Tocchet, Flyers a match? Coach's decision reportedly could come soon originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

If Rick Tocchet is Danny Briere’s top target, the Flyers might be close to finding out if the feeling is mutual.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Tuesday that “strong indications” point to Tocchet “soon” landing another NHL head coaching job. Per the report, the Flyers, Bruins and Kraken are “believed to be among the top contenders.” Also, according to the report, the Flyers “want to be aggressive.”

Tocchet became a free agent two weeks ago when his tenure ended with the Canucks. Vancouver president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said Tocchet wanted to be closer to his family on the Eastern part of the United States.

That and many other connections made the Flyers look like a clear-cut spot for Tocchet. The 61-year-old 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.

We’ll see if that place becomes Tocchet’s NHL home again. We profiled his candidacy for the Flyers’ job here.

Other coaching candidates

• National champion coach gives Flyers interesting option in search

• Shaw’s sample size enough to win Flyers’ coaching job?

• After 79-41-13 run with Oilers, could Woodcroft be option for Flyers?

• Laperriere offers Flyers solid internal candidate for head coaching job

• Rising assistant with championship pedigree would be intriguing for Flyers

• A junior coach and former Briere teammate linked to Flyers’ job

• An assistant coach with Berube ties would be real dark-horse hire for Flyers

As the Vancouver Canucks continue their search for a new head coach, one name that continues to pop up for the position is Manny Malhotra. The 44-year-old is currently the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks, and has led the AHL farm team to their best season in franchise history. Even though he has only been a bench boss for one season, his lack of head coaching experience should not be a deterrent for the Canucks. 

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While Malhotra has only been an AHL head coach for one season, he has plenty of experience behind an NHL bench. He was an assistant coach with Vancouver from 2017-20 before spending four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the same position. Even though he wasn't a head coach, he still would have had plenty of time to learn and work with NHL players in two of the most scrutinized markets in the NHL. 

One challenging aspect of being the Canucks head coach is talking to the media on a daily basis. This should not be a problem for Malhotra, as he not only played in Vancouver but also spent time with both the New York Rangers and Montréal Canadiens. Unlike an outside candidate who has never been part of the organization, Malhotra has experienced the pressure of this market and should be able to adapt if named head coach. 

While Malhotra's record in the AHL this season is impressive, his management of the bench during games has stood out. It is clear he has a good sense of his team, as he isn't afraid to change lines or even play styles to kick-start his team. With momentum playing such an important role in the NHL, having a coach who can read and react based on how the game is developing is crucial to having long-term success. 

Abbotsford Canucks Advance To The Division Final Of The 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs After 2-0 Victory Over The Coachella Valley FirebirdsFor the first time in franchise history, the Abbotsford Canucks are off to the Division Final, after a 2-0 Game 4 victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Max Sasson scored the winner on the power play, while Linus Karlsson secured the win with an empty-net goal. As for Artūrs Šilovs, he was unbeatable, stopping all 29 shots he faced. 

Another benefit of promoting Malhotra is his track record with young players. Thanks to Malhotra's coaching, the Canucks were able to call up players from the AHL throughout the season who impressed at the NHL level. Based on the way the call-ups played, it is also clear that Malhotra understands the organization's game plan and how to implement it at the AHL level. 

It is also important to note that Malhotra has experience coaching some of the players currently on Vancouver's roster. As mentioned, he was an assistant coach for three years, which means he has experience working with Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko, Tyler Myers and Brock Boeser. While these players have changed over the past five years, it shouldn't take long for Malhotra to reintroduce himself if hired. 

Ultimately, experience should not be a deterrent in hiring Malhotra. If need be, the organization can always surround him with experienced assistant coaches to help him next season. In the end, he looks like the right person for the job and deserves the chance to show what he can do as an NHL head coach. 

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ST. LOUIS -- It's amazing what a change of scenery did for Cam Fowler.

After spending the first 14-plus seasons of his career with the only team he ever knew -- the Anaheim Ducks -- that drafted him with the No. 12 pick of the 2010 NHL Draft, there comes a time in a player's career, even after spending it with one organization, that a player needs a fresh start to revitalize one's career.

For the St. Louis Blues defenseman, being traded by the Ducks to the Blues on Dec. 14 wound up being a blessing of disguise for the 33-year-old.

Not only did Fowler revitalize his own career, he helped shape the Blues' defense and helped fuel a run to Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round against the Winnipeg Jets.

Fowler, who had 36 points (nine goals, 27 assists) and was a plus-19 in 51 games with St. Louis after having just four assists in 17 games with the Ducks, talked about his move to the Blues, what it meant for his career and what he's excited about with this team moving forward; he led the Blues with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in the series against the Jets: 

On not knowing what to expect when you decided to come to St. Louis. Looking back on it, was it the best thing for you and are you excited for what lies ahead?

Yeah absolutely. I've said this a lot, but I'm so grateful and thankful to this organization from top to bottom for giving me this opportunity and making me and my family feel so comfortable here. As scary as that decision was at the time, I'm really happy with how everything's turned out and me and my family have been so happy here and with this team. I'm really excited for the future and I definitely feel like I'm a part of this group now and the way that everyone has welcomed me into the locker room has made that transition easy for me so I'm thankful for that and to all these guys. I'm really excited about our group and what lies ahead in the future.

Would you like to talk about signing here beyond the one year you have remaining on your contract?

Yeah, absolutely. Those decisions and those conversations will have to be something that we go through over the summer with Doug [Armstrong] and the whole group here. I would love to be around as long as they'd like me here. I just honest can't say enough about this team and this city and what it means to be a Blue and what that means for the players and for the fans in the community. It's just something that I've really enjoyed. If those conversations come up, I'd be happy to talk about that and we'll see what the summer brings with all of that.

Why were you able to have so much success when you came to St. Louis?

I think a major part of that was the system that we have in place here with 'Monty' and kind specifically for me how he wants the D-men to approach the game. I just found myself very comfortable in the system and we have amazing players here obviously too that helps make my job a little bit easier. I think it was the opportunity and the way that 'Monty' wants us to utilize our skating ability and jump up in the play offensively and then I had a good opportunity on the power play too with 'Tommer' and 'Buchy', 'Boldy.' We got that clicking pretty good. I think it was just a combination of it all, but the main thing for me was playing in a system that the coaching staff has set in place for us. It was something I was comfortable with and I was able to try and work my game around that as best as I could.

You'd love to forget about what happened in Game 7, but is it OK to carry that forward with you as players to remind of how you don't want to feel again and use it as motivation?

It's a little bit of both in my opinion. You have to learn from it, understand what happened and the way it happened is something that's going to sit with us for a little while. I don't think it's something that you can dwell on. It's nothing that should be used as a negative for next season. I think if anything, it shows us as a group how close we feel like we are and we were in a great position in a great opportunity. Unfortunately, it slipped through our fingers, but I think sometimes you have to go through those moments as a group to learn from them and try and reach the point that you're all trying to get to. I know individually, a lot of us will be thinking about it for weeks to come and using it as motivation, but when we all come back for training camp next year, I think it'll be motivation for us of course, but it's not something that we'll be dwelling on and we'll be excited for the start of next season, where this group can grow and a point that we can get to as a team.

The Chicago Blackhawks had an interesting year. They were slow, lethargic, and not very entertaining in the first half of the season. 

By the campaign's halfway point, the roster started becoming infested with youthful exuberance. That leads them into the summer, where they will look to make the team even better. 

Whether it was on the NHL roster, in the AHL, or from other leagues around the world, the Chicago Blackhawks saw a lot of their best prospects take huge steps. 

The future has been the focus for this organization ever since Kyle Davidson started the current rebuild that they are trying to finish off. Prospects have played a key role. 

Of all these young men who took steps in their development this year, these three stood out the most: 

1. Frank Nazar

Frank Nazar started the season off as a Chicago Blackhawks prospect. He ended the year as one of their most important contributors. 

Nazar was drafted with the hopes of being an offensive player, which is exactly what he's trying to do. What came out of nowhere is his ability to play well in all three zones. 

Defending is usually the hardest part of a young forward's development, but Nazar is on a great track. He even showed the ability to be a high-end penalty killer, which will be a major help when they are trying to win again. 

In the early stages of the 2024-25 season, Nazar was one of the leading scorers of the American Hockey League with 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 21 games played. He forced Chicago to call him up. 

In 53 games with the Blackhawks, a much harder situation, Nazar had 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points. Most of those points came in the final month of the season when something clicked for him. 

Likely, Nazar will never play in the American League again. Instead, he'll continue to be one of the most relied-on top-six forwards in Chicago's lineup. 

2. Sam Rinzel

The Chicago Blackhawks selected Sam Rinzel with the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He was one of three first-round selections made by Chicago that night. 

Chicago saw something in him. Otherwise, they wouldn't have used a first-round selection on him. However, they have to be even happier with that selection now than they were back then. His development since being drafted is something special. 

Rinzel played college hockey at the University of Minnesota. In 2024-25, he scored 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 points in 40 games played. That is all while playing as sound defensively as a college hockey player could. 

Once Minnesota's season ended, the Blackhawks brought Rinzel (and Oliver Moore) in as quickly as they could. He fit right in. He didn't score his first career NHL goal, but he did have five assists in nine games. 

Rinzel also led the Hawks in time-on-ice more than once over those nine games. His skating, ability to control the play, special teams contributions, and overall skills suggest that he could be a top-pair NHL defenseman. 

Like Nazar, Rinzel went from being a prospect to a key contributor in the long term. With all of the young defensemen in the organization surrounding Rinzel,  there is potential for something special. 

3. Nick Lardis

Nick Lardis was a third-round pick (67th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Since then, Lardis has become one of Chicago's most notable prospects. 

Playing for the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League, he took a major step forward in 2024-25. Lardis turned into one of the OHL's top goal scorers as he had 71 in 65 games played. He added 46 assists for 117 points in those 65 games. 

Unfortunately, his season ended in the playoffs due to an injury. From that point on, his team wasn't able to recover and was eliminated. If he is healthy going into training camp in the fall, he will be given a chance to play in the preseason and potentially earn a spot. 

Lardis's stock rose a lot more than people expected coming into the year. A sniper like that would look great with playmakers like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar if he can translate it to the pro game. 

Honorable mentions include Sacha Boisvert, Artyom Levshunov, Ethan Del Mastro, Ryan Greene, and Marek Vanacker. The Blackhawks have one of the best farm systems in the NHL, which gives them hope for the future. 

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will certainly be busy this summer, as they are in the market for a new head coach and have 11 picks in the upcoming NHL Draft.

But there is another area they may find themselves quite active in as well.

Penguins' POHO and GM Kyle Dubas mentioned some potential interest in the restricted free agent market this summer, specifically for younger players in their earlier 20s who may not be brought back by their current teams for one reason or another. He also mentioned that the Penguins are prepared to move some assets for such players.

Given the Penguins' overflowing draft cupboard - and their abundance of higher-value picks - who are some bigger names on the forward front that they can target? 

Here are five RFA forwards for the Penguins to call about, should they be available.

Marco Rossi - Center, Minnesota Wild

We've already covered the situation with Rossi, and for good reason.

The 23-year-old center put up 24 goals and 60 points in his second full NHL season, and he only seems to be getting better and better. Yet the Minnesota Wild don't seem to be interested in keeping him around long-term.

Although Rossi may be undersized at 5-foot-9, 182 pounds, it seems odd that he is, apparently, losing favor with his team because he has two-way, top-six talent. But, if he is available, it's fair to assume that pretty much every team will be interested to a degree.

If Rossi Is Available, Penguins Should Be CallingIt's safe to say that it will be a very interesting summer for the

It's hard to say whether or not the Penguins have the right assets to be able to give perceived fair value in return. The Wild are in desperate need of center depth, and - beyond center prospect Tristan Broz - the Penguins don't have much promising center depth in their system.

Then again, if Minnesota needs a center that badly, it's hard to imagine why they don't value Rossi as a center. So, it's possible that the Penguins might be able to put together a package that doesn't have a high-end center or center prospect as the main piece in a package.

Mavrik Bourque - Center, Dallas Stars

Bourque - a first-round pick (30th overall) for the Dallas Stars in 2020 - is certainly one of the more interesting names out there, as the Stars' young forward has yet to really hit his stride at the NHL level.

But the young center is the exact type of the player that the Penguins need.

In 2023-24, Bourque - then 22 years old - registered 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games for the Texas Stars, Dallas's AHL affiliate. He was also a 20-goal scorer in his rookie AHL season in 2022-23. In his rookie season with Dallas this year, the 5-foot-11, 181-pound forward put up 11 goals and 25 points in 73 games in a somewhat limited role.

Exclusive: For Mavrik Bourque, Patience Is a Necessary VirtueThe Stars 30th overall draft pick in 2020 discusses his early AHL struggles, Logan Stankoven's NHL success, and how he's preparing for his own call-up.

The Stars are an example of a team that will be very limited by the salary cap this summer, and they have a lot of tough decisions to make. Only projected at $5.87 million in cap space right now, they have pending-UFAs in forwards Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn, Evgenii Dadonov, Colin Blackwell. and Mikael Granlund as well as defensemen Cody Ceci, Nils Lundqvist, and Brendan Smith.

Although most of those players are likely to walk, they don't have much wiggle room to keep some of the veterans they would probably like to stick around. Bourque has also been a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs, so if Dallas feels like the "now" is more important for their chances at a Cup, they may elect to keep one of the veterans over him. 

If that's the case, the Penguins should be all over that opportunity, as Bourque's finishing ability and high-IQ should translate well to the style the Penguins play.

Will Cuylle - Right Wing, New York Rangers

If the New York Rangers are smart, Will Cuylle, 23, should be their number one priority this summer. In just his second full NHL season, he registered 20 goals and 45 points.

But, like the Stars, it's a bit more complicated than that.

The Blueshirts aren't quite as cap-strapped as the Stars are, but they still have a few tough decisions to make - particularly on their blue line. Left defenseman K'Andre Miller is a pending-RFA - as is Zac Jones and several bottom-six forwards - and if the team is to return to playoff contention next season, they need to make some big changes on that front.

4 Left Defensemen The Penguins Should Target This SummerDuring his postseason press conference on Apr. 21,

If they choose to retain Miller, he is due for a raise on his $3.87 cap hit, and they'll still be best-served to target a legitimate top-four defenseman. If they do, well, they'll only have $8.4 million to work with, per Puckpedia. 

Cuylle - currently suiting up for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship - should be part of the Rangers' plan going forward. But if they decide to prioritize reshaping their blue line, don't be surprised if the former second-round pick becomes a cap casualty.

In that case, Pittsburgh should sniff around for a trade-then-sign, as the winger has all the tools to stick in the top-six.

Mason McTavish - Center, Anaheim Ducks

McTavish's name was thrown around a bit a few months ago in trade talks, and there seemed to be some friction between him and former Anaheim Ducks coach Greg Cronin.

With Cronin out of the picture, there's not as much noise around McTavish potentially wanting a change of scenery. In fact, he has expressed his desire to remain with the Ducks, and if the Ducks are smart, he should be the top priority this summer.

But if he is available for one reason or another - especially if he wants a longer-term deal or an AAV figure that Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek isn't willing to meet, as he has mentioned his preference for bridge deals - the Penguins would be wise to consider giving up some high value for him in a trade.

How Coronato's Contract Extension Impacts McTavish's Negotiations with the DucksMason McTavish enters the 2025 offseason as one of two (Lukas Dostal) high-profile restricted free agents (RFAs) on the

McTavish - the 22-year-old, 3rd overall pick of the Ducks in 2021 - is already a legitimate second-line center option. He's dangerous on the power play, he's got a heavy shot, he doesn't shy from physicality, he's a menace on the forecheck, and his production is rising year-by-year, as he recorded 22 goals and 52 points in 76 games this season.

The Ducks should - and probably will - keep him around, as they don't have too many promising center prospects on the way. But if contract issues arise, this may be a situation where the Penguins could offer a top forward prospect and the New York Rangers' conditional first and get a very good player in return.

More realistically, however, the Penguins will probably be more interested in one of the Ducks' young defensemen. 

Luke Evangelista - Right Wing, Nashville Predators

Although the Nashville Predators are not cap-strapped heading into next season - and retaining Evangelista should be no problem cap-wise - they're in a very compromising place.

It's safe to say that no one could have predicted just how poorly the Nashville Predators' season was going to go. They finished third from the bottom of the league standings with just 68 points, and this was despite a huge 2024 offseason that saw them acquire the likes of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and defenseman Brady Skjei. 

On paper, this season shouldn't have happened. But it did, and with all of those guys - plus a few others - locked up long-term, they almost need to completely retool their roster on-the-fly to have any chance at contending in the near-term. 

Five Quick Questions with Luke EvangelistaLuke Evangelista sums up his season so far, knows exactly what he'd change about overtime, and is a creature of habit on game days.

Goaltender Juuse Saros had a rough season, but the defense in front of him didn't do any favors. They need a little bit of everything position-wise, and with a lot of high-value draft capital for the next three years - including three first-round picks this year - they should be wheeling and dealing for high-end talent.

This could make Evangelista, 23, a casualty of priorities. He recorded 10 goals and 32 points in 68 games this season - his second full one - which isn't quite enough to warrant anything but a bridge contract but is enough to suggest he could continue to improve. But, given their situation as an organization, they might choose to shoot higher in the trade market.

The former second-round pick wouldn't cost as much as the other options on this list, but he might be a worthwhile gamble as a complementary young piece for the Penguins should he become available.

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Sportnet's Elliotte Friedman, who has built a 30-year career in hockey on getting things right, is indicating that the Los Angeles Kings are very close to naming Ken Holland as their new general manager. 

We will see where things progress over the next few days, but all indications are that the LA Kings are closing in on Ken Holland as their next GM

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 13, 2025

After team president Luc Robitaille announced on May 6th that he and former GM Rob Blake had mutually agreed to go in a different direction, many initially speculated that a change would come from within. Ex-Montreal GM and Kings senior advisor Marc Bergevin was thought to have an inside track but after Robitaille mentioned the success that the Detroit Red Wings had enjoyed over the years during his media availability, speculation began to turn toward Ken Holland, architect of Detroit's three Stanley Cup wins between 1998 and 2008.

Under Holland, the Red Wings put together a 25-year postseason streak, behind only Chicago (28) and Boston (29) and became a model franchise for over two decades. During his tenure at the helm in the Motor City, the Red Wings won the President's Trophy four times and were a Cup contender virtually every season. 

Holland, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020, left Detroit in 2019 to take over GM duties in Edmonton, where several number one overall picks in succession had failed to move the needle for the Oilers. Holland added key pieces like Mattias Ekholm, Zach Hyman, and Evander Kane to the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, culminating in a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2022 and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2024. Failing into a 3-0 hole against the Florida Panthers, the Oilers picked themselves off the deck to force a Game 7, but couldn't come all the way back, losing 2-1 in the last game of the season. 

The desire for the Kings to add someone with Holland's pedigree is understandable. If Robitaille truly believes that the Kings are just a few tweaks away from winning it all, Holland could be just the guy to make the necessary moves to bring a third Cup to Los Angeles. For a franchise whose longest playoff streak is just nine seasons and has never won the President's Trophy, let alone four of them, bringing in an executive of Holland's caliber seems, at least on paper, to be a big upgrade. 

Although they have been bounced in the first round for the last four seasons, Holland will inherit a pretty solid team. The Kings set a franchise record with 31 wins on home ice last year and tied a regular season best with 105 points. They even led the Oilers 2-0 in the first round series this year and outplayed the Oilers for much of Games 3 and 4 before inexplicably falling apart. 

Could Holland's familiarity with the nemesis Edmonton Oilers be a factor in the Kings' desire to hand him the keys? Any nugget of insider information that could possibly help LA get the Edmonton monkey off their back would surely be welcome but that alone probably doesn't get Holland the job. Besides, after four straight playoff series, the Kings already know pretty much everything there is to know about the Oilers. 

Except how to beat them.