NHL notebook: Isles did 'everything' to retain Tavares

It didn't work out, as Tavares joined the Toronto Maple Leafs on a seven-year
contract worth $11 million annually, but Lamoriello isn't lamenting the effort
he and the Isles made to retain the former No. 1 overall pick.

"First of all, we did everything I think we possibly could to keep John,"
Lamoriello told SiriusXM NHL Network Radio on Thursday. "He's been an
exceptional player for the Islanders and is a quality player. But he now is
with another team, so that's the past."

The Islanders reportedly offered Tavares $11.25 million annually on an
eight-year deal, but the 27-year-old spurned them to join his hometown team.

--Landing Tavares in the free agent market won't prevent the Maple Leafs from
keeping some of their rising young guns, according to Toronto general manager
Kyle Dubas.

Dubas appeared on the podcast "31 Thoughts" and said retaining young forwards
Mitchell Marner, Auston Matthews and William Nylander is doable.

Nylander, 22, is a restricted free agent after scoring 61 points (20 goals, 41
assists) last season. Marner, 21, had a team-best 69 points (22 goals, 47
assists) while the 20-year-old Matthews had 63 points (34 goals, 29 assists)
in just 62 games.

--Ottawa Senators assistant general manager Randy Lee is seeking the dismissal
of two harassment charges against him stemming from a May 31 arrest in
Buffalo, N.Y.

Lee's attorney, Paul Cambria, told the Associated Press that he will enter a
not-guilty plea and file a motion to dismiss during Lee's court appearance
Friday in Buffalo. Lee, who has been suspended by the team, pleaded not guilty
to the original harassment charge during a June 4 court appearance, allowing
him to reclaim his passport and return to Canada. A second charge is scheduled
to be filed at Friday's hearing.

Lee was arrested for allegedly rubbing the shoulders of a 19-year-old male
shuttle bus driver and making lewd comments while he was in town for the NHL
combine. A scheduled court appearance forced him to miss the first day of the
NHL draft last month.

--The Anaheim Ducks have signed former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Andrej
Sustr to a one-year deal.

Terms were not disclosed. Sustr played last season on a one-year, $1.95
million deal in Tampa Bay.

Sustr, 27, totaled 48 points (seven goals, 41 assists) while averaging 17:22
of ice time in 229 games for the Lightning from 2014-2017, including a
career-high 17:42 of ice time for the 2014-15 team that reached the Stanley
Cup Final.

--The Columbus Blue Jackets retained forward Boone Jenner by signing him to a
four-year, $15 million contract.

The deal runs through the 2021-22 season. The 25-year-old Jenner has 161
points (86 goals, 75 assists) through five seasons with the Blue Jackets. He
scored a career-high 30 goals during the 2015-16 campaign.

Jenner, who had 13 goals and 19 assists last season, was a restricted free
agent.

--Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will be sidelined for five to six
months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to repair a
torn meniscus, the team announced.

Weber underwent the surgery on June 19, and doctors found more extensive
damage than originally suspected. He initially underwent left foot surgery in
March, which delayed the procedure on his knee.

"It is important to mention that this procedure could not have been performed
earlier due to his recovery to his previous foot surgery," Canadiens head
physician David Mulder said in a release. "As such, we expect a recovery
period from this latest knee surgery to be five to six months."

--The Detroit Red Wings avoided arbitration with restricted free agent center
Andreas Athanasiou by agreeing on a two-year, $6 million extension, according
to multiple reports.

Athanasiou, who turns 24 next month, played the 2017-18 season on a one-year,
$1.39 million deal that he signed as a restricted free agent in October. He
went on to tally a career-high 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 71 games
while playing 15:19 per game, also a career best.

--The Carolina Hurricanes and restricted free agent Trevor van Riemsdyk agreed
to a two-year, $4.6 million deal to avoid arbitration.

The defenseman was one of 44 players to elect arbitration on Thursday, but the
sides reached an agreement shortly afterward to avoid a hearing. He will make
$2.1 million in 2018-19 and $2.5 million in 2019-20 after playing last season
on a $900,000 salary.

Van Riemsdyk, who turns 27 on July 24, tallied three goals and 13 assists in
79 games for the Hurricanes last season, his first in Carolina after being
acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights for a second-round pick in June 2017.

--Vegas Golden Knights breakout center William Karlsson and Winnipeg Jets
goaltender Connor Hellebuyck are among 44 restricted free agents to elect
salary arbitration, the NHLPA announced.

Karlsson, 25, will be the biggest name to watch during arbitration, as he
comes off a remarkable season in which he erupted for 43 goals and 35 assists.
Hellebuyck, 25, is easily the most accomplished netminder on the list.

Minnesota Wild left winger Jason Zucker and Dallas Stars centers Mattias
Janmark and Devin Shore could see raises in arbitration. Hearings will be held
in Toronto from July 20 to Aug. 4.

--Field Level Media