Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading, while skipping right over the “Space Force” entirely.
*Interesting that Pro Hockey Talk has Tyler Seguin as one of the players in their “Under Pressure” category. Even more interesting that the Dallas Stars have yet to sign Seguin to a long-term contract extension. When you consider the Stars were one of the teams actively wooing John Tavares, it makes it certainly a consideration that Dallas might not end up signing Seguin to a massive deal after some All-Star level seasons in Big D.
That naturally begs the question as to whether or not Seguin might become available in either a trade or free agency. One step further begs the question as to whether the Bruins would entertain bringing Seguin back to Boston. His linemates, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, are still in Black and Gold and clearly, Seguin has matured to some degree at 26. Seguin has been a point-per-game player for a Stars team that’s missed the playoffs in three of the five seasons he's been in Dallas.
Certainly it’s enticing to think about the skill, the production, the game-breaking ability and Seguin’s chemistry with the Bruins when mulling over the possibility and then there’s the poetic justice of the B’s righting a wrong when they settled for pennies on the dollar while casting out one of the league’s young superstars.
So, there might be reasons to do it, but I still see Seguin as a “very good player on a bad team”-type player who will pile up gaudy stats until the ice starts getting difficult to fight for and produce. He’s also still a risk if you’re a team signing him to a massive contract (which he will obviously be looking for) given that he’s been dinged at times in Dallas for being late to practice and he's still a candidate for other minor infractions that show he’s probably never going to be a true leader on a team.
Traditionally, those aren’t the players that you win with. Some of the organizational results in Dallas continue to back the notion that dealing Seguin was a sound decision. It was the pitiful return that ended up being the problem in the end for the Black and Gold. The bottom line: I’d pass if I were the Bruins and Seguin became a possibility, unless you could trade the rights to Matt Fraser, a Joe Morrow speeding ticket from the town of Wilmington, a pair of Reilly Smith’s old gloves and a lock of Loui Eriksson’s beloved hair back to Dallas in exchange for Seguin the Sequel.
*Here are some fun nickname jersey possibilities if the NHL were to ever go with a “Player’s Weekend” setup like Major League Baseball. They did miss the boat with one possibility, however, as it would set up Brad Marchand for any number of possibilities. Just think how much a game-worn No. 63 “Nose Face Killah” jersey from Marchand could net in an auction for charity.
*Interesting piece from Travis Yost about the allocation of salary cap money for each of the 31 NHL teams where it clearly displays that only Montreal is going to spend more cap space than the B’s on goaltending for this upcoming season. That’s definitely going to be inefficient there unless they get the NHL’s best goaltending next season.
*First-round pick Brady Tkachuk is going to leave Boston University and join the Ottawa Senators to start his NHL career.
*For something completely different: Dude, enough about the “Snyder Cut.” It’s over. It’s time to move on.
