The New York Rangers have been granted permission by the Vegas Golden Knights to interview Gerard Gallant for their head coaching vacancy, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on the latest edition of "Insider Trading."

"Clearly he is one of the top candidates in the process that has been started by new general manager Chris Drury," Dreger said.

New York fired head coach David Quinn after three seasons earlier this week as the club continues to clean house. John Davidson and Jeff Gorton were recently relieved as president and general manager, respectively, with ownership saying it was unimpressed with the progress made by the team in the 2020-21 campaign.

Gallant had been with Vegas since their inaugural season in 2017 but was fired last January. The 57-year-old is set to coach Canada at the upcoming world championship in Lativa, and previously served as bench boss for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers before his stint with the Golden Knights.

Under Gallant's tutelage, the Golden Knights complied a 118-75-20 record as well as three playoff series wins.

The Rangers finished fifth in the East Division this season with 60 points.

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Four of the last five Stanley Cup Finals have featured a team competing in these East Division playoffs. Ahead of the 2021 postseason, each of these four squads has a case to be made as a possible finalist.

The East is also where the fun will get underway, with Game 1 of Capitals versus Bruins kicking off the playoffs Saturday night, followed by Game 1 of Penguins versus Islanders on Sunday afternoon.

1. Penguins (-145) vs. 4. Islanders (+120)

Overall

*five-on-five

Head-to-head

*all strengths

The Penguins last reached the playoffs in 2019 when the Islanders swept them out of the first round. Postseason success has eluded the franchise since it won back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017, with Pittsburgh most recently losing to the Canadiens in last year's play-in round. But the Penguins enter these playoffs with renewed optimism after securing their first division title since 2014.

They did so in impressive fashion, navigating the league's deepest division during a treacherous season - one in which they were forced to used 12 defensemen because of injuries, were without Evgeni Malkin for 23 games, and had their GM resign two weeks into the campaign. Pittsburgh had just six players suit up in 48 games or more, the fewest of any playoff squad.

That makes it hard to know exactly what to make of this Penguins team. Pittsburgh's underlying metrics weren't the prettiest, and the team benefited from a high PDO. That typically shouts regression, but is a finally healthy lineup enough to erase those concerns?

Only time will tell, but Pittsburgh should be confident entering this series after finding renewed success against the Islanders. The Penguins have lost to New York just twice in regulation since that sweep in 2019, with their speed giving the Islanders fits and their finishing ability up front emerging as a deciding factor. But the biggest difference has been Mike Sullivan beating Barry Trotz at his own game. Pittsburgh has shown a willingness to adopt a more patient game plan, ditching the eagerness New York punished in 2019.

An upset will require a near-flawless effort from Islanders who - for the second year in a row - saw their season go pear-shaped in the second half of the campaign. They still managed an impressive run to the conference finals last year, but only after a four-month pause that allowed them to hit the reset button. Trotz recently called the postseason itself a reset, but this is a tight timeline for New York to rediscover its form. The Islanders simply haven't looked the same without Anders Lee, and Kyle Palmieri hasn't been able to fill the void.

The Islanders pride themselves on being a strong five-on-five team, but they've posted an underwhelming 48.29 expected goals for percentage since acquiring Palmieri, with Michael Dal Colle and Mathew Barzal the only players sitting above 50%. Trotz continues to throw his lines in the blender in hopes of finding a winning recipe, but nothing seems to be working. The power play remains ineffective - that's been the case for three years now - but it's the impressive five-on-five play that's carried this team in past seasons. If the Islanders can't find success in that area, this series will be over in a hurry.

New York's offense is too reliant on Barzal, and its defensemen don't create enough from the blue line. It leaves the Islanders with a razor-thin margin for success, while the Penguins have an embarrassment of riches up front. We already know the top six will feast - Sidney Crosby and Malkin both averaged at least a point per game against the Islanders this season - but Jeff Carter's arrival has given Pittsburgh a dynamic third line. Carter and Jared McCann each had 11 points in 14 games after the Penguins acquired Carter from the Kings, and linemate Frederick Gaudreau ended the year with six points in as many contests after returning to the lineup. Many hands make light work, and that appears to be Pittsburgh's path to success in these playoffs.

The Islanders' strong suit is goaltending, which can be a great equalizer in the playoffs. New York will lean heavily on Semyon Varlamov - the league leader in goals saved above average - while Tristan Jarry's inconsistencies could open the door for an upset. The Penguins are one bad spell of goaltending away from another first-round exit, but the same can be said of any team. They're also one hot Jarry away from another Stanley Cup, which isn't true of every club.

The Islanders last beat a playoff team on April 6. They're 0-4-2 since then, with just six goals scored. They were a pedestrian 11-13-4 on the road this season - the Penguins were 22-4-2 at home - and lost all four games at PPG Paints Arena. They're limping into the playoffs and - barring a lights-out effort from Varlamov - lack the firepower to give Pittsburgh a real scare in this series.

Pick: Penguins (-145)

2. Capitals (+115) vs. 3. Bruins (-140)

Overall

*five-on-five

Head-to-head

*all strengths

The Capitals and Bruins have combined for 25 postseason appearances and 25 series wins in the past 14 seasons. Yet this will be just their second playoff meeting in that span - and the first since Joel Ward scored the overtime winner for Washington in Game 7 of their 2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup.

This is the first season since 2014-15 in which the Capitals failed to win their division, and their punishment is a Bruins team that enters the playoffs as hot as any. Boston struggled to find consistency through much of the season's first three months, but a trio of deadline acquisitions has seen this team rediscover its Cup potential and re-establish itself as a top-five club.

Boston added Taylor Hall, Mike Reilly, and Curtis Lazar on April 11, hours after the Bruins suffered an 8-1 loss at the hands of the Capitals. All three have made a significant difference, but none more so than Hall. Boston leads the league with a 63.09 expected goals for percentage at five-on-five with Hall in the lineup - the only team to crack the 60% mark over that span. The Bruins are 12-3-1 in those games, and the second line of Hall, David Krejci, and Craig Smith has been an absolute force. Hall has an expected goals for percentage of 70.1 at five-on-five, with Smith (68.63%) and Krejci (67.45%) not far behind. The trio has also combined for 19 goals and 45 points in 16 games.

That's a nightmare for the rest of the East. The old way to beat the Bruins was to focus defensive efforts on the top line of David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Patrice Bergeron - two 100-point players and the league's best two-way center. It's no longer so straightforward. The emergence of Boston's second line has made the top six a matchup nightmare.

Lazar, meanwhile, has reinvigorated a fourth line that was once a liability. After being significantly out-chanced at five-on-five without him, Boston's bottom forward line has earned nearly 60% of the expected goal share since Lazar's arrival. This is a completely different team than it was before the deadline, so much so that it's arguably wise to ignore everything that happened previously.

What does this mean for the Capitals? Well, it's certainly concerning. Washington is a team that seems to defy logic, always outperforming its otherwise mediocre metrics. But there's clear cause for concern ahead of the postseason. Some of the Capitals' best five-on-five producers are also their worst drivers of play - these issues have just been masked by what feels like an unsustainable finishing rate.

Alex Ovechkin (12%), Nicklas Backstrom (12.4%), and Evgeny Kuznetsov (12.6%) all posted career-best on-ice shooting percentages this season, with all of them finishing well above career averages that hover around 9-10%. As a result, the Capitals finished second in five-on-five shooting percentage on the season, with the Bruins finishing second-last. But Boston and Washington posted nearly identical tallies in that regard over the final 20 games, so regression for both teams - positive, in the Bruins' case - is already underway.

It's just one of a few concerns surrounding the Capitals ahead of this first round. Health and goaltending also remain legitimate question marks. Ovechkin, Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, and John Carlson are all battling through injuries, and it feels like we're not privy to the full picture regarding Kuznetsov.

In goal, which of Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov can Washington rely upon? The former allowed more than eight goals above expected this season, and the latter close to seven; they ranked 72nd and 66th, respectively, in that regard among all goaltenders. That's a massive drop-off from what Tuukka Rask managed - in a down year, no less - and a legitimate worry against Boston's firepower.

To have success in this series, Washington will likely need to run hot on the power play. That's been this special-teams juggernaut's recipe for success for years now, but it's tough to count on given the standard of officiating in the playoffs. The Capitals also scored nine power-play goals against Boston this year compared to just 4.79 expected, which again speaks to looming regression.

Boston boasts one of the league's best penalty kills, allowing the fewest expected goals against and the fewest high-danger scoring chances against per 60 minutes while shorthanded this season; overall, the team's penalty kill ranked second in efficiency at 86%. As long as they keep Washington's power play from truly catching fire, the Bruins will find their way to the second round for a fourth successive season.

Pick: Bruins (-140)

Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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The NHL missed out on nearly $3.6 billion in revenue during the 2020-21 regular season due to limited attendance, according to The Athletic's Sean Shapiro.

The Athletic's estimation, confirmed by league and team executives as in "the right ballpark," was based on reductions in ticket sales and in-arena revenue streams such as concessions, parking, and merchandise.

The league welcomed just over 1 million total fans across the United States this season due to the pandemic. That's a major drop-off from the 18 million (2019-20) and 22 million (2018-19) fans who watched NHL games in person in the previous two seasons.

The seven Canadian teams haven't brought fans back yet, but all American franchises are now operating with limited capacities. The Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, and Arizona Coyotes allowed supporters to attend games for the entire season.

The Vegas Golden Knights lead the league in average attendance at 4,362 people across 17 home games since permitting fans to return to T-Mobile Arena.

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Even at 41 years old, Patrick Marleau believes he has more left in the tank.

"I feel like I still have a lot to give," Marleau told reporters Thursday, according to the Teal Town USA podcast. "I'm eager to have a really good season next season."

Marleau said he hasn't discussed a possible return to the San Jose Sharks with general manager Doug Wilson, but will talk to him soon.

The veteran forward recorded four goals and five assists in 56 games this past season. He admitted he wasn't happy with his play at times.

"There were some pretty sleepless nights with that, but I'm looking forward to a rebound season next year," he said, according to Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group.

Marleau played in his 1,768th game on April 19, passing Gordie Howe for the most in NHL history.

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The NHL unveiled schedules for Round 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday.

The West Division is still not set, but the Colorado Avalanche will take top spot in the West if they beat the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. If the Avs lose (in regulation or beyond), the Vegas Golden Knights will be the division's top seed. Therefore, the West Division matchups are still contingent on Thursday's results.

All times ET.
* if necessary.

North Division

Due to the North Division playoffs starting later than the others, each All-Canadian Round 1 matchup features a back-to-back in Games 3 and 4.

No. 1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. No. 4 Montreal Canadiens

No. 2 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. 3 Winnipeg Jets

East Division

No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 4 New York islanders

No. 2 Washington Capitals vs. No. 3 Boston Bruins

Central Division

No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 4 Nashville Predators

No. 2 Florida Panthers vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay Lighting

West Division

No. 1 Avalanche/Golden Knights vs. No. 4 St. Louis Blues

No. 2 Avalanche/Golden Knights vs. No. 3 Minnesota Wild

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The Lightning face a daunting road while defending their crown after finishing behind two of the league's most analytically sound teams, and ahead of a club that was among the hottest during the second half.

But goaltending could reign supreme, even with all the offensive firepower in the Central Division. The division features playoff teams that finished first, second, and fourth in five-on-five SV%. And Andrei Vasilevskiy is in the crease for the Central's other postseason-bound club.

Let's break it down.

1. Hurricanes (-240) vs. 4. Predators (+190)

Overall

*five-on-five

Head-to-head

*all strengths

Go look at this Hurricanes team and find me the weak spot. Seriously, are you looking?

Jordan Staal is the third-line center behind Sebastian Aho and Vincent Trocheck. Six Hurricanes wingers are posting at least a 15-goal pace in a standard 82-game season. They're so loaded on the blue line that two NHL-caliber defensemen will be watching Game 1 from the press box. The team boasts goaltenders who rank second and third in the NHL in GSAA/60 (minimum 10 starts). Rod Brind'Amour is a front-runner for the Jack Adams Award, and his assistants oversee the league's No. 2 power play and No. 3 penalty kill. This club is an absolute juggernaut.

Over the past two seasons, depth up front prevented the Hurricanes from taking the next step, particularly down the middle. Enter Trocheck.

He's been the club's missing link while filling a gaping hole as the second-line center and doing so with aplomb. Carolina is controlling 56.73% of the expected goal share at five-on-five when Trocheck is on the ice, as he's been the catalyst for one of the NHL's most productive second lines alongside Nino Niederreiter and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes have been nearly impossible to contain with that trio playing behind a typically dominant top line, and ahead of an impressively efficient checking line.

The Predators learned that the hard way this season, but they're coming in hot after posting a 20-7-1 second-half record. They did well just to make the playoffs after many were expecting GM David Poile to strip the team for parts at the deadline following such a miserable start.

But It's been all smiles in Nashville over the last two months, though a dose of reality is coming against a Hurricanes team that easily handled the Predators during the season. In fact, Nashville was an ugly 7-17-0 against the Central Division's three playoff teams, with two of those wins coming over the last two games of the Predators' season when Carolina had already clinched the division title.

All signs point to the Predators being mostly overmatched in this series, but it's impossible to count them out with the red-hot Juuse Saros in net. The 26-year old has been the league's undisputed best goalie since returning from an injury on March 18, ranking first in GSAA (22.9) and GSAx (14.32). If he can maintain that play in the series, the Predators will have a fighting chance.

Saros can be trusted to steal a game or two, but the Hurricanes led the league in xGF/60 (2.74) at five-on-five, and they paced the NHL in special-teams goals (49). That firepower will win out over a series, barring a Jaroslav Halak-like effort from the Nashville netminder.

With a much tougher opponent waiting, Carolina will be eager to end this series quickly.

Pick: Hurricanes -1.5 (-120)

2. Panthers (+115) vs. 3. Lightning (-145)

Overall

*five-on-five

Head-to-head

*all strengths

Calling this in-state matchup a rivalry is a stretch, but it's been trending in that direction this season. Animosity has been building between the two Sunshine State teams that are meeting for the first time in the postseason.

This might be the toughest first-round matchup to predict, with so many variables that could drastically swing the probability.

Nikita Kucherov is slated to play for the first time this season in Game 1, but is he truly healthy? And will there be an adjustment period for him?

How healthy is Steven Stamkos? He hasn't played since April 8.

Will Victor Hedman be ready for Game 1? And will he be effective playing through an injury that's going to require offseason surgery?

And will it be Sergei Bobrovsky or Chris Driedger starting in goal for the Panthers?

That's a lot to unpack. To start, the Lightning are limping into the playoffs and looking vulnerable prior to squaring off with a Panthers team the betting market is dangerously underrating. Only five clubs face longer odds to win the Stanley Cup than Florida (17-1), despite its top-five record and equally impressive underlying metrics.

Florida more than held its own against the defending champions this season. While Kucherov returning means those meetings are less significant, the Panthers' current lineup also wasn't together for most of those clashes. Adding Sam Bennett - who has formed a nearly unstoppable line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Owen Tippett - has really solidified the Panthers' top six, making them stronger down the middle in an attempt to match Tampa's center depth. Bennett recorded four points over two games against the Lightning, with both of those contests resulting in Florida wins.

Even if we assume Tampa benefits from a fully healthy lineup, there's every reason to believe Florida can keep up. So the big question in this series centers around goaltending.

Vasilevskiy's workload was efficiently managed, and he should be fresh. But who will start opposite him? The difference between Driedger and Bobrovsky is hardly negligible.

Still, Joel Quenneville hasn't given the reigns to Driedger, opting to instead alternate between the two while hoping Bobrovsky can rediscover the form that earned him his hefty contract.

If Driedger gets the nod, the goaltending gap in this series shrinks significantly. Many view Vasilevskiy as the world's best goalie, and he's capable of stealing a game any night. But Driedger posted a higher GSAA/60 and five-on-five SV% (.942) this season. If it's Bobrovsky in Game 1, he'll likely be on a short leash.

Quenneville confirming Driedger as the starter before the series would create plenty of value on the Panthers with this series line. But that's unlikely, and there's plenty of injury uncertainty, so I'll be looking to get involved here on more of a game-to-game basis as opposed to betting the series price.

However, the last two Stanley Cup champions were eliminated in the first round the following season. This feels a lot like the 2019 series between the Capitals and Hurricanes, when a young, hungry Carolina team bounced the reigning champs in seven.

Lean: Panthers (+115)

Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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Minnesota Wild blue-chip prospect Marco Rossi has been given the green light to resume skating and off-ice training following a harrowing bout with COVID-19, according to The Athletic's Scott Wheeler.

Rossi contracted COVID-19 in November, then was cleared to suit up for Austria at the world juniors. He participated in four games, and doctors told him afterward he could have faced more severe complications from the virus if he'd played another.

The 19-year-old was ruled out for the entire NHL season in January and was sent back to his home country to rest and recover. Rossi recently opened up about his experience with COVID-19 and said he was scared he wouldn't wake up each time he went to bed.

Minnesota drafted Rossi ninth overall in 2020 after he tallied 120 points in 56 games with the OHL's Ottawa 67's.

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