CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Blackhawks and free-agent center Carl Soderberg have agreed to a $1 million, one-year contract, bolstering the team’s forward depth after it lost Kirby Dach and Alex Nylander to injuries.

The 35-year-old Soderberg had 17 goals and 18 assists in 70 games for Arizona last season. Soderberg, listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, also appeared in nine postseason games, collecting a goal and an assist.

”Carl is an experienced center who plays a strong two-way game and adds an element of size to our group of centermen,” president of hockey operations Stan Bowman said Saturday in a statement. ”He has shown the ability to score and match up, which is critical in today’s game, and he also brings consistency and versatility to the team, evidenced by his usage on both special teams as well as even-strength play.”

Soderberg made his NHL debut in 2013 with Boston. He has 103 goals and 177 assists in 552 regular-season games with the Bruins, Avalanche and Coyotes.

Soderberg finished with at least 35 points in each of the past three seasons. He scored a career-high 23 goals during the 2018-19 season with Colorado.

Soderberg could help make up for the loss of Dach, who injured his right wrist while playing for Canada’s world junior team during an exhibition against Russia on Wednesday night. Dach was headed back to Chicago for evaluation, and there was no word from the team about how long he might be out.

Nylander, another young forward, could miss the entire 2021 season because of a left knee injury. Nylander had surgery Monday to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee.

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CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Blackhawks and free-agent center Carl Soderberg have agreed to a $1 million, one-year contract, bolstering the team’s forward depth after it lost Kirby Dach and Alex Nylander to injuries.

The 35-year-old Soderberg had 17 goals and 18 assists in 70 games for Arizona last season. Soderberg, listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, also appeared in nine postseason games, collecting a goal and an assist.

”Carl is an experienced center who plays a strong two-way game and adds an element of size to our group of centermen,” president of hockey operations Stan Bowman said Saturday in a statement. ”He has shown the ability to score and match up, which is critical in today’s game, and he also brings consistency and versatility to the team, evidenced by his usage on both special teams as well as even-strength play.”

Soderberg made his NHL debut in 2013 with Boston. He has 103 goals and 177 assists in 552 regular-season games with the Bruins, Avalanche and Coyotes.

Soderberg finished with at least 35 points in each of the past three seasons. He scored a career-high 23 goals during the 2018-19 season with Colorado.

Soderberg could help make up for the loss of Dach, who injured his right wrist while playing for Canada’s world junior team during an exhibition against Russia on Wednesday night. Dach was headed back to Chicago for evaluation, and there was no word from the team about how long he might be out.

Nylander, another young forward, could miss the entire 2021 season because of a left knee injury. Nylander had surgery Monday to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee.

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TORONTO (AP) The NHL believes all seven Canadian teams will be able to start the season playing in their home arenas.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Thursday the league believes it is clear to play in Canada during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic after discussions with the five provincial governments that have NHL teams to try to gain approval to start Jan. 13.

”On the basis of our discussions in the past week, as well as our exchange of correspondence over the last 24 hours, we believe we are aligned and in agreement on the conditions on which each of our Canadian franchises can begin play in their own buildings,” Daly said.

The NHL realigned its divisions for the season so that the North Division – which features all seven Canadian teams – would not have to cross the U.S.-Canada border, which remains closed to non-essential travel until at least Jan. 21.

The league released its schedule Wednesday, with each team playing 56 games instead of the usual 82.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are scheduled to host the Montreal Canadiens, while the Edmonton Oilers are slated to face the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 13 as part of a five-game schedule on opening night.

The Winnipeg Jets open Jan. 14 against the visiting Calgary Flames, while the Oilers and Canucks meet again in Edmonton.

The Ottawa Senators start their season Jan. 15 against visiting Toronto, the first of two games in two days between the Ontario rivals in the nation’s capital.

Baseball-style series are common as the league attempts to reduce travel. For example, the Canadiens and Senators are each scheduled to play three straight games in Vancouver in January.

TORONTO (AP) The NHL believes all seven Canadian teams will be able to start the season playing in their home arenas.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Thursday the league believes it is clear to play in Canada during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic after discussions with provincial health authorities.

The league has been involved in discussions with the five provincial governments that have NHL teams to try to gain approval to start play Jan. 13.

The NHL realigned its divisions for the season so that the North Division – which features all seven Canadian teams – would not have to cross the U.S.-Canada border, which remains closed to non-essential travel until at least Jan. 21.

The league released its schedule Wednesday.

CHICAGO (AP) Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach has been ruled out for the world junior championship after he hurt his right wrist during Canada’s exhibition victory over Russia on Wednesday night.

The Blackhawks said Dach was returning to Chicago on Thursday for further evaluation.

Dach, who turns 20 on Jan. 21, was injured on what seemed like a harmless bodycheck in the neutral zone in the third period. After the hit, the Canada captain pulled off his glove, skated off the ice and went directly to the locker-room area in Edmonton, Alberta.

Dach was selected by Chicago with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft. He had eight goals and 15 assists in 64 games during his rookie season with the Blackhawks.

Dach’s injury is another tough blow for rebuilding Chicago after it announced Wednesday that Alex Nylander, another young forward, could miss the entire 2021 season because of a left knee injury. Nylander had surgery Monday to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee.

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils have agreed to terms with center Dawson Mercer on a three-year entry-level contract.

General manager Tom Fitzgerald announced the tentative deal with Mercer, who was the 18th pick overall in the recent draft. He was the Devils’ second of three first-round picks.

Mercer is currently representing Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championship in Edmonton, Alberta. He is one of six returning players who won gold at the 2020 tournament.

Mercer had 69 goals and 88 assists in 176 junior hockey league games.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Nashville Predators have signed forward Mikael Granlund to a one-year, $3.75 million contract, bringing him back to the team that traded for him in February 2019.

They also signed one of his former teammates, adding forward Erik Haula on a one-year, $1.75 million deal Wednesday.

Granlund had 30 points last season with Predators. His 17 goals were the third highest of his eight-year NHL career and ranked fourth on the Predators. He tied for the team lead with four game-winning goals.

His production picked up after the Predators hired coach John Hynes on Jan. 7. Granlund had 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in Nashville’s final 28 games.

The 28-year-old from Oulu, Finland, originally was drafted with the ninth pick overall in 2010 by Minnesota. He has 352 career points in the NHL, with 35 in 79 games with Nashville.

Haula, 29, scored 24 points in 48 games with Carolina and Florida last season. He helped Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 with a career-high 29 goals and 55 points. The 6-foot, 193-pound forward has appeared in 405 career NHL games and played with Granlund between 2013-2017 in Minnesota.

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CHICAGO (AP) Chicago Blackhawks forward Alex Nylander could miss the entire 2021 season because of a left knee injury.

The 22-year-old Nylander got hurt during the playoffs. Team physician Michael Terry said Wednesday that Nylander rested and then trained conservatively, but symptoms returned when he started to skate again.

Nylander had surgery Monday to repair a meniscus tear in the knee but is not expected to return to hockey-related activities for four to six months.

The Blackhawks were hoping the inconsistent Nylander might be able to take a step forward this year. But the abbreviated 56-game schedule ends in May, giving Nylander a small window for a possible return.

Nylander was drafted by Buffalo with the No. 8 pick in the 2016 draft. He was traded to Chicago in July 2019 for Henri Jokiharju, another former first-round pick who has become a promising young defenseman for the Sabres.

Nylander had 10 goals and 16 assists in 65 games in his first season with Chicago. He has 13 goals and 19 assists in 84 career NHL games.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Nashville Predators have signed forward Mikael Granlund to a one-year, $3.75 million contract, bringing him back to the team that traded for him in February 2019.

General manager David Poile announced the deal Wednesday.

Granlund had 30 points last season with Predators. His 17 goals were the third highest of his eight-year NHL career and ranked fourth on the Predators. He tied for the team lead with four game-winning goals.

His production picked up after the Predators hired coach John Hynes on Jan. 7. Granlund had 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in Nashville’s final 28 games.

The 28-year-old from Oulu, Finland, originally was drafted with the ninth pick overall in 2010 by Minnesota. He has 352 career points in the NHL with 35 in 79 games with Nashville.

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils have re-signed restricted free agent goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to a three-year, $8.4 million contract.

General manager Tom Fitzgerald announced the deal for the Devils’ No. 1 goaltender on Wednesday.

”Mackenzie is going to be one of the key young, core pieces for this organization for a long time and we are excited and extremely happy to have him under contract,” Fitzgerald said. ”He’s obviously shown that he can be a number one goalie, and the sky’s the limit for him.”

Blackwood will earn $1.48 million this coming season. His salary will jump to $2.8 million the following season and $4.12 million in 2022-23.

Blackwood posted a 22-14-8 record with a 2.77 goals-against average and three shutouts in a season that was paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic and later restarted by going straight into the playoffs with 24 teams. The recently turned 24-year-old had a .915 save percentage.

The Devils went 28-29-12, missing the playoffs.

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