Around the NHL: Pending UFA Lucic wants to keep playing; Blues fire asst. coaches

Calgary Flames forward Milan Lucic says he wants to keep playing next season.

A pending unrestricted free agent this summer, the 34-year-old Lucic had a personal-low 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 77 games this season.

Lucic was on the final year of a seven-year, $42-million deal he signed with the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton traded Lucic to the Flames in the summer of 2019.

The Vancouver native has 233 goals and 351 assists for 584 points along with 1,299 penalty minutes in 1,173 career NHL games with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Oilers and Flames.

Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher revealed on Friday that he broke his ankle — twice — this season.

The veteran said he broke his ankle blocking a shot in the 12th game of the season, then tried to play through the injury, only to break it again. Gallagher said, in hindsight, this was a bad idea and that he'd have to be smarter in the future.

Fellow forward Sean Monahan had a similar admission, revealing that attempting to play on a broken foot led to the groin injury that ended his season early. Monahan, who was in his first season in Montreal after a trade from Calgary and is an unrestricted free agent, said he would like to return to the team. The 28-year-old was on the last year of a $6.3 million deal that he signed in 2016.

With their season over, the Canadiens have loaned defenceman Frederic Allard and forwards Lucas Condotta and Joël Teasdale to AHL Laval.

The Rocket are trying to nail down the final playoff spot in the North Division this weekend.

N.Y. Islanders

Islanders forward Mathew Barzal says he intends on playing in Game 1 of New York's first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic.

Barzal has been out of the lineup since Feb. 20 with a lower-body injury. The 25-year-old has 14 goals and 51 points in 58 games this season with the Islanders.

Ottawa Senators

Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot revealed on Friday that he has a cracked bone in his wrist. The 26-year-old had 11 goals and 41 points this season, the second most of this career, while averaging 24:58 minutes of ice.

Forward Alex DeBrincat says he is open to discussions about a long-term deal with the team.

Acquired in a major deal with the Blackhawks last summer, DeBrincat is a restricted free agent this summer and could return on a $9-million qualifying offer.

DeBrincat, 25, had 27 goals and 39 assists for 66 points in 82 games this season — 14 fewer goals and down 12 points from last year.

Meanwhile, defenceman Travis Hamonic told reporters at locker clean-out day on Friday that he hopes to return to the Senators. An unrestricted free agent this summer, Hamonic had six goals and 15 assists in 75 games this season, averaging 18:34 of ice per game.

Goalie Cam Talbot, who is an unrestricted free agent, acknowledged his return to Ottawa looks uncertain. Talbot, who was acquired last summer from Minnesota for Filip Gustavsson, struggled with injuries all season and posted a 17-14-2 record, to go with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage.

Defenceman Nick Holden said the team has told him he won't be invited back.

Holden had two goals and 14 assists in 65 games while playing on a one-year, $1.3-million deal.

Forward Austin Watson says "things would have to fall in place for him" for him to return to the Senators. The 31-year-old is looking for a multi-year deal.

Watson had nine goals and two assists in 75 games this season.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues fired assistant coaches Craig MacTavish and Mike Van Ryn on Friday.

A former Edmonton Oilers head coach, MacTavish joined the Blues as an assistant this season.

Van Ryn was an assistant the past five seasons with the Blues.

St. Louis missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018 this season.