from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

- This, too, on (Tyler) Johnson and (Ondrej) Palat, both of whom are eminently movable before their respective no-trade clauses kick in next July 1:

Am I the only one envisioning both of them being part of the package the Lightning would offer the Islanders in exchange for John Tavares at some point this season if No. 91 remains unsigned?

I know the Islanders say (and likely believe) they are committed to riding out the entire season, if necessary, in order to get the captain under contract just the way the Lightning did through 2015-16 when Steven Stamkos was on the cusp of unrestricted free agency. And of course, the Tampa Bay organization’s patience was rewarded when their No. 91 agreed to an eight-year contract extension two days before he could have hit the open market....

- According to a well-placed source, there has been no communication between the NHL and NHLPA regarding the league’s anticipated ruling on which classes of players, exactly, will be barred from participating in the Olympics.

The league unlikely is to prohibit players in the NHL or AHL from going, but Sixth Avenue’s intentions are unclear regarding athletes under contract playing in Europe or in the Canadian junior leagues.

Slap Shots has been told the PA views this as a matter under which individual owners should be permitted to grant permission to their respective team’s players to go to Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Indeed, the union would be expected to grieve or otherwise contest blanket prohibition of players under NHL contract from participating in the 2018 Games.

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