It wasn’t exactly a booming holiday around the hockey world as Labor Day came and went, but there’s still some stuff worth checking out this morning. Let’s dig in.
**We’re breaking down the Blackhawks‘ roster according to trade value during this slow week. Here’s the first section listing players who fell outside the top 10. (Second City Hockey)
**Lots of optimism surrounding Niklas Hjalmarsson entering next season. Tracey Myers calls his future “as rosy as his present.” (CSN Chicago)
**Fantastic personal piece from Leafs writer James Mirtle on the evolving relationship between hockey fans, writers and social media (James Mirtle)
**Ryan Lambert looks at whether Ryan Johansen deserves the money he’s asking Columbus to pay him (Puck Daddy)
**Bruce Boudreau thinks Dany Heatley will be a better fit on the Ducks‘ top line than Dustin Penner was. We’ll see if the 33-year-old can slow his decline by partnering with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry (Pro Hockey Talk)
**Former first-round pick Ian Cole may finally get a shot to crack the Blues‘ top-six defensemen this season (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
**Niklas Backstrom, Josh Harding and Darcy Kuemper will share time in goal for the Wild during preseason as the team sorts out its situation at the position (Star Tribune)
**New Penguins coach Mike Johnston thinks one of his former players, 20-year-old prospect Derrick Pouliot, is ready to make the NHL leap (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)