Dater’s Daily: Grubauer, Saad hit Red Rocks, Vegas bounced, Kessel on trade block

Good Friday to you all. So, the Vegas Golden Knights have been bounced from the playoffs. Does this make you happy, Avs fan? Or, does it make you mad that the Avs didn’t at least lose to the eventual Cup champion or “conference” winner? Myself, I always wish ill will on teams that beat my teams, as a fan. I suspect many of you feel that way. Let’s do some hockey links, starting off with the fun Philipp Grubauer and Brandon Saad seemed to have last night at Red Rocks:

• The two potential unrestricted free agents of the Avs took in the KYGO show at the venerable outdoor amphitheater in Morrison (I said it was a Lotus show, which I guess is wrong but that’s what a calendar said was the group playing – I don’t know):

Saad and Grubi at Lotus show at Red Rocks tonight pic.twitter.com/1hmFh8KQfb

— Adrian Dater (@adater) June 25, 2021

• That’s from Grubauer’s Instagram page. A lot of people have asked, “Is this a good sign both guys will be back with the Avs?” I mean, I wouldn’t read too much into it either way. But, hey, there’s no question they seem to enjoy being at Red Rocks, and we all know Colorado is an awesome state in which to live.
• I did do some phone work yesterday, and one thing I can report: I’m told there is a chance – how much of one I don’t know – that Saad could return to the Avs. I thought he had a good year and a good playoff and really added a lot to the team. But the Avs are going to have to clear some money from their cap hits if they want to afford to re-sign Saad. It could go down to the wire of July 28, when players can go UFA.
• So, Vegas is out. Captain Mark Stone was pretty harsh on himself after the Game 6 loss. (Vegas Hockey Now)
• Montreal was partying well into the night after their team advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1993. The provincial government still only allowed 3,500 fans into Bell Centre because of Covid restrictions, but allowed thousands of people to party, shoulder-to-shoulder, outside the building. Nothing inconsistent there at all, right? (Sportsnet)
• Sportsnet/31 Thoughts: Arizona could clean house. The NHL trade market will be flooded with Coyotes, which includes a former Pittsburgh Penguins two-time Stanley Cup champion named Phil Kessel. 
• Kessel has one more year on his eight-year deal with a cap hit of $6.8 million (Toronto still retains 15% of the original $8 million AAV).
• Washington: T.J. Oshie, rumored to possibly be unprotected by the Capitals in the expansion draft, played for new Seattle coach Dave Hakstol in college at the University of North Dakota. Is that a further sign Oshie is on his way out of Washington?
• Detroit: The Detroit Red Wings are connected by four degrees of separation to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s potential dynasty. Mr. Kevin Allen counts the ways…
• NYI: GAME 7. TONIGHT. Our colleagues in New York think the New York Islanders have found the formula to beat Bolts goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. It’s not a weakness, and it won’t be easy. Read on…
• Looks like James van Riemsdyk could be a prime target of Seattle from the Flyers roster (Philly Hockey Now)
• My pick for Game 7 tonight, Isles-Lightning (Bookies.com)
• Mark Messier is joining ESPN as an analyst (NHL.com)