Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews was named a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy on Saturday.

It marks the third time that Matthews has been a finalist for the award, which is presented annually to the player voted to best combine sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin also were named finalists.

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said Thursday he feels "really good" that he will reach a new contract with the team, mirroring optimism from president and general manager Don Waddell a day earlier.

Brind'Amour - considered by many the face of the franchise with his long-running ties here that include being the captain of the 2006 Stanley Cup winner - is in the final year of a deal reached in 2021. His status has become a talking point around the league with multiple jobs open as Carolina prepares to face the New York Rangers in the second round of the NHL playoffs.

"Yeah, I had a great conversation yesterday with Don, and then again this morning," Brind'Amour said. "I feel really good that we'll figure it out quickly. Yeah, I'm not concerned."

The Carolina Hurricanes have avoided a major injury concern for defenseman Tony DeAngelo while veteran blueliner Brett Pesce is nearing a return from a lower-body injury suffered in the second game of the playoffs.

Team president and general manager Don Waddell said Wednesday that Pesce has shed a walking boot, is doing work to return and should play at some point in the second-round series against the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers.

"If everything goes as expected, he shall play games this round," Waddell said in a Zoom call with reporters. "Maybe not right off the start, but will play games in this round."

The Stanley Cup playoffs have long been marked by parity. Perhaps more than any other major professional sports league, the NHL routinely sees teams outperform expectations in the regular season, sneak into the playoffs, make a run to the Stanley Cup Final and often even win it.

Few teams embody the spirit of this better than the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes, who opened that regular season at 60-1 to win the title -- the longest preseason odds of any Cup winner since at least 1984-85. That squad entered the postseason at +600 and exited with the most famous trophy in North American sports.

Hobey Baker Award finalist and University of North Dakota forward Jackson Blake signed his entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, the club announced Wednesday.

Blake's contract will start this season. He'll make $775,000 at the NHL level this season and earn $832,500 at the NHL level in the 2024-25 and the 2025-26 seasons. He'll earn $80,000 at the AHL level for all three seasons, and his deal also includes a $277,500 signing bonus.

The Carolina Hurricanes signed one of their top prospects Tuesday with University of Massachusetts defenseman Scott Morrow joining the club on a three-year entry-level contract.

Morrow joins the Hurricanes less than a week after UMass was eliminated by nine-time national champions, the University of Denver, in a double-overtime game in the opening round of the Division I men's NCAA tournament.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Spencer Martin agreed to terms on a one-year, $775,000 contract extension through the 2024-25 season, the team announced Saturday.

Martin, 28, is 4-0-1 with a 1.97 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in five games with Carolina since being claimed off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 19.

The Carolina Hurricanes are bringing back forward Brendan Lemieux on a one-year extension for the 2024-25 season.

The deal is worth the league minimum $775,000 for the former second-round pick, who turns 28 on Friday.

The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals for a 2025 third-round pick.

Kuznetsov, 31, is under contract through the 2024-25 season with a total cap hit of $7.8 million next season and $8 million in actual money owed.

The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to acquire Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Guentzel, 29, is considered the top forward available ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline. He has 52 points in 50 games this season, including 22 goals. 

Guentzel is an unrestricted free agent after the season and carries a $6 million salary cap hit.