2:16 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Recently retired forward Matt Cullen is sticking with the Pittsburgh Penguins, joining the hockey operations department. The team announced Thursday that Cullen will have a player development role. General manager Jim Rutherford called Cullen a “valuable asset” who will put his 21 years of NHL experience to use

8:31 AM ET Arizona Coyotes top defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was bitten on the hand by his family dog in May but is expected to be fine for the beginning of the season. According to reports, the 28-year-old was briefly hospitalized and received four stitches. The dog was euthanized because it had been involved in similar

12:01 PM ET Greg WyshynskiESPN The Ottawa Senators are circumventing the salary cap. OK, that’s a bit of hyperbole, which I believe is legally allowed when opining about hockey in early August. It’s more accurate to say that the Ottawa Senators are circumventing “the spirit” of the salary cap. They currently have a projected cap

11:27 AM ET The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Samuel Girard to a seven-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday. The new deal runs through the 2026-27 season. The annual average value of the deal is $5 million, according to the Denver Post. Girard, Cale Makar and top draft pick Bowen Byram form the core

11:25 AM ET Emily Kaplan Greg Wyshynski Less than 15 months after hiring Paul Fenton as general manager, Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold changed his mind. Claiming it was not “the right fit,” Leipold fired Fenton, with assistant GM Tom Kurvers taking over on an interim basis until a permanent replacement can be found. About

10:06 AM ET The New Jersey Devils continued their busy offseason by reaching agreement on a deal with promising young defenseman Will Butcher. The two sides avoided arbitration with a three-year, $11.2 million contract, according to the team. The Devils have traded for All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban and former KHL star Nikita Gusev after drafting

10:57 AM ET Nothing triggers hockey gambling more than a nationwide heat wave. Caesars posted futures and propositions for the upcoming NHL season. Below are the top plays from ESPN Sports Betting Analyst Doug Kezirian and Senior NHL Writer Greg Wyshynski. Note: Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook. Kezirian: This team ended last season as poorly

1:27 PM ET The Minnesota Wild have fired general manager Paul Fenton just over one year into his tenure with the club, it was announced Tuesday. “After giving much thought to this difficult decision, I informed Paul today that he was not the right fit for our organization going forward,” owner Craig Leipold said in

11:26 AM ET ESPN News Services The Ottawa Senators acquired forward Ryan Callahan in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the teams announced. Goaltender Mike Condon is heading to Florida along with a 2020 sixth-round draft pick while Ottawa also receives Tampa Bay’s fifth-round pick for next year. Callahan, 34, was placed on long-term

8:27 AM ET Forward Chris Kunitz, a four-time Stanley Cup winner, has retired after 15 NHL seasons and is joining the Chicago Blackhawks‘ coaching staff, the team announced Tuesday. Kunitz spent the 2018-19 season with the Blackhawks, posting five goals and five assists in 56 games. The 39-year-old won titles with Anaheim Ducks (2007) and