The most successful coaches in the NHL right now are do not belong to the Rangers

That, of course, is because the Blueshirts – for the moment at least – don't have one and even if they sign Mike Sullivan he'll be ranked 32nd best out of 32.

Picking out the perfect coach for a team is not easy but the Tampa Bay Lightning solved that problem a long time ago with Jon Cooper.

When the Lightning signed him on March 25, 2013 Coop had no NHL experience but had done exceptional work in the AHL. Instead of going for a retread, the Boltd gambled on Cooper and it paid off. 

"Jon has more than proved his worth," says Tampa Bay broadcaster Larry Hirsch. "The fact he's been around for more than a decade says it all for how he has adjusted with the seasons and changes in personnel."

Stanley Cup champion Paul Maurice has an even longer track record, dating back 20 years to the Hartford Whalers. Witty, insightful and wisely self-critical, Maurice walked away from the Winnipeg gig without being pushed.

"Paul instinctively knew that for the Winnipeg Jets' sake – and his sake – it was imperative to withdraw, take stock and reevaluate what works what does not," says The Old Scout. "That's what Sully will have to do if he comes to Rangers."

Right now Sullivan is the ultimate recycled retread with nothing impressive about his work but three missed playoffs in a row with the Penguins.

"Instead of Malkin and Crosby," adds The Old Scout, "his Rangers keys will be Panarin, Shesterkin, some promising kids and Fat Cats. There's nothing about what he did in Pittsburgh that suggests he'll do better on Seventh Avenue."

Mike Sullivan's Departure From Penguins Paves The Way For Rangers To Swoop In The Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Monday morning that they have parted ways with longtime head coach Mike Sullivan.

Chris Drury blew it when he bypassed Rangers farmhand coach Kris Knoblauch for Peter Laviolette. In case you missed it, Knoblauch took Edmonton to the Cup Final last spring and who knows? – might even do it again.

Now we wait and see whether Drury does what everyone thinks he's gonna do; hire Sullivan. If so, New York will be Retread City all over again; except that the Rangers' version inevitably will be just like Pittsburgh's. 

Ersatz!

Rangers' logic defies credulity.

Chris Drury spends the 2024-25 season multiplying mistakes from dumb trades to overpaying fat cats by the ton.

His club misses the playoffs and instead of being booted into the East River the guy gets a new contract. Rangers' illogical logic prevails.

Now the talk is that Mike Sullivan has all but clinched the open head coaching slot and isn't that wonderful when you consider how badly he failed in Pittsburgh that not even his buddy Sid Crosby could save his job. 

With Hall of Famers Crosby and Geno Malkin leading the Penguins' lineup, Sully has missed the playoffs for three straight years.

That should make him a perfect Rangers fit: A. An over-the-hill retread. B. A three-straight loser. Isn't that a wonderful combo. Like tapioca pudding with ketchup. OY VAY!

Owner Jim Dolan's spin on rehiring Drury was...was...was..something like, "I just like this guy and that's all there is to it" kind of spin. 

Well there's gotta be something good about Drury other than his name is easy to spell and he's got a pizza business.

As for Sullivan, well, let's see. Sidney likes him. Geno likes him. Hmmmm!

The talk also has the Bruins wanting sulled Sully. And that figures because the one thing you really gotta love about the Bostonians is that their high command can match the Rangers on the Ineptitude scale.

This is how dopey the Beantown general staff is these days. First, they open the season with good coach Jim Montgomery. Then, they panic durin an early season slump. 

Next they dump Monty who goes to St.Louis and turns the Blues into a playoff team while the Bruins fade and go into non-playoff hibernation.

NHL General Managers Reportedly Believe Mike Sullivan Will End Up With The Rangers Now that Mike Sullivan has officially parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers have already jumped in as the favorites to land the Stanley Cup-winning coach.

Gimme a break. If Mike Sullivan is so good; so desirable perhaps theRangers and Bruins ought to make a lend-lease deal and share him. Hey, you get him for October and we get him for November. 

And we fire him for Christmas!

Does all the Tocchet talk point to coach's return with Flyers? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

As the Flyers search for a new head coach, we’re looking at potential candidates to fill the vacancy.

“Communication and teaching are probably two things that will be at the forefront of our next coach,” general manager Danny Briere said April 19 at his end-of-the-season press conference. “When you have a young team in place, I really think those two attributes are extremely important.”

We started our series with Mike Sullivan. Next up, we profile Rick Tocchet, whose time in Vancouver came to an end Tuesday. The Canucks did not exercise their club option on Tocchet for next season, but wanted him to stay. If the sides didn’t come to terms on a new contract, Tocchet would become a free agent.

And that became the case Tuesday.

“I’m choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks,” Tocchet said as part of a statement released by the team. “Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes the opportune time. While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities in and around hockey.”

We’ll see if Tocchet becomes the Flyers’ top target.

This was from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently on the Donnie and Dhali show: “My bet is if he’s coaching next year, it’s either in Vancouver or Philadelphia.”

And from ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski: “Most of the sources we spoke with expected that Philadelphia would be Tocchet’s next stop if he and the Canucks part ways.”

Why Tocchet would be a fit

There are connections abound with Tocchet and the Flyers.

He adores the city and franchise. He’s in the Flyers Hall of Fame. He and Briere were teammates with the Coyotes and he was a Flyers teammate with president of hockey operations Keith Jones.

“I’m sure the players will tell you, there’s no better place to play,” Tocchet said in November 2021 at his Flyers Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“I don’t think there’s a better fan base in the NHL. You guys support the team, you guys want to win as bad as anybody.”

Not only does Tocchet know what it takes to play in this market, but he has also proven he can coach a little, too. He won the Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year) last season in his first full year with Vancouver. The Canucks put up 50 wins, 109 points and took the eventual Western Conference champion Oilers to seven games in the second round.

This season, Vancouver had a drama-filled year and finished with 90 points (38-30-14) to miss the playoffs.

Overall, though, the Canucks played with structure and smarts. They were tied for the fourth-fewest goals allowed at 5-on-5 in Tocchet’s two full seasons. They made high-percentage plays and limited shots, creating offense through work ethic.

If the Flyers wanted to reinvigorate some of their fan base, landing Tocchet would do the trick. The 61-year-old has the presence to put butts in seats.

He also has three Stanley Cup rings, all with the Penguins — one as a player and two as an assistant coach. He never got a ring in Philly but came oh-so close. Motivation would be pretty high for Tocchet behind the Flyers’ bench.

Why Tocchet would not be a fit

Tocchet is not rich with experience. He has been to the playoffs twice as an NHL head coach and his 11 postseason victories are tied with former Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol.

The 12-win, 19-point drop-off with Vancouver this season might have some feeling that last season was more of an outlier, perhaps that initial jump teams often take under a new voice.

It’s worth noting, though, that Tocchet’s résumé may be a bit skewed from his previous stop. He spent four seasons leading the Coyotes, one of the NHL’s most challenging markets at the time.

As outlined above, Tocchet has a deep Flyers background. Would outside perspective from a younger, up-and-coming coach be a better fit for a rebuilding Flyers team? It’s a question that may be asked.

After the last game of the season, as Montreal Canadiens players were gifting the jerseys they were wearing to lucky fans who had won the “Jerseys Off Our Back” traditional contest, Brendan Gallagher gave his to a special fan. After the alternate captain lost his mother in early March, Lucie Lachance had offered to give him the Hockey Fights Cancer jersey he had worn to honour his mother’s fight with cancer a few years ago.

Canadiens: About That Devastating Hit
Canadiens: After The Warnings, The Fines
Canadiens: Tough Loss In Hard Hitting Battle

As they swapped jerseys on the red carpet, Lachance gave him baby gifts for his newborn daughter, while Gallagher also gifted her with a game-used stick. The next morning, Canadiens V.P. of Communications Chantal Machabee contacted Lachance to tell her the player wanted to give her tickets to a playoff game.

She received a pair of tickets for game four and went to Montreal from her hometown of Gatineau. On her way to the Bell Centre using the metro, she was recognized by a dozen of fans who had seen the video of the jersey swap, and they thanked her for the incredible gesture. She was even hugged by a man who told her he too had lost his mother to cancer and was touched by her good deed.

She realized she was sitting in the players’ friends and family section when she got to the arena. Then, the Canadiens showed the video of the jersey swap on the jumbotron, and Lachance was cheered by the whole arena.

During the game, a few mothers recognized her, including Alex Newhook’s mother, who was particularly moved, and Samuel Montembeau’s mom, who also came over to thank her for what she had done.

She also met one of the most active mothers on social media, Simona Xhekaj, who took a picture with her. While the Canadiens couldn’t pull off the win against the  Washington Capitals on the night, Lachance had a day she won’t forget anytime soon.

Got lucky enough to meet @SimonaXhekaj who was 4 seats away from me. Thank you for the big hug and pic You’re the 🐐❤️❤️❤️ Monthy’s family was right the row below me. Got to see the wags goat from Daryanne up close and talked t her and Sam’s mom. They are the sweetest 🫶🫶 pic.twitter.com/8FhjlHl6iF

— x-Lucie Lachance (@LucieLou08) April 28, 2025

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The Minnesota Wild practiced on Monday morning before playing Vegas for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday. Based on Monday's practice, we could see a few changes for tonight's game against the Golden Knights. 

Zeev Buium, who has played with Zach Bogosian for the first four games of the series, was skating with Declan Chisholm. Jon Merrill was with Bogosian. 

This would mean that Merrill is likely to draw in for Buium. 

Wild head coach John Hynes did not confirm it on Monday, he will on Tuesday later, but all signs point to Merrill slotting in for the Wild for Game 5.

Merrill, 33, played in 70 games for the Wild this season. He had two goals, six points, 85 blocked shots, and 41 hits. He has been with the Wild the last four seasons and has played in eight playoff games for Minnesota. 

In those eight games, Merrill has one assist, 16 blocked shots, four hits, and is a minus-5.

Liam Ohgren was listed on the "black aces" squad for the first four games but was now added to the roster. He traveled with the team to Vegas but is not expected to play. 

Marcus Johansson missed Game 4 with a lower-body injury but is expected to be back for Game 5. 

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' Minnesota Wild page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.

Wild Related News

Former Wild Goaltender Named Vezina Trophy FinalistThe NHL announced the three finalists for the 2024-25 Vezina Trophy today. The trophy is awarded to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position. (4-28-25) Minnesota Wild Practice Update: Eriksson Ek, Ohgren, Johansson, MerrillST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild practiced on Monday morning before going to Vegas for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday. Here are a few notes. Cassidy Hoping Line Changes Spark Golden Knights In Time For Game 5LAS VEGAS -- As the second-seeded Golden Knights saw their opening round series with the Minnesota Wild slipping away, and on the brink of becoming out of hand, coach Bruce Cassidy did what he has done countless times: put his forward lines in a blender.

Jon Cooper sounded frustrated. But he also sounded defeated.

Like someone who had lost control of a situation and had given up trying to get it back.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had just lost 4-2 to the Florida Panthers on Monday night, putting them down 3-1 in a best-of-seven series. But the Lightning coach’s reaction had less to do with the score and more to do with another on-ice incident that is becoming far too common in a series where we’ve seen more instances of star players getting hurt — than showing off their skill.

In Game 2, Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel was suspended for a game after delivering a late hit to an unsuspecting Florida's Aleksander Barkov.

In Game 2, Florida's Matthew Tkachuk was ejected after doing something similar to Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel.

In Game 4, Hagel then received payback for his hit on Barkov, with Aaron Ekblad delivering a forearm to the face of Hagel, who left the game after smacking the back of his head against the ice.

In Game 5, what do we expect?

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live: Reaction To Panthers' Comeback Win Vs. Lightning After Game MisconductWelcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It’s getting tiresome answering questions about a hit every single game,” said Cooper, who asked reporters what they thought about the hit. “If anybody in here has something, stand up and let me know. Alright, let’s move on.”

Adding insult to injury was that Ekblad scored the goal that tied the game 3-3 in the third period. Eleven seconds later, Seth Jones scored the game-winner, putting the Lightning one loss away from being eliminated.

"I want to be consistent with what I've said," Panthers coach Paul Maurice told reporters. "On the Hagel (hit), I saw it. I've seen it before. Saw it last year. We'll all coach, the players will play, the refs will make the calls, and the league will do what they will. I just want to be — I don't want to use this platform to start making my case on this. Everybody's got a job to do. I'll stay in my lane."

In other words, it crossed a line. And it wasn't the first time.

Lightning Coach Jon Cooper Is Sick Of Talking About Dirty HitsGame 4 was an incredibly frustrating one for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After being up 2-1, the Lightning allowed three unanswered goals to the Florida Panthers in the third period and lost by a 4-2 final score. With this, the Lightning are now down 3-1 in the series and need to win their next three games to advance to the second round. If they are unsuccessful in doing so, it will mark the end of their season. 

We all love the physicality of the playoffs. What makes hockey so unlike other sports is that the playoffs are so different than the regular season. It can sometimes be like watching a different sport. There's a different standard.

You can say that there’s a different standard of officiating. But the bigger issue is that there is a different standard of hatred.

Teams are not just trying to win. At times, it seems like they are also trying to hurt. Or injure.

We’re obviously seeing that in the Battle of Florida, which features some of the roughest players in the league. But we’re seeing it everywhere.

In the Battle of Ontario, Ottawa's Artem Zub somehow got away with a headshot on Toronto's John Tavares that prevented the former Leafs captain from being on the ice in overtime in Game 4. The following night, Habs fans were freeze-framing Washington's Tom Wilson’s massive hit on Montreal's Alexandre Carrier to see if it was a headshot or not.

Matthew Tkachuk hit on Jake Guentzel won't lead to disciplinary hearing, per report Matthew Tkachuk will not be facing any supplemental discipline following Game 3 between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Even the coaches are getting in on the action, with Maurice and Cooper taking turns chirping each other in their post-game news conferences.

After the Hagel hit in Game 2, Maurice told reporters: “The only players we hit are the ones that have pucks.”

After Tkachuk hit Guentzel in Game 3, Cooper trolled Maurice by repeating the line: “The only players we hit are the ones with pucks.”

To the refs' credit, they are calling penalties. And to the league's credit, they are doling out suspensions and fines. And yet, it's not really changing anything.

At some point, the players have to police themselves.

Playoffs or not, they can't go around injuring one another and then offering supplemental retribution in the following game. If they do, no one will be left standing by the end of the first round — much less the Stanley Cup final six weeks from now.

Winners And Losers From Week 1 Of The 2025 Stanley Cup PlayoffsWhenever he’s asked about expanding the Stanley Cup playoff pool, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has come up with a response that’s tough to argue: the current format creates the most compelling first round in all of sports. 

After four hard-fought games, the Montreal Canadiens are on the brink of elimination in their first-round series against the Washington Capitals. The Habs had a day off on Monday. Still, alternate captain Brendan Gallagher spoke to the media and explained this was nothing new, reminding the press that Montreal was down 3-1 in their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021.

Canadiens: About That Devastating Hit
Canadiens: Tough Loss In Hard Hitting Battle
Canadiens: After The Warnings, The Fines

Granted, there aren’t that many players left on the team (Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Joel Armia, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Jake Evans), but they are leaders the other players look up too, so leading the way will be nothing new for them when the puck drops on Wednesday night.

Going back even further, in the Spring of 2010, the Habs were also down 3-1 against those same Capitals and ultimately prevailed. Of course, none of the players from then are still around, but the circumstances were similar. The Habs had qualified from the skin of their teeth while the Capitals were the Presidents’ Trophy winners.

Montreal won the first game 3-2 in overtime before losing the next three, including two one-sided games. Still, the Canadiens rose from their ashes thanks to Jaroslav Halak. They put up three consecutive wins to eventually dispatch the regular season champions in seven games on their turf.

The fact that the Canadiens haven’t won a game in Washington so far doesn’t mean they cannot do it. Despite the scoreline of Sunday night’s game, the Habs were in it until the very end and were by no means dominated.

The efficiency of both special teams may also play a significant role in game five. The newly formed first power play unit was impressive in game four and will be hungry for more in game five, especially with the high stakes.

SON NOM : GOAL CAUFIELD#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/DiORuuqqjk

— x - Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 28, 2025

The Canadiens will hold a practice in Brossard at 11:00 on Tuesday morning before departing for Washington at 2:00 PM. They’ll then have a morning skate on Wednesday at 10:30 in Washington to prepare for game five, which is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

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With the shocking news that the Pittsburgh Penguins and longtime coach Mike Sullivan have mutually agreed to part ways, it comes as no surprise that one of the first talking points is who will be the one replace him.

Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas certainly has his work cut out for him. When speaking with the Pittsburgh media on Monday following the announcement of Sullivan's departure, Dubas mapped out the timeline for their coaching search, specifying that the organization expects to name a new head coach in early June.

He also tipped off some ideas about the kind of coach he might be looking for, and the sticking point seemed to be prioritizing the development of their young players as the Penguins navigate a transitional period back to Stanley Cup contention.

With that in mind, here are eight candidates that Dubas should consider for the position.

BREAKING: Penguins And Head Coach Mike Sullivan Mutually Part WaysAfter nearly 10 years, the Pittsburgh Penguins will have a new voice behind the bench for the 2025-26 season.

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The "best-case scenario" category

David Carle

After turning down an opportunity with the Chicago Blackhawks, it remains to be seen whether or not Carle - head coach of the University of Denver Pioneers - is interested in coaching at the NHL level altogether right now. 

But if he is an option, he's certainly someone Dubas shouldn't hesitate to call.

Carle is only 35 years old - so, yes, he's younger than Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby - but if the Penguins are looking for a head coach with a proven track record of success in development, there's arguably no one more fitting than Carle. In seven seasons coaching the Pioneers, he's won two national championships and has a .694 winning percentage. 

He also led Team USA to gold at the World Junior Championship this season, and he will helm the 2025 squad as well. He's great with young players, he knows how to win, and he's the perfect fit for the Penguins if he's open to the position.

Todd Nelson

Although Dubas ruled out first-year Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins head coach Kirk MacDonald as a candidate, that doesn't mean he won't turn to other AHL head coaches as options.

And there's, perhaps, no better such option than Nelson.

A former Penguin as a player, Nelson - head coach of the Hershey Bears, AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals - has shown a proven track record of success at the AHL level. He spent some time with the Chicago Wolves and Grand Rapids Griffins before coaching the Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024, with another potentially on the horizon. 

He also has some experience at the NHL level. Nelson was an assistant coach for the now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers from 2008-10 and for the Dallas Stars from 2018-22. In between, he was named the interim head coach of the Edmonton Oilers in the back half of the 2014-15 season before being replaced by Todd McLellan in the season's aftermath.

Nelson has the right mixture of experience, developmental acumen, and success for the Penguins' vacancy, and he should be a top option in their search.

Rick Tocchet

Although his NHL coaching career has had some ups and downs, there's no denying Tocchet's connections to the Penguins.

In addition to winning the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 1992 as a player, Tocchet was behind the Penguins' bench as an assistant coach during their back-to-back Cup runs in 2016 and 2017 before taking a head coaching position with the Arizona Coyotes the following season, where he remained until the end of the 2021-22 season. 

He was then brought on to coach the Vancouver Canucks in the 2023-24 season, and after leading the team to a Pacific division title, he received the Jack Adams Award for NHL coach of the year. 2024-25 was tumultuous, however, as the Canucks missed the postseason amid a lot of drama surrounding the organization all season long.

Tocchet's contract with the Canucks has expired, and although it's believed that Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford wants to retain the sought-after coach, it's not clear yet what Tocchet's intentions are. 

He has a great relationship with the veteran core of the Penguins, and his reputation with young players is a very positive one. Since both things are crucial to Dubas's plan moving forward, if the Penguins are to choose a "re-tread," there is a very high chance that Tocchet would be their guy.

'I Started To Think That It May Just Be Time': Takeaways From Kyle Dubas's Press Conference Regarding Departure Of Mike SullivanOn Monday, Pittsburgh Penguins’ president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas shook the hockey world when he announced that head coach Mike Sullivan would not be returning to coach the Penguins in 2025-26.

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The "inexperienced but intriguing" category

Mike Hastings

Of all the options on this list, Hastings is certainly the most unproven. But "unproven" may not necessarily be a bad thing in this case.

Hastings was bred from the USHL program, where he racked up both USHL Coach of the Year and General Manager of the Year honors with the Omaha City Lancers over the years. He then turned around a near-irrelevant Minnesota State Mavericks collegiate team from 2012-23, leading them to the Frozen Four in 2021 and earning him a nod as an assistant coach for the 2022 U.S. Men's Olympic team that never came to fruition with the NHL backing out of the games.

He has spent the last two seasons coaching the Wisconsin Badgers with a combined 38-31-5 record.

Hastings is a prime example of a coach who has earned everything he's gotten, rising from his humble beginnings in the USHL and elevating himself to a Big-10 coaching role. That organic growth seems synonymous with what Dubas is looking for.

Aaron Schneekloth

Jumping back to AHL candidates, Schneekloth, 46, has been at the helm for the Colorado Eagles - AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche - for the past two seasons, putting up a very respectable 83-46-10-5 record. Prior to that, the Eagles were actually the ECHL affiliate of the Avalanche, and Schneekloth won back-to-back Kelly Cup championships in 2017 and 2018.

The Eagles are known for their high-octane offense - they led the AHL in goals for this season with 250 - which should go over well with the Penguins and the types of high-end offensive players they have at the top of their lineup. 

He is held in high regard in the Avalanche's system, and he has grown along with the players in that system. If development is a priority, Schneekloth would certainly qualify.

Inside the Numbers: Mike Sullivan's Decade As Penguins Head CoachOn April 28, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they mutually parted ways with head coach Mike Sullivan. As the winningest coach in franchise history, it's a monumental day for the organization, which will begin its search for a new leader for the first time since 2015.

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The "worthwhile re-tread" category

David Quinn

Even though Dubas said that the rest of the Penguins' coaching staff was deemed free to pursue other opportunities - including Andy Chiodo, Ty Hennes, and Mike Vellucci - Quinn's name still remains in the fold because he is still under contract.

It's hard to deny the work that Quinn did with the Penguins' power play this season, and he has some familiarity with the Penguins' players and their system but not enough tenure for any philosophy to be engrained. He's also notorious for his "people skills," which Sullivan himself pointed out multiple times throughout the season.

Since the Penguins are in a transitional period, it might not be the worst idea to have someone around who is somewhat familiar but still relatively fresh. He may not be a long-term option, but he's not necessarily a bad one for the "now." 

'He's Very Detailed': Quinn Makes Impression In First Season As Penguins Assistant CoachPenguins assistant coach David Quinn - who oversees the defense, power play, and overtime - has brought an element of authenticity to the room

Jeremy Colliton

Colliton - who is currently an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils - has a bit of a bumpy track record. His first NHL head coaching gig didn't exactly go swimmingly, as he was named the successor to Joel Quenneville with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018 and was fired almost exactly three years later in 2021 after falling short of expectations.

A former NHL player with the New York Islanders from 2005-11 (three goals, six points in 57 games), he's seen AHL stints with the Rockford Icehogs and Abbotsford Canucks in addition to his NHL experience.

The 40-year-old certainly has more to prove, but he may be worth a gamble by the Penguins and could even be a "bridge" option for them if their rebuild turns out to be longer-term than expected.

Jay Woodcroft

Woodcroft's resume may be short, but that doesn't mean it is lacking.

During the 2021-22 season, Woodcroft was promoted from his position with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors in February and managed to revive an Oilers team that was dead in the water at the time of his hiring, leading them to the Western Conference Finals. The Oilers went 50-23-9 with 109 points in the following season, which was good enough for the second-best regular season finish in the Western Conference.

Even though he was fired after Edmonton's abysmal 3-9-1 start to the 2023-24 season, it felt like Woodcroft had a lot left in the tank. Aside from being an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, however, he hasn't had a coaching gig since, and he has been awaiting another opportunity.

Woodcroft is known for his work with young players, and that's something the Penguins and Dubas will need out of their new coach. He may technically be a "re-tread," but of the non-Tocchet re-treads available, he's probably the most intriguing option.

'We Have To Stick To A Very Concise Plan And Then Execute Our Butts Off': Dubas Clarifies Penguins' Summer PlansTo close out the 2024-25 season, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas spoke with the Pittsburgh media on Monday.

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The Comeback Cats made their first appearance of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday night in Sunrise.

Down by a goal late in the third period, the Panthers struck the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring two incredibly quick goals and winning by a 4-2 final.

Florida now leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 heading back to Tampa.

Both teams did well to limit the others’ opportunities during a scoreless first period.

Tampa finished with six shots on 14 attempts while Florida had six shots on 16 attempts. The Lightning blocked five shots and the Cats blocked four.

Florida finally broke the ice near the midway point of the game.

The play started with Brad Marchand hustling after a puck in Tampa’s zone to negate an icing. After tying the puck up along the boards, Eetu Luostarinen arrived to quickly take the puck and, after drawing a defender, pass it back to Marchand.

With Anton Lundell alone in the slot, Marchand quicky delivered the puck to Lundell, who beat Andrei Vasilevskiy blocker side to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

Not long after, Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad sent Tampa’s Brandon Hagel to the locker room with a crushing check that appeared to get part of Hagel’s head.

That appeared to motivate the Lightning because they quickly scored two goals in the span of just 11 seconds to shock the Panthers and take a 2-1 lead into the third period.

Tampa’s lead led until the final minutes of the third period.

Aaron Ekblad, who had a goal called back earlier in the period due to the play being offside, jumped on a rebound and beat Vasilevskiy at the 16:13 mark to tie the game at two.

Stop me if you’ve heard this already, but just 11 seconds later, a Seth Jones shot from the point went off a skate and past Vasilevskiy to suddenly and shockingly put the Panthers back in front.

Carter Verhaeghe added an empty-net goal to make the already frenzied crowd even louder.

On to Game 5.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Lundell’s goal was his first point of the postseason. He added an assist on Jones’ goal.

Marchand is up to three assists in four playoff games with Florida after notching a pair in Game 4.

Florida went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, including a five-minute major, and is now 14-for-15 in the series when down a man.

Ekblad’s goal was his first since January 25.

Sasha Barkov has four assists in the four games so far this series.

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Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.

After the big game of the night, our experts go live to react to the match that was, break down the key moments and storylines, provide updates on the rest of the night's NHL slate and read your opinions.

On tonight's show, Emma Lingan and Andrew McInnis react to the Florida Panthers beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 after a third-period comeback. It was full of hits, including one that earned Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola a game misconduct.

Panthers Vs Lightning Game 4 - Playoff Frenzy | The Hockey NewsWelcome to Playoff Frenzy Live by The Hockey News presented by STIX.com, where we give our live reactions and break down the latest news to all the biggest g...

They'll also give updates of the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars game as part of a quick look around the NHL.

Check out the show right now and share your opinions in the live chat and in our comment section.    

Heading into the NHL’s 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, we knew there would be brutal battles right from the start of the first round. For the most part, that’s what’s happened. 

In the Western Conference, all four first-round series were tied at two games apiece after Sunday’s games.

With that in mind, let’s look at where the momentum in each of the first-round series is at the moment and whether that’s changed this writer’s pre-playoff predictions. Remember, what follows are educated guesses. You may disagree with some or many of our picks, but that’s the beauty of predictions – there’s rarely consensus, and that’s what makes things so compelling.

Winnipeg Jets (C1) vs. St. Louis Blues (WC2)

Where’s The Momentum? In St. Louis’ favor

Does That Change Our Prediction Of Jets Winning In Six Games? Yes

What’s Our Prediction Now? Blues in seven games 

Why? The Jets narrowly won both games at home to start the series. But the Blues stormed back convincingly, winning Game 3 by a 7-2 score, then pulling even by beating the Jets 5-1 on Sunday. Outscoring Winnipeg by a 12-3 combined score does not bode well for star Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who now has a 4.24 GAA and .817 SP.

In our initial prediction, we believed the Blues would win a couple of games, but they’ve already done that, and the momentum has swung in their direction. Home-ice advantage still favors the Jets, but we’re now of the opinion St. Louis can win a game in Winnipeg, either in Game 5 or Game 7. And if the Blues win in St. Louis, the series will end in the Blues’ favor.

That would spell big moves this summer for the Jets, who will be at a competitive crossroads. But unfortunately for Winnipeg, the Blues can physically dominate the Jets at crucial times, so we're switching up our pick for this series and going with St. Louis in seven games.

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Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Minnesota Wild (WC1)

Where’s The Momentum? In Vegas’ favor

Does That Change Our Prediction Of Golden Knights Winning In Five Games? Yes

What’s Our Prediction Now? Golden Knights in six games

Why? We’re owning our cynicism about the Wild, but we have to give them their due – Minnesota stunned Vegas with 5-2 victories in Games 2 and 3, momentarily stealing home-ice advantage from the Golden Knights, which won Game 1. However, the resilient Knights edged out the Wild in a 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 to even things up.

Obviously, our pick of Vegas in five games must be adjusted, but we’ve seen enough from the Golden Knights to double down on them. They’ve hung on to home-ice advantage without high-impact performances from stars Mark Stone and Jack Eichel, and we don’t believe the Wild will be able to hold that dynamic duo down much longer. 

Vegas has taken Minnesota’s best blow and still managed to keep a series win well within its reach. The Golden Knights should and can win Game 5 to put the Wild on the brink of elimination, and we foresee Vegas winning Game 6 as well to send Minnesota home for the summer. The Knights’ depth separates them from the Wild, and that’s why we’re still comfortable picking Vegas to win this showdown. It’ll just take a couple more games for the Golden Knights to get it done.

Post-Trade Check-In: How Rantanen, Necas And Stankoven Are Faring With New Teams As Playoffs Heat UpThe fallout from the NHL’s biggest blockbuster trade of the past season continues to be seen, as all the main players involved in the trade tree – Dallas Stars right winger Mikko Rantanen, Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven, and Colorado Avalanche left winger Martin Necas – all continue to be active in their team’s Stanley Cup playoff action. 

Dallas Stars (C2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3)

Where’s The Momentum? In Colorado’s favor

Does That Change Our Prediction Of Avalanche Winning In Seven Games? No

What’s Our Prediction Now? Avalanche in seven games

Why? For a while there, the Stars had the Avalanche in a vulnerable position. After Colorado won Game 1 by a 5-1 score, Dallas pushed back by winning 4-3 and 2-1. Despite being behind the Stars, that still tracks for our initial prediction of an Avs series win in seven games.

After Colorado’s 4-0 blanking of Dallas in Game 4 – a game in which the Avalanche outshot the Stars 48-23 – it’s clear the Avs now have the momentum. The Avalanche have already shown they can win on the road in this series, and we expect they’ll win two of the next three games to eliminate the Stars.

Without injured superstar defenseman Miro Heiskanen and left winger Jason Robertson, Dallas doesn’t have the horses to close out a deeper, stronger Avs squad. Colorado flexed its muscles in Game 4, and nothing we’ve seen in the first four games has changed our mind about the winner of this series. Until further notice, the road to the Western Conference final goes through Denver. And Dallas will be the Avalanche’s first of many victims.

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Los Angeles Kings (P2) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P3)

Where’s The Momentum? In Edmonton’s favor

Does That Change Our Prediction Of Kings Winning In Six Games? Yes

What’s Our Prediction Now? Kings in seven games

Why? The Kings scored a ton against the Oilers in this series’ first two games, posting six goals against Edmonton in each of Games 1 and 2. But the Kings weren’t exactly a defensive menace, as they surrendered a combined seven goals in those first two games. And the Oilers pounded the Kings by a 7-4 score in Game 3 before tying the series on Sunday. 

In Games 3 and 4, Edmonton had to overcome multiple Kings leads, and that earned last year’s Stanley Cup finalists more respect in our eyes. That said, we did expect the Oilers to win a couple of games in our first prediction, so we’re not seeing anything that’s a gigantic surprise. 

Yes, the momentum is in Edmonton’s favor, and we expect Edmonton to win another game, but the Kings still have home-ice advantage. That strong play at home is likely to be the difference, but it may take seven games for L.A. to send Edmonton packing. That’s a credit to the Oilers, but we remain a skeptical of Edmonton’s lineup, especially with key defenseman Mattias Ekholm out of action. The Kings remain our pick to win here, even if it takes one additional game to eliminate the Oilers.

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The NHL announced the three finalists for the 2024-25 Vezina Trophy today. The trophy is awarded to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position.

Former Wild goaltender Darcy Kuemper was named one of the three finalists. 

Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the other two.

Kuemper, 34, went 31-11-7 with the Los Angeles Kings this year with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. He ranked second in the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage. 

The 6-foot-5 goaltender was originally drafted by the Wild in 2009. He played in five seasons for the Wild where he went 41-34-14 in 89 games. He had a 2.60 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in his Wild career. 

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' Minnesota Wild page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.

Wild News

(4-28-25) Minnesota Wild Practice Update: Eriksson Ek, Ohgren, Johansson, MerrillST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild practiced on Monday morning before going to Vegas for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday. Here are a few notes. Wild Drop Game 4 With A 4-3 Overtime Loss To VegasST. PAUL - For the fifth time in franchise history, the Minnesota Wild have failed to turn a 2-1 series lead into a 3-1 series lead. In 2022, the Wild had a 2-1 series lead over the St. Louis Blues. In 2023, the Wild had a 2-1 series lead over the Dallas Stars. 

As of 3:30 pm PT, the Vancouver Canucks have yet to extend Head Coach Rick Tocchet, nor has Tocchet’s camp provided any information on him signing with another team. While the two sides are still locked in a stalemate, this morning, reports have broken on why the Canucks and Tocchet have yet to work things out. 

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“I think we’re gonna know soon,” Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said on Donnie & Dhali of whether Tocchet will stay with the Canucks or not. Previously, Friedman reported that a conclusion would be imminent following the end of the regular season. “I don’t know if it’s going to be today, but I had some people say to me this morning, ‘who knows?’”

Friedman also clarified that many hope the decision is made sometime this week. From what Vancouver has said in the past regarding Tocchet’s potential return, it seems as though they are still working hard at keeping him. Friedman noted that, “As of Friday, nobody had been given permission to talk to Tocchet.” Adding on that, today, TSN’s Farhan Lalji reported that other NHL teams have not reached out to Tocchet yet.  

“I think in Vancouver, part of it is contract, a practice facility, Quinn Hughes’ future, and team direction,” Friedman specified. 

If Tocchet were to depart from the Canucks, this would make them the fifth NHL team to have a vacancy at the position of Head Coach since the start of this off-season. Other teams that have recently parted ways with Coaches are the Anaheim Ducks (Greg Cronin), New York Rangers (Peter Laviolette), and Seattle Kraken (Dan Bylsma). Most notably, the Pittsburgh Penguins noted that they are parting ways with longtime Head Coach Mike Sullivan earlier today. Sullivan spent nearly a decade with the Penguins, coaching the team to two back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. 

It’s no secret that Canucks management is fond of bringing familiar players and staff back into their fold. Jim Rutherford, spent around seven years as the Penguins’ General Manager and has brought those he knows to Vancouver throughout his past three and a half years as President of Hockey Operations. Because of this, speculation has risen that Sullivan could end up with the Canucks. However, rumours have also circulated that Sullivan will stay on the east coast and find a new home with the Rangers or Boston Bruins instead. Previously, Tocchet had also been rumoured to be in the running for a job with New York. This has since cooled, as Friedman believes Tocchet’s two options boil down to Vancouver or the Philadelphia Flyers.  

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Pittsburgh Penguins parted ways with longtime coach Mike Sullivan Monday morning in a move many observers have predicted was coming for quite some time. With the Penguins missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the past three seasons, the writing was on the wall for Sullivan, who now is on the free agent market.

However, Sullivan won't be out of work for very long. As a two-time Cup-winning coach, Sullivan has the pedigree every team is looking for. And wouldn't it be great for Buffalo Sabres fans if the Sabres blew their competition out of the water by hiring Sullivan as a replacement for current coach Linday Ruff? 

It might take a serious overpayment for Sullivan to join the Sabres, but there's no salary cap on NHL coaches, and if Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams gave Sullivan some input on roster moves, that might be enough to make the Sabres the preferred destination for Sullivan.

At one point, Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula looked fondly on former Penguins management members, hiring former Pens GM Craig Patrick as a special advisor and Jason Botterill as GM. So making a splash by hiring Sullivan shouldn't be completely out of the realm of possibilty for the Pegulas now. 

There will be many competitors aiming to sign Sullivan as quickly as possible. The Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers all need a new bench boss, and that makes it all the more intriguing for the Sabres to outbid them for Sullivan's services. The Bruins, Flyers and Rangers are teams Buffalo will be battling for a playoff berth next season, and spending extra money to acquire Sullivan would be a huge coup for the Sabres.

That said, Buffalo will have to move fast to land Sullivan. In our estimation, Sullivan will be off the market in a matter of weeks, if not days. And if that means the Sabres have to bid farewell to Ruff, so be it. The St. Louis Blues wasted no time in firing coach Drew Bannister in November when Jim Montgomery came available, and that's the type of aggressive move a team needs to make when a quality coach hits the open market.

Sabres' Off-Season Must Radically Shake Up Team CultureThe Buffalo Sabres' off-season has many priorities, includng getting the team's seven RFAs signed to contract extensions. But the overarching change for the franchise is clear: there has to be an extensive culture change, one that charts a new course for an organization that has flailed often as it tries to end what is now a 14-year stretch without any Stanley Cup playoff action. 

Nobody will expect the Sabres to win the battle for Sullivan, and that's exactly why Buffalo ownership needs to do it. If it's true that fortune favors the bold, the Sabres need to heed that truth and bring in a proven champion to effect a major culture change on and off the ice. That's exactly what Sullivan has the skills to do.

Sullivan is a winner, and no team needs more winners than the Sabres right now. A motivated owner would and should spare nothing to add a difference-maker behind the bench, and Sabres fans would be rightfully-delighted if Buffalo did outbid the rest of the field and came away with Sullivan on board.

If the Sabres want to be considered as a destination for players, they need to show it's a destination for management members, and that process can start by hiring Sullivan. It won't be easy, but moves of consequence rarely are. And that's why Buffalo should shock the league and make Sullivan a key component for many years to come.