What happened: Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the NHL was unhappy with Chicago shopping pending unrestricted free agent Ilya Mikheyev's rights and circulated a memo to all teams. The league reminded clubs that tampering fines can reach $5 million and that personnel can be suspended and draft picks forfeited. Chicago reportedly wanted to let Mikheyev gauge his market value, which the league does not permit before free agency opens.

Why it matters: The memo signals the NHL is policing pre-free-agency contact more aggressively with the offseason approaching. For the Blackhawks, it closes off a path to manage Mikheyev's departure and could chill similar maneuvering across the league.

What to watch: Watch whether the league names Chicago publicly or levies a fine, and how the warning affects Mikheyev's timeline once free agency opens.