The outlook for NHL free agency.

It's not exactly uncommon for a team that gets a championship shot and falls short one year to say that it'll be back the next.

Radek Faksa broke a tie in his return to the Dallas lineup, 20-year-old Wyatt Johnston scored in another Game 7 and the Stars beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 on Sunday night to wrap up the first-round series.

Jason Robertson scored a power-play goal to put Dallas ahead late in the second period after Tyler Seguin took a shot to the face and the Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 5.

Wyatt Johnston scored his third goal in two games, and the Dallas Stars beat the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 to even their first-round NHL playoffs series.

Frank Vatrano scored three goals and the Anaheim Ducks finished their season on a high note, defeating the playoff-bound Vegas Golden Knights 4-1.

NHL teams combined to make 23 trades on Friday and dealt a total of 33 players along with more than 20 draft picks before the league’s deadline.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights acquired Tomas Hertl from San Jose in what so far stands as the biggest deal made on the final day of NHL trading.

Stanley Cup contenders aren't waiting until the NHL trade deadline day to shore up depth for what they hope is a long playoff run.

Joey Daccord made 35 saves in his second career shutout, and the Seattle Kraken beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in the NHL Winter Classic.

The 15th version of the NHL’s Winter Classic had a decidedly local flair as both the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights tapped into two of the most well-known aspects of their communities.

President Joe Biden has honored the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in a ceremony at the White House.

Mason McTavish scored the go-ahead goal with 3:40 to play, Sam Carrick scored two late goals, and the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to snap the Vegas Golden Knights’ 12-game point streak with a 4-2 victory.

Phillipp Kurashev scored 2:50 into overtime, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat Vegas 4-3 to hand the Golden Knights their first loss of the season.

The Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights have all won their first six games of the NHL season.

Jonathan Marchessault scored, Adin Hill made 23 saves and the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights beat the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Tuesday night after a banner-raising ceremony.

Detroit desperately hopes to snap its seven-year playoff drought and becomes part of an NHL trend.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the first NHL team to have the Stanley Cup engraved before the summer days when players, coaches and executives get to celebrate around the world with hockey's hallowed trophy.

Vegas Golden Knights fans lined the Las Vegas Strip for a Stanley Cup victory parade and a rally in front of their home arena to mark the team’s first NHL championship.

The Oakland Athletics have cleared a major hurdle for their planned relocation to Las Vegas after the Nevada Legislature gave final approval to public funding for a portion of a proposed $1.5 billion stadium with a retractable roof.

The modern era for Las Vegas sports began when the NHL awarded the city an expansion franchise in 2016.

Mark Stone was presented the Stanley Cup by Commissioner Gary Bettman as captain of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights delivered their city a true Vegas-style party from dazzling passes to a Mark Stone hat trick to all-out goal celebrations.

Bruce Cassidy has won the Stanley Cup as coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Florida Panthers took the ice for Monday’s practice without several key players, most notably Matthew Tkachuk.

The Vegas Golden Knights are one win from the Stanley Cup with a big defensive corps that bucks the trend of smaller blue lines.

The status of leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk is the biggest question facing the Florida Panthers down 3-1 to Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final.

It can be done.

The Stanley Cup Final finally looks like a competitive series.

Carter Verhaeghe scored 4:27 into overtime and the Florida Panthers pulled off some more postseason dramatics to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night.

The Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers were connected by tragedy five years before meeting in the Stanley Cup Final.

A thunderous open-ice hit by Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk on Jack Eichel knocked the Vegas center to the ice and sent him to the locker room in the second period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and started an early blitz that chased the NHL’s hottest postseason goalie, and the Vegas Golden Knights seized control of the Stanley Cup Final with a 7-2 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 2.

Two games into the Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers look like an 8 seed for the first time all playoffs.

The Vegas Golden Knights were flying high after Game 1 in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.

Paul Maurice walked away from coaching in the middle of last season.

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice might have been channeling his inner Aaron Rodgers when he told the assembled media to “breathe.”.

Zach Whitecloud scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Commissioner Gary Bettman says the NHL is still committed to Arizona after Tempe voters rejected a referendum for a Coyotes arena.

The Vegas Golden Knights will play the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final beginning Saturday.

The NBA Finals could’ve featured glamour teams like the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

William Karlsson scored two goals and had an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights advanced to their second Stanley Cup Final with a 6-0 rout over Dallas.

The Western Conference Final isn't over yet, and suddenly feels much different.

Ty Dellandrea scored twice in a 1:27 span midway through the third period and the Dallas Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Saturday night to stay alive in the Western Conference Final.

Alec Martinez was part of the 2014 Los Angeles Kings team that erased a 3-0 first-round series deficit and beat Joe Pavelski and the San Jose Sharks in Game 7.

Joe Pavelski scored on a power play at 3:18 of overtime and the Dallas Stars avoided a sweep in the Western Conference final with a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.

Jonathan Marchessault and the Vegas Golden Knights are one more win from reaching another Stanley Cup Final.

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid each scored twice and the Edmonton Oilers tied their Western Conference semifinal series at one game apiece with a 5-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

Chandler Stephenson scored twice and the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Winnipeg Jets from their Western Conference opening-round series with a 4-1 victory in Game 5.

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek was scratched for Game 4 of their first-round NHL playoff series against Dallas because of an injury that cut short his Game 3 after just one shift.

Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron took a skate to his face Tuesday night that required more than 75 stitches.

Four men got on the NHL coaching carousel in the offseason and have all landed in the playoffs with their new teams.

A handful of NHL teams have not only survived but thrived after losing a star player to injury.

The Boston Bruins are atop the NHL standings and running away with the Atlantic Division going into the second half of the season.

Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist, and the St. Louis Blues rallied to beat Vegas 3-2, snapping the Golden Knights’ nine-game winning streak.

Jack Eichel welcomed the boos in Buffalo this time by scoring three third-period goals and adding an assist in his second game against his former team as the Vegas Golden Knights routed the Sabres 7-4.

Phil Kessel celebrated his NHL Ironman record by scoring his 400th career goal and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2.

Phil Kessel matched the NHL record for consecutive games played, Chandler Stephenson scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1.

Pete DeBoer is jumping right back into coaching with the Dallas Stars about a month after he was fired by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Bruce Cassidy has been hired to coach the Vegas Golden Knights a week after being fired by the Boston Bruins.

The Vegas Golden Knights have fired coach Peter DeBoer after they missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

The NHL is launching a faceoff probability stat that uses 10 years of data to determine the likelihood of each player in the circle winning the draw.

Most of the world’s best hockey players are spending this weekend in Las Vegas instead of the Olympic village in Beijing.

Steven Stamkos scored the tiebreaking goal on a third-period power play and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in the final NHL game before an extended holiday break.

Some NHL players say they are unsettled by word that a positive COVID-19 test during the Winter Olympics in China could lead to a long quarantine.

The Arizona Coyotes could be looking for a new home sooner than expected.

Max Pacioretty scored twice and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-3 in a battle of the two newest teams in the NHL.

The Carolina Hurricanes have tendered an offer sheet to Montreal Canadiens restricted free agent Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

Carey Price made 26 saves to lead the Montreal Canadiens to 4-1 road victory over the Vegas Golden Knight, putting the Canadiens one win away from the Stanley Cup Final.

Gerard Gallant expects the New York Rangers to take a big step in his first season as coach.

Carey Price made 29 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 on Wednesday night to tie the Stanley Cup semifinal series at a game apiece.

Shea Theodore had a goal and an assist, Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the first game of the Stanley Cup semifinal.

Alex Pietrangelo scored his first goal of the postseason to break a tie and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche 6-3 in Game 6 to advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon have been named finalists for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.

Mark Stone scored on a breakaway 50 seconds into overtime as the Vegas Golden Knights overcame a two-goal deficit to beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 and take a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Jonathan Marchessault had his fourth career hat trick to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche to tie their second-round series at two games apiece.

Jonathan Marchessault and Max Pacioretty scored 45 seconds apart in the third period to lift the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series.

Ball Arena in Denver has been approved to return to full capacity for the next round of the NBA and NHL playoffs providing fans wear face coverings.

Mikko Rantanen scored a power-play goal 2:07 into overtime, Philipp Grubauer outdueled fellow Vezina Trophy finalist Marc-Andre Fleury and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Vegas forward Ryan Reaves was suspended two games by the NHL for his roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct on Colorado’s Ryan Graves during the Golden Knights’ 7-1 loss in Game 1 of their second-round series Sunday.

Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog each scored twice as the well-rested Colorado Avalanche made quick work of Vegas with their speed, beating the Golden Knights 7-1 in a skirmish-filled Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.

Cam Talbot made 37 saves and the Minnesota Wild beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 despite having only 14 shots on goal to stave off elimination in their opening-round playoff series.

Reilly Smith capped a three-goal second-period surge by the Vegas Golden Knights with the go-ahead score in a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has stopped 63 of 65 shots from the Minnesota Wild over the first two games of their West Division playoff series.

The first-ever playoff game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers could be tough to top.

Joel Eriksson Ek’s goal at 3:20 of overtime lifted the Minnesota Wild past the Vegas Golden Knights 1-0 in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment says state health officials have approved an increased capacity at Ball Arena for Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche playoff games.

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Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and the Vegas Golden Knights became the first NHL team to clinch a playoff berth, beating the San Jose Sharks 5-2 for their eighth straight victory.

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch (89) races for the puck against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period of of Outdoor Lake Tahoe NHL hockey game at Stateline, Nev., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli))STATELINE, Nev. – Nathan MacKinnon scored a dazzling goal more than nine hours after assisting on another to highlight a most unusual and lengthy outdoor game at Lake Tahoe that the Colorado Avalanche won 3-2 over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. Although it’s fair to say that none of those had the picturesque setting of this rink located on the 18th fairway of a golf course on the shores of Lake Tahoe and surrounded by trees with snow-covered mountains towering in the background. Fleury made 36 saves for Vegas and fell to 0-3 in three career outdoor game starts. AdPART 1The Avs controlled the play under the sun, getting an early goal from Girard and outshooting Vegas 17-8 in the first 20 minutes.

Members of the Colorado Avalanche, in white, and the Vegas Golden Knights, red play during the first period of the Outdoor Lake Tahoe NHL hockey game in Stateline, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. The NHL decided to halt the game Saturday afternoon because bright sun and temperatures hovering around freezing led to poor ice conditions that had players and officials repeatedly falling because of holes on the ice. We obviously didn’t want anyone getting hurt. The ice was great.”But the delay didn't alter Bettman's commitment to outdoor games, even in unconventional settings outside of a stadium venue like Lake Tahoe. Both teams were unable to practice on the specially built outdoor rink before Saturday's Vegas-Colorado game because of the ice conditions.

Workers put the finishing touches on the temporary ice rink, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, built at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort, that will host two NHL games, this weekend at Stateline, Nev. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)STATELINE, Nev. – Some players snapped pictures of Lake Tahoe and the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains as they came out for their first look at the picturesque outdoor rink that will host a pair of NHL games this weekend. This is a drop the mic type outdoor rink. The guys really, really enjoyed it today. The only thing we’re missing is fans.”AdWith the COVID-19 pandemic limiting attendance at games, the NHL took the opportunity to hold a pair of outdoor games at a unique setting unlike the 30 previous outdoor games at stadiums.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) celebrates after defenseman Zach Whitecloud, left, scored against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The NHL says Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek has tested positive for COVID-19 after he was removed from playing in a 5-4 win over Anaheim on Tuesday night. The NHL says the Golden Knights home game against the Ducks remains scheduled for Thursday, pending test results of players and staff on both teams. In other coronavirus pandemic developments, Minnesota forward Victor Rask was added to the NHL’s COVID-19 list. The Wild now have 13 players on the list, with their games postponed through at least Saturday.

The development comes a day after the Riveters were not allowed to play their game against the Buffalo Beauts. This provides teams a two-day break as there were no games scheduled for Friday. ___The Vegas Golden Knights’ game against the St. Louis Blues scheduled for Thursday night has been postponed. ___San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, going public with that announcement Thursday to encourage others to receive the shot when they have the opportunity. It’s the right thing to do so we can all get on track again,” Popovich said in the video.

CORRECTS TO SHOOTOUT, INSTEAD OF OVERTIME - St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn (10) scores on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner (90) in the shootout of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)LAS VEGAS – Missing all their coaches, Max Pacioretty and the Vegas Golden Knights still managed to earn a point. David Perron and Brayden Schenn scored in a shootout Tuesday to give the St. Louis Blues a 5-4 victory over Vegas. Pacioretty got his seventh career hat trick for the Golden Knights, who were without their entire coaching staff because of COVID-19 concerns. The Golden Knights were 1 for 6 with a man advantage and are 3 of 26 (11.5%) this season.

(AP Photo/John Locher)The NHL is temporarily ditching microchipped pucks six days into the season after concerns were raised about their performance. The first 44 games this season were played with the “tracking” pucks that players and coaches could tell were a little off. The NHL expects new tracking pucks to be available soon and put back into play after undergoing testing. It's unclear exactly when puck tracking will return or when stats like players' skating speed will be available to the public. But sitting here right now, I couldn’t I couldn’t give you exact timelines.”___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

FILE- In this July 14, 2020, file photo, Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland (5) skates during NHL hockey summer training camp in Las Vegas. Engelland on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, became the latest NHL veteran to step away from hockey before players report to training camps to prepare for the 2021 season (AP Photo/John Locher, File)Deryk Engelland on Tuesday became the latest NHL veteran to step away from hockey before players report to training camps to prepare for a shortened 2021 season. The 38-year-old is moving on after 11 seasons to take a role with the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation. Engelland was the Golden Knights' first local player, selected in the expansion draft after living in Las Vegas for most of his career. ___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2020, file photo, St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo plays against the Nashville Predators in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Nashville, Tenn. The Vegas Golden Knights have agreed to terms on a $61.6 million, seven-year contract with top free agent Pietrangelo, a person with direct knowledge of the move tells The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)Alex Pietrangelo is Vegas bound, and the Golden Knights are shuffling the deck to fit him in. Pietrangelo signed a $61.6 million, seven-year deal with Vegas on Monday that carries an $8.8 million annual salary cap hit through 2027. The Toronto area native flew to Las Vegas on Saturday to meet with the Golden Knights brass and owner Bill Foley, a visit that paved the way for this contract.

FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2020, file photo, Arizona Coyotes left wing Taylor Hall (91) is shown during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, in Glendale, Ariz. The NHL is embarking on a free agent period like never before in hockey history. Defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Torey Krug and winger Taylor Hall headline a talented free agent class. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)It’s 24 hours into NHL free agency — do you know where your top free agents are? Even former Bruins defenseman Torey Krug inked his $45.5 million, seven-year deal with St. Louis on Friday night.

Jacob Markstrom left Vancouver to sign a six-year, $36 million contract with the Calgary Flames. The Wild quickly addressed their goaltending needs after trading Devan Dubnyk to San Jose, by signing Cam Talbot signing a three-year, $11 million deal. — Veteran forward Wayne Simmonds was among the first free agents to sign, reaching a one-year $1.5 million deal with the Maple Leafs. With starting goalie Corey Crawford leaving for New Jersey in free agency, the Blackhawks also signed goalie Malcolm Subban to a two-year, $1.7 million contract. — The Senators and newly acquired goalie Matt Murray agreed to two-year, $25 million deal.