News of the Colorado Avalanche - Links around the NHL - June 11th, 2013

Gonchar is now a Star.

The Dallas Stars have signed defenceman Sergei Gonchar to a two-year deal worth US$10-million.

The Senators traded the 39-year-old’s rights to Dallas for a sixth-round pick that was conditional on Gonchar agreeing to a contract with the Stars. Ottawa now has seven selections in this year’s draft.

Some NHL Awards finalist have been announced.

Vézina Trophy: Speaking of which, it’s intriguing to note that the finalists for top goaltender are Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and the San Jose Sharks’ Antti Niemi. None can hold a candle to the way Boston’s Rask and Chicago’s Corey Crawford have played in the playoffs. But that, of course, is the story of goaltending, sports’ greatest yo-yo position. Let us not forget that Montreal’s Carey Price was tagged for the Team Canada goal when this season began, then Pittsburgh’s Marc-André Fleury. Now it is Corey Crawford’s job to lose, which he most assuredly will numerous times before that plane finally leaves for Sochi next February.

The Oilers have a new Head Coach.

There was more involved than Craig MacTavish doing the dirty deed to Ralph Krueger than simply getting his own guy behind the bench to begin his career as GM.

In 33 minutes you could see what MacTavish saw and how it translated to why Dallas Eakins became the 12th head coach in Edmonton Oilers history — with an excellent chance of there not being a 13th next year..

Eakins, in a very relaxed, engaging way, spoke to the kind of coach you can expect him to be. And he sold me.