Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading while all armed and ready for tonight’s return of Game of Thrones.
*Funny video as Jonathan Drouin goes undercover in Montreal to see how many Habs fans might know who he is. I don’t think he’ll be able to do this so anonymously next summer after his first season in Montreal.
*Milan Lucic gave the Oilers some major street cred and was a big part of their skill players getting the room to operate, but there is already noise being made about his contract. Did Peter Chiarelli know that the Oilers were probably going to be stuck with an overpriced Lucic in the final couple of years of that contract? Yeah, I think so. But there is zero doubt in my mind that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl don’t have the kind of breakthrough seasons that they had offensively if Lucic, Patrick Maroon and guys like them weren’t regularly in the lineup for Edmonton. They are a tough team to play against, and that’s exactly what Chiarelli’s blueprint has been for team-building in his time as a GM in the NHL. This is the cost of doing business if you’re the Oilers, and there’s no point in whining and crying about that contract while Edmonton is building toward a Cup contender. If they win, nobody should be complaining.
*It sure looks like John Tortorella is going to be in line for a big pay raise out in Columbus given some of the other coaching salaries around the league.
Boston Bruins
*It’s an interesting question to ask how the Arizona Coyotes are going to play under new head coach Rick Tocchet.
*Here are four ways that a brand new ownership group could be a very good thing for the Carolina Hurricanes.
*With the retirement of Andrew Ference, here’s a look at other steals in the ninth round of the NHL Draft that no longer exists.
*For something completely different: A fun piece about which missing Game of Thrones characters will return this season. I’ve expected to see Gendry again toward the end, so I’m not surprised to see him toward the top of the list.