Canucks Clean House, Coaching Carousel Turns, Habs Advance, Canes are Rested, Can Vegas get Healthy?

The Vancouver Canucks cleaned house by firing Adam Foote and the entire coaching staff just days after naming Ryan Johnson GM, continuing a full organizational reset despite the costly decision to eat two years remaining on the coaches’ contracts. Attention now turns to Manny Malhotra as a possible head coach candidate, creating a potentially awkward wrinkle with his son Caleb viewed as a realistic option for Vancouver at third overall in the draft. Elsewhere, the NHL coaching carousel continues in Toronto, Los Angeles and Edmonton, where the Oilers remain interested in Bruce Cassidy while also initiating talks with Craig Berube. Montreal eliminated Buffalo in Game 7 overtime behind strong goaltending from Jakub Dobes, while some of Buffalo’s top players — including Alex Tuch — failed to deliver in key moments and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was questioned for allowing the OT winner by Alex Newhook. Carolina now enters the Eastern Conference Final after a 12-day layoff that could initially create some rust, though the rest should benefit Frederik Andersen most. The Hurricanes’ depth advantage over a tired, short-benched Montreal squad appears to be significant. Out West, Vegas heads into the Western Conference Final against Colorado with injury concerns surrounding Mark Stone, and even if he returns, the Avalanche are viewed by most as the deeper and more complete team.