CHN Puck Links: NHL trade rumors picking up

Happy Friday to all. Two to four FEET of snow predicted for the Denver metro area, starting late tonight. I should be able to be at the Avs-Kings game tonight at Ball Arena. Sunday? Well, I drive a Nissan Leaf, a little electric car. So, I either take a Lyft or con the kid into letting me use his 4-wheel drive SUV – my wife’s former car. Or, maybe I just stay home and watch it on a big-screen TV and drink cocoa. We’ll see. Some happenings/notes/links from around the league, including some NHL trade rumors:

• Tough news for the Vegas Golden Knights of late. Not only is top D-man Alex Pietrangelo expected to be out several weeks with a likely broken hand, but now goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is in the Covid protocol (Vegas Hockey Now)
• As trade rumors pick up, one interesting one to keep an eye on: Eric Staal maybe going back to Carolina? (TSN)
• The Flyers are on the hunt for a couple of defensemen (Philly Hockey Now)
• Not only will we be crushed by snow this weekend, we’ll also lose an hour of sleep. Set those clocks ahead one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, people.
• I haven’t heard much with regard to a potential Avs trade involving a new backup goalie. It appears that Hunter Miska will get another shot in net, maybe Sunday against the Kings.
• Wayne Gretzky almost became a Canuck in 1988, but Brian Burke said no (Sportsnet)
• I have tentative plans to write a book, my eighth, about the 1994-95 Denver Grizzlies – the greatest team you’ve never heard of, but one that brought pro hockey back to Denver to stay. Should be lots of great stories to tell. The Grizz were in town for that one season, their first season as a franchise before moving to Utah, and went 57-18-6 and won the IHL championship. They laid a great foundation for the Avs to come to town, and never got the recognition they deserved. I hope to change that.
• The Islanders had fans in the stands for the first time, and New York’s frontline workers got to be the first fans.
• Good times in Columbus. Or, maybe not. John Tortorella benched Patrik Laine again, in a game in which he’d already scored a goal (Florida Hockey Now)
• Las Vegas is now allowing more fans in the building. Denver? Uh….don’t ask. (Vegas Hockey Now)
• Things aren’t going very well in Dallas (Morning News)
• Book recommendation: “Edison”, by Edmund Morris. Too bad the man didn’t get much accomplished in life. He was only still inventing things into his 80s. (Amazon)