from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

- Even if Columbus’s hot streak cools off, the Blue Jackets should have tucked away enough points to secure a playoff spot. They’re doing so even while carrying several bad contracts. They are paying Scott Hartnell $4.75 million annually to be their fourth-line left wing. Brandon Dubinsky is their No. 2 center, but the ex-Ranger, due $5.85 million per year through 2021, does not look like a good long-term bet. David Clarkson is on long-term injured reserve because of a bad back, but his $5.25 million annual payday, good through 2020, is just about impossible to scrub from their books. GM Jarmo Kekalainen will likely have to move a player to give Alexander Wennberg the raise he requires when he reaches restricted status in July.

- The Red Wings, counting down their final days at Joe Louis Arena, paid tribute to their 1997 championship team. What a roster, including Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov, Tomas Holmstrom, Igor Larionov, Darren McCarty, Vladimir Konstantinov, Chris Osgood. In comparison, the current Detroit roster does not look like it will be chasing the Cup for a while. The Red Wings are committed long term to some dreadful deals: Henrik Zetterberg (just over $6 million annually through 2021), Danny DeKeyser ($5 million, 2022), and Niklas Kronwall ($4.75 million, 2019). At the same time, aside from Dylan Larkin, Detroit does not have many young players looking like sure things. The Wings’ 25-year playoff streak is likely to end this season. Given the state of their roster, it’s unknown when the next streak will begin.

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