from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- Cliff Fletcher told me this years ago: Don’t worry about what you’re trading away. Worry about what you’re getting and how it makes your team better. That’s why I don’t mind the Taylor Hall or Adam Larsson deal for the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers used to have Hall. Now they have Larsson, rookie Jesse Puljujarvi and Milan Lucic. Makes the team stronger.

- For the first time in a long time, the Red Wings seem caught between past, present and future. Ken Holland usually has a plan. The signings of Frans Nielsen, Thomas Vanek and Steve Ott seem a little all over the place.

- The loser on free agency day: the St. Louis Blues. They lost two really important players in David Backes and Troy Brouwer, two leaders and grind guys, and so far replaced them with David Perron.

- Another odd Florida story: The players on the Panthers went to ownership to try and save the training staff from being fired. The owners agreed. For about two weeks. Then they fired the very competent training staff.

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