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Mikhail Grigorenko sent back to juniors; NHL division names; firing Tortorella (Puck Headlines)

Greg Wyshynski

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• It’s subtle, but she appears to have a preference for Christopher Higgins.

• David Steckel is reunited with Bruce Boudreau in Anaheim after the Toronto Maple Leafs traded him for minor leaguer Ryan Lasch and a seventh round pick in 2014. Obviously just in case the Ducks face the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final. Outdoors. At night. [Spector]

• Randy Carlyle on Joffrey Lupul’s return to the Leafs from a fractured forearm: “Well, he better score 100 goals,” Carlyle said. “That’s what he’s paid to do. He’s paid to make contributions to the offence.” [National Post]

• Adam Proteau on firing John Tortorella: “No, Tortorella hasn’t used up all of his cache in the Rangers room just yet. Glen Sather is one of the more loyal GMs in the league and Tortorella does have a Stanley Cup championship to buy him some extra time.” [THN]

• Travis Hughes says don't fire Lavy: "Peter Laviolette is likely first in line to be the scapegoat regardless of what the future holds for the Philadelphia Flyers, but firing the head coach won't fix the team's problems." [Broad Street Hockey]

• Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced that forward Mikhail Grigorenko has been assigned to the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Well that could have gone better, seeing as how they burned a year off his contract. Ouch. [Buffalo News]

• Don Brennan on why the Ottawa Senators should go after Corey Perry: “Unless Melnyk is all talk about wanting a winner, all he has to do is commit a lot of money and term to the former 50-goal scorer. With Perry, the continuing development of their young group, the return to health of their best players and one more season out of Daniel Alfredsson, the Senators should be a legitimate contender for the Cup in 2014.” [Ottawa Sun]

• Aaron Volpatti is on the Washington Capitals’ top line. Yep. [Whyno]

• Steve Lepore on the NHL selling the division names: “Look, everything's for sale these days, and outside of presumably the Stanley Cup, there isn't much you can't slap a sponsor name on in the National Hockey League. Based on the league's current partners, you'd probably end up with Honda, Bridgestone, Pepsi and Geico. I mean, at some point you just have to accept the future, right?” [SB Nation]

• Andrew Buckholtz on the Luongo/Schneider video: “Good for TSN for taking a different tack here, too; the hockey media has run approximately seven million serious takes on the Canucks' goaltending situation this year, so this is a refreshing change. It's a hilarious video, and a terrific variation on the usual sports coverage.” [Awful Announcing]

• RIP Wyatt Winfield of the Helena Bighorns. [Billings Gazette]

• The New York Islanders announced Friday that forward David Ullstrom has a groin injury that is expected to sideline him between 3-4 weeks. [Isles]

• Dominik on realignment: “Meanwhile, a universal truth remains: Be a good team, and you'll make it. Be an average team, and you're subject to the bounce of the puck. Be a good team that somehow draws the Kings as an eighth seed, and you're screwed.” [Lighthouse Hockey]

• Nice piece on how the “young guns” on the Dallas Stars are making it work this season. [NHL.com]

• Breaking down the Sharks vs. the Kings. [Fear The Fin]

• Defenseman Adam McQuaid, who missed Thursday's 4-1 victory over the Panthers with a minor injury, returned to Bruins practice on Friday morning. [Bruins Blog]

• Rory Boylen wants the NHL to get gross again. [THN]

• Bourne looks at Travis Zajac’s slump. [Backhand Shelf]

• Finally, via the NHL, your top goals of the week.