ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Longtime Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter joined the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday as an adviser to new coach Dallas Eakins' staff, enlivening an otherwise quiet free-agent signing period for Southern California's two rebuilding NHL clubs.

Sutter is the winningest coach in the history of the Kings, the Ducks' crosstown archrivals. He has been out of coaching since Los Angeles fired him in April 2017 despite his two Stanley Cup titles.

Anaheim general manager Bob Murray announced the addition with a dry news release, but Sutter's move down the I-5 freeway added some intrigue to a fallow year for Southern California hockey. The Kings and Ducks missed the Stanley Cup playoffs in the same spring for the first time since 2004, and neither team has made a significant addition in free agency.

"Darryl will provide invaluable expertise to our coaching staff and players," Murray said. "Both Dallas and I agree his proven track record and vast knowledge of the game will be very beneficial for us."

The 60-year-old Sutter coached Los Angeles to its only two championships in 2012 and 2014. He won a franchise-record 225 games over five-plus seasons, and his Kings won an impressive 10 playoff series over three seasons during their prime.

The Kings fired Sutter after they missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Los Angeles failed to win a playoff series in the three seasons following its second championship.

Before he joined Los Angeles, Sutter was a general manager and coach with the Calgary Flames. He also had previous stints as a head coach with San Jose and Chicago.

Although Sutter's Kings put together one of the most impressive three-season runs in recent hockey history, his apparent preference for a deliberate, physical style of play often appeared to clash with the speed and skill prevalent in the modern game.

Yet the change didn't help the Kings, who are on their third head coach in two years since Sutter's dismissal. Los Angeles hired Todd McLellan in April.

Anaheim appointed Eakins last month after firing Randy Carlyle last season. Assistant coaches Mark Morrison and Marty Wilford are expected to stay on Eakins' staff after they finished last season as assistants to Murray, who coached the Ducks' final 26 games.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Sergei Bobrovsky already has two Vezina Trophies, the award presented at the end of each season to the NHL's top goaltender.

He's not looking for a third.

For the Florida Panthers' new goalie, only one trophy matters now.

Bobrovsky and Florida's three other free-agent signings -- defenseman Anton Stralman, and forwards Brett Connolly and Noel Acciari -- put on their new Panthers sweaters for the first time Tuesday in their official introduction to South Florida. When they're back to begin training camp in just over two months, the Stanley Cup will be the singular goal for the long-struggling Panthers.

"It doesn't matter what you win individually," Bobrovsky said. "Hockey's a team sport and it's all about the Cup. Only one team can win the Cup each season. That's my main goal. That's what I want to do. That's why I am here now. I believe in this team. I believe in this group."

Bobrovsky was the Panthers' biggest acquisition this summer, at least from a player sense. Florida's offseason began with a coaching change and the hiring of three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville, who said having a great goaltender is "the biggest ingredient" when putting together a team that can truly win a title.

And the Panthers think they got the best goalie in the game, someone who led the NHL with nine shutouts last season and then backstopped Columbus to a stunning sweep of Tampa Bay in the opening round of the playoffs -- after the Lightning were far and away the league's best team during the regular season.

"Sergei, we know the importance of goaltending," Quenneville said. "He comes in and gives us a No. 1 goalie that can play big games. He's going to play a lot of hockey here. We know how goaltending can influence a game and we know how goaltending can win in the playoffs as well. So he's excited about this opportunity."

Bobrovsky was long believed to be Florida's top free-agent target, and it was widely presumed that he would pick the Panthers. He decided last week that he would indeed sign with Florida, and a $70 million, seven-year offer got it done.

"With the bright future this team has, with the great coach, with the great management, and with the really talented group of guys I'm excited to be here," Bobrovsky said. "I think we can make something special here."

Bobrovsky will replace Roberto Luongo as Florida's No. 1 goaltender, following Luongo's retirement. Sam Montembeault, who made his first 10 NHL starts last season with the Panthers, is likely going be the backup.

Florida has missed the playoffs in 16 of the last 18 seasons, hasn't won a playoff series since 1996 and will have had 16 coaches in 26 seasons when Quenneville makes his debut. But the Panthers touted a promising young core for years, had one of the NHL's top offenses last season and believe Bobrovsky will be the difference-maker on the defensive end of the ice now.

"It's a process," Bobrovsky, 30, said. "It's not going to be easy. Nobody says this is going to be smooth and nice. We're going to have to overcome some adversity. But those things will make us stronger."

LAS VEGAS -- Everyone has a different standard on when they've "made it" as a professional. Like when Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews started earning pro-level money and made his first gluttonous purchase: a Rolex.

"That was probably the first thing, in getting to the NHL, that I bought," he told the ESPN On Ice podcast recently. "I didn't have a watch, and I like jewelry. I went through some people on the team who knew people, and ended up getting one."

Another moment of affirmation for the 21-year-old center: Making the cover of EA Sports' NHL 20, which will be released on Sept. 13. He joins other recent cover athletes such as Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban.

We caught up with Matthews at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas to talk video games, fashion, Sin City as well as what it was like for the Toronto Maple Leafs to watch the Boston Bruins make the Stanley Cup Final and the Toronto Raptors win the NBA title. Enjoy!

ESPN: EA Sports NHL cover boy. Where does this rank in career achievements?

Auston Matthews: I definitely ranks up there pretty high. I haven't accomplished too much. [Laughs] But it's pretty awesome. I grew up playing the game. Every Christmas, I would get the latest game, so I was always looking forward to that. To be on the cover is pretty special.

I played Xbox, for the most part. But my first game was for the PlayStation portable, NHL 06. That was the first game. That kick-started it. I played pretty much sports games. NHL, Madden, stuff like that.

ESPN: Do you still play today? More to the point, are you a phantom player in online leagues and people don't know they're playing Auston Matthews?

Matthews: [Laughs] Yeah, I wish. Not good enough. I do play, though. I go through these weird stretches where I'll play a ton of video games and then I won't turn on my Xbox for like six months, which is what I'm kind of doing right now. But I played P.K. [Subban] a little bit the other day when we were doing some stuff and I kicked his ass. So I know I still got it.

ESPN: How were you able to avoid the Fortnite craze?

Matthews: I've played it. Like I said, I go through stretches were a play a lot of games, and Fortnite was one of them. I don't think it ever got to the point where I was playing all night and not sleeping. I didn't play to the point where it was affecting my life. But I would play three or four hours a day after getting home from practice. Log on and play with all the boys. But nothing too crazy.

ESPN: No, you're not from Finland.

Matthews: Exactly.

ESPN: I wanted to bug you about fashion. In the last year, you've done modeling for GQ and other magazines. Every time these spreads come out, they go viral. How did you get into fashion? At what age did you decide you were going to dress better than your peers?

Matthews: I've always kind of been into it, but not until I actually had money. Switzerland was nice, just because it's different over there. That's how it started. It must have been brutal ... I can't even remember what I was wearing in Switzerland, but I was an 18-year-old kid, finally getting a paycheck, so I was like "I'm going to buy some crazy s---."

ESPN: Because you're in Europe, where the crazy stuff is.

Matthews: Exactly, so I was like let's see how it goes. That's how it started.

ESPN: Did you poke around at the reaction to some of the spreads you've done? In particular, the red coat?

Matthews: [Laughs] Yeah, I mean ... everybody's going to have an opinion. I don't really care, but I'll peek around sometimes. I'm not going to give some person who's behind their phone the power to make me feel a certain way. It's fine. Not everybody is going to love it, or love you. It's something you accept, and move on.

ESPN: You seem to get it, that there's a certain template for what NHL players wear to the rink. Then you look at the NBA, which is clearly leaps and bounds ahead of us as far as marketing themselves, and what they wear to the game and in the postgame becomes its own story.

Matthews: They've turned it into a business platform essentially. They're profiting off of what they're wearing. It's like a big runway for them. It helps out everybody: The NBA, the players, the marketability of each individual. The NHL's kind of a bit behind that, but you're getting younger players that are coming in and they're not wearing the traditional black suit to the game. They're wearing different stuff, hats, and whatever. It's not getting to the [NBA] level yet, but it's growing more and more.

ESPN: We were talking a little bit before about the Apple commercials that you and Mitch Marner did. It seems like this generation has been a little more assertive in getting their personalities out there.

Matthews: Fans want to see that. I know for myself, when I was younger, when those HBO 24/7 shows came out, it was awesome. I couldn't get enough of them. I watch them over and over. That's what fans really like. I think that's what's happening more and more: Fans getting a little behind the scenes access to our lives. It's not just hockey. It's other stuff we enjoy. Fans love that stuff. And as a fan growing up, I loved that stuff.

For the [Apple] ad, I was videotaping, so I obviously had no idea what I was doing. I showed up and they said, 'Take this.' They gave me a little tool and told me to follow Mitch around. It sounded easy enough, but it wasn't. But it was a lot of fun.

ESPN: Was the first time you went to the NHL Awards your first time in Vegas?

Matthews: I played a lot of hockey tournaments here. For some reason the parents loved coming here. Then they'd show up to the rink in sunglasses the next day. [Laughs] But I never got to experience it [until the awards]. You run into guys, as we're pretty much staying at the same hotel and going to the same events, nightlife, casinos and stuff like that. Even if you know them or not, it's nice to say hi to them.

ESPN: On to the Maple Leafs: How long does it take you to decompress after the season ending the way it did?

Matthews: It takes a while. Once the finals are over, you kind of get your mind off the season itself and start to focus on the next season. It leaves a sour taste in your mouth. A "what could have been." But you use it as motivation. Toronto winning the NBA title ... you just see the excitement and the passion and craziness in the street for the parade. Them winning a title ... it gives you motivation as well to accomplish the ultimate goal. Toronto is a sports city, and hockey is the top of that list. It serves as a lot of motivation to us.

ESPN: Can you be a fan and watch the Stanley Cup Final? Or does it become tough because Boston's in it?

Matthews: I mean, you watch, but don't watch much when you're out. Just a couple of games here and there. One of my best friends always throws it on, and I'm like "I really don't want to watch this," but I'm not going to make him turn it off. So I end up watching a couple of games.

ESPN: The last time we talked was at the All-Star Game when you did your Patrick Marleau tribute. How tough has it been for you to see a father figure move on from the Leafs? [Note: Marleau was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes prior to this interview, and had his contract bought out afterward.]

Matthews: It was tough. He's meant a lot to me. He's meant a lot to a lot of guys on this team. He's someone I still keep in touch with throughout the offseason. He's been incredible to me. Just a person with all the experience that he has, not only in hockey but in life, to have that as a [sounding board] has been great. Nothing changes as far as our relationship goes.

ESPN: Last time I saw you, you hadn't signed your contract extension. But we did talk about Mitch and what that contract would mean for him. It's become a weird summer with him being a restricted free agent and having what seems like a tense negotiation with Toronto. Has it been at all weird for you?

Matthews: Yeah, I mean, not really. We've talked a couple of times. Not about hockey or contracts. Just talked. I think he was here for Matt Martin's bachelor party and was texting me to see if I was going, and I had another buddy's party I was going to instead.

ESPN: I guess the last question is what an NHL player's bachelor party in Las Vegas looks like? Are there rooms that I could never see in my entire life that you're getting into?

Matthews: [Laughs] It's fun. That's all I can say. It's fun.

The Vegas Golden Knights have more players than cap space to use on them. That appears to mean that coveted Russian forward Nikita Gusev's stay in Vegas could end before it ever really began.

The Golden Knights signed Gusev last April to a one-year, entry-level deal. Despite Gusev's not playing a single minute of hockey for the team, he's now a restricted free agent, as signing the deal in-season burned that single year. It was a smart play by the Golden Knights, enticing one of the KHL's best players to finally come to North America by allowing him to get out from under the NHL's entry-level system with little resistance. It freed him up to sign a much larger contract this summer.

While the Knights succeeded in bringing Gusev over, the team had bigger offseason priorities, such as re-signing William Karlsson, that left them with little to no room for a higher-priced prospect such as Gusev. Now, according to a report from The Athletic, the team is exploring trade options for Gusev. Vegas could still find ways to make room for him, but it would take some serious maneuvering.

Suddenly, teams that need top-six skill in their lineup can at least explore trading for him. Vegas doesn't have much leverage, and it can't take on any salary, so this is likely an opportunity to collect some draft picks or some prospects who won't need to be on the books yet.

Manchester United have made David De Gea an improved offer in a bid to break their contract stand-off, sources have told ESPN FC.

The goalkeeper, who has entered the final year of his deal, has already rejected a five-year contract worth £350,000-a-week.

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Sources have told ESPN FC that United are reluctant to make De Gea -- their player of the year in four of the last six seasons -- their highest paid player but have returned with an improved offer in the hope the 28-year-old will commit his long-term future to the club. Negotiations are still ongoing.

If fresh terms cannot be agreed, De Gea will be able to negotiate with clubs outside England from January 1 and leave Old Trafford on a free at the end of next season.

Sources have told ESPN FC that United are willing to keep De Gea this summer, although there are concerns that a big money bid from Paris Saint-Germain would be too good to turn down for a player with just 12 months left on his contract.

United are monitoring Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak, AC Milan's Gianluigi Donnarumma and Andre Onana at Ajax in case they are forced into signing a new No.1. The last time De Gea entered the final year of his contract in 2015, United agreed to sell the Spain international to Real Madrid on deadline day.

Meanwhile, United have been told it will take close to £90 million to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester having seen a bid of £70m rejected. Maguire, who is also wanted by Manchester City, is keen to secure a move to a top-six side after agreeing to stay at the King Power Stadium for another season last summer.

United are also set to host a testimonial for Antonio Valencia next summer. The 33-year-old has signed for LDU Quito in his native Ecuador after leaving Old Trafford after 10 years at the club at the end of last season. United will play LDU in Manchester next summer.

Former midfielder Quinton Fortune is in line to take up a role with the Under-23s following the departure of Ricky Sbragia at the end of the season. South African Fortune spent seven years as a player at the club between 1999 and 2006.