This is a great little stat: no coach in Penguin history has started and finished four consecutive seasons.
Ron Cook thinks Michel Therrien, who just signed a contract extension, could be the one to break that streak.
I don't.
Therrien is a dangerous combination of narrow-minded and panicky. You could see it during the finals when he didn't change anything against the Wings until he suddenly moved Ryan Malone to the top line, only to put things back the next game. I suspect we'll see more moves like that from Therrien, and as he loses people in the locker room, which is rumored to be the case, these knee-jerk switches will be less and less effective.
I was surprised the Penguins gave Therrien a three-year extension. Watching him coach has often felt like watching someone drive a car that's too fast. You could see the places where he just didn't know how to handle all the parts (like when to play Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby together and when to spread them out).
I'm guessing Therrien crashes before he crosses the four-year flag.
Also, Curtis Brown is going to play in Switzerland next season. John Vogl, who covered Brown as a Sabre, has some interesting insights into what sounds like a complex person.

Wow. Look how decisive Mats Sundin is. He's got his NHL options narrowed down to the Canucks, the Leafs, or retirement. And he's said he'll decide by August. It's not like teams need to decide anything, right?
Of course, looking at the Canucks' salaries, they still have the space to give Sundin that rumored $10 million/year for two years, and it's not like there's anyone else they could sign. They may as well wait it out. The Leafs also have some room for Sundin, although I have to wonder if they would want him back. I got the impression the Leafs (or at least Leafs Nation) was kind of happy to turn the page on Sundin. The city of Vancouver seems to want him pretty badly. Like everyone else, I don't understand a) why the Canucks are offering him so much money and b) why Sundin isn't jumping on that.
Also, Sports Illustrated has an awesome photo essay looking at the demise of the Islanders. There are so many low moments. It must have been hard to choose. (via Two-Line Pass).

Who would have thought the Blackhawks would have a convention for its fans? And who would have thought the fans would come? Don't forget. This is a team that just recently started broadcasting home games.
It's amazing how things are changing so quickly for the franchise. They're signing free agents. They're spending a ton on goalies. They're going to be a part of the Winter Classic. It's almost like Chicago finally has an NHL team again.
Also, icethetics reports the Wings and Blackhawks might wear throwback 30s jerseys for the Winter Classic. Eventually, I'd like to throw things back to the 19th century. That would be pretty cool.

I can't believe the Sabres finally locked up a key player. They signed goalie Ryan Miller for five years, a reasonable amount of time for a franchise goalie. I thought for sure the Michigan native would eventually wind up with the Wings. And now, the Sabres are even looking to lock-up Jason Pominville. I guess the Sabres are starting to see the value of players who are actually willing to play in Buffalo. Apparently, there aren't a ton of players like that. Bucky Gleason says the lock-ups are good news if for no other reason than it lets the Sabres concentrate on hockey, not who they're not signing.
Also, in case you're wondering, after waiving Stephane Veilleux, whom they couldn't agree to a contract with, the Wild re-signed him. Presumably, there are no hard feelings. Michael Russo has a fascinating post about how the whole Veilleux debacle shows the need for a player to have an agent. Veilleux cleared waivers, but not because no one wanted him. It was more a paperwork issue.
Finally, SportsHubLA has an interesting talk with Kings GM Dean Lombardi. Lombardi is very careful not to say too much, but it sounds like his expectations for the Kings aren't very high. On the one hand, it's good that he's realistic. On the other, you have to kind of wonder why that isn't an impetus to get some veterans signed to mentor the younger players. I love a youth movement as much as anyone, but a rookie coach and a young team seems like a recipe for turmoil.