One can debate whether Sidney Crosby is still the NHL's best player, but judging by jersey sales, he's still the most popular.

The Pittsburgh Penguins captain topped the list of the league's most purchased sweaters from 2018-19 after finishing second to Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews in 2017-18.

Here are the top 15 best-sellers from last season:

Notably, two members of the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues cracked the list, while veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury remained popular, boasting the fourth-most sold jersey after finishing third in 2017-18.

Alex Ovechkin rose from fifth to second this past season on the strength of a 51-goal campaign and his NHL-record eighth "Rocket" Richard Trophy.

Connor McDavid slipped from No. 2 to 10 despite a 116-point season after his Edmonton Oilers missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

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Cam Talbot knows who he's gonna call whenever he needs new headgear.

The Calgary Flames goaltender is sticking with the "Ghostbusters" theme for his new mask, courtesy of renowned artist David Gunnarsson.

(Image courtesy: Calgary Flames)

While there's nothing particularly "spoky" about it, the spooky new equipment continues Talbot's run of referencing the classic 1984 film.

The 32-year-old signed with the Flames as a free agent July 1. The Edmonton Oilers traded him to the Philadelphia Flyers for Anthony Stolarz in February.

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Ron Francis is bringing in a familiar face to help lead the NHL's newest franchise.

Seattle's expansion team named Ricky Olczyk assistant general manager, the club announced Tuesday.

The 49-year-old's responsibilities will include managing the salary cap and contracts, overseeing player transactions, and advising Francis - Seattle's GM - as part of the scouting team.

Olczyk, the younger brother of former NHLer and longtime broadcaster Ed Olczyk, served as assistant GM of the Carolina Hurricanes under Francis from 2014-18 after occupying the assistant GM role with the Edmonton Oilers from 2009-14.

Last season, Ricky Olczyk was a pro scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Seattle's hockey operations department now boasts three employees: Francis, Olczyk, and director of hockey administration Alexandra Mandrycky, who specializes in analytics.

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Former NHL star Dale Hawerchuk will not be behind the bench for the Barrie Colts to begin the 2019-20 OHL season due to health issues, the team announced Tuesday, according to The Canadian Press.

"We are a tight and close family here and it's difficult to have to make announcements like this," team president Howie Campbell said in a statement. "Dale is facing some health issues and will be taking the time he needs to deal with that situation. Our best wishes and thoughts are with Dale and his family during this difficult time."

Barrie did not provide any further details regarding his condition.

The 56-year-old was entering his 10th season behind the team's bench and is the longest-serving coach in its history. He's helped the Colts reach the postseason six times during his tenure.

Hawerchuk recorded 518 goals and 891 assists over 1,118 contests with the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, and Philadelphia Flyers. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

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Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is optimistic about getting restricted free-agent forward Mitch Marner signed to a new deal before training camp begins Sept. 13.

“We’ve continued to have dialogue with (Marner's agent) Darren (Ferris) as recently as last week," Dubas said in an interview with TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Marner is among several talented restricted free agents that are still without contracts, and the 22-year-old has already said he "probably won't" attend training camp without a new deal.

Dubas said, "I would expect - in looking at it and looking at the history of these things - that some of it will start to shake loose, and we're certainly hopeful and we'll continue to work towards having (Marner) be one of those players that signs in the coming week."

Though the two sides have not been able to come to an agreement, Dubas said there's more incentive to get a deal done as the season approaches.

"I think the realism of the situation begins to near closer and closer, which is that if there is no contract, most players don't attend training camp," Dubas said. He added: "I think when missing time begins to become real, I think it changes the dynamics of the discussion quite a bit."

Last season, negotiations with forward William Nylander extended right to the Dec. 1 deadline, and the 23-year-old struggled to return to form. When asked if he's worried about a similar timetable for Marner, Dubas noted negotiations started much earlier this time and pointed out that Nylander wasn't willing to accept a short-term contract.

"The first discussion that I had with Darren was at the combine in 2018 about Mitch, and William, the first discussion that we had with Lewis (Gross, Nylander's agent), was at the draft a couple of months before ... I just think that they're very different situations," Dubas said.

Marner enjoyed a breakout season in his third NHL campaign, recording 26 goals and 94 points in 82 games. He became the youngest player in franchise history to break the 90-point mark.

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Veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall is calling it a career after 15 NHL campaigns, he announced Tuesday.

The 38-year-old will join the Detroit Red Wings' front office as an adviser to general manager Steve Yzerman.

Kronwall thanked the organization, the fans, and his family in an emotional video released by the club.

Kronwall ranks ninth in franchise history with 953 games played. He sits third all time among Red Wings defensemen in assists (349), fourth in points (432), and fifth in goals (83).

He contributed 47 points in 109 playoff games and helped the club capture the Stanley Cup in 2008.

Kronwall found success at the international level, too, as he won a gold medal with Sweden at both the 2006 Olympic Games and the 2006 World Championships. He also helped the nation win a silver medal at the 2014 Olympics.

Detroit selected the 6-foot rearguard 29th overall in the 2000 NHL Draft and he made his Red Wings debut during the 2003-04 season.

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Warning: Story contains coarse language

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella is known for his candor, and the veteran bench boss didn't sugarcoat his frustration entering the 2019-20 campaign after losing multiple core pieces this offseason.

"I'm pissed," Tortorella said according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "I’m pissed for my players. I'm pissed for my organization. And I'm pissed on behalf of my city."

After pulling off one of the greatest upsets in NHL history by sweeping the 62-win Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs, the Blue Jackets saw key forwards Matt Duchene and Artemi Panarin, along with star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, walk away in free agency.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of them. I do," Tortorella said. "But don't talk about goddamn winning, like you want to go somewhere to win. It’s right there in front of you.

"I respect them all. But I don’t want to hear 'I want to win' when it’s right fucking here. I respect them, but I’m really pissed. It was right there, where we were really progressing."

Tortorella also expressed frustration about the status of restricted free agent Zach Werenski, who's yet to sign a new deal with training camp set to begin this month.

"I'd be terribly disappointed," the coach said. "I'm not involved in the business part of it. But for a young man to miss one minute of camp ... it disgusts me."

Tortorella added of Werenski: "He has really grown as a player. I just don’t want him to miss a beat here. I won’t be disappointed, I'll be disgusted."

Despite the roster turnover, Tortorella is still confident in his group and remains focused on maximizing the club's potential this season.

"We feel like we made a really good step last year, although we still don’t get out of the second round," he said. "We still made a step in the right direction. That doesn’t change because we lose some players."

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As the NHL awaits the NHLPA's decision on whether it'll opt to reopen the collective bargaining agreement, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is concerned about one of the biggest potential sticking points between the two sides: escrow.

Escrow takes a portion of the players' salaries and puts them in a pool. The league then determines how much of that pool has to be paid to the owners in order to reach a 50/50 revenue split. The setup was agreed upon during CBA discussions in 2013, and Toews isn't a fan.

"I'm no financial expert," Toews told John Dietz of the Daily Herald at the end of last season. "All I see is that I've signed a contract and to me, it's not exactly being honored. So I don't care what business you're in - to me, that's kind of ridiculous."

As Dietz notes, players used to receive their escrow back. Now, due to a rising salary cap that's led to heftier contracts, and revenues that have failed to keep up with those larger agreements, players lose in excess of 10% of their annual salaries due to escrow.

"They've done a good job of making the players look like the greedy ones in the past several lockouts, and I wouldn't be surprised if they try to do it again," Toews continued. "To me, it's pretty black and white."

The NHL officially declined its option to reopen negotiations Aug. 30, a decision "based on the current state of the game and the business of the game."

The NHLPA executive board meets Wednesday to discuss its side of the matter and has until Sept. 15 to make a final decision. If the players opt to reopen talks, the current CBA will be terminated in September 2020. If they decline their option, the CBA will run through the 2021-22 campaign.

"There's obvious incentive for the NHL owners to have (escrow)," Toews said. "They get money back, depending on their performance. So now that responsibility falls on the player."

Toews signed an eight-year, $84-million contract with the Blackhawks in 2014. His $10.5-million annual cap hit is the fourth-richest among all NHL centers.

The 31-year-old appeared in all 82 games for Chicago in 2018-19, registering a career-high 81 points in his 12th NHL season.

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