darksabre

Kane was also a problem. But he wasn't the only problem.

Having some pops with the boys is definitely a little different than getting blacked out at home. I think Casey and Jack are probably on the same wavelength. Jack likes to have fun but I don't think I've heard anything about that being problematic. Good thing Ryan went to the uplifting state of *checks notes* Missouri...

Reinhart is more of a "stay up till dawn playing video games" kinda guy. Risto has definitely been known to party hard.

Basically. Recall his inconsistency. One game he'd look like he was in the best shape of his life, the next game he'd be skating in cement. Some players can get away with it. Many do. It's why you wont hear about it. Frankly, the guy has issues.

Like I said, the media wont report it. A lot of this stuff is kept quiet because the players and reporters kinda need to be friends. It's a symbiotic relationship and it's been this way for a looooong time in pro sports. There are certain things reporters just don't report about players. Don't be surprised if we never hear anything about it until well after his career is over.

Within the media, sure. But they won't report it.

Reinhart got better after he stopped practicing with O'Reilly...

I think that was the thing about GMTM. We were sooooo sick of Darcy that GMTM was like a breath of fresh air. But I think he was an over-correction. I think GMTM also bit off more than he could chew. I think the Pegulas probably wanted someone who could come in and right the ship quickly and he said "okay, I can do that". But it didn't work. Perhaps a wiser GM would have told the Pegulas they needed to be more patient... My hope is that Botterill is a happy medium between Darcy and GMTM.

Thompson's quote made me think of Cody Hodgson...

Ain't that the truth :D

I'm putting O'Reilly in the rearview and I suggest everyone else do the same. That boy ain't right.

Gonna be a tough one. I could see 6 x 6.

Gross

Interesting comments from O'Reilly via reporters on Twitter. Sounds like he really wanted out of Buffalo.

I wonder if we could end up being a team that leans heavily on the PP this year? I think we'll have the tools to do it, even if we don't quite have it at even strength.

Mittelstadt, Reinhart, Eichel, Rodrigues, Dahlin, Guhle all possibly available for regular PP duty this year?

UC for me!

Risto, I think, is less detrimental. He's probably a 3/4 D going forward and his lack of coachability doesn't sink him in that role. He's just a big dummy who plays his game his way and that's all there is to it.

I have heard some things that lend credence to the idea of Risto as uncoachable.

That sucks.

Can any of these guys we got make a pass? Because that would help a lot.

O'Reilly. This goes back to other things we've heard about how basically Ryan had beef with Jack but Jack didn't have beef with Ryan.

Looks to me like that's where he's headed.

It's possible he does. The roster should be able to make the decision for him this year and Pommers should end up buried.

Botterill needs to do some more work before I turn my attention back to Phil again.