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.

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 Tampa Bay Lightning have signed goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to an eight-year extension worth $76 million, the team announced Monday.

"Since joining the organization Andrei has shown unmatched work ethic and professionalism both on and off the ice," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said in a statement. "We look forward to him continuing his career in Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future."

The Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues hired Marc Savard as an assistant coach Wednesday.

The 42-year-old Savard spent 13 years playing in the NHL, splitting time among the Rangers, Flames, Thrashers and Bruins.

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Colton Sissons to a seven-year, $20 million contract that runs through the 2025-26 season.

Sissons, 25, scored 15 goals and had 30 points -- both career highs -- in 75 games with the Predators this past season.

The Blues have re-signed forward Oskar Sundqvist to a four-year, $11 million contract extension, the team said Sunday.

Sundqvist, 25, appeared in 75 regular-season games with the Blues in 2018-19, scoring 14 goals with 17 assists and logging 22 penalty minutes. The forward had four goals and five assists in 25 playoff games, helping the Blues capture the 2019 Stanley Cup.

The Rangers have agreed to terms with restricted free-agent defenseman Jacob Trouba, whom they acquired from the Jets in a major offseason trade.

The deal reached Friday with Trouba, 25, is for seven years and $56 million, with an $8 million salary cap hit for the upcoming season. 

Seattle's new NHL franchise has its first general manager.

Hall of Famer Ron Francis was named the expansion team's GM Thursday.

"After seven months of due diligence, research, conversations, interviews and evaluation, we are thrilled to announce Ron as our GM," NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke said in a statement.

Francis will receive a multiyear contract from the team, a source told ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

Seattle's new NHL franchise has its first general manager.

Hall of Famer Ron Francis will be named the expansion team's GM, a source told ESPN's Emily Kaplan, confirming a Seattle Times report.

Francis will receive a multiyear contract from the team, which is expected to make the hire official later this week, the source said.

The expansion Seattle franchise is set to begin play in the 2021-22 season as the NHL's 32nd team.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Andre Burakovsky to a one-year contract. TSN reports that the deal is for $3.25 million.

The restricted free agent was acquired from the Washington Capitals on June 28 for forward Scott Kosmachuk and a second-round and third-round pick in the 2020 draft.