NHL Metropolitan

Patrick Kane could be back on the ice in the near future.

The three-time Stanley Cup is expected to sign an NHL contract by Thanksgiving amid rehab from hip surgery, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

However, Kane is not expected to return to the New York Rangers, who "have never been in the mix for the right wing," Brooks added.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning are among the teams believed to be interested in signing Kane, according to Brooks.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported on Oct. 17 that the Sabres were a team to watch in the Kane sweepstakes as he grew up in Buffalo. Additionally, Seravalli reported that Kane was "keeping an eye on" the Red Wings.

The Athletic's Chris Johnston reported on Oct. 19 that the Panthers had expressed interest in signing Kane this winter, and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman added that the franchise had been "aggressive" in their pursuit of the winger.

The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, are considered a "longer-shot contender" to sign the veteran, Johnston reported on Nov. 8.

It's unclear if Kane is looking for a long-term deal or a one-year agreement to prove that he's healthy and can still compete at a high level following a hip resurfacing procedure.

The 34-year-old, who will turn 35 on Sunday, was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Rangers at the 2022-23 season's deadline. While he tallied five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 19 games with the Blueshirts, he ultimately didn't live up to expectations.

Prior to the trade, Kane had spent his entire 15-and-a-half-year career with the Blackhawks, helping the team win three Stanley Cups. He also posted 446 goals and 779 assists for 1,225 points in 1,161 games in Chicago.

With the 2023-24 season in full swing, it'll be interesting to see where Kane ends up and how he can help that particular team's Stanley Cup pursuit.

Roman Cechmanek, a former All-Star goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers, has died.

He was 52 years old. His death was confirmed Sunday by the Flyers.

The Flyers drafted Cechmanek, then 29 years old, in the sixth round of the 2000 NHL draft. He played three seasons in Philadelphia between 2000 and 2003.

Cechmanek finished his rookie campaign in 2001 with 35 wins, an All-Star nod and a second-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting.

He went on to win the William M. Jennings Trophy alongside Flyers goaltender Robert Esche in 2003 after the pair combined to allow the fewest goals in the NHL. That postseason, Cechmanek helped the Flyers to victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Hall of Famer Ed Belfour in the seven-game 2003 Eastern Conference Final.

Cechmanek ranked second in the NHL in regular-season goals-against average in each of his three seasons with the Flyers.

The goaltender played his final NHL season in 2003-04 for the Los Angeles Kings. He finished his NHL career with an overall 110-64-28 record, .919 save percentage and 2.08 goals-against average.

After leaving the NHL, Cechmanek played professionally in Czechia, Germany and Sweden before retiring following the 2007-08 season.

Cechmanek represented Czechia in the 1998 and 2002 Olympics and served as Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek's backup as the country won gold at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan.

He also represented his country in seven World Championships between 1995 and 2007. Cechmanek in 2000 backstopped the team through eight games en route to gold medals in Russia.

Cechmanek is survived by his children Jakub, Roman Jr., and Katerina, per PhiladelphiaFlyers.com's Bill Meltzer.

Jaromir Jagr's jersey is headed to the rafters at PPG Paints Arena.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Friday that Jagr's No. 68 will be retired ahead of a Feb. 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Penguins selected Jagr fifth overall in the 1990 draft out of Kladno, Czech Republic, and he became an instant star for the franchise.

Jagr spent 11 seasons with the Penguins from 1990-2001 and helped Pittsburgh capture back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992, tallying 14 goals and 23 assists for 37 points in 45 playoff games in that span.

The 51-year-old appeared in 806 regular season games with the Penguins, notching 439 goals and 640 assists for 1,079 points. He also posted 78 game-winning goals and was a plus-207 in his Pittsburgh career.

Jagr, who served as Pittsburgh's captain from 1998-2001, ranks in the top five in Penguins franchise history in games played, goals, assists, points, plus-minus and game-winning goals.

The only other numbers the Penguins have retired are Mario Lemieux's No. 66 and Michel Briere's No. 21.

Aside from the Penguins, Jagr also spent time with the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames. He played 24 seasons between 1990-2018.

In addition to being a 10-time All-Star, Jagr is a five-time Art Ross Award winner as the NHL's scoring leader, three-time Ted Lindsay Award winner as the league's most outstanding player, the 1998-99 Hart Trophy winner as the MVP and the 2014-15 Masterton Trophy winner for his sportsmanship, perseverance and dedication to hockey.

In 1,733 games across 24 seasons, Jagr tallied 766 goals and 1,155 assists for 1,921 points. He also scored 135 game-winning goals and was a plus-322.

Jagr ranks second all-time in points behind Wayne Gretzky and fourth all-time in goals. He also ranks second all-time in multi-point games behind Gretzky.

Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie wore neck protection during Thursday night's matchup against the New York Islanders in the wake of Adam Johnson's death.

Johnson died after his neck was slashed by the skate of an opposing player in England's Champions Cup this weekend, an incident being investigated by authorities.

Oshie, 36, founded the company Warroad that has made cut-resistant turtlenecks and neck guards to offer protection for hockey players. Oshie reportedly is the second player to wear neck protection in a game after Rasmus Dahlin did so on Wednesday evening:

Oshie's teammate, Tom Wilson, started testing out the gear in Thursday's morning skate.

"I mean I was thinking about it," Wilson told reporters about wearing protection on his neck going forward. "There's cut-proof (material) pretty much everywhere else now. Wrists, ankles, Achilles, back of the socks. But not on the neck. So I thought that doesn't make a lot of sense. When that's probably the most important part."

A number of other Capitals also have tried out Oshie's Warroad gear, including Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Nic Dowd, Nick Jensen and Darcy Kuemper, while Erik Karlsson, Lars Eller, Ryan Graves and Marcus Pettersson of the Pittsburgh Penguins wore neck guards during Thursday's practice.

Karlsson said Johnson's death on the ice put "a lot of things in perspective."

"We all have families and friends—we do this because we love to do this and we get paid well to do it, and stuff like that," he told reporters. "At the end of the day, we do it because it's a choice. I don't think anyone would keep doing it if it meant risking your life every day going out there. If you can wear a small piece of equipment to hopefully prevent something like that again, I think that's a win."

Neck protection—and whether it should be made mandatory by the NHL—has become an important topic of discussion around the NHL this week.

"I just wish these things never had to be made, and injuries like this would never happen, because it's so sad," Oshie told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus on Sunday. "It hits me pretty hard, just thinking about my kids. I could take one to the neck tonight. And for them to not have a father—it's just so sad and it makes me think twice about protecting myself and my neck out there. Whether it looks cool or not."

Washington Capitals alternate captain Nicklas Backstrom is stepping away from the team due to his health problems stemming from hip surgery he had in June 2022.

Backstrom and Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan issued separate statements announcing the move, with the 35-year-old citing his "ongoing injury situation" as the reason for his decision.

Backstrom has had hip problems dating back to 2015 when he had arthroscopic surgery. The issue has become more pronounced in recent years as he's gotten older.

After missing the first two months of the 2021-22 season while rehabbing a hip injury, Backstrom had resurfacing surgery in the summer of 2022. He missed the first two months last season as a result of the procedure.

There was some hope coming into this season that the hip wasn't going to be an issue. Backstrom told reporters in September he had "nothing more to say" about the injury and he felt "100 percent" healthy.

"I've done everything I can this summer," he said. "I worked really hard and really excited to be here for training camp. Love this team, love this city, love the fans. There's nothing I'm more excited about than going back and playing hockey."

Backstrom has appeared in each of Washington's first eight games and averaged just under 15 minutes of ice time per game. His only point was an assist in a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 25.

A 17-year NHL veteran, Backstrom has spent his entire career with the Capitals. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2006 draft and is the franchise's all-time leader with 762 assists. His 1,105 career games are the second-most in team history, behind Alex Ovechkin's 1,355.

Backstrom helped the Capitals win their first Stanley Cup title during the 2017-18 season. He had seven points in five games in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Patrick Kane's rehabilitation from hip resurfacing surgery in June is going "incredibly well," according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers have shown interest in signing Kane when he is cleared to play, according to Johnston.

Johnston wrote that Kane's team plans to wait until "early November" to consider signing with a team, as "Kane won't be in a position to return to game action before then anyway."

Kane turns 35 on November 19. His agency in September released a video of him publicly skating for the first time since undergoing surgery.

After a midyear trade from the Chicago Blackhawks to the New York Rangers last season, Kane recorded 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 19 games and six more (one goal, five assists) in seven playoff contests for the Blueshirts.

Prior to his trade to the Rangers, Kane had played the majority of his eight-year, $84 million contract in Chicago, where he helped lead the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He earned the Hart Trophy in 2016 after leading the NHL with 106 points.

Kane's 2022-23 campaign marked the first time he had recorded fewer than 60 points in a campaign since the 2012-13 lockout season.

Kane's agent Pat Brisson originally told reporters the former Blackhawks star was projected to have a four- to six-month recovery timeline, placing his return to the ice somewhere between October and December.

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Bäckström, who underwent hip resurfacing in June 2022, took seven months to recover before making his comeback to the NHL in January.

Brisson said Kane was expected to fully recover from the procedure, which allows more activity after recovery than hip replacement surgery, according to the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute.

The Sabres make sense as an option for Kane, who was born in Buffalo. Meanwhile, the Panthers have reportedly been "aggressive" as they make their interest in the winger known, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Other potential candidates in the upcoming bidding contest, according to the Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, are the Rangers, who could bring Kane back for another potential playoff run, and the Detroit Red Wings, where Kane could reunite with former Blackhawks linemate Alex DeBrincat.

The next landing spot for star forward Patrick Kane is still to be determined but it appears that a homecoming, a return to a strong team and a move to a former rival all appear to be on the table.

The winger is still a free agent and was projected to miss "four-to-six months" after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in the offseason. He remains highly sought after, especially for a playoff push, and Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff reported that the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers are contenders to sign Kane.

Seravalli wrote that the Rangers are "paying attention to Kane, while adding the star has also been "keeping an eye on" the Red Wings.

The 34-year-old remains a dominant force in the league. He has scored 451 goals and 1,237 points across his 16-season career, earning four All-Star selections, the 2015-16 Hart Trophy and helping the Chicago Blackhawks win three Stanley Cups.

He scored 21 goals and have 57 points in 73 games between Chicago and the Rangers in 2022-23 and a return to the Big Apple would certainly be appealing if the goal is to win another Stanley Cup. New York won 47 games in 2022-23 and look like a strong contender in the Eastern Conference.

The issue with a return to the Rangers comes with the salary cap as the team has just just $675,085 in salary cap space. While that may be enough to get Kane to agree to a one-year deal and set himself up for a healthy free-agency period next summer, the Rangers are not the best option when it comes to long-term stability.

The Red Wings are an up-and-coming team that is looking to take a step forward in 2023-24. The team has not qualified for the postseason since 2016, which ended the legendary 25-season playoff streak. Detroit has been building, and a dynamic playmaker like Kane could help the young core break through in the loaded Atlantic Division, even if it is nightmare fuel for Blackhawk fans.

Finally, the Sabres may be the most intriguing option. Kane is a Buffalo native, so potentially ending his career playing in front of his hometown crowd may be something of interest to him. The Sabres possess the longest postseason drought (12 seasons) in the NHL, but they do have a young core developing and are also a contender to make noise in the Atlantic.

Wherever Kane ends up, it will likely at least be a team that is in postseason contention, and he certainly could provide a late season offensive spark.

The New Jersey Devils and coach Lindy Ruff agreed to a multi-year extension, the organization announced Wednesday.

"This young, exciting team has developed and thrived under Lindy's stewardship since he joined the Devils organization," Devils managing partner David Blitzer said in a statement. "Lindy is one of the winningest coaches in NHL history and his extension is well deserved. I'm looking forward to continued team success this upcoming season and beyond."

Ruff led the Devils to a 52-22-8 record during the 2022-23 season before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the playoffs. It was New Jersey's first time making it out of the first round in over a decade.

A 22-year veteran of the bench, Ruff is the NHL's winningest active coach (834 wins) and will likely pass Ken Hitchcock this season for fourth on the all-time list. Ruff previously coached the Buffalo Sabres for 15 seasons and then had a four-year stint with the Dallas Stars. His teams have made the playoffs 11 times.

"I'm thrilled to commit here to this situation and couldn't be prouder of the great progress that our group made last season," said Ruff. "We have a special group in Jersey and there's an opportunity to accomplish long-term success, make a lot of positive memories and give our fans a lot to cheer about—because our Devils' fan base is one of the best in the League and they deserve to see a winner."

New Jersey opens its regular season Thursday night hosting the Detroit Red Wings. The Devils were a perfect 7-0 in the preseason, setting the stage for massive expectations in 2023-24.

The Columbus Blue Jackets hired Mike Babcock as their next head coach in July, but his tenure has come to an end in only two months.

The team announced that Babcock has resigned and is being replaced by Pascal Vincent. As hockey insider Frank Seravalli noted, Babcock was the subject of an investigation by the NHLPA that "left no path" for him to continue as head coach.

"Upon reflection, it has become clear that continuing as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets was going to be too much of a distraction," Babcock said in a release. "While I'm disappointed to not have had the opportunity to continue the work we've begun, I know it's in the best interest of the organization for me to step away at this time. I wish everyone in the organization well in the upcoming season."

ESPN's Greg Wyshinski reported Thursday that NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh and assistant executive director Ron Hainsey met with Blue Jackets players to investigate whether Babcock "violated players' privacy when he asked to see photos on their cellphones."

The probe began after former NHL player Paul Bissonette said on Tuesday's episode of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast that Babcock asked Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner to show him his camera roll and then displayed those photos via AirPlay on his office wall. Columbus forward Johnny Gaudreau also confirmed to ESPN that Babcock asked him to see photos on his phone.

"Enough with putting guys on the spot in the coaches room asking them to link their phones up to AirPlay mode and grilling them. I've had tons of players confirm it," Bissonnette said after the episode was released.

Prior to returning to the NHL to coach the Blue Jackets, Babcock last coached in the league with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2015 to 2019. He was fired after multiple allegations of mental abuse of players.