The NHL Evening Skate for Jan. 10

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the best team in hockey and, likely, the best team of the era.

We don’t usually cover media business news around these parts, but this is a significant one for hockey fans in the United States. ESPN, the biggest sports outlet in the world, laid off a huge number of its staffers Wednesday, including some of the most prominent NHL writers in the country. ESPN has been dealing with declining cable subscriptions and increasing rights fees for live games over the past couple years, which has given the Disney-owned company some issues. Among those who lost their jobs based on word from social media are Pierre LeBrun, Joe McDonald, and Scott Burnside. These are some of the most respected, experienced reporters in the hockey industry, and it’s a sign that ESPN may

Speculation season is ramping up with the NHL trade deadline just under three weeks away.