FanHouse Brian Lawton

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Brian Lawton could very well be smarter than Toronto head coach Ron Wilson.

After all, Lawton has been able to convince everyone that he and the agent for Mattias Ohlund, J.P. Berry, negotiated a complex player contract and finalized details in less than 20 minutes July 1. Wilson, meanwhile, couldn't resist making comments on the radio about Vancouver's Sedin twins before free agency began. Take a guess which team is potentially in hot water with the NHL.

Over the next week, FanHouse will preview the top players and teams in next Friday's NHL Draft. This is the second post in a six part series.

Last spring, the lottery balls bounced Tampa Bay's way and they were awarded the first overall pick. Former GM Jay Feaster selected Steven Stamkos with that pick, but has since resigned. His successor, Brian Lawton, has already made his mark on the organization with numerous trades during his first year and will have the chance to further shape the roster with the second overall pick next week.

Wild 3, Ducks 2: Thanks to a pair of goals from Stephane Veilleux and 35 saves from Niklas Backstrom, the Minnesota Wild picked up a huge 3-2 win in Anaheim. The Wild had lost eight of their past 11 games entering play on Sunday, and moved to within one point of No. 8 seed Nashville. The Western Conference race is every bit the logjam the east is, as six teams are separated by just four points.

Entering play on Sunday, the Ducks held a slim one-point edge over Minnesota, and now find themselves two points back of a possible playoff spot. Anaheim has been slumping as of late, losing seven of its past 10. It's not getting any easier in the coming week with games against Vancouver, San Jose and Nashville.

Thursday night was Tim Gleason bobblehead night in Carolina, and after a quick search of eBay, I've found that you too can own this rare collectible for the low, low price of $29.99 (starting bid)! Exciting. And incredibly bizarre. Anyway, after the Maple Leafs jumped out to a 4-0 lead, the Hurricanes roared back to tie the game, thanks in large part to three goals in the first eight minutes of the third period.

Unfortunately, at the 13:44 mark of the period, Gleason, the man of the night, was sent to the box for high-sticking Nik Antropov which ultimately led to Tomas Kaberle scoring the game-winner, helping Toronto to a 6-4 win. Jason Blake netted a hat trick -- and picked up two assists -- for the Leafs, while Ian White and Niklas Hagman also added goals, as Toronto snapped a four-game losing streak.

Well that didn't take long. The Tampa Lightning, off to a disappointing start -- disappointing considering the absurd amount of money they spent this offseason -- have already decided to part ways with head coach Barry Melrose. Assistant coach Rick Tocchet will take over behind the bench, as reported by TSN.

General Manager Brian Lawton on the move:

"This was a tough decision to make," Lawton said. "Barry is a good man and we have a great deal of respect for him. We wish him nothing but success. However, the results were unacceptable and the players have to understand that we need to be better. Hopefully this change helps push them. "As for Rick Tocchet, we think this is a great opportunity for him and we believe he's the type of coach who can take the team to the next level. Our players have a great deal of respect for him."