The NHL expects negotiations with the Canadian government regarding travel across the border could extend through the opening rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"It's going to be down to the wire," a source with knowledge of the talks told ESPN, indicating a decision on the border may not be made until the first week in June.

The NHL is planning to open the 2021-22 season on Oct. 12, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

That's roughly a week later than a typical 82-game regular season would start, an understandable delay given that the Stanley Cup playoffs are expected to roll through mid-July. Sources said that training camps for NHL teams would open on Sept. 22.

The league informed its general managers of the planned dates on a call Wednesday, according to sources.

The Colorado Avalanche will not play until at least Thursday after a third player was placed into the NHL's COVID-19 protocols Friday, the league announced.

Three games are being postponed at this time: against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday and Sunday and against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

The NHL announced Thursday that the Vancouver Canucks' game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday has been postponed.

The league made the announcement one day after Vancouver forward J.T. Miller delivered passionate remarks saying his team was being rushed back after a COVID-19 outbreak, adding that it is "dangerous to a lot of players."

"What we're being asked to do is not going to be too safe, if you're asking me," Miller told reporters Wednesday.

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller thinks his team is being rushed onto the ice after a COVID-19 outbreak, saying it is "dangerous to a lot of players."

"What we're being asked to do is not going to be too safe, if you're asking me," Miller told reporters on Wednesday.

Taylor Hall would like a contract extension with the Bruins, even though the star winger doesn't want to be the "focal point" of his new team.

The Bruins traded for the left wing on Sunday, sending a 2021 second-round pick and Anders Bjork to the Sabres for Hall and Curtis Lazar. Hall becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season.

"I'd love to be a Bruin for a few years," Hall said. "It's obviously been a bad year for me personally, and I need to play well. I need to contribute. Most of all, I want to be part of a team that wins games. I really believe we can do that here."

Henrik Lundqvist is abandoning a long-shot attempt to return from open-heart surgery in time to play for the Washington Capitals this season after a checkup last week showed some inflammation.

Henrik Lundqvist said he hopes to resume playing in the NHL after recovering from open-heart surgery, but the Washington Capitals goalie's future will depend on his next examination later this month.

"I love it. I want to compete, and it's going to come down to testing and conversations with the doctors," Lundqvist said in an interview on NHL Network on Wednesday "It's coming up, so we're getting close to that point. And until then, I just keep grinding, and then we'll see what happens."

Taylor Hall will not dress for the Buffalo Sabres in Tuesday's road game against the New Jersey Devils -- a sign the winger is likely on the move ahead of the April 12 trade deadline.

Buffalo interim coach Don Granato confirmed the move, saying 23-year-old Arttu Ruotsalainen could be ready to step up and make his NHL debut in Hall's absence.

The Kings said they feel their chances to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs are slipping away following a disappointing performance in a 5-2 loss to the visiting Coyotes on Monday.

"Let's face it, we don't deserve to be in the playoffs if we don't have the intensity to play to get to the playoffs," Kings coach Todd McLellan said after the game. "It's as simple as that. I think there's enough guys that have been there and know that the journey to the playoffs is just as hard as the journey through the playoffs.

"We have a pipe dream of making the playoffs with the type of commitment and intensity that we brought to the rink tonight, and maybe a couple of other games over the last little bit."