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06/15 13:37 CDT While Carolina celebrates, the rest of the NHL will try to catch up and go after the Stanley Cup While Carolina celebrates, the rest of the NHL will try to catch up and go after the Stanley Cup By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer The Carolina Hurricanes are atop the NHL and their celebration is just getting started. Rhe rest of the league is about to be hard at work trying to catch up. The offseason is underway, with the next few weeks expected to bring a flurry of player movement via trades and signings. The salary cap is increasing to $104 million and several big-market teams with money to spend and holes to fill are eager to get better. Here is what to know:

Buyout window opens first Starting late Tuesday night and through June 30, clubs can buy out player contracts. There are not a ton of buyouts expected this summer, though the reigning champs have a legitimate candidate: Jesperi Kotkaniemi surprisingly got handed the Stanley Cup before leading goal-scorer Logan Stankoven or goaltender Brandon Bussi. The Finnish forward who turns 26 on July 6 was a healthy scratch all playoffs. While Kotkaniemi has four years left on his contract, his age would allow Carolina to save nearly $4 million against the cap next season and $4.3 million the following three with a buyout, while incurring a minimal charge of under $900,000 from 2030-34. A trade is also an option for someone who might want to take a chance on his potential. Montreal buying out 34-year-old winger Brendan Gallagher is also a possibility. Gallagher dressed for three games in the first round and not again the during his team's run to the Eastern Conference Final. He is signed for one more season at a $6.5 million hit.

Who might get traded? Looking back at who almost changed teams at the deadline is a good place to start. The New York Rangers are attempting a retool on the fly, and soon-to-be 33-year-old center Vincent Trocheck could fetch a strong return from a contender looking for a dependable player who can do it all and showed it winning gold with the U.S. at the Olympics. Century-old rivals Toronto and Montreal reportedly discussed a trade that involved big winger Matthew Knies going from the Maple Leafs to the Canadiens but did not get done. Since then, the Leafs fired general manager Brad Treliving and hired John Chayka to fill the role, so it is not clear if the new regime has any interest in moving a cost-controlled player in his early 20s. Toronto's longest-tenured player, defenseman Morgan Rielly, seems likely to get dealt. Edmonton is also looking to make a change on the blue line, and Darnell Nurse has given the Oilers a short list of places to which he would accept a trade.

Maple Leafs have the top pick in the draft Missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade caused plenty of consternation in Toronto where there are questions about captain Auston Matthews and his long-term future. When the lottery balls bounced the Leafs' way in early May, the organization got a jolt of optimism. Penn State's Gavin McKenna has been considered the likely No. 1 pick, and Chayka traveled to the young winger's hometown of Whitehorse in the Yukon territory to meet with him and his family. The draft in Buffalo, New York, begins with the first round on June 26. San Jose, Vancouver and Chicago have the Nos. 2-4 picks, with Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg and Canadian defensemen Chase Reid and Carson Carels among the top prospects available.

NHL free agency begins July 1 If the Buffalo Sabres do not re-sign him before the end of the month, 30-year-old forward Alex Tuch figures to be the most sought-after unrestricted free agent in a pool depleted by so many teams using cap space to keep their own players. Same goes for Tampa Bay's nearly point-a-game defenseman Darren Raddysh, fresh off his best season. The Islanders could part with longtime captain Anders Lee, putting him on the market for the first time (he will be 36 on July 3). Slightly younger winger Anthony Mantha may be able to cash in off his impressive season with Pittsburgh in which he set career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists and 64 points. Perhaps the most intriguing situation this summer surrounds the Florida Panthers, who missed the playoffs after winning back-to-back championships. The goaltender who won those championships, Sergei Bobrovsky, is unsigned and he will be 38 by opening night. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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