Taro T

Cozens and Olofsson definitely. Likely Krebs and then one of Rousek, Weissbach, Murray, or Kisakov. (Doubt Jost gets PP1 duty as there is no permutation of the roster where he'd ever get that usage in season.)

To the bolded, 100% all day long. If he is good enough to be one of the skaters on the top 3 lines, meaning he's beaten out all the other kids they're looking at right now AND he's beaten out Olofsson and Jost just can't see a compelling reason to not keep him up. And right now, it looks like he's beating all those other guys out. Victor and Tyson need to bring their A games tonight because if they don't one could be on his way out the door to another franchise and the other's hold on the 13th spot (12th if you believe he'd play ahead of Rousek keeping Benson out of the picture; personally don't believe he would, but it's possible) becomes extremely tenuous. This is fun. And we're actually watching battles for positions that will leave an NHL quality F or 2 or 4 on the outside looking in. One more similarity between this team and the '05-'06 version. (Thorburn got claimed by Atlanta IIRC (might've been Pittsburgh) and Pominville somehow cleared waivers fortunately.)

Yep. You put your best 12 F's on the ice along with the 6 best D and Levi as often as you can without burning him out by NYE. This too. Didn't vote because really not sure if the answer to the 1st question is Y or N. (The other 2 are clear yeses should he stay injury free and there's no reason to expect him not to do so.) But with every game / scrimmage watched that he plays am expecting that 1st answer to become a Y. This kid just has 'it.' Much like Levi does. And if he makes the team better than Olofsson, Rousek, Kulich, Rosen, Biron, or Jost does then how does a management that said competing for and winning the Stanley Cup is the goal justify sending him back to Juniors? And there being cap repercussions 8 years from now rather than 9 to go with the possibility he might walk for nothing then isn't justification enough to keep him in WA. Especially with that team's coach's status in doubt at present. Don't see Savoie's injury being a factor in the Benson decision either. It isn't "fair" that Matt got injured, but life isn't fair, and whether that added another opportunity for Zach or not it really can't / shouldn't get factored into the discussion of what's best for the team and the player. And IF they keep Benson up and then he seems to be wearing down from the grind of playing against men every other day; well, send him back to WA. It burns a year of his ELC but it doesn't do anything to his earning a year of service towards FA which is what matters more. If he can show that he isn't a Lawrence Pilut who is an all star against tweeners and a no show against NHLers (and very highly doubt that he is a Larry), then there is no compelling reason to send him back.

Expect you're right that doing so would untimately result in more revenues than their current preseason ticket selling plan. But it could be a tough sell to the NHL, because to make it work (getting bodies into the rink) they'd have to either not stick STHers w/ tix to the preseason or at a minimum let them opt out. Because most STHers don't want the preseason game tix and don't want to go to them. They're already going to 41 games plus the home playoff games. 3 extra trips to the barn for games that don't matter is a tough sell. And doubt the league would be happy with them not forcing the tix on the STHers because expect there are few if any rinks that are packed for the preseason. And if nobody's going, at least having the 2/3 regular ticket prices in their pockets beats zilch. Maybe they'll experiment with a Bills style preseason kids game, but doubt it for the reasons above. Expect it would work if they tried it. (Of course, they also likely are concerned that it'd cut into demand for the RS Kids Day and Youth Hockey game promotions.

Liking that they're using TC & the exhibition games to get the best look possible at the kids looking to step up. Interesting that they're likely giving Olofsson a shot with Cozens. Not a combination that has been used much at all in the past. Benson's play should have lit a fire under his butt, so hopefully he's fully engaged tonight.

Yeah, that response came across harsher than it should've been.

You really going to compare Cooley to Levi? (And Cooley played well; but they aren't even close to each other skillwise.)

Very unselfish play by Kozak there. Nice to see Cedarqvist get rewarded.

Devon would've had that. 😉

He looked good with Greenway and Jost too. Just sayin'.

So close, had you shouted Devon!! you'd've been set. 😉 (They'd've cut you slack on the o vs the i in Devon/Devin.)

And absolutely nothing that looked scary. This kid is going to be SUCH a keeper. Totally understand Adams unwillingness to use real assets to get him a legit battery mate. Don't like it and don't agree with it; but understand it.

No, Clague's been out with Lindgren. Stillman's been out with #3.

No data. Didn't know he had prostate cancer.

Doubt it. When he's done national broadcasts in the past that the B's were in he was still his bean lovin' homer see no B evil self. He's not well.

There is definitely something wrong with Jack Edwards. Haven't heard him cry about a single call against the B's nor any missed calls against the Sabres. When you lose your calling card, something's off.

Always hear it as an homage when Dunleavy does that rather than a rip off. And personally like hearing that "blast from the past." (As a kid, never could figure out how he knew where everybody in the crowd was from. Didn't catch on to the joke until later. D'oh!)

When Levi's in we'll love 'em. When he's not, jury's still out.

The 170 lb 19 yo won't be a treat to play against either. 😉

And Levi is going to make this D look WAY better than it actually is.

If he's up, he's taking Olofsson's spot in the top 9. Whether that be on Thompson's W, Cozen's W, or Mittelstadt's W don't know. But Olofsson can't be happy about the way he's playing.

IF he does earn making this squad, it'd go a long way towards making them a true 3 scoring line team like they would've been had Quinn been healthy. Love the thought of getting to watch him play the next 8 or so years.

Fitting that he's back in Beantown. He is the personification of what they strive to be - big, dumb, and viscious. Looch, Looch. Looch, Looch.

Agree that the plan was to send Benson back to Whereverthefrigitistheynowplayin, WA but if he flat out earns a spot, can't see him sending him back. Goes against the grain of the character he's trying to build and demonstrate.

Yeah, hate to say it but those Bruins unis are sharp.