One season among the game's elite isn't going to cut it for reigning Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall.

The New Jersey Devils winger broke out in a big way in 2017-18, establishing new career-highs across the board with 93 points in 76 games. His efforts were enough to clinch the club's first playoff appearance since 2012 before he was named the NHL's most valuable player in June.

As he enters a new campaign, however, Hall isn't resting on the laurels of his banner season.

"I’ve kind of included myself in a tier of players now and I want to stay there," Hall told The Athletic's Scott Burnside. "You see the guys who do it season after season, every season, you know the Crosbys, the Malkins, the Benns, they’re just there every year. So now that I’ve kind of included myself there I want to stay there so I just tried to prepare myself as best as possible."

Hall was every bit as valuable as each of the players he listed last season. He won the team's scoring race by a whopping 41 points, and went on a historic 26-game point streak from January to March.

Now, it's about finding a way to be that same player year after year.

"We had a lot of a success as a team. For me, I found that I took my game to another level," Hall told Under Armour at a recent photo shoot. "As an athlete, when you accomplish that much in one season you want to make sure you come back the next and play the same way. So it was definitely an exciting feeling, but also huge motivation for the upcoming season."

As for how Hall plans on maintaining his excellence into 2018-19, the 26-year-old will rely on a skill-based offseason training regimen that helped spark his breakout showing a season ago.

"In previous years, I would take 2 to 3 months off the ice and let my body relax," Hall said. "This past summer, I made a commitment to skate, play hockey and work on my skills all summer long, and I think that’s what really made the difference for me this season."

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The Calgary Flames will be without Travis Hamonic for a while.

The defenseman suffered a facial fracture during a fight with Erik Gudbranson in Calgary's season opener on Wednesday and now has a week-to-week status, the club announced Friday.

Defenseman Rasmus Andersson has been called up from the AHL in a corresponding move.

The fight against Gudbranson occurred only 4:22 into the first period. Hamonic later returned to action, receiving 14:35 of ice time.

The 28-year-old is a big part of the Flames' defense. He played 74 games last year in his first season with Calgary, averaging 20-plus minutes of ice time per game.

Andersson was the Flames' second-round pick in 2015. He played 10 games for Calgary in 2017-18.

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Derek MacKenzie will play one final NHL campaign.

The Florida Panthers forward and former captain told The Athletic's George Richards on Thursday that the 2018-19 season will be his last as a player.

MacKenzie said he would like to stay involved with the organization when he hangs up his skates.

The 37-year-old is entering his 18th campaign and fifth with the Panthers. He wore the 'C' for Florida in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Aleksander Barkov succeeded him as captain earlier this fall.

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Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson will appeal the 20-game suspension he received Wednesday for a preseason hit on St. Louis Blues center Oskar Sundqvist, head coach Todd Reirden told The Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan on Thursday.

Wilson received a match penalty for the hit to the head of Sunqvist in the final preseason game for both teams on Sunday.

The Washington forward has 48 hours from the time of the suspension to give written notice of an appeal to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, according to Khurshudyan.

If Bettman opts not to overturn or reduce the punishment, Wilson could then appeal to a neutral arbitrator. Either way, the Capitals pest would remain suspended throughout the process.

Wednesday's ruling was Wilson's fourth suspension in his past 105 games. The NHL's Department of Player Safety cited that fact in its explanation of the decision.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs played their season opener Wednesday night with one key piece missing from the lineup: William Nylander.

The forward remains in Sweden, without a contract, as he and the Maple Leafs continue to try to work out a deal that pleases both sides.

"In the end I have to take care of myself and do what I and my agent thinks is right," he told Swedish outlet Aftonbladet, as translated by Sportsnet. "Especially if it's about several years to come. I need to think long term. It's my own future it's about."

By dragging the holdout into the regular season, Nylander is now forfeiting more than $30,000 in pay each day he remains unsigned, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Nylander has said he's seeking a long-term contract rather than a bridge deal.

While Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has gone on record to say he also prefers Nylander sign a long-term deal, the team insists all of its top players take less money to keep the squad together under the salary cap, just as John Tavares did this summer, taking $11 million per year when he likely could've received more elsewhere.

Related: Dubas confirms Maple Leafs don't want to trade Nylander

"It wasn't (Tavares') responsibility to set a new bar or to please other people with other interests," team president Brendan Shanahan said Wednesday. "He's a hockey player. He wanted to come here and win hockey games. He wanted to be treated fairly and he is. And yes, that is what is we would hope and expect from our players as we go forward."

Nylander said he's been left in the dark during most of the negotiations.

"Right now, I do not know more than all the rest of you," Nylander told Aftonbladet. "I have not received any messages and have no contact with Toronto. It’s my agent who takes care of everything."

Johnston notes that Nylander's eventual long-term contract is expected to compare similarly to Nikolaj Ehlers' seven-year, $6-million AAV with the Jets, and David Pastrnak's six-year, $6.67-million AAV with the Bruins.

Related - Dubas: 'We can, and we will' retain Matthews, Marner, Nylander

Nylander has been working out and skating regularly in Sweden, but a return date to Toronto - where a spot on the team's top line with Matthews and Patrick Marleau is being kept warm by Tyler Ennis - still remains unclear.

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