Simmer’s Skate is Late: Canucks Add, Totally Tampa

The Vancouver Canucks interrupted their off-season meetings to announce a European free agent signing on Tuesday – ICYMI – that being 22-year-old Swedish, left-shot forward Nils Aman from Leksand of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Leksand just happens to be Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin’s hometown. No biggee … maybe.

OK, back to work, there’s plenty of other NHL news to share …

Loose Lightning

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning looked like their old selves on Tuesday evening at home against the New York Rangers in Game-4 of the Eastern Conference Final, winning 4-1 while appearing very comfortable with the proceedings.

Good on often overlooked Ondrej Palat, the Czech forward who once again proved so valuable for the Lightning, working in the publicity shadows behind Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Two assists last night and the bonus of an empty-netter for the 31-year-old who began his NHL career in Tampa a decade ago.

The series is tied 2-2 headed back to Gotham.

Avalanche Started Slowly

Outstanding coverage from our posse at Colorado Hockey Now on the Western Conference champs, their progression over recent years, and their health status as they await their opponent for the Stanley Cup Final. They’re a bit dinged up to say the least.

The Colorado Avalanche were sort of a mess not that long ago, living proof that a team can turn things around rather quickly if managed properly. Credit to General Manager Joe Sakic, a Burnaby native, and Head Coach Jared Bednar, who won a Calder Cup at the AHL level with the Lake Erie (Cleveland) Monsters in 2016 just before taking over the Avalanche.

Roll Calls Continue

In case you missed this as well, we had the Oliver Ekman-Larsson roll call in the last 12 hours. Speaking of Nordic players, OEL creates an interesting scenario on the Vancouver Canucks blueline to say the least.

OMG, no game tonight. With the Colorado Avalanche already through to the Stanley Cup Final from out west, we have to wait until Thursday for Game-5 of the Eastern Conference Final from Madison Square Garden.

Mild withdrawals.