After adding Scott Stevens to his staff Tuesday, Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau said he thought the Hall of Fame defenseman would have "instant respect" from his players.
He thought right.
Boudreau told AP's Steven Whyno that star forward Zach Parise immediately texted his new bench boss to tell him adding Stevens was an "awesome move."
"He's the quietest and humblest Hall of Famer you'll ever meet," Parise told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune of Stevens - who he knows from his time with the New Jersey Devils. "He's going to be so good for us and our D and PK."
With Stevens locked up, Boudreau is hoping to announce the hiring of a second assistant that will help run the power play early next week. Russo reports former NHLer Steve Thomas may be among those considered.
"You don't get an opportunity to get somebody of Scott's ilk every day, Boudreau said. "If I'm starting with a team that's new, I want everybody to come in thinking, 'Wow this is a great staff.'"
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Through four games of the Stanley Cup Final, the stars who carried the San Jose Sharks through the Western Conference are no longer having their way with opposing defenses.
Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer suggested the solution may be getting more production from their depth forwards.
"There is no magic answer. They get a ton of attention," DeBoer said referring to forwards Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton, according to NBC's Pro Hockey Talk's Cam Tucker. "I think our support group has to take a little bit of pressure off them."
After recording 22 points in the opening three rounds of the playoffs, the Sharks captain has been held off the scoresheet in the Final, while sporting a minus-3 rating. Thornton meanwhile, is also struggling to find the back of the net and sits a minus-3 with just two assists, both recorded in his team's Game 3 victory.
"You have to give Pittsburgh some credit for the job they've done on them," DeBoer continued. "The stars on both sides would tell you there's not a lot of room out there."
The Sharks have received contributions from the bottom-six in their last two games with Joel Ward and Melker Karlsson both lighting the lamp, but more production is needed if San Jose hopes to counter the high-powered offense of the Penguins.
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After 15 years with the Colorado Avalanche, former general manager Greg Sherman is leaving the organization, a team spokesman told The Denver Post on Tuesday.
Sherman served as GM from 2009 to 2014, with his team reaching the playoffs in two of five seasons before being replaced by Joe Sakic, and subsequently demoted to the role of assistant GM.
He was promoted to senior vice president of business and team operations last June, but has now decided to "move on" from the franchise.
The team has not reached the postseason since Sakic took over as general manager.
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The NHL executive committee's meeting on expansion lasted over four hours Tuesday, but there is still no word on whether the league will be adding teams in time for the 2017-18 season.
The nine-member committee - chaired by Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs - was expected to decide on a recommendation to give to the league's Board of Governors when they meet on June 22 in Las Vegas.
They could recommend not to expand at all, delay expansion indefinitely, add one team, or add two teams.
Las Vegas and Quebec City were the only cities to submit applications for the current expansion process, and the potential ownership groups are also yet to hear word on the fate of their bids.
"Nobody has said anything to me," potential Las Vegas owner Bill Foley told Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The league has not expanded since the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild joined the NHL in 2000.
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Ken Holland is hoping to re-sign a pair of free-agent forwards before July 1.
The Detroit Red Wings have made offers to impending UFAs Darren Helm and Drew Miller, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.
A new contract with Miller is expected to be completed soon, while any deal with Helm is likely to come after the free-agent interview process at the end of June.
Miller missed 54 games due to injuries this season, but Holland is hopeful to bring his leadership back to the Wings' dressing room.
"We're working away, hopefully find a solution," Holland said. "He's a good penalty killer, he's a good leader in the room. He doesn't wear a letter but he's well-respected by the younger players. Hopefully we find a solution to keep him here for another year."
Helm, another strong penalty killer, is expected to command between $3.5 million and $4 million per year, according to Khan. The speedy forward has stated interest to stay in Detroit, but is hoping to have his role more clearly defined with the organization.
Meanwhile, Holland has already stated he will not make offers to fellow UFAs Brad Richards and Kyle Quincey before July 1, "if at all."
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Matt Murray's rise to stardom in Pittsburgh continues to grow.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, city council agreed to rename Murray Avenue - a street in the residential neighborhood of Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh's east end - to Matt Murray Avenue for Thursday, Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The idea reportedly came from a local radio host, who called city council presenting the idea, and was backed by nearly 20,000 listeners.
The Penguins have a chance to clinch the Stanley Cup on home ice for the first time in franchise history, and if Pittsburgh can close it out, fans will be partying on the street regardless of the name.
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