from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- Mike Babcock wanted Luke Glendening as the Leafs fourth line centre. That was his push. Instead, he was given Tomas Plekanec at the trade deadline. Some interpret that move as a win for the front office and a Babcock defeat. Glendening’s nickname when he played for Babcock in Detroit was Mike. As in the coach.

- There have been no coach’s fired in the NHL this season. But don’t expect that to last much beyond the end of this campaign. In trouble at season’s end – depending on playoff positions – are Joel Quenneville in Chicago; Barry Trotz in Washington; Todd McLellan in Edmonton; Bruce Boudreau in Minnesota; Randy Carlyle in Anaheim; Jeff Blashill in Detroit; Guy Boucher in Ottawa; Doug Weight with the Islanders; Mike Yeo in St. Louis and Alain Vigneault in New York.

- You’re Jason Botterill. You dream your whole life about getting a GM job in the NHL. You get one. And then you wake up and realize you’ve got the Buffalo Sabres.

- If John Tavares never wants to play on a contending team that matters, he’ll re-sign with the New York Islanders. But if he has any kind of Stanley Cup aspirations or ambitions, any inner belief that winning is the ultimate goal, then he has to leave the Islanders as a free agent at the end of the season.

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