Hockey Thoughts Tonight

from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, - There is only one way to proceed with Josh Norris. This is an eight-year commitment to a very important player. Set him up for success, not failure. If he can’t start the season, so be it. Short-term thinking leads to long-term pain. One man’s injury is another man’s opportunity. Step on up, Ridly Greig. - One night in Calgary has convinced me of one thing: the mood among the Flames is much better than last season. Very, very different vibe — in a good way. Mikael Backlund’s extension is a great sign, and others are positively reconsidering their futures. But I don’t get the sense anything is close, yet. And it’s possible Elias Lindholm’s number is going to be higher than I initially thought — in the $9 million range. - ...when it comes to waivers, everyone’s waiting on the goalies. Teams to watch: Buffalo (Mike Comrie or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen); Detroit (Alex Lyon and James Reimer); Montreal (Cayden Primeau); Philadelphia (Felix Sandstrom); Toronto (Martin Jones). Some teams say they might carry three goalies, but no one ever believes them until it actually happens. - Count Evander Kane as someone who would like to see Atlanta get a third NHL shot. He is adamant it can work. “You talk about a great city to live in,” he said. “A great city to be a part of. The fan base. Everybody talks about a lack of fans, but the fanbase we had there was so awesome. They were so passionate about us as a hockey team. We had fans at practice all the time. As an 18-year-old, I loved being there. Great travel. Four other major sports. There’s lots to do. It’s a hub, you can get anywhere in the U.S. or even internationally from Atlanta. There’s so many good things I have to say about it. I would be 100 per cent supportive.”... more Thoughts including today's BOG meeting...