NHL Rumors: Winnipeg Jets And The Pittsburgh Penguins

Winnipeg Jets Still Searching For A Coach

Murat Ates of The Winnipeg Sun: The Winnipeg Jets keep searching for a Head Coach for reasons that are very obvious. After all, this is a team that wants to win now. Kevin Cheveldayoff and company know they must get this decision right.

Now, the candidates are several here. Rick Bowness retired from coaching after the Jets were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in five games. Since then, a lot has happened in the NHL Playoffs. However, not much has transpired with Winnipeg.

The carousel of coaches includes Sheldon Keefe, Todd McLellan, and others. One that it does not include is Craig Berube. Berube was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. Then, there are coaches like Jay Woodcroft, Gerard Gallant, and even Dean Evason.

Players and fans alike may not be so keen on adding the perceived front-runner in Arniel. Back-to-back first-round exits leave a sour taste. It boils down to making those next steps. Who can do that?

Pittsburgh Penguins And Retooling Options

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey NOW: The Pittsburgh Penguins and Kyle Dubas understand what is in front of them. Comparing themselves to other playoff teams yields a considerable amount of mixed results at best.

Pittsburgh has star players like Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Add in Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson and the Penguins have a pretty good, but aging nucleus. Goaltending is a real question mark. Can Tristan Jarry or Alex Nedeljkovic be trusted for the playoffs? The regular season raised more questions than answers.

Simply, the glue is a player like Crosby. The Captain makes Pittsburgh a few bounces to a lightyear away from contending. Does Crosby age at all? That answer appears to be not yet by a long shot.

There lie plenty of directions to go. Kyle Dubas must find some depth. It is obvious Mike Sullivan is sticking around. So, health in an aging core is essential. Could the trade market yield some fruit? Players like Nikolaj Ehlers could be out there to replace a Jake Guentzel.

Keep an eye on Pittsburgh as Dubas tries to get the Penguins in the playoffs.

The Penguins clock is ticking quickly.