With the first round of the playoffs in the can and plenty of news being made, it feels like a good time to go Around the Rink. We have a wide range of topics today, some good, and some bad. Let’s dive in!

Deja Vu All Over Again: It happened again. Against all odds, it happened again. The Toronto Maple Leafs went out in the first round to the Boston Bruins in 7 games, after trailing 3-1 in the series. Just like 2013, and 2018, they showed character but only when they wanted and foolishness when it counted. From arguing on the bench, to saying they played hard, to being unable to cover a set play, they still haven’t learned. They’re seven years into this window and it’s bared no fruit. This offseason will likely see more than one person take the fall for this, and rightfully so. Sheldon Keefe is the obvious choice, but they’ll draw straws to determine which member of the core is traded…my money is on Marner.

Hitting the Jackpot: Finally something went right for the San Jose Sharks. After what’s been a tough couple seasons, GM Mike Grier finally struck lottery gold as they won the first overall pick. That number one pick will be used on BU Terriers star Macklin Celebrini, a dynamic young forward who should bring instant excitement to the Sharks and put some butts in seats. Unfortunately real help is still a ways away for Celebrini, as the Sharks rebuild has only just begin. Chicago (surprise) and Anaheim round out the top three picks in the draft. Check out Celebrini’s highlights below to get a taste of what lies ahead out west!

Rolling 7’s: The NHL’s unending parody claimed another defending champion last weekend as the Stars eliminated the Golden Knights. The defending champs will be kicking themselves over this one. After winning the first two games in Dallas with all their big guns in the lineup, it felt like Vegas might send the top seed packing. But they ran out of answers and eventually fell in seven. Now they’ll go to work on improving their squad to make another run at it next season, with plenty of top players in the mix. Don’t pity them too much, they have had a lot of fun in a short time in Sin City.

Johnston not Earp: He’s the fastest gun in the west and the leader of his hand of brothers. You may think I’m referring to Wyatt Earp, but you’ve got the wrong family. We’re talking about Stars forward Wyatt Johnston, whose breakout season continues. After impressing last year, number 53 put up 65 points (32 G’s, 33 A’s) this year and followed it up with six points in seven games against Vegas. He’s just another wonderful piece of Dallas young core that will lead them to the future. And if you’re wondering, Jamie Benn is definitely Doc Holliday in this scenario.

Washed Away in Rain City: We have another casualty in the coaching ranks! This week’s winner of the set of steak knives is former Kraken head coach Dave Hakstoll. To say Seattle regressed would be an understatement, as they finished near the bottom of the pacific division after last year’s run to round two. It seems the players weren’t thrilled about the prospect of playing for Hakstoll again this season as they told Ron Francis they wanted him out. Now the coaching search will begin and there is talk of Francis looking to hire his former Canes teammate, Rod Brind A’Mour. This job won’t be easy so it will be interesting to see who gets it.

A Terrific Welcome: In our last edition of this piece we spent a lot of time talking about the Coyotes departure from Arizona. But to the credit of everyone involved, the bad memories of the desert exit were quickly wiped out by a wonderful welcome to Salt Lake City. To say Utah residents are excited for this team’s arrival is an understatement, as they packed the Delta Center for the introduction. New owner Ryan Smyth and his wife Ashley should be commended for helping to set a new tone as owners. They seem to have brought along club personnel, including the broadcast team, to join the team in Utah and have prioritized the players well being. They also say they’re focused on assembling a winner so now the real fun begins this summer. They will pick sixth in the upcoming draft and have a ton of capital, so look for them to be aggressive.

The Grass is Greener in Ottawa: As the coaching carousel goes around and around we have another new face in a new place. This time it’s Travis Green who surprisingly takes over behind the Senators bench. Green inked a four year deal to take over this talented yet flawed group and will have his work cut out for him on a few fronts. The first of which is getting this group to play the right way as it’s never been a question of talent for this Sens core. The second is getting the fans to believe in what he’s doing as the reaction to his hire was less than excited. Funny enough solving the first one will solve the second one. Oh and he may want to avoid talking about his Maple Leafs past.

He’s Baaaaaaaack: If you thought Ottawa hiring Green was a surprise, buckle up. The Buffalo Sabres fired Don Granato when the season ended and wasted no time replacing him with former coach Lindy Ruff. The 64 year old signed a two year contract to return as the Sabres bench boss after serving in the role from 1997 to 2013. In his first stint Buffalo was a consistent winner with four trips to the conference final and one trip to the Cup Final. Since leaving he had somewhat successful stops in Dallas and New Jersey, but is coming off a tough year with the Devils which has many skeptical this can work, myself included. This will either be a glorious reunion or an utter disaster. Good luck Lindy, and remember, “no goal!”

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