For Kevin's sake and our sake, I hope he's there, I really do."

Minnesota has nearly $8 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

Fiala, 23, produced 10 goals and 32 points in 64 games before the trade. The winger spent parts of five seasons with the Predators, who drafted him 11th overall in 2014.

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Divisions:
Metropolitan | Central
Pacific (Sept. 11) | Atlantic (Sept. 12)

Five teams from the ultra-competitive Central reached the playoffs in 2018-19, and the division became stronger over the summer.

The St. Louis Blues remain in good form to defend their Stanley Cup championship, and several other teams are in a better position to contend. After an offseason of transactions, we've graded each club's efforts.

Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted. Total contract value does not include bonuses.

Chicago Blackhawks

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman acquired Olli Maatta and Calvin de Haan in an attempt to tackle the team's blue-line weakness. Neither are necessarily stand-out talents, but they'll upgrade a team that allowed the second-most goals last season.

Bringing in 2018-19 Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner was also a smart move considering Corey Crawford's uncertain conditioning heading into his age-34 season. Lehner signed a low-risk one-year deal, but with neither goalie under contract for the 2020-21 campaign, Bowman will need to revisit the club's situation between the pipes sooner rather than later.

Trading Henri Jokiharju, a young and highly touted rearguard, for forward Alex Nylander was perhaps the only real head-scratcher, though some may also ponder the reacquisition of Andrew Shaw for multiple future draft picks.

The Blackhawks didn't make any major splashes, but they improved where necessary and still have some cap space to work with heading into the season.

Grade: B

Colorado Avalanche

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The 2019-20 version of the Avalanche will look slightly different, but mostly for the better after Joe Sakic made an assertive effort to improve the club's forward depth.

Acquiring Nazem Kadri in a deal centered around Tyson Barrie was prudent. As productive as Barrie has been, the 28-year-old needs a new contract after this season, and the Avalanche likely won't be able to meet his price. There's also a surplus of highly skilled defensemen on the team. That includes Bowen Byram, who was wisely selected with the fourth overall pick this year.

Sakic also showed the foresight to lock up Samuel Girard, who was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

It's tough to dock points for not signing RFAs yet considering how that market has operated all summer. Mikko Rantanen still not being under contract with training camp set to begin this week is the only real blemish after Colorado's otherwise successful offseason.

Grade: B+

Dallas Stars

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Stars were rock solid in front of Vezina Trophy candidate Ben Bishop in 2018-19, but their 29th-ranked offense cost them in the end.

General manager Jim Nill responded to that deficiency this offseason by signing perennial goal-scorer Joe Pavelski and inking two-time All-Star Corey Perry to a one-year deal with little risk. Though their best hockey is behind them, the two veterans should still serve as offensive upgrades relative to who they're replacing.

Keeping trade deadline addition Mats Zuccarello around would have been a bonus, but the 32-year-old wanted a long-term deal and Nill understandably opted to focus on retaining younger homegrown talents in Esa Lindell, Jason Dickinson, and Mattias Janmark.

Veteran Andrej Sekera is also a nice addition to a young Stars defensive core.

Grade: B+

Minnesota Wild

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Firing the general manager in the middle of the offseason is rather disruptive, but Paul Fenton was running the organization into the ground fast. Bill Guerin seems like a good fit for the position, though it's far too early to tell.

The Wild didn't lose any significant pieces this offseason, but a team trying to stay competitive in a cutthroat Central Division didn't add much, either. Zuccarello is a nice playmaker who should help an offense in need, but Minnesota still lacks scoring ability.

The Wild hold just under $8 million in projected cap space heading into the season, and restricted free agent Kevin Fiala remains unsigned, with the GM shuffle possibly to blame. But Guerin needs to get the young Swiss talent on board, and then focus on re-signing defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who's set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Grade: D

Nashville Predators

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Could the Predators have fetched more for All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban? Sure, but Subban's $9-million cap hit over each of the next three seasons hindered general manager David Poile's ability to improve the club in other areas.

The Predators used that money to sign Matt Duchene to a long-term deal, and they'll now head into the 2019-20 campaign with their strongest top-six forward group in recent memory. Poile also understands the importance of maintaining cap space with Roman Josi, the team's defensive anchor and captain, slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Parting with slower, aging players in Brian Boyle and Wayne Simmonds was a no-brainer, and locking up depth forward Colton Sissons long term on a contract with a relatively low average annual value ($3.85 million) was a swift move. Promising rookie Dante Fabbro will likely fill Subban's spot on the blue line, with the Predators deploying a more well-rounded team this season.

Grade: A

St. Louis Blues

Key arrivals

N/A

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

General manager Doug Armstrong made his best effort to keep the Blues' Stanley Cup-winning core intact for a title defense in 2019-20. The team didn't make any significant additions, and it parted with only Pat Maroon. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

The Blues locked up Jordan Binnington for two more seasons at a reasonable price ($4.4 million AAV), and they rewarded other pending free agents with new deals. However, Armstrong will face major decisions next summer. Four key players - including captain Alex Pietrangelo - are set to become unrestricted free agents, and three will be RFAs.

St. Louis did a good job of keeping key players for one more run while still managing the future.

Grade: B+

Winnipeg Jets

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The summer was a bit of a trainwreck for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets. The club lost half of its defensive core, including two valuable right-shooting blue-liners, and replaced them with inferior talents. Feisty winger Brandon Tanev, who figured prominently in one of the league's best checking lines, also departed in free agency.

The departures were somewhat involuntary, however, as Cheveldayoff has to prioritize re-signing restricted free-agent forwards Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. But those two young stars remain without new deals, and training camp starts this week.

The RFA market has been stagnant league-wide, but with $15.45 million in projected cap space, the Jets failing to sign either top talent could create a nightmare situation.

Even if the Connor and Laine standoffs get resolved, it feels like the Jets took a step back in a division that's only getting stronger.

Grade: D-

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Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin may have influenced the club's decision to ship former linemate Phil Kessel to the Arizona Coyotes.

The Russian sniper asked to be traded if the Penguins kept Kessel, multiple team sources told The Athletic's Rob Rossi, though Malkin denied it when asked and said his friendship with Kessel is real.

Malkin was tired of feeling caught in the ongoing conflict between his linemate and Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan, multiple team and league sources told Rossi. "By the end of last season, everybody from ownership to management to coaches believed Kessel had to go for Malkin to stay," Rossi wrote.

Kessel joined the club ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, and his incredible on-ice chemistry with Malkin played a pivotal role in the Penguins capturing back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

Malkin believed Kessel was content with two titles and mostly interested in his statistics, and the 33-year-old worried he'd be seen in the same light if the American remained his winger, according to Rossi's team and league sources.

The Penguins traded Kessel to the Coyotes on June 30 in exchange for forward Alex Galchenyuk and defense prospect Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

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The New Jersey Devils have come to terms with restricted free-agent forward Pavel Zacha on a three-year, $6.75-million deal, the team announced on Tuesday.

More to come.

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It's difficult to break into the NHL and contribute right away. Most players need a year or two of experience before beginning to produce consistently, though a select few make an immediate impact.

Here are some rookies who will be fantasy difference-makers in their first NHL season:

Jack Hughes, C, Devils

Hughes will warrant a roster spot on your fantasy team this season regardless of the format.

The 2019 first overall selection has dominated at every stage early in his career, breaking Alex Ovechkin's points record at the IIHF World U18 Championship with 32 points in 14 games, and also setting a new all-time scoring mark for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

Hughes should receive plenty of opportunities with the New Jersey Devils, especially on a power-play unit featuring Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, and P.K. Subban. At even strength, his ceiling will depend on which players flank each wing, but the dynamic playmaker should thrive as a fixture in the team's top-six forward group.

It would make sense for the Devils to pair Hughes with a scorer like Kyle Palmieri - a shoot-first player who's scored 24-plus goals in four straight seasons. Having two reliable duos in Hischier-Hall and Hughes-Palmieri would also help deepen the Devils' lineup. Hughes could play alongside Hall at points throughout the season, too.

Quinn Hughes, D, Canucks

Hughes is an incredible skater with excellent hockey intelligence for his age. Though it was a small sample size, the 19-year-old impressed with three assists and positive possession numbers during his five-game stint with the Canucks last season.

The 2018 seventh overall pick should get top-four minutes on the blue line, and he'll receive plenty of power-play time as part of a talented young core featuring Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and Bo Horvat. Newcomers J.T. Miller and Micheal Ferland should also help bolster Vancouver's attack.

The Michigan product recorded 33 points in 32 games at the NCAA level for the Wolverines last season. His per-game production (1.10 points) ranked second among under-20 NCAA defensemen over the last 20 years.

His offensive game won't be fully developed in his first NHL season, but Hughes' upside makes him worth fantasy consideration.

Cale Makar, D, Avalanche

Makar looked like a seasoned vet while debuting with the Avalanche this past spring, and it'll be a treat to see what the 2017 fourth overall pick can do in his first full campaign.

The 20-year-old rearguard joined the club at the start of the 2018-19 playoffs and scored in his first game. He also tallied five assists to finish with six points in 10 contests while logging over 17 minutes per night. Makar never looked out of place, and his confidence with the puck was remarkable for a young talent playing high-stakes hockey.

Makar's skating ability is sensational, making him a perfect fit with the up-tempo Avalanche. He's already skilled enough to log big minutes and should be a fixture on the club's loaded top power-play unit. Playing with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nazem Kadri should result in Makar producing an impressive rookie season.

Kaapo Kakko, RW, Rangers

Kakko should benefit from playing on a top-heavy New York Rangers roster. The club lacks forward depth, but Kakko is too skilled to play bottom-six minutes, and fireworks could be coming if he's on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin.

At 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 lbs, the 18-year-old enters the league with an NHL frame and a heavy shot. A natural goal-scorer at every level, he's poised to contribute immediately in the goal column at even strength and on the power play.

During his final season in Europe, Kakko tallied 22 goals over 45 games for HC TPS in Liiga - the top pro league in Finland - setting a record for under-18 players.

The 2019 second overall selection is ready for the NHL, and he should produce for your fantasy team.

Mackenzie Blackwood, G, Devils

Blackwood came two games shy of losing his rookie eligibility in 2018-19 while posting a 2.61 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage over 23 appearances with the New Jersey Devils. Snagging a rookie goalie for your fantasy team with just over a quarter-season of NHL experience is a bonus, especially considering the direction New Jersey is heading.

Injuries have plagued starting Devils netminder Cory Schneider over the previous two campaigns, and he isn't getting any younger. Even when healthy, the 33-year-old has posted below-average numbers, and he hasn't put together a steady season since 2015-16.

With the Devils projecting to be a young, up-and-coming team, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them challenge Blackwood with a heavier workload this season.

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