from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- The NHL needs to hire an intern to track goals that would have been stopped by the previous chest-protectors and looser jerseys. That is not being counted so far, and it seems like valuable data. Someone somewhere undoubtedly would like to get a foot in the door.

- The Blue Jackets aren’t thrilled with the rumour factory surrounding Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin. So, without trying to separate fact from fiction, the situation with Bobrovsky appears… untenable. I believed the organization had the right approach in keeping both and going for it, since they have a good team. Panarin’s got nine points in eight games, and generally goes about his business. But no one within 100 minutes of Bobrovsky has a worse save percentage, and only one who has played more has a higher goals-against average. He looks very unhappy, and what Columbus must weigh is the effect it has on the roster. He has control over the situation with a no-move clause, but it is believed he has given an indication of teams he will consider. Even if you think Long Island is in Bobrovsky’s future, isn’t there some point this season he has to ramp it up to his regular level of excellence as proof of his worth?

- We await commissioner Gary Bettman’s ruling on Tom Wilson’s 20-game suspension after a lengthy seven-hour hearing. Why so long? Everyone’s tight-lipped, but the word is it was “cantankerous.” Sounds like quite an experience.

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