Alexander Nylander took what could be viewed as a not-so-subtle dig at the Buffalo Sabres after they dealt him away Tuesday.

The Chicago Blackhawks' newest acquisition praised his new organization while lamenting the fact that he didn't play more regularly at the top level with his old one.

"(I) thought maybe I would be in the NHL sooner than I have been, but I’m looking forward to being part of the Blackhawks organization," Nylander told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus on Tuesday. "(The Blackhawks are) really good with development players. They know what they’re doing. Stuff that happened in Buffalo and Rochester is in the past."

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman didn't guarantee that Nylander will make the team out of camp but said he's encouraged by the potential.

"We don’t hand out those jobs in the summer, but with his offensive talent and skill level, it’s certainly exciting to think of what he could be when you put him with some of the players we have," the GM told Lazerus.

Nylander, who the Sabres traded earlier Tuesday for defenseman Henri Jokiharju, spent the last three seasons with Buffalo but played the vast majority of his games with the club's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

The 21-year-old forward appeared in only 19 NHL contests over that span, producing three goals and six points.

He managed only 30 goals and 56 points in 165 AHL games, including 12 goals and 31 points in 49 contests this past season.

Buffalo drafted Nylander eighth overall in 2016. He's the brother of Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander and the son of former NHL center Michael Nylander.

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Ty Rattie appears to be headed to Russia and will reunite with a familiar face in the process.

The forward is signing a one-year contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL, reports Sport-Express' Igor Eronko.

Rattie will play for head coach Craig MacTavish, who was an Oilers executive during the 26-year-old's time in Edmonton.

MacTavish left the Oilers in May to coach Lokomotiv on a two-year contract.

Rattie spent the last two seasons with Edmonton and briefly spent time on Connor McDavid's wing. Rattie became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after the club opted not to tender him a qualifying offer on June 25.

He managed only 11 points across 50 games in 2018-19. He posted nine points in 14 NHL contests during the previous campaign and spent much of that season in the AHL, where he racked up 21 goals and 43 points in 53 games.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have traded defenseman Henri Jokiharju to the Buffalo Sabres for forward Alexander Nylander, the team announced on Tuesday.

Both players are entering the second season of their three-year entry-level contracts and will remain under team control for four more campaigns once their current deals expire, according to CapFriendly.

Buffalo selected Nylander with the eighth overall pick in the 2016 draft. The 21-year-old has tallied three goals and six points over 19 career games.

Jokiharju made his NHL debut during the 2018-19 season and recorded 12 assists in 38 contests. Chicago selected the Finnish rearguard with the 29th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.

The Sabres have made an effort this offseason to bolster their blue line, as the club also added defenseman Colin Miller through a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights in June.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman has had a busy offseason. The club acquired forward Andrew Shaw and defensemen Olli Maatta and Calvin de Haan through separate trades, and signed free-agent netminder Robin Lehner to a one-year deal on July 1.

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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed goaltender Malcolm Subban to a one-year deal worth $850,000, the team announced Tuesday.

Subban was scheduled to have a salary arbitration hearing July 20 but opted to sign for slightly more than his qualifying offer of $715,000, according to CapFriendly.

"We are pleased to announce this one-year contract for Malcolm," general manager George McPhee said. "He's been a valuable contributor to our team over the last two seasons. We are excited to continue to work with Malcolm and help him reach his full potential as an NHL goaltender."

Subban, 25, played in 21 contests for the Golden Knights last season, posting an 8-10-2 record with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage.

Selected 24th overall by the Boston Bruins at the 2012 NHL Draft, he was claimed off waivers by the Golden Knights in October 2017.

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The 2019 crop of arbitration-eligible restricted free agents had their potential hearing dates set on Tuesday, the NHLPA announced.

Among the most prominent players on the list is St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington, who's scheduled for a hearing on July 20 if he and the Stanley Cup champions don't agree to a deal beforehand.

Here's a look at the dates for some other notable players:

Traditionally, it's rare for any case to end up requiring a third-party arbitrator. Last summer, 40 of 44 players ultimately signed with their respective teams before reaching their meeting dates.

The entire group of players and dates for this offseason can be found here. All hearings will be held between July 20 and Aug. 4.

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Jacob Trouba's case in front of an arbitrator has been given a date.

If the productive New York Rangers defenseman and the club fail to agree to a new contract beforehand, a hearing will take place on July 25, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

However, Brooks adds that it would be stunning if the process reaches that point. Teams often agree to terms with the restricted free agent in question before a hearing takes place.

Trouba racked up 50 points while playing all 82 regular-season games with the Winnipeg Jets this past season. He was traded to the Rangers last month for rearguard Neal Pionk and the 20th overall pick in June's draft, which the Jets used to select Finnish blue-liner Ville Heinola.

The 25-year-old Trouba went through the arbitration process last summer and was awarded a one-year pact worth $5.5 million.

Along with Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, Trouba was among the biggest names to file for arbitration on Friday.

Blues forward Zach Sanford and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves also filed, but they avoided arbitration by signing new deals with their respective teams on Monday.

Any hearings required will take place between July 20 and Aug. 4.

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The San Jose Sharks have signed restricted free-agent forward Kevin Labanc to a one-year contract, the team announced Monday.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Labanc enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2018-19, registering career highs in goals (17), assists (39), and points (56) in 82 games. He also recorded nine points in 20 playoff contests.

"Kevin took a big step forward in his production last season and has grown into an important part of our team here in San Jose," general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. "He's always had a dangerous shot but really stepped into a playmaking role for us last season and improved his 200-foot game as well.

"We think he still has even more potential to tap into and we're excited to see what he can do with an elevated role with this talented group."

The 23-year-old should see plenty of minutes as a top-six forward in 2019-2020 after the Sharks lost Joe Pavelski, Gustav Nyquist, and Joonas Donskoi in free agency.

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