Elias Pettersson may be the most electrifying player Vancouver Canucks fans have seen since Pavel Bure.

The rookie racked up five points in Friday night's 7-6 overtime victory against the Colorado Avalanche, raising fans to their feet every time he touched the puck. In fact, he became the youngest player in franchise history to reach the five-point mark in one game, according to Sportsnet.

He scored the game-tying goal, and assisted on Derrick Pouliot's OT winner, but his best work of the night may have come on this sensational bank pass to Brock Boeser in the second period.

"His pass on my second goal was something," Boeser said postgame. "That's rare. I was speechless. He's mini-Pavel like I said. He's leading us and helped us get this big win tonight."

The play had many drawing comparisons to another Canucks great in Henrik Sedin.

Expectations were high for Pettersson heading into his rookie season after breaking numerous Swedish Hockey League records for a U20 player a year ago, but it's hard to imagine anyone predicted he'd have nine goals and 15 points in his first nine games.

Pettersson already seems like a runaway favorite for the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, but if he keeps this up, he may find himself in the Hart Trophy conversation sooner or later.

The Canucks lead the Pacific Division with 18 points, and it's difficult to imagine where they'd be without Pettersson.

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The New Jersey Devils' 2015 sixth overall pick, Pavel Zacha, was assigned to the AHL on Friday after failing to record a point in the first 10 games of the regular season, the club announced.

Zacha had become a regular for the NHL club the past two seasons, skating in 139 games and producing 49 points.

The 2015 NHL Draft was loaded with talent, as Ivan Provorov, Zach Werenski, Timo Meier, and Mikko Rantanen were selected after Zacha, in that order. Other players taken in that first round include Jake Debrusk (14), Mathew Barzal (16), Kyle Connor (17), Thomas Chabot (18), Brock Boeser (23), Travis Konecny (24), and Anthony Beauvillier (28).

In the same transaction, Kevin Rooney was also assigned to the AHL, while Kurtis Gabriel and Brett Seney were recalled from Binghamton.

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Winnipeg Jets forward Brendan Lemieux was assessed a match penalty during the second period of Friday's contest against the Florida Panthers for his hit on Vincent Trocheck.

Afterward, Lemieux dropped the mitts with Panthers defenseman Mackenzie Weegar.

Trocheck appeared shaken up on the play, but did remain in the game. Here's a look at the hit from another angle:

Lemieux is no stranger to the penalty box, as he amassed 170 PIMs in 51 games with the AHL's Manitoba Moose last season. Lemieux's father, Claude, was known for playing with an edge during his 1,215-game NHL career.

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The Nashville Predators got a glimpse of their goaltending future over the past two weeks, and it was awfully bright.

Pekka Rinne has been the face of the Predators for over a decade. He's their anchor between the pipes and, as P.K. Subban put it following last year's playoff exit, "the backbone of this team." But the remarkably durable Rinne missed about two weeks due to injury before returning to action Thursday night against Tampa Bay.

His short absence opened the door for 23-year-old Juuse Saros - Rinne's eventual successor - to serve as Nashville's No. 1 netminder, and the results were positive. Saros went 4-2-0 with a .922 save percentage, a 2.49 goals-against average, and one shutout.

That solid play wasn't a fluke, as Saros owns a .922 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average in 56 career games as a backup.

Interestingly, the young Finn's appearance doesn't exactly scream franchise goaltender, as it's rare to see a goalie under 6-foot-3 in today's NHL. Rinne, for example, is 6-foot-5 while Saros checks in at just 5-foot-11, which likely contributed to him slipping to the fourth round of the 2013 draft. Yet, despite his small stature, the latter has enjoyed success at every level, getting by with reflexes, athleticism, competitiveness, mental toughness, and a high hockey IQ.

Given so few late-round picks pan out, drafting Saros is already a win for the Predators, but the selection could prove even more important next season and beyond.

Potential cap issues

Rinne, who turns 36 on Saturday, will be an unrestricted free agent following the season, and while the Predators would surely like to have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner back, the salary cap may get in the way.

Nashville's projected cap hit for next season is slightly above $64 million, according to Cap Friendly. Under the current $79.5-million cap, that gives the team just over $15 million in projected space, making it highly unlikely the front office will be able to meet Rinne's demands, especially considering he's already one of the league's highest-paid goalies:

* As of Saturday

In addition to Rinne, the Preds have six impending free agents, including RFAs Kevin Fiala and Ryan Hartman - two players that general manager David Poile likely views as part of his long-term core. But perhaps more importantly, Roman Josi's contract expires after the 2019-20 season, and he could realistically demand Drew Doughty money (eight years, $88 million) as an unrestricted free agent heading into his age-30 season.

Simply put, it's improbable that Nashville will re-sign Rinne, unless he's willing to take a significant hometown discount. The team plays in one of the league's smaller markets and is surely aware of the risks that would come with signing an aging goalie to a big-money contract, even if it's short term. And with plenty of goaltender-needy teams out there, there will likely be more than one general manager who's willing to pony up for Rinne.

Meanwhile, Saros' contract doesn't expire until after the 2020-21 season, and having a starting goaltender who makes just $1.5 million would give Poile plenty of flexibility to retain key players and use the remaining money to improve the rest of his roster.

The Predators are arguably the NHL's deepest team and they're in win-now mode with Rinne in goal - as they should be. But while the sample size of Saros' starting stint is admittedly small, all signs point to him being ready to succeed as the No. 1 after being groomed for years behind one of the best in the business.

We'll only know for sure once Saros is actually handed the crease, but it seems the Predators have the goalie they need to remain a legitimate Stanley Cup contender once the sun sets on Rinne's time in the Music City.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Yanni Gourde to a six-year extension carrying a $5.166-million cap hit, the club announced Friday.

Last year marked Gourde's first full season with the Lightning, in which he finished third in NHL rookie scoring with 64 points in 82 games.

"Yanni personifies our team's identity with his speed and relentlessness on the ice and his strong character off of it," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said in a statement. "He is proof of how far hard work and dedication can take you, and we look forward to him continuing his career in Tampa Bay."

Gourde joined the Lightning as an undrafted free agent in 2014.

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Florida Panthers netminder Roberto Luongo will make his return to the crease Friday versus the Winnipeg Jets in the second game of the NHL Global Series in Finland.

Luongo has not suited up since Florida's season opener, when teammate Frank Vatrano fell on his leg midway through the second period. It was later announced he'd miss two-to-four weeks with an MCL injury.

In his absence, the Panthers have turned to backup James Reimer, who suited up Thursday in the first of a two-game set against the Jets. Across eight appearances, Reimer has posted just one win and a .885 save percentage. He allowed three goals on 35 shots in Thursday's loss to Winnipeg.

Luongo returns with the Panthers in an early hole, as the team sits last in the Eastern Conference with a 2-5-3 record.

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One rather obvious candidate leads the pack, while several other familiar faces have stated cases of their own as the Hart Trophy race has begun to take shape.

Here's an early look at the top candidates to be named the NHL's most valuable player this season.

ATOI = Average time on ice
SCF% = Percentage of scoring chances generated by the player's team with him on the ice at 5-on-5
CF% = Percentage of shot attempts generated by the player's team with him on the ice at 5-on-5
HDSV% = Save percentage on high-danger shots
GSAA = Goals saved above average (calculated by applying a goaltender's save percentage and total shots faced to the league average save percentage)

5. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Corey Crawford's return has provided the Blackhawks with a measure of stability in the crease, but Kane's early-season exploits have been the biggest reason why the wheels haven't fully fallen off in Chicago.

He's tied for the league lead in goals, ranks first in even-strength markers (10), sits atop the NHL in shots on goal (64), and finds himself in the top five league-wide in the points race.

As long as the Blackhawks are in the mix for a playoff spot with Kane producing at this rate, he belongs in the Hart discussion.

4. John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks

Where would the Ducks be without Gibson? Only the Ottawa Senators have allowed more shots on goal per game, and yet Anaheim has the eighth-best goals-against average, thanks in large part to their No. 1 netminder.

The Ducks have only mustered 2.36 goals per game, the third-worst output in the NHL, and yet they're only two points out of the early playoff picture.

Gibson's goals saved above average mark leads the league, and his impact on Anaheim's fortunes is significant. Simply put, they'd be toast without him.

3. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Yes, Mikko Rantanen is the NHL's points leader, but it's MacKinnon who is the driving force behind the Avalanche's lethal top line.

MacKinnon was the Hart runner-up last season, and he's picked up right where he left off, factoring in on three of Rantanen's five goals and 12 of Rantanen's 16 helpers.

He's also helped Gabriel Landeskog explode out of the gate, assisting on five of Landeskog's 11 goals.

2. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Sometimes, it's hard to truly appreciate how valuable Malkin is on a club that also boasts Sidney Crosby, but there's no denying Malkin's impact.

The Russian sniper is piling up nearly two points per game so far, and while Crosby has been producing dependably as well, Malkin's been playing on another level.

He's the first Penguin to notch at least 20 points through the first 11 contests since Mario Lemieux did it in 2002-03, and Malkin is the biggest reason Pittsburgh sits atop the Metropolitan Division.

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

No skater arguably carries his club more than McDavid, who set an NHL record by factoring in on the Oilers' first nine goals of the season. Edmonton has 36 goals on the campaign, meaning the 21-year-old superstar has been involved in more than half of them.

McDavid also leads all NHL forwards in ice time, and he's tied for third in both goals and points as the Oilers occupy a playoff spot early on.

If he maintains this level of play while helping Edmonton get back into the postseason, he'll be the clear choice to hoist the Hart for the second time in three years.

Honorable mentions: Rantanen, David Pastrnak, Auston Matthews

(Analytics courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)

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Jeff Vinik believes his team has a chance to play in one of the NHL's international games next season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning owner told The Athletic's Joe Smith that while nothing is finalized yet, they are "close" to landing a spot in Stockholm next November.

Tampa Bay boasts a pair of Swedish players in reigning Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman, as well as veteran blue-liner Anton Stralman.

"We’ve got a shot at it," Vinik said Thursday. "We’ve got Victor and Anton, (so) that would make a logical choice for us."

A league representative agreed with that sentiment and confirmed the team has made its desire known.

"We obviously understand the natural fit that this club would have if they were participating in a game in Sweden," NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer told Smith in an email. "The club has expressed interest. We will see what we can work out."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman revealed Thursday that the league has tentative plans to bring games to Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Switzerland in 2019-20, with Stockholm and Prague potentially hosting regular-season contests.

The Lightning haven't played outside North America since October 2008 when they lost to the New York Rangers in Prague.

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Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard has been assigned to the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights, the team announced Friday.

In a corresponding roster move, the Oilers have recalled blue-liner Kevin Gravel from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.

Bouchard appeared in seven games with the Oilers, a stretch that saw him register his first NHL goal against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.

The Oilers selected Bouchard with the 10th overall pick in last year's draft. He recorded 87 points in 67 games for the Knights last season.

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