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Pre-game reading: On the sky-high price of top-4 defensemen

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Bob McKenzie talks about which members of Team USA's gold medal team will have the biggest impact in the NHL, including Bruins draft pick Charlie McAvoy and the Coyotes' Clayton Keller.

-- Up top, Bob McKenzie talks about Charlie McAvoy, Colin White, and Clayton Keller -- three American players who really impressed him at the World Juniors.

-- Sportsnet’s Mark Spector writes about the sky-high price of defensemen in the wake of the Taylor Hall-for-Adam Larsson trade between the Oilers and Devils. It’s required reading for fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, an up-and-coming team that could really use another top-4 blue-liner to join Morgan Rielly, Nikita Zaitsev, and Jake Gardiner. Would the Leafs be willing to put William Nylander on the market? Because they’re not trading Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner, and James van Riemsdyk may not get them what they need. (Sportsnet)

-- Alex Ovechkin surpassed the 1,000-point mark last night. It was a fantastic accomplishment, one that only 83 players had done before him. But we all know the big knock on Ovechkin. He’s never won a Stanley Cup. Heck, he’s never even been past the second round of the playoffs. Hence, this piece by SI’s Alex Prewitt: “Those close to Ovechkin will swear that individual marks occupy increasingly less of his attention these days. He’s 31 years old now, averaging the least time on ice (18:21) of his career by more than one full minute, because coach Barry Trotz wants him fresh for when it matters.” (Sports Illustrated)

-- As the Dallas Stars continue to scuffle along, GM Jim Nill can’t help but think it would be nice to have Valeri Nichushkin in the lineup. “With all the injuries, it would have been great to have him here. He would have played a lot of minutes. Big, strong - it would have been great to have him. But he made a decision to go back (to the KHL) and I can’t control that.” (Star-Telegram)

-- A list of players who did not deserve to be named to the All-Star Game, starting with Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban. Writes list-maker Michael Traikos: “He’s not the best player on the Predators this year. He might not even be their best defenseman. With seven goals, 17 points and a minus-11 rating, he’s certainly not having an all-star season.” Traikos then takes out the carving knife for John Tavares, Jonathan Toews, Frans Nielsen, and five others. (National Post)

-- Pierre LeBrun’s series on the expansion draft continues with a look at the Nashville Predators. “While the vast majority of clubs will opt for the 7-3-1 format (seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie), I think there’s a strong likelihood that the Predators will go with the 8-1 format (eight skaters and a goalie) despite the fact that it allows for two fewer players to be protected. It’s worth it for a team like Nashville that’s so deep on defense. And, in this case, it would allow the Predators to protect defensemen Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis.” (ESPN)

Enjoy the games!