Kucherov used last year's postseason as a platform toward stardom. He scored 10 goals and 22 points in 26 games, helping lead the Bolts into the Stanley Cup Final.
Fleury was a game-time decision heading into Wednesday and had been the first goalie off the ice at team's morning skate, while Jarry was absent at the skate.
The 31-year-old Fleury has not played since March 31 after suffering his second concussion of the season.
VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenceman Troy Stecher.
The 22-year-old native of Richmond, B.C., had eight goals and 29 assists for the University of North Dakota last season, helping the Fighting Hawks to their eighth NCAA ch...
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild have signed former first-round draft pick Alex Tuch to a three-year, entry-level contract starting next season.
The deal was made Wednesday with the Boston College forward, who had 18 goals and 16 assists ...
The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Alex Tuch to a three-year entry-level contract.
Tuch was selected by the Wild in the first round (18th overall) in 2014. He's coming off his second season with Boston College, where he finished with 18 goals and 34 points in 40 games.
The 19-year-old represented the United States at the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship, where he helped his team capture gold.
Tuch's contract will kick in at the beginning of the 2016-17 season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs locked the youngsters up long term Wednesday, the forward and defender signing six-year contracts that take some of their unrestricted free-agent years off the table.
"It was pretty simple," Kadri said of the negotiations, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "I think both of us felt the same way. It got done fairly quickly and fairly easily."
Rielly's deal is worth $30 million, while Kadri's comes in at $27.5 million. Both figures are more than reasonable, especially with the salary cap set to rise again.
"It was a bit easier than I thought," said Rielly, who was set to hit restricted free agency for the first time. "We wanted to make sure it went smoothly. We didn't put up much of a fight."
For Kadri, the contract is the culmination of some hard work, and some lessons learned. He signed a two-year bridge contract before the 2013-14 season, and a one-year contract before this past season. Kadri was suspended by the Maple Leafs to close out the 2014-15 season, and he had a lot to prove coming into his first season with Mike Babcock behind the bench.
"There's been some growing pains," Kadri said, "But to play in a market like Toronto is a great opportunity."
From nearby London, Ontario, Kadri said his heart is blue and white.
"The Maple Leaf logo is all I've ever known and all I've ever wanted to play for."
Kadri talked about the adversity he's been through, saying it means a lot to him that the organization showed faith in him as a person and a player. He's looking forward to the challenge that will be leading an up-and-coming Maple Leafs squad.
"This is a beginning," Kadri said. "I want to reach my max potential. I want to be the player I know I can be and the player that leads this group."
Kadri will turn 26 in October and have the opportunity.
Rielly cited the change in Toronto's upper ranks as a reason for not hesitating to sign a long-term deal.
"I want to be in Toronto. The fans are the best. I love the city," he said. "It wasn't about being a (unrestricted free agent). It was about playing for the Leafs. The players have felt that there's been a big change in the atmosphere around here and it makes you feel comfortable."
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The New York Rangers have recalled forward Marek Hrivik from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
General manager Jeff Gorton announced the move Wednesday, hours before the Rangers opened a first-round playo...
"They think the game very similar. They play the game very similar. I think today's hockey has become very much north-south, but they're two guys who still like to play east to west. So when they're together, it might accentuate their positives a little better. The decision I always have to make is is that the right thing for the hockey team in its entirety? Right now, we've made the decision that it's the right thing to start here most likely in Game 1."
Both experienced forwards are mired in scoring slumps. Zetterberg, the Red Wings' captain, hasn't scored in his last 11 games and has a single marker in his last 24 contests. Datsyuk, Detroit's elder statesman, hasn't scored in his last 10 games.
Blashill says he sees signs that Zetterberg is on the verge of breaking out of his drought.
"When I went back over the last 20 games, his scoring chances have been very good. He hasn't really dropped off that much from the previous 20 games prior to that or really throughout the season. You're always going to have a little ebb and flow on that.
I see him still playing at a high level. He's got tons of responsibility. He's had to play against a lot of the other teams' best players, which is not an easy task. I just think if he keeps playing the same game, the production will come."
A glimpse at the analytics confirms reuniting the veteran pair is a smart move.
The line of Datsyuk, Justin Abdelkader, and Zetterberg drove possession better than all other Red Wings combinations this season, with a 57.88 even-strength Corsi For percentage, according to Corsica Hockey.
Zetterberg spent most of his regular-season minutes alongside Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin, while Datsyuk played more time with Brad Richards and Darren Helm, but neither player was as productive with those groups from a possession standpoint.
After missing the playoffs, being eliminated on what was originally the last day of the regular season, there's been much speculation about the job status of head coach Claude Julien, who completed his ninth season behind the bench.
That speculation will come to a head Thursday, when general manager Don Sweeney and Julien will meet with the media for their season-ending presser. It's at 10 a.m. ET, and if Julien's being let go, he may announce it himself.
Bruins will be the last of the 14 non-playoff teams to host a boss/coach post-mortem.
It's the second straight season the Bruins will be watching the playoffs instead of participating in them, but only the second in Julien's entire tenure behind the bench. He's had a remarkable run in Boston - Julien is the all-time leader in wins by a Bruins head coach, won a Stanley Cup in 2011, and a Jack Adams Award in 2009.
The Bruins went 42-31-9, finishing tied for third in points with the Detroit Red Wings in the Atlantic Division, at 93. The Bruins actually won one more game than Detroit, but the Red Wings had one more regulation and overtime win, so they're in the dance, and the Bruins aren't. To make matters worse, Boston finished with a plus-10 goal differential to Detroit's minus-13. That's the NHL's standings for you.
Unfortunately, it's a results-oriented business, and while Boston was alive until the final hours, and Julien got more than many expected out of a thin defense corps, the bottom line is the Bruins are one of 14 teams on the outside looking in.
Also of note: Charlie Jacobs and Cam Neely will hold their annual season-end press conference next Wednesday, April 20 at 10 AM.