from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- Still no talks between Washington and UFA-to-be John Carlson. That’s going to be a big second-half storyline.

- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the sexy name, but Pat Maroon is the most likely Oiler to be traded if things continue this way. Wonder if hometown St. Louis would be an option. The Blues are looking for scoring depth, and Maroon can give you exactly that.

- Buffalo players were unanimous on one of their problems. As one said, “Watch us for five minutes after we give up a goal.”

“We lose trust in the system and everyone tries to fix it themselves,” another added.

It sounds so simple, but it’s so true. When things go badly, it’s even more important to stay with what you know.

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