Hockey Headlines: Habs Lose Again; Barkov Gets Paid… Stamkos Too?

A collection of the latest news from around the world of hockey:

Today is Wayne Gretzky’s birthday. [The Score]

The Habs lost an ugly game to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. [Montreal Canadiens]. The only highlight was this goal from P.K Subban. He just needs to shoot from anywhere more often. [CBC]

Cam Atkinson got these kids three puppies, right? [Yahoo Sports]

Alexsander Barkov has yet to score 20 goals in a season, but he’s worth $6 million dollars. [The Hockey News]. But the Panthers are paying on potential. He’s a big centerman, and that contract could end up being a steal some day. Hopefully. [USA Today]

The architect of the Blackhawks, Stan Bowman, has been given a contract extension. [CSN Chicago]

Are the Rangers facing Salary Cap trouble? [Full Tilt NYR]. And are they nearing the end of King Henrik’s best years? [NY Post]

Is re-signing David Backes the right move for the Blues? [St. Louis Game Time]

Have the Oilers actually gotten any better? [Cult of Hockey]

Should Steven Stamkos accept the Lightning’s offer? [Tampa Tribune], [Tampa Bay Times]

Steve Oleksy was a solid pick-up by the Penguins. [Sports Journal]

Remembering the James Neal/ Patric Hornqvist trade. [Times Online]

Who is the early favorite for the Vezina Trophy? [HockeyBuzz]

The Canucks are going retro. [THN]

And finally, you can buy socks with Mike Babcock’s face on them. [Globe and Mail]