Around these parts, we’ll do our best to give you everything you need to know about the Columbus Blue Jackets. We’ll also fill you in on the stories you may not have heard about (or those you didn’t think you need to know about), the social media buzz around the league, along with a few random nuggets for good measure.
Think of it as your morning coffee with a shot of hockey talk.
DOUBLE STANDARD?: Yes, the Pittsburgh Penguins routed the Nashville Predators in Game 5, chased Pekka Rinne from the net after 20 minutes and took a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup Final -- one win away from being the NHL's first repeat champion in 20 years.
They're good. They're damn good. But what's a bit troubling is the extracurricular stuff with Sidney Crosby and PK Subban that garnered some attention in the midst of the Penguins' blowout win. First, it was Crosby getting tangled up with Subban and driving his head into the ice multiple times.
Not a good look, to say the least:
The beautiful game pic.twitter.com/CCrklDcq0m
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 9, 2017
Pretty damning, right? No call on the play.
Then it was a bizarre, pointless sequence in which Crosby chucked a water bottle on the ice (from the Pittsburgh bench, no less) to get someone's attention. The Penguins scored shortly thereafter.
Sidney Crosby throws a water bottle on the ice during play. I've never seen that before. #Preds #NSHvsPIT pic.twitter.com/VTEj9Yv1S0
— Thomas Willis (@TomAWillis) June 9, 2017
THE KOVY SWEEPS: What in the hell is going on with Ilya Kovalchuk?
The former NHL star sniper is interested in coming back to North America -- we know that much. We also know that the New Jersey Devils own his contractual rights and hold the cards for whatever move may come next. It's safe to assume he will not be returning to the Devils should he resume his NHL career, but Devils GM Ray Shero is looking for the right deal at the right price to trade Kovalchuk's rights.
As has been widely reported this week, the Blue Jackets are among the teams to have shown interest in acquiring Kovalchuk. GM Jarmo Kekalainen was pretty clear in recent remarks, saying he wants a sniper who can score in the clutch, which would seem to fit the mold of a guy like Kovalchuk, who is one of the best goal scorers of this decade.
Would the Blue Jackets be willing to part with the assets to make the deal? At this point, we have no idea what a potential trade might look like -- add to that the cost of a new Kovalchuk contract -- but it's intriguing because the Blue Jackets are clearly turning over every stone to see where they can find some additional offense heading into the 2017-18 season.
A DEAL TO BE HAD: If there's one team that appears ready to do business at the upcoming NHL Draft, it's the Dallas Stars. They have changed coaches (fired Lindy Ruff and brought back Ken Hitchcock) and are ready to overhaul their defense and goaltending, a process that began with the trade-and-signing of Ben Bishop last month. With a hefty six-year contract, Bishop is their No. 1 goalie going forward which leaves Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen in limbo, although it's assumed one or both will be jettisoned elsewhere this summer. Stars GM Jim Nill is hoping one of them is scooped up by the Vegas Golden Knights, though that may be wishful thinking.
Recent speculation has the Stars at the forefront of the burgeoning sweepstakes for Anaheim defenseman Sami Vatanen, one of the many coveted trade targets this summer. Vatanen is caught in a logjam on the Ducks defense and could be lost to expansion if not traded, and given Anaheim would reportedly prefer to protect Josh Manson, it's assumed Vatanen is on the way out.
Would the Stars trade the No. 3 overall pick to get Vatanen? Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman seems to think it's, at the least, a possibility.
Here's what Friedman said on NHL Network yesterday:
"But I think teams in this league...I could even see a team like Dallas being around this. I think Dallas has an ability to make this deal. If you’re Dallas, are you offering the No. 3 pick for Sami Vatanen, and is that enough for Anaheim or do they want more? I think there are a couple of teams like Toronto and Dallas who do have the ability to make this trade.”
The next few weeks are going to be F-U-N.
ICYMI: What will the Blue Jackets do with former No. 2 pick Ryan Murray? We examine further ... How would the 2012 NHL Draft look if it was re-done five years later? ... Our "Vegas Watch" series kicks off with a deeper dive into Jack Johnson's potential fit with the expansion Golden Knights, who will need reliable defensemen.
Follow 1st Ohio BatteryFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
