The man who represents restricted free agents Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine says his clients aren't on the verge of agreeing to new contracts with their respective clubs.

"We're not close, how about that? That's about as much as you're going to get out of me," Mike Liut told Sportsnet 650 on Wednesday.

However, the former NHL goaltender and current managing director of Octagon Hockey added that there haven't been any surprises throughout talks involving the Finnish stars.

"Nothing has gone on that we didn't anticipate," Liut said.

The agent also discussed a certain Toronto Maple Leafs forward, who agreed to a new six-year contract with his team at an average annual value of $10.893 million last Friday.

"Is there a comparable?" Liut said. "Yes, I think that Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen are probably the two closest comparables in terms of how they play the game, where you have wingers who are adept at creating offense for those that they're playing with ... and they do it a little differently."

Rantanen posted 31 goals and 87 points in 74 games last season while playing on the Colorado Avalanche's explosive top line alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.

Marner racked up 26 goals and 94 points alongside John Tavares and Zach Hyman in 2018-19.

Laine, who registered career lows of 30 goals and 50 points in his third season with the Winnipeg Jets, expressed concern about his ice time to a Finnish publication earlier this week.

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Alex Ovechkin's widespread impact will be recognized this winter.

The Washington Capitals superstar will be honored as the recipient of the Wayne Gretzky International Award as part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Dec. 12, the institution announced Wednesday.

Established in 1999, the award pays tribute to international individuals who have made major contributions to the growth and advancement of hockey in the United States.

"His performance on the ice and efforts off the ice have certainly translated into more kids and families wanting to be involved in our sport," USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher said of Ovechkin. "He’s been a great ambassador for hockey and embodies what the Gretzky Award represents."

Previous recipients of the honor include Herb Brooks (2004), Scotty Bowman (2002), the Howe family (2000), and Gretzky himself in 1999.

Gary Bettman, Brian Gionta, Neal Henderson, Tim Thomas, and Krissy Wendell will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as the Class of 2019.

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Load management has become one of the hottest topics in the modern NHL, with teams looking for new ways to gain an advantage during the regular-season slog.

In 2018-19, we saw more teams shift toward a platoon between the pipes, and the need for multiple netminders who can handle a significant workload has never been greater.

With that in mind, here's a look at the NHL's top goaltending duos entering the 2019-20 campaign.

5. Jonathan Quick - Jack Campbell, Kings

When it comes to raw talent, few teams boast a stronger tandem in net than the Kings.

Quick struggled in 2018-19, but don't let one down year fool you. The two-time Stanley Cup champion posted a goals-against average of 2.45 or lower over his previous eight campaigns, and there's still plenty left in his tank.

Campbell, a 2010 first-round selection, is a highly touted netminder who finally put his bona fides on display last season. The 27-year-old posted a 2.30 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage over 31 games for a defensively weak Kings team.

Los Angeles will likely miss the playoffs for the second straight season, but the team's shortcomings won't come in goal.

4. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Curtis McElhinney, Lightning

Vasilevskiy is a safe bet to continue playing at an elite level after collecting his first career Vezina Trophy in 2018-19. The Russian won 39 of his 53 starts for the Lightning last season, losing consecutive games just once - and never in regulation.

The experienced McElhinney provides the team with a reliable second option to lean on while managing Vasilevskiy's workload.

McElhinney's career numbers don't exactly pop off the page, but the veteran has quietly been one of the league's steadiest backups over the last three seasons. The 36-year-old has notched 39 wins in 63 starts with a 2.51 goals-against average and .919 save percentage since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.

McElhinney also impressed with a strong postseason stint for the Carolina Hurricanes last spring. He allowed just nine goals over five playoff contests while posting a .930 save percentage.

3. Ben Bishop - Anton Khudobin, Stars

With Bishop leading the way, the Stars conceded the fewest goals in the Western Conference despite giving up over 30 shots per game in 2018-19. The 32-year-old Vezina Trophy finalist last season was outstanding, allowing 87 goals in 46 starts to significantly outperform his expected goals against of 105.22.

When Bishop was out with an injury, Khudobin provided a reliable option in relief. The Russian collected 16 wins while posting a 2.57 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage over 37 starts.

The pair was also sensational when faced with top-quality scoring chances. Bishop led all goaltenders (minimum 1,000 minutes played) with a high-danger save percentage of .885, and Khudobin finished seventh at .850.

Even if Bishop stays healthy in 2019-20, the Stars can still lean on Khudobin to keep their starter fresh for another potential playoff appearance.

2. Pekka Rinne - Juuse Saros, Predators

The Predators finished in the top two in save percentage and top four in goals against in each of the past two seasons. With the same tandem protecting the crease in 2019-20, Nashville makes for a stingy opponent.

Saros could assume starting duties on a handful of NHL teams, but the 24-year-old has been stuck playing behind Rinne since debuting in 2015-16. The 5-foot-11 puck-stopper suffered back-to-back regulation losses on just two occasions in 2018-19, and his 17 wins over 27 starts were each career bests.

The 36-year-old Rinne continues to stifle opponents during the latter stages of his career. The towering Finn has posted a goals-against average of under 2.50 in five consecutive seasons, and he ranks second in wins (178) since the start of the 2014-15 campaign.

1. Tuukka Rask - Jaroslav Halak, Bruins

Inking Halak to a two-year deal ahead of the 2018-19 campaign was easily the Bruins' most significant transaction that offseason. Adding the 34-year-old as a secondary option behind Rask made the team extremely difficult to beat.

Consequently, the Bruins allowed the third-fewest goals in the league last season, and the duo's combined nine shutouts also ranked third.

Of the four teams that finished with multiple 20-win goaltenders last season, Rask and Halak formed the only tandem still intact for 2019-20. Boston was also one of two clubs with both goalies posting a goals-against average below 2.50 (minimum 20 starts).

With Rask turning 33 next March, expect the Bruins to use a similar platoon this season, and that will cause problems even for the league's top offenses.

All advanced stats courtesy of NaturalStatTrick

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Dustin Byfuglien is contemplating his options while on personal leave from the Winnipeg Jets, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie, who adds that there's no timetable for a decision.

The club announced last Friday that the veteran defenseman had been granted a leave of absence. While the reason and timetable weren't disclosed, head coach Paul Maurice said at the time that the blue-liner was "going to be fine," and it was "nothing sinister."

Byfuglien, 34, is entering the fourth year of the five-year, $38-million pact he inked with the Jets in February 2016.

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The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to a one-year, $1.5-million contract with defenseman Ben Hutton, the team announced on Wednesday.

Hutton, a left-handed shot, joins the Kings after spending his first four NHL seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. He appeared in 69 games for Vancouver in 2018-19, tallying five goals, 20 points, 43 penalty minutes, and a minus-23 rating while averaging just over 22 minutes of ice time.

The 26-year-old blue-liner was Vancouver's fifth-round pick (147th overall) out of the University of Maine in 2012. He's scored 11 goals and 70 points over 276 career NHL contests.

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Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler doesn't have a problem with teammate Patrik Laine's comments regarding his lack of playing time.

"It's a great trait to have to want more, to want more ice time, more playing time," Wheeler said, according to NHL.com's Mitchell Clinton. "I would say those are all good things. You want guys that are hungry for more and not content with where he's at."

In an interview with Pekka Jalonen of Finland's Iltalehti published on Monday, Laine suggested he would be a first-line player on most NHL teams.

“In contract negotiations, one thing always is who you are playing with,” Laine said, as Jalonen translated. “With the merits I have, somewhere else I’d have an opportunity to play with the best players. Everyone who understands hockey should know that.”

Laine, who's currently training in Switzerland amid his contract dispute with the Jets, finished with a career-low 50 points in 82 games last season, and his performance was wildly inconsistent. Of his 30 goals, 18 came in November, and he found the net just seven times after the Christmas break.

The 21-year-old ranked fourth among Winnipeg forwards while averaging 17:14 of ice time per game, but he logged just 3:30 per contest with the man advantage.

"He's certainly one of our best players. He spends a good deal of time on that top unit on the power play. We've been top five in the league the last couple of years and a big part of it is what Patty does," Wheeler said.

Laine is one of two Jets players who need a new contract. Fellow restricted free agent Kyle Connor also remains without a deal.

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It doesn't take long for the balance of power to shift in today's NHL. With so much parity, any team has a real chance to win on any given night; come playoff time, it's impossible to predict who may go on a lengthy run to Lord Stanley's Cup.

It's far easier to forecast things like which teams should be the best, and which division provides the toughest competition. Let's take a crack at that instead, and rank each NHL division's top-to-bottom strength heading into the 2019-20 season.

4. Pacific

The Pacific might own the best rivalry in the sport right now between the Sharks and Golden Knights, but the rest of the division lacks that same eat - no disrespect to the Flames.

It's hard to imagine any turnover among the top three Pacific teams heading into the 2019-20 campaign. Their order in the standings might change, but the clubs this division sent to the playoffs last season don't seem destined to drop out.

The Coyotes and Canucks made improvements this summer but don't project to be anything close to contenders just yet. The Ducks and Kings are both retooling, while the Oilers...well, you know the story there.

There's considerable talent at the top of the Pacific pack, but the drop-off is vast.

3. Metropolitan

The Metro sent five teams to the postseason a year ago, but now there's some major inconsistency within the division. Aside from the Capitals - who have won four consecutive division titles - and the up-and-coming Hurricanes, the group is largely in limbo.

With their veteran core, the Penguins are always dangerous. But they did little, if anything, to improve their roster this summer. The Islanders lost their star goalie and replaced him with one who's proven inconsistent over the years, while the Blue Jackets lost more talent than anyone this offseason. The Flyers are seemingly stuck between the playoffs and the draft lottery, and their hopes of contention rest on the shoulders of a rookie goaltender.

Big offseasons from the Devils and Rangers certainly make the Metro more compelling, but both Hudson River rivals are likely a year or two from taking true steps toward contention.

2. Central

Probably the most competitively balanced division in the league, the Central is always tightly contested. That should stay the same in 2019-20, as the three teams that topped the division last season - including the eventual champs - have legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations once again.

The Avalanche and Stars, both coming off playoff appearances of their own, are strongly trending upward after busy summers; the race for top spot in the Central will be a close one all season long.

The Blackhawks and Wild probably can't keep up with the pack leaders here, rounding out what's otherwise an incredibly deep and dangerous group of teams.

1. Atlantic

There are some very bad teams at the bottom, but the top three clubs in the Atlantic form undoubtedly the best group in the league. The Lightning are fresh off a historically dominant regular season and are Presidents' Trophy favorites in 2019-20. Then there's the Bruins and Leafs, who both have championship-ready rosters and could be on a collision course for a third straight first-round playoff matchup.

The Atlantic's middling teams are on the rise, too. The Panthers made a huge splash with the signing of Sergei Bobrovsky, and steady goaltending could be the key to getting a wildly talented forward corps into the playoffs. The Canadiens missed last year's postseason by two points and remain a threat to qualify this season so long as Carey Price is his usual self.

The Sabres have built a nice blue line and added some bodies to shore up a shallow group of forwards; they shouldn't be completely counted out if Jack Eichel is healthy.

As for the Red Wings and Senators, let's just say they're a few years away from being a few years away.

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