5 things on my mind: 'Buch' sticks around, 'Bridgerton' anti-bliss and 'The Bear' savior

Let's fire on all barrels here as a short work week concludes.

Imagine a world where debates were taken so seriously. Nationally televised back and forth sessions that go as well as that last fight with your spouse did: shitty and more shitty later. How low our country has gotten as a vengeful species is pathetic and further proof that aliens will merely do a flyby over our sad planet… if they’re smart.

As Wednesday dies and an already overloaded short work week prepares to die, let’s get into a few things rather quickly. My old digital producer, Jordan Palmer, liked to call these snackable content.

BUCHNEVICH SIGNS LONG-TERM WITH BLUES

I like and don’t like the deal. Signing players who are turning 30 in less than a year (Pavel gets there after next season) to six-year deals is a moderate risk, but one that a team must take in order to secure a versatile talent. Buchnevich gives the team a dual asset on wing and at center, and has been a +47 as a St. Louis Blue since he arrived via trade in 2021. For the third season in a row, he put together a 60+ point season.

But he experienced an overall downturn in points for the second consecutive year in 2023-24. The points per game is good, overall it’s a ship pointing down. That could be a result of the team going into a playoff bubble format and sorta contending, or it could be age climbing higher. We shall see. Along with the acquisitions of Radek Faksa and Mathieu Joseph today, Doug Armstrong got to work. Buch is a Blue through 2031. It’s a little uneasy, especially with what he lands in a trade. For a team preaching retooling and getting younger, this doesn’t fit.

BRITISH SOAP OPERAS ON NETFLIX ARE TORTURE

Look, I love my aunt Cheri to pieces, but I sat through three (THREE!) episodes of Netflix’s Bridgerton a couple weeks ago. Three way too many if you ask me.