from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- Nikita Kucherov is the hockey equivalent of an illusionist: Now you see him, now you don’t. His ability to make plays when there aren’t any, to see things that aren’t there, makes him the leas talked-about great player in hockey. And he does it all, it seems, by barely skating at full speed.

- The Florida Panthers are coached by the rookie, Andrew Brunette. They look like they’re coached by a rookie in the early days of the playoffs.

- When he played for the New York Islanders, John Tavares’ linemates tended to have career years playing with the industrious centre. Players like Matt Moulson. Now it’s Tavares who needs help from his wingers. If he doesn’t get it, he doesn’t produce much on offence. And he has three more years to go on his Leafs contract.

- There are coaching openings now in Philadelphia, Detroit, Winnipeg, possibly Vancouver, possibly Chicago, and possibly Anaheim. Will Mike Babcock be considered for any of those jobs? I’m told only if a desperate owner makes the decision will he get a job. Most current general managers wouldn’t want to work with Babcock.

- The best NHL player not getting enough attention: Joel Eriksson Ek of the Minnesota Wild. He’s the kind of guy you have to watch a lot to realize how complete a package he is.

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