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Blue Jackets Will Re-Invite A Few Rookies To Training Camp

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The good times will keep on rolling for a select few prospects invited to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ rookie camp. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic relays that the team is planning to invite three to five non-roster, rookie camp invitees back to their training camp when it begins this week. The team’s hockey operations department will make decisions on who those few players will be on the bus ride home from the Buffalo Sabres’ Prospects Challenge.

Columbus’ rookie camp roster contained 10 invitees who weren’t previously drafted by the team. The list is led by high-impact collegiate prospects, including Wisconsin Badgers forward Rylan Mosley and Denver Pioneers defenseman Boston Buckberger. Mosley scored at a point-per-game pace through 37 games last season, while offering the prerequisite two-way, physical play required in a Mike Hastings lineup. Buckberger was equally as impactful for his squad, netting 30 points in 41 games while serving as the downhill punch behind the Pioneers’ star defenders. Both players could reasonably carve out low-grade, pro roles as soon as next season. Columbus also invited Michigan forward Joshua Eernisse, Michigan Tech forward Isaac Gordon, and Union forward Tom Richter, who achieved varying levels of college success last season.

The Blue Jackets also invited former scout’s favorite Pano Fimis, who went unselected through eligibility in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 drafts. Fimis was a focal point of the Erie Otters’ offense over the last two seasons, and managed encouraging results – including 32 goals and 86 points in 68 games this season. But he could never prove dynamic enough away from the puck to wow NHL scouts. His rookie camp showings couldn’t be categorized as disappointing, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Columbus gauge the 21-year-old’s AHL-readiness after scoring 253 points in 245 games and five seasons in the OHL. Fimis was the second-overall pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection Draft and is currently committed to attend the University of Notre Dame next season.

Capitals’ Mitch Love Placed On Leave

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The Washington Capitals have announced that assistant coach Mitch Love has been placed on “team-imposed leave” pending the results of an investigation conducted by the NHL. The Capitals added that they would refrain from commenting further on the situation until the league’s investigation is complete.

The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported that the NHL “began to investigate” the matter earlier in the offseason, “around the time” Love was interviewing with other NHL clubs about available head coaching roles. Love was a reported contender for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ head coaching job, but the Capitals’ longtime rival ultimately elected to hire Dan Muse from the New York Rangers.

Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post provided additional context on the situation. Citing a person in the league familiar with the matter, Johnson reports that the league’s investigation began during this past summer, “when the NHL received a letter that contained allegations relating to Love’s personal conduct.” She added that both the league and a team that was at the time considering Love for its head coaching vacancy received the letter.

Johnson also reports that the NHL has not shared details on the situation with the Capitals “beyond the existence of the allegations and the subsequent investigation.” Love was also not present for the team’s development camp in July, and Johnson reports that he was instead “engaged in interviews with NHL personnel as part of the investigation.”

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported that the letter that prompted the investigation details “a situation that predates his tenure with the Capitals,” while The Athletic’s Josh Yohe added that “NHL teams were aware of this possibility in April and May,” and that he believes it is a “good reason why” Love was not hired as a head coach anywhere despite being in the mix for so many of the vacancies.

Former NHLPA Executive Director Bob Goodenow Passes Away At Age 72

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Bob Goodenow, the leader of the NHLPA from 1992 to 2005, has passed away at the age of 72, according to an announcement from the players’ union. In their statement, the NHLPA wrote:

Bob was an exceptionally influential leader whose unwavering commitment to the players helped shape the modern era of the NHLPA. He joined the NHLPA in 1990 as Deputy Executive Director and transitioned to Executive Director in 1992, stabilizing the Association during a tumultuous time. Bob quickly put his stamp on the organization by elevating the level of representation provided by the NHLPA’s staff, tirelessly working to educate the players, strengthening the membership and building trust in the office’s work on behalf of the players.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman issued his own statement, offering his condolences and speaking on Goodenow’s legacy within the game:

The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Bob Goodenow, a hockey man to his core who was a captain of the team at Harvard and played professionally in the IHL before serving as a player agent and as Executive Director of the NHL Players’ Association for 14 years.

Bob was a skilled attorney and tenacious advocate for the players he represented as an agent and as the head of the Players’ Association. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Wendy, their three children, Joe, Katharine and Kerry, and his many friends and admirers throughout hockey.

Goodenow succeeded Alan Eagleson as the head of the NHLPA in 1992 after Eagleson resigned his position. Goodenow instantly made his leadership felt, leading the players on a ten-day strike that resulted in league president John Ziegler being removed from his position by the league’s owners. The NHLPA credits Goodenow with negotiating “landmark gains in salary, free agency, pension, and health benefits,” and for leading the players to ultimately take “control of their name, image and likeness rights.”

He is also credited by the union with helping to establish pioneering programs such as player salary disclosure, the second medical opinion program for players, and the union’s agent certification program. Goodenow is also remembered for greatly modernizing the NHLPA’s operations by, per the union, growing “the NHLPA’s professional staff from only three people to more than 50 employees by the end of his tenure.”

The final stretch of Goodenow’s tenure was marked by the league’s infamous 2004-05 labor dispute, wherein bitter disagreements between the NHL and NHLPA ultimately resulted in the cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season. Goodenow led the NHLPA through that battle, and then ended his tenure with the organization shortly after the new collective bargaining agreement was ratified.

Goodenow had a presence in the game outside of his leadership of the NHLPA – he was a three-year player at Harvard and both captained his team and was named to the All-ECAC second-team in his final year with the program. Goodenow also played two seasons of professional hockey with the Flint Generals of the IHL.

All of us at PHR send our condolences to Goodenow’s family and friends, as well as the NHLPA.

Metro Notes: Sillinger, Foerster, Flyers Rookies, Kolosov

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Columbus Blue Jackets center prospect Owen Sillinger is expected to return from a February knee surgery early into the 2025-26 season, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. The Blue Jackets will hold him out of contact throughout the preseason to help ensure that target, general manager Don Waddell told Portzline.

Waddell’s wording suggests that Sillinger will begin ramping up his contact at practice beginning in the regular season. That timeline could make a return in the final week of October, or early November, a feasible target. He is almost certain to start the year on the AHL roster, after potting 11 goals and 29 points in a top-six role with the Cleveland Monsters last summer. That will be no slight to Sillinger though. He has served an important role on the Monsters throughout the last three seasons – and scored 11 goals in each year, despite fewer games every seasons. There will be a spot in the top-six held for Sillinger when he returns, and a hot return could quickly push him up Columbus’ call-up chart. If he gets moved to the NHL, he’ll regroup with younger brother Cole Sillinger, who has filled a role in the Blue Jackets’ top-nine for the last four seasons. Owen made his NHL debut last season, in a game that Cole sat out of due to injury.

Other notes from around the Metropolitan Division:

  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Tyson Foerster is still on pace to be ready for the start of the season, president of hockey operations Keith Jones shared with Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. Foerster sustained an elbow injury that got infected and required surgery while playing for Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship. He was the second-highest goal-scorer on the Flyers last season, with his 25 goals in 81 games falling one short of Matvei Michkov’s team-leading total. Foerster seems set to return to a top-six role throughout Philadelphia’s 2025-26 season. With this news, the Flyers can rest assured that he’s tracking to begin making that impact right out of the gates.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers are confident that rookies Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey, and Jett Luchanko will be ready for the start of training camp despite summer injuries, per Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Spiegel points out that Luchanko faced a groin injury, Barkey faced a high ankle sprain, and Bonk faced bumps and bruises after a long 2024-25 season. All three players could have shots at making the 2025-26 roster. Luchanko made the Flyers out of training camp last season before returning to the OHL, while Barkey and Bonk went on runs to a Memorial Cup championship with the London Knights last season.
  • During his press conference, “Jonesy” also shared that the Flyers are confident they’ll have goaltender Aleksei Kolosov at training camp this year, again captured by O’Connor. Kolosov spent the 2024-25 season split between the NHL and AHL rosters, after playing through his fourth and final season in the KHL in the year prior. Kolosov posted an .867 save percentage in 17 NHL games, and an .884 in 12 AHL games. He posted five wins in both leagues. It seems he’d be a reasonable bet to start the season as the AHL starter, though O’Connor points out that there’s no telling where his camp performance could land him. He’ll likely be competing with Samuel Ersson and Daniel Vladař for NHL minutes.

Blues’ Zach Dean Enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program

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St. Louis Blues prospect Zach Dean has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player’s Assistance Program and will be out indefinitely, per a release from the NHL Public Relations department. The announcement mentions that Dean will not be eligible to return to the ice until he is fully cleared by program administrators. This will likely hold him out of the duration of St. Louis’ training camp and the start of the regular season.

Dean is a former first-round pick, hearing his name called by the Vegas Golden Knights with the 30th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. He was coming off a promising, albeit shortened, QMJHL season that he spent the next two years vindicating. Dean graduated from the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques after the 2022-23 season, having accrued 188 points in 177 games, and four seasons, in the league. By that time, Vegas had traded Dean to the Blues in a one-for-one exchange for NHL winger Ivan Barbashev.

That move pushed Dean to start his career in the Blues’ minor-league system. He joined the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds for the 2023-24 season, and began a slow process of climbing his way up the organization’s depth chart. He only scored one point in his first 11 pro games, but managed to pull things together enough to total 14 points in 49 games by the end of the year. That was just enough to push the Blues to call-up Dean for the first nine games of his NHL career towards the end of a lost season. He didn’t manage any scoring in the spot starts, and returned to the minors for the 2024-25 season.

Dean seemed ready to repeat his climb towards an NHL call-up, but ended up outside of the lineup after just three games due to a nagging, undisclosed injury. He returned in late-January, after a three-month absence, but was reinjured after just six games back. That forced Dean out until late-April, and ultimately limited his season to just four points in 11 games. The uptick in scoring was an encouraging sign, but it now seems Dean will need a little longer to get back into the right mindset after a difficult season. He’ll have all the time he needs in the NHL/NHLPA Player’s Assistance Program, and will look to show St. Louis the responsible, two-way playmaking style that earned him a first-round selection on the other side. Dean should return to Springfield’s middle-six at some point this season.

Blackhawks At Comfortable Spot In Connor Bedard Extension Talks

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Despite little mention of a new deal, it doesn’t seem Chicago Blackhawks fans have any reason to worry about not landing an agreement with their lineup star. Connor Bedard shared that he and the Blackhawks have mutual interest in getting a multi-year extension done with NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika during the NHL Media Tour. The young sniper said:

We’re both comfortable with where we’re at. They know I want to be there; I know they want me. So, it’s really not on my mind that much, and I just think when it happens, it’ll happen.

It’s fair to say that Bedard’s extension will have to be unique. The 2023 first-overall pick has filled a distinctly difficult role through two seasons in Chicago. He’s unequivocally the Blackhawks’ top forward, though adapting to a do-it-all role has proven lofty for the 5-foot-10 centerman – especially after two years on a sluggish Regina Pats team. But just like he did in the WHL, Bedard has found his scoring through the struggles. He’s surpassed 60 points in each of his first two seasons, a feat that only two other teenagers – Sidney Crosby and Patrik Laine – have accomplished since 2000.

Reaching further into the bag of superlatives, Bedard’s 128 points in his first 150 games is the third-most recorded by a teenager in the last 10 years, behind Laine and Connor McDavid. He ranks just ahead of Nathan MacKinnon (101 points) and Nico Hischier (99 points). That fact paints a sign of relief for Blackhawks fans worried that Bedard hasn’t broken into the top echelon of scoring just yet. He’s still many, many years away from his prime – and performed at a supreme level for a teenager in the NHL.

But how will that reflect in contract negotiations? Laine opted for a bridge deal after his entry-level deal came to a close, inking a two-year, $13.5MM contract that’d prove to be a proper amount of risk-avoidance. But Laine’s lineup standing, as a goal-dependent winger, can hardly be compared to the firm role that Bedard has already carved out. His standing is much more in-line with players like Hischier or MacKinnon, who each signed seven-year contract extensions after their entry-level deal that carried a cap hit equivalent to 8.9 percent of the salary cap. Using that same marker for Bedard, Chicago could be set to begin negotiations with their young center at a seven-year, $64.8MM contract – which would carry a yearly cap hit of $9.256MM.

On a long-term contract, that deal could be more than worth it. Bedard spent the 2025 summer working alongside many of the NHL’s top emerging youngsters, including Macklin Celebrini and Kent Johnson. While training video is often not an indicator of game performance, it was hard not to notice Bedard’s patented snappy wrist-shot looking a bit stronger, and more deceptive, as he played around some great peers. A summer of honing skills, and a few more years of strength-building, could easily place Bedard in the position of electric goal-scorer that many expect him to fill. He’s already posted two 20-goal seasons in his campaign, and will eye the next rung up the ladder – a 30-goal campaign – next year.

In the meantime, Chicago will sit patient on a deal. Bedard said that he could sign an extension before the season, but may not. If he doesn’t, he’ll have a great chance to a heftier payday on a Blackhawks roster ever so slightly better than their 2024-25 group. Whether it’s sparked by a hot start to the year or a warm reception at training camp, running Bedard’s stay in Chicago through the 2030’s seems to be a matter of when – not if.

Photo courtesy of Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports.

Evening Notes: Atlanta, Kane/Toews, Hughes Brothers

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NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly spoke openly about the potential for an expansion team in Atlanta during a media availability on Tuesday. In it, Daly shared that the league hasn’t yet received a full proposal yet, per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. Wyshynski further points out that a group backed by Krause Sports and Entertainment has received approval on a $3B arena development in Forsyth County, Georgia. They are one of multiple groups vying for ownership over a potential Atlanta squad.

Notably, Daly also voiced support for the idea of expansion overall. He told Wyshynski that the NHL is “uniquely positioned” for more teams because of how deep the player pool has become. Daly pointed towards the growth of smaller hockey markets as evidence of that growth, and said that adding new teams would be no issue for the NHL. That’s a strong bode of confidence towards the idea of expansion, though it doesn’t seem the league isn’t growing any more roots just yet.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Future Hall-of-Fame winger Patrick Kane spoke with Wynshynski about Jonathan Toews’ return to the NHL. Kane called his former batterymate’s comeback a great story, and remarked that it’s been enjoyable to follow Toews’ return as the two still talk frequently. The conversation led to Kane, once again, receiving the question of whether he’d have interest in moving to his own hometown club, the Buffalo Sabres, in the same way that Toews chose to join the Winnipeg Jets. Kane batted away the question, instead affirming how much he’s enjoyed playing for the clubs he has already played for – including Detroit. He called the Red Wings a team on the rise, and the source of his career’s revival. Kane scored 21 goals and 59 points in 72 games with the Red Wings last season. It brought his total scoring with the club up to 106 points in 122 games – and his career-long scoring up to 1,343 points in 1,302 games.
  • Top New Jersey Devils centerman Jack Hughes also caught attention for interview comments on Wednesday. While participating at the NHL Media Tour, Hughes said that he would love to have a chance to play with his brother Quinn, whether that been in New Jersey or not, per Thomas Drance of The Athletic. The storyline of if, and when, the Hughes brothers would reconnect has been a rich one all summer. They’re a close-knit trio of brothers, including youngest brother Luke, with two-thirds currently playing in the Devils organization. But acquiring Quinn would be a near-impossible task for Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald. Quinn is among the league’s best defensemen. He won the 2024 Norris Trophy, and finished last season as a Norris finalist. New Jersey – or, any team – would need to sell the farm to land Quinn. Luckily, he is roughly one month away from his 26th birthday, giving the Hughes brothers plenty of time to regroup with their oldest sibling before he’s past his prime yeras.

Afternoon Notes: Trenton, Bruins, Senators, Flames

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The Utah Grizzlies will relocate to Trenton, New Jersey for the 2026-27 season, with an announcement set for tomorrow, per hockey insider Frank Seravalli. If true, the Grizzlies will be set to move right after celebrating their 20th season in Utah. In doing so, they will bring ECHL hockey back to Trenton for the first time since 2013. The city previously hosted the Trenton Titans – briefly the Trenton Devils – for 24 years beginning in 1999. The club was red-hot at the turn of the century, reaching the Kelly Cup Finals in 2001 and taking the Cup home in 2005. They featured some incredible hockey names in their history. Stanley Cup winner and Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy presided over Trenton’s inaugural season, and current Utah Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong coached the team from 2002 to 2004.

The Utah Grizzlies are currently affiliated with the Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Eagles, the latter an ironic twist given the Eagles’ rivalry with the Grizzlies when they were a part of the ECHL. This move would break that tension, and return pro hockey to an upgraded CURE Insurance Arena.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Sticking in the ECHL, the Boston Bruins have announced a three-year extension of their affiliation with the Maine Mariners. The affiliation began in 2021, and marked the first NHL partnership in Maine’s brief history. It was a continuation of a long history of work between the two teams. The Mariners served as Boston’s AHL affiliate from 1987 to 1992, before being relocated to form the Providence Bruins. The ECHL Mariners haven’t found their stride under Boston just yet – losing in the first round of the postseason three times, then missing the postseason last year. They’ll face a very interesting turnaround next season, after losing former player and head coach/general manager Terrence Wallin this summer. Maine hired Rick Kowalsky – aptly, a member of the Kelly Cup-winning Trenton Devils in 2005 – to fill the vacancy. Kowalsky has previously spent four years an ECHL head coach, 10 years as an AHL head coach, and six years as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.
  • Shifting to looming NHL training camps – the Ottawa Senators are expected to bring multiple professional try-outs to the start of their camp, general manager Steve Staios told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Ottawa could use a bit of padding to their depth at all three positions, setting them up nicely to bring in some of the top remaining free agents. The likeliest paths to the lineup will be on the fourth-line wing, where Michael Amadio and Nick Cousins currently reside on the depth chart. Some options for UFA candidates could include 36-year-old wing Max Pacioretty, 30-year-old centerman Tyler Motte, or 31-year-old defenseman Matt Grzelcyk.
  • While Ottawa pursues the PTO market, the Calgary Flames are expected to stay away, per Ryan Pike of Flames Nation. While the Senators will look to vindicate a push to the playoffs last season, Calgary is likely much more geared towards keeping spots open for their emerging youngsters. Players like Rory Kerins, Dryden Hunt, William Stromgren, and Aydar Suniev could all make valiant pushes for bottom-six minutes next season.

Rangers Hire Ryane Clowe, Promote Jim Sullivan And Ryan Martin

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The New York Rangers have hired former player Ryane Clowe to the role of assistant general manager. He will join the freshly-promoted Ryan Martin and Jim Sullivan in the role of advising and supporting Rangers’ general manager Chris Drury. Martin will continue serving as the general manager of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. This announcement comes on the heels of New York also hiring Blake Wheeler, Chris Pryor, Mark Flood, and Darryl Williams to various roles.

This news comes on the heels of Clowe’s sudden, and surprising, resignation from the San Jose Sharks’ assistant GM role. That was the first GM position of Clowe’s career, and one he moved into last summer after serving three years in a consulting and advising role with the Rangers. Now, with his feet wet, Clowe will return for a hardier role in the New York organization. He’s no stranger to the Rangers, having played 12 games with the club in 2012-13 and, more notably, played across from them in his 56 games with the New Jersey Devils from 2013 to 2015. Clowe has been around the NHL for the entirety of the 2000’s, and racked up a lofty resume in and around the league. His playing career ended in 2015 with 309 points in 491 games.

Sullivan also has deep roots with the Rangers. He began his career with the club as their director of hockey technology in 2009. That role evolved into the director of player development from 2014 to 2021. Then, Sulivan earned another promotion to the title of vice president of hockey strategy that he’s served in ever since. Now, he’ll climb one rung further up the ladder, and truly begin building a resume that could land him in a team’s GM chair one day. It’s an impressive climb, especially considering that Sullivan – an economics major – has no history playing professional sports. Still outside of his 50’s, Sullivan will stand as an emerging piece in New York’s front office.

Meanwhile, Martin has been promoted to associate general manager – one rung above both Clowe and Sullivan. Martin has served as Hartford’s general manager since the 2021-22 season. He has led the team to two playoff appearances in four seasons, and presided over the turnover of three head coaches. Martin’s biggest accomplishments came prior to his time in New York. He was once a core piece of the Detroit Red Wings’ front office, and served as GM of the Grand Rapids Griffins from 2012 to 2020. He won the AHL’s Calder Cup in 2013 and 2017 with Grand Rapids, and even joined Detroit on their run to the 2008 Stanley Cup as the team’s director of hockey administration. Martin’s trophy cabinet is rounded out by a Gold Medal at the 2021 World Junior Championships, when he supported Team USA as a scout. He’ll bring that lofty experience back to New York next year, looking to have even more say on a team in the midst of a big turnaround.

Rangers Hire Blake Wheeler, Three Others To Hockey Operations Roles

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Freshly-retired pro Blake Wheeler wasn’t able to stay away from the NHL for very long. He has been hired to an advisory role in the New York Rangers’ front office, per Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports. Wheeler played in 54 games of New York’s 2023-24 season, but missed the entirety of last season due to a right-leg injury. Alongside this hire, Mercogliano shares that New York has also hired Chris Pryor, Mark Flood, and Darryl Williams to scouting roles. Pryor will preside over scouting, specifically, CHL players on NCAA tracks while Flood and Williams serve as pro scouts.

This news will mark the beginning of Wheeler’s career behind the bench, after playing through 16 seasons in the NHL. He was originally the fifth-overall selection in the 2004 NHL Draft, but didn’t make his NHL debut until 2008, after he had completed three years at the University of Minnesota. The wait proved worthwhile, as Wheeler jumped to 21 goals and 45 points in his rookie season – playing for the Boston Bruins, despite being drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes. Wheeler earned an entrenched role in the lineup, but didn’t find a true breakout until he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010-11.

Wheeler scored 17 points in his first 23 games with Atlanta, then jumped to 17 goals and 47 points in 80 games when the team relocated to Winnipeg for the 2010-11 season. That performance put Wheeler on the track that’d guide the rest of his career. He routinely rivaled 40 assists and north of 60 points throughout the rest of his career – though that streak was broken up by a pair of career-years, and 91-point seasons, in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Wheeler’s career spanned 13 years with the Jets organization, though he opted to move to the Rangers for his sunset years. He signed a one-year deal with New York that’d end sorely, with a freak injury in February 2024 ending Wheeler’s final season early. He returned to play nine minutes of one postseason game, to little effect.

Now, Wheeler will use his 1,172 games of NHL experience to help guide New York towards their next step. He headlines a true heap of experience in this hiring cohort. Pryor played parts of six seasons in the NHL between 1984 and 1990. He took to scouting just four years later, and has served in roles across the NHL ever since. That includes four years as the Islanders’ director of player development, 10 years as the Flyers’ director of scouting, and serving in assistant general manager roles for both the Flyers and Penguins. Pryor stepped away from front office roles in 2023, but now returns to take on a unique post in New York.

Flood and Williams carry similar stories, albeit with much less experience. Flood played in nine AHL seasons, on top of a career that led him to play in seven different countries. He retired in 2022 and immediately took on a pro scouting role with the Senators that he’s filled for the last three seasons. Williams played a fruitful minor-league career from 1989 to 1999, then rose the ranks of minor-league coaching before landing the Vancouver Canucks’ video coach role in 2008. He carried that role until 2014, when he joined the Rangers as an assistant coach for four seasons. Williams stepped away from New York for various roles in 2018, and has spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach on the Flyers’ bench.

These hires will give the Rangers one more push towards a revamped room. They were among the toughest teams to watch last season – falling to a 39-36-7 record and no playoff experience in the midst of locker room drama and poor relationships. Moves like hiring head coach Mike Sullivan and loading the front office with pro experience will each go far in helping New York bounce back to form next season.

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