from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- I’m making my prediction: Colorado goes big-game hunting. They are banged up now, but looked dynamite when healthy. And they’ve got plenty of assets.

- May mean something, may mean nothing, but both Montreal and New Jersey sent a different mix of scouts to separate games in Buffalo. (First was against Arizona, second versus the Islanders.) When I first started, a GM told me to look for that kind of thing.

- One scout on the Coyotes: “Islanders West. Structure. Player buy-in. Know their roles. Only difference is the Islanders’ players will beat you up. In Arizona, the coach will do it.”

- You watch some of the early-season surprises: Arizona, Buffalo, Islanders, Vancouver. Know what they have in common? A lot of players. You can debate how good they are or aren’t, but they can all play in the NHL. You need bodies who can hold their own at this level.

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