Opinion Links for week of January 5 to 11, 2020 | Headlinehockey.com

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OPINION

RYAN KENNEDY: How no trade clauses are giving some power to junior players (The Hockey News)
ERIC ENGELS: Why Montreal Canadiens shouldn’t fire head coach Claude Julien (Sportsnet)
ERIC FRANCIS: Flames embrace moment of levity prior to pivotal Battle of Alberta rematch (Sportsnet)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Canucks’ Markstrom, Demko focused on present, not contracts (Sportsnet)
PAT HICKEY: Canadiens not delivering much bang for fans' bucks (Montreal Gazette)
SEAN KEELER: Hey, Stan Kroenke, you’re losing the Cold War for Denver sports fans — badly (Denver Post)
ANDREW BERKSHIRE: Jets' top five forwards among league's best shooters, passers (Winnipeg Free Press)
LARRY BROOKS: How Rangers are responding to awkward Lias Andersson freezeout (New York Post)
LUKE DeCOCK: Mrazek hears his name, and the Hurricanes hope he answers the call (Raleigh News & Observer)
STU COWAN: Some words of wisdom for upset Canadiens fans (Montreal Gazette)
PAUL FRIESEN: Jets fix oil leak, bunker down for six-game sprint (Winnipeg Sun)
PATRICK JOHNSTON: Canucks aim to fix what failed in Florida losses, starting in Buffalo (Vancouver Province)
SAM CARCHIDI: Can Flyers’ young players, including Joel Farabee, take a step forward in season’s second half? (Philadelphia Inquirer)
MARK MADDEN: Having 2 starting goalies not a bad situation for Penguins (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
MIKE McINTYRE: Jets win a lot for being a bad team (Winnipeg Free Press)
ANDREW GROSS: Trotz looks for 200-foot game in second half (New York Newsday)
BRENDAN KELLY: With Habs reset in tatters, it's time for full rebuild (Montreal Gazette)
JAMES BAGNALL: Top job for new Sens CEO: Filling those empty seats (Ottawa Citizen)
DAMIEN COX: As good as things have gone, Sheldon Keefe’s job with the Maple Leafs is just beginning (Toronto Star)
PATRICK JOHNSTON: Benning believes Canucks now headed in right direction despite lapses (Vancouver Province)

STEVEN ELLIS: The Nikia Gusev gamble is finally starting to pay off for the New Jersey Devils (The Hockey News)
JARED CLINTON: With Couture sidelined 'several weeks,' Sharks have to accept that this season is beyond saving (The Hockey News)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Canucks end ill-fated trip to Florida with discouraging loss to Panthers (Sportsnet)
ERIC FRANCIS: Flames’ Talbot shines, sparks goalie debate ahead of Oilers matchup (Sportsnet)
ALEX PREWITT: After Half a Season Away, Justin Williams Couldn't Stay Off the Ice Any Longer (Si.com)
MARK SPECTOR: Oilers turn tables on Canadiens in confidence-building comeback win (Sportsnet)
ERIC ENGELS: Canadiens hit new levels of dejection as loss to Oilers extends skid (Sportsnet)
MARK KISZLA: As goalie Philipp Grubauer loses grip on starting job, should Avs explore trade for Carey Price? (Denver Post)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers must answer for curious handling of Lias Andersson mess (New York Post)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: They didn’t score any goals but Bruins’ fourth liners made their presence felt in victory (Boston Globe)
PAT HICKEY: Bounces just aren't going our way, Shea Weber says (Montreal Gazette)
MIKE McINTYRE: More overtime magic a winning idea (Winnipeg Free Press)
MIKE HARRINGTON: Sabres sinking fast in standings, losing touch with playoff race (Buffalo News)
LARRY BROOKS: How Tony DeAngelo could put Rangers in salary-cap hell (New York Post)
TIM BENZ: Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is right to look for trade after Jake Guentzel’s injury (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
MATT PORTER: With their moms on hand to celebrate, Bruins charge past Jets (Boston Globe)
PATRICK JOHNSTON: Beagle barks about balance as his line aims to reclaim hounding game (Vancouver Province)
STU COWAN: Ilya Kovalchuk off to a good start with the Canadiens (Montreal Gazette)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: The Ottawa Senators well aware they need to clean up their act defensively (Ottawa Sun)

KEN CAMPBELL: Nobody in Winnipeg is asking 'who the heck is Neal Pionk?' anymore (The Hockey News)
STEVEN ELLIS: Kailer Yamamoto has injected new life into the Oilers top six -- for now (The Hockey News)
MATT LARKIN: Auston Matthews forges path to becoming the best U.S.-born goal-scorer ever (The Hockey News)
CHRIS JOHNSTON: Heroic effort vs. Jets officially puts Leafs’ Matthews in Hart Trophy talks (Sportsnet)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Canucks skip day off, not sulking over crushing loss to Lightning (Sportsnet)
GREG WYSHYNSKI: The 15 most shocking events of the NHL's first half (ESPN)
ERIC FRANCIS: Flames betting on Andersson's upside with long-term extension (Sportsnet)
MARK SPECTOR: To reach the top, Oilers must prove they can beat teams near the bottom (Sportsnet)
ELLIOTTE FRIEDMAN: 31 Thoughts: How recent Stanley Cup champions approached trade deadline (Sportsnet)
STU COWAN: Canadiens fans are going to need a huge helping of patience (Montreal Gazette)
TIM BENZ: When will Sidney Crosby return? When will Matt Murray play? (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
MARK WHICKER: Kings leave Staples Center ice for 3 weeks after a cold homestand (Los Angeles Daily News)
BENJAMIN HOCHMAN: Why Jordan Binnington's performance Tuesday vs. Sharks was 'so 2019' (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
DAVE FESCHUK: He might be playing hurt but the Leafs’ top defenceman won’t talk about the strife of Rielly (Toronto Star)
MARK MADDEN: Kris Letang has been mostly brilliant for Penguins this season (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: Scouting meetings will chart the course for Senators' future (Ottawa Sun)
LUKE DeCOCK: With Williams finally aboard, Hurricanes can stop looking back and start looking forward (Raleigh News & Observer)
TERRY JONES: McDavid: How good will he get? (Edmonton Sun)
PATRICK JOHNSTON: Canucks tamping out defensive fires exposed by Lightning strike (Vancouver Province)
MICHAEL ARACE: Jackets rewarded for their faith in young players (Columbus Dispatch)
JOHN ROMANO: Forget the hat trick. Applaud the journey that brought Carter Verhaeghe to the Lightning (Tampa Bay Times)
TIM BENZ: Penguins GM Jim Rutherford talks trade interest, Kris Letang’s issues, Evgeni Malkin’s riskiness (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
STEVE SIMMONS: Tavares spoke loudly with a broken stick (Toronto Sun)

STEVEN ELLIS: Igor Shesterkin has finally arrived ushering in a new era for the Rangers (The Hockey News)
JARED CLINTON: What must new Nashville coach John Hynes address in order to get the Predators back on track? (The Hockey News)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Canucks ’embarrassed’ in streak-snapping loss, try to set sights ahead (Sportsnet)
ERIC ENGELS: Canadiens' playoff hopes all but shot with loss to Red Wings (Sportsnet)
ERIC FRANCIS: Flames' Lindholm has milestone night as dad watches on vs. Blackhawks (Sportsnet)
ED GRANEY: Penguins stir memories of Marc-Andre Fleury’s arrival to Las Vegas (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
STU COWAN: Time has come for the Canadiens to embrace a full rebuild (Montreal Gazette)
JEFF GORDON: As NHL coaches fall left and right, Berube's success stands out (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
LARRY BROOKS: Henrik Lundqvist's heir apparent at long last makes grand entrance (New York Post)
MATT PORTER: Bruins’ moms enjoying road trip with their sons (Boston Globe)
STU COWAN: Bad decisions 'killing us right now,' Julien says (Montreal Gazette)
ED WILLES: Canucks Gear-ed up for crucial player contract decisions (Vancouver Province)
GENTRY ESTES: Hynes has his work cut out to turn around Preds (The Tennessean)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Frederik Andersen swears he wasn’t mad about getting the hook — but the Leafs netminder is worried about his workload (Toronto Star)
PAUL FRIESEN: Pick your poison: Leafs and Bruins cap litmus test for Jets (Winnipeg Sun)
TERRY JONES: McDavid's career-defining goal highlights Oilers' win in Toronto (Edmonton Sun)

KEN CAMPBELL: 2021 World Juniors in Alberta could raise $38 million in ticket sales and not a penny goes to the players (The Hockey News)
JARED CLINTON: After slow start the Golden Knights are beginning to look like the contenders we expected (The Hockey News)
JARED CLINTON: Laviolette is out in Nashville and now next Predators bench boss has to put together the pieces (The Hockey News)
ERIC ENGELS: Kovalchuk, Weise put up a fight, but Jets hand another loss to Canadiens (Sportsnet)
MARK SPECTOR: McDavid’s goal for the ages highlights critical win for Oilers (Sportsnet)
CHRIS JOHNSTON: Keefe can't right ship by swapping goalies as Leafs blown away by Oilers (Sportsnet)
GREG WYSHYNSKI: Why the Nashville Predators fired Peter Laviolette, and where team and coach go from here (ESPN)
MICHAEL TRAIKOS: Has Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins lived up to the hype? (National Post)
GENTRY ESTES: In firing Laviolette, Poile shows he hasn’t given up on Preds (The Tennessean)
STU COWAN: Canadiens goalie Charlie Lindgren focused on the present (Montreal Gazette)
BENJAMIN HOCHMAN: After wake-up call, snoozing Blues should rebound against San Jose (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Motivated McDavid exacts revenge on Maple Leafs with mesmerizing goal of the year (Toronto Star)
BEN KUZMA: Stick slams spotlight Miller's relentless Canucks drive (Vancouver Province)
LARRY BROOKS: Promotion of Henrik Lundqvist heir apparent could cause problems (New York Post)
PAT HICKEY: 'The guys aren't quitting,' Julien says (Montreal Gazette)
TIM BENZ: Penguins face brutal schedule, questions about Kris Letang’s play, Sidney Crosby’s return (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
PAUL FRIESEN: Jets' Niku stickhandles through speculation (Winnipeg Sun)
STEVE SIMMONS: Gretzky wants to see McDavid, Matthews in Olympic Games (Toronto Sun)
PATRICK JOHNSTON: Canucks' eastern swing has no easy stops (Vancouver Province)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: How much longer will Zdeno Chara play? He’s not saying (Boston Globe)
MIKE HARRINGTON: With Bills season over, here's a crash course on the Sabres (Buffalo News)
KEVIN McGRAN: What do Gretzky and McDavid have in common? They want to see NHLers at the Olympics (Toronto Star)
BRENDAN KELLY: Adding Kovalchuk, Scandella nothing but PR moves for Habs (Montreal Gazette)
KEN WARREN: Fighting through injury to face Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (Ottawa Citizen)
MIKE McINTYRE: Unlucky, unhappy Niku gets to trade shackles for skates (Winnipeg Free Press)

RYAN KENNEDY: How a hunch and a helping of determination led to Akil Thomas gold medal moment (The Hockey News)
ERIC FRANCIS: Flames get away with chasing lead again in improbable win over Wild (Sportsnet)
FRANK SERAVALLI: Hayton etches name into hockey lore as his heroics lead Canada to gold at World Juniors (TSN)
EMILY KAPLAN: Who can pull off a St. Louis Blues-like run? (ESPN)
LUKE DeCOCK: When it comes to giving up Grade A chances, Hurricanes get an F (Raleigh News & Observer)
DAVE FESCHUK: The Oilers’ honeymoon lasted 20 games — Keefe’s Leafs expect to feel the love for much longer (Toronto Star)
STU COWAN: Ilya Kovalchuk very happy to get No. 17 with Canadiens (Montreal Gazette)
ED WILLES: Signing Markstrom to a new deal should be Canucks' top priority (Vancouver Province)
SAM CARCHIDI: Carter Hart’s strange season and, fair or not, why the Flyers need him to quickly figure it out (Philadelphia Inquirer)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: The Bruins’ perch atop Atlantic Division standings looks precarious (Boston Globe)
BEN KUZMA: Stick slams spotlight Miller's relentless Canucks drive (Vancouver Province)
JACK TODD: It's time for the NHL to battle the Toronto War Room's rancid calls (Montreal Gazette)
DAMIEN COX: Why Canadian passion for world junior hockey is at an all-time high (Toronto Star)
TERRY JONES: Compelling gold medal game puts Edmonton-Red Deer 2021 over the top (Edmonton Sun)
MIKE McINTYRE: You want the truth? Jets have both refs and selves to blame (Winnipeg Free Press)

RYAN KENNEDY: Joel Hofer has been the goaltender Canada needed (The Hockey News)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Markstrom continues to be a rock in net for all-or-nothing Canucks (Sportsnet)
FRANK SERAVALLI: Hofer is Canada's difference since embarrassing loss to Russia (TSN)
ERIC ENGELS: Canadiens’ Price deserved better in frustrating loss to Penguins (Sportsnet)
FRANK SERAVALLI: Canada advances to face Russia in World Juniors gold medal game (TSN)
HELENE ELLIOTT: Corey Perry’s sad walk of shame with Stars (Los Angeles Times)
LARRY BROOKS: John Tortorella's nonsensical suspension reeks of hypocrisy (New York Post)
STEVE SIMMONS: Keefe uses rare human approach to get Leafs on his side (Toronto Sun)
MIKE CHAMBERS: Cale Makar and UMass converge in Denver (Denver Post)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: No need to panic yet, but Bruins’ offense has been downright offensive (Boston Globe)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: Changes could be coming in Nashville with Predators struggling (Ottawa Sun)
MIKE HARRINGTON: Just like the '90s, Sabres have to play beyond their talent level (Buffalo News)
COLIN STEPHENSON: Rangers veteran Staal sees writing on the wall (New York Newsday)
ROSIE DiMANNO: The Leafs are getting what they need from Nylander — maybe the benching lit a fire (Toronto Star)
PATRICK REUSSE: Winter Classic comes to Target Field as TV viewership is down (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
MICHAEL ARACE: Blue Jackets points streak ends, and other thoughts (Columbus Dispatch)
ED WILLES: Benning building process showing signs Canucks' dog days may be over (Vancouver Province)
Rangers 'pissed off' at ending road trip with a thud (New York Post)
ANDREW GROSS: Ovechkin or Bossy as a goal-scorer? It's a toss-up (New York Newsday)
MARISA INGEMI: Bruins at the halfway point (Boston Herald)
PAT HICKEY: Carey Price hides from the media after loss to Penguins (Montreal Gazette)