Here are today’s news and links:

Rangers News:

• Peter Botte heard from Ryan Strome about his belief that the league needs to change the current COVID protocols sooner than later (NY Post)
• Botte also relayed word from various members of the team about the NHL’s decision to pull out of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing (NY Post)
• Brendan Azoff notes that for the first time in several seasons, the Blueshirts don’t already know how they’re going to approach the trade deadline (The Hockey Writers)
• Matt Grazel lists three free agents that will likely return to Broadway beyond the current season (The Hockey Writers)/

Around the NHL:

• Elliotte Friedman details the new roster exemptions and modified taxi squads that will be in place until at least the All-Star Break (Sportsnet)
• Sean Leahy reports that Tuukka Rask is coming down the home stretch of his recovery from his surgery, and will likely sign with the Boston Bruins in the coming weeks (NBC Sports)/