NHL Rumor Mill – May 2, 2025

by | May 2, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – May 2, 2025

The latest coaching rumors, the Devils attempted to acquire Ryan O’Reilly at the trade deadline, and the latest on Red Wings forward Vladimir Tarasenko in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST COACHING RUMORS

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported sources told her and Kevin Weekes that the New York Rangers are in advanced contract talks with former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. It’s expected to be one of the richest coaching contracts in NHL history.

Kaplan also reported former Rangers coach John Tortorella is expected to rejoin the organization. She also indicated that Penguins assistant coach David Quinn is not expected to follow Sullivan to New York, but he will be a head coaching candidate, including in Pittsburgh.

**UPDATE***

New York Rangers hire Mike Sullivan as their new head coach (NHL Images).

The Rangers announced this morning that they’ve hired Sullivan as their new head coach. There was no word yet as to the contract terms or who would be on his staff.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was widely assumed that Sullivan would join the Rangers if he left the Penguins. No word from Kaplan as to what role Tortorella would have with the Blueshirts.

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman cited TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reporting the Anaheim Ducks are casting a wide net for their next head coach. LeBrun said they’ve interviewed former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft, met with David Carle of the University of Denver, and contacted Mike Sullivan. They also reportedly interviewed former NHL coach Joel Quenneville.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Scratch Sullivan from that list. Carle recently took himself out of the running for the head coach position with the Chicago Blackhawks.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James cited ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reporting the Flyers interviewed Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler for their head coaching job. Ferschweiler guided Western Michigan to a National Championship this season.

DEVILS TRIED TO ACQUIRE RYAN O’REILLY AT THE DEADLINE

RG.ORG: Jim Biringer reports the New Jersey Devils attempted to acquire Ryan O’Reilly from the Nashville Predators at the March trade deadline. However, the club didn’t want to pay a premium to get him.

O’Reilly lacked no-trade protection, but the Predators treated the 34-year-old center as though he had one. He didn’t want to leave Nashville, preferring to stay and help the Predators. That’s why the Predators set a high asking price for him, believed to be three young assets.

Speaking of the Devils, Biringer’s source believes they could move a young player like Simon Nemec or Dawson Mercer this summer to upgrade a roster need. The Predators will listen to calls for O’Reilly but the high asking price remains.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Biringer wrote that the Preds’ asking price was similar to what they sought for goaltender Juuse Saros last season before they re-signed him. That was a high draft pick, a top prospect, and a good young NHL player. The Predators re-signed Saros.

UPDATE ON VLADIMIR TARASENKO

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen reported the Red Wings could be willing to give Vladimir Tarasenko another chance.

The 34-year-old winger managed only 11 goals this season, prompting speculation he could be traded or bought out this summer. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.75 million.

However, Allen noted that Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman didn’t sound like he was considering parting ways with Tarasenko. During his recent end-of-season press conference, he said he felt the winger’s performance was better than his production. Yzerman thinks the veteran winger is capable of giving them more than what he did this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2025

by | May 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2025

The Leafs, Oilers and Golden Knights advance to the second round, the Avalanche force Game 7 with the Stars, the Rangers hired Mike Sullivan as their new head coach, Hart Trophy Finalists are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs won the latest round in the Battle of Ontario by doubling up the Ottawa Senators 4-2, winning their best-of-seven first-round series in six games.

Max Pacioretty snapped a 2-2 tie for the Leafs in the third period after the Senators erased a 2-0 deficit on goals by Brady Tkachuk and David Perron. William Nylander scored twice for the Leafs, including the empty-netter that put the series away.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Max Pacioretty (NHL Images).

The Leafs will face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the second round.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators showed plenty of character by battling back after falling behind 2-0. They threw a scare into Toronto but Pacioretty’s goal gave the Leafs the lift they needed to win this game and end the series. Like the Montreal Canadiens, the future is bright for the Senators, who ended a long playoff drought and can use this series as a building block moving forward.

The Leafs face a stiff challenge in the Panthers, who steamrolled over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round. They could suffer a similar fate unless they can find a way to match Florida’s physical style while their best players (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares) must overcome the Panthers’ smothering defensive game.

For the fourth straight season, the Edmonton Oilers eliminated the Los Angeles Kings from the opening round. Trent Frederic scored what proved to be the winning goal as the Oilers held off the Kings 6-4, taking the series in six games.

Connor Brown had a goal and two assists while Frederic, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers. Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere each had two points for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was as wild as this series, with the Kings taking a 2-1 lead only to have the Oilers rally for a 5-2 lead. The Kings made it interesting by making it 5-4 late in the third before Brown’s empty-netter sealed the deal for the Oilers.

What effect this series could have on the Kings’ offseason plans will be worth monitoring. Blowing a 2-0 series lead to be eliminated by the Oilers for the fourth straight season could raise questions about Rob Blake’s future as general manager.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone tallied what proved to be the series-winning goal in a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, eliminating the latter in six games.

Adin Hill made 29 saves while Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel also scored for the Golden Knights. Ryan Hartman tallied both goals for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights will face off against the Oilers in the second round. They earned this victory after overcoming a 2-1 deficit to Minnesota in this series. They got the win without winger Pavel Dorofeyev, who is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

This was the final game for Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. The 21-year NHL veteran and future Hall-of-Famer is expected to retire. He received a nice send-off from the Golden Knights following this game. Fleury spent four seasons with Vegas from 2017-18 to 2020-21, backstopping them to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final and winning the Vezina Trophy in 2021.

The Colorado Avalanche forced a seventh and deciding game with the Dallas Stars following a 7-4 win in Game 6 of their first-round series. The Avalanche got four unanswered third-period goals from Valeri Nichushkin, Nathan MacKinnon, Josh Manson and Cale Makar (the latter two being empty-netters) for the win.

MacKinnon and Makar each had a goal and two assists while Nichushkin tallied twice for the Avalanche. Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz each had four points for the Stars.

Game 7 is in Dallas on Saturday, May 3, at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This series has lived up to expectations as two of the league’s best teams have given their all in this contest. This would’ve made a great Conference Final.

Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel left this game favoring his shoulder after crashing into the boards following a collision with Avalanche forward Jack Drury. There was no postgame update about his status.

Before this game, the Stars announced that sidelined winger Jason Robertson has gone from week-to-week to day-to-day. He may return to action in Game 7.

HEADLINES

**UPDATE**

The New York Rangers announced they have hired former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan as their new coach. No word yet as to the terms of his contract or who will be on his staff. 

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov are the finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the player deemed most valuable to his team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov won the Hart in 2018-19 and Draisaitl in 2019-20. Kucherov won the Art Ross Trophy this season as the points leader while Draisaitl won the Maurice Richard Trophy as the top goal scorer.

This is the first time Hellebuyck has been a finalist for the Hart and is also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. Given his dominant performance for the Jets this season, he could be the front-runner.

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele will not play in Game 6 of his club’s first-round series with the St. Louis Blues. He suffered an undisclosed injury during Game 5 on Wednesday. Sidelined Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers has travelled with the team to St. Louis but it remains to be seen if he’ll play in Game 6 on Friday.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom is open to signing a contract extension. The 35-year-old has a year remaining on his current deal with a cap hit of $6 million. The earliest the Devils can attempt to re-sign him is July 1.

YAHOO! SPORTS: Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovecevic suffered a knee injury that could require surgery to repair. He is not expected to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season.

FULL PRESS HOCKEY: Jim Biringer reports the NHL is looking to build on the momentum it received from the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Steve Meyer, president of NHL Content & Events, said the league is looking at the future of its annual All-Star Game and how to make it as compelling for fans as the 4 Nations tournament.

NHLPA: Former NHL player Kyle Okposo has been named the PA’s new Business Development and Player Engagement Advisor. Okposo retired as a player at the end of last season following a 17-year career.

NEW YORK POST: Hockey TV analyst Joe Micheletti has retired after 19 seasons.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Former Flyers defenseman Ed Van Impe died Tuesday at age 84. He was a member of the Flyers’ Hall of Fame.

One of the original Flyers and their second captain in franchise history, Van Impe spent nine of his 11 NHL seasons in Philadelphia from 1967-68 to 1975-76, winning two Stanley Cups.

He began his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1966-67 and finished with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1976-77. A rugged stay-at-home blueliner, he had 153 points and 1,024 PIMs in 703 games, and 13 points in 66 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Van Impe’s family, friends, former teammates and the Flyers’ organization.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 30, 2025

by | Apr 30, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – April 30, 2025

Check out the latest on the Red Wings and the latest on coaches Rick Tocchet and Mike Sullivan in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

UPDATE ON THE RED WINGS’ OFFSEASON PLANS.

THE ATHLETIC: Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman addressed team captain Dylan Larkin’s recent comments about his unhappiness with the club’s lack of significant moves at the March 7 trade deadline. He explained that he tried to address the club’s needs but there were “no good options.”

Yzerman claimed his team is willing to use premium assets (like draft picks, prospects and players) to get better, pointing out he did so when he acquired Alex DeBrincat in 2023. He added that he expected his best players to give the club a bit of a morale boost. Yzerman said he spoke with Larkin, but didn’t elaborate on that conversation.

The Red Wings GM acknowledged his club needed more production from their bottom-six forwards and more 5-on-5 scoring from their top six. He made it clear that he’s willing to make trades to address those issues, but doesn’t expect to go the offer-sheet route.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff reported Larkin’s comment raised speculation that the Red Wings captain could end up on the trade block.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).

Duff dismissed that chatter, pointing out Larkin is the face of the franchise who carries a full no-movement clause in his contract. He also noted the Red Wings captain remains determined to get the team into the playoffs and contend for the Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin doesn’t sound like he wants to be traded. He could waive his NMC if Yzerman asked him to, but that’s unlikely to happen.

Meanwhile, Duff believes Vladimir Tarasenko could be a buyout candidate following a disappointing performance this season. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson could be a trade candidate.

Forward J.T. Compher and defenseman Justin Holl are expected back next season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Yzerman said there was mutual interest in bringing back Patrick Kane for another season. He admits he and his staff hope to sign the 36-year-old winger to a contract extension.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CANUCKS AFTER RICK TOCCHET’S DEPARTURE?

THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma listed former former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, former New York Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, former NHL coach Gerard Gallant, and coach Manny Maholtra of the Canucks’ AHL affilate in Abbotsford as possible replacement for Rick Tocchet, who decided not to return behind the Canucks bench.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre believes replacing Tocchet is the offseason priority for the Canucks. He also thinks team captain Quinn Hughes will have a say in the hiring process. Finding someone who works well with Hughes will be a significant step toward ensuring the latter’s long-term future in Vancouver.

Scratch Sullivan from Kuzma’s list. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said his friend wants a coaching job in the East.

It remains to be seen where Tocchet ends up. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall noted the recent speculation linking him to the Flyers, examining the pros and cons of bringing Tocchet to Philadelphia.

If the Flyers are interested in Tocchet, they could face competition from several other clubs seeking a coaching upgrade. The 2024 Jack Adams Award winner won’t be out of work for long.

MIKE SULLIVAN DRAWING INTEREST FROM SEVERAL TEAMS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports five NHL teams have expressed interest in coach Mike Sullivan, who parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. He claims there are varying degrees of interest in Sullivan, with some clubs simply curious and others very serious.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun didn’t indicate the identity of those clubs. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and the Flyers are among the teams linked to Sullivan in the rumor mill.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 29, 2025

by | Apr 29, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – April 29, 2025

Who are potential candidates to replace Mike Sullivan as the Penguins’ head coach? Which clubs could be suitors for Sullivan? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

POTENTIAL COACHING CANDIDATES FOR THE PENGUINS

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: Bill Hartlep included former NHL coaches Joel Quenneville, Peter Laviolette and John Tortorella on his list of potential candidates to replace Mike Sullivan as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sullivan and the Penguins mutually agreed to part ways after 10 seasons, including back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.

Hartlep also mentioned Rick Tocchet, David Quinn and Mike Vellucci, who all served at one time or another as assistant coaches under Sullivan. He included University of Denver coach David Carle.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tocchet is currently the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks and is reportedly in contract extension talks with that club.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Matt Vensel had Tocchet, Carle and Quinn among his list of coaching candidates.

Other options included former Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill, PWHL coach Kori Cheverie, Western Michigan coach Pat Ferschweiler, Rickard Gronberg of Tappara in Finnish Liga, Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love, Manny Malhotra of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, Boston University’s Jay Pandolfo, Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Mike Van Ryn, and former Edmonton Oilers’ coach Jay Woodcroft.

THE ATHLETIC: Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe included Kirk MacDonald of the club’s AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on his list of candidates. Todd Nelson of the AHL’s Hershey Bears was another suggested option.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Time will tell if one of those candidates get the job. The Penguins could be interested in bringing back Tocchet if he becomes available, but they won’t be the only suitors for the 2024 Jack Adams Award winner.

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS FOR MIKE SULLIVAN

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes the Rangers’ vacant head-coaching job is there for Mike Sullivan if he wants it, but questions remain.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan (NHL Images).

Sullivan might be the best choice to get the most out of veteran core players like Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller, the latter four of whom played for him on Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

However, his handling of younger players like Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller, Brennan Othmann, Braden Schneider and more would determine his success as the Blueshirts’ bench boss.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brooks also wondered if the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars might be interested in Sullivan.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James pondered whether Sullivan would be a good fit coaching the rebuilding Flyers.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Greg Boysen makes the case for the Blackhawks to pursue Sullivan.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW‘s Andrew Fantucchio and THE ATHLETIC‘s Fluto Shinzawa believe Sullivan should be the top choice as the Bruins’ potential head coach.

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports a source claiming the Bruins have already reached out to Sullivan. However, the former Penguins coach wants to take some time to decompress before deciding on his next move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sullivan remained a well-respected coach around the league despite the rebuilding Penguins’ struggles over the past three seasons. He won’t be unemployed for long.

OTHER PENGUINS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe was asked which restricted free agents he sees the Penguins targeting this summer. He suggested defenseman Bowen Byram of the Buffalo Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yohe stressed that Byram would be his choice and wasn’t basing it on anything he’d heard.

He didn’t indicate if he meant targeting Byram for a trade or an offer sheet. Assuming the latter, the Sabres have over $21 million in cap space to match any offer for the 23-year-old blueliners.

Yohe doesn’t see the Penguins attempting to acquire Elias Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks. “It looks like a disaster of a contract, and he’s not very well respected around the league.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson has seven years left on his contract with an average annual value of $11.6 million. Assuming Vancouver retained some of his cap hit, that contract remains burdensome. If the Canucks try to move him they’ll have to move quickly because his no-movement clause begins on July 1.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2025

by | Apr 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2025

The Penguins part ways with head coach Mike Sullivan, Oilers and Blues tied their playoff series while the Capitals and Hurricanes took stranglehold leads in their respective postseason rounds. Check out the recaps and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

**BREAKING NEWS**

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas announced this morning that the club and head coach Mike Sullivan have agreed to part ways. Sullivan took over as head coach in December 2015. He guided them to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sullivan had a year remaining on his contract and had intended to honor it. It’ll be interesting to learn what brought about this development and where Sullivan’s next coaching job will be. It’s rumored the New York Rangers could be interested if he became available. 

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl scored his first NHL playoff overtime goal as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in Game 4 of their opening-round series, tying it at two games apiece.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (NHL Images).

The Kings opened a 2-0 lead on goals by Trevor Moore and Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala made it 3-1 after Corey Perry got Edmonton on the board. Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard scored two unanswered third-period goals to set the stage for Draisaitl’s OT winner. Calvin Pickard made 38 saves for the Oilers while Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 44 shots.

Game 5 of this best-of-seven series is Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 10 pm ET in Los Angeles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard has been clutch for the Oilers in this series. The puck-moving blueliner had three assists in Game 1 as the Oilers’ rally fell short in a 6-5 loss. He also scored twice (including the winning goal) in Game 3.

The St. Louis Blues scored three unanswered second-period goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of their first-round series, tying it at two games apiece.

Jake Neighbours led the way with a goal and two assists and goaltender Jordan Binnington kicked out 30 shots for the Blues. Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, who replaced Connor Hellebuyck with Eric Comrie early in the third period after Hellebuyck gave up five goals on 18 shots.

Game 5 of this series returns to Winnipeg on Wednesday, Apr. 30, at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second straight game Hellebuyck gave up five goals. Jets followers are worried that the two-time Vezina Trophy winner could suffer another meltdown like last year against the Colorado Avalanche and in 2023 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Blues are getting plenty of production from their defensemen in this series. Cam Fowler picked up an assist in Game 5 for his team-leading eighth point. Colton Parayko had two assists and Justin Faulk scored, giving them three points each in four games.

Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker left this game after injuring his right leg (knee?) in the second period. There was no immediate postgame update, but he could miss the remainder of this series.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored his second NHL playoff hat trick to lead his club over the New Jersey Devils 5-2 in Game 4 of their first-round series.

Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns also scored for the Hurricanes, who took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Nico Hischier and Timo Meier replied for the Devils.

The Hurricanes can wrap this up in Game 4 on home ice in Raleigh on Tuesday, starting at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Svechnikov is the only player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to score hat tricks in the postseason.

Canes goaltender Frederik Andersen left this game in the second period with an undisclosed injury following a collision with Meier. He was replaced by Pyotr Kochetkov, who stopped 14 of 15 shots. Andersen will be evaluated on Monday and an update on his status should soon follow.

The Washington Capitals scored four unanswered third-period goals (two of them empty-netters) for a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of their series.

Andrew Mangiapane snapped a 2-2 tie for Washington with 3:37 remaining in the third period. Forward Brandon Duhaime tallied twice for the Capitals. Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield scored on the power play for the Canadiens while rookies Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov each collected two assists.

The series returns to Washington for Game 5 with the Capitals holding a 3-1 lead. They can wrap it up on Wednesday starting at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals forward Tom Wilson’s physical play made the difference in this contest. His thunderous (but clean) bodycheck on Montreal defenseman Alexandre Carrier in the third period resulted in a turnover that led to Duhaime’s tying goal. It also knocked Carrier out of the game with an undisclosed injury, leaving the Canadiens without their best all-around defenseman at a critical juncture in the game.

Capitals starting goaltender Logan Thompson returned to action in this contest after an injury forced him to leave Game 3 in the third period. Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault remained sidelined by a lower-body injury suffered in Game 3 and is considered day-to-day. Jakub Dobes took his place in Game 4, stopping 21 shots.

One bright spot for the Canadiens was the performance of their top power-play unit of Slafkovsky, Hutson, Demidov, Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Those young guns continue to give their fans a tantalizing glimpse at a promising future for this club.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 25, 2025

by | Apr 25, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – April 25, 2025

Check out the latest on the Islanders and Penguins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

ISLANDERS’ NEW GM MUST ADDRESS SOME BIG QUESTIONS

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears looked at the critical questions facing the Islanders after parting ways with now-former general manager Lou Lamoriello earlier this week.

Head coach Patrick Roy and his staff are in limbo until Lamoriello’s replacement is found. His future behind the Islanders’ bench could depend on whether he has a rapport with the new GM.

Lamoriello was working on a contract extension for veteran winger Kyle Palmieri. That is likely on hold until the new general manager is in place. The 34-year-old is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson (NHL Images).

Sears also wondered if the new Isles GM will entertain trade offers for veteran forwards Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Both are a year away from UFA eligibility. He also brought up the possibility of contract buyouts for forward Pierre Engvall and defenseman Scott Mayfield.

The new GM must also decide if he sees Noah Dobson as a true No. 1 defenseman. The 25-year-old is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights starting on July 1. They must also decide if they trust aging Semyon Varlamov as their backup goaltender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders are expected to conduct a thorough search for Lamoriello’s replacement. They should have someone in place by the end of May to suitably address these issues, as well as prepare for the draft at the end of June.

Dobson and Palmieri’s free-agent eligibility makes them a priority. There’s no rush to move Lee and Pageau, but it would be worthwhile to have that new GM in place before the draft to at least gauge their value in the trade market.

LATEST ON THE PENGUINS

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski reported earlier this week that Penguins GM Kyle Dubas called out defenseman Erik Karlsson over his performance and his comments about his disappointment with the club’s play this season.

“Erik, I think, is and will forever be a polarizing figure. While I don’t know his exact comments, my view would be that we expect him to be one of the people who pulls us from where we’re at and into contention,” Dubas said. “I had a long meeting with Erik on Friday. My push to him would be that his actions have to match his ambitions. That’s in consistency, preparation, and training, like every other player on the team.”

Based on Dubas’ comments, Kingerski believes trade possibilities for Karlsson have “greatly diminished.” He suggested it might not be Karlsson’s choice if he remains with the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson has a full no-movement clause and an expensive contract that runs through 2026-27. Nevertheless, he surfaced frequently in the rumor mill in recent weeks, with some reports suggesting the Penguins might find a suitor for the expensive, inconsistent blueliner if they retained part of his cap hit.

The Penguins carry nearly $10 million of his average annual value while his former club (San Jose Sharks) carries the remaining $1.5 million.

Based on Dubas’ remarks, it sounds like Karlsson will return with the Penguins next season.

Meanwhile, Dave Molinari doesn’t expect the Penguins to part ways with head coach Mike Sullivan. Dubas indicated Sullivan is under contract for next season and intends to return behind the Penguins’ bench.