"I think with the young players, they want to know that they're going to be counted on in key situations, that they're going to be an important part of the team," Ruff said. "As a coach, it's going to be my job to help develop that and put them in that position to help succeed and at the same time be very demanding of how we need to play as a team to be successful."Seattle Kraken Team NHL Face Coverings

Several NHL teams are exploring the possibility of playing some 2020-21 home games in outdoor venues and in front of fans if local COVID-19 restrictions on mass gatherings would allow for them, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.

"Under our deal and the one we've had for more than a decade with the players' association, whatever the revenues are, the players only get 50%" Bettman said. "And if we overpay them and they don't pay us back in the short term, they have to pay us back over time. There will be stressors on that system, and we've had discussions about what those stresses are and how they might be dealt with, but we're not trying to say, 'You must do X, Y and Z.' We're trying to look for a way to continue to work together."

"You've got to get that first year under your belt, especially as a highly skilled offensive player," assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon said of Hughes. "We're confident his second year is going to be better, and his third year will be another step, so we're looking for good things."

The Sabres should be better, especially with the addition of left wing Taylor Hall, who likely will play with center Jack Eichel, and Eric Staal, who will be their No. 2 center. However, can Linus Ullmark be a legitimate No. 1 goalie? Is Carter Hutton going to deliver as the backup? Of those two, Ullmark is the key. He showed a lot of promise last season, when he was 17-14-3 with a 2.69 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 34 starts. If he builds on that, the Sabres might just have enough, but that's still a big if because it's betting on potential, not experience.NHL Face Coverings

But Gasol is determined to take another shot at the NBA. He has spoken before of possibly ending his career with FC Barcelona, where he starred before coming to the United States, but has consistently said he would prefer to remain in the NBA.

The sides are now aiming for a Jan. 13 start date, with either a 52- or 56-game schedule, sources confirmed to ESPN. The sides have communicated daily since Thursday, and the hope is to finalize a plan by the end of the week. That plan -- which will include temporary divisional realignment, schedules and coronavirus protocols -- must be approved by the NHL's board of governors and the NHLPA's executive board.Nashville Predators Team NHL Face Coverings