from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- Think there were some teams wondering if Philadelphia would be as married to Nolan Patrick now that Ron Hextall is no longer running the show. Current GM Chuck Fletcher stood up for him prior to the player ending a 24-game goalless drought Monday night. It is hard to find big, right-shot centres, and Fletcher recognizes that.

- A number of contenders were liking how many teams were giving up on the season, hoping it meant a buyers’ market as some clubs worried they wouldn’t be able to deal unwanted assets. If you’ve got a true difference-maker, that’s one thing, but how many of those are truly available?

The crazy race for the second wild card in the Western Conference has altered this somewhat, as a few of those teams might sit a little longer to see if they gain momentum.

One of those who might choose to wait is St. Louis. Missing the playoffs in 2017–18 was very hard on their ticket renewals, and this was supposed to be a rebound season. Instead, it’s been a nightmare. That said, they’ve crept within four points of Minnesota currently in the final playoff position.

- Another rental who doesn’t get much attention, but has quietly played pretty well: Detroit’s Nick Jensen. On a team that doesn’t have great possession numbers, his are pretty good. The Red Wings will need to make a decision on him over the next few weeks.

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