As the Buffalo Sabres' off-season continues to unfold, there are many voices arguing the team should be doing what many NHL teams are doing -- namely, augmenting their front office with a veteran voice who has many years as a successful GM in hockey's top league. And the Los Angeles Kings are the latest organization to do exactly that, hiring former Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland Wednesday as the Kings' new GM. 

To be sure, Holland's incredible experience as a Stanley Cup winner and team-builder was behind L.A.'s decision to insert him as replacement for longtime GM Rob Blake. The Kings have been a solid regular-season team for many years, but Los Angeles' inability to win a playoff round in Blake's tenure led to the decision to replace him with Holland. It was time for a change for the Kings, and L.A. went with a proven winner in Holland.

And while there are no guarantees Holland will guide the Kings to playoff success, the Sabres need to heed the example set by L.A. and figure out which experienced and available management member will at the very least help current Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams, and at the very most serve as Adams' replacement if and when Sabres ownership chooses to pink-slip Adams.

Does that addition have to be Lou Lamoriello? No, not at all -- although the Sabres could do far worse than the former New Jersey, Toronto and New York Islanders GM. But certainly, bringing in someone who doesn't have any experience as an NHL GM -- we're looking at you, new Sabres management hire Eric Staal -- doesn't mean Buffalo should stop hiring management members to assist Adams.

Indeed, there's no salary cap limit on front office members, so Sabres ownership can hire as many experienced hands as they can get. And while there is such a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen, adding someone who knows the terrain of the NHL leadership landscape can only help Buffalo.

The Sabres are going to be under incredible pressure just to make the playoffs next sesaon, let alone win a round or two. So having someone on board who's handled that kind of pressure and thrived in spite of it is exactly what the doctor ordered for this franchise at this point in Buffalo's history. The Sabres need someone whose temperature won't be in fever territory when things get difficult, and that almost assuredly means they need someone who's seen just about everything there is to see as they try to construct a year-in, year-out winner. 

Staal Hired By Sabres As Special Assistant To Adams The Buffalo Sabres were expected to make some changes to their coaching and management staff in the wake of their 14th straight season missing the playoffs, and on Wednesday, the club announced the hiring of former Sabre Eric Staal as a special assistant to GM Kevyn Adams. 

You can argue that Adams deserves another kick at the can as Sabres GM -- and while we don't necessarily agree with that perspective, you can't convince us that Adams should be charting a course for Buffalo without the assistance and feedback of someone who's achieved something as an executive that Adams hasn't yet achieved.

Time will tell how the Sabres flesh out the rest of their management team, but one thing is for certain -- if all they do in this off-season is hire Staal to help Adams out, they haven't done nearly enough to give themselves a bona fide opportunity to finally break their now-14-year playoff drought. And the blame for that will fall squarely at the feet of Buffalo ownership.

There should be no expense too rich for the Sabres to turn things around at the management level, and hiring someone like Holland to help reverse the team's fortunes is the very least they can do. Holland's hiring in L.A. is the latest instance of an NHL team hedging their bets with a GM who's seen and done it all, and Buffalo needs someone very similar to him in order to end the playoff-free streak and get the Sabres back on the winning track.

J.T. Miller has a hobby outside of playing hockey and that is golf. 

With the New York Rangers not making the playoffs, Miller decided to attempt to qualify for the 2025 U.S. Open Golf Championship. 

J.T. Miller Knows Mike Sullivan Can be ‘Straightforward’ With HimJ.T. Miller and Mike Sullivan might be a match made in heaven. 

Unfortunately for Miller, he did not make the cut after he finished a 4-over-par 76 in the initial round of local qualifying, falling four strokes back of the cut line in the one-day, 18-hole event at Quicksilver Golf Club.

“It was hard,” Miller said via NHL.com. “It got windy. I thought it would be harder with the rain. ... I had a month to practice. So, I felt good coming in here. Typically, it always comes down to making putts. That’s what those guys are a lot better at doing.”

Regardless of the result, Miller is still happy he at least attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open and he has no regrets.

“I had an opportunity to play for one day,” said Miller. “I know who I’m playing against out there. I’m a competitive guy, so I just kept the expectations realistic. I’m happy with myself.”

It’s safe to say Miller hopes to be competing for a Stanley Cup with the Rangers next year as opposed to playing golf. 

“The goal is not to be available to play in this,” Miller said. “Unfortunately, that’s what happens.”

Coaching is an essential part of hockey, especially in the NHL. Every successful team has a head coach who puts his players in the best position to succeed. Right now, the Chicago Blackhawks have a vacancy in that role. 

After Anders Sorensen completed his interim head coaching stint, replacing the fired Luke Richardson, it became obvious that Kyle Davidson and his staff would conduct a widespread search for the next bench boss. 

A few high-end candidates have come and gone. David Carle, who was at the top of Chicago’s list, will remain the head coach of Denver in the college ranks. Mike Sullivan was fired by the Pittsburgh Penguins and hired by the New York Rangers just a few days later. 

On Wednesday, two more coaching vacancies filled up. Rick Tocchet, who left the Vancouver Canucks on April 29th, was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers. There had been speculation for weeks that Tocchet would go to Philly, and it finally came to fruition. 

A few hours later, the Vancouver Canucks announced that Adam Foote, their assistant coach, would take over as the bench boss in place of Tocchet. This move will be met with mixed reviews, but another team is off the market for a new coach. 

The Blackhawks are left with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Seattle Kraken as the only teams with a hole to fill behind the bench. Of the four, the Blackhawks have the best situation in terms of prospects and draft picks to build around. 

The Bruins, Kraken, and Penguins have also all had their rumors and speculation. The Blackhawks, outside of Carle, have not. Kyle Davidson, outside of saying that Anders Sorensen is in the mix for the job, has not let anything leak. Nobody knows who he likes, who has interviewed, or has a sense of where they are in the process.

It won't be long before something happens. The dominoes are falling around the league now, and the options for candidates are dwindling. If a young team with a bright future is what an incoming coach wants, Chicago is their best bet of the four remaining. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The Vegas Golden Knights are preparing for a must-win Game 5 with the possibility that their captain, Mark Stone, won't be with them, according to Sin Bin Vegas.

The 33-year-old suffered an upper-body injury in Game 3 and was immediately announced day-to-day. He was a full participant in practice before Game 4 and played 21:42 of ice time. The injury has seemingly gotten worse and will force him to be out for a must-win Game 5. 

Multiple sources have confirmed to us that VGK are proceeding forward with the expectation that Mark Stone will NOT play tonight.

Both McNabb and Pietrangelo are expected to go.

Brandon Saad is not expected back in this series.

— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 14, 2025

With Stone out, Cole Schwindt will likely check into the lineup as he did not stay after practice with the expected healthy scratches. If he does play, it'll be Schwindt's playoff debut. 

Brandon Saad has been nursing a lower-body injury, which has kept him out of the lineup since Game 2. 

Fortunately for the Golden Knights, Kaedan Korczak and Ben Hutton remained on the ice after practice, indicating that although Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden McNabb did not skate, they should be in line to play. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

"Show up and put your best foot forward"; Golden Knights Head Into A Must Win Game 5 With A Clear MindsetIt's been a poor display by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the playoffs, and now they find themselves on the brink of elimination, trailing the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 in the series.

Injuries to Artem Zub and Nick Jensen highlighted the Ottawa Senators' need for greater quality of depth on the right side throughout the 2024-25 season.

Their absences created opportunity, and to his credit, Nik Matinpalo parlayed his emergence as a credible depth option into a two-year, one-way extension carrying an average annual value of $875,000.

Despite the 26-year-old Finn's arrival, the reluctance of the coaching staff to move Matinpalo off the third pairing when faced with injuries underscores the necessity of finding better quality of depth. It is essential with the uncertainty of Jensen's recovery and timetable from his undisclosed lower-body injury and the impact it may have on his offseason.

Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more. 

General manager Steve Staios discussed Jensen's injury at his end-of-the-season media availability before acknowledging that it could influence his decision to address the right defence position this offseason.

"I can tell you that just about every one of our players was dealing with something when you play as hard as they did," the general manager stated. "The commitment they've shown, they played through a lot, including Nick. He's an absolute warrior to continue to perform at a level with what he was dealing with.

"It's the character of the individual Nick, but all of them. I'm not going to come out with any list and speak specifically to injuries. But, he will get re-evaluated, and if it is something significant, that's definitely an area to to look at. We have some players coming up, but that'll be an area to look at for sure."

Should the Senators' front office look to add another quality defenceman, the free agent options will be limited.

The Florida Panthers' Aaron Ekblad headlines the class, but the relatively weak crop of free agents means his combination of age (29) and championship pedigree will make him highly sought after. The demand for him will drive his cost, likely pricing him out of the Senators' range, assuming he would be interested in coming to this market in the first place.

Another unrestricted free agent who will likely command some decent money coming off a strong season in Columbus is Dante Fabbro. The 26-year-old rearguard had his best season in the NHL, recording nine goals and 26 points in 62 games for the Blue Jackets.

As one of the youngest players on the free agent market, that consideration alone will afford Fabbro a real opportunity to earn a significant raise on this season's $2.5 million salary.

Regarding the Senators, I do not see a fit for Fabbro. Most of his value is tied to his puck-moving and offensive abilities, and with the presence of Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Nick Jensen, the Senators already have several of these types.

Adding size, physicality, and defensive aptitude to their top four should be the preferred route. A free agent like Nick Perbix could make more sense, but the risk is that he predominantly played a third-pairing role on an excellent Lightning team. HockeyViz's data show that his minor isolated impacts suggest he's closer to a league-average player than not, so the risk is overpaying for a defenceman who could be worse playing an elevated role on a weaker team.

The rest of the unrestricted free agent options are underwhelming, which will pressure the Senators to make a trade and fill that void.

Local talent Mackenzie Weegar would be a pipe dream if the Senators could pry him out of Calgary, but a Flames defenceman they should avoid is Rasmus Andersson. The 28-year-old Swede will enter the 2025-26 season in the final year of his six-year contract, carrying a $4.55 million cap hit.

Calgary is known for its 'Sea of Red', but a close inspection of Andersson's underlying metrics reveals its own sea of red.

Andersson played with a broken fibula down the stretch last season, which would have explained his horrendous metrics, but Andersson's defensive metrics have cratered in recent seasons. Evolving-Hockey's 'total defence' metric (DEF) combines all of a player's defensive contributions at five-on-five and shorthanded into a single value. This proprietary metric shows that Andersson has not created positive defensive value since the 2021-22 season.

His performance while playing hurt could help the Senators buy low, but if Andersson's defensive metrics continue to suffer, it would put the team in a difficult position. The Senators already have one of the thinnest farm systems in the league, so they can ill afford to trade prospect capital or valuable draft currency for a player who will not address a need.

If the Senators are going to move that capital, they would be better suited moving picks for more predictable veterans like Connor Murphy or Andrew Peeke. Alternatively, they could target younger options who could grow with this core, like Simon Nemec or a Jordan Spence (who, admittedly, is a smaller puck-moving type who relies on skating and his stick to defend well).

While researching prospective defencemen to target, one of the things that struck me was how many organizations are willing to use defencemen on their off-side. One solution for the Senators could be to use Tyler Kleven in this capacity, freeing them from using resources to bring in a top-four defenceman.

Kleven has experience playing his off-side from his time at the University of North Dakota. The maturation and growth that he displayed down the stretch and into the postseason was remarkable. He was already one of the team's best defenders, but watching his poise and play with the puck improve markedly leaves me wondering whether or not he could thrive in this role if given the opportunity.

The Senators could elevate Kleven and sign an excellent defender like Jon Merrill, giving the Senators three strong pairings.

If the Senators elect to acquire a right-shot defenceman, however, there is an option that they should consider pursuing.

Why 2024-25 Was The Best Season Yet For Senators Centre Tim StützleOttawa Senators centre Tim Stützle just enjoyed the best season of his NHL career.

If you are a regular viewer of the 'Coming in Hot Podcast' and saw yesterday's episode, you will have seen me mention the name of Michael Kesselring.

The 25-year-old right-shot defenceman stands at 6'5" and 216 lbs. He registered seven goals and 29 points in 82 games while averaging 17:41 of ice time per game. Kesselring finished tied for 32nd amongst NHL defencemen in blocked shots with 124 while tying for 69th in hits with 87.

His most iconic NHL moment occurred during a tilt in which the Maple Leafs' Simon Benoit attempted a Superman punch, but Kesselring possesses a nice mix of traditional hockey stats and analytics.

Although he played almost exclusively with noted analytics darling and legendary Senators defenceman Ian Cole, Kesselring's defensive numbers were strong.

When Kesselring was on the ice at five-on-five, Utah generated 53.91 percent of shots (CF%), 53.79 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 56.47 percent of the goals (GF%), and 54.05 percent of the expected goals (xGF%) per NaturalStatTrick.

According to HockeyViz's data, Utah was a stronger defensive team with Kesselring on the ice than off it.

Evolving-Hockey's data substantiate Kesselring's defensive gains. According to their DEF metric, Kesselring posted his first positive season of defensive value, accumulating the second-highest DEF among Utah's regular defencemen behind Olli Maata.

Advanced Hockey Stats also recognized his defensive improvements.

Kesselring is entering the last year of his two-year contract, worth a real and average annual value of $1.4 million. He has one year left of restricted free agent status before he can become an unrestricted free agent, meaning, he should have some negotiating leverage on his next deal.

It may also represent the last opportunity to acquire Kesselring before his value and price tag go up significantly.

If the belief is that his offensive value can be preserved while his defensive aptitude continues to trend up, he could be an interesting target for consideration.

Given the alternatives, it may not be a bad bet. 

Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News Ottawa

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It's been a poor display by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the playoffs, and now they find themselves on the brink of elimination, trailing the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 in the series.

Heading into Game 5 at home, coach Bruce Cassidy wants his players to play their game and give everything they've got. 

"This has got to be something you embrace if you expect to be the last team standing... It's on. Show up and put your best foot forward and see what happens," said Cassidy about this series.

Cassidy previously mentioned that with all due respect to the other six teams in the division, he believes the Golden Knights and the Oilers are the two "kings" of the division. The previous two seasons indicate that he is correct. The Oilers were the final Western Conference team standing last season, and the year prior, it was the Golden Knights. Once again, the final two Pacific Division teams are the Golden Knights and the Oilers. 

The key difference between the two teams this season is that the Oilers have embraced a step-on-their-throat mentality, something the Golden Knights have uncharacteristically lacked this postseason. 

The Golden Knights went up 2-0 in Game 1 but took their foot off the gas and allowed the Oilers to steal Game 1. With momentum on their side, the Oilers found another way to pull out an overtime win. The Golden Knights scored a clutch last-second winner in Game 3, but Game 4 was once again all Oilers.

They took an early lead and shut out the Golden Knights, outshooting them 32-23. Working their way back into the series with the mindset the Oilers have developed will be difficult, but the Golden Knights don't have any other option than to put their head down and find a way to get positive results. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

EDMONTON – It’s hard enough on teams in the playoffs.

The playoffs are a grueling endeavor, no matter if you play for the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, or Winnipeg Jets.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. 

The Oilers were able to weather the storm of injuries to Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, Mattias Ekholm, Stuart Skinner, and Zach Hyman at the end of the year before starting the playoffs. Since then, they have only had the injury of Calvin Pickard crop up as a result of postseason play.

With a 3-1 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights, the Oilers will play the same lineup for Game 5 in Vegas on Wednesday night.

The Golden Knights aren’t so lucky.

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Wounded Golden Knights Will Hobble Out Against Oilers

The Golden Knights ran some curious line combinations and defense pairings at Wednesday's morning skate. Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden McNabb, Brandon Saad, and Mark Stone were absent.

After practice, the players who were taking Pietrangelo and McNabb’s spots in line rushes stayed out with the healthy scratches. That seems to indicate that the Golden Knights defense pairings will (likely) remain unchanged.

However, the Golden Knights-centric publication SinBin.vegas reports on X that Saad will not return for this series and Stone will not play Game 5.

Multiple sources have confirmed to us that VGK are proceeding forward with the expectation that Mark Stone will NOT play tonight.

Both McNabb and Pietrangelo are expected to go.

Brandon Saad is not expected back in this series.

— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 14, 2025

This is massive news for the Oilers, just as much as it is for the Golden Knights. Stone is an incredibly challenging player to play against, which makes the Oilers job just a touch easier without him in the lineup.

This will be something to watch out for tonight during warmups, as Golden Knights head coach labelled all four players as “game-time decisions.”

One way or another, there will be a lot to pay attention to with Wednesday night’s potential series-clinching game.

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The Philadelphia Flyers hired Rick Tocchet as the 25th coach of the franchise on Wednesday. 

Tocchet returns to the Flyers organization behind the bench after playing 11 seasons for the team in his playing days.

Philadelphia’s coaching gig opened up when they fired John Tortorella on March 27. Associate coach Brad Shaw filled in on an interim basis until the end of the season, and the Flyers finished last in the Eastern Conference.

“I am very happy to welcome Rick Tocchet as our head coach,” Flyers GM Daniel Briere said in a news release. 

“During this process, it became clear that Rick was the absolute right coach to lead our team. He has enjoyed the highest level of success both as a player and coach. Rick’s ability to teach and understand his players, combined with his passion for winning, brings out the best in young players at different stages of their development and has earned the respect and confidence of highly talented all-stars and veteran players alike,” Briere added.

This will be the fourth team Tocchet will lead behind the bench. He was the bench boss for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes and the Vancouver Canucks.

Tocchet is coming off a two-and-a-half-year stint with the Canucks as their coach. The team decided not to exercise its option to extend his contract, which allowed Tocchet to make his own decision about his future with the team. He ultimately decided to part ways.

Tocchet coached the Canucks for 200 regular-season games, earning a 108-65-27 record. 

The 2023-24 campaign was his best of his coaching career. The Canucks finished the regular season on top of the Pacific Division, and Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. He led the team to the second round of the playoffs, where the Edmonton Oilers eliminated them in seven games.

This past season was a massive drop-off, highlighted by a rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. The Canucks ultimately traded Miller to the New York Rangers, and the Canucks lost a former 100-point scorer.

Vancouver missed the playoffs by six points. Nonetheless, Tocchet put the Canucks in a better position than when he arrived – he ended a three-year playoff drought, and he replaced Bruce Boudreau when the Canucks were fifth-last in the Western Conference.

With the Coyotes, Tocchet had a similar effect in terms of the team’s performance and achievements. They were a team in a similar position to the team he is now joining: a young, unproven squad that wants to take big steps forward in quick fashion.

Arizona finished last in the Western Conference during Tocchet’s first season in 2017-18. However, the Coyotes made a push the following season and finished one spot outside a playoff position.

One year later, during the shortened 2019-20 season due to COVID-19, Tocchet took the Coyotes to the playoffs. They defeated the Nashville Predators 3-1 in the best-of-five qualifying round. After that, they were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in five games. 

In his final season with Arizona, the team finished one spot outside of a playoff position yet again.

Flyers' Matvei Michkov Can Follow Bill Barber's Path After NHL Calder Trophy SnubMatvei Michkov did all he could to become the first player in the Philadelphia Flyers’ history to win the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s rookie of the year.

Tocchet’s first gig as an NHL head coach was with the Lightning, where he took charge for parts of two seasons. He was promoted in the middle of the season, replacing Barry Melrose. That Lightning team finished second-last in the NHL.

The next season was better for Tampa but not great, as they finished 12th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.

Tocchet had multiple roles as an assistant and associate coach, including the Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes, the Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won the Stanley Cup twice.

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Another piece in the NHL head coaching puzzle has been placed, as former Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet will be joining the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers announced on Wednesday that Tocchet will be the 25th head coach in franchise history.  

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The Flyers had been rumoured to be interested in Tocchet even before the coach announced he would not be returning to the Canucks. Around this time, Tocchet’s agent, Steve Mountain, made note of how they had not had any discussions with Philadelphia regarding a possible deal. Other teams that were rumoured to be on Tocchet’s radar were the Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken. During an interview on the 100% Hockey with Miller & Shannon Podcast, Canucks President of Hockey Operations, Jim Rutherford, explained that part of Tocchet’s reason for departing was wanting to be closer to family back on the east coast. 

“During this process it became clear that Rick was the absolute right coach to lead our team. He has enjoyed the highest level of success both as a player and coach. Rick’s ability to teach and understand his players, combined with his passion for winning, brings out the best in young players at different stages of their development and has earned the respect and confidence of highly talented All-Stars and veteran players alike,” said Flyers GM Daniel Briere regarding the hire. 

History between Philadelphia and Tocchet extends decades. The coach was drafted 121st overall by the Flyers back in 1983 and spent eight seasons in a row with them before ending up with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nearly a decade after his departure, Tocchet was traded back to the Flyers by the Arizona Coyotes, spending two more seasons with them before retiring from playing in 2002. He was inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame in 2021. 

Tocchet’s most recent coaching stint was with Vancouver. Despite joining the Canucks in January 2023, rumours of Tocchet being Vancouver’s bench boss emerged weeks — if not months before — due to some blunt assessments from Canucks management. Shortly after Tocchet was brought in, Vancouver’s captain at the time, Bo Horvat, was dealt to the New York Islanders. 

Because of this, fans weren’t sure what to expect from the Canucks come 2023–24. However, following a dominant 8–1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers to open the season, Vancouver surged to the top of the Pacific Division and took down the Nashville Predators in six games during the first round of playoffs. They took the Oilers to seven games in the second round, but ultimately couldn’t surpass them. Their 50-win season helped Tocchet win his first Jack Adams Award. 

Tocchet will join a room full of youth in Philadelphia. 2023 seventh-round draft pick Matvei Michkov is going into his sophomore NHL season, while 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster will play in his third full season. Other young players on the Flyers include defender Jamie Drysdale and forwards Jakob Pelletier and Bobby Brink. 

Earlier today, Tocchet’s replacement was also announced, as his former assistant coach with the Canucks, Adam Foote, was named the 22nd head coach in franchise history. 

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 New York Islanders division rival Philadelphia Flyers have hired Rick Tocchet as their head coach:

🔶 WELCOME HOME, TOCC! 🔶

We’re proud to announce that Rick Tocchet has been named the 25th head coach in franchise history. https://t.co/pY0ljNFtoq

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) May 14, 2025

Tocchet, 61, left the Vancouver Canucks bench this summer after three seasons as their head coach, citing a desire to be on the East Coast, closer to family. 

The Ontario native was drafted by the Flyers in the sixth round (No. 121) of the 1983 NHL Draft, playing his first eight seasons in Philadelphia. He returned to the City of Brotherly Love for the final three seasons of his career (1999-2002)

The Flyers fired John Tortorella on March 27. 

They become the second team in the Metropolitan Divsion to hire a new coach, with the New York Rangers firing Peter Laviolette and hiring former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan in his place. 

The Penguins are currently the only team in the Metro without a head coach. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

The Los Angeles Kings named Ken Holland the 10th GM in franchise history on Wednesday. 

Next season will be the Hockey Hall of Famer’s 27th campaign as an NHL GM as the Kings look to take the next step.

“As we did our due diligence, we identified Ken as the absolute best option and acted decisively to make him our general manager,” team president Luc Robitaille said in a news release.

“His track record of success is undeniable, and after our conversations with him, we were clearly convinced he was the right person for us at this time. He has the experience to lead us on the proper path that will help us win now and compete for the Stanley Cup.”

Holland replaces Rob Blake, who mutually agreed with the team to part ways on May 5. Blake was the GM of the Kings for eight seasons and VP of hockey operations since 2013-14.

Holland was formerly the GM and president of hockey operations of the Edmonton Oilers and served them for five seasons before stepping down after last season. Stan Bowman replaced Holland, who became a hockey operations consultant for the NHL in November 2024.

Holland took the Oilers to the 2024 Stanley Cup final, where the Florida Panthers defeated them in seven games.

The Kings will look for some of that playoff success, as they’ve been bounced in the first round for four straight seasons by Holland’s former team. 

Screen Shots: Is Former Red Wings And Oilers GM Ken Holland The Right Fit For The Kings?Welcome, once again, to Screen Shots, a regular TheHockeyNews.com series in which your humble senior digital correspondent tackles a few different hockey topics and breaks them down in a handful of short paragraphs. Let’s get right down to business.

Holland spent most of his time as a GM with the Detroit Red Wings, lasting 22 seasons and winning three Cups. 

He’s been a GM for 2,061 games in total, the fifth-most in NHL history. In that span, he earned a 1,145-644-200 record and 72 ties.

Holland has been an executive for Team Canada on several occasions. He was an assistant GM for Canada four times: the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, the 2014 and 2010 Olympics and the 2005 World Championship. In 2006, he earned the GM role for Canada at the World Championship.

The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Holland as a builder in the Class of 2020 for his expertise in team development and building a strong foundation for his clubs.

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If you can’t beat them, hire them.

That’s apparently the conclusion the Kings came to in their search for a general manager because they chose Ken Holland, the architect of an Edmonton Oilers team that knocked the Kings out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round in each of the last four seasons.

Holland, 69, will replace Rob Blake, who stepped down last week. The Kings made the playoffs five times in eight seasons under Blake, a former Hall of Fame defenseman, but lost in the first round each time. The team hasn’t won a playoff series since the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, a record 11-year drought for the franchise.

“As we did our due diligence, we identified Ken as the absolute best option and acted decisively to make him our general manager,” Kings president Luc Robitaille said in a statement Wednesday. “His track record of success is undeniable and after our conversations with him, we were clearly convinced he was the right person for us at this time.

Read more:Luc Robitaille expects Jim Hiller to return as Kings' coach

"He has the experience to lead us on the proper path that will help us win now and compete for the Stanley Cup.”

Holland is also a Hall of Famer, having been inducted in 2020 as a builder following three Stanley Cup victories in 22 years as president and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. He also won 10 division titles and four Presidents Trophies in Detroit, where the Red Wings won more regular-season and postseason games than any other team during his tenure.

Holland is the fifth-winningest general manager in NHL history with an all-time record of 1,145-644-272 over 26 seasons with the Red Wings and Oilers. He also served on several management staffs for Hockey Canada, winning gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

He joined the Oilers as president of hockey operations and general manager in 2019, guiding the team to five consecutive playoff berths, two Western Conference finals and last year’s Stanley Cup final, where it lost to the Florida Panthers in seven games. Among his best moves in Edmonton were the free-agent acquisitions of Zach Hyman, Evander Kane and Corey Perry and the trade that brought Mattias Ekholm in Edmonton at the 2023 deadline.

Holland left the team when his contract expired last June.

Blake told the Kings last winter he was considering stepping down after this season, giving the team ample time to search for a replacement. According to media reports, Robitaille had narrowed the number of candidates to three last week before meeting with Holland.

Read more:Kings general manager Rob Blake steps down in wake of latest playoff ouster

One of Holland’s first chores as general manager could be deciding the fate of coach Jim Hiller. Hiller’s team tied franchise records for wins (48) and points (105), and set one for home wins (31) in his first full season as head coach. That allowed the Kings to place second in the Pacific Division, its highest finish since 2016, and claim the home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

Once there Hiller was outcoached, with Edmonton rallying from a 2-0 deficit to win the best-of-seven series in six games.

Hiller has two more years remaining on his contract, but Robitaille said the new general manager would have the option of bringing in his own coach. Hiller served as an assistant coach for one season in Detroit during Holland’s time with the Red Wings.

Holland was also linked to the New York Islanders’ open general manager job this spring, but the British Columbia native still has a home in the province and wanted to remain on the West Coast.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

With the 2024-25 season gone and the San Jose Sharks having shifted their focus onto the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and the 2025-26 campaign, it sounds like they are closing in on a new contract with one of their pending free-agent defenders.

According to a report from @TheRGMedia, the #SJSharks are closing in on Shakir Mukhamadullin's next contract. The 23-year-old's ELC finished after this season. Read more on @SharksHKYDigest.⤵️https://t.co/KTzP4hAS6B

— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) May 14, 2025

Shakir Mukhamadullin, who is 23 years old, is a pending restricted free agent (RFA) and had a $894,167 cap hit, according to PuckPedia. This season with the Sharks, he scored two goals and added seven assists for nine points through 30 games. 

In the American Hockey League (AHL) with the San Jose Barracuda, he had nine assists in 21 games. 

Contract details haven't been revealed or reported yet, but it sounds like the two sides are close to finding an even ground and agreeing to extend his contract.

Poturalski, Gushchin Want NHL Shot Next Season, May Not Be With SharksIn a recent article published by Sheng Peng with San Jose Hockey Now, it seems as though two members of the San Jose Sharks' organization want to play in the NHL next season, but may not get that shot with the Sharks. Sharks Prospect Carson Wetsch Flipped In Blockbuster WHL TradeThe 2025 WHL Prospects Draft has now come and gone, and while there weren't many surprises or much news to report from those couple of days, there was one massive trade that caught some attention. Should The Sharks Trade Their Second Overall Pick?With reports swirling that the San Jose Sharks are open to trading their second overall pick, the question turns to: should they trade it?

Antti Raanta is finally going home. On Monday, Liiga club Lukko, located in Raanta’s hometown of Rauma, on Finland’s west coast, announced that the 36-year-old goaltender had signed a one-year contract.

“There’s a little boyish enthusiasm, Raanta smiled in a press conference. “Of course, I feel a little nervous about returning home, but at the same time I’m really excited and have found some peace – now I know where I’m going and I’ll have the opportunity to play in Rauma again.”

“It’s a great thing that Antti is coming home,” said Lukko sports director Kalle Sahlsted. “‘Ana’ has, of course, had a great career so far and now he was quite mature and a return to Lukko was possible. We strongly believe that he will be one of the top players in the league next season.”

Sahlstedt continued, “The best thing about this is that we get a boy from our own village back home.”

Raanta had considered signing with Lukko last year summer when he decided to end his NHL career and return to play in Europe. However, he learned that, according to Finnish tax laws, if he signed a professional contract in Finland in 2024, he would be taxed by the Finnish government for all of his income during that calendar year, which included a half-season’s NHL salary and proceeds from the sale of his house in North Carolina.

Instead, he played in Switzerland for Genève-Servette, where he posted a goals-against average of 2.74, a save percentage of .902 and one shutout in 24 National League games. He also played in five Champions Hockey League games, where he backstopped his team to the semifinals with a goals-against average of 1.80, a save percentage of .944 and two shutouts. Raanta was one of the pan-European competition’s five MVP finalists.

Antti Raanta Won’t Return To Geneva – Finland Next? Antti Raanta’s first season back in Europe after ending his NHL career had its ups and downs.

Raanta grew up and turned pro with Lukko until 2011. He also played two Liiga seasons for Ässät before going to North America in 2013. Over the next 11 seasons, he played 277 NHL regular-season games and 24 playoff games for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes.

Last season, Lukko finished first in the Liiga standings and was eliminated in the semifinals by SaiPa Lappeenranta.

“We’ve got a chance to win here,” said Raanta. “The team here has been built in such a way that we are very close to that ultimate goal and a championship. I have also heard a lot of good things about the entire organization and how things are handled here.”

Raanta is one of eight players that Lukko has under contract for next season. Among the others is Canadian defenseman Éric Gélinas, who signed a one-year contract extension in March.

Ex-NHL D-Man Will Return To Finnish Team Next YearCanadian defenseman Éric Gélinas, 33, has agreed to a one-year contract extension with Lukko Rauma, the Finnish Liiga club announced on Monday.

The Philadelphia Flyers all but officially hired Rick Tocchet as their next head coach Wednesday, much to the chagrin of their loyal but increasingly impatient fanbase.

Tocchet, a former Flyers player, is not guaranteed to succeed in this role given the circumstances. He's not guaranteed to fail, either.

But playing both sides of the fence is boring and typically not insightful. All we have to do is look to the past to get a sense of what Tocchet is up against, both on and off the ice, and whether he's level to the task of breaking the mold.

The 61-year-old is the reigning Jack Adams Award winner, having guided his old Vancouver Canucks to a 50-23-9 finish last season in addition to pushing the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers to seven games in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs - without starting goalie Thatcher Demko.

This is all great, but all the things that made Tocchet a success in 2023-24 made him a failure in 2024-25.

Demko struggled to get healthy and stay healthy, and the Canucks' team save percentage dropped from 90.56% in all situations to 88.58%. The Flyers' team save percentage in 2024-25 was 87.2%, for reference.

Another thing to consider is the pure gulf in talent between the Canucks and Flyers, which is the one thing Tocchet will have to manage the most day in and day out.

When Tocchet guided the Canucks to the playoffs last season, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Brock Boeser all scored upwards of 34 goals. Five Canucks scored 20 or more goals, four Canucks scored 70 or more points, and six Canucks scored 47 or more points.

Pettersson, Miller, and Quinn Hughes each went for 89 points or more, as well. Miller was the only one to go for more than 100 (102).

The last time the Flyers had even one player score 80 points was when former captain Claude Giroux racked up 85 in 82 games in the 2018-19 season.

Giroux also scored 102 points in 82 games in the 2017-18 season, which was the last time the Flyers had multiple 30-goal-scorers in a season (Giroux and Sean Couturier). Jake Voracek added 85 points that year, and the up-and-coming Shayne Gostisbehere had posted 65 of his own.

Do the Flyers have any of these things to help Tocchet succeed in the present day? The long answer, above, is no. And the short answer is no.

By extension, Tocchet's job with the Flyers, after reportedly signing for five years and a total of $25 million, is to develop and coach the young players the organization does have up to that level.

There will be significant emphasis placed on reversing the regression that took place in Philadelphia leading up to John Tortorella's unceremonious departure from the club on March 27.

Tocchet himself was a victim of regression just this year, and the past does not lend itself kindly to his future success, either.

In 2009-10, his first full season as an NHL head coach, Tocchet guided a 19-year-old Steven Stamkos to a 51-goal, 95-point campaign, and Martin St. Louis scored 94 points of his own.

Despite this, Tocchet's Tampa Bay Lightning finished 23rd in the NHL in goals, and he was replaced by Guy Boucher the following season.

In Boucher's first season post-Tocchet, the Lightning finished second in the Southeast Division, made the playoffs, finished seventh in the NHL in goals, and lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Boucher did this with largely the same group of players he inherited from Tocchet, which included Stamkos, St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Victor Hedman, Steve Downie, Teddy Purcell, Ryan Malone, and Mike Smith.

In his next coaching gig, Tocchet was at the helm of the Arizona Coyotes, tasked with developing players like Clayton Keller, Conor Garland, Max Domi, Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun, Lawson Crouse, Barrett Hayton, and Nick Schmaltz between the 2017-18 and 2020-21 seasons.

Domi played one season under Tocchet, 2017-18, scoring just nine goals and 45 points before being traded to Montreal for Alex Galchenyuk and scoring 28 goals and 72 points the following year.

Keller had just one season with 50 or more points under Tocchet in Arizona. Schmaltz had a combined 21 goals and 77 points in parts of two seasons under Tocchet before breaking out with a career-high 23 goals and 59 points in 2021-22 after Tocchet was dismissed.

And so the pattern goes.

But, one player who did have one of his best seasons under Tocchet was Chychrun, who scored a career-high 18 goals and 41 points in 56 games in 2020-21. Those personal bests stood until this season, when he scored 20 goals and 47 points with the Washington Capitals, albeit in 74 games.

This might bode well for young Flyers defensemen like Cam York, Jamie Drysdale, and Emil Andrae, but there is understandably some grave concern regarding the future of the organization's forwards under Tocchet.

In four seasons in Arizona, Tocchet's Coyotes never finished higher than 22nd in the NHL in goals scored.

When Tocchet took over for Bruce Boudreau in Vancouver, Pettersson exploded for 102 points by the end of the year, and Miller and Hughes were close behind with 82 and 76 points, respectively.

Former Flyers forward Andrei Kuzmenko had potted 39 goals and 74 points, and former Canucks captain Bo Horvat had scored 31 goals and was averaging more than a point per game before getting traded.

Even then, the Canucks failed to make the playoffs after a slow start under Boudreau and finished outside the top-10 in goals scored.

The following year, Kuzmenko was run out of town after scoring just eight goals and 21 points in 43 games, quickly finding himself in Tocchet's doghouse while struggling with some defensive assignments. But that's not his game, and Tocchet wanted him to be a different player.

This is not the only such concerning example of this with a high-octane offensive player, either.

As recently as March of this year, Tocchet admitted to trying to "re-program" Elias Pettersson, even after the star Swede scored 102 points under his watch just over a year prior.

“You've got to play north hockey. Regroup hockey, taking the puck back, won’t win in the NHL," Tocchet had said. “I think sometimes Petey likes to regroup, slow the game down. I’m not sure how many years ago doing that might’ve worked, but now you have to play a more north style, and we’re just trying to re-program his brain when it comes to that, and he’s buying into that. That’s why I think he’s getting better at that, but there is another level for us and our team.”

Pettersson, of course, scored only 45 points last season, marking easily the worst full season of his NHL career from an offensive standpoint.

And, speaking of Pettersson, another mark against Tocchet is the widely-reported rift between the former and J.T. Miller, which culminated in Miller's trade to the New York Rangers on Jan. 31.

It was a problem when Boudreau arrived in Vancouver, and it was a problem when Tocchet arrived in Vancouver.

But it only boiled over under Tocchet's watch, and the Canucks failed to address it before first setting half their season on fire.

Tocchet never chose sides and always publicly endorsed both players, but at the end of the day, he's the leader of the team.

In lieu of an official announcement, Tocchet is now the leader of the Flyers, and he's got a lot of work to do to erase the negative sentiment around him.

There are positives from each of his stints as an NHL head coach, but Tocchet has struggled to put together the elusive end product that lacks significant blemishes.

With a long-term deal apparently agreed, perhaps the Flyers are willing to give Tocchet the time he needs to prove himself.