Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading, while officially okay with Christmas music playing now that December is here.
*So there were a bunch of Bruins fans grumbling about the B’s selecting Charlie McAvoy over Jakub Chychrun at the beginning of the season when the young first-round pick made the Arizona Coyotes out of training camp. I don’t hear from those people as much now that Chychrun has been scratched five games in a row for the Coyotes, who tcould certainly use some defensive help and it looks like it was a mistake to put him in the NHL as an 18-year-old this season. I said it then and I’ll say it now: Chychrun was the D-men prospect closest to playing in the NHL when you watched him play last season with his size, strength and NHL-ready body, but he was also definitely not the most talented when looking at the high-end ceiling for players like McAvoy. I wouldn’t be shocked if McAvoy is with the Bruins as soon as next season and perhaps he even gets his feet wet in Providence at the end of this season. So we’ll be able to do a side-by-side comparison of these two young D-men soon enough.
*The Florida Panthers officially say goodbye to Joe Louis Arena with their final game against the Red Wings at the old barn in Detroit.
*Good piece from Gary Lawless about the Florida Panthers dropping the ball a bit with the impulsive way they handled the Gerard Gallant firing.
*Brian Lawton joined the NHL Tonight crew to discuss the US Hockey Hall of Fame inductions that included the 1996 World Cup team.
*It’s awesome to see Dave Strader back in the mix at an NHL rink as he dropped in on the Dallas Stars on their recent visit to Detroit. Strader looked and sounded like he was in good spirits in he interview and that he’s fully aware that all of us in the hockey community are pulling for him these days.
*Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford says that hockey would be better without the fighting. Would it be safer for the players? It absolutely would, and that’s really where all of the anti-fighting stuff comes from. Would it be better? Absolutely not, and some of the watered down stuff we see in the NHL already during the regular season is proof positive of that.
Boston Bruins
*For something completely different: apparently Darrelle Revis is done playing football. Does that mean he gives the Jets their money back for this season?