It didn't take long for Nico Hischier to stand out for the New Jersey Devils.

The No. 1 overall pick in June's draft made quite an impression in his preseason debut Monday night, pickpocketing the Capitals' defense before burying a beautiful backhander.

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Like all hockey players, Andrew Shaw tried to fight through the pain.

And like many, the Montreal Canadiens winger kept his struggle under wraps. After all, hockey is a team sport, and Shaw didn't want to be away from the game, especially after already missing 14 games with a concussion.

But the reality that followed was a worthwhile lesson.

"I remember waking up in the middle of the night, puking, not sleeping, and I wasn't getting more than two or three hours of sleep during that night," Shaw told Sportsnet's Eric Engels, describing his experience after suffering another concussion in last year's playoffs.

"I was worried. If I'm worried, there's really something wrong. The wife knew there was something wrong with me and she was angry with me for not doing anything about it earlier.

"A teammate came up to me and asked me if I was all right because he could see it in my eyes that I didn't look right. He said it looked like I was looking right through him, and I was thinking there must be something wrong with me then."

Hits to the head, a cross-check to the face, and bumps into the boards, yet Shaw powered through. It wasn't until a fight with New York Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith drew the last straw.

Shaw sat out the series-deciding Game 6 against the Rangers, sidelined with a concussion. It was his second of the year, after a January collision with Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug left Shaw concussed.

"I was in my room in my house for a month in the dark with depression issues, being sad and miserable," Shaw added. "My anxiety was through the roof."

It was a tough road, but Shaw has come out better for it.

"If there's something wrong, right away you have to speak up and say something," Shaw told Engels. "Yes it's hockey, but you have a life outside of hockey. You've got family and friends. I plan on having kids and I want to be able to spend time with my kids and enjoy their life and have them enjoy mine.

"If you push yourself through it over and over again, you're going to have difficulties later in life."

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Over the course of the offseason, the NHL, somewhat quietly, introduced a new rule to crackdown on faceoff violations. Now that the preseason is here, it's become glaringly evident that essentially no one knows how it works.

In games between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, as well as the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils on Monday night, viewers witnessed a remarkable amount of penalties they'd never seen before, and took to Twitter to voice their grievances.

The definition of the league's handling of faceoffs, per the NHL's rule book, is as follows:

"There will be a stricter enforcement of the face-off procedure - especially with respect to the markings inside the face-off circle. Under section 76.4, the players will be instructed to set, so they will stand squarely facing their opponents' end of the rink, and clear of the ice markings (where applicable). the defensive Player will be instructed to set (skates and stick) then, the offense Player will be instructed to set (skates and stick)."

It's not off to a great start.

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The Minnesota Wild have signed captain Mikko Koivu to a two-year contract extension worth $11 million, the team announced Monday.

Koivu will carry a cap hit of $6.75 million in the final season of a seven-year contract signed in 2010. Once his extension kicks in, he'll earn $5.5 million per campaign.

The Wild centerman has been consistent throughout his career in Minnesota, and is the club's all-time leader in games played, assists, and points.

In 80 games last season, Koivu, 34, recorded 18 goals and 40 assists, marking his highest point total since 2010-11. Koivu also led all Wild forwards in averaging 19:07 in ice time, and won 55.2% of faceoffs, good enough to earn recognition as a Selke Trophy finalist.

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Matt Duchene is setting the record straight.

The Colorado Avalanche center clarified his status with the team Monday, telling Mike Chambers of The Denver Post, "I'm not going to predict the future on my longevity here. I'm day by day. I'm just enjoying playing hockey.

"A lot got blown out of proportion. I said what I wanted to say then. Nothing's changed since Thursday. I'm here to get better, I'm here for those reasons - that I said on Thursday."

Monday's appearance was just the second time Duchene had spoken with the media since training camp opened last week.

Duchene has long been mired in trade speculation, however an expected deal out of Denver never came to be this offseason. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins have reportedly expressed interest in Duchene.

For now, Duchene is focused on the present.

"I love playing hockey," Duchene added. "I want to win. That's the biggest thing on my mind. I'm trying to get better every time I touch the ice right now."

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The NHL preseason is upon us, and while the exhibition slate is mostly a wash for the established stars with secured roster spots, plenty of players around the league have something to prove in hopes of cracking their respective lineups.

Here are five players that have a little bit extra riding on their performances leading up to the regular season.

Kasperi Kapanen - Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs have an abundance of prominent forwards in their lineup, leaving one spot available on the wing. Kapanen filled in on Toronto's fourth line nicely to close out last season and into the playoffs, but he won't be the only one vying to crack Mike Babcock's roster.

Kapanen has to compete with Josh Leivo and Nikita Soshnikov, among others, to capture the final spot, and considering he tasted such success in the pros in his last stint, it's unlikely he'll want to relinquish his position.

Alex DeBrincat - Blackhawks

After three consecutive seasons topping 100 points in the OHL, DeBrincat is on the verge of facing a real challenge for the first time in a long time. Listed at only 5-foot-7, the undersized forward has to prove he can keep up at the NHL level to earn a spot on the Blackhawks.

That said, Chicago's forward depth could use a boost, and if DeBrincat can produce offensively in the preseason, he could very well get an NHL look come October.

Jay McClement - Penguins

A 34-year-old journeyman defensive center might not be the most exciting player to keep an eye on, but the Penguins currently don't have a pivot under contract to play behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

McClement was offered a PTO earlier this summer, and won't produce much if he makes the team, but a full-time spot on the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions seems like enough incentive to make a positive impact.

Cody Franson - Blackhawks

Franson presents an interesting case. On one hand, he's largely approved by the analytics community for proving to be a competent defender on a terrible Buffalo Sabres team in 2016-17, but on the other hand, he fell through the cracks of free agency, only to earn a PTO with Chicago.

The 30-year-old is no guarantee to make the Blackhawks, but he's in a good position to make an impression on a defensive corps that needs to fill the void left by Niklas Hjalmarsson's departure.

Jimmy Hayes - Devils

Coming off a dreadful five-point campaign that led to being bought out by the Boston Bruins, the future of Hayes' NHL career potentially hangs in the balance of his PTO with the Devils.

Hayes has registered seasons of 19 and 13 goals as recently as 2016, and at 6-foot-5, 215 lbs, he seemingly possesses the tools to contribute as a depth forward. Still, Hayes will need to out-perform some of the Devils' prospects to prove he belongs in the league.

(Photos Courtesy: Getty Images)

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Roberto Luongo rarely misses a chance to be self-deprecating, and that was evident Monday when he came up with the perfect caption for a photo from training camp.

Luongo's wall of defenders included Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Keith Yandle.

The veteran goaltender will be without one of the Panthers' more reliable defensemen from last season following the trade of Jason Demers to the Arizona Coyotes for forward Jamie McGinn on Sunday.

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