NHL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Devils' Coaching Search, Senators' Offseason

Whether it's top draft picks, major free-agent signings or the hirings of new coaches or executives, the NHL offseason is a busy time for the majority of the league's 31 teams.

This year, the NHL offseason is going to arrive late because the league is planning to resume the 2019-20 season—suspended in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic—in the summer with an expanded postseason featuring 24 teams.

For the other seven teams, they are likely preparing for the offseason by finalizing draft plans, doing homework on impending free agents and potentially completing coaching and/or GM searches.

Here's some of the latest buzz surrounding the NHL offseason.

Where Does Devils' Coaching Search Stand?

The New Jersey Devils have plenty of time to complete a thorough coaching search given it's unclear when the 2020-21 NHL season will begin.

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Devils have spoken with at least eight coaching candidates and narrowed that list down to four finalists. Among that smaller group is Alain Nasreddine, who has been New Jersey's interim coach since it fired John Hynes in December. However, that group may not be further narrowed down anytime soon.

"The process itself in on pause right now until a later time," LeBrun wrote on Twitter.

Prior to taking over for the Devils, Nasreddine had served as an assistant coach since July 2015 but had never been an NHL head coach. He guided New Jersey to a 19-16-8 record before play was paused.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman previously wrote that Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette and John Stevens were candidates for the Devils' job in addition to Nasreddine. It's not clear whether those three are also on the shortlist LeBrun tweeted about, but it would make sense.

The Devils are also in need of a general manager. Tom Fitzgerald has served as interim GM since Ray Shero was fired in January, and LeBrun tweeted that he is among the candidates team ownership has been talking to about the full-time role.

What Moves Will Senators Make in Free Agency?

A major part of the Ottawa Senators' offseason additions is going to come from the NHL draft. Not only do they own three first-round picks, but two of those selections will come very early. Their first selection has the second-best odds of being the No. 1 pick, while they also own the pick with the third-best odds, which originally belonged to the San Jose Sharks.

Ottawa only has nine players signed to contracts for the 2020-21 season. Its draft picks may not make immediate impacts in the NHL, either. So the Sens could be active on the free-agent market as they fill out their roster for next season.

Matt Larkin of The Hockey News wrote earlier in June that the Senators "should be much closer to a salary-floor team than a cap team, but they'll likely chase a couple veterans on one-year deals hoping to flip them for picks at the deadline next year." Larkin noted that these moves could be similar to Ottawa's signing of Tyler Ennis last offseason.

Ennis signed a one-year deal with the Senators and tallied 33 points (14 goals and 19 assists) over 61 games for them. Ottawa traded the 30-year-old to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in February.

Some of the Senators' roster spots could be filled by players who are set to be restricted free agents, as Larkin noted general manager Pierre Dorion "must lock up depth-level RFAs such as forwards [Anthony] Duclair, Connor Brown and Chris Tierney."

While it's uncertain just what moves Ottawa will make this offseason, it's sure to be an eventful time for the franchise as it tries to make the right decisions to put it back on track for success.