NHL Central

The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks are still sitting on a number of tradable assets this season, including team captain Jonathan Toews and star winger Patrick Kane, though both need to waive their no-movement clauses in order to be dealt.

However, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson told ESPN's Emily Kaplan that the team has had "zero" conversations with other teams on a deal for Kane, adding that he doesn't "foresee anything" happening soon.

Davidson didn't provide any clarity on where things stand with Toews, but Kaplan reports she's "heard that some teams are looking at" the veteran center given his respectable start to the 2022-23 campaign.

The Athletic's Mark Lazerus reported in July that the Blackhawks hadn't had any trade discussions involving Kane, so things appear to be status quo on that front.

Kane is in his 16th season in the NHL, all spent with the Blackhawks, and is in the final season of an eight-year, $84 million deal worth $10.5 million.

The 33-year-old has helped Chicago win three Stanley Cups, been named an All-Star four times and has won the Art Ross, Hart, Calder and Conn Smythe Trophies. He has tallied 432 goals and 758 assists in 1,119 regular-season games.

Through 12 games this season, the 2007 first overall pick has tallied two goals and eight assists.

Toews has also spent his entire 15-year career in Chicago and was a member of the team's three Stanley Cup victories from 2010-15. The 2013 second-team All-Star has won the Smythe and Selke Trophies as well as the Mark Messier Leadership Award.

The 34-year-old has notched 364 goals and 497 assists in 1,026 games. He has tallied seven goals and two assists in 12 games this season.

In an interview with Lazerus in July, Toews said that remaining with the team through a rebuild "doesn't sound appealing to me at all." However, he added that he wasn't sure what his future would look like:

"I can't speak for Kaner, but I definitely feel that the amount of turnover our team has gone through every single year these last three or four years, that's where it gets really, really draining. And exhausting. You have a guy like who was under Kaner's wing. And I like to think that Kirby [Dach] and I had that bond in some ways too. And out they go, out the door. Over and over, we've seen that turnover.

"I'm learning to be more patient, but there's no doubt that timeline is pretty daunting, and pretty exhausting to think about. So, I'm not going to sit here and say what I'm going to do or what the future holds for me, because I really don't know."

Like Kane, Toews is also in the last year of his contract, which is worth $10.5 million in 2022-23. It's unclear which teams might be interested in acquiring him.

Trade rumors surrounding Kane and Toews began around the 2022 NHL draft when the Blackhawks made a number of moves to signal they were entering a rebuild, including trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Dach to the Montreal Canadiens.

If Chicago (5-5-2) trades Kane or Toews ahead of the deadline in March, it will mark the end of an era.

The Chicago Blackhawks signaled that they would be entering a rebuild after trading rising stars Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach during the 2022 NHL draft in July, and the selling of star players could continue this winter with Patrick Kane.

The 33-year-old is entering the final year of an eight-year, $84 million contract with the Blackhawks and is set to earn $10.5 million in 2022-23. He had been included in numerous rumors throughout the summer due to the assets Chicago could get in a trade including the veteran, in addition to his possible unwillingness to stick around for a rebuild.

Kane's NHL career is entering its final stages, and if he wants a chance to add another Stanley Cup to his resume, remaining with the Blackhawks might not be the best option.

It's difficult to imagine the team improving on its finish to the 2021-22 campaign in which it finished seventh in the Central Division with 68 points and missed the playoffs.

The Athletic's 2022-23 season projection for the Blackhawks also has the team finishing toward the bottom of the NHL standings and lists the franchise's best-case scenario as finishing last in the league and winning the draft lottery:

"The Blackhawks are going to be bad. Very bad. Among one of the worst in the league. Whether they sink to the very bottom depends on how much player movement there is during the year to send NHL-caliber players out. The expectation should be that quite a few are on the move by the time the deadline rolls around."

All that said, it remains to be seen whether Kane wants a move away from the team he has spent his entire 15-year NHL career and won three Stanley Cups with.

The Buffalo, New York native told reporters on Sept. 22 that he had been blocking out the trade rumors over the summer. He added that while he realizes he could be moved this season, it's "not really anything" he has been thinking about just yet.

By the time the trade deadline approaches, seeking a move could well be on his mind, especially if the Blackhawks are near the foot of the Western Conference standings.

So, lets take a look at some hypothetical trade packages if Kane does hit the market.

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New York Rangers 

The New York Rangers have been linked to Kane since the 2021-22 season's trade deadline.

The Blueshirts were one of the most exciting teams in the NHL last season, finishing second in the Metropolitan Division with 110 points. It was their best end to a regular season since 2014-15.

However, they were unable to get over the hump in the postseason, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games.

Could Kane be the player to get them back into the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since they fell to the Los Angeles Kings in 2014? It's possible, but what sort of package would general manager Chris Drury need to offer the Blackhawks to land him?

Well, one idea would be to offer winger Alexis Lafrenière and New York's 2023 first-round pick to Chicago in exchange for Kane.

The Rangers selected Lafrenière first overall in the 2020 NHL draft, and there was plenty of hype surrounding him at the time, with some even comparing him to Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

However, the 20-year-old has failed to live up to those expectations in two seasons with the Rangers.

During his rookie year, he notched 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points in 56 games. Last season, he tallied 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points in 79 games. That's not much of an improvement.

Lafrenière has also been buried on New York's depth chart, and he is playing on the third line, sitting behind first-liner Chris Kreider and second-liner Artemi Panarin. He's not going to surpass either of those names any time soon.

If he was traded to the Blackhawks, he would be getting top-six minutes, which would likely be better for his development and career.

Some Rangers fans might not like this proposed trade, but it's what it takes to bring in an elite scorer like Kane. In addition, The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported in March that New York would be open to trading Lafrenière if the return was significant, so the winger isn't untouchable.

That said, it's unclear if adding Kane would be significant enough for the team to part with Lafrenière.

However, the thought of reuniting Kane and Panarin on the same line in the Big Apple should be enticing enough for the Rangers to consider it.

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Edmonton Oilers

Like the Rangers, the Edmonton Oilers would be an intriguing destination for Kane.

They finished second in the Pacific Division last season with 104 points and reached the Western Conference Finals before being eliminated by eventual Stanley Cup champion, the Colorado Avalanche.

Edmonton is on the cusp of contending for a title, and adding Kane could help put the team over the edge in 2022-23.

However, it's important to note the Oilers would have to get creative in order to fit him under the salary cap. The franchise is nearly $7.6 million over the limit, per CapFriendly, so something would need to be done to create enough space to fit Kane on the roster.

Provided the Oilers free up some cap space, one trade option for general manager Ken Holland would be to package Jesse Puljujarvi, a couple of solid prospects and a 2023 first-round pick in exchange for Kane.

Puljujarvi, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft, has never lived up to the hype. In 65 games last season, he tallied 14 goals and 22 assists 36 points. Moving him to Chicago would allow him to see consistent top-six minutes.

Trading a first-round pick speaks for itself, and the rebuilding Blackhawks would most likely want a first-rounder in any deal for Kane.

As for prospects, moving a player such as Raphaël Lavoie and/or Philip Broberg could be intriguing to the Blackhawks.

Broberg, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 draft, had a solid 2021-22 season with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors. The 21-year-old blueliner tallied four goals and 19 assists for 23 points in 31 games. He also appeared in 23 games for the Oilers, notching one goal and two assists.

Winger Lavoie, 22, also spent last season with the Condors, tallying 13 goals and 26 points in 56 games.

Broberg is more of a high-end prospect, while his teammate would be considered a mid-level prospect.

If the Oilers landed Kane, it's reasonable to believe he would play on the first line alongside Evander Kane and Connor McDavid. Adding him to the Edmonton offense would make it even more potent.

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Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings took a big leap forward in 2021-22 with a combination of veterans and fresh faces who helped them make the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign, and that success could continue in 2022-23.

The Kings finished third in the Pacific Division with 99 points before being eliminated by the Oilers in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Adding a player like Kane could help the team get out of the first round for the first time since 2014, when they won the Stanley Cup.

Chicago would likely need to retain some of Kane's salary to make a deal work, but L.A. could offer a trade package that would make doing so worthwhile.

Kings general manager Rob Blake could look to package Alex Turcotte, a 2023 first-round pick and a mid-round pick in a deal for Kane.

The draft selections will surely be enticing for the Blackhawks as the 2023 class is expected to be loaded with talent. In addition, Turcotte could be inserted into the team's lineup this season and see a good amount of playing time that would help his development.

The 21-year-old was selected fifth overall in the 2019 NHL draft but didn't make his debut until the 2021-22 season in which he tallied zero points in eight games. He spent most of last season with Ontario Reign in the AHL, recording six goals and 12 assists in 27 games.

The Kings have plenty of young talent, so Turcotte is expendable. Adding Kane to a lineup that already includes Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala could really change the outlook of the entire 2022-23 season for the franchise.

The Czech Republic has informed the NHL that Russian players will not be granted entry into the country for scheduled games between the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks at Prague's O2 Arena.

Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Smolek released a statement Thursday saying the country made the decision based on Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine.

"We can confirm that the Czech Foreign Ministry has sent a letter to the NHL to point out that, at this moment, the Czech Republic or any other state in the (visa free) Schengen zone should not issue visas to the Russian players to enter our territory," Smolek said.

The Predators and Sharks are slated for games Oct. 7 and 8 in Prague. It's unclear if the NHL will move forward with the games, and Smolek would not disclose any reaction from the league.

Nashville forward Yakov Trenin and San Jose forward Evgeny Svechnikov would be barred from the games if they are held as scheduled.

Finland, which is also slated to host NHL games this season, is also in the process of banning all Russian citizens from entering the country. It is yet to be made clear whether that will apply to NHL players.

The Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets are set for two games in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 4-5.

Foreign governments and sports associations have been increasingly hostile toward Russian immigrants as the country continues to wage war in Ukraine. Russian players were barred from playing in Wimbledon this summer, and several international sports organizations have banned Russians from competition.

There have been more than 14,000 confirmed civilian casualties since February, but the number is believed to be higher.

Nathan MacKinnon had himself an excellent 2021-22 season and a postseason for the ages. No surprises, then, that he's getting paid in a major way.

The superstar forward has signed an eight-year extension with the Colorado Avalanche that reportedly has an average annual value of $12.6 million, tops in the NHL.

EIGHT MORE FOR NATE THE GREAT!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/BzQmrdIk6w

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 20, 2022

My quick thoughts: If the salary cap continues going up like expected, this will be a bargain for the #Avs.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) September 20, 2022

Nathan MacKinnon contract structure:

23-24: $15.725M signing bonus, $775k salary
24-25: $15.725M SB, $775k salary
25-26: $15.25M SB, $800k salary
26-27: $3M SB, $9.15M salary
27-28 through 30-31: $8.91M SB, $990k salary each year

AAV $12.6 M

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 20, 2022

Nathan MacKinnon's deal includes $85.34 million in signing bonus money

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 20, 2022

By AAV, MacKinnon, 27, is now just edging out Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, arguably the league's best player who has led the league in scoring in four of the past six seasons.

1. MacKinnon: $12.6 million AAV
2. McDavid: $12.5 million AAV
3. Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers: $11.6 million AAV
   
4. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs: $11.6 million AAV
5. Erik Karlsson, D, San Jose Sharks: $11.5 million AAV

In terms of total value among current contracts, Las Vegas Knights defenseman Shea Weber still tops the charts on his 14-year, $110 million deal, which runs through the 2025-26 season, though he didn't play last season and may be unofficially retired at this point.

In NHL history, Alex Ovechkin's previous 13-year, $124 million deal with the Washington Capitals is the most total money on a contract in league history.

Nathan MacKinnon's $100.8M extension is the 4th most valuable contract in NHL history

1. Alex Ovechkin $124M
2. Shea Weber $110M
3. Sidney Crosby $104.4M
4. MacKinnon $100.8M
5. McDavid & Kovalchuk $100Mhttps://t.co/HEoxeYfbuQ

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) September 20, 2022

MacKinnon's massive AAV will move the needle for superstar contracts to follow, however. He was fantastic in the 2021-22 season, scoring 32 goals and adding 56 assists in 65 games.

But he was downright special in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, posting a league-leading 13 goals to go along with 11 points as the Avs won the title. So a massive deal was always going to follow, and there is an argument to be made that it's even a team-friendly deal, given the duration.

Nathan MacKinnon, the new highest paid player in the league, is still underpaid. pic.twitter.com/YvdXkycqDG

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) September 20, 2022

I think it can still accurately be said that Nathan MacKinnon, while getting wish of being NHL's highest-paid player, also gave something of a team discount to Avs. I think his agent wanted more, but in the end the player is the boss

— Adrian Dater (@adater) September 20, 2022

Asked MacKinnon if he was ready to cede "most underpaid player in the NHL" title to Makar.

“He has it now. I chirp him about who makes more than him. I’m not gonna say any names, but like, damn. ‘What’d you sign that for?’ We won though, so it’s all good. I’m sure he’ll be fine”

— Sean Gentille (@seangentille) September 20, 2022

However the deal is viewed, MacKinnon got paid, and handsomely. It's a strong deal for both the team and player as they look to repeat as champions in the 2022-23 campaign.

After leading the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup title, Nathan MacKinnon is now the NHL's highest-paid player.

The Avs announced an eight-year contract extension with their superstar center on Tuesday.

EIGHT MORE FOR NATE THE GREAT!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/BzQmrdIk6w

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 20, 2022

Per TSN Sports, MacKinnon's $12.6 million average annual salary surpasses Connor McDavid's $12.5 million per season deal as the richest in the NHL.

Chris Johnston of North Star Sports noted the extension kicks in at the start of the 2023-24 season.

TSN's Pierre LeBrun provided full details of the contract structure, with most of the money being paid out as a signing bonus.

Nathan MacKinnon contract structure:

23-24: $15.725M signing bonus, $775k salary
24-25: $15.725M SB, $775k salary
25-26: $15.25M SB, $800k salary
26-27: $3M SB, $9.15M salary
27-28 through 30-31: $8.91M SB, $990k salary each year

AAV $12.6 M

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 20, 2022

A new deal has been expected for some time, with MacKinnon saying last week on the NHL/NHLPA media tour in Las Vegas the two sides were "pretty close" on an agreement.

"I'd prefer it to be done," he added. "… It gets emotional. You feel like it's personal sometimes. I'd like to get it done just so it's not a distraction at all.

The five-time All-Star will earn $6.85 million in 2022-23, the final season of his seven-year, $44.1 million contract that was signed in July 2016.

MacKinnon has been everything the Avs could have hoped for since making him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft. The Canadian star became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as an 18-year-old during the 2013-14 season.

Colorado ended its three-year playoff drought in MacKinnon's rookie campaign. After another three-year absence from 2014-17, the Avs have made the postseason in each of the past five seasons.

The 2021-22 season was arguably the best in Avalanche history. They set franchise records for regular-season wins (56) and points (119) to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They went 12-2 in the first three rounds of the playoffs, including two sweeps to reach the Stanley Cup Final.

MacKinnon had six points in six games against the Tampa Bay Lightning to lead the Avs to their first championship in 21 years. He has scored 648 points in 638 career regular-season games.

Not everyone in the NHL goes to the cottage in August.

Some–like Nazem Kadri–spent their offseason sweating out where they would play next season and beyond. Kadri got to kick his feet up and relax Thursday after he signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Calgary Flames.

Kadri was supposed to wind up on Long Island, instead he’s headed for the Canadian Rockies. More importantly for the Flames, they found a way to complete a roster shakeup that was not planned for when they were eliminated from the playoffs by their bitter rival Edmonton Oilers at the end of May.

The salary cap-pushing Flames weren’t done there. They traded Sean Monahan and a conditional 2025 first-round pick (with some wild conditions) to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations. Monahan, headed into the final year of his contract, has a $6 million cap hit which is plenty enough to help Calgary get under the upper limit.

Making the moves is one thing but making them work is something else entirely. That’s why we’re going to give snap judgments and decide who won and who lost out of all this.

Winner: Nazem Kadri

A staggering choice for a winner, right?

Kadri went from being a playoff liability for whatever team he played for to a key performer for the Colorado Avalanche in winning the Stanley Cup. It also helps he is coming off an out-of-this-world career season in which he had 87 points (his previous career-high was 61 in 2016-2017). It was the perfect storm of a season for a solid player heading into free agency and he came away with the bag.

He locked up a long-term deal and a payout that will give him the highest cap hit on the Flames this season (Huberdeau's eight-year, $84 million extension begins next season). Kadri will be 32 when the season begins, which means this deal will take him until he's nearly 39 years old and at the likely end of his career. If Calgary can recreate some of the Avalanche’s high-octane offense, it’ll lean into Kadri’s strengths and allow him the chance to recreate the success he had last year.

Loser: Lou Lamoriello

Kadri was supposed to be an Islander. The rumors and speculation all pointed in that direction, and it didn’t happen. After all, there was virtually no hints for nearly a month about what was going on with Kadri and when there’s radio silence, that generally points toward Isles GM Lou Lamoriello being involved.

Think back to last season when the only thing that pointed toward Zach Parise and Zdeno Chara signing with the Islanders was a lot of speculation. It wasn't until September that those signings were announced just ahead of training camp. The logic made sense that Kadri would be headed to Long Island because it followed a similar pattern.

Kadri is a big-name player available and would’ve addressed a need. He also would’ve made Isles fans a bit happier about the team which hasn’t announced a player move since they traded their 2022 first-round pick to Montreal for Alexander Romanov and a fourth rounder at the draft.

While it’s likely Lamoriello has made some moves and kept them quiet (they have a few RFAs to re-sign) silence is not golden and it's arguable the Islanders have not improved a roster that wildly underperformed last season.

Winner: Flames GM Brad Treliving right now

At the rate we’ve handed out W’s to Treliving we might have to get a championship belt made for him.

He had the unenviable position of watching MVP forward Johnny Gaudreau decide he wanted to go back East to be nearer to family and sign long-term with Columbus. That move set in motion Matthew Tkachuk wanting to leave town, which he turned into a blockbuster deal sending Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar. Swapping out Sean Monahan, who has been a disappointing player the past few seasons, for Kadri can only be seen as an upgrade at that position.

It would've been very easy for Treliving to strip it all down after Gaudreau left and Tkachuk wanted out, but it’s taken Calgary so long to get back to a position where they’re contenders in the Western Conference that giving up on that hope now would’ve been defeating for everyone involved. Where there’s a window of opportunity, closing it yourself means not being a GM for much longer. Taking a shot at winning it all earns a lot of credit.

Loser: Brad Treliving in four years

It’s not all rainbows and puppies for Calgary because there may be stormy times down the road.

The moves they’ve made this summer are vital to helping them get a shot at a Stanley Cup within the next two to three years. Further down the road is when things may get dicey.

In four years, their key players right now will be deeper into their 30s and under contract for big hits against the cap. Kadri ($7 million) will be 35, Huberdeau ($10.5 million) will be 33, Blake Coleman ($4.9 million) will be 34, Jacob Markstrom ($6 million) will be 36 and in the final year of his contract. The next contracts for a handful of players (including Andrew Mangiapane, Tyler Toffoli, Dillon Dube, Juuso Välimäki)–if they retain them–could (would?) come at a higher cost.

In general, GMs must keep their eyes further ahead in time to make sure their team can stay stocked with talent long-term. But the lure of the Cup is strong, and when they feel they’re close enough to taste it, the idea of having a host of players on the back-nine of their career becomes a “we’ll deal with it when we get there” situation. If Treliving is there to handle it, he’ll at least know what the plan is.

Filip Forsberg and the Nashville Predators reached an agreement on a new eight-year contract, the team announced Saturday.

ESPN's Dawn Davenport first reported the sides were nearing a deal that would pay Forsberg close to $70 million.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1545776788470923264

The news comes after the left wing had been linked in numerous trade rumors leading up to the March 21 deadline. However, Predators general manager David Poile said on March 1 that he wanted to extend the alternate captain's contract before the deadline, so the deal comes as no surprise.

Poile said in an interview with 102.5 The Game in Nashville (h/t NHL.com):

"No, I'm not trying to trade Filip Forsberg, I'm trying to sign Filip Forsberg. It hasn't been done. I don't know when it's going to get done. I don't have the crystal ball to say it will get done. Both sides want it to happen, but it hasn't happened now."

The Washington Capitals selected Forsberg 11th overall in the 2012 draft before trading him to the Predators. The Swede has spent his entire 10-year career in Nashville, tallying 220 goals and 249 assists for 469 points in 566 games.

The 27-year-old appeared in 69 games during the 2021-22 season, tallying 42 goals and 42 assists.

With Forsberg remaining in Nashville, the franchise can focus on locking up several soon-to-be free agents such as Nick Cousins.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash, the franchise announced Sunday.

"He's one of the best defenders in the NHL, he's a selfless player and a great leader. I would like to thank him for everything he's done for us," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois told reporters.

Tampa Bay's decision to move McDonagh was largely to clear cap space, as the 33-year-old is under contract for four more seasons with an average annual salary of $6.8 million.

If the Lightning buy out the remainder of Myers' contract, which has been speculated, they will have cleared more than $7.3 million in cap space, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. However, BriseBois told reporters Sunday that they don't plan to buy out the veteran defenseman and that they like his "toolbox," per The Athletic's Joe Smith.

That said, the Bolts are still over the salary cap by $933,333, per CapFriendly, and will need to clear more cap space if they hope to re-sign unrestricted free agents Ondrej Palat and Jan Rutta this summer.

Tampa Bay is currently set to head into the 2022-23 season with a defense that includes Myers, Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak, Zach Bogosian and Cal Foote. While that's not a bad group, the loss of McDonagh is a tough blow to the unit.

McDonagh spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Lightning after being sent to Tampa Bay in a trade from the New York Rangers, with whom he began his career, in February 2018. He played a key role in each of Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021 and the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022.

From 2020-22, the Minnesota native averaged 21:47 of ice time in 171 regular-season games, tallying nine goals and 41 assists for 50 points. He averaged 23:10 of ice time in 68 playoff games in that span, notching two goals and 16 assists for 18 points.

While McDonagh is undoubtedly past his prime, he still had a solid 2021-22 campaign, tallying four goals and 22 assists for 26 points in 71 games while averaging 22:27 of ice time, the highest he's averaged since the 2017-18 season.

McDonagh will now be tasked with helping anchor a Nashville defense alongside Norris Trophy finalist Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm. It's unclear which pairing he will play on, but Josi and Ekholm will probably be ahead of him on the depth chart.

Even with the trade for McDonagh, Nashville has $18.1 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. That gives the Predators more than enough room to re-sign star forward Filip Forsberg, in addition to some of their other free agents.

However, the Preds could use an upgrade on offense even if Forsberg returns, so it's possible the franchise will look into some of the top available forwards when free agency opens.

As for the Bolts, Myers will probably be one of their bottom pairing defensemen. He tallied one goal and three assists for four points in 27 games with the Preds last season and had an underwhelming three seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers before that, posting six goals and 23 assists for 29 points in 115 games.

Mismash spent the 2021-22 campaign with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, tallying six goals and 12 points in his rookie year. The 23-year-old will likely remain in the AHL for the 2022-23 season as Tampa Bay has plenty of offensive depth.

The Winnipeg Jets have reportedly found their next head coach.

Per TSN's Darren Dreger, Rick Bowness is finalizing a deal with the Jets to become their full-time head coach.

ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported Thursday that Winnipeg had narrowed its list of coaching candidates to five.

Interestingly, Bowness wasn't among that group. Scott Arniel, Rick Tocchet, Jim Montgomery, Jeff Blashill and Pascal Vincent were on the list.

Montgomery came off the board Thursday after reports the Boston Bruins were set to hire him.

Bowness announced in May he was stepping down as head coach of the Dallas Stars. Saad Yousuf of The Athletic noted the decision was likely "driven" by the Stars because "his contract ran out once the season ended so it can conveniently be framed as a parting of ways."

The Stars hired Bowness in 2018 as an assistant on Montgomery's staff. After Dallas fired Montgomery midway through the 2019-20 season, Bowness took over on an interim basis and led Dallas to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000.

Dallas then promoted Bowness to the full-time head coach role. He went 69-49-20 with one playoff appearance over the next two seasons.

Dave Lowry spent the bulk of the 2021-22 season as Winnipeg's head coach. He took over on an interim basis Dec. 17 after Paul Maurice resigned.

The 67-year-old Bowness began his coaching career with the Jets' AHL affiliate, the Sherbrooke Jets, in 1982-83. He joined Winnipeg as an assistant in 1984 and then took over the Moncton Hawks, the Jets' new AFL affiliate, in 1987. He finished the 1988-89 season as the Jets' interim head coach after being promoted following Dan Maloney's midseason firing.

In 12 seasons as a head coach with six different teams (Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Stars), Bowness has a 212-351-48-28 record with three playoff appearances.

The Jets went 39-32-11 (26-22-6 under Lowry) last season. They finished sixth in the Central Division with 89 points and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.