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Pre-game reading: What’s the Penguins’ plan for Pouliot?

-- Up top, a good scrap between Anaheim’s Kevin Bieksa and Calgary’s Micheal Ferland. Those two have a history dating back to the 2015 playoff series between the Canucks and Flames.

-- What’s the Pittsburgh Penguins’ plan for Derrick Pouliot? That’s a good question, seeing as Pouliot was the eighth overall draft pick in 2012 and he’s only played one game for the Pens this season. Pouliot says he’s not hurt anymore, which seems worth mentioning seeing as he’s still on injured reserve. His coach, Mike Sullivan, says this: “He’s a very good young player, and it’s our responsibility to try and help him continue to grow and develop. ... Part of that is obviously he has to play games. He has to get in some games here. We’ll work to do that.” (Post-Gazette)

-- It’s getting down to crunch time for the NHL to make a decision on the 2018 Winter Olympics. Their CBA-related offer to the players has reportedly been rejected. To which the National Post’s Scott Stinson argues: Come on, NHL, you gotta be there. “Having the best hockey players in the world showcased at the world’s biggest sporting event, in a tournament that offers the best version of the game, an embarrassment of speed and skill, is a clear advertisement for the merits of the world’s best hockey league, even if the NHL shield is not formally a part of the proceedings.” (National Post)

-- Bob McKenzie shares the story of Jack Han, who came to Canada from China as a youngster and is now on the coaching staff of McGill’s women’s hockey team. Han doesn’t have a traditional hockey background, but he’s learning how to use analytics and video to carve out his own niche. (TSN)

-- Now that Brent Burns has signed, who are the top pending UFAs that could be had on July 1? Ben Bishop and Kevin Shattenkirk top Sportsnet’s list, but don’t sleep on T.J. Oshie, because the Capitals will need to get creative to keep him -- especially with Evgeny Kuznetsov requiring a new deal. (Sportsnet)

-- Nobody’s paying big bucks to watch the Vancouver Canucks anymore, with local ticket brokers reporting the lowest interest in decades. That’s mostly because the team isn’t very good anymore. But it’s also because there’s no young superstar like Connor McDavid, Johnny Gaudreau, Patrik Laine or Auston Matthews to watch on a regular basis. That’s what other teams across Canada have to sell. And it’s selling well in those places. (The Province)

Enjoy the games!