Quick Strikes for Saturday, July 30

• The elephant in the room at the moment isn’t an elephant and isn’t literally in the room, though quite figuratively the restricted free agent is: Nikita Kucherov remains unsigned. Steve Yzerman remarked on the situation earlier this week. [Tampa Bay Times]
• Perhaps through social media you caught the news Friday through social media, but in case you didn’t: Tyler Johnson is now 26 years old. Belated happy birthday Tyler! [Lightning Shout]
• Speaking of 26, it seems like an appropriate addition to the “Bolt from the Past” series that we had in Quick Strikes a few days ago. Now we highlight their write-up for Martin St. Louis. [Roar of Thunder]
• Another factoid from earlier in the week of relevance for Lightning fans: Fox Sports announced they will stream Bolts games live online during the 2016-17 season. [Bolts by the Bay]
• More than a week old (meaning there are fewer days to participate), the voting period for Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay continues. The more-direct relevant section regarding sports and media coverage is “People, Places and Politics”. [Creative Loafing Tampa Bay]
• Ottawa Senators RW Bobby Ryan suffered the loss of his mother a few days ago. He paid tribute to her in his own words here. [The Players Tribune]
• This one hits me profoundly because it’s overdue. Vastly overdue: Big name players from the Toronto area or Ontario aren’t rushing to join the Toronto Maple Leafs? That’s fine, that’s good, and that’s great. Rah. The Leafs can do fine without the local products. [Pension Plan Puppets]
• Speaking of local products… Phil Kessel held a low-key party with Lord Stanley’s Cup in the Greater Toronto Area. [The Globe and Mail]
• The status of the Detroit Red Wings and questions on the future of the club brings Kyle of Winging it in Motown to wonder and rant -€” does GM Ken Holland even have a plan going forward? [Winging it in Motown]
• Max Domi of the Arizona Coyotes is doing what he can to raise support and awareness for diabetes. [Five for Howling]
• Do you follow women’s hockey? Are you a blogger as is? Do you think you have the chops to contribute to SB Nation’s women’s hockey blog? They’re looking for staff for the upcoming season. [SB Nation]
• The American Hockey League hands out awards every year for the best coverage of the league by a person in the media. The winner for the 2015-16 season has been dubbed sportswriter Patrick Williams. [The AHL]
• Vegas, baby! Or should I say, “T-Mobile Arena, baby”? That’s what this shindig is all about: venue access and what not. [The Sin Bin]

Which Lightning jersey number is most likely to be retired first, if at all?