from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- Some things to keep an eye on: Anaheim is looking for scoring.

- Senators coach DJ Smith unloaded following that 7–1 defeat.

“We got some guys that are taking for granted positions in the NHL,” he said. “And we’ve got to give some other guys opportunity to see if they want to play a little harder than some of the guys that are playing now.”

I didn’t mind Smith leaving in Matt Murray; this is a long-term investment, and he needs to work on things. That probably gets Colin White back in the lineup, as he’s only played twice. Teams have called the Senators to see what their intentions are, but again, they’re not anxious to give up talented young players.

- Almost 27 years ago, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman suspended Mike Keenan for 60 days and fined him $100,000 for signing a contract with St. Louis while coaching the Rangers in the playoffs. The Blues were fined $250,000, and Detroit (which also tried to get him) was fined $25,000. Even adjusted for inflation, John Chayka’s suspension, which amounts to 17 months through Dec. 31, looks very steep by comparison.

A couple of executives said they weren’t surprised Bettman would send a powerful message enforcing contracts because owners wouldn’t want their GMs following any precedent. But it’s hard to make true judgement without seeing the full ruling.

New Jersey asked for and received permission to speak to Chayka — a private plane was sent for the interview — so I’m really curious to read it. In a lot of ways, the next move is the Devils’.

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