1. If I'm Chris Drury, I'd trade K'Andre Miller even up for the Kings' Vladislav Gavrikov and figure that I won the deal.
2. If I'm Leafs' boss Brad Treliving I'd tell John Tavares, "Nice, knowing you, Pal, but get yourself a deal somewhere else."
3. Somewhere in Florida, my friend Paul Maurice is musing, "Lundell, Luostainen, Marchand – what an Everything Line that is – 57 points in the playoffs."
4. A Figure Filbert in Edmonton is still wondering what this means: "Connor McDavid: Four even-strength points in the Cup Final and minus-7."
5. I know what it means: As superhuman as McD, Inc. happens to be, hockey's greatest player can be reduced to human over a six-game series.
6. Apart from questionable goaltending, Oilers GM Stan Bowman had better wake up to the fact that Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard are as overrated in the DEFENSE department as any D-Pair between here and Lower Slobbovia.
7. Or as pal Glenn (Chico) Resch notes re Bouchard, "Does he have defensive hockey sense, awareness and really understand the danger of many of the dangerous defensive moves he puts himself into? No."
8. As we speak, it would not surprise me if McDavid was seriously exploring his options to leave Edmonton.
9. I wonder when Mike Sullivan will decide to pick a captain. Maven Round Table Member Harvey (Hutch) Cohen already has fingered Adam Fox.
10. "The captaincy," Hutch explains, "would give Fox the incentive to concentrate on his defensive play, and his PP quarterbacking. Sort of a Do-as-I-Do setup. I'd give the A's to Vin Trocheck and Will Cuylle."
11. Not that it matters that much – except to The Maven – but I'm still waiting for the Peter Laviolette farewell media schmooze. It would have been intriguing to get Lavvy's take on the toosh-kicking Drury did to him.
How A Rangers Fan And Others Should Handle The Avalanche Of RumorsWith the annual NHL Entry Draft just around the corner and free agent frenzy not far beyond, the rumor machine is going absolutely nuts.
12. My theory was that the Panthers would fall victim to ATTRITION in 2024-25 but the Cats were so resilient that they destroyed my maxim.
13. How astonishing are The Champs? They've played more than 300 games in the past three years and already are tabbed to win another Cup next spring.
14. That's why you should pay attention to Aleksander Barkov when he warns the civilized world: "I don't see us slowing down!"
15. Up For Debate Department: "We're a Dynasty now," Matthew Tkachuk. To that – with the four-Cup Islanders in mind – I suggest to Matty; That's Your Weakness Now."