from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- Talks are underway between the Rangers and Chris Kreider, although New York continues to do its due diligence on his trade value.

- In Buffalo, there’s a lot of talk about what major moves the Sabres can make, although there’s a decent chance they make moves around the periphery of their lineup. Among those who’d garner interest: recently acquired Michael Frolik, Johan Larsson (playoff nastiness written all over him), Evan Rodrigues and Conor Sheary.

- I don’t think Anaheim is particularly interested in moving their key pieces — from Josh Manson, to Cam Fowler, to Hampus Lindholm, to Jakob Silfverberg, to Rickard Rakell. You’re really going to have to move the needle. Ondrej Kase is a possibility, and there are teams who like him — although he has missed two straight games after being hit by Muzzin. I could see contenders eying Derek Grant. He’s had a strong year and doesn’t come at an enormous cost.

more Thoughts including Olympic talk like this...

“These discussions were encouraging and there were some proposals put forth on the issues,” IIHF Communications Manager Adam Steiss wrote in an email. “However nothing was confirmed by any of the parties involved, and more work needs to be done to get the NHL players back to the Olympic Games.”

Translation: Both sides know what’s on the table; we need a written agreement. Oh, and the league/players have to get to the altar.

The proposals came as a surprise, since, as recently as October, the IOC/IIHF weren’t indicating this level of co-operation. What changed things? There are lots of theories, from the IOC feeling the hockey tournament isn’t as good to Olympic/NHL rightsholder NBC demanding it to China itself being determined to put on the best show to improve its international reputation. Whatever the case, with compromise imminent, the NHL shifted the focus, moving from costs and marketing to labour. That irritated the players, especially since the current CBA is now locked in until at least Sept. 15, 2022 — almost seven months after the Beijing Olympics conclude.

There’s zero reason to consider playing any further regular-season or exhibition games in China if this opportunity disappears. It’s a waste.