Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading, while the Fourth of July fireworks might be on the menu for the NHL offseason again this year.
*Here are 10 possible destinations for Erik Karlsson as it appears he’s going to be on the move in a sign-and-trade after a lowball, sub-Drew Doughty extension offer from the Sens was summarily rejected on July 1. The Bruins aren’t mentioned on the list and with good reason.
Karlsson might be an elite D-man at the very height of his prime right now, but I don’t think he makes much sense at all for the Black and Gold. I may be in the vast minority here, but I’d pass on Karlsson if I were Don Sweeney and the Bruins. He’s going to be 29 at the end of this season, he’s had foot issues the past few years and he wants an eight-year, mega-deal. It’s a classic case of paying for past performance, in this humble hockey writer’s opinion. He’s a great player, but for how much longer?
That doesn’t even mention that it feels fairly obvious that the Senators would be asking the Bruins for Charlie McAvoy in any trade for Karlsson, so they would have a ready-made replacement for the No. 1 D-man in Ottawa. Check please…hard pass!
The Bruins should be focused on bringing more offensive punch to their forwards and continuing to develop their young players rather than chase after every shiny, expensive object that comes across their path.
*Interesting piece from Tyler Bozak on the Players Tribune where he talks about how tough it’s going to be to leave Toronto. He was a good Leafs player throughout his career, so that makes sense that he’s got some roots there.
*The John Tavares jersey burning stuff is absolutely ridiculous on Long Island, where all that anger should be directed at management and ownership on Long Island.
Boston Bruins
*Tim Schaller talks about what he’s going to bring to the table with the Vancouver Canucks, where he should be a good fit on their fourth line.
*Boy, it sure feels like Nail Yakupov is the biggest bust taken at the No. 1 overall pick in NHL history, right? Even more so than Rick DiPietro, who at least was an All-Star before injuries ended up derailing his career.
*For something completely different: Yeah, I kind of dig the X-Men costumes for the "Dark Phoenix" movie. They’re sort of a throwback.