Final thoughts at the break

The skills competitions have come and gone, as has the three-on-three U.S.-Canada women's game.

So too has the three-on-three tourney of the NHL's divisional bests, which is the supposed reason for All-Star Weekend.

Having already commented on some things about the first "half" of this NHL season here, here, and here, 'tis now time for yours truly to offer up a few more thoughts and observations before the season resumes tomorrow, so here ya go:

Angst on the prairie

The Winnipeg Jets are in contention for a playoff spot, but would be out of the money if the post-season started today. And that's a feeling people in Manitoba have grown unaccustomed to the last couple years.

Because it was a foregone conclusion Jacob Trouba would eventually leave town, it came as no surprise that the Jets traded him to the Rangers during the offseason... but when fellow defensemen Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot signed elsewhere in free agency, the drain of talent from the team's blue line became a dangerous flood... and then came the unexpected loss of Dustin Byfuglien on the brink of training camp, which transformed that flood into a disaster.

Winnipeg fans understood what this meant, but remained optimistic that the Jets' wealth of offensive firepower and high-character leadership would keep them in the upper tier of the NHL -- especially if they got five-alarm goaltending from Connor Hellebyuck, who, after all, finished second in the Vezina balloting just a year and a half ago.

For a while their finger-crossed hopes for 2019-20 seemed to be coming true as the offense hummed along, Hellebyuck performed better than he ever has, and Patrik Laine took his game to the next level with radically improved passing and newfound defensive acumen. Plus, defenseman Neal Pionk (who the Jets received in exchange for Trouba) exceeded expectations.

But team D remains supremely important in sports, and those massive losses on the blue line are starting to take their toll with Winnipeg's back end resembling a sieve. Hellebyuck, kinda like poor John Gibson down in Anaheim, is only a human being and doesn't have enough fingers to keep plugging holes in the dike without relief.

The Jets entered the All-Star Break having lost four straight games, during which they gave up a seemingly endless number of odd-man rushes and negative own-zone time. In those games their defense was so poor that the Jets were fortunate to have "only" given up an average of five goals per outing. A perfect example came in their 7-1 shellacking at the hands of Tampa Bay on January 17th, when their D was so leaky that the Lightning's most prominent "keep your eyes on 'em" stars, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, had a two-on-zero rush that of course ended with the puck in Winnipeg's net.

With their recent years' run of success, and the likes of Laine, Hellebyuck, Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Nikolaj Ehlers on their roster, it is hard to imagine the Winnipeg Jets sitting at home when the post-season begins. But right now there are two teams between them and the final wild card spot. Gulp.


My Lightning Indulgence
I take exception to any and all suggestions that the Tampa Bay Lightning are playoff chokers, because they have had lots of playoff success over the past half-decade. That includes three deep runs to the conference finals and one to the Stanley Cup Final, in which they soundly outplayed Chicago but had the misfortune of running into a goaltending brick wall named Corey Crawford.

During this half-decade the Lightning also became the only team in history to defeat the NY Rangers in a Game Seven in Madison Square Garden, and the only team to ever beat Henrik Lundqvist anywhere in a Game Seven. In 2018, they took four straight games from the seemingly invincible Boston Bruins to eliminate them in the second round; and in 2016, Victor Hedman dominated John Tavares and rendered him a non-factor when Tampa Bay eliminated the Islanders in the second round.

In other words: Criticize my team for its first-round collapse in April 2019 -- God knows I did -- but do not criticize its overall body of post-season work.

Which brings me in a roundabout way to the current regular season. Before it commenced, I said repeatedly that I hoped the Bolts would struggle and go through character-building slumps. I opined that they had it too easy with their record-breaking regular season in 2018-19, and that the lack of major difficulty made them soft and blinded them to the consequences of not paying enough attention to the little things.

So I longed for them to struggle. And I longed for them to lose games they deserved to lose, rather than continue pulling off the Houdini escapes that tend to breed the kinds of bad habits that ultimately undo you.

But then they did struggle, and did lose games they deserved to lose, and I hated every minute of it and cursed out loud whenever they lost. Across the first quarter-plus of this 2019-20 campaign the Bolts struggled to put much distance between themselves and the .500 mark, and they kept seeming to take a step forward only to follow it up with a step backward.

However, it looks like the early difficulties may have served the purpose I wanted, for the Bolts have turned things around and battled their way back into the Cup chase. They entered the All-Star Break having won 12 of their last 14, and having climbed into second place in the Atlantic Division after being out of the playoff field earlier in the campaign. And after seeming average at best in net early on, Andrei Vasilevskiy has regained his Vezina form by winning his last ten starts with a sizzling .946 save percentage.

There is more  going on than just a "rough first quarter, strong second quarter" change in results, however. Only five of their first fifteen games were played on home ice, and during that stretch they had a significant amount of down time due to the Sweden trip. Also, the Lightning entered the season focused on changing their instincts, by trying not to get too cute with the puck and by playing more thorough team-wide defense; and that instinct-changing seems to have taken hold, as pretty much from the outset they have been putting more shots on net than their opponents -- which is in marked contrast to the previous couple seasons, which featured Tampa Bay getting outshot most nights yet managing to dodge defeat.

The Lightning no longer have a skater or two flashing insanely gaudy numbers and being in the running for the league's top individual accolades... but they do have four guys with 18 or more goals; six with 20 or more assists; eight with shooting percentages north of 12%, including five who are north of 15%; and, last but far, far from least, the Lightning have three players exceeding 55% at face-offs.

From opening night until now, a pair of middle-six forwards -- namely Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli -- have been Tampa Bay's most consistent forwards at producing top-six impact. Killorn, 30, scored between 14 and 19 goals in every previous season of his career, yet this time around he's already bagged 20 and there are still 34 games left to play; meanwhile Cirelli's 33 points (12 goals and 21 assists) seem to have always come at key moments, and his defensive prowess is so good that it ought to be generating Selke chatter.

And if you are thinking the above paragraph implies that the stars aren't carrying their usual weight, think again... for Stamkos and Kucherov are scoring at a greater than point-per-game clip, and Brayden Point (42 points in 45  games) is just a hair under that pace despite spending the entire off-season on the shelf recovering from hip surgery.

Oh, and Victor Hedman is cruising along with 41 points in 46 games as a defenseman... while still attending to his defensive responsibilities with such aplomb that he just got tabbed as a mid-season finalist for the not-yet-official Rod Langway Award. 

Oh, and Mikhail Sergachev is performing like an upper-crust defenseman by eating big minutes and playing well on both sides of the puck while chipping in a significant 25 points (7, 18).

Of course none of the above means the Tampa Bay Lightning will win the Stanley Cup, nor does it mean they are the favorites to do so... but it does mean I like their chances this season more than I did last season. Go Bolts!

And, even more thoughts at the break

My January 15th and 21st posts gave some thoughts and observations regarding this hockey season as the All-Star Break approaches. Now, here come a few more:


Juggernauts
Over the course of an 82-game season, most teams will undergo some changes and experience both good streaks and bad. And at the time those changes and streaks are occurring, it's easy to place either too much or too little emphasis on them. But eventually they should cancel each other out and the teams that qualify for the playoffs will have earned it, and then the post-season will reveal who the best team really is.

Today, looking at the entirety of the season up to now and ignoring current streaks, there are three clubs that have looked like true contenders the whole time: the defending champion Blues, defending runners-up Bruins, and 2017-18 champion Capitals.

Of course these clubs are not perfect -- perfection is impossible -- but they have been consistent tours de force whose many strengths far outweigh their scant flaws. That, combined with their proven playoff chops, means they should be considered the best bets to be on top come June.


However...
...just 'cause they currently deserve the "season-to-date juggernaut" label date does not mean they will still deserve it when the regular season draws to a close in 2+ months. Nor does it mean it's a sure thing that one of them will ultimately be who drinketh from the grail.

These teams' play could falter, or their strengths might not be able to outweigh their weaknesses all the way to the end. Plus, perhaps even more to the point, 'tis not as if they are the only contenders out there.

Colorado, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Carolina all look formidable... anybody who takes his eye off the Pittsburgh Penguins does so at his peril... Vegas and Calgary are likely to rediscover their mojo before long, and Nashville too... and it seems like every year at least one unhyped and underdiscussed squad surprises the experts by rising up and making a run (I'm lookin' at you this time around, Florida and Philly and even Columbus).


Timex
Speaking of how you should never take your eye off the Pittsburgh Penguins, that franchise reminds of the saying from those old Timex commercials: "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking."

For years now the Pens have been extremely thin on the blue line, while also seeming to always get socked with key injuries to their forwards and goalies; and this season is no different, seeing as how Sidney Crosby (arguably the best hockey player ever) missed 26 games due to injury and Jake Guentzel (coming off a career-best 40-goal campaign) is expected to miss four months due to shoulder surgery he underwent on New Year's Eve. However the Pens remain constantly in contention, even winning two Cups in the last four calendar years; and this season is no different seeing as how they currently occupy second place in the Metropolitan Division and have the fourth-best record in the 31-team NHL.

Yes Crosby missed those 26 contests, but he is producing more than a point per game, and is averaging more primary assists per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 than anyone else in the league. Oh, and across those 26 games Crosby missed, Evgeni Malkin piled up 38 points. And with Bryan Rust now on Malkin's wing, Rust is suddenly averaging 1.19 PPG after having averaged 0.45 for his entire career beforehand. Meanwhile, backup goaltender Tristan Jarry is playing so well that he's stolen the starting gig from decorated Matt Murray.

And do I need to remind you that this team underwent a significant downgrade during the offseason when they replaced potential Hall of Famer Phil Kessel (82 points last year) with Alex Galchenyuk (41 last year)? But like I said above, they nonetheless have the fourth-best record in the league.

The Pens, like a Timex watch, are a finely tuned machine that does its job right all the time. They cannot help but excel, because excellent is what they are.

Young Bloods

The grizzled Alex Ovechkin ain't planning on surrendering his "greatest shooter ever" claim any time soon, but there are plenty of youngsters nipping at his heels. As I type these words, 23-year-old David Pastrnak leads the league with 37 goals while 22-year-old Auston Matthews is tied with Ovechkin in the #2 spot at 34 apiece. Of course Pastrnak and Matthews have both been outstanding shooters all along, but this season they have graduated from outstanding to lethal. The same can be said for Colorado Avalanche C Nathan McKinnon, who, at the ripe old age of 24, currently occupies the #3 spot with 30 goals to his name.

If you're counting, that is four players who have already put the biscuit in the basket 30+ times before the All-Star Break even arrives. Just three years ago, the 2016-17 campaign ended with Sidney Crosby's 44 goals for the entire season being tops in the league, and only two other players managing to even get to 40... so, yes, when it comes to scoring rates, the times they have a-changed.

If you are really into bean-counting players' ages, the next three goal-scorers after McKinnon are Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisitl, who are 23, 23, and 24 respectively. Then comes Artemi Panarin at a positively ancient 28, followed by Patrick Kane (31!) who is in turn followed by 23-year-old Kyle Connor. All told, this means that seven of the top ten goal-scorers in the NHL are under the age of 25.


My Lightning Indulgence
It's hard to believe, but I have barely mentioned my favorite team in these three hockey posts I've churned out this month. Rest assured, that will change soon because I have a lot to say about this edition of the Tampa Bay Lightning!
  

More thoughts at the break

My post from last Wednesday offered up a few hockey thoughts and observations, with the occasion being that the official midway point of the NHL's 2019-20 season had passed and the All-Star break was around the corner.

Well, seeing as how the All-Star break is still around the corner -- the skills competition is scheduled for this coming Saturday and the three-on-three tourney game for Sunday -- I figured I'd offer up a few more. And since these particular thoughts and observations are about a pair of individual accomplishments, and are not necessarily about the current season per se, I'll probably do another post before the weekend arrives.

Anyway, here goes:

The Great Eight

The Mario Lemieux Hat Trick is legendary and will always garner a lot of votes for "the best hat trick of all-time," even though it was not, technically speaking, actually a hat trick.

But now it has competition, for as far as "conventional" hatties go I do not see how anything can beat the one Alexander Ovechkin pulled off this past Saturday... and it's all because of what it accomplished.

Ovechkin's first goal Saturday came midway through the opening period, when he was sprung on a breakaway by a perfect stretch pass from (who else?) Nicklas Backstrom and blasted a rocket into the net behind NY Islanders' goalie Semyon Varlamov: The 690th marker of his career, it put him into a tie with Lemieux for #10 on the all-time goals list.

Then, 5:18 into the third, he went to his backhand on a second effort while barreling through the left circle and banked the puck past Varlamov off the leg of defenseman Ryan Pulock: The 691st of his career, it gave him sole possession of the #10 spot.

Later, with Washington up 5-4 in the waning minutes, the Islanders pulled their goalie for an extra skater, and you know what an empty net portends when a sniper like Ovechkin is on the ice. After T.J. Oshie got the puck and sent it to him in the neutral zone, Ovechkin took a few contested strides, let it rip, and of course hit pay dirt: The 692nd of his career, it moved him into a tie with Steve Yzerman for ninth-most of all time.

You can watch it here.

More Great Eight
This is Ovechkin's 15th season in the league, and the fewest goals he has ever finished with is 32. He already has 34 this campaign, making him only the third person in history to score 30+ goals 15 consecutive times. The others are Jaromir Jagr and fellow Caps legend Mike Gartner. If he goes for 30+ again next year, Ovechkin will stand alone at 16.

But why talk about seasons with 30 or more goals when he has had ten seasons with 40 or more? Only three other players in history have pulled that off: Wayne Gretzky (12) plus Mario Lemieux and Marcel Dionne (10 each). Barring injury, it's a given that The Great Eight will pass 40 again this season, seeing as how there are 33 games left to play, and that would move him past Lemieux and Dionne and leave him needing "just" one more 40-goal campaign to catch The Great One himself. Which certainly feels doable when you consider that Ovechkin topped the league with 51 goals last year and is on pace for 51 again this year.

Oh, and speaking of him being on pace for 51 goals this year, if he does reach the half-century mark he will move into a first-place tie for the most seasons ever with 50 or more goals. It would be his ninth, equal to Gretzky and Mike Bossy.

It is remarkable that he is continuing this torrid pace of production after all these years. Age be damned!

And lastly: If Ovechkin does finish with 51 this spring, he will not only pass Yzerman on the all-time list but also pass Gartner and Mark Messier, which would leave him needing "just" 33 more to leapfrog ahead of Dionne, Phil Esposito, and Brett Hull into the #4 spot. And fyi, Jagr has "only" 25 more than Hull.

In other words, Ovie is on the final ascent to historic greatness and we should appreciate that we get to watch that ascent while it happens.


K-Man
Ovechkin was not the only person to reach a milestone this past weekend. Patrick Kane did so as well, notching his thousandth career point when he assisted on Brandon Saad's goal against Winnipeg on Sunday.

To put that into perspective: More than 7,100 non-goalies have played in the NHL since it was founded over a century ago, and more than 4,800 of them (i.e., more than two-thirds) finished their careers with fewer than a hundred points. Only 486 players (i.e., less than seven percent) have managed to get even halfway to 1,000. So Kane reaching that plateau is a big freakin' deal.

Obviously, when the 31-year Buffalo native hit his mark on Sunday, he did so with less dramatic flair than the 34-year-old Moscow native displayed the day before. But doesn't that seem about right? Although Kane has been a speedy, highlight-reel star since Day One, much of his game is based on stealth, on an ability to shift around and elude notice until the moment he strikes. I remember Nikita Kucherov commenting that when he and Kane were on opposing sides of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, the main thing that impressed him was how Kane could render himself invisible while skating to the right places on the ice -- despite being the Blackhawks' biggest offensive threat and already having a Conn Smythe to his name.

You know the resume when it comes to this 5'10" winger: How he helped steer a proud franchise out of the doldrums and deliver three Stanley Cups to its trophy case; how the first of those championships was secured by him scoring the Cup-winning goal in overtime of Game Six as a 21-year-old in his third season; how he was the league's playoff MVP in his sixth season; how he missed the final two months of the 2014-15 regular season with a broken collarbone, but returned for the playoffs and scored 23 points in 23 playoff games to help bring the Cup back to Chi-town (damn it); and how he is ostensibly age-proof, seeing as how he's clipping along at more than a point per game for this, his 13th season, while his most prolific campaign to date was just last season when he racked up 110 points (44, 66) in 81 games.

Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Tony Esposito, Chris Chelios, Charlie Gardiner, Glen Hall, Ed Befour. They all suited up for the Chicago Blackhawks and left indelible marks on the franchise's history. But there is a strong case to be made that Patrick Kane should go down as the greatest Blackhawk of all.

At the break

It has been a long, long time since I published anything on this blog.

That is not because there's been nothing happening I want to comment on, it's just been that time has eluded me and my priorities have been elsewhere. But these itchy fingers can go only so long before they start typing, even if it's just to get the voices out of my head, so here I am again. And although I plan hope to write about weightier matters as this year anno Domini 2020 unfolds, right now I am going back to a favorite topic that is sheer fun for me -- or at least it's sheer fun up until the Tampa Bay Lightning do something I don't like.

I am talking, of course, about hockey. The mathematical midway point of the 2019-20 season is already several games in the past and the psychological midway point is coming up in a little more than a week, when All-Star Weekend plays out in St. Louis. With that in mind, here are some thoughts and observations about hockey happenings up to now:

The Silent Streak

On March 22, 2009, Keith Yandle was in his second full season in the NHL, playing for the Phoenix Coyotes, when he got healthy-scratched by a head coach who happened to be Wayne Gretzky. Yandle watched from the press box as his Coyotes got curb-stomped 6-2 by Anaheim.

Four nights later he returned to the lineup and logged 14:32 in a 3-2 victory over Edmonton. And in the nearly 11 years that have passed since that night, he has not missed a single game for any reason whatsoever. In a brutal sport where almost everybody misses stretches of time due to injuries, this 33-year-old blueliner from Milton, Mass. has achieved iron man status and 'tis not like he's done it without being hurt: Earlier this season Yandle lost nine teeth after taking a puck to the face during a Saturday night tilt, and less than 24 hours later was back on the ice for another game on Sunday night.

Now playing for the Florida Panthers, he has put this incredible streak together without receiving much fanfare for it. With knocked-on wood and some playoffs thrown in, he could surpass the NHL's all-time consecutive games record by the end of next season. That record is held by Doug Jarvis, whose 964-game run ended in the fall of 1987. Keith Yandle's streak is currently at 842 and should be getting the same kind of attention that Cal Ripken, Jr.'s pursuit of Lou Gehrig received in the 1990's. Too bad it's not.

The Silent Star

On Sunday night Jonathan Huberdeau became the Panthers' all-time scoring leader, by virtue of a goal and assist against Toronto that counted as the 419th and 420th points of his career. So far this season he has racked up 61 points (18, 43) in 45 games.

Since the beginning of last season, the list of NHL stars who have tallied fewer points than Huberdeau includes -- just to name a few -- Alexander Ovechkin, David Pastrnak, Steven Stamkos, Mark Schiefele, Blake Wheeler, Jack Eichel, Johnny Gaudreau, and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Across that span Huberdeau has scored 37 more points than Claude Giroux, despite playing one game less than him; and he has scored 25 more points than John Tavares, and 23 more than Auston Matthews; and his points-per-game average has exceeded that of Mitch Marner, Evgeni Malkin, Brayden Point, Elias Pettersson, Phil Kessel, and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Yet how many casual hockey fans have ever heard his name? And of those who have, how many could tell you who he plays for and what position he plays? Maybe there is just something about playing for the Florida Panthers that causes the broader hockey media to gift you with a crazy amount of anonymity.

All I know is that this 26-year-old winger from the outskirts of Montreal, already in his seventh season, is one of the best players on Earth and deserves far more attention than he is getting.


The head-scratcher
Two seasons ago Gerard Gallant coached the expansion Vegas Golden Knights all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, and was the runaway winner of the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year. Last season he had them back in the playoffs, and this year they are very much in the running for another post-season appearance.

Currently the Knights are one win -- yes, one -- away from second place in the Pacific, and as you know, being in second place at season's end would equal an automatic playoff spot plus home ice advantage for at least the first round. The Knights' team shooting percentage is an uncharacteristically low 8.9 right now, but that is the sort of thing that is beyond coaching and would be expected to self-correct upwards by season's end, as long as they, with all their skill, keep firing the rubber on net. And of course, an increase in shooting percentage would be expected to deposit extra games into their win column.

So my jaw hit the floor yesterday when I heard that the Knights had canned Gerard Gallant, especially when the explanation given by GM Kelly McCrimmon focused solely on the team's performance but gave nothing concrete. McCrimmon said "we feel we've underperformed a bit" and "sometimes you have a feeling that something isn't the way you need it to be." He then added "it's hard to put into words" and "it's more just the feeling that you have that a change might be needed." (emphasis mine)

Come again? Gallant was slated to coach the Pacific Division All-Stars next weekend, for Chrissakes! Sure, the Knights expected to be a bit higher in the standings than they are at this specific moment, but they still have 33 games left to play! Like I said above, they are just one win away from taking over second place -- but that's not all, for they are just two wins away from first place. Is this what "go for it all" looks like, this firing? I hope not because it is as bad a firing as I've ever seen.

Crease Clutter

In NFL circles, it has long been said the most popular player on each team is its backup quarterback. The same can sometimes be said about backup goalies in the NHL, and in many cases it's even more true with them than with QB's. This is because backup QB's seldom play unless the starter is injured, whereas the length of the hockey season means backup goaltenders usually get 20+ starts per year... and therefore your average hockey fan's opinion is more apt to be based on his knowledge of how the backup does play at the professional level than on his hopes of how the backup would play.

This year some fan bases are in the enviable position of knowing that their teams have "too many" good goalies on their roster, and that something will have to give due to salary cap concerns, needs at other positions, etc. That is a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless, and it makes for interesting speculation.

In Pittsburgh, Matt Murray is only 25 years old and already has two Stanley Cups to his name, and is unquestionably a #1 netminder. However, he has had issues with injuries and this year his numbers have sagged (.896 SV%, 2.91 GAA in 25 games)... And on top of that, backup Tristan Jarry is a year younger than Murray and has noticeably outplayed him this year (.930, 2.12, 23 games)... And on top of that the Penguins have other needs. They are again searching for defensive depth, and they could certainly stand to bring some promising young pivots into their stable in order to be ready whenever the day arrives that Crosby and Malkin go into decline.

So do they dangle one of their netminders as trade bait? Especially Murray, when you consider that his salary is already more than $3 million greater than Jarry's and he is likely to command an even bigger raise in 2021 (when his contract runs out) than Jarry will when his ELC expires this summer?

And meanwhile over in Manhattan, Henrik Lundqvist remains ensconced as the NY Rangers' starter and franchise face, with another year to go at a cap hit of $8.5 million... However that team is in rebuild mode, and for the past season and a half 23-year-old Alexandar Georgiev has performed well enough to take an increasing number of starts away from the 37-year-old Lundqvist. In fact, Georgiev has played well enough that there is reason to believe he could be a #1 right now... But then again, the Rangers also count 24-year-old Igor Shesterkin as being under contract, and he has for some time been considered one of the best young goaltenders in the world. After spending three years starring for KHL powerhouse SKA Saint Petersburg in his native Russia, Shesterkin moved to the United States and inked an ELC with the Rangers on May 3, 2019 -- and last week made his NHL debut by backstopping them to a victory over Cup contender Colorado.

So what should the Rangers do? Do they do the unthinkable and ask Lundqvist if he would be agreeable to being dealt to a contender, rather than end his career in New York while the Rangers focus on the future instead of the present? Do they trade either Georgiev or Shesterkin because they know either would already bring a solid return, whereas keeping them both on one roster is likely to eventually result in a goaltender controversy that ends with one of them leaving anyway?

If the Pens or Rangers decide to deal one of their netminders, who would they deal them to? Carolina needs one to boost its chances of winning it all, but surely neither the Pens nor Rangers would want to trade such a good goalie to a division rival, would they?

While Ottawa and Montreal both need a good young goalie, would either club be willing to hand over what they need to hand over to obtain one? And would either the Pens or Rangers be foolish enough to take Carey Price and his albatross of a contract off of Montreal's hands, if that is what the Habs require to consummate a trade?

There are trade options out West for either Murray or Jarry or Georgiev or Shesterkin, but could they pan out? The Colorado Avalanche seem like a good bet, because they are set up to win now and for the foreseeable future but their crease looks like their weak link. Oh, and they have cap space to use!

And speaking of Colorado's cap space: Does its existence, combined with the "now" part of that phrase "set up to win now and for the foreseeable future," mean they might be willing to take on Carey Price's contract for the sake of chasing the Cup while he still has a few years to go before he turns 35?

Or, more realistically, might that combination of "now" and "cap space" make the Avs eager to trade for Lundqvist? You know, seeing as how the commitment is not as daunting with his salary being $2 million less than Price's and his contract only having one year remaining compared to Price having six years left on his?

Who knows the answers to any of these questions? I don't, and I don't know why I like thinking about them, but for some reason I do.


My Lightning Indulgence
I have a lot I want to say about my Tampa Bay Lightning, but I'll spare you. This post has already gone too long, so I will wait until next time to opine about the Bolts. Take care!