The Washington Capitals officially re-signed defenseman Michal Kempny to a four-year, $10-million contract Friday, the team announced.

This comes after reports that the 27-year-old had agreed to a multi-year deal Thursday.

Kempny was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks for a third-round pick ahead of the trade deadline and became a key contributor in the Capitals' Cup run.

He played the fourth-most minutes among Capitals defenders and ranked third on the club in blocked shots in the postseason.

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The Blueshirts are looking to get tougher.

The New York Rangers are "keenly interested" in forward Ryan Reaves, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

Reaves had just 10 points last season in time split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Vegas Golden Knights, but offense isn't his game. He finished ninth in the NHL in both hits with 236, and penalty minutes with 94.

The Rangers are primarily made up of skilled players, so adding an element of grit during an expected youth movement isn't a bad idea at the right price. Reaves' previous cap hit was $1.125 million.

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Michal Kempny is staying in the fold, as the pending unrestricted free agent has agreed to a multi-year extension with the Washington Capitals, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

The Czech defenseman, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, had a breakout postseason with his new club, finishing the playoffs with five points and logging the fourth-most ice time among Washington defensemen.

Kempny was previously on a one-year contract that carried a $900,000 cap hit. The 27-year-old entered the NHL in 2016 as an undrafted free agent after signing with the Blackhawks.

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Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell hasn't been shy about his interest in trading forward Jeff Skinner, but the offers he's received aren't quite where he wants them to be.

"It's ongoing," Waddell said about his trade talks with teams regarding Skinner, according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. "We've got a lot of people talking to us. We've had decent to good (trade) offers, but we haven't gotten comfortable yet."

Related: Report: Hurricanes want 1st-rounder, prospect for Skinner

Skinner is still only 25 years old and has averaged 28.7 goals per 82 games over the course of his career, but he has just one year left on his contract with a $5.75-million cap hit.

Skinner's goal total dropped from 37 in 2016-17 to 24 last season, but an unfortunate 8.7 shooting percentage is largely to blame. He's also one of the most underrated defensive players in the game, as he had 93 takeaways last year, second only to Connor McDavid in the entire league.

Skinner is a valuable asset about to enter the prime of his career, so Waddell is right to wait for a great offer, rather than a "decent to good" one before pulling the trigger on a deal.

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Scott Darling isn't going anywhere.

Despite being the subject of trade rumors, the Carolina Hurricanes netminder will remain with the team, general manager Don Waddell confirmed to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.

Darling joined the Hurricanes last summer but struggled through his first campaign in Carolina, posting an .888 save rate and just 13 victories in 43 appearances. The 29-year-old is under contract for three more seasons at a $4.15-million cap hit, per CapFriendly.

It remains to be seen how much ice time Darling will earn next season, as Waddell added the Hurricanes would like to bring in another goaltender and have reached out to five or six pending unrestricted free agents.

Waddell also said goalie Cam Ward is likely to become a free agent on July 1 after spending his entire career with the franchise.

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The first court date for Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson has been postponed to late July.

Watson's hearing, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to July 24, according to court records obtained by Natalie Neysa Alund of the Tennessean. The 26-year-old was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault earlier in June.

According to the arrest warrant, Watson admitted to pushing his girlfriend and mother of his child on June 16 following an argument inside a car at a gas station in Franklin, Tenn. He remains free on a $4,500 bond.

If convicted, Watson could receive a sentence of up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a fine maxing out at $2,500, said Williamson County District Attorney Kim Helper.

Watson had eight points in 13 playoff games this spring and is one season into a three-year deal with the Predators.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning remain hopeful that John Tavares will elect to sign with them on July 1, but general manager Steve Yzerman is aware that the team would have to do some serious juggling to make things work.

With roughly $5.3 million in cap space and Tavares likely to command at least $10 million per season, Yzerman said the team would have to clear cap room, but it would be worth it, according to Joe Smith of The Athletic.

"We think he's one of the best players in the league," Yzerman said.

On the free-agent front, the Lightning have restricted free agents Adam Erne, Cedric Paquette, and Slater Koekkoek to contend with, while Andrej Sustr is also a pending UFA after five seasons with Tampa Bay.

In the meantime, Yzerman is unsure when his camp will hear back from Tavares. The Lightning and Dallas Stars were the final two of six reported teams that met with Tavares and his representatives Wednesday.

Tavares left Los Angeles for his home in Toronto on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple, where he must now make the biggest decision of his career.

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Milan Lucic's representative claims his client isn't demanding a trade and that the Edmonton Oilers aren't engaging with his camp about any potential deals.

"Milan didn't ask for a trade and (Oilers general manager) Peter (Chiarelli) 100 percent has not come to us about moving Milan," the veteran forward's agent, Gerry Johannson, told the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson.

"If (Peter) wants to get out from under the contract, he has to talk to us," Johannson added. "What's going on with Milan? Absolutely Nothing. Milan had a bad year, the team had a bad year."

Last week, Chiarelli declined to comment when asked if Lucic had requested a trade, and a couple of weeks ago, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported that Chiarelli was "trying to make a hockey deal" for Lucic and not simply attempting to offload the five years and $30 million left on his contract.

Lucic had his worst season from a point production standpoint since 2012-13, managing only 34 despite playing all 82 games in 2017-18.

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