The fact that Ryan Johansen has been forced to watch his club from the sidelines hasn't been as hard as he expected.

The Nashville Predators center was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs following Game 4 of the Western Conference Final after undergoing surgery for acute compartment syndrome.

Since then, the 24-year-old has watched his club win two games to knock out the Anaheim Ducks, but subsequently drop two games to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Cup Final.

The Predators surely miss having Johansen in the lineup, but the star forward admits it's been easy to watch his team from afar simply because they have fared so well in his absence.

"Watching the game, obviously I really want to be out there, just being a part of the team and stuff," Johansen said during a press conference on Thursday.

"Which I've said to everyone that asked me that question, it's been a lot easier than I thought. The identity and the character of our team, how we're built, it's been pretty easy to watch because, I mean, these guys, every time they're on the ice, they throw everything they've got. They're not going to stop for anything."

More specifically, Johansen said he's been blown away by the play of some of the team's unsung heroes.

"As I've been sitting on the couch basically for the last two weeks, it's been really inspiring watching guys like Freddy Gaudreau, Austin Watson, Pontus Aberg, just elevating their games," Johansen said.

As for how the injury is doing now, Johansen admits it's been a slow process, but that it continues to get better with each passing day.

Meanwhile, he elaborated on how exactly he suffered the injury, noting that it came during the Predators' overtime loss in Game 4 against the Ducks.

"It just happened really fast. I mean, the second period, knee hit my leg," Johansen said. "As it happened, I was just like, Oh, that's going to hurt in the morning. It was kind of one of those.

"As the period went along, third period went along, by the time I was in overtime, I could barely stand up. Ended up scoring, but right before they scored I was about to go up to coach and be like, 'Coach, I feel like I'm going to hurt the team out here right now.' The game ended up ending. But it got pretty bad pretty quick."

Johansen is expected to make a full recover in time for next season.

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The New York Islanders are one summer away from a massive rebuild. The moves they make in the summer of '17 and the results based off those moves will decide the direction of the coming roster overhaul.

The Isles are coming off their fifth season without a playoff appearance in captain John Tavares' eight-year career. In the three occasions they qualified for the postseason, they couldn't made it out of the second round.

Islanders head coach Doug Weight stressed Thursday how committed Tavares is to winning, and winning often.

"Ultimately for him, that's his goal, and if it has to be somewhere else, I think it would be," Weight told Sirius XM NHL Network Radio.

The Islanders are heading into a pivotal offseason with an estimated $2 million in cap space, and defenseman Calvin De Haan listed as a restricted free agent. In the final year of Tavares' contract, they'll start almost the exact same roster that went 41-29-12 and missed the playoffs by a single point in 2016-17.

In order to convince their star he can win his desired "multiple Stanley Cups" in New York, they'll need to show a commitment to winning with little wiggle room under the projected $73-million salary cap. Any significant alterations to their roster will have to occur via trade.

Whether it's with the Islanders or a new team, Tavares will see himself as the centerpiece of a much different roster in two years.

Should he ultimately elect to stay in The Big Apple, he'd join the nine players currently under contract for the 2018-19 season.

(Courtesy: CapFriendly.com)

These nine players account for an estimated cap hit of $35,684,643, leaving the team roughly $37 million in salary room, assuming a $73-million cap.

Here's a look at some ways the Islanders can turn themselves into a perennial winner and show Tavares they're as committed to his future as they want him to be to theirs:

Get Ovechkin

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan mentioned earlier this week that while he's not actively seeking out a trade partner with maligned forward Alex Ovechkin, he would accept a "hockey deal." Ovechkin's massive cap hit makes him a tough fit for New York, but the team could put together a competitive package of similar overall salaries. For example:

To New York: Ovechkin ($9.54 millions through 2020/21)

To Washington: F Ryan Strome ($2.5 million for 2017/18), D Nick Leddy ($5.5 million through 2021/22), F Joshua Ho-Sang ($863,333 through 2018/19), D Ryan Pulock ($853,333 for 2017/18)

The four pieces coming back in exchange for the declining Ovechkin could interest the Capitals. The NHL salaries are similar, leaving New York with just a little fine tuning to be in compliance with the cap. It weakens the Islanders' long-term outlook, but with so much freedom just one more year away, they might be able to bring Batman back with a new and improved Robin, and worry about the rest of the supporting cast when the time comes.

Get a head start on the 2018-19 free-agent class

Another difficult path Islanders GM Garth Snow can take to show his commitment to Tavares is acquiring players with just one year left on their contracts and re-signing them prior to the team's 2018-19 rebuild. This move would help the team be competitive as soon as next year, while also bolstering its long-term outlook.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson represents the best of the forwards expected to be available next summer. He's owed $3.5 million in real salary and in cap hit for 2017-18, and is coming off a career-best 62-point campaign. The Blue Jackets have more than $20 million in projected cap space for 2018-19, and Atkinson quickly became their top offensive star, making him a very tough get. Snow may be forced into overpaying both in trade assets and salary.

Nothing they give up, though, would be as detrimental as Tavares leaving for free.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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Tampa Bay's gain is Pyeongchang's loss.

After revealing plans for the Lightning to host the 2018 All-Star Game and associated festivities earlier this week, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman attended a press conference Thursday in Tampa Bay, where he snuffed out any lasting hope that NHL players would participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

"No possibility," Bettman said, per Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "I think we've been about as clear on this subject as we can.

"I know there's a lot of people saying, the National Ice Hockey Federation, the IOC, even the players association, 'Oh no, this can still happen.' No it can't. We'll be here, looking forward to being here, and the Olympics should not be a concern."

The league didn't hold All-Star Games in the three past Olympic years (2014, 2010, 2006) due to already compressed schedules that allowed NHL players to travel to Sochi, Vancouver, and Turin.

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Facilitating Ilya Kovalchuk's NHL return isn't at the top of New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero's to-do list quite yet.

The Russian forward is interested in returning to North America following a four-year KHL hiatus, but - pending the approval of all 31 owners - can only do so via the Devils, either as a member of the team or by way of a sign-and-trade.

Related: 5 logical destinations for Ilya Kovalchuk

Shero, for his part, remains in wait-and-see mode.

"Kovalchuk kind of drives the bus on this in terms of talking to teams or where he could want to play," he said Thursday, per Mike Morreale of NHL.com.

"I can't go out calling teams because that's a waste of my time. He's going to tell (us) where he wants to play and in the end, if that does work out and it's not the Devils, then I've got to see if that makes sense for us to do that."

Despite Kovalchuk's contract being terminated in 2013 upon taking on voluntary retirement, New Jersey retains his NHL rights until he turns 35 on April 15, 2018.

Kovalchuk is fresh off his second Gagarin Cup win as a member of SKA Saint Petersburg, for whom he's been playing the past four seasons.

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Nashville Predators head coach Peter Laviolette was given two specific opportunities to address Pekka Rinne's status following a Game 2 loss in which the goaltender was pulled, but didn't come outright and say if he plans to go right back to a player largely responsible for getting his team to the Stanley Cup Final in the first place.

Instead, Laviolette pointed to how good Rinne has been for the Predators through the regular season and playoffs, calling his play both "terrific" and "excellent" while adding the team as a whole can do better.

Again, an endorsement, but one that left the door open ever so slightly for speculation to arise as to whether Laviolette would be willing to turn to rookie Juuse Saros for Game 3.

First, a look at Rinne's numbers round-by-round to show how steep a drop they've taken in the championship round.

Let's be clear about one thing: there was no way Rinne was going to replicate the success he had against Chicago or even St. Louis, with his numbers against Anaheim falling more in line with his career regular season save percentage of .917. But what's happened to date against Pittsburgh has been nothing short of catastrophic, leaving Nashville with zero margin for error.

And turning to Saros at this point would be just that: an error in judgement.

For one thing, Nashville has yet to play a Final game at home, where Rinne has been nothing short of brilliant:

Saros, by the way, posted a record of 3-3-3 with a save percentage of .918 in nine appearances at home this season. Good, but not mind blowing.

And here's the thing: through the first two games, the Predators have largely been driving possession and hold a 64-39 advantage in shots, but ultimately had wins taken from them on opportunities created by some Nashville mistakes leading to Penguins odd-man rushes and, to be clear, some shoddy goaltending on Rinne's part.

But two poor road games in which the Predators weren't blown out by any standard should not warrant turning to Saros, who brings just two AHL playoff appearances and 16 minutes of NHL postseason experience to the table.

While Saros is likely the starter of the future for the Predators, Rinne deserves the opportunity to prove himself in Game 3, where the raucous hometown crowd should provide the whole team with a boost.

"Five and a half periods we really liked things we did," Laviolette said after Game 2. "There's a stretch where they gained some momentum. They're able to capitalize, be opportunistic. Swung two games in their favor.

"Maybe (we need) a little bit more consistency. But certainly we're happy to get home. Our home building has been a good place for us."

In short, tighten up the defense, light the lamp early, Rinne gains confidence from a few timely saves, and the Predators are right back in this thing.

Should Rinne falter early, however, Laviolette should be quick to pull the trigger on a switch in favor of Saros.

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Sidney Crosby's autograph is now permanently inked onto the arm of one Pittsburgh Penguins fan.

Rebecca Raetz and her husband, Austin, drove from Illinois to PPG Paints Arena to watch the Penguins defeat the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday, and stuck around afterward in the hopes of getting an autograph or two. She ended up getting Crosby to sign her arm and promised him she would have it tattooed as soon as she got home.

Crosby seemed skeptical.

"I don't know if he believed me," Raetz told KDKA-TV. "He was like, 'Okay ...'"

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They say a series is never lost until you lose on home ice. While this has proven incorrect countless times, the adage does suggest it's far too early to rule out the Nashville Predators, since they haven't played the franchise's first Stanley Cup Final game at Bridgestone Arena.

As the Western Conference's bottom seed, Nashville hasn't had official home-ice advantage at any stage of the playoffs. Yet, the Predators have gotten this far, in part, due to tremendous play in Music City. They've lost just one game on home ice - a 3-2 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final - and outscored their three opponents 25-13 in eight games.

Here's how the Predators, currently in a 2-0 hole, can get back into the series:

Assemble - and use - the top line

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Nashville was dealt the unfortunate hand of losing No. 1 center Ryan Johansen to an emergency thigh surgery between Games 4 and 5 of Round 3. Head coach Peter Laviolette has been relying on a committee approach to replace him. Defense-first center Mike Fisher returned from injury to lead the team with 20:47 of ice time in Game 1, but he's 36 years old and seven seasons removed from a career-best 53-point campaign.

Filip Forsberg topped the forward corps with 18:41 of ice time in Game 2. While he was rightfully the team leader, he still didn't play nearly enough, and James Neal's ice time fell from 19:43 in Game 1 to 15:24 on Wednesday night.

As the Predators get home ice and the advantage of final change, they need to load up a top line featuring two of Forsberg, Neal, and Viktor Arvidsson - a trio that combined for 85 regular-season goals - with either Pontus Aberg or Colton Sissons playing the pivot at even strength.

Keep shutting down Sid and Geno when it counts

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Coming into the series, there was a lot of talk about how Nashville's elite top-four defensemen would fare against two of the league's top centers, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Through two games, it's difficult to not give the advantage here to the Predators.

Crosby picked up two assists on the Penguins' first two goals in the series opener, registering three shots on goal of his own. He was held without a point in Game 2, recording just a single SOG in 19:54 of ice time.

Malkin has a goal in each game - the opener on the power play in Game 1 and the fourth marker in Game 2 - but that means he's scored on both of his SOG in the series.

Nashville has been able to contain both Penguins stars during the most important sequences and when the games have been closest. While Crosby and Malkin are the type of talents who can ride ridiculously efficient shooting percentages, goaltender Pekka Rinne needs to make some key stops on the tough shots. He was the one who entered the series as the odds-on favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy, after all.

Bring out the stars

Pop music sensation and bandwagon-jumper extraordinaire Justin Bieber has pledged his temporary allegiance to the Penguins. For the Predators to get back into the series in terms of sheer wattage, they'll need to continue attracting music superstars to Bridgestone Arena. With a pair of front-row tickets for Game 3 going for more than $10,000 on Stubhub before taxes and fees, this could take care of itself.

Alan Jackson has already committed to playing a free show at the Stanley Cup Final party in advance of Saturday's game. The Predators can't stop there. Ms. Underwood needs to call in some favors and get the likes of Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, and Luke Bryan sitting in Bridgestone Arena's marquee seats in order to form a Care Bears-like squad and defeat the Penguins and the evil wizard No Heart ... er, Biebs.

In the meantime, the team's most famous fan hasn't lost hope.

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The Florida Panthers have signed Henrik Haapala to a two-year entry-level contract worth an annual average cap hit of $832,500, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.

Haapala turned 23 years old this past February and has spent the last five seasons with Tappara Tampere of the SM-liiga, Finland's top league, after going undrafted to the NHL.

He broke out in 2016-17, scoring 15 goals and adding 45 assists for a total of 60 points in just 51 regular season games. He led the league in both assists and points. Haapala went on to add two goals and seven assists in 16 playoff games.

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Former tough customer Shawn Thornton is moving into a far less violent role with the Florida Panthers.

Thornton was named the team's vice president of business operations and will work closely with president Matthew Caldwell and chief of staff Sean McCaffrey, the team announced Thursday.

"Shawn's work ethic, enthusiasm, and passion for the Panthers organization is second to none," Caldwell said in the announcement. "We are thrilled to welcome him to our executive team and know that he will bring the same level of professionalism, experience, and leadership to the business side of our organization as he did in the locker room."

Thornton played the final three seasons of his 14-year NHL career with the Panthers where he posted four goals, 10 points, and 197 penalty minutes in 146 games, but is now prepared to take on a different challenge.

"It's a humbling day for me and I'm excited to begin the next chapter of my career in hockey," said Thornton. "The business side of operating an NHL team has always fascinated me. I have had the privilege of learning from and working with a number of first-class individuals, leaders, and organizations during the course of my playing career and I look forward to applying some of those lessons in my new role. My family and I are very grateful that we'll be able to continue to be a part of the Panthers family and the south Florida community."

Over his NHL career, the 39-year-old played in 705 games, tallying 42 goals, 102 points, and a staggering 1,103 penalty minutes, while capturing the Stanley Cup in 2007 as a member of the Anaheim Ducks and again in 2011 with the Boston Bruins.

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A little taste of home may be just what the Nashville Predators need to get back into their Stanley Cup Final series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The old sports adage is a playoff series isn't truly in jeopardy until a team drops a game at home, and immediately following a Game 2 loss, defenseman P.K. Subban said it's his team's turn to take care of business.

"Right away the focus shifts to, 'We don't lose in our building,'" Subban told reporters, per Sportsnet. "So we're going back home, we're going to win the next game, and then we'll see what happens from there."

Despite the two losses, the Predators have largely been driving possession and hold a 64-39 advantage in shots, but Subban wasn't willing to dwell on what went wrong both contests.

"Our focus is our next game, and that's it," Subban reiterated. "We're getting ready for the next game; we win that one and then we move forward."

Game 3 is set for Saturday, and Nashville will play host to its first Cup Final contest.

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