Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Hockey Notes On A Holiday Weekend

05/23/2020 at 6:23pm EDT

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- If hockey does find its way back, the Columbus Blue Jackets are a bad matchup for the Maple Leafs. They are hard on the puck, hard in the corners, and are very well coached by John Tortorella. Of the non-playoff teams added to the 24-team format the National Hockey League is considering, should it return in July, Columbus is the one you don’t want to play, especially with Norris Trophy-calibre defenceman, Seth Jones, healthy enough to return.

- The NHL has yet to decide what to do about this year’s draft. When to hold it. How to arrange it. But if you’re a team such as the Chicago Blackhawks, would you rather be in the lottery with the possibility of picking early, or be in the extended playoffs with a chance against the Edmonton Oilers? Or both? And if you’re the Oilers, how happy are you to be in a short series against all of that Stanley Cup experience of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford?

- A player agent on the hockey break: “Some of my clients have never gone this long without skating, probably in their entire lives.”

- The last time the Detroit Red Wings needed a superstar as much as they do now, they drafted one. His name, Steve Yzerman, their current general manager. And the truth: They didn’t want Yzerman back in 1983. They wanted local kid Pat LaFontaine, who went to the Islanders one pick earlier.

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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