Morning Skate: Close, but no cigar

One of the interesting parts of this offseason is how the Bruins have been linked to, interested in, rumored to be looking at just about everyone out there.

Taylor Hall, Tyler Toffoli, Mike Hoffman, Oliver Ekman-Larsson...you name it, they’re interested. Maybe even the front-runners!

As we all know, none of those “interests” has come to fruition, and while Craig Smith is a great signing, many fans are clamoring for more.

They’ll likely be more annoyed by the Bruins notes in Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts, among them:

• Hall was “intrigued” by the Bruins, but the Bruins couldn’t commit without moving money. Their offer may have been within $3 million of Buffalo’s.
• The Bruins “badly wanted” Josh Anderson, since dealt to Montreal.
• “Someone who knows” said this of the Bruins: “That core group knows their time together is short,” the source said.

Well that’s all just great!

Thus far, it’s a microcosm of the offseason: close to a big move, but not quite there.

Today’s highlight

A Benoit Pouliot sighting!

Today’s discussion topic

The Frozen Four is going to be held in Las Vegas in a few years. That’s not a question, but it’s pretty cool.