Sometimes opposites attract, but it appears the free-spirited, easy-going Drew Doughty and the stern, old-school Darryl Sutter didn't always see eye-to-eye while the latter was head coach of the Los Angeles Kings.

In the offseason, the Kings fired head coach Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi, who were running the show during the Kings' two Stanley Cup victories.

"Dean and Darryl were great for the organization and great for me as a player," Doughty told Matt Larkin of The Hockey News. "I love them so much. They're awesome. At the same time, it was necessary to make a change, I'm not saying that Dean should have been gone, but we needed a coaching change, and we made great decisions there."

It's rare that NHL players would blatantly state their agreement with a head coach's firing, but then again, Doughty is no ordinary NHLer. He's known as someone who comes to the rink relaxed, joking, and having fun.

"Drew can come to the rink and be relaxed and joking around, but he’s ready. He has a routine of preparedness. That’s the way he gets ready," said Sutters' replacement, John Stevens, who's been on the Kings' coaching staff since 2010. "When he gets to the rink, he’s not rushing around trying to get ready. He's totally relaxed. He goes about his business, he has fun, he's got a routine that he does. He's totally ready to go, whereas other players, they couldn't do that."

This relaxed method of preparation didn't sit too well with the hard-nosed Sutter.

"I shouldn't say Darryl (Sutter) didn’t like it, but he definitely would have liked me to be more serious in certain situations," Doughty said. "But I just can't play the game that way. I like that I have fun playing the game ..."

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Doughty's creative, offensive-minded - yet sometimes unconventional - style of play can be frustrating for a head coach, but it's also a major reason why he's been a Norris Trophy finalist three times, winning the award in 2015-16.

Even though a player of Doughty's caliber might have more leeway with coaches than other players, Sutter wasn't always an easy person with whom to communicate.

"Darryl's an awesome coach, and I absolutely love him," Doughty said. "He's awesome for me. He taught me a lot of things as well. But if there is a problem with the team, or if you had a problem with Darryl, you'd be intimidated to go knock on his door and say, 'Hey Darryl, I don't like this or I don't like that.'"

Regardless of who's coaching, or what team he's playing for, Doughty - an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season - has one goal in mind moving forward: winning.

"My first love will always be L.A.," said the Toronto native, who grew up a Kings fan because of Wayne Gretzky. "It's one of the best organizations in all of sports, not just hockey. It's unbelievable. They treat us first-class, and it's a good place to play. Living in Los Angeles, you can't beat it. I'd love to re-sign in L.A. But if our team isn't going in the right direction ... I want to win Cups. I don't give a s--- where I play. I just want to win Cups, and that’s the bottom line."

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In what could be his final season as a member of the New York Rangers, Rick Nash is prepared to give it his all.

Nash admitted he'll be playing for his next deal as he heads toward free agency at age 34 next summer.

"Every year I want to have the best year possible. But this year, it’s an important year for me personally," Nash said Friday at Citi Field during an event promoting the Winter Classic, per Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News.

"Your contract’s up and you play for another contract. That’s what I’m facing this year."

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Nash did score a career-high 42 goals in 2014-15, but has struggled to remain healthy and hit the back of the net on a consistent basis since. In 2015-16, he scored only 15 goals in 60 games, but rebounded slightly last season, recording 23 goals in 67 games.

In order to have a healthy measure of term and valuation on his next deal, he'll need to stay on the ice and score with vintage regularity.

And lest he be labeled as selfish, Nash continues to consider team goals as well.

"It’s an important year for the Rangers, too. We still haven’t achieved that goal (winning the Stanley Cup) that we all want to achieve."

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Bo Horvat believes the Vancouver Canucks will surely be rewarded for the investment made in him on his new deal.

The 22-year-old center signed a six-year, $33-million contract with the club Friday, and, despite leading the team in scoring last season, Horvat feels like he's just starting to find his stride.

"I think them signing me to a long-term deal means that they they have a lot of support for me and they believe in me," Horvat said Friday, per Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "I’m really humbled by that and, obviously, I respect them for that.

"I think I’m just scratching the surface. I’ve only been in the league three years. These next six years is where I can really step up my game and prove myself."

The Canucks, like Horvat, are planning on having better days ahead after a rough past few seasons. For his part, Horvat believes a somewhat roller coaster-like entry into the NHL will serve him well.

"I feel pretty confident in this group and myself that I’ll be a big part of this team for a while," he said. "I’ve been through a lot in my first three years: just getting drafted for Cory Schneider (who was traded to New Jersey at the 2013 Draft), going through a 27-game goal slump, starting on the fourth line last year.

"I’ve been through a lot already. It was a mental grind. I feel I’m ready for this."

"This" as in serving as one of the faces of the franchise, especially with the futures of the Sedin twins not set in stone past this season.

Horvat has averaged 0.51 points per game over his first three seasons.

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Alex Chiasson is getting another kick at the can.

The veteran forward will attend Washington Capitals training camp on a professional tryout, the team announced Saturday.

The 26-year-old spent last season with the Calgary Flames, appearing in all but one game as he finished with 12 goals and 12 assists.

Prior to his one-year stay in Calgary, Chiasson spent two seasons each with the Dallas Stars and Ottawa Senators. He has skated in 320 career games since making his NHL debut in 2012.

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Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli is tempering expectations heading into the new season.

His squad was recently tabbed by oddsmakers as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup in 2018, but Chiarelli knows the roster still has some learning and growing to do, individually and as a group.

"That will be one of our biggest challenges," Chiarelli said Friday of managing the favorable forecasts, per Tim Campbell of NHL.com. "There are a lot of new experiences that these guys will face. If you look through our lineup, outside of last year, there's not a lot of playoff experience or having success as a, well, I wouldn't call us a front-runner."

Last season's goal of making the playoffs was well achieved, and the Oilers came within a win of advancing to the conference finals. The hope, then, is simply that the next step will be taken.

"So … how are we going to do this? We'll just have to work ourselves through it, a new experience, the same way as last year," Chiarelli said. "Then, our goal was to make the playoffs and when you're in the playoffs, it's a better testing ground, a better development ground for your young guys.

"So this is the next step. Hopefully it's a natural progression."

The Oilers will begin their preseason schedule Sept. 18 against Calgary.

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Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Remaining an elite player for an extended period of time in the NHL is certainly not easy, and for goaltenders the struggle can be even greater.

Heading into this season, there are several netminders who've long been ranked among the best in the league but appear to be losing their luster. Although they still have the ability to steal some games for their respective teams, these goalies have most certainly begun slipping down the depth charts.

Henrik Lundqvist

The King no longer rules all seven kingdoms.

For years Lundqvist has been the pinnacle of consistency, but signs of regression have begun to appear in the New York Rangers puck-stopper's game.

This past season he posted the worst goals-against average and save percentage of his career, while tying a career low in shutouts.

He posted a .918 even-strength save percentage, good enough for 36th among all goaltenders with at least 25 games played. In fact, Lundqvist even saw his net stolen for a brief period of time in 2016-17 by Antti Raanta.

Lundqvist is 35 years old and will be 36 next March. He is certainly no slouch, but his best days are in the rearview mirror and it's hard to imagine him being much better this season.

Roberto Luongo

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Much like Lundqvist, Roberto Luongo's biggest detriment is likely his age.

This season the 38-year-old was hampered largely by injury which played a role in his diminished stats. Luongo posted a 2.68 GAA (his worst mark since 2006) and a .915 save percentage (his lowest total since 2010), while tallying just one shutout for only the third time in his career.

In fact, the Florida Panthers acquired James Reimer ahead of last season with the perception he might soon become the team's No. 1 in the near future.

Luongo is capable of having a bounce-back season, but don't expect a rebound of epic proportions.

Cory Schneider

Cory Schneider should be in the midst of his best season in the NHL, but 2016-17 was anything but.

Schneider had an abysmal year by his standards, as the New Jersey Devils netminder posted the worst save percentage (.908) and GAA (2.82) of his career.

Schneider ranked 30th with a .920 save percentage at 5-on-5 in 2016-17 - a far cry from the two previous seasons that saw him rank ninth and sixth, respectively.

The Devils' defense corps hasn't improved from a season ago, so Schneider is not likely to get any more help this season.

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If anyone ever doubted Sidney Crosby's work ethic or passion for the game of hockey, have a conversation Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet, who spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In a Q&A with Sports Illustrated, Tocchet revealed that he and Crosby would have late night phone conversations to simply talk hockey.

"He would text and say, 'You up?' And it'd be 10 o'clock. I'd do the same to him. Whatever the topic, 10 o’clock, 10:30, things like that," Tocchet told SI. "He's always thinking hockey, that kid. And that's why I love him. But it wasn't always hockey too. He made me a better coach, and a lot of those phone calls or texts really helped me, for sure."

When asked exactly what they would talk about specifically, or why Crosby made him a better coach, Tocchet didn't shy away.

"Because he keeps you on your toes. 'Hey, did you see that in this game tonight, the way this team ran a faceoff on the power play? What do you think?' I'd go, 'Shoot, I didn’t even see the game,' so I'd take a look at the game, come in around nine in the morning and we'd take a look at it together. So I better have some good answers for him or analyze some good stuff with him. It made me a harder-working coach," he said.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

It's clear that Crosby's devotion to the game is what makes him so special. Even with all the hardware he already has in his trophy case, he is continually looking for ways he can improve.

The praise from Tocchet shouldn't be understated either, considering he played with both Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky during his career. Tocchet has been fortunate enough to soak up knowledge from all three of these greats, and use it in his coaching.

"Mario and Wayne's calmness in high-pressure situations, and the way they react to them is something I've learned over the 20-something years I’ve been involved in hockey," Tocchet said. "Or the hockey IQ of Sidney Crosby, watching him ask a question to one of the coaches, or say something in a meeting, or analyze something with the team, his hockey IQ is outstanding.

"There's a lot of players I've learned over the years with work ethic, leaders in the room, but those three guys have special gifts. To be around those three guys, you can pick out some stuff and learn and implement it, for sure. I’m very lucky."

The evidence would suggest that the Coyotes made an astute hiring in Tocchet.

As for Crosby, being a great player doesn't always translate to being a successful coach, but it appears as though he has what it takes if he ever decided to take up coaching once his playing career is all said and done. He's seemingly already an assistant coach of sorts with the Penguins right now.

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Gary Bettman doesn't sound keen on the idea of the New York Islanders returning to their old barn for the long haul.

"I don't view the Nassau Coliseum as a viable option," the NHL commissioner said Friday at a press conference announcing next year's Winter Classic at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y., according to Newsday's Jim Baumbach and Steve Zipay.

"Ultimately, whether or not the Islanders want to consider that and bring it to the league or something, you've had to ask them about it," Bettman said. "But my gut reaction is it's not a viable option."

Nassau lawmakers held a press conference of their own back in July in an attempt to woo the Islanders back to their original arena, even as a temporary solution.

The club will soon submit a proposal for a brand-new facility at Belmont Park. Bettman declined to specifically address that possibility Friday.

"The Islanders have very good options and they're in the process of evaluating what makes the most sense for the franchise and their fans," he said.

Bettman did say he believes the New York metro area can support another arena.

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, as it's officially known, has been renovated over the last couple of years since the club left for Brooklyn's Barclays Center in 2015.

If officials with the Brooklyn-based facility want to opt out of their 25-year lease, as they've reportedly considered, that would have to happen before Jan. 30, according to Newsday.

The Islanders will play a preseason game at Nassau Coliseum on Sept. 17 against the Philadelphia Flyers, but Bettman said Friday he doesn't think playing additional games there "makes a lot of sense."

The club has dealt with several issues at Barclays Center, including piping systems that don't meet NHL requirements and poor sightlines.

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