LTS

He's not injured again is he? Didn't he miss last year and training camp as well?

I appreciate the read out and response. Thanks! I think this is a great deal. How does Hunwick compare to Bogosian? Perhaps he's BOGO insurance?

Awesome. Thanks guys!

Crap.. I might have to fire up twitter.

While I have a level of sympathy for players like Carcillo and Boynton and the players in football who suffered head injuries I also don't like how they want to absolve themselves of any level of responsibility in their own situation. It's not the league's fault that a player suffered a head injury. There may be things that could have been done to improve the situation, but the blame should be spread around. The NHL may have ignored information. The NHLPA should have stood up for the people it represents. The players could have stood up for changes in the game or policed it themselves (through the NHLPA). In the end, a player has to choose whether they will play or continue to play the game after they suffer a head injury. Carcillo has said, "if i had known, I wouldn't have played". Well, I don't think anyone knew definitively, but he knew how he felt when these injuries occurred. He chose to go back out there because he loved the game (and I am sure because he wanted the money). Bettman has grown the game of hockey. Granted some of it is hockey growing itself. But the NHL has by and large prospered with him in the role. My only problem with selecting him is that it should not happen until he retired from the role.

So, for those of us who are time challenged (or reading charts challenged)... could you add a take to this so it becomes easier to see what you are pointing out here? Is this good, bad, whatever? I'm sure i could figure this out if I stared at it long enough. But I'd prefer to read your thoughts on it and have the chart as supporting evidence.

Let's be real though. No one knows what the Sabres were getting in that deal. The news regarding anything with the Sabres seems to come from sources close to OTHER teams. That said, there's enough conversation on O'Reilly that I believe he's going to get moved. I can't imagine he's going to be overly motivated next season playing for a team who is just waiting for the right deal.

Top to bottom it might be... for now. The question is not just how do they compare now but also how are they trending? There is also a bit of a cross-over in these comparisons because not all CHL players are Canadian and not all USHL or other league players are comprised of that specific nationality. I'd just say that overall Canada and Canadian development programs (including CHL) are losing ground to other countries and leagues. Unfortunately Quanthockey.com does not have a breakdown by league, just by nationality.

Why? In and around this entire discussion some of us have been throwing out that the Canadian style of play and development models are no longer holding up against the world. Frankly I think Canada is going to see its contribution to the world of hockey decline over the next 5-15 years as they learn how the game has changed and update their thinking to adapt to it. They will still have some top talent simply because of the number of Canadian children who play hockey. Top to bottom, their numbers in the NHL will continue to decline. The game is becoming much more the European model with far less big hits and much more speed and finesse. There may be some elements of player control in this as well. I believe 2015 was the first time Canadian born players no longer held the majority on NHL rosters. In the past 4 seasons the makeup of the NHL has shifted with the Canadian born players in the league dropping by almost 5%. Looking at some stats... https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/nationality-totals/nhl-players-2017-18-stats.html Breakdown of player nationality percentage by year. 2017/2018 Canada - 45.3% United States - 27.3% Sweden - 9.9% Russia - 4.0% Finland - 4.3% Czech - 3.8% 2016/2017 Canada - 45.9% United States - 27.1% Sweden - 9.3% Russia - 4.3% Finland - 4.0% Czech - 3.9% 2015/2016 Canada - 49% United States - 24.6% Sweden - 8.6% Russia - 4.1% Finland - 3.9% Czech - 3.9% 2014/2015 Canada - 50.8% United States - 24.3% Sweden - 7.8% Czech - 4.0% Russia - 3.6% Finland - 3.6%

Right. I said as much in my first post. The Canadians have clung to their long used development model and it's no longer panning out. The US altered their model around 2010-2011. It's modeled after European development models - https://www.admkids.com/page/show/910847-frequently-asked-questions Since the adoption of this development model I believe that USA Hockey has taken a strong turn upward in the level of talent it is putting on the ice. Hell, Canada is still battling the concept of cross-ice hockey for 8U - https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/minor-hockey-cross-ice-reprieve-jamie-strashin-1.4321391 It's arrogance... hockey is Canada's sport and they must do it right. You know.. essentially they are still punting on 4th down and never going for 2.

The CHL isn't what it used to be. 2018 Draft - Canadian Junior Program Picks Round 1 - 14 Round 2 - 13 Round 3 - 10 Round 4 - 13 Round 5 - 15 Round 6 - 14 Round 7 - 11 They are still getting picked, but there's plenty of other talent out there that's just as good. If you have two players relatively equal you are going to take the one you have more control over. It makes sense. By and large though I believe the number of Canadians being selected has been decreasing. This year the selections break down: Round 1: 10 - Canada 6 - Sweden 6 - United States 4 - Russia 2 - Finland 2 - Czech 1 - Germany Round 2: 5 - United States 13 - Canada 8 - Sweden 4 - Russia 1 - Slovakia While Canada still has the most players selected, it seems that Sweden has begun producing players that GMs are interested in. The dominance isn't the same.

I think if you are concerned about this you overvalue the Canadian leagues. The trend has been away from Juniors for awhile now. The Canadian development program has not kept up with the changes that other countries have implemented. Sure, there is talent there but not so much that there isn't talent somewhere else. Frankly I like that they trend away from CHL. It shows a realization of what is happening in the world. If they were still holding onto drafting CHL players it would seem too old school.

Cheers fellow fans. It has happened.

You can slam Bettman. But he just handled being booed at a serious time with class. Well done sir.

It is possible to have a deal in place for after July 1. You draft this guy...we trade you for him on July 2 after we pay the bonus.

Yeah..that’s also awesome. Settled on Knob Creek 100 proof rye

About to dig into something. Got my kid with me.... he’s gotta keep the dream right?

Thought the demand would be higher than a 2nd pick for 2 players. Orpik a salary dump? The Avs have a lot of D on the roster. Is this a setup trade?

His SV% is one stat. His mental breakdowns are a bigger issue. Anyone who thinks he's the ONLY problem would be mistaken. So the whipping boys are there. He's just one of them, who's no longer there.

Sweet Jesus... someone make a trade. :)

All I can think about with regards to ROR is how much it has to suck to have your name being thrown around every other minute. I know it's a business, but man it has to be bothersome.

I keep reading this thread title and asking myself... was he ever?

My speculation is that we don't need the other thread anymore. ;) Was there news? Did a trade happen? Yes... yes.. I am

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand cut. End Scene. That's a wrap. Good job everybody. Until next season!

The hype machine is already on 11. Good odds that nothing happens and everyone just picks their players. Much ado about nothing.