Dan’s Daily Links: Avalanche Hunting for Scoring, Winnipeg Jets for a Center?

The trade speculation has begun for the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets, and the Pittsburgh Penguins could figure into both. The Lightning can’t be stopped. Nor can Alex Ovechkin. However, it sounds like Tom Wilson can be stopped. And the New Jersey Devils are coming to grips with a rebuild. It’s Friday already.

The Colorado Avalanche have the best scoring tandem in hockey. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen have torn up the NHL this season and both are chasing the Art Ross trophy. However, Colorado has a few underlying problems and some expiring contracts. The Hockey News puts two and two together. Related side note– Colorado scouted the Penguins several times in December (The Hockey News)

Alex Ovechkin has scored 30 goals in 14 straight seasons. Absolutely remarkable. If there was any doubt he is one of the greatest scorers of all time, he’s slaying that dragon. The good news for Penguins fans is Washington lost to St.Louis (NHL.com)

St. Louis also went after Tom Wilson for his blindside of Oskar Sundqvist in the preseason (NBC Sports Washington)

And the constant negative attention and the constant threat of suspension look like it is finally in Wilson’s head. Here’s the tweet from Andy Strickland, the Fox Midwest reporter:

Honest talk with Tom Wilson today. Says it’s gotten to the point he’d rather not make a hit in fear of it being considered illegal. Says it’s 100% in his head throughout a hockey game. Also said he’ll be sitting out pre-season games against the #stlblues moving forward #allcaps

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) January 3, 2019

The Winnipeg Jets, who have also scouted the Penguins heavily, could be inching towards the trade market and looking for a center. So writes the Winnipeg Free Press scribe Mike McIntyre (Winnipeg Free Press)

His list does not include Derick Brassard. It probably should.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are unstoppable, right now. They won again last night. They were also undefeated in December. (Canadian Press)

The New Jersey Devils and GM Ray Shero have a ton of hard choices to make, soon. They just re-upped coach Jon Hynes. Now comes the hard part–who stays, who goes? (NBCsn)

Could the Penguins solution to Evgeni Malkin’s and Derick Brassard’s struggles be…each other? (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)