Columbus Blue Jackets assistant general manager Bill Zito is among the contenders to be named GM of the Seattle expansion franchise.
"We are in the process of speaking with a number of candidates, Bill Zito among them," NHL Seattle president and CEO Tod Leiweke told The Seattle Times' Geoff Baker. "There are certainly many aspects of him that we like and find intriguing. He's certainly somebody that brings a lot to the table and that I'm sure a lot of clubs would be interested in."
Leiweke said the process is still in its preliminary stages and wouldn't name any of the other hopefuls with whom the league's newest franchise has spoken.
Zito is a former player agent who joined the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2013. He was named general manager of their AHL affiliate, now the Cleveland Monsters, two years later.
The 54-year-old also served as GM of the U.S. squad at last year's World Championship.
These Stanley Cup Playoffs have featured some of the most tightly contested matchups in years, but there have been several lopsided individual battles that teams have exploited.
As we prepare for the start of the two conference final series, all four teams have at least one such opportunity they'll be looking to take advantage of.
So, before you grab a smart snack like Wonderful Pistachios and talk about the NHL's final four with your friends, do a little homework and read up on four players who are primed to capitalize on a mismatch in the third round:
Tuukka Rask
Gregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / Getty
The Carolina Hurricanes have their share of talented offensive players who will undoubtedly present a challenge for Rask, but the Bruins netminder does have a significant advantage when it comes to the goaltending matchup.
Rask has a wealth of playoff experience compared to either of his Carolina counterparts, and the 32-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down in these playoffs, posting a .938 save percentage while allowing only 27 goals in 13 games.
In the other crease, Petr Mrazek is banged up and hasn't been as good as Rask when healthy. Curtis McElhinney stymied the defensive-minded New York Islanders in three games while filling in for Mrazek, but regardless, Boston has the clear advantage in goal.
Sebastian Aho
Gregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / Getty
Aho will definitely be in tough against two-way stalwarts Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but the Hurricanes star has enough speed to put significant pressure on Zdeno Chara and the rest of Boston's defense corps, so that's the mismatch on which he'll look to feast.
The 42-year-old Chara is twice Aho's age, so the veteran blue-liner will likely have trouble keeping up with Aho and containing the dynamic forward's skill.
Charlie McAvoy's absence from Game 1 due to a suspension will make that task even tougher for Chara and his teammates on the Boston back end.
Hertl is tied with Sharks center Logan Couture for the playoff lead with nine goals, and should continue to benefit from his teammate eating up extra minutes against tougher competition.
With Couture presumably facing the Blues' top forward line, anchored by Selke Trophy candidate Ryan O'Reilly, along with St. Louis' No. 1 defensive pairing, it opens the door for Hertl to keep capitalizing on more advantageous matchups and continue producing gaudy offensive numbers.
Jaden Schwartz
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Schwartz is an incredibly versatile player and one who can tilt the series in the Blues' direction because of his vast skill set.
The 26-year-old winger leads the Blues with 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in 13 playoff games, and can be plugged anywhere in the St. Louis lineup and be counted on to produce. Schwartz has recently suited up alongside Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko, but has put up incredibly positive possession numbers no matter his linemates throughout the postseason.
Schwartz won't be able to avoid the Sharks' group of star defenders all series, but if head coach Craig Berube can find an extra shift or two for an easier matchup here and there, it could be all he needs to make a significant difference.
Are you ready for the conference finals? Make sure you have lots of snacks handy, like Wonderful Pistachios. Wonderful Pistachios are a great-tasting, filling, nutrient-dense snack that come in a variety of flavors such as, Roasted & Salted, Roasted Unsalted, Salt & Pepper, Sweet Chili, and Natural Raw.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares suffered an oblique injury with Team Canada in preparation for the World Championship and will return to Toronto for re-evaluation, Leafs Public Relations announced.
Jared Bednar said there was only one circumstance that would have prevented Nathan MacKinnon from returning to Game 7.
"He (would have) had to have been stretchered off or out of the building in order to not come back," the Colorado Avalanche head coach told the assembled media, including Sportsnet, about his superstar forward after a season-ending loss to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.
"That's the way I felt and that's the way our (other) coaches felt," Bednar added. "Our team was sure happy to get him back and he (made) a big difference right away in the belief in our group."
MacKinnon confirmed postgame that he suffered a sprained shoulder, telling reporters including CBS Denver's Michael Spencer that he sustained "a Grade 2 or 3 AC sprain," and that he received a shot before returning to the game.
The dynamic center left after crashing into the boards on his own early in the first period. He returned with about three minutes left in the opening frame.
The Colorado Avalanche had an equalizing goal overturned after the San Jose Sharks successfully challenged for offside in Game 7 on Wednesday night.
Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow skated the puck outside his blue line but turned it over before he could get any further. In transition, the Avs came down and scored, capitalizing on the neutral-zone giveaway.
However, while five Avalanche skaters were onside, a sixth - Landeskog - was slow to get off the ice.
