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MONTREAL -- A thrill-a-minute hockey game, fueled by early season mistakes and opening night jitters, had the folks at the Bell Centre on the edge of their seats.

The NHL’s most passionate theater to watch the sport had fans gasping for air, as the Original Six rival Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens exchanged chances like a game of shinny.

It was great stuff.

And then an unfortunate and scary scene absolutely sucked the life out of the building.

New Habs tough guy George Parros, in his second fight of the game with Leafs enforcer Colton Orr, fell awkwardly to the ice and smashed his face, immediately knocking himself out.

Out came the stretcher as fans held their breath, a riveting hockey game just not quite the same afterward, even with Montreal making things interesting with a late goal to make it 4-3 as Toronto still held on for the win.

The thoughts in both dressing rooms were channeled toward Parros, one of the game’s most likeable characters.

Toronto coach Randy Carlyle coached the tough guy in Anaheim for many years. "Great person, he was a great guy to coach," Carlyle said after his team’s season-opening victory. "Just real unfortunate."

But what you were not going to get from either Carlyle or his counterpart Michel Therrien of the Canadiens was an attempt to conjure up the fighting debate in this league. Both are old-school coaches who believe in the importance of fighting in the game, and Tuesday night’s incident certainly wasn’t going to change their views.

"Just bad luck in that situation," said Therrien, who was relieved to hear the concussed Parros was alert after he got to the dressing room. He later went to hospital. "You don’t see those situations a lot. He fell and hit his face on the ice."

The incident instantly spurred debate on social media, just as it always does.

I don’t need to sit on my soap box again on this night. I said my peace last season when Ottawa Senators forward Dave Dziurzynski was knocked out by Leafs tough guy Frazer McLaren.

Everyone who reads me understands that I believe the game could survive without fighting. My belief is simply based on my fear that one day a player will die in a fight on the ice. Pure and simple. I say that because Don Sanderson did die in a Senior A Ontario game fight in 2009.

Am I concerned how the game would look if the "rats" in our game weren’t policed? Yes, I am. And I don’t have a good answer for that other than I’d hope the refs would police it as well as they could.

And you cannot discount the emotional lift that some fights do provide in games. The Habs seemed buoyed by Parros’ first fight with Orr, as well as Travis Moen taking on Mark Fraser.

I totally understand that and do not argue that fights in games have an impact. No question, they do.

But I come back to my one and only concern, the only one I’ve ever held on the sensitive subject: I’m worried we’ll have a tragic incident one day, because today’s players are just stronger and bigger than ever.

When Parros does recover and speaks his first words with local Montreal media, I can guarantee he’ll say it’s part of the job and he understands the risks involved. He’s a thoughtful and intelligent person who long ago accepted what went along with his trade.

But the debate will rage on every time we see something like Tuesday night’s incident.

Other observations from Toronto’s opening night win over the Habs:

• The Leafs took two points despite a horrendous defensive effort.
  
  "We have to be better defensively for sure," Carlyle said.
  
  Lars Eller was left all alone in front of the net on the opening Montreal goal; Paul Ranger taking the wrong man, while Carl Gunnarsson's fall to the ice gave the Habs an easy 2-on-1, which produced Brendan Gallacher's 2-1 goal.
  
  Blame early season rust, perhaps, but the Leafs need to tighten up.
• On the flip side, James Reimer was there to clean up the mess, stopping 34-of-37 shots and justifying Carlyle’s decision to start him over Jonathan Bernier on this night.
  
  "Just a hunch, he’s played well in this building since I’ve been here," Carlyle said in explaining his decision to start Reimer.
  
  Bernier will start Wednesday night in Philadelphia, but the goalie questioning from Toronto media will go on all year long. It’s the story of the season for sure with both young men battling for the No. 1 job.
  
  "When I’m in during games, I’m not competing against my own teammate, I’m competing against the other team," Reimer said after a performance that netted him the game’s first star.
  
  This is going to be a fascinating tale. I’m a huge believer in Bernier and he’ll have his moments this season, which will show Leaf fans why he was brought on board.
• Lars Eller’s kid line between Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk was easily Montreal’s most effective unit, a thought that Therrien concurred with. Eller scored twice and the line in general was constantly a threat in the Leafs’ zone, moving their feet and giving Toronto’s defense fits with their speed. Eller led the Habs with six shots on goal as well.
  
  The performance of that line will be significant in Montreal’s chances to repeat its surprising team success of a year ago. Eller had a breakout performance last season, Gallagher was Calder Trophy runner-up and Galchenyuk was dazzling in his first year, too. The concern with any young player is the possibility of regressing the following season. Montreal can’t afford that from these three. If opening night is any indication, the Habs have nothing to worry about.
• Veteran Habs blueliner Andrei Markov really struggled on this night, producing four of the team’s 10 giveaways and watching Leafs winger Phil Kessel undress him during a first-period rush. Markov stayed healthy last season, which was terrific, but he also looked beaten down late in the season. It’s only one game and I suspect, given his track record, we’ll see some much better games from him. But I can’t remember him having too many nights like this.
• Carey Price gave up four goals, but he was terrific, stopping 34 shots. Pretty good opening night effort, I’d say.
  
  "He deserved better," Therrien said. "I thought he made some key saves. But the execution of our team wasn’t there."

MONTREAL -- Before the Maple Leafs were going to throw numbers out at his agents, GM Dave Nonis needed to first hear from Phil Kessel that he wanted to stay in Toronto for a long time.

Nonis wanted that commitment, face-to-face, before he was going to get serious in contract talks with Newport Sports. He got the answer he wanted from the Team USA Olympic winger in a meeting last week, which gave the Leafs' GM the trigger he needed to get the ball rolling with agent Wade Arnott.

"I said this before camp, we weren't about to throw any money at any player, Phil included, until we were sure, I was comfortable, that he wanted to stay in Toronto," Nonis said at a noon-hour news conference at the Bell Centre. "He brought up to me last week how important it was to stay. And that’s when we started negotiations."

"I want to finish my career here," Kessel said at the same news conference. "It would be a great city to win in, and we're going to do whatever we can to make that happen."

Don't underestimate Toronto’s ability to re-sign center Tyler Bozak on July 5 as a major factor in Kessel staying put. The two linemates are very close friends off the ice; heck, they live together. Had Bozak walked, and he did test free agency before circling back to the Leafs, it might have hampered Toronto’s ability to re-sign Kessel.

Having said that, talks didn’t get going with Kessel for real until last week after the Nonis-Kessel meeting.

With Kessel’s self-imposed deadline of opening night acting as the pressure point because the star player didn't want to discuss an extension during the season, both sides came together Tuesday morning on a $64 million, eight-year contract.

For one, the Leafs shared Kessel’s desire not to have this drag into the season. There was concern that it would affect his production on the ice as his contractual future hung over him.

So there was mutual interest in seeing this done.

Many will believe it's too much money for Kessel, but the numbers, at least, suggest otherwise:

• Only Kessel and Steven Stamkos were among the top 10 scorers in the NHL each of the past two seasons.

• Only Stamkos, Evgeni Malkin and Claude Giroux have more points than Kessel over the past two seasons.

• And only Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin and Corey Perry have more goals than Kessel over the past three years.

Kessel’s $8 million cap hit in the new deal is still less than Giroux's new deal ($8.275M), Perry's ($8.625M) and Ryan Getzlaf's ($8.25M), the three contracts brought up the most in negotiations by Kessel’s camp.

"He’s had several great years, that’s something some people overlook," Nonis said. "If you look at his goal totals and his point totals over the past few years, he’s up there with some pretty elite players."

But perhaps most importantly for the Leafs was Kessel’s playoff performance last season, when he proved he could step up in the clutch and was terrific against Boston in a seven-game first-round loss.

That erased any concern that the Leafs' front office might have had about building a team around Kessel.

"It certainly opened some eyes," Nonis said of that series.

So now the attention turns to Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, whose contract will expire after the season. But unlike Kessel, the star blueliner doesn't care if talks go into the season. As he pointed out to ESPN.com on Tuesday morning, the last contract he signed was done during the season with the Calgary Flames, so it’s not new territory.

Phaneuf said he'll leave it with his Newport Sports agents Don Meehan and Craig Oster, knowing they'll figure something out with Nonis.

"They’ll get together and talk, they’ll handle it," a totally relaxed Phaneuf said.

If anything, Phaneuf was more excited for his teammate's big signing. Which perhaps, in some ways, affects how he viewed his future with the Leafs.

"I really like what we’re doing here, what direction the team is headed in," Phaneuf said. "Phil is a huge signing for us. It’s great news. He’s one of the top forwards in the game, such an important guy for us. He’s really elevated his game the last few years. This is great."

Kessel’s deal includes $22.5 million in signing-bonus money that’s spread over the first four years of the deal and the last two years of the contract. Of interest, his last two years of his deal carry only a $1 million salary, and the rest is bonus money, protected against a possible lockout because bonus money gets paid out regardless, whereas salaries do not in the event of another lockout.

Crease conundrum
One of the hot topics all season for Toronto will be goaltending, with newly acquired Jonathan Bernier trying to unseat incumbent James Reimer as starter.

The two have stalls next to each other in the visitors dressing room at the Bell Centre, but only one of them was smiling Tuesday morning.
Reimer was thrilled to be getting the opening night nod in net, while Bernier -- while saying all the right things -- did admit he was a bit disappointed, citing that family and friends would be on hand in his hometown. He’ll very likely start Wednesday night in Philadelphia as the Leafs play back-to-back, but it’s obvious that Bernier would have loved to start in his native province on Tuesday night.

Maple Leafs at Canadiens, 7 ET
* Maple Leafs: 3-2-0 vs Canadiens last season, 2-0-0 at Montreal (1 goal allowed)
* Maple Leafs: won 5 of last 6 in Montreal
* 5th straight season teams opening against each other (Maple Leafs 3-0-1)
* Phil Kessel (TOR): ended last season on a 5-game point streak (4G, 5A)

Capitals at Blackhawks, 8 ET
* Teams last met in March 2012 (Blackhawks won at home)
* Blackhawks: 2-0-1 at home vs Capitals in the shootout era

Jets at Oilers, 10 ET
* Teams have met once since franchise relocated to Winnipeg (Oilers won in Winnipeg Feb. 2012)
* Oilers: 2-0-1 at home vs Jets in shootout era
* Last time Jets played in Edmonton was March 29, 1996

TOP THINGS TO KNOW
1. In addition to playing a full season after a lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, the NHL has a new divisional alignment for 2013-14. There will now be two divisions in each conference instead of three and there are now 16 teams in the East and 14 in the West as the Detroit Red Wings & Columbus Blue Jackets move East while the Winnipeg Jets head West.

2. The 2013-14 season also features a new playoff format. The new format is primarily division-based, with the top three teams in each division automatically qualifying. The last two playoff spots in each conference will then be wild-card spots, going to the next two teams with the highest point totals regardless of division.

3. The NHL is increasing its outdoor presence in 2013-14. Six outdoor games are on the schedule this season --0 the traditional New Year’s Day Winter Classic (the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium) as well as two outdoor games at Yankee Stadium involving the Metro New York teams, and one outdoor game each in Los Angeles, Chicago and Vancouver.

4. There will be no All-Star Game for the second straight season as the NHL instead goes on hiatus from February 9-25 as its players will take part in the men's hockey competition at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

5. Notable rule changes for 2013-14 include that a player cannot remove his helmet to take part in a fight (though the preseason saw players remove each other’s helmets in fights on a number of occasions) and new rules to restrict and reduce the size of goaltenders’ leg pads.

ESPN's NHL crew is ready to get rolling on another NHL season. Join us Tuesday, starting at 7 p.m. ET to open the 2013-14 season.

From the official media release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / SEPTEMBER 20, 2013

KINGS OF LEON TO HEADLINE 2013 MOLSON CANADIAN NHL FACE-OFF

Grammy Award-Winning Band to Perform Oct. 1 During NHL’s Free Hockey,
Entertainment and Community Celebration in Montreal

Event Presented in Collaboration with Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation

TORONTO / NEW YORK (Sept. 20, 2013) – Grammy Award-winning band Kings of Leon (@KingsofLeon) will headline the 2013 Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off, the NHL’s hockey, entertainment and community festival at Place des Festivals in Montreal on Tuesday, Oct. 1, the National Hockey League, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada and Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation announced today. The band’s 40-minute performance highlights a lineup of free activities planned for fans in Montreal and celebrates the release of their new album, Mechanical Bull, out Sept. 24. The day also will include interactive hockey attractions as well as numerous community and fundraising activities, presented by the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation and Hockey Quebec.

“The Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off is the perfect way to pick up where we left off with last season’s strong finish,” said Brian Jennings, NHL Chief Marketing Officer. “NHL Face-Off is all about our fans – thanking them and giving them another forum to not only rally around the excitement of a new season, but to celebrate our game in a festival environment. Holding NHL Face-Off in Montreal promises to create an incredible atmosphere and a memorable event for our fans and partners.”

The celebration begins at 3 p.m. ET, rain or shine, and culminates at 7 p.m. ET with the live telecast of the season-opening game between the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs on giant video screens. There will be additional live musical performances; prizes and giveaways; special guest appearances; and food, beverage and merchandise available for purchase.

Kings of Leon’s set in Montreal will be featured in CBC’s pre-game show, Hockey Tonight, hosted by Ron MacLean and broadcast live nationally starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. Award-winning broadcaster and hockey fanatic, George Stroumboulopoulos (@strombo), host of CBC Television’s George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, will emcee the concert event live from Montreal. CBCSports.ca will make the entire performance available online via live stream.

The Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation will be on hand for the 2013 Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off to promote its mission and to raise funds to help underprivileged children around the province adopt a healthier lifestyle through physical activity and better eating habits. Due in large part to the introduction of its BLEU BLANC BOUGE program and the construction of five multipurpose and refrigerated outdoor rinks, the foundation has been able to answer the need for quality sports facilities in Montreal’s less-privileged neighborhoods. Hockey Quebec also will take part in the festivities, bringing along its mascot and distributing information about its various programs.

Molson Canadian returns to NHL Face-Off as title sponsor and will be joined at the season-opening festival by NHL partners Scotiabank, SiriusXM, Bridgestone, Visa, Oh Henry!, Reese, Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Captain Morgan, Panini, Canada Post, Reebok, Bell and the city of Montreal. The 2013 Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off will be produced by evenko, one of the top entertainment promoters in the world.

Popular Montreal bar and lounge Le Newtown, located on Crescent Street, will host the Captain Morgan NHL After Party, starting at 10 p.m.
ET. Admission is free.

The Detroit Red Wings and Fox Theatre in Detroit hosted the first-ever NHL Face-Off in 2008. The Maple Leafs served as the hosts for the 2010 NHL Face-Off in Dundas Square in downtown Toronto. The NHL marked the opening of the 2011-12 season and its return to Winnipeg with the 2011 Molson Canadian NHL Face-Off" in The Forks, hosted by the Jets.

You can bet the question that New Jersey Devils head coach Pete DeBoer will be asked the most often this season is whom he’s starting in net. Just how he divvies up starts between Martin Brodeur and Cory Schneider will be one of the intriguing storylines to follow all season.

It’s a delicate balance, having to find enough starts for the game's all-time winningest netminder, who’s 41 now, while also integrating the 27-year-old Schneider, a goalie who is no longer a kid but entering his prime.

"I don’t see an issue," DeBoer told ESPN.com on Thursday. "We’ve got a league high of back-to-back games, I think 22 of them; which right off the bat lends itself to playing both guys. And I think with the condensed schedule, with the Olympics, I think it's going to be a real luxury to have two guys. And I think both guys get that."

Early media reports from camp indicate the Schneider-Brodeur relationship is off to a good start, which is no surprise to anyone who has crossed paths with either netminder. They both have great, team-first personalities.

From a hockey standpoint, it means the Devils will have a quality netminder in net for 82 games.

"I term the situation as a 1 and a 1(A)," DeBoer said. "I think that's where we're at. Cory is not a young goaltender anymore. He's got a great opportunity here to learn from but also compete against the best goalie of all time."

Putting you on hold
The contract stalemate between defenseman Cody Franson and the Toronto Maple Leafs was termed a "holding pattern" Thursday by one source close to the action.

The standoff is clear: the Leafs want Franson on a two-year deal; the defenseman wants to do a one-year deal.

The salary cap is going up next summer, so the Leafs would obviously rather gain a bit of term security with Franson under the current economic climate. Franson, as you might imagine, figures a one-year deal gets him to a landscape next summer that features an expanding salary cap with more money to go around.

Some folks were surprised when Franson -- coming off a terrific season -- chose not to file for salary arbitration this summer when he had the chance; some felt he lost his best piece of leverage. Perhaps that’s true but I think Franson feared the Leafs would have elected a two-year arbitration award and hence he’d be locked into one extra year that he doesn't want.

The problem for Franson right now is that the Leafs are deep on defense -- the likes of Paul Ranger and Morgan Rielly are pushing to make their way on -- so Toronto isn't desperate enough to fold its cards in this contract stalemate.

Furthermore, when Franson gave away his best leverage point in negotiations by not going to arbitration, the thinking in the Leafs' front office is, why give that leverage right back if you do a one-year deal, with Franson having arbitration rights again next summer as an RFA? The only way I see Toronto doing a one-year deal is if the salary is low enough.

I don’t see the Leafs backing down on this one.

Meanwhile, I’d bet on the Leafs making a contract offer before the end of camp to tryout invitee Mason Raymond. The Leafs view him as a potentially good fit on a third line with Dave Bolland and Nikolai Kulemin. The Leafs won't offer too much in a deal, I don't think, something around $1 million for one year. The hook for Raymond is that he could re-establish himself this season and hit the market next year when the cap goes up and get a better deal.

There's always the chance Raymond gets a better offer from another team at the end of camp; you can’t discount that, either. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if other teams called on Raymond. But I do think the Leafs would like him to be part of their squad this season.

All eyes on Halak
Whether or not the St. Louis Blues get over that playoff hump this season relies heavily on what happens in goal.

For starters, the organization has gotten a look at Brian Elliott in two straight playoffs and understands fully now that while he’s a terrific, solid backup -- one who can start for a stretch if need be and deliver the goods -- he's not going to be that elite difference-maker in net come playoff time.

No, the Blues believe Jaroslav Halak has to be their man. Gone in St. Louis is the politically correct spin that the Blues have two capable netminders and both will battle for starts. The Blues have made a collective, organizational decision that this season is Halak’s to win or lose. They’re handing him the keys, perhaps for the last time, being that Halak is a UFA after the season. Halak rededicated himself in the offseason, staying in St. Louis to focus on his workouts instead of going home overseas, and showing up to camp dropping his body fat from 14 percent to 8 percent.

Beset by injuries the past two years, Halak hasn't had the chance to duplicate the kind of playoff magic he delivered in Montreal in 2010. The sense in St. Louis is that if the Halak of 2010 can re-emerge, the club is in great shape to contend for a championship.

If Halak hasn't instilled that kind of confidence in the front office by March, my sense is that the Blues won't be scared to look to the trade market. Look for those Ryan Miller trade rumors to begin if Halak isn't rolling this season.

But the preference/the hope/the plan in St. Louis is for Halak to answer the bell.

Leblanc's early departure
Louis Leblanc's demotion earlier this week created quite a stir in Montreal. And not because he didn’t make the team -- he was hard-pressed to do so -- but that he was in the first wave of cuts.

That’s the part that surprised some fans, given that he’s a first-round pick from 2009 (18th overall).

But I believe this was the plan before camp started, the Habs' front office wanting to send a message, deliver a challenge to Leblanc, that it’s time for him to look in the mirror and understand that his development has not been up to par. He had a subpar season last year in the AHL. Word is Leblanc did work hard in the offseason to be ready for this camp. So credit to him for that. Now the Habs hope he responds to the first-wave cut by getting off to a great start in Hamilton and forcing Montreal into making him its first call-up.

The fact of the matter is, Leblanc is seen by most people around the league as a third-line player, albeit one who could be effective in that role in the NHL once he figures things out. But it also tells you the Habs were reaching a little when they took him 18th overall in 2009.

Daniel Briere got an early look at what it is like playing in Montreal when he was swarmed by reporters at the Canadiens annual charity golf tournament on Tuesday.

Briere said he had been "warned that it was going to be something a little different," but the media attention was still "very impressive," according to the Montreal Gazette.

The lifelong Canadiens fan also talked about how excited he is to play his first home game in Montreal.

“Wearing that jersey, coming out onto the ice will be a big thrill and something that I’ve been thinking about -- not just the last two months -- but something that I’ve always dreamed that I would have the chance to do at some point in my career,” Briere said, according to the report.

The center signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Canadiens in July. He said he is getting recognized a bit more than he is used to, but it is all part of the game.

“That’s what we play the game for. If nobody recognizes you, it’s not a good sign. I think I’m prepared for it," Briere said, according to the paper.

We start off this week talking about the revamped, 16-team Eastern Conference.

Realignment is going to take a minute to get used to. There is still an Atlantic Division, but it is actually the former Northeast Division with the Wings, Bolts and Panthers added in. And the Metropolitan Division is the old Atlantic Division plus the Caps, Canes and Jackets.

Will these changes make any difference come playoff time?

The Red Wings exceeded all expectations in the postseason after fighting their way into a playoff spot. Less travel combined with more time for the veterans to jell with the young players could make Detroit a contender in the East. And Daniel Alfredsson certainly didn't change teams so he could help the city's economy.

The Boston Bruins aren't going to give up their standing as the conference champion too easily, but they could be sluggish to start the season after a short offseason. And the Pittsburgh Penguins do still have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

How will the old Southeast Division teams do without one free ticket into the playoffs? I wouldn't be surprised to see Alex Ovechkin and company start summer vacation early, especially since the Olympics could take a lot of focus and energy away from the NHL season.

Maybe more interesting than who finishes on top is where the wild cards will go. Looking at last season, you could foresee the Atlantic Division producing five playoff teams. But it is never that easy, and a shortened season may not be the best barometer of future success.

So it is time for you to make the call: Who will reign supreme in the Eastern Conference?

In the end, Daniel Briere followed his heart.

There were competitive offers from the Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils, but the allure of finally playing for the Montreal Canadiens could not be passed up by the French-Canadian veteran forward.

In summer 2007, Briere spurned the Habs for Philadelphia, and the fans at the Bell Centre routinely booed him during his games in Montreal.

All is forgotten now.

The key for Habs GM Marc Bergevin, who turned his attention aggressively toward Briere about two days ago, was the term. One of the reasons Bergevin lost out on Vincent Lecavalier and won’t be able to get unrestricted free agent Ryane Clowe is that he doesn’t want to get locked into long-term, UFA deals.

At two years and $8 million, the term is perfect for Bergevin, who believes he has some young, promising talent in the system that isn’t quite ready yet. Players such as Briere can help bridge the gap.

Speaking of Clowe, the Habs were willing to do a short-term deal with him, but it’s believed the UFA power forward wants to get a bit more security and who can blame him. Keep an eye on the Devils; I believe they are the front-runners for Clowe.

The Devils need a replacement for power forward David Clarkson, who has drawn a ton of interest as the headliner in this year’s UFA crop, including from Ottawa, Toronto and Edmonton.

Elsewhere:

• Ray Emery is likely leaving Chicago, where he loved it, to procure a job that will give him a bigger role. He’s not going to get that behind Corey Crawford with the Blackhawks. Philadelphia and Edmonton are among the teams that have reached out, and I think the Flyers are the odds-on favorite to get him, with Emery and the Flyers comfortable with each other after their time spent together before. If the Flyers do get him, Emery will compete for starts with Steve Mason.

• Daniel Alfredsson has three real choices in front of him: stay in Ottawa, join Boston or join Detroit. Multiple teams reached out to him, but the Bruins and Red Wings are really the only options if he were to leave the Senators. The Swedish connections run deep with Detroit (Niklas Kronwall, Henrik Zetterberg). Alfredsson spoke directly to both the Bruins' and Red Wings’ front office Thursday to gain more information. I still believe he likely stays in Ottawa, but it’s interesting to see how much Alfredsson is deliberating on all this.

• The Predators lost out on Briere -- and not just him. A source told ESPN.com that Nashville had also spoken to Boston about Tyler Seguin before the Bruins shipped him to Dallas in a blockbuster deal Thursday. Nashville needs to find offense somewhere.

I’m man enough to admit it when I guess wrong, and in the case of Vincent Lecavalier, I felt all along that he’d end up with the Dallas Stars.

Well, he almost did. The Stars were in there to the end, a source confirmed.

But the Philadelphia Flyers won out, agreeing to pay $22.5 million over five years for the 33-year-old center.

The Montreal Canadiens were in the mix for a good run, as well, but couldn’t make it work. The Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings also got serious consideration from Lecavalier among the 15 or so teams that showed interest.

“Wow,” one executive, whose team wasn’t in the running, texted to ESPN.com after the deal was announced.

Is Lecavalier worth $4.5 million a season?

The Flyers get a very motivated player who is out to prove he can still compete at an elite level. And in choosing Philadelphia, Lecavalier proved many wrong and showed that he was willing to go to a real hockey market.

Flyers captain Claude Giroux was pumped to hear the news, texting ESPN.com to say, “Really excited, he will bring a lot to our team.”

Lecavalier will bring his 6-foot-4 frame, to be sure, and hands that have always been soft. I give Lecavalier credit for not choosing what seemed like the safest choice in Dallas, where he would have made good money and been left alone, as was the case all those years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team in another non-traditional hockey market.

He’s in for a bigger challenge in Philly.

The Flyers, meanwhile, will surely try to move out a body or two. And don’t forget they still need to find another goalie. This could reignite those Braydon Coburn trade talks.

Elsewhere

• The focus now shifts to fellow buyout unrestricted free agent Danny Briere before the rest of the UFA market opens Friday. The Canadiens, having lost out on Lecavalier, made contact with Briere's camp Tuesday night, a source confirmed to ESPN.com. Sources also indicated that the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Nashville Predators are among the teams to show solid interest in Briere and have already spoken to the Briere camp, which is led by agent Pat Brisson. Other teams were expected to contact Briere's camp Tuesday night and Wednesday.

• Daniel Alfredsson hasn’t re-signed with the Ottawa Senators, and while I still don’t think we’ll see him in a different uniform, I warned everyone last week after he announced he was playing another season that his contract wasn’t a rubber stamp. Still no contract with Ottawa, and here comes the 48-hour window when other teams can call free agents. I fully expect other clubs to contact Alfredsson’s agent, J.P. Barry, once that window opens. And why not listen to what’s out there, even if you still plan on ultimately re-signing with Ottawa? Stranger things have happened. I bet you my Tony Romo Dallas Cowboys jersey that the Bruins will be among the teams to phone Alfredsson's camp. GM Peter Chiarelli was with the Senators’ front office before going to Boston and knows Alfredsson well, and it just so happens he has a hole in his top six with Nathan Horton leaving. Different player, I know, and Alfredsson is aging, but Chiarelli has always admired the Swedish winger. Not trying to make Senators fans paranoid; odds are he stays put. Just pointing out that other teams will be phoning.

• The San Jose Sharks traded winger T.J. Galiardi to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in 2015. With rookie center Tomas Hertl expected to play with the Sharks next season, plus newly acquired winger Tyler Kennedy in the fold, San Jose had to move a body out. It also suggests that the Brent Burns experiment at forward could be permanent. At some point, I think, you’ll see the Sharks announce that they plan on using him up front again next season.

It is very possible, although not quite a guarantee, that Vincent Lecavalier will choose his next team by the end of the day Wednesday.

The UFA center, who is allowed to speak with teams earlier than other UFAs because his contract was bought out, has been deliberating with family where the best fit might be for him to continue this career.

The likes of the Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames are among the teams that have shown interest.

The decision for Lecavalier begins with Montreal. He has to decide whether he wants to go home and deal with both the perks and detriments of playing in his native town. And if he goes home, it’s not going to be for the same kind of money or term other clubs would have offered. If he’s a Hab, it’s more because he really, really wants to be one. Montreal definitely has interest in signing him, but it’s going to have to be on a reasonable deal that fits within its cap and payroll structure.

But no one should fault Lecavalier if he decides to avoid that situation; that’s his choice as a UFA.

I still think Dallas is a solid possibility for Lecavalier if he wants to remain in a quiet, nontraditional hockey place such as the environment he has experienced his entire career with the Tampa Bay Lightning. And I think the Stars are willing to go five years on a deal.

While it’s true to a degree, as Nashville Predators GM David Poile suggested to his local media Tuesday, that Lecavalier would prefer to stay in the East, it does not preclude him from playing in Dallas, I can tell you that.

Detroit is a great fit, too, and so is Boston. We’ll know soon enough.

As a reminder, beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday (so basically Tuesday night), a wrinkle in the new CBA kicks in that NHL fans haven’t seen before: Free agents have the right to speak with other teams in the 48-hour lead-up to the opening of the market Friday.

So for teams trying to re-sign their free agents, Tuesday was their last day of exclusivity to do so. For example, it was the last day for New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello to be the only voice in David Clarkson’s ear. Clarkson recently turned down an offer from the Devils and most likely is headed to the market. Then again, maybe Uncle Lou has another last trick up his sleeve.

Elsewhere

• Traded texts Tuesday morning with UFA forward Danny Briere. He says he’s talking to teams as he’s narrowing his focus. We should know more Wednesday.

• The Devils and pending UFA center Patrik Elias were close to a deal, but it wasn’t done as of noon ET Tuesday, agent Allan Walsh said. Walsh also represents winger Pascal Dupuis, another pending UFA, and the agent said talks with the Pittsburgh Penguins were continuing.

• Pending UFA winger Damien Brunner was a day away from being able to speak with the 29 other teams. His agent, Neil Sheehy, told ESPN.com via email Tuesday morning that he planned to talk again with Detroit but wasn’t sure where it was all headed.

• The Predators put veteran blueliner Hal Gill on waivers. He has one year left on his deal at $2 million. GM David Poile said via text that the blue line is a little crowded given the drafting of Seth Jones, and the hope is to find a new home for Gill. If no one claims him on waivers, another possibility would be to buy him out.

NEWARK, N.J. – Quick updates on two big-name situations:

Kris Letang’s camp and the Pittsburgh Penguins had more dialogue Saturday night, both sides still committed to figuring something out. Not sure whether they’ll be able to, but they continue to talk.

On the Vincent Lecavalier front, meanwhile, these are the teams he met with Saturday: the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins.

Lecavalier was slated to meet with the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames on Sunday morning. The Vancouver Canucks might also be interested.

What was shaping up to be a not terribly deep nor exciting July 5 free-agent crop is getting some intriguing names added by the day.

Vincent Lecavalier brought some pizzazz to the unrestricted free-agent festivities Thursday. After the Tampa Bay Lightning announced they were buying out Lecavalier's contract, the star center joined goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and forward Danny Briere as players bought out and thrown into the UFA mix.

Lecavalier, 33, adds a tempting option in a UFA center class that otherwise was led by the likes of Derek Roy, Mike Ribeiro and Stephen Weiss. At the right price, Lecavalier would be one heck of an addition as the No. 2 center on a good team.

Of course, it didn’t take long for Lecavalier’s buyout to be announced for people to link him to his native Montreal. Let’s be honest: It would be cool to see him in a Canadiens uniform after all these years of trade rumors linking him there.

Two questions need answering, though. Do the Habs have interest? And would Lecavalier be willing to play under that kind of spotlight?

One of the reasons Tampa Bay suited him so well was that it isn’t a hockey fishbowl.

“Too early [to tell],” one source told ESPN.com Thursday regarding Montreal’s potential interest.

Indeed, much can happen between now and July 5, with other players being made available via buyout or trade. The landscape is shifting quickly.

I’d be shocked if the Lecavalier camp, led by agent Kent Hughes, didn’t get interest from at least a dozen teams. At the right price, he’s a stud, and this isn’t a great year for free-agent centers. And you still can’t teach 6-foot-4.

Just my own guessing out of the gate, not based on any sourcing ...

• The Detroit Red Wings need a No. 2 center as talks with Valtteri Filppula are headed nowhere. While Weiss also could be an option, Lecavalier would make a lot of sense.

• The Chicago Blackhawks? Cap space is at a premium and re-signing pending UFA Bryan Bickell is the priority. But, man, would Lecavalier ever fit well there, especially because you know Michal Handzus isn’t the long-term answer at No. 2.

• What about Lecavalier’s former coach at Tampa Bay, John Tortorella, who is in his first offseason as coach of the Vancouver Canucks?

• The Toronto Maple Leafs have been looking for a legitimate center with size for about a million years.

We will see a lot of teams linked to Lecavalier because, frankly, a lot of teams could use him.

The Lightning did not come to this decision lightly. I believe this was a very difficult move for general manager Steve Yzerman to make.

But at the end of the day, the ability exists under the compliance buyout provision in the new CBA (two per team for the next two offseasons) to extricate oneself from a cap-killing contract. And at $7.72 million a pop for seven more seasons, Lecavalier was a cap hit the Lightning just couldn’t live with.

More of a concern for any team with these types of long-term, front-loaded deals that are remnants of the old CBA is the "recapture" rule, which is part of the new CBA. For example, had Lecavalier retired before the end of his deal, Tampa Bay would have faced salary-cap charges moving forward.

It’s why the New York Rangers are debating whether to buy out center Brad Richards. It’s why the Canucks should buy out goalie Roberto Luongo if they can’t find a trade partner.

A source told ESPN.com Thursday that the Canucks don't want to buy out Luongo. They could trade him if they're willing to eat part of his deal or take back a player who's also a cap anchor for another team. Vancouver also could waive Luongo at some point and hope that another team takes him.

Letang update

My colleague Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune created a bit of a stir in Toronto when reporting late Wednesday that if Kris Letang can’t agree to terms on an extension with the Penguins, Toronto would be near the top of his trade destinations. Rossi does a solid job covering the Pens, but Letang’s agent, Kent Hughes, was adamant no such trade destination conversations had taken place and clearly was not happy with the story.

“Our focus has been on negotiating a contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins and we have not discussed the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Hughes told ESPN.com via email Thursday morning. “He remains under contract for one more year if we don't extend his contract. We are not the source of the story, nor were we contacted to verify its accuracy beforehand.”

The Penguins have made Letang a substantial offer, but obviously it was not enough; otherwise he would have signed it.

So the clock ticks. Would general manager Ray Shero really allow Letang to enter next season in the final year of his contract? Shero would get way more in a trade this summer than he does at the trade deadline next season.

It's worth noting that the Leafs are in the market for a top defenseman, so if Letang becomes available, it'd make sense for Toronto to be among the suitors.

Tick tock ...

Speaking of the Pens ...

Great job by Shero to get Chris Kunitz signed to a three-year extension worth $3.85 million per season. That's a good value. Kunitz has one more year on his deal at $3.75 million, and he would have been a UFA in July 2014.

Credit to Kunitz and agent Ben Hankinson, too. Maybe Kunitz gets more money elsewhere, but you like where you're playing and you've found chemistry with Sidney Crosby, so why throw that away? It's not always about the money.

Kunitz will be 34 in September, which means he'll be 37 entering the final year of this extension. Getting a three-year term was the real prize for Kunitz and Hankinson.

Scott Burnside, Pierre LeBrun and Craig Custance argue about Alex Ovechkin winning the Hart Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player.