The Los Angeles Kings will do a bit of a coaching search
Eric Stephens: Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland said that he’ll be talking to other people this week about the Kings head coaching position. Interim coach D.J. Smith is a candidate.
Keys to the offseason for the Utah Mammoth
Ryan S. Clarke and Kristen Shilton of ESPN: Looking at the keys to the offseason for the Utah Mammoth.
Projected cap space: $14.3 million
2026 draft picks: 1st, 3rd, 3rd (CAR), 4th, 5th, 5th (CHI), 7th
The Mammoth have pending UFAs in Ian Cole, Alexander Kerfoot, Kevin Rooney, Kevin Stenlund, Vitek Vanecek and Kailer Yamamoto. They’ll need to find some veteran depth pieces on team-friendly contracts.
They could also inject some more youth if top prospects Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers are ready to make the jump to the NHL. Both are 19 and bring offense. Iginla had 41-goals and 90 points in the WHL, and Desnoyers had 78 points in 45 games.
Evgeni Malkin is okay with playing elsewhere next season if the Pittsburgh Penguins don’t want him back
Shelly Anderson of Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Evgeni Malkin has repeatedly said that he wants to be back with the Pittsburgh Penguins and retire as a Penguin, but it’s not just up to him.
When asked if the Penguins don’t want to re-sign him, would he play for another team? Malkin responded with a “Yes.”
Malkin was to talk with GM Kyle Dubas on Friday, and there will be more talks between Dubas and Malkin’s agent JP Barry. He wants to play one more season in the NHL.
“I want to play in the NHL for sure, but I know it’s not easy for Kyle. Maybe he wants new blood here. I understand it’s a business. I understand he wants maybe a new team, see new faces here. For me, I want to play one more year in the NHL. I’m not looking (to go) back to KHL, play in Russia. But if not Pittsburgh, I hope some (NHL) team.”
Will Evgeni Malkin be Back, or Will the Pittsburgh Penguins go Another Direction?
Malkin showed this season that he still has game, after putting up 19 goals and 61 points in 59 games. He moved from center to wing as the season progressed.
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