Your savory breakfast links:

• The final roster is finalized, with Tom Poti officially to LTIR and John Erskine to non-roster IR... [CI (Carrera), CW (Whyno), SBN DC (Prada)]
  
• ...which can only mean it's time to play Fun With Lines™:
  • Nicklas Backstrom returns to first-line center. [CW (Whyno)]
  • Mike Knuble to first-line right wing. [SB Nation DC (Vingan), CI (Carrera), Examiner (Hoffman)]
  • Attempting to read the Marcus Johansson tea leaves: #needsmorethunderhoney.  [CW (Whyno, and again), DCEx (McNally), CI (Carrera), CSNW (Gormley)]
  • And some defense pair shuffles. Mike Green with Roman Hamrlik?  Yes please. [CSNW (Gormley)]
• In case you missed any of that, here's the Kettler Report, featuring a non-credentialed correspondent crashing Backstrom's media scrum. [Caps365 (video)]
• GM George McPhee dishes on his decision process vis a vis the continuing employment of Bruce Boudreau. [WashTimes (Whyno)]
• But honestly, it was probably just so we could see more Hadeed commercials. [RMNB, DC Sports Bog]
  
• Six years ago, Jeff Halpern assumed the Caps' captaincy and now the circle comes complete... [WashTimes (Daly)]
• ... once a captain, always a captain. Looks like Halpy has been tasked with tending the team's off-ice activities. [DCEx (Yeas & Nays)]
• Related: Once a Динамо, always a Динамо.  Alex Ovechkin borrowed a couple hours from family obligations in Russia to watch his Dynamo Moscow team defeat SKA St. Petersburg 2-1. [Alex Ovetjkin]
  
• Mike Green, Mike Knuble, Karl Alzner, and Troy Brouwer on tap. It's not what you think. [On Tap Online, On Tap Magazine, and flip through to pages 26-27. The ADORBS/60 is off the charts.]
• Roman Hamrlik isn't getting any younger. But neither is he getting much older. [KoL]
• There's a new GreenLife52 narrative, says NBC's Eddie Olczyk. [DCEx (McNally)]
• Crystal ballin' the Caps in goal. [Peerless (Vokoun, Neuvirth)]
• Life in "the vault," with Jay Beagle. [WashTimes (Whyno)]
• BREAKING: Mathieu Perreault is not getting his hair cut. So stop pestering him already. [CW (Whyno)]
• Asked and answered at the Caps' annual Six Flag soirée. [Blonde Girls' Guide]
• Predictions, prognostications, and previews:
  • Oh, grow up. [WaPo (Carrera) (with more from The Post here, here and here)]
  • Apparently, it's all about the winning.  Who knew? [Craig Laughlin, via The Sports Junkies (audio)]
  • We've seen this movie before. [DCEx (Loverro)]
  • Time to walk the talk. [Box Seats (El-Alaily)]
  • New faces, new narrative? [DSP (Fox)]
  • Caps go all in. That's a awf'ly big pile of chips on the table. [Detroit News (Kulfan)]
  • Barkeep, I'll have the regular, with a boilerplater on the side. [Sun Media (Sportak)]
  • It's our year, thankyouverymuch. Give or take. [StC]
  • Predictions. [Backhand Shelf, Puck Daddy, RDS.ca (link in French), Jeremy Roenick (Yahoo! Radio), Hockey Writers, Frankovic, Peerless, Yahoo! (McCaig), PHT, NHL.com (video), We Love DC]
• Finally, happy 21st birthday to Marcus Johansson.  Here's hoping your birthday gifts include a stylin' red sweater to wear on Saturday around 7pm.