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.
PARTY TIME IN SMASHVILLE: How can you not get wrapped up in what the Nashville Predators are doing?
Their kind-of-improbable run through the Stanley Cup playoffs is as exciting as it is a terrific story -- they've lost three key players (Kevin Fiala, Ryan Johansen and Mike Fisher) and are getting remarkable goaltending from Pekka Rinne to keep them in every game. Their defense, which is probably the best in the league, is driving them on this run and it's guys like P.K. Subban doing as much of the heavy lifting as the underrated Mattias Ekholm.
Watching their games is a blast, and not just because of their uptempo style. Bridgestone Arena is a great place to watch a game and in the playoffs, it's thunderous from start to finish. The fans don't need a reason to stand up and scream through a TV timeout. They are knowledgeable, they're into the game, and they are head-over-heels (with good reason) for this Predators team.
It may be tough to get the job done without two important centers, but at this point, I'm not counting the Predators out whatsoever. They have it going on right now and their run has been a treat.
AN IMPROMPTU LESSON: When it comes to Norwegian hockey stars, there's no bigger name right now than Mats Zuccarello of the New York Rangers.
Zuccarello was a hot commodity after his breakout performance in the 2010 Winter Olympics and the Rangers signed him out of Europe, but no one could have expected the star he'd soon become. When kids are playing hockey in Norway, they're daydreaming of being "Zucc," who's a clutch performer for the Rangers during their annual trips to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Edvin Velle, 12, was hanging out in his driveway shooting pucks when his hockey idol showed up and spent some time with him. His mom happened to catch it on Instagram and it made the hockey headlines over the weekend. How cool is that?
ANOTHER PIECE: It seems unlikely that Kevin Stenlund will be in the NHL this coming season, but there's no denying the Blue Jackets think quite highly of him. This past season with HV71 was an important for the big rangy center, who was a third-round pick in 2015 and has taken some time to fill out his frame. He's always been a reliable player but the offense has been slow to come along, however, there were signs this season that scoring might be the next tool added to his arsenal.
The Blue Jackets locked him up to a three-year entry level contract on Tuesday, but it appears Stenlund will be spending another season with HV71 in 2017-18. The SHL side (where William Karlsson also played earlier in his career) is coming off a league championship and is expected to have a strong returning squad. Regardless, getting him under contract is important for the Blue Jackets, who have a busy offseason of potential transactions and movement ahead.
ICYMI: Here's more on the Stenlund signing from our own Sam Blazer ... We rolled out the first-ever 1st Ohio Battery awards yesterday, and (surprise!) Zach Werenski was our rookie of the year ... Scott Harrington is the latest subject of our "season report cards" series, this one courtesy of Mr. Blazer once again.
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