from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- This is my read on Claude Julien and the Bruins: Julien is tired of being made a public scapegoat, which is why he took a shot at the roster last week. But he’s a pro. He feels he has a responsibility to the players and coaching staff, so he will push forward because that’s the right thing to do. But I’m sure part of him is saying, “Look, if you want to fire me, just do it already.”

Why hasn’t it happened? A couple of things. First, GM Don Sweeney would rather make a trade and see how things play out. I'll always remember a conversation with him when he took over, Sweeney bristling at the suggestion he wouldn’t give Julien a fair shot. He didn’t like that assumption, and it stuck with me. Second, the Bruins know Julien is a good coach. He’s going to go somewhere else and make that team better. You can make the argument it’s time, but fans forget that if your guy goes elsewhere and improves another club.

- In prepping for Hockey Night in Canada last week, we discussed whether fans were getting “Olympic fatigue” from updates about the situation with no firm resolution. The consensus? Yes. That said, here’s an update: We’re still waiting for the official paperwork, but, assuming the players do go, they will stay in Seoul and take an hour-long train trip to the facilities when necessary. They have seen the setup and find it acceptable. However, a resolution after the Board of Governor meetings this week at All-Star appears unlikely. Word last weekend was the Olympics may not even be on the agenda, since the NHL has yet to see a proposal worth discussing. So this might not be settled until later in February. This is now an NHL-vs.-IOC issue above anything else.

much more, trade talk includced. Good read.