from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

- I can still see the Anaheim Ducks going hard for Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler this summer. Anaheim has centre Jakob Silfverberg, big winger Devante-Smith Pelly or speedy Emerson Etem, a defenceman like Sami Vatanen or Luca Sbisa and a first-round draft pick to offer

- People say there will be 4,000 obstructed view seats for hockey at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., when the Islanders move in 2015-16. Long Island Rail Road might have charters for the players to the rink in the afternoon and back after games. They thought of getting rooms in a hotel by the rink on game days, but that’s too expensive.

- Ray Shero is a very smart cookie, but were the Pittsburgh Penguins were so focused on trying to get Kesler that they missed out on Islanders defenceman Andrew MacDonald with their big holes on the back end: Kris Letang (minor stroke) and Paul Martin (broken hand) gone. Instead, Philadelphia got MacDonald for two draft picks and the Penguins went for fourth-liner Marcel Goc and a depth scorer, Lee Stempniak.

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