LTS

Coaches are like managers, business owners, etc. You find the one that fits the situation of your team and can lead it during that phase. If you need to change leadership to adjust with where the team is at, you do. There are coaches who are good at developing young talent. Overall they struggle to get a talented team to play to the next level. There are coaches who cannot develop young talent but can get a talented group to play to that next level. Some coaches will appear to be better in winning record, but it mostly comes from the team itself, not the coach. Some coaches will win the Cup.

In order to score you have to be in the play. Also, I hate the idea of Vanek the first time around. That's not true... it is as TrueBlue says below. Here's the question. The definition of better as narrowly defined by where you finish the regular season, yes. If, however, you consider that it also does not guarantee a top 3 draft position in the following draft one might argue that it reduces your ability to improve the overall talent through the draft. As such, is finishing 26th more important than finishing 30th (or 31st really). I would prefer to finish dead last than finish 26th. In fact, if you are not finishing within the top 20 and more importantly are not in the hunt for a wild card spot I would prefer to finish last.

At this point... how does Tavares not at least go to free agency and see what happens? Are the Islanders going to reduce their offer? Unlikely. Your 11 days away from finding out how much money you could earn. I'd stick it out. I'd wait 11 days to have a drink if you told me I was going to get a 20yr Pappy at the end of it.

It's a pretty typical workout these days. And yes.. he looks jacked.

San Jose wants cap space. Ottawa needs players. Florida doesn't want to give up players. That's how it works. Perfect. If Hoffman proves to not be toxic in Florida then it's a good add for them.

What was the difference between the power play in the first part of the season and the second part of the season? The entire team changed its course around December 2... even strength, power play, even giving up short handed goals. There were adjustments made. The team was not meant to win a lot of games last year. It was meant to be evaluated... the entire season. If this season doesn't show signs of improvement, then I would begin questioning Housley. That said, I still don't want Trotz. There's this emphasis that a coach makes all the difference. People were gonzo over Babcock and have since cooled considerably on him. There's the story that he can't get along with the young players. The theory on GM's is very similar. You get lucky and get a few good players and you look like a genius GM. One player bombs on you, despite the fact the entire world would have picked the same player at the time, and you look like a failure. A coach can help you win, but he won't make you win. The players make you win. A coach can certainly make you lose.

If Hoffman moves again then I am going to think that the GMs are sending him a message. Let's just shuffle Hoffman around the league until he gets dizzy. :)

All this finger pointing at Washington... I have not read what Trotz was asking for in a new contract. If he wanted $5M per season it might explain things a bit right? I don't want Trotz.. the man has FINALLY won a Stanley Cup and now everyone wants him. No thanks. Another new system, new thinking, new message... no, no, no. There's nothing wrong with Phil Housley, not a single thing.

Dangit man... I spent years crafting medical center security policies.... it's HIPAA.. HIPAA.. two As!!!!! :)

He's covering the wrong team. He's a good fit to cover the Senators though.

Interesting thought exercise... In the posts above, Tim Graham was listed as writing for the Bills. He was referred to having the potential to be a DB at times... I kept wondering what kind of strained reference it was to his writing to call him a defensive back. That he missed coverage at times? I couldn't figure it out. I finally figured it out... it's not defensive back. Yeah.. I mean... I guess that's how I think.

It's a good recognition for the guy in his profession. Some people have issues about numbers... I don't. He's obviously a mainstay of the organization, along with RJ. It's cool to see.

The bad parts of the team were not meant to get better last year. You don't sign Josefson, Nolan, Pouliott, etc. if you are trying to get better. You sign them to put a team on the ice so your younger talent can develop more in the AHL. The defense was bad, but it did show signs of improvement once some of the younger players had to come up. The goaltending was always going to be questionable but the question was answered. Lehner was not the answer. The question now is, who will be the answer. If you believe last season was about anything more than keeping younger players in Rochester while positioning the team to be more successful this year then I understand why you'd have no faith in the GM. I am judging Botterill on what he does between now and the start of the season. If ROR gets traded I'm not going to be too concerned until I can see all the moves combined to see what his intention was for the team.

What would be most interesting is how people would judge Botterill for taking Dahlin if he did indeed fail. Despite that 31 of 31 NHL GMs would take him first. So no matter what happens with Dahlin, it's not a reflection on the GM. It's just that EVERY. SINGLE. TALENT SCOUT. believed he was the best player in the draft and destined for greatness.

Totally agree... bury them if you need to, but having them on the books past this season is unnecessary. This isn't THE season to go deep, just get close.

I think it's a little overproduced and corny.. but it's still pretty real. :P

100% of the people who eat pickles die... Why do people continue eating pickles.. it's insane. But more importantly.. You want to play the comparison game... Peter Forsberg, in 1990, playing for Modo was outscored by Erik Holmberg, Ulf Odmark, Ingemar Strom, Hans Lodin, Jorgen Eriksson, Ari Salo... a true bevy of Hall of Fame hockey talent. Man, no one should have believed in Forsberg when he was drafted.

Indeed. Lots of people are left with self-esteem issues from it. I get the easy target and all that. I just think it's shallow to pick on people for things they can't necessarily do anything about. The joke.. just use clearisil... but as you know.. it doesn't work. If you were truly fortunate enough to have been prescribed Accutane you may have truly enjoyed its side effects... Just google Accutane and suicide. It's like picking on people about their weight, etc. Just shallow... meh, I shouldn't have said anything I suppose...

Always curious if people who comment on this knew anyone who suffered through severe acne and the impacts that the incessant ribbing had in them. Just feels so petty to even mention such things about people.

I feel like we are playing that childhood game... "After everything I say, you say ________"

Interesting question... Would anyone have given Quebec the same return for Lindros after he'd played a few years?

For a lot of these athletes I think there is a lot of regret over putting themselves through the grind. In some cases, it's where they come from and the prospective lives they would have had without the sport success that drove them to stick with it. The inability to accept that they would have been farmers, construction workers, etc. In the case of some of the football athletes you are looking at falling into the traps of gangs, drugs, and other socio-economic plights. Sports gives some a way out of that but it comes at a great cost that they only realize after the fact. Daily pain, shortened life spans, or as we see with those who suffered head trauma, even worse demons. The grass is only as green as the money that sits on top of it. It's why I have massive respect for the NFL players who have resigned after suffering one or two concussions and just don't want to risk it. Time will tell if it's too late for them as well. Hockey can be violent but football is violent. For all those who suffer, they need to be there in support of each other. The Players' Unions need to take care of their constituents. It should be one of its top priorities.

Forsberg was a player who could bring the flash and style to a team.... but not for an extended period of time. Lidstrom was the foundation for the Red Wings. He made that entire team better by being on the ice for half the game (or more) every night and basically shutting down every player who played against him. I would take Lidstrom over Forsberg any day. I can find a collection of forwards to score goals, but to find a D who so thoroughly shut down the opponent like Lidstrom did.... that's rare.

I mean... it's possible to get a return for that pick that might put you in solid playoff contention immediately. It's also passing on what is being touted as one of the great defensive prospects in the history of the league. He may not turn into that player but by all accounts it would be unprecedented if he bombed. If Dahlin was saying there's no way he'd play in Buffalo and we had a Lindros situation on our hands then it would make sense. Otherwise, I don't see how you can trade the #1 pick.

As was said about him... He was a chef, who was a celebrity, who taught people about food, without ever cooking on the air (well, he did very rarely). He was far more a writer and speaker on today's world than he was ever a chef. The NY Times (and others) being just as guilty as most people in only perceiving him as a chef. As I see it, he excelled in making things that seemed distant or celebrity or glossed over much more real and tangible. Cut through the BS, the hype, the glam, and display what is really happening. His commentary on restaurants was certainly geared toward that and his shows emphasized every day life in any location he visited. There were some rare "glamour" shots and such, but mostly just reality.