In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Anaheim Ducks have fired head coach Greg Cronin after two seasons, what could be next for them? Elsewhere, the San Jose Sharks are apparently willing to move the first-overall pick if they are lucky enough to land it in the draft lottery. Also, the Edmonton Oilers have been planning on Evander Kane and Trent Frederic to be in the lineup to kick off the playoffs, but it seems as if that may not be the case. Finally, the Carolina Hurricanes have brought Alexander Nikishin to Raleigh, and the city is buzzing around him. Ducks Fire Cronin, But What Now? News broke on April 19 that the Ducks have fired Cronin as their head coach. The Ducks were seemingly ready to take another step this season, which they did, but clearly not big enough. There were reports in the past, notably from Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney, that Cronin was too “old-school” for the type of team that the Ducks have. They are young, play with swagger, and that didn’t match the energy from their coach. It arguably doesn’t match what kind of energy general manager Pat Verbeek has, either, but he isn’t as directly involved with the on-ice performance. Greg Cronin, Head Coach of the Anaheim Ducks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers) The NCAA is a great system for players, but coaches as well. If the Ducks want to look for a coach who does well with younger players, Brad Berry and David Carle could be good options, but if they want to look for a more experienced NHL coach, there could be some available soon, too. Sharks Open to Trading First-Overall Pick According to Sheng Peng, if the Sharks are the eventual winners of the 2025 Draft Lottery and have the first-overall pick, general manager Mike Grier would be willing to move that pick. The Sharks, of course, had the first overall pick in the last draft and selected Macklin Celebrini. The top end of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft has a lot of good players, but none that stand above all. The Sharks may have looked at what is available, and decided that with what is available there, they could get more value by trading the pick and drafting later in the round. The Sharks’ prospect pool is excellent, especially up front. On the defensive side, Sam Dickinson is great, but they want to add more there. Matthew Schaefer is one of the top prospects and a great defenseman, but keeping options open and being willing to trade the pick makes sense for the Sharks. If they are willing to move closer to the middle of the first round and recoup some more assets that can improve the roster, it could be the right way to go. Oilers Players Who May Not Be Ready for Game 1 A few days ago, Kane said that he feels ready to go for the playoffs, but when looking at the practice lines on April 18, he was skating as an extra. The same goes for Frederic, who made his season debut on April 5, but then missed the last part of the season. Related: Evander Kane Could Be Exactly What Oilers Need to Defeat Kings Both players were expected to be in the Game 1 lineup against the Los Angeles Kings, but at this point, their impacts on the roster may have to wait a bit longer. Kane and Frederic bring a similar game to the lineup. Both are physical, can contribute to the depth scoring behind Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the other top players, but their absence will certainly be noticed and missed in the playoffs. Some better news for the Oilers, Jake Walman was practicing on the second pair, and looks to be ready to go. After a great start to the season with the Sharks, Walman was acquired at the trade deadline, and has been a great fit with the Oilers. With Mattias Ekholm expected to miss at least the first round, Walman is going to be given some more responsibility and will need to play some of his best hockey. Hurricanes Welcome Nikishin to Raleigh There was huge news last week about a playoff-bound team bringing in a Russian stud to help bolster the lineup. No, it isn’t Ivan Demidov this time, it’s Nikishin. After some dominant seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Nikishin has gotten all of the things he needs to head to the USA and play for the Hurricanes. If you are unfamiliar with his game, he is a big defenseman who plays very physical hockey, but he also skates extremely well and has excellent puck skills. He is everything you could ask for. He is 23 years old, so he has a good chunk of experience playing in a pro league already. While the NHL is a different game than in the KHL, there are a ton of reasons to believe his success is translatable. A video made its rounds on X after the Hurricanes posted a video of Nikishin walking in the rink, followed by head coach Rod Brind’Amour greeting him. There is a clear language barrier, but Brind’Amour was clear with his message, telling Nikishin it is okay that he doesn’t speak English, because he speaks hockey so well. It is unclear if he will be in the Game 1 lineup or who will come out for him, but his long-awaited debut is on the horizon, and Hurricanes fans are ecstatic.