Two finalists emerge in search for next Penguins HC

The Pittsburgh Penguins coaching search continues to headline news out of the Metropolitan Division, as the squad seeks out their first change at head coach in the last decade.

Their final rounds of interviews have led to two candidates emerging above the rest Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love, and former Ottawa Senators head coach D.J.

Smith , per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period .

Love has been behind the Capitals bench for the last two seasons, after spending the two years prior serving as the head coach of Calgarys AHL squad.

Love worked in the WHL and Canadas U17 and U18 squads for the better half of the 2010s.

He supported Team Canadas gold-medal wins at the 2016 U17 World Hockey Championship, 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2020 World Junior Championship.

He also won the AHLs Coach of the Year award in both of his two years in the league 2021-22 and 2022-23.

The past two years in Washington have marked Loves first in the NHL in any capacity, and a move to head coach would mark a quick reward after he supported Pittsburghs rival to a second-round exit this season.

Smith sits as an interesting option opposite of Love.

He has spent the last season-and-a-half in an assistant or associate coach role with the Los Angeles Kings, who hired him on the same day that he was fired from the Senators head coaching role in 2023.

Smith posted a combined 131-154-32 record in just over four years with the Senators.

He also has six years of experience as an NHL assistant coach, spread between tenures with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Kings.

Hed be a hotly debated addition, though offers a much hardier pro coaching resume than Love.

Other notes from the Metro Division: The Tampa Bay Lightning have parted ways with assistant general manager and AHL general manager Stacy Roest , per Ashley Wenskoski of CNY Central .

Roest was a colleague of freshly-hired New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche during their shared time in Tampa Bay, and could be among the top candidates as New York looks to fill the vacancy left by AHL GM Chris Lamoriello.

Roest has been with the Tampa Bay organization since the 2013-14 season, when he joined on as a Director of Player Development and AHL assistant coach.

He was promoted to AHL GM in the 2019-20 season.

Roest also played in 244 career games in the NHL, split between tenures with the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild.

He ended his career with nine years in Switzerlands National League, which allowed him to support Team Canada at six separate Spengler Cups.

Former Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils centerman Janne Kuokkanen has extended his tenure overseas.

He has signed a four-year contract with the SHLs Malmo Redhawks.

Kuokkanen played one season with Malmo in 2023-24 scoring 44 points in 43 games but opted to move to the National League for this season.

Hell reverse that decision one season later, after netting just 25 points in 35 games with Lausanne HC.

Kuokkanen was a second-round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft and played in 119 NHL games split between the Hurricanes and Devils.

He scored 14 goals and 42 points in those appearances.

This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission..

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