from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,
- Good line on Wednesday about Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews: “Right now, there’s more talk from people who can’t make it happen than from people who can.” Expect this to gain traction in the new year, with more clarity on what (or where) both players prefer. On some level, I think Kane in particular would like to take a run at some of Stan Mikita’s franchise records (games played, assists and points). Therefore, there were rumours he might prefer to play out the season in Chicago and decide his future in free agency, but several sources threw cold water on that idea. As you can imagine, there’s been no extension talk in either case.
- It is an extremely difficult puzzle to piece together, but I do think Florida would have interest in Erik Karlsson. Not sure how it could happen, though.
- Toronto’s on an excellent run despite a banged-up defence and goaltending that just recently returned to full health. The Maple Leafs are fourth in the NHL just weeks after we had the entire organization looking for new jobs. They have time to let this play out, but it’s safe to say they will save their best assets for whatever they feel they might need on the blueline. There’s the possibility of adding a left-shot scorer, but that’s not the priority and I think they’d also like to show Matthew Knies there’s a path when he’s ready to leave NCAA Minnesota.
- I get lots of DMs about the New York Rangers (my DMs have to be the least exciting on Twitter). I really think they are trying to be patient, hoping that some who played important roles on the road to the Eastern Conference Final last season rediscover that form. Igor Shesterkin should be the least of anyone’s concerns, but it’s always an adjustment to deal with the weight of expectations once they really arrive. He also played a career-high 73 games last year (including the playoffs). Shorter summer, higher expectations. Sometimes that’s hard to navigate the first time you experience it. And he’s not the only one.
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