And there is this:

In their draft year, Ondrej Palat & Sean Couturier both scored 96 pts. on the same junior team. One went 8th overall & one fell to 208th.

— Steve Mears (@MearsyNHL) Alexander Semin owed $7 million the next three seasons, it is time to return him to the top line with Eric Staal and hope the duo can rekindle some offensive fire. Obviously, Semin is nothing more than a bad punchline at this point, but Carolina isn’t close to winning anyway, so there is no reason for Semin to sit in the press box or play a bottom-six role. You could replace Semin’s name with Jeff Skinner‘s, but that would be too obvious.

 

Columbus Blue Jackets – Lock up Ryan Johansen, or deal him. He has proven to be second-tier offensive pivot with size and a little grit. He is just entering his prime, and the bridge deal was likely a mistake. Thankfully for the Blue Jackets, they can correct it with another long-term commitment. They’ve got everything in place to be a playoff team for the next half-dozen years, solidifying that Johansen is a part of it should be priority No. 1.

 

New Jersey Devils – Tank. With only Travis Zajac, Mike Cammalleri, Ryane Clowe, Adam Henrique, Andy Green, Damon Severson, Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid under contract past 2015-16, there are all kinds of roster spots available, and for the most part, the cupboards are bare. Trade everyone for anything. Picks or prospects, it really doesn’t matter. Keep Adam Larsson and Schneider, but after that, look ahead to 2020.

 

New York Islanders – Tighten up defensively. The Islanders can score, but they cannot consistently win 5-4 games, and Jarsolav Halak isn’t a top-tier starter. They’re likely stuck with him and him leading a legitimate playoff run isn’t out of the question. However, he cannot be hung out to dry. The Islanders allowed the ninth most scoring chances per 60 minutes in the league last season, however, they also generated the most in the league. A slight sacrifice offensively won’t sink them, and improved defense could make them a legit Eastern Conference contended.

 

Philadelphia Flyers – Blow it up. There are pieces of a contender among the current bunch, but the Phillies and Eagles are going to garner headlines in the spring going forward unless there are major shakeups. Seriously, though, where would someone even begin? Their secondary scorers flopped this season, and after a torrid start, Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek were closer to average than stardom after the calendar flipped to 2015. Goaltending, defense … it is a real mess.

I’ll continue to pick away at these over the next few weeks.

 

 

***

 

 

It is nice to see the team with the most skill win Game 7 Friday.

 

After my playoff pool calculations, I needed a New York win to have a shot at a cushy payout. Still, there is room for a few dollars more with the Lightning advancing.

 

However, what was most telling about last night, personally, was the inner conflict of knowing I wasn’t cheering for the Rangers at all. I expected them to win, but I’m glad they didn’t.

 

The Lightning are more fun to watch. They have six players who are game-breaking talents whenever they’re on the ice, and Alex Killorn‘s play may have the total up to seven.

 

Valtteri Filppula doesn’t receive a lot of praise or attention, but Steven Stamkos‘ spike in production during the second season aligns with the reuniting of the two.

Many have already written off Tampa Bay in the finals, but in terms of skill, they’re second to none. And it isn’t out of the question to suggest they’ve got the best goaltender left at the dance, either.

 

They’re enjoyable to watch and easy to root for.

 

New York’s best player was clearly not 100 percent, and a healthy Ryan McDonagh likely would have been a significant difference. Mats Zuccarello, too. However, it would be foolish to suggest there aren’t injured Lightning Bolts.

 

Tampa Bay’s core should have at least another two or three runs at a title. It is difficult to project the Rangers having more than one.