shrader

Why would the CHL ever agree to that? They gain absolutely nothing from it. The two leagues have always had a relationship and the NHL is not going to risk that for a rule that focuses on only a handful of players.

Wilson is a great example. Let's face it, he's not getting much of anything if he goes to arbitration. Pretty much the only thing I can think of with someone like his is that the team doesn't want him on a one-way deal. He's a case where the team really doesn't care too much if he goes. Sheahan would have had a little more leverage with arbitration though.

It seems like an odd tactic. I have a hard time imagining arbitration giving the player more leverage than actual free agency would. As for the list, I feel like Yakupov at this point may just be the biggest first overall flop of all time now. It's tough to gauge across eras, but the only other competitors I see over the last 30 years are Stefan and DiPietro. Daigle was the poster boy for years, but I feel like he blows these guys out of the water.

It's not useless for any of them. They still have plenty to gain at that point. The only thing interfering with that is ego. Each case is different, obviously, but even those higher talent guys still have plenty to gain.

As I just said in another thread, just because one GM suggested that a deal was close, it doesn't mean that another GM thought it was close. Mix in a third GM into that picture and it gets even more questionable. I always take every almost trade report with a grain of salt. The supposed deals didn't happen for a reason. Now I know the column laid out some draft related reasons, but there's more to it than just that.

Each of these watch threads always want me to stop and check the time. But anyway, now that everyone thinks we love swedes, doesn't that give a slightly more optimistic look to Nylander?

Just because one GM says a deal was close, it doesn't mean that the other GM thought it was close. Now add an additional GM to that equation and it gets even more murky.

Elected, not inducted. Don't worry, people still get the chance to boo at the actual induction.

The other house next to us was on the market from January through to May and completely uninhabited until last month. It was getting really bad up until my new neighbor moved in. I felt bad for the guy who moved in, having to deal with that mess. He's all over it now though and it looks pretty good. The one I mentioned earlier has at least been cut regularly. It just hasn't been watered at all in probably a month (no rain in a while either). It's completely yellow at this point. We're getting rain all day today though, so I bet it'll perk up really quickly. We've got bermuda here and with the heat we've been getting, that stuff greens up super fast after some good rainfall.

It says AHL contract, so Wilcox will not be the 3rd goalie. He could very well wind up in the ECHL with that contract. The Sabres #3 is still very much up in the air. I could see them adding another goalie on top of whoever they grab to be the backup/platoon starter.

To me the whole thing sounds like it is written from the Montreal prospective. We would have done this and that... completely ignoring any thoughts from the other teams.

My nextdoor neighbor has completely neglected his lawn now that the house is under contract. It's a real shame. He used to water a ton and since his yard is slightly higher than mine, that side of my yard would be a little extra green. I want more free water! :D

Older is a subjective term and you're not going to describe it by looking at one year's rosters.

Why do we constantly revise history is situations like this? When the rags traded him, he was still playing in juniors and was the top piece included in the trade that brought them Yandle. That is not a case of the team giving up on him. These last two transactions don't look so great, but that first trade is the exact opposite of what we're trying to say about him now.

I was going to say we need to keep worthless bounceyball comparisons out of here. But since the Islanders play in a bounceyball arena, I'm going to allow it.

The only other Dougie I can think of is Dr Evil. I'm not sure whether this backs up my anti-Dougie stance or hurts it.

The leagues aren't that big. Someone could simply count the number of players over a certain age and then look at the percentage of the league over that age. But anyway, it's kind of pointless since it's going to change from year to year. I'm amazed at the conclusion we've reached in this thread. These leagues have an age range of 3 or 4 years and the average age is very similar across the board? Wow, who could have seen that coming. :doh:

We're doomed!

I just got a robocall from one of those IRS scams. It was one of the strangest things I've ever heard. It had a computerized voice with the most broken english I have ever heard. I'm assuming it was an IRS scam because the english was so broken that I don't even know what it was trying to get me to do.

I still can't take him seriously since he goes by Dougie.

I heard a quote on the radio this morning from the Hurricanes owner talking about Svechnikov, "he's so good that we would have drafted him even if he was a bad person". Quotes like this are a good reason why people who wish Pegula would talk more might want to re-think that stance. It's mostly harmless, but my god is it stupid.

Only if they find a guy named Taint to skate between them.

Ahh crap, wrong guy. All Europeans look alike?

So much for Lindholm being their only untouchable

A three year deal for Kovalchuk? Enjoy that cap hit when he bails after one year.