from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

- The Pittsburgh Penguins need a third-liner with some bite, but with Pascal Dupuis out with a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament, they also need a top-six winger. The Calgary Flames’ Mike Cammalleri, an unrestricted free agent, fits that bill. He doesn’t check as well as Dupuis, but he has a better scoring touch.

- Has anybody noticed that Chicago Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith has more points from the back end than Erik Karlsson? Keith is 15th in NHL scoring. He’s the leading Norris Trophy candidate, along with Drew Doughty and Ryan Suter.

- The Wild rewarded goalie Niklas Backstrom with a three-year deal at a $3.4-million salary-cap hit for services long rendered, but halfway through the first year of the three-year package, he’s a shadow of his old self. He’s won two of 12 decisions. “He used to be one of the top 10 goalies in the league,” said an NHL pro scout.

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