Trevor Daley's steadying presence on the blue line helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. The team hopes Daley can make the same impact in a different capacity as a hockey operations adviser.

The 37-year-old Daley announced his retirement after 16 seasons on Monday in conjunction with his decision to begin his post-playing career by returning to the Penguins.

The team said Daley will assist in player evaluations at both the NHL and minor league levels and help the coaching staff during games.

In addition to Daley's hire, the Penguins announced Monday that they fired assistant general manager Jason Karmanos. Sam Ventura, the team's director of hockey research, will assume Karmanos' duties on an interim basis.

The NHL still aims to play a full 82-game schedule in 2020-21 that would begin around Jan. 1, but Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Friday that might not be possible due to continuing uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus.

Commissioner Gary Bettman and Daly briefed the NHL general managers on a variety of topics during a video conference Friday, but the main item on the agenda was the upcoming season and what it might look like.

"The goal is still to start as early as Jan. 1 and to play a full season," Daly said.

Claude Julien expects the Montreal Canadiens to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs after making major additions to the roster this offseason.

"That's our goal," the Canadiens coach said Thursday. "It's always been our goal. If anything, we've set ourselves up to give ourselves a much better chance. I know people are going to say right now, 'What do you expect?' Well, I expect us to make the playoffs. No doubt about it."

The NHL has postponed the 2021 Winter Classic and All-Star Game "due to the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus," the league announced in a statement on Thursday.

The Winter Classic was scheduled to be played at Target Field in Minneapolis on New Year's Day, featuring the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. The Florida Panthers were scheduled to host All-Star Weekend on Jan. 29-30. The league said it intends to return to both Minnesota and Florida for the signature events "in the near future."

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman believes his team has "a ways to go" before it can sustainably win again -- and he's not afraid to use the word "rebuild."

"But what I don't want it to mean is we're trying to tear this team apart and trying to bring in a whole new group of players in the next year and a half," Bowman told ESPN in a wide-ranging interview on Monday.

Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley said he believes the 2020-21 NHL season will begin on Feb. 1, a full month after the NHL's current "target date."

Foley told KSHP's Vegas Hockey Hotline that he expects the season will be less than 60 games, saying it could be "48 or 56 games." But he said the fate of next season relies on when fans can return to NHL arenas.

The NHL is targeting a Jan. 1 start date for next season, commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday.

In an interview with NHL Network, Bettman reiterated that the league hopes to play a full 82-game season and have fans in arenas. Bettman said planning discussions with the NHL Players' Association will begin shortly after the free-agency period, which begins Friday.

Oilers star Connor McDavid has tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced on Monday night.

McDavid's positive test came during medical testing earlier on Monday.

"Since that time, he has been in voluntary self-quarantine at his home. He will continue to be monitored and will follow all associated health protocols," the franchise said in a statement.

The Oilers said that McDavid is "feeling well and is experiencing mild symptoms." He is quarantining near Toronto, where his offseason home is located.