The NHL's oldest player is about to hit the open market.

The Florida Panthers have decided to cut ties with Jaromir Jagr, player agent Petr Svoboda confirmed to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

The 45-year-old winger had been with the Panthers since 2015, and played last season on a one-year, $4-million contract.

Jagr recently poked fun at lagging free-agent interest despite registering 16 goals and 30 assists in 82 games last season and 27 goals and 39 assists in 2015-16.

Clearly, he still has some game, and is looking to extend his already legendary career.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs won't be targeting a backup goaltender this offseason.

The Leafs have re-signed Curtis McElhinney and Garret Sparks to two-year contracts, the team announced Saturday.

Here is a breakdown of the deals:

McElhinney, 34, posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average with the Leafs upon being acquired mid-season by the Blue Jackets last year. He will once again serve as Frederik Andersen's backup, likely giving the Dane a breather on the second half of back-to-back games.

Sparks, 24, owned a .922 save percentage and a 2.16 goals-against average in 31 games with the AHL's Toronto Marlies last season. He will once again provide organizational depth in the crease.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It doesn't appear the NHL's newest team will make a major splash on its inaugural July 1.

When asked how active the Vegas Golden Knights will be in free agency, general manager George McPhee said "not very," according to Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"We did much better in the expansion draft than we anticipated, and we're pretty happy with our team, so I don't think we'll be very active," McPhee added.

The Golden Knights' most pressing need is at center, but this free-agent class isn't exactly overflowing with impact centermen. Joe Thornton is the best of the bunch, but he's likely looking to play for a contender. Martin Hanzal is also out there, but he's expected to sign with the Stars. After Sam Gagner and Nick Bonino, the position group really drops off.

Moreover, the Knights have less than $9 million in cap room, according to Cap Friendly, providing further evidence for the decision to stand pat.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ilya Kovalchuk appears to have his eyes set on a few new hockey homes.

In order for Kovalchuk to return to the NHL, he first has to sign a deal with the New Jersey Devils, the club that holds his rights following his retirement in 2013.

It's a step that could happen as of 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, and would likely be followed by a trade in order to get Kovalchuk to his preferred destination.

Three of the teams on Kovalchuk's wish list are believed to be the New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Toronto Maple Leafs, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Nothing appears to be imminent, however.

LeBrun adds the feeling may not be mutual with respect to the Maple Leafs.

Kovalchuk registered 32 goals and 46 assists in 78 games for KHL club SKA St. Petersburg last season.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets are on the cusp of adding a former Calder Trophy-winning goalie to their crease.

The Jets have reportedly reached a deal with goaltender Steve Mason, according to Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press. The deal, of course, can't be made official until 12 p.m. ET.

Mason, 29, took home rookie of the year honors in the 2008-09 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, recording a league-high 10 shutouts.

His career has been full of ups and downs since then, but he owns a respectable lifetime .911 save percentage and a 2.68 goals-against average.

Mason spent parts of the last five seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers and will compete for starts with 24-year-old Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars appear set to add depth down the middle.

The club is expected to sign center Martin Hanzal when the free-agency window opens later Saturday, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

The Stars do have Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, and Radek Faksa down the middle, but, as Mike Heika of the Morning News adds, Spezza could be shifted to right wing to make room for Hanzal.

Hanzal, a capable two-way center, is coming off a five-year deal worth $15.5 million signed with Arizona in 2012. He was traded to Minnesota last season in hopes of boosting a long playoff run, and is averaging 0.52 points per game over the course of his career.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There appears to be a reunion in the Windy City.

Patrick Sharp is on the verge of signing a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The contract, which can't be official until 12 p.m. ET, is expected to come with a cap hit of $1 million, Lazerus added.

TSN's Bob McKenzie also reported that Sharp was returning to Chicago, even though it's only a verbal commitment at this point.

Sharp spent 10 years with the Blackhawks, putting up 511 points in 679 games and winning three Stanley Cups. He spent the past two seasons as a member of the Dallas Stars, scoring just eight goals in an injury-riddled 2016-17 campaign.

The hope would certainly be that reuniting Sharp, 35, with some of his old linemates will help jump-start the veteran to a bounce-back season.

He'll be added to a long list of players who left Chicago after being on one of its Cup-winning teams over the past decade, only to eventually return. The most recent example is Brandon Saad, who was traded from Columbus in exchange for Artemi Panarin about a week ago.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Steve Werier was relieved of his duties as assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. The move is believed to have been made prior to the expansion draft on June 21.

It's another stage in a seemingly ongoing shakeup in the Panthers' front office over the past couple of years.

After one year serving solely as president of hockey operations, Dale Tallon was handed back the GM title April 10 in place of Tom Rowe, who had also coached the team last season. Werier and Eric Joyce remained on as assistants, with the former apparently having since been let go.

Former NHL defensemen Chris Pronger and Bryan McCabe have been added to the front-office staff since the expansion draft.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.