from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

- As of Saturday morning, Jake DeBrusk was right where he’s been for months, his name still on the Bruins roster, his head and heart still eager to play elsewhere in the Original 32.

Yep, it’s a big league, with some 400 jobs available elsewhere for forwards to seek employment, which would seem to indicate that GM Don Sweeney should have little trouble finding DeBrusk a new employer between now and league’s 3 p.m. Monday trade deadline.

Yet, here we are, with it now having taken Sweeney the better part of the 2021-22 NHL calendar to unload the disgruntled DeBrusk.

A significant part of that is on the player, in part because of DeBrusk’s spotty effort and production the last 2-3 years, and then also simply because of his trade request.

Right or wrong, a red flag typically goes up when a player asks out, especially in the case of a young player (25) making solid money ($4.85 million this year), working for the team that made him a first-round pick, in this case an Original Six club that has made it to the postseason every year since his NHL rookie season (2017-18)....

- Two of the biggest surprises of this season: Evander Kane’s production (22 games: 10-8—18) in his duck-and-cover stop with the Oilers, and the job Martin St. Louis has done (8-6-2 into weekend play) with the laughingstock Habs in his very first coaching gig. Kane spends most of his time on a trio with Connor McDavid and Kailer Yamamoto so he should produce. MSL has guaranteed an extension with the Habs, who are sure to flake off more roster parts before Monday’s trade deadline. His best work: renewing the confidence and joie de vivre inside Cole Caufield, the speed demon right winger. Caufield entered the weekend with an 11-10—21 line in his 16 games under MSL’s watch, after going a meager 1-7—8 across his first 30 games.

- Another astute pick up by the Flames, acquiring center/right winger Calle Jarnkrok from Seattle for a pocketful of draft picks (Rounds 2, 3, 7).

continue for more on the first topic plus other hockey notes...