Seeing as today is the NHL’s self imposed deadline for a full year, and seeing as how that is about as likely to happen as me hitting Powerball, I say we lighten the mood with two bits of relatively good news.

First, in case you missed in, the Islanders will be tenants in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center as of 2015 for 25 years. That’s a whole lot of years, but it’s good news because it keeps the Islanders on the East Cost and –more importantly– in the Atlantic Division.

Why is keeping the Islanders in the Atlantic important?

Well, it is one of the best rivalries in sports, and it would have been a shame to see it go to Kansas City. But for a more selfish reason, I point to realignment. Realignment is going to happen regardless because of the Winnipeg move, but an Isles move to KC would have forced the league’s hand. And I have a sneaking suspicion that if the Atlantic loses a team, then the Caps wind up in the Atlantic. Call it a hunch.

The other good news is that good old JD landed himself a job with the Columbus Blue Jackets. JD was president of the St. Louis Blues and helped turn that team around before being let go in the middle of the Blues’ sale. Now he has caught on with the BJs, and hopefully he can help turn that franchise around as well.

He has some players he is familiar with there, as Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, and Fedor Tyutin are all in Columbus now. Add in Vinny Prospal and Tim Erixon, and JD has a good basis of former Rangers to work with. Columbus can be a great hockey market if that team is ever good. JD can seriously help in that manner.

Now then…is there a deal yet?

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