Sakic Retires

Easy to issue platitudes about Joe Sakic, the quintessential class act who played effectively as a two-way player and in the clutch. His record 8 overtime playoff goals is absolute proof of his remarkable skill under pressure. His career achievements remind me of Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier, another hard-working center who was a terror at both ends of the ice, played his best when it counted most, and won the Conn Smythe trophy.

Nash

Thank the gods, Columbus extended star Rick Nash through the 2017-18 season. Captain Rick is set to earn $62.4 million over the term of the contract. The Puck-rakers blog reports that "[t]he deal includes a no-movement clause in the first five seasons, and a modified no-trade clause in the final three."

With Nash on board, some scoring help is needed to continue on the season of progress seen last year.