Ottawa Senators and the summer of Staios
Wayne Scanlan: Now, it is not a secret that the Ottawa Senators were quite a disappointment last year. Steve Staios began to fix that already. According to reports (likely confirmed soon), Travis Green is the new head coach of the Ottawa Senators. It makes sense since he was interviewed and things went very well.
Next, there lies Jakob Chychrun. Ottawa figures Chabot has to stay, so Chychrun likely is the one to go. It is more a question of when as opposed to if. Also, Staios needs a right-handed defensive shot. Travis Hamonic might get bought out to become a consultant.
After that, the General Manager still desires to acquire another goal scorer and some veteran depth. That includes gaining some toughness and size on the back end. Expect more moves defensively from the Staios camp. Simply, it will be a busy summer.
NHL Rumors: Washington, Ottawa, and Seattle Too
The Montreal Canadiens and being competitive
Arpon Base of The Athletic: The Montreal Canadiens want to be competitive. Now, they just have to find a way to make steps towards getting there. Time is not of the essence but hey, nothing lasts forever.
Teams that have made turnarounds typically have taken 2.2 years to tally that 100-point campaign. Sometimes it happens right away and sometimes it takes longer. With Carey Price (2 more years) and his contract, along with a few others, Montreal must still spend carefully.
Juraj Slafkovsky expects to sign an extension in July and Kaiden Guhle not too long after. There are several restricted free agents to sign as well.
Again, there is Kirby Dach too and that is its own wildcard. Cole Perfetti from Winnipeg may be an avenue to explore. They could take bigger swings on Martin Necas or maybe Trevor Zegras.
Finally, there is the draft and development windows. What if Montreal wins the draft lottery on Tuesday night? That certainly changes things. Expect some steps towards the playoff bubble this coming season or the following.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Free Agency Questions
Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey NOW: Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins know Alex Nedeljkovic played a key part in their late run. He went 8-1-3 over his final 12 decisions as he took the top job from Tristan Jarry. Mike Sullivan seems to like his prospects with Nedeljkovic. This could get interesting.
NHL Rumors: Devils, Penguins, and Sharks
After that, Pierre-Olivier Joseph (RFA) struggled out of the gates this season and was a healthy scratch at times, but as the season progressed his play improved. Does Pittsburgh take another chance on the defenseman? That depends on Dubas probably.