The Vancouver Canucks pulled off a minor trade on Sunday, dealing forward Michael Chaput to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Tanner Kero.

Kero spent the majority of last season with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League where he had eight goals and 20 points in 36 games. He also contributed one goal and two assists for the Blackhawks in eight NHL contests.

Chaput also spent most of the season in the AHL, where he put up 17 goals and 42 points in 55 games. He also dressed in nine games for the Canucks this past season, where he went pointless.

Kero remains under contract for one more season, while Chaput is a pending restricted free agent.

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The St. Louis Blues and forward Nikita Soshnikov agreed to terms on a one-year contract, the team announced on Sunday.

The deal will pay the speedy forward $800,000 and keep him with the Blues through the 2018-19 season, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic.

Soshnikov began this past season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he failed to crack the lineup and only played three games with the team before being dealt to the Blues in February for a fourth-round pick.

The 24-year-old played in just 12 games with the Blues following the trade, where he amassed one goal and one assist.

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The Detroit Red Wings placed defenseman Xavier Ouellet on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract on Sunday, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Ouellet has one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $1.25 million. With the buyout, the Red Wings will be able to save just under $1.1 million next season.

The 24-year-old is coming off a 2017-18 campaign that saw him go goalless with seven assists across 45 games. Since being drafted in the second round in 2011, Ouellet has just five goals and 23 points in 141 games.

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The Washington Capitals and defenseman John Carlson were unable to come to terms on a contract extension ahead of the unrestricted free agent interview period, and in turn, teams have begun calling, according to his agent.

"As of the moment we do not have a deal in place with Washington and as permitted, I am getting/taking calls from other interested teams," agent Rick Curran said, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

The UFA courting period opened on Sunday, meaning teams can now speak to pending free agents about signing a deal on July 1. Carlson will hit the open market if he goes unsigned with the Capitals before then.

Following the first round of the draft on Friday, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said the club and Carlson's camp were close to signing a contract and that he was hopeful both sides could get something done within the next few days.

The 28-year-old is coming off a monstrous season. He lead all NHL defenseman with 68 points in the regular season, set a Capitals' playoff record for points by a blue-liner with 20 in 24 games, and won his first-ever Stanley Cup.

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The Ottawa Senators signed defenseman Chris Wideman to a one-year, $1 million contract extension on Sunday, the team announced.

"We're happy to have Chris back for next season," general manager Pierre Dorion said in a release. "We felt that last year he was trending to become the active, puck-moving defenseman that will complement our style of play. We certainly missed Chris after his injury and he has since been cleared to resume full athletic competition with no restrictions. He's having a great summer of training and we know he's excited to get to Ottawa for training camp."

The 28-year-old is coming off a two-year, $1.6-million contract and was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Wideman was limited to just 16 games last season and tallied three goals and eight points. In 156 career games over the last three seasons the former fourth-round pick has put up 14 goals and 38 points.

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Two-hundred-and-seventeen players were drafted this weekend, and for most, it’s far too early to know what kind of players they’re going to be, especially given how much influence what happens after the draft has. We can only judge on what we know now - but we’re going to judge anyway.

It’s time for draft grades. First up: the Eastern Conference.

Boston Bruins: C–

It’s difficult to get top marks when you don’t draft until the third round, but there’s nothing particularly enamoring about the rest of the Bruins’ picks either. Jakub Lauko has potential and Axel Andersson is a good skater. Everyone else is kind of “eh, we’ll see, I guess.”

Buffalo Sabres: A–

Rasmus Dahlin is an amazing defenseman. Mattias Samuelsson has the potential to be a pretty good one, although he could stand to work on the offensive side of his game in college. The rest of the Sabres’ Day 2 group are more unknown quantities and none of them really jump off the page. If it weren’t for Dahlin throwing off the curve, this grade would be slightly lower.

Carolina Hurricanes: B+

Andrei Svechnikov instantly becomes one of the Hurricanes’ best forwards, especially with Elias Lindholm now in Calgary. Jack Drury, who heads to Harvard University next season, has potential but was picked perhaps a bit higher than necessary - the Hurricanes left a little talent on the board there. Luke Henman’s hockey IQ is good and Lenni Killinen is a good skater, but it’ll take time and development to get a clear picture of what they really got on Day 2.

Columbus Blue Jackets: B+

Liam Foudy was a reach at 18 - perhaps too much of one. The Blue Jackets somewhat made up for that when they managed to snag Kirill Marchenko in the second round, especially as Marchenko was a player general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said that they had ranked in the first round on their list. The chances they took later on Day 2 could pay off for them as well.

Detroit Red Wings: A+

The Red Wings had the best draft in the East (besides the New York Islanders). Great picks just kept falling into general manager Ken Holland’s lap, and he didn’t overthink them, and the Red Wings’ prospect pool benefited immensely. After getting Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno on Day 1, they kicked Day 2 off with Jonatan Berggren and Jared McIsaac, two players many prospect pundits had ranked inside their first round. Alec Regula of the London Knights could end up a good bet as well. They added 10 prospects in all, and in drafting, quantity is almost always beneficial (with some exceptions).

Florida Panthers: B+

After the Panthers chose Grigori Denisenko on Day 1, they launched Day 2 with Serron Noel, a player who could have easily been a first rounder. Logan Hutsko is more of an unknown than the two before him, but if he can be the player scouts say he is, there’s serious potential there. Those three tip the scales toward a higher grade.

Montreal Canadiens: A–

Choosing Jesperi Kotkaniemi at 3rd overall when a player like Filip Zadina was still on the board may have caused some to look askance at the Canadiens, but their overall draft haul - 11 prospects - puts them in a much better position than they were prior to this weekend. After Kotkaniemi, who was possibly the best center in the draft, they drafted Jesse Ylonen, Jacob Olofsson, Cameron Hillis, Jordan Harris, Allan McShane, Cole Fonstad, and several others.

New Jersey Devils: B

The Devils were pleased when defenseman Ty Smith fell to them, and rightfully so. Smith could’ve gone higher than 17, and will be a great addition to their defensive pool. The rest of their picks were guys who could skate well, or guys who could make plays, along with a decent goalie prospect in Akira Schmid. Given that they didn’t have a second or a third round pick, they definitely could’ve done a lot worse.

New York Islanders: A+

Best draft in the East besides the Red Wings. When you start your picks off with offensive standout Oliver Wahlstrom and Memorial Cup Champion Noah Dobson, and then select Bode Wilde, Ruslan Ishakov, Blade Jenkins, Jake Pivonka, and Jakub Skarek on Day 2 - that’s a pretty good weekend, folks. The Islanders’ prospect pool got a much-needed kick in the pants at this year’s draft.

New York Rangers: B+

Vitali Kravtsov at 9th overall was a little startling, but not in a bad way. He’s got the potential to be a very good player at the next level. K’Andre Miller is a phenomenal skater who needs some seasoning at the college level, but could be great for them in the future. Picks like Joey Keane, Nico Gross, and Riley Hughes could turn out to be good gets late, and they snagged steady, smooth Nils Lundkvist with their last first-rounder. All in all, a pretty good weekend for the Rangers.

Ottawa Senators: B–

Brady Tkachuk was a good pick at 4th overall, but the Senators absolutely left talent on the board with Filip Zadina still around. Jacob Bernard-Docker was a huge reach in the first round, so that knocked their grade down as well. Still, they ended up with guys like Jonathan Tychonick, Jonathan Gruden, and Angus Crookshank (contender for the runner-up slot in the Best Draft Names category as well as a good puck-handler). Despite making some questionable choices, they still improved their prospect depth overall.

Philadelphia Flyers: C+

Joel Farabee is going to be one exciting player. After that, though, the Flyers sort of underwhelmed. Jay O’Brien was way off-board at 19th - no offense to Jay O’Brien - and they also picked Adam Ginning too high at 50th given who else was still around. They just left too many good players on the board after their first pick to target average skill guys that seemed safe. It was like they got their man in Farabee and just figured they could do whatever afterward.

Pittsburgh Penguins: B–

The Penguins only took four prospects, which bumped their grade down, in the later rounds especially, quantity in prospects is good, but those four prospects were pretty good choices. Calen Addison was an excellent get for the Penguins at 53rd, and filled an organizational need to boot. Filip Hallander was another player ranked higher than he was selected, and he’ll make a great addition to their forward prospect pool. Gorman is somewhat of an unknown quantity, but Almeida could have real potential.

Tampa Bay Lightning: D+

The plus is generous here and was given because Gabriel Fortier or Alexander Green could turn into something. All in all, though, this year’s draft class is not remotely up to the Lightning’s usual standards, and it’s difficult to muster up any real enthusiasm. Here’s hoping they managed to find a diamond in the rough.

Toronto Maple Leafs: B+

This was a pretty good first draft from new Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas. Trading down to take Rasmus Sandin was smart, because they got their guy and got another pick out of it. Sean Durzi attended their camp last summer, and while some could argue (possibly rightfully) that drafting an overager that high is questionable, there’s something to be said for knowing the player you’re getting. The rest of their picks balance it pretty well, given that they got Filip Kral late and picked up Semyon De-Arguchintsev, who has real offensive potential to go with his terrific name. There are reasons to feel good about this year’s haul, Leafs fans.

Washington Capitals: C+

The Stanley Cup Champion Capitals went pretty safe with their picks. Alexander Alexeyev is steady and smart, and has potential to make an impact. Kody Clark and Martin Fehervary can play, but don’t have much in the way of high offensive ceilings. They did get Eric Florchuk, a pretty competent forward, with their seventh-round pick, and the guys chosen in between were pretty safe choices. Overall not a bad around, but not a standout one—they just went more for safety than for offensive upside in most of their choices.

Hannah Stuart keeps a close eye on both drafted and draft-eligible prospects and can usually be found trying to learn more about hockey analytics. She has previously written for FanRag Sports, The Hockey Writers, and Hooked On Hockey Magazine, and can also be found at High Heels and High Sticks. Find her on twitter at @HockeyWthHannah.

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theScore's NHL offseason tracker lists every transaction made since June 8 (in alphabetical order by team per day).

July 3

• Hurricanes ink D Calvin de Haan to 4-year, $18.2-million deal
• Blues sign F Robby Fabbri to 1-year contract, worth reported $925K
• Islanders sign G Robin Lehner to 1-year contract worth reported $1.5M
• Maple Leafs re-sign D Justin Holl to 2-year contract worth $1.35M
• Bruins re-sign F Sean Kuraly to 3-year contract worth $3.825M
• Coyotes re-sign F Brad Richardson to 2-year contract worth reported $2.5M
• Maple Leafs trade F Matt Martin to Islanders for G Eamon McAdam
• Stars re-sign F Remi Elie to 1-year deal worth $735K

July 2

• Ducks sign F Brian Gibbons to 1-year deal, F Carter Rowney to 3-year deal
• Flames sign F James Neal to 5-year, $28.75M contract
• Islanders sign F Tom Kuhnhackl to 1-year pact
• Lightning re-sign F Slater Koekkoek to 1-year deal worth $865K
• Sharks re-sign F Joe Thornton to 1-year, $5M contract; F Tomas Hertl to 4-year contract worth reported $5.7M

July 1

• Avalanche sign D Ian Cole, F Matt Calvert to 3-year contracts
• Blackhawks sign G Cam Ward to 1-year, $3M deal; F Chris Kunitz to 1-year deal; D Brandon Manning to 2-year deal
• Blue Jackets sign F Riley Nash to 3-year, $8.25M deal
• Blues sign F Tyler Bozak to 3-year, $15M contract; F David Perron to 4-year, $16M contract; G Chad Johnson to 1-year, $1.75M deal
• Bruins sign G Jaroslav Halak to 2-year deal worth $5.5M; D John Moore to 5-year, $13.75M deal; F Joakim Nordstrom to 2-year, $2M deal; F Chris Wagner to 2-year, $2.5M deal
• Canadiens sign F Tomas Plekanec to 1-year, $2.25M deal; F Matthew Peca to 2-year, $2.6M deal; D Xavier Ouellet to 2-way deal; buy out G Steve Mason
• Canucks sign F Jay Beagle and F Antoine Roussel to 4-year, $12M deals; F Tim Schaller to 2-year, $3.8M deal; re-sign F Sven Baertschi to 3-year, $10M deal
• Capitals sign F Nic Dowd to 1-year, $650K deal; re-sign F Travis Boyd to 2-year, $1.6M deal
• Coyotes sign D Oliver Ekman-Larsson to 8-year extension worth reported $66M; D Niklas Hjalmarsson to 2-year extension worth reported $10M; F Michael Grabner to 3-year deal worth reported $10.05M
• Ducks reportedly sign D Luke Schenn to 1-year deal worth $800K

• Flames sign F Derek Ryan to 3-year, $9.375M deal; F Austin Czarnik to 2-year, $2.5M deal; re-sign D Dalton Prout to 1-year, $800K deal
• Flyers sign F James van Riemsdyk to 5-year, $35M deal
• Golden Knights sign F Paul Stastny to 3-year deal worth reported $19.5M; D Nick Holden to 2-year, $4.4M deal; F Daniel Carr to 1-year, $750K deal
• Hurricanes sign G Petr Mrazek to 1-year, $1.5M deal
• Islanders sign F Leo Komarov to 4-year, $12M deal; re-sign D Thomas Hickey to 4-year, $10M deal; sign F Valtteri Filppula to 1-year, $2.75M deal
• Jets sign G Laurent Brossoit to 1-year, $650K deal
• Kings sign D Drew Doughty to 8-year, $88M extension; F Ilya Kovalchuk to 3-year, $18.75M deal
• Lightning sign D Ryan McDonagh to 7-year, $47.25M extension
• Maple Leafs sign F John Tavares to 7-year, $77M contract; F Josh Jooris to 1-year, $650K deal; F Adam Cracknell to 1-year, $650K deal; D Martin Marincin to 1-year, $800K deal; D Jordan Subban to 2-way contract
• Oilers sign F Kyle Brodziak to 2-year, $2.3M deal, F Tobias Rieder to 1-year, $2M deal
• Panthers sign G Michael Hutchinson to 1-year deal; re-sign F Jared McCann to 2-year extension
• Penguins sign D Jack Johnson to 5-year, $16.25M deal; sign F Matt Cullen to 1-year, $650K deal
• Rangers re-sign F Vladimir Namestnikov to 2-year contract; sign D Fredrik Claesson to 1-year, $700K deal
• Red Wings sign D Mike Green to 2-year extension; G Jonathan Bernier to 3-year, $9M deal; F Thomas Vanek to 1-year, $3M deal
• Sabres sign G Carter Hutton to 3-year, $8.25M deal; F Scott Wilson to 2-year, $2.1M deal; trade F Ryan O'Reilly to Blues for 2019 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick, F Tage Thompson, F Patrik Berglund, F Vladimir Sobotka
• Sharks sign F Logan Couture to 8-year extension worth reported $64M
• Stars sign F Blake Comeau to 3-year, $7.2M deal; G Anton Khudobin to 2-year, $5M deal; D Roman Polak to 1-year, $1.3M deal
• Wild sign D Greg Pateryn to 3-year, $6.75M deal; F Matt Hendricks to 1-year deal; F Eric Fehr to 1-year deal; F J.T. Brown to 2-year deal; buy out F Tyler Ennis

June 30

• Ducks trade F Nic Kerdiles to the Jets in exchange for F Chase De Leo
• Devils sign G Eddie Lack to 1-year deal worth $650K
• Golden Knights agree to 2-year contract with F Ryan Reaves
• Hurricanes, F Andrei Svechnikov agree to entry-level contract
• Jets trade G Steve Mason, F Joel Armia, 2019 seventh-round pick, 2020 fourth-round pick to Canadiens for D Simon Bourque

June 29

• Capitals re-sign D Michal Kempny to 4-year, $10M contract
• Hurricanes ink AHL leading goal scorer F Valentin Zykov to 2-year, $1.35M contract
• Islanders sign G Chris Gibson to 2-year deal
• Panthers sign F Frank Vatrano to 1-year contract

June 28

• Capitals sign F Devante Smith-Pelly to 1-year, $1M contract

June 27

• Blue Jackets trade F Jordan Schroeder to Blackhawks for G J-F Berube
• Coyotes sign D Kevin Connauton to 2-year, $2.75M contract
• Penguins sign F Riley Sheahan to 1-year, $2.1M deal
• Penguins trade F Conor Sheary, D Matt Hunwick to Sabres for conditional 4th-round pick in 2019

June 26

• Canucks sign D Derrick Pouliot to 1-year, $1.1M contract
• Jets sign D Joe Morrow to 1-year, $1M contract
• Lightning re-sign F J.T. Miller to 5-year, $26.5M contract
• Penguins sign F Bryan Rust to 4-year, $14M contract
• Senators place F Alex Burrows on waivers for buyout purposes

June 25

• Hurricanes sign F Phil Di Giuseppe
• Penguins sign F Dominik Simon to 2-year contract
• Penguins sign F Daniel Sprong to 2-year contract
• Red Wings sign F Tyler Bertuzzi to 2-year contract
• Red Wings sign F Martin Frk to 1-year contract
• Wild sign D Ryan Murphy 1-year, $650K contract

June 24

• Blues sign F Nikita Soshnikov to 1-year contract
• Capitals sign D John Carlson to 8-year, $64M contract
• Canucks trade F Michael Chaput to Blackhawks for F Tanner Kero
• Red Wings trade D Robbie Russo to Coyotes for conditional seventh-round pick
• Senators sign D Chris Wideman to 1-year, $1M contract extension

June 23

• Avalanche sign G Philipp Grubauer to 3-year deal worth reported $10M
• Canadiens trade G Hayden Hawkey to Oilers for 2019 fifth-round pick
• Flames trade D Dougie Hamilton, F Micheal Ferland, D Adam Fox to Hurricanes for D Noah Hanifin, F Elias Lindholm

June 22

• Capitals trade D Brooks Orpik, G Philipp Grubauer to Avalanche for 2018 second-round pick

June 19

• Senators trade F Mike Hoffman, D Cody Donaghey, 2020 fifth-round pick to Sharks for F Mikkel Boedker, D Julius Bergman, 2020 sixth-round pick
• Sharks trade F Mike Hoffman, 2018 seventh-round pick to Panthers for 2019 second-round pick, 2018 fourth-round pick, 2018 fifth-round pick

June 15

• Canadiens trade F Alex Galchenyuk to Coyotes for F Max Domi

June 14

• Sabres trade F Hudson Fasching to Coyotes for F Michael Sislo and rights to D Brandon Hickey
• Sharks trade F Adam Helewka to Coyotes for D Kyle Wood

June 13

• Lightning trade G Peter Budaj to Kings for F Andy Andreoff

June 8

• Maple Leafs trade rights to F Nolan Vesey to Oilers for conditional 2020 seventh-round pick

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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