Barry Trotz's vision helped guide the Washington Capitals to the Stanley Cup. Now, the 56-year-old is confident that a similar vision, one that emphasizes defense and preaches accountability, can help restore the New York Islanders as a winning franchise

"There's going to be change. It's going to be structurally, on and off the ice, expectations are going to change," Trotz told The Athletic's Arthur Staple. "Nothing against any former regimes, but we have our own vision of what we want to do, how we're going to do it.

"They've done a lot of good things here. There's certain things in the way things are managed or established, the rules or how you do things. To me, culture change is an attitude - getting the right attitude, standing for something."

Related - Islanders legend Trottier: Lamoriello, Trotz bring credibility to franchise

Most importantly, it's up to Trotz and his staff, many of whom followed him from Washington, to shore up the team's biggest weakness: its play in its own end.

"One of the easiest things to correct, if there's a commitment and a buy-in, is keeping the puck out of your net," Trotz added. "We'll need a bigger buy-in, we'll put some structure, we'll make sure the details are there and we'll make players accountable. If they're not, we'll get someone who can be accountable."

Trotz's system will be tested in trying to clean up the Islanders' leaky defensive coverage. New York allowed a league-worst 296 goals last season, more than any team in the last decade.

After rotating between goalies Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss last year, the team will turn to a new starter in Robin Lehner, who inked a one-year deal in free agency. Lehner, 27, posted a 42-61-22 record with a .916 save percentage and a 2.77 GAA over the last three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres.

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The New York Rangers are in no rush to name a new leader.

After dealing Ryan McDonagh to the Tampa Bay Lightning at last year's trade deadline, the Rangers finished the 2017-18 campaign without a captain.

Yet the historic franchise is ready to wait to name a new leader until someone distinguishes himself from the rest of the pack, according to new head coach David Quinn.

"We've talked about it as an organization. I think a captain emerges," Quinn told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "You don't want to put a burden on somebody that isn't ready for it. So I think that will just happen one way or the other.

"It either will happen that someone will emerge and separate themselves as someone who is clearly going to be the captain, or it won't happen. I think that will take care of itself."

McDonagh had worn the "C" since the start of the 2014-15 season, assuming the vacancy from departed captain Ryan Callahan.

Forwards Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, and defenseman Marc Staal were alternate captains with the Rangers last season, and all three could be candidates to take on the top duty this year.

The Rangers have had 27 captains in the team's history, including two stints by Mark Messier, who wore the "C" from 1991 to 1997, and again from 2000 to 2004.

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The Vancouver Canucks are ready to lock up Brock Boeser.

In speaking with Ben Kuzma of The Province, Canucks general manager Jim Benning confirmed the two sides have kicked off preliminary discussions on a contract extension, with more talks scheduled for next week.

"We haven't got down to talking term," Benning said. "We plan to circle back and I'm not sure where it's going to go, but we want to see if we can get somewhere. There's no time frame on it.

"Brock is going to see the best matchup line and best defensive pair, but I don't expect a drop-off. He has pushed himself hard to pick up where he left off and there are other contracts coming up in the league in the next six months that could drive up the price - I understand that part of it. But it has to make sense for everybody."

Despite being limited to just 62 appearances last season, and missing the final 16 games of the year with a back injury, Boeser led the Canucks with 29 goals. That total ranked second among all freshmen and was two back of Winnipeg Jets rookie Kyle Connor for top spot.

Boeser, 21, has one year remaining on his entry-level contract that carries a $925,000 cap hit plus an additional $850,000 in performance bonuses.

Vancouver selected Boeser with the 23rd pick in the 2015 draft.

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John Tavares has left Long Island, but the biggest change to hit New York this offseason may have been the departures of general manager Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight.

In their place, the New York Islanders recruited former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello, who then hired Barry Trotz, fresh off of a Stanley Cup championship with the division rival Washington Capitals.

The new faces will help restore the credibility of the franchise, according to Islanders legend Bryan Trottier.

"The credibility aspect, absolutely, instantaneously it's there," Trottier, a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Islanders, told NHL.com's Dave McCarthy. "The media can't argue with their experiences and that's always been a little bit of a problem with the Islanders because if they don't do well, everybody's all over them. So now with Lou there, he's got credibility. Barry's got credibility.

"How do you second-guess a guy like (former Islanders coach) Al Arbour, a guy like Scotty Bowman, a guy like Barry Trotz? Those guys have years and years and years of experience."

While Trotz's Stanley Cup win with the Capitals was the first of his career, he brings no shortage of a winning history, as his 762 coaching victories rank fifth all time (and just 20 back of Arbour).

Lamoriello, meanwhile, has three Stanley Cup rings to his name from nearly three decades at the helm of the New Jersey Devils. He's also coming off a three-year stint as GM of the Maple Leafs that saw the legendary executive reshape the club into a championship contender. Of course, Lamoriello had a handful of intriguing building blocks with the Maple Leafs, but the Islanders have their fair share of impressive young talent as well.

"For (Mathew Barzal) to be an Islander and to have the kind rookie season he had, he's not disappointing anyone," Trottier added. "He's a down-to-earth kid and tying my rookie assist record was great. Sharing a record with a young, skilled kid like this is awesome. I see wonderful things for Mathew in the future and for the Islanders."

Should Barzal and the Islanders qualify for the playoffs this year, it will mark just the fourth time the franchise has done so in the past 12 seasons.

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Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing successful Achilles tendon surgery, the team announced Tuesday.

Sekera suffered the injury during offseason training. No timeline has been provided for his return.

It's a devastating injury for Sekera, who was limited to just 36 appearances in 2017-18. He also missed the first 34 games of last season as he recovered from summer knee surgery.

Sekera finished last year with eight assists while averaging more than 16 minutes in ice time. The 32-year-old is signed through the next three seasons at a $5.5-million cap hit.

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After the Vegas Golden Knights came within three wins of claiming the Stanley Cup in their inaugural season, general manager George McPhee believes improvements to the second forward unit could be key to taking the next step.

"We did have to change the second line from what it was last year, because as second lines go, it wasn't good enough defensively," McPhee told the "Vegas Golden Knights Insider Hockey Show." "It produced, but the goals against per 60 minutes was not good enough. We were actually dead last among second lines in the league. You can either just sort of look the other way on that or you can address it. We're trying to address it."

To help deal with those issues, Vegas inked free-agent center Paul Stastny amid an otherwise quiet offseason. The veteran middleman is expected to bring a scoring touch, while his ability to play all 200 feet of the ice was especially intriguing for McPhee.

Meanwhile, the trio of ​Erik Haula, David Perron, and James Neal was the most common second line for Vegas last season, according to Corsica, and the latter two have both moved on as free agents this offseason.

So, for now the plan appears to be slotting Stastny into the second-line center spot, while shifting Haula to the wing. That leaves one more job up for grabs, which could possibly be secured by Tomas Tatar, who was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings at the deadline for three draft picks. Another option is one of the Golden Knights' budding young talents in Alex Tuch, who notched 15 goals and 22 assists as a freshman.

"You've got to make room for guys to grow," McPhee added. "Tuch is certainly a guy who we're ready for some growth. He had a good rookie season, but we think with his ability, his speed, and his size that he could really a score a lot more goals this year than he did last year."

One thing is for sure - Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant will have plenty of options available when he starts constructing line combinations at training camp in September.

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If this is the end of the road for Brian Gionta, he'll look back fondly over his 16-year-long NHL career.

The 39-year-old has spent the offseason training in his native Western New York, and while he hasn't ruled out the possibility of suiting up next season, it appears it would need to be a near unimaginable opportunity for him to do so.

"I'm still training with the group of guys who are here," Gionta told NHL.com's Dave Stubbs. "At this point, it's basically to hang around them and stay in shape. But I'm prepared (for retirement) unless something very out of the ordinary and significant came through."

Gionta's time in the big leagues began in 2001 and included stints with the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, and a short encore with the Boston Bruins.

A Stanley Cup win with the Devils in 2003 marked his biggest accomplishment, though his 48-goal output with New Jersey three years later is also deserving of applause, as the feat still stands as a franchise record.

Last season, Gionta spent much of the year practicing with the Sabres' AHL club in Rochester in preparation of PyeongChang 2018, where he competed with Team USA before inking a deal with the Bruins in February.

If he has skated in his final NHL game, Gionta will wrap his 1,026-game career with 291 goals and 304 assists. Not too shabby for a diminutive player who many pundits pegged as having little chance of making waves in pro hockey.

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A Friday meeting offered the latest on the Senators' plan to build a new arena in downtown Ottawa.

While the get-together between team ownership and city officials largely focused on the site plan, zoning amendments, and the requirement of public consultation, it also served as the first major update on the file since January when the Senators reached a principle agreement to redevelop the LeBreton Flats neighborhood for a new arena.

The Senators and Trinity Development Group are continuing to work toward a master agreement with the National Capital Commission as part of their joint venture known as RendezVous LeBreton. That new phase in the project could take up to 18 months.

While an estimated cost for the project hasn't been revealed, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson already ruled out the possibility of using public funds.

"We want to be a willing partner," Watson told Jon Willing of the Ottawa Citizen on Friday. "They understand obviously that we don't have the funds to fund paying for an arena and they're fully appreciative of my position on that."

On the Senators' side, there's no concern about footing the bill.

"We are fully capable of funding our portion of what we need to accomplish and I think that as a team effort here that everything is required can get done," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk told Willing.

While the plan is for the Senators to move from Kanata to the city's downtown core, Melnyk said there shouldn't be any concern about the team's long-term future in the Canadian capital.

"The one thing that is constant always is we're here to stay in Ottawa for a very, very long time," Melnyk added. "We want to make sure the LeBreton project, if accomplished, is a success for many, many years, for our children's children, and that's the way we're looking at it."

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Henrik Zetterberg's status for next season remains up in the air.

The Detroit Red Wings captain has long struggled with back injuries, dating back to the 2014 season when he missed the final 24 games of the regular season, plus three playoff contests, following back surgery.

However, Zetterberg has not missed any time in the past three seasons. While the hope is that he can dress for the upcoming campaign, his status remains uncertain.

"There's a real unknown right now with Henrik Zetterberg," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told The Athletic's Craig Custance.

The 37-year-old signed a 12-year, $73-million contract with the Red Wings in 2009, and has three years remaining on the pact. The deal is heavily front-loaded, and will see him earn just $5.35 million over the final three seasons.

"I am anxious to know where Henrik Zetterberg is at. He's a bit of an unknown as far as health," Holland added, per the Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James. "Have talked to his agent - he has had (a) tough summer. He hasn't been able to train anywhere near (the level of) past summers. I'm hoping he'll play."

MLive.com's Ansar Khan first reported about internal doubt within the Red Wings' organization over Zetterberg suiting up this season due to his injury history.

If the two-time All-Star is unable to play, the Red Wings can place him on the long-term injured reserve, relieving the team of his $6.08-million cap hit.

Zetterberg finished second in team scoring last season with 56 points.

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The Detroit Red Wings have given forward Dylan Larkin a five-year contract, the team announced on Friday.

The deal is reportedly worth $6.1 million per season, according to Craig Custance of The Athletic.

The 22-year-old is now the highest-paid Red Wing, slightly ahead of captain Henrik Zetterberg's $6.08 million cap hit.

Larkin appeared in all 82 games for Detroit last season, leading the team in scoring with 63 points. The Michigan native began his NHL career as a winger three seasons ago, but later moved to center. He's expected to be the Red Wings' top center for the 2018-19 campaign.

"Dylan brings a lot of determination, a lot of passion, and he loves the game of hockey," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said in a statement. "He's becoming a young player that has those leadership qualities in him. He earns respect because he plays hard and loves the game."

Detroit selected Larkin with the 15th pick in the 2014 draft.

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