Quick Strikes for Saturday, January 9

Just a quick note to remind you these are open threads – not specifically about what’s in the links but chatter among community members.

• A review and review of the Tampa Bay Lightning at midseason. [Roar of Thunder]
• …and if the Bolts can’t improve on it, change is coming. [Tampa Tribune]
• You’ve likely seen the news by now but congratulations to captain Steven Stamkos and goalie Ben Bishop on being named to the 2016 NHL All-Star game. [Tampa Bay Lightning]
• It rarely happens these days but a fan went ahead and FanPost here at Raw Charge regarding the Lightning’s issues (and how to fix’em). Let it be a reminder that it is possible to write your own blog posts on the site and other fans will see them. [Raw Charge]
• Syracuse Crunch center Tanner Richard is pissing his foes off. He’s not exactly winning fans over either but the article focuses on drawing competitor ire. [Syracuse.com]
• The Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL, the club that Lightning prospect Brayden Point plays for, is weighing trading the center. First speculation on this happening passed in the fall. Now it’s playing out again with the junior league’s trade deadlines approaching. [Discover Moose Jaw]
• The rumor breezes are blowing rather steady in the NHL right now. In this case, there’s speculation the St. Louis Blues may be shopping defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. [St. Louis Game Time]
• It’s not a rumor, it actually happened: New York Rangers Emerson Etem traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Nicklas Jensen and a draft pick. [Canucks Army]
• 2013 1^st round pick Seth Jones got dealt from the Nashville Predators to the Columbus Blue Jackets. One blogger had already been talking about the need to upgrade defense… [The Dark Blue Jacket]
• Speaking of the trade – Ryan Johansen and Jones actually encountered each other at the airport after the trade. [The Score]
• A multimedia goodbye to Jones in Nashville. [On the Forecheck]
• Thursday former Bolts Dustin Tokarski got himself traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Anaheim Ducks organization. The winner in this deal? Tokarski wins; he goes from playing in St. John, Newfoundland in the winter to southern California (Anaheim or San Diego). [InGoal Magazine]
• In a different kind of transaction piece of news, Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill got a five-year contract extension. [ESPN]
• The gimmick format of the NHL All-Star game isn’t the only place an All-Star game has e weird rules. The AHL will have some quirks in their game in Syracuse this season. The Texas Stars share their thoughts on the process. [Wrong Side of the Line]
• Dylan Larkin is making people nostalgic – he’s reminding Red Wings fans of Steve Yzerman with thanks to his quality of play. [Today’s Slapshot]
• The NHL’s goal-scoring has been on a decline the past 35 years. Here’s an analysis and some thoughts regarding the situation. [Eyes on the Prize]
• Were you aware the Women’s 2016 World Junior Championships started? You may not have known they even exist (they do). Yesterday, Finland played France and… Well, it was kind of lop-sided. [Pension Plan Puppets]

Allan Walsh’s Drouingate arrived in theaters last Sunday, here’s the latest from around the Interwebs…

• Bob McKenzie’s overview of the entire situation and obtaining Drouin – plenty of questions and few answers. [TSN]
• Let me introduce you to the new podcast by our own writer GeoFitz4, called “Two for Spearing”. In Ep. 1 he takes on the subject matter of #27 and assesses the situation, along with some more scuttlebutt about the trade deadline. [Two for Spearing]
• SB Nation hockey bloggers, myself included, covered a few topics in chatter in this week’s Blog Council… But the issue of Jonathan Drouin and where he’ll land is prominent in the interview… As is the idea of Steven Stamkos (with Drouin) being traded at the deadline. [SB Nation]
• If Drouin gets dealt, that trade is the prime opportunity to get rid of Matt Carle on defense too. [en-Lightning]
• Drouin to St. Louis? The Bolts have been scouting them for a while. What would e in store for the forward if he did get moved to the Gateway City? [St. Louis Game Time]
• As a footnote in a larger piece, Darren Dreger reports Steve Yzerman would prefer to trade Drouin to the Western Conference if that happens. [The Score]

In the Jonathan Drouin affair, I side with . . .