Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday's preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers and didn't return, the team announced.

Krug suffered a season-ending fractured ankle during the second round of the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning last spring.

He was spotted in a walking boot after Saturday's contest, but head coach Bruce Cassidy said he didn't believe Krug had been suffering any lingering effects from the fractured ankle.

"I have no information on anything bothering him," said Cassidy. "They gave him a timeline on when he could return to play, and it was later. He wasn't going to play the first two games, clearly. That's why he wasn't going to China. That was determined in probably the first week of August ... and then he gets injured again, so hopefully it's nothing serious. But it's tough luck if it is, obviously."

Krug is coming off a career year, compiling 14 goals and 59 points in 76 games last season, and adding 12 more points in 11 postseason contests. The Bruins would likely turn to Matt Grzelcyk or rookie Urho Vaakanainen if Krug misses the season opener on Oct. 3.

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It appears as though Sidney Crosby won't be getting a street named after him in his home province of Nova Scotia anytime soon.

The city of Halifax had discussed renaming Dartmouth's Forest Hills Parkway to Sidney Crosby Parkway, but the staff is now advising against it. Crosby does not yet meet the existing criteria for commemorative naming because he's not retired, according to the Canadian Press' Alex Cooke.

A report states that while staff acknowledges "the broad range of positive impacts that Sidney Crosby's athletic achievements have on the local community," renaming the street after him would conflict with municipal policies, Cooke adds.

Exceptions cannot be made, even for a player like Crosby, who has won three Stanley Cups and two Olympic gold medals.

Other ideas are being floated around in order to commemorate his impact on the community, including the declaration of "Sidney Crosby Day," installing a public art project in his honor, and naming an existing Cole Harbour park after him.

The Cole Harbour native is not only one of the greatest hockey players ever, but he's arguably the most notable person born and raised in Nova Scotia.

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It might have been a foregone conclusion, but it's now official: Brady Tkachuk will open the season with the Ottawa Senators.

Senators head coach Guy Boucher confirmed Saturday that his forward group is set, according to Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas, meaning prospects Tkachuk, Alex Formenton, and Colin White have all made the team out of camp.

Tkachuk, the fourth overall selection in June's draft, scored a goal and averaged 16 minutes of ice time in three preseason games with Ottawa.

The 19-year-old left winger decided in August to leave the college ranks after one season at Boston University to sign a contract with the Senators. He inked his entry-level deal a couple of days later.

Formenton was a second-round pick in 2017, and White was selected 21st overall by Ottawa in 2015.

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Montreal Canadiens top prospect Jesperi Kotkaniemi will start the season with the big club, head coach Claude Julien confirmed on Saturday.

More to come.

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Kyle Dubas is making it clear that he doesn't intend to deal William Nylander.

The Toronto Maple Leafs general manager confirmed his stance regarding the restricted free agent forward to the Toronto Star's Kevin McGran on Friday.

"I’ve been asked: ‘Do you want to trade him right now?’ And the answer is, ‘No,’" Dubas said. “Circumstances can change. But it’s not in any plan or any discussion we’ve had that we’re going to trade any of these players."

Dubas added that both sides in the contract negotiation want more than just a bridge deal.

"The long term is where both parties, our camp and their camp, have been focused on,” the GM said.

TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Friday that the Carolina Hurricanes called the Leafs inquiring about Nylander but were told he wasn't going to be traded.

The Leafs currently have a little more than $13 million in cap space, but Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner both have one season left before potentially becoming RFAs themselves.

Marner's agent Darren Ferris said Friday his client will delay talks if he doesn't have an extension by Wednesday night's regular-season opener against the Montreal Canadiens.

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If an extension doesn't materialize in the coming days, don't expect Mitch Marner to revisit contract talks until the end of the season.

That's the message from Darren Ferris, the agent of the Toronto Maple Leafs forward who appeared on TSN 1050's "Leafs Lunch" on Friday.

"We've had some very productive discussions so far and if nothing's done by the start of the season, then we'll wait until next summer and we'll get back at it again," Ferris said.

Marner has one year remaining on his entry-level contract, meaning he can become a restricted free agent next summer.

A Marner extension is just one challenge Toronto could face in the offseason. There's also a decision to be made on superstar center Auston Matthews, who can also become a restricted free agent.

Fellow young star William Nylander, who made his NHL debut one season prior to Marner and Matthews, remains unsigned.

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A future NHL outdoor game could be coming to the Buckeye State.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of eight clubs to have never participated in a Winter Classic or Stadium Series game, but that may not be the case for much longer.

"It's obvious that the (Blue Jackets are) competitive, that they're playing exciting hockey and the fans are reacting in positive ways," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "It's even at the point internally - we're not there yet - (but) we've even started focusing on the possibility of an outdoor game. We view Columbus as a great success story.

"It's on our radar screen of places we haven't been. We want to be as inclusive as possible, and (as) we view the success the Blue Jackets are having on and off the ice, the discussions become more frequent."

The commissioner also spoke to some of the criteria the NHL looks for in identifying host markets for its iconic outdoor event.

"We look for a mix," Bettman said. "Part of it is to assure we get a national (TV) rating. Part of it is to ensure that when we play in a 70,000-seat facility there's no doubt it will be sold out. We try to be opportunistic. It's a function of market. It's a function of team history and fan base, and it's a function of performance at the time."

Two major factors seem to play into Columbus' favor, including a suitable venue in the 102,000-seat Ohio Stadium, and the fact that the Blue Jackets have emerged as one of the NHL's top teams after years of futility.

The Blue Jackets finished with 97 points last season to mark their second straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, many pundits have pegged the team to make a third consecutive trip to the dance this spring.

Columbus has previously hosted two major NHL events, including the 2007 Entry Draft and the 2015 All-Star Game. The Blue Jackets joined the NHL in 2000.

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Brett Howden appears poised to make the New York Rangers' final roster.

The young center, acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning at last year's trade deadline in the deal for former captain Ryan McDonagh, made it through the latest round of training camp cuts Friday.

With three injured skaters among the 26 players remaining at camp, Howden is expected to make the Rangers' 23-man roster.

The 20-year-old picked up 24 goals and 51 assists in 49 appearances with the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors last season. The Lightning selected Howden 27th overall in 2016.

However, the news Friday wasn't as positive for another former first rounder.

Lias Andersson, the Rangers' seventh-overall pick in 2017, will begin the year with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack after being considered a strong candidate to make the team's final roster. The 19-year-old split the 2017-18 campaign between the AHL, the Swedish Hockey League, and a seven-game stint with the Rangers.

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