NHL: Pluses and minuses around the league

Times columnist Helene Elliott rates the pluses and minuses in the NHL from the previous week:

+ The mayor of Quebec City announced that construction will begin in September for an 18,000-seat, $400-million arena suitable for an NHL team. The city and the province of Quebec will split the cost for the building, which has a target opening of September 2015. It’s a great city and it belongs in the NHL. Now, there’s just the small matter of getting a team …

+ The next generation: Sabres rookie Marcus Foligno, who was born in Buffalo while his father, Mike, played there, has made a big splash since being promoted from Rochester (N.Y.) of the American Hockey League. Marcus, 20, had six goals and 10 points in his first eight games — and he has adopted his father’s old goal celebration. Nice touch, kid.

+ Nicklas Lidstrom rejoined Detroit’s lineup Saturday after suffering a deep ankle bruise on Feb. 25. In his return the Red Wings rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat Carolina, 6-5, and stop a six-game winless streak. Coincidence? Um, no. The Red Wings also got defenseman Jakub Kindl back from an injury. They’ve been cautious with goalie Jimmy Howard (groin injury) and hope he will return before the playoffs begin.

- NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan didn’t come down hard enough with his five-game suspension of Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith for a brutal and blatant elbow to the head of Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin. (The Canucks said Monday that Sedin has a concussion.) Keith should have been suspended at least for the Blackhawks’ remaining seven regular-season games. You want to get rid of head shots? Punish them severely. This wasn’t enough.

- The Columbus Blue Jackets earned the dubious honor of being assured they’ll finish with the NHL’s worst record this season. That will help their odds of getting the first overall pick in the June entry draft. They face a long rebuild unless they can get a huge return for winger Rick Nash, who made it clear before the trade deadline that he’d like to leave town.

- Calgary Flames Coach Brent Sutter omitted Jarome Iginla and his other three top scorers from his shootout lineup on Thursday against Minnesota, apparently trying to shake up his slumping team. It didn’t work: the Flames lost, 3-2, and lost a precious point in the West playoff chase. They’re still in it mathematically but fading because their offense has dried up. Another playoff miss would be their third straight.