NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
could be Edmonton and Pittsburgh. Can you imagine McDavid winning his first Stanley Cup against Sidney Crosby? … That being said, I don't see the Penguins getting past the smothering New York Islanders in the first round. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the fourth-place team wins the East Division … As happy as Toronto fans are that the Leafs play the Habs in the first round, fans of the Oilers are probably even happier that Winnipeg — and not Montreal — finished third in the division. McDavid did more damage to the Jets than he did to any other team in Canada this year, scoring seven goals and 22 points in nine games.
Leon Draisaitl, meanwhile, had seven goals and 12 points. Against the Canadiens, the pair combined for just three goals and 15 points … Best part about the U.S. teams starting their playoffs a week earlier than in Canada? We don't have to waste our time watching meaningless regular-season games between Vancouver and Calgary.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH
Who has the most to prove in the playoffs? If he were on any other team, I'd say it was Taylor Hall. But playing on the Bruins' second line changes that. Now, my answer is Colorado goalie Philipp Grubauer, who has to show he isn't the weak link on a team that is built to win a Cup … No, Joe Thornton doesn't have any pressure. You can't have pressure playing on the fourth line. Anything that the 41-year-old provides from now on is a bonus … My prediction: we'll be seeing Maple Leafs forward Alex Galchenyuk at some point in the first round. I just don't know who comes out of the lineup for that to happen … The Battle of Florida isn't exactly the Battle of Alberta. But I'm excited to see what Selke Trophy favourite Aleksander Barkov can do now that he's finally in the spotlight … How many games before Tom Wilson earns a suspension in the playoffs? And no, fines don't count (or really matter) … Now that he's finally gone, it's funny how every Columbus player suddenly loves John
Tortorella. It was a different story when he was behind the bench … Overheard in Tampa Bay: “Bah Gawd, that's Kucherov's music!”
HERE'S ONE FOR YOU
According to Sabres GM Kevyn Adams, Jack Eichel has not explicitly asked for a trade. But Adams said he asked every player on the team whether they wanted to remain in Buffalo and some answered they would be “open to everything.” No word on whether that applied to Eichel … If Eichel ends up getting traded, it's not because he and the team had a difference of opinion on whether he should get surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck; it's because he's wasted the first six years of his career on a team that is nowhere close to being a playoff team … The trade I'd like to see: Eichel for Washington's Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Fans in Buffalo, who grew up on Alex Mogilny and Miroslav Satan, would love Kuznetsov's enthusiasm. And it sounds like the Capitals have had enough of his office distractions … Travis Greene shouldn't be wondering if he's going to be returning to coach the Canucks. You can blame COVID-19, an injury to Elias Pettersson and some questionable decisions by the GM for the team missing the playoffs. But no one should be blaming the coach.