Add Cam Ward to the list of potential backup goaltenders for the Chicago Blackhawks after the team reached out to the veteran netminder, reports The Athletic's Scott Powers.

Rumors have also connected the Blackhawks to fellow unrestricted-free-agent goalies Carter Hutton and Jonathan Bernier.

Chicago received subpar goaltending last season when Corey Crawford went down. He missed the bulk of the 2017-18 campaign due to vertigo-like symptoms, and with his health for next season still unclear, the team wants to ensure it has a better contingency plan.

Ward was solid early in his career, though he's likely no longer a name that will excite Blackhawks fans. A Conn Smythe Trophy winner in his rookie season, the 34-year-old hasn't had a year with a save percentage over .910 since 2011-12.

Last season, Ward posted a .906 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against-average in 43 games with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Anton Forsberg, Jeff Glass, and the recently traded J-F Berube started most of the games for Chicago with Crawford sidelined in 2017-18.

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The Arizona Coyotes shored up their back end Wednesday, agreeing to a new two-year contract with defenseman Kevin Connauton, the team announced.

His new deal comes with a $2.75-million price tag, sources told Arizona Sports' Craig Morgan.

"We are very pleased to sign Kevin to a contract extension," general manager John Chayka said. "Kevin is a versatile defenseman with a great work ethic. He had an excellent season last year and he adds depth to our blue line. We're happy to have him back."

Connauton, 28, is coming off a very respectable season for the Desert Dogs, as the underrated rearguard registered a career high in goals (11) and chipped in with 10 assists in just over 15 minutes of ice time per night.

With Connauton's signing, Arizona now has all of its top six defensemen under contract for next season; a list of players that also includes Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers, Alex Goligoski, Jakob Chychrun, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Connauton was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the third round of the 2009 NHL Draft.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed forward Riley Sheahan to a one-year contract worth $2.1 million, the team announced Wednesday.

Sheahan didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Pens before Monday's deadline, making an unrestricted free agent, and he could've signed with any team on July 1.

Coming off a season in which he scored just two goals with the Detroit Red Wings, Sheahan rebounded nicely in 2017-18 with the Penguins, tallying 11 goals and 32 points.

With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Derick Brassard all under contract next season, Sheahan will likely be relegated to fourth-line center duties.

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Devante Smith-Pelly wants a chance to repeat.

The Washington Capitals have agreed to terms on a one-year, $1-million contract with the forward, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Smith-Pelly, who was previously set to be a restricted free agent, was not given a qualifying offer by the Caps prior to Monday's deadline, granting him unrestricted status. He therefore could've signed with any team he wanted on July 1, but apparently chose to remain in D.C.

His decision to stay came in spite of multiple offers - including a two-year deal - that were worth more, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Smith-Pelly had just seven goals in 75 regular-season games in 2017-18, but matched that total in only 24 playoff contests. The 26-year-old will likely fulfill a fourth-line role with the Caps once again next season.

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He might not be generating the kind of attention that another highly sought-after center is, but Sabres pivot Ryan O'Reilly's name has been in the mix regarding a potential deal out of Buffalo over the last couple weeks.

Related: Report: Habs nearly dealt Pacioretty, landed O'Reilly in 3-team blockbuster at draft

Most recently, reports indicated the team had a deal in place during Friday's draft that would have sent O'Reilly to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a first-round pick. However, that deal did not exist, according Buffalo general manager Jason Botterill.

"There are a ton of rumors our there about Ryan and I think a lot of them are very creative," Botterill told Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.

Botterill was then asked whether there was a deal in place at the draft, to which he responded, "No."

O'Reilly has been drawing interest from a number of clubs recently, including the Canadiens, who have an obvious need at the center position. The 27-year-old enjoyed a solid offensive campaign for the Sabres last season, racking up 24 goals and 37 assists in 81 games.

He has five years remaining on his current contract, which carries an annual average value of $7.5 million.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins intend to sign pending unrestricted free-agent Jack Johnson to a five-year contract that will be in the $16-million range, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Wednesday.

Johnson's new deal can't be made official until July 1, when free agency officially opens.

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said earlier Wednesday that the club made adding a defenseman a priority this offseason.

Johnson spent parts of the last seven seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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The Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets have swung a minor deal.

Goaltender Jean-Francois Berube has been dealt to the Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Jordan Schroeder, the clubs announced Wednesday.

Berube split this past season between the Blackhawks and the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, posting an .894 save percentage in 13 NHL games.

Schroeder spent most of the campaign with the Cleveland Monsters, racking up 36 points in 48 AHL contests while adding a pair of points in 21 NHL appearances in 2017-18.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins made noise on Wednesday when they dealt forward Conor Sheary and defenseman Matt Hunwick to the Buffalo Sabres for a conditional fourth-round pick.

It was a compelling deal that, as general manager Jim Rutherford noted, is par for the course in the modern NHL.

"This is just part of the system now," Rutherford told reporters, via Jonathan Bombulie of the Tribune Review. "It makes it hard to keep all the players. If you're going to free up cap space these are the things you have to do."

With the deal, the Penguins were able to shed $5.25 million in cap space which could be used on a defenseman. And as Rutherford admits, adding another D-man is his priority going into the offseason.

On top of that, Rutherford also hopes to get restricted free agent Jamie Oleksiak and unrestricted free agent Riley Sheahan signed to new contracts.

"That's just in the process now," Rutherford said of a new contract for Oleksiak. "It'll get done at some point."

He added that the team was getting closer to a Sheahan deal.

Thanks to Wednesday's trade, Rutherford will now have a total of just over $10 million to address his needs at defense and his pending free agents.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are on the verge of dealing forward Conor Sheary and defenseman Matt Hunwick to the Buffalo Sabres for a draft pick.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported a trade call was pending Wednesday, and Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford confirmed the move to The Athletic's Josh Yohe shortly thereafter.

The pick is a 2019 fourth-round selection that can become a third-rounder, according to Dreger.

There is no salary being retained in the deal, Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reports. Sheary is on the books for $3 million over the next two seasons, and Hunwick is also under contract for two more years at a cap hit of $2.25 million.

Sheary potted 18 goals this past season and 23 goals in 2016-17, often playing on Sidney Crosby's wing. He was a member of the Penguins' back-to-back Stanley Cup championship squads, and played parts of three seasons with the club after being signed as an undrafted NCAA free agent out of UMass-Amherst.

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There is a bit more clarity to the John Tavares free-agency sweepstakes.

The pending unrestricted free agent has already spoken to the New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Boston Bruins, and on Wednesday will speak to representatives from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars. Outside of those six, Tavares' reps have no plans to speak to any other teams, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Related - Johnny T sweepstakes: Ranking contenders to sign Tavares away from Isles

This latest news comes after it was originally reported that Tavares would take additional calls from two to three other clubs, possibly meeting with one or two of them in person.

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