The Chicago Blackhawks agreed to a two-year contract extension with forward Vinnie Hinostroza, the team announced Friday.

The 24-year-old can play both up the middle and on the wing while chipping in offensively. He registered seven goals and 18 assists across 50 regular-season games for Chicago last campaign.

The 5-foot-9 forward helps make up for what he lacks in size with his playmaking and goal-scoring ability - two characteristics that should put him in excellent position to crack the Blackhawks' opening night roster.

Hinostroza's signing continued a busy Friday for Chicago's front office, as the team agreed to a two-year extension with forward John Hayden earlier in the day. Hayden notched four goals, nine assists, and 54 penalty minutes in 47 games for the Blackhawks this season.

Signing Hinostroza and Hayden leaves only forwards Tomas Jurco and Anthony Duclair on Chicago's list of restricted free agents.

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The NHL's contract buyout window officially opened Friday morning, and Dallas Stars veteran Jason Spezza was among the players being rumored to be bought out.

However, the Stars will pass on the buyout option and have the 35-year-old center play out the final year of his current contract, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Spezza registered only eight goals and 18 assists across 78 games last season while serving predominantly as the Stars' third-line center. However, he still plays an important role for a Dallas club lacking depth up the middle.

The Stars signed Spezza to a four-year, $30-million deal in 2014 - a contract that has one season remaining at a cap hit of $7.5 million.

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There's been a lot of speculation about Milan Lucic's potential departure from Edmonton this summer.

However, despite initial rumors indicating Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli is willing to simply offload Lucic's hefty remaining contract at any cost, the latest rumblings point to Edmonton wanting to wait for a deal that better suits the organization, sources told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Lucic is under contract for the next five seasons at a pricey cap hit of $6 million per year. Combine that with his relatively dismal 2017-18 campaign in which he managed only 10 goals and 24 assists across 82 games, and the Oilers actively considering a move comes as little surprise.

Even with his poor recent performance and massive contract, Lucic's 6-foot-3 and 236-pound frame will still have general managers sniffing around to test the waters.

Edmonton inked Lucic to a whopping seven-year deal worth $42 million in July 2016. That contract came with a no-movement clause, which would need to be waived by Lucic to get any trade done.

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The Toronto Marlies are AHL champions, as the Maple Leafs' farm club topped the Texas Stars 6-1 in Game 7 of the Calder Cup Final on Thursday to clinch the title.

The victory marks the first Calder Cup from a Leafs affiliate since 1982, when they shared the New Brunswick Hawks with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Marlies were led by forward Andreas Johnsson, who scored two goals while adding an assist in the contest. The 23-year-old also earned playoff MVP honors after registering 24 points in 16 games, all of which followed a six-game postseason stint with the Maple Leafs in April.

The championship concludes a dominant season for the Marlies in which they led the AHL with 54 wins and 112 points, losing just five games in the playoffs.

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The Buffalo Sabres have traded forward Hudson Fasching to the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Brandon Hickey and forward Mike Sislo, the clubs announced Thursday.

Fasching collected 12 goals and 30 points in 69 games for the AHL's Rochester Americans and was held pointless in five NHL contests this season.

The 22-year-old winger managed only three points in 22 games with the Sabres over the last three campaigns. Buffalo drafted him in the fourth round back in 2013.

Hickey chipped in 14 points across 35 games in his senior season with Boston University. He was originally acquired by the Coyotes in the Mike Smith trade with the Calgary Flames, who selected Hickey in the third round in 2014.

Sislo is a journeyman, having spent six years in the New Jersey Devils organization before landing with the AHL's San Antonio Rampage, Toronto Marlies, and then the Coyotes' affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners.

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John Tavares is focused on an extension with the New York Islanders and has been having daily discussions with the club, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

A deal between Tavares - who becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1 - and the Islanders could reportedly happen quickly. However, if contracts talks stall, he will have the opportunity to consider options during his interview period, Dreger adds.

Over the last few weeks, general manager Lou Lamoriello has been meeting with Tavares and has outlined his vision for the Islanders' future, according to Dreger.

There will certainly be no shortage of teams throwing their name in the ring to try and sign Tavares if he does indeed hit the open market. The advantage the Islanders have is that they can offer him an eight-year extension, whereas outside clubs can only offer as much as a seven-year contract.

Tavares is coming off a six-year, $33-million deal and is in line for a raise that is likely to be in the $10 million annually range. This past season was his second-most productive in terms of offense, which saw the 27-year-old post 37 goals and 84 points in 82 games.

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The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to a two-year contract with forward Drake Caggiula, the team announced Thursday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In his second year with the team, the 23-year-old posted career highs in both goals and points with 13 and 20, respectively, in 67 games.

Caggiula just completed a two-year, $2.7-million contract and was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

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Add the Boston Bruins to the list of clubs interested in Ilya Kovalchuk.

After spending the past five seasons in the KHL, the 35-year-old Russian free agent wants to return to the NHL. While he can't officially sign until July 1, Kovalchuk has already drawn interest from a number of suitors, including the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks, while the Bruins are the latest club to throw their hat into the ring.

"I've been in contact with (Kovalchuk's) group," Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told Matt Porter of the Boston Globe. "For obvious reasons - about 230 pounds and still scores goals. He is 35, so you have to factor that in, but he brings a lot to the table.

"I hope he looks at (the Bruins) and says, 'That's a team I'd be interested in.' He indicated that, but you know, until I get a chance to sit with him, I won't know that exactly."

Sweeney added that if the Bruins come to terms with Kovalchuk, it would mark the end of Rick Nash's short tenure in Boston, as the team's lineup can't accommodate both veteran wingers.

"It would have to be either/or, it can't be both," Sweeney said.

The Bruins acquired Nash from the New York Rangers at this year's trade deadline, parting with Ryan Spooner, Ryan Lindgren, Matt Beleskey, their first-round pick in the coming draft, and a seventh-rounder in 2019.

However, Nash battled injuries throughout his time with the Bruins, appearing in just 11 regular-season contests and another dozen playoff games. The 33-year-old is coming off an eight-year contract that carried a $7.8-million cap hit.

As for Kovalchuk, he signed a 15-year, $100-million deal with the New Jersey Devils in 2010, but walked away after just three seasons for the KHL, effectively terminating his contract. The Devils retained his rights up until this summer.

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