DarthEbriate

I really hope Roman and Rinne sing a song.

Oh. Somehow I missed that Gabriel Perrault's dad is Yanic. Huh. Hey... if you win 2/3 of your faceoffs every season, you'll be dealt at the deadline every year!

I hate to put a ceiling on his games played... but I like his jam. I just think a solid 2C who is going to get overpaid to be more than that after he has a great playoff showing. I think he's a guy like Ryan Kesler if he hits his ceiling. But one hell of an awesome hockey name.

I was wondering where Stramel was going to go. I think he'll be unheralded but excellent.

I think the pipeline is critical. You've got Dahlin and Power and you're going to pay them. You're going to need a continual flow of guys because you're going to lose them in UFA after good playoff runs where they look really good next to Dahlin or Power. Right now they've only got 4 D prospects (Johnson, Novikov, Lindgren, Komarov). They need defensemen. And this should be the last season for awhile that the Sabres draft in the top 16 or have a bunch of picks vs. shipping off 2nds at the deadline for rentals.

Yup. I still like it. Sandin Pellikka written in cursive is sexy.

And... General Ben son!

They generated some chances, but it was all one-and-done. Milic completely owned Savoie all series, but I also only recall one time where Savoie elevated the puck on a shot... Milic just kept his pads on the ice and stoned him. Benson generated chances and finished more routinely.

Yup. I think BPA where we got him.

I am excited to see Benson (and Savoie likely) come to Wenatchee this season. That means they'll be in Seattle and Everett pretty often and I can get a better sense of their games and growth. Edit: Seattle also won't be the juggernaut they were this season.

I think I watched 4 total of the WHL Final. I only made it to one in person in Seattle. In the game I attended in person, Savoie's skill was obvious, but Benson was better. Seattle just negated everything they did except for a pretty 4-on-4 goal when the game was already well in hand.

I get it. It's a good pick based on compete and hockey IQ and skill. It's just that he makes Savoie obsolete. Benson is better than Savoie. They were paired together in the WHL Final and were overpowered by good defense and their contemporary WHLers in Seattle. And if you've got two top-13 NHL Draft picks on the same WHL line... they shouldn't disappear for entire games in the Final.

I like the use of cursive in the team names and player's last names in the Nashville presentation. Cursive is a dying form and it's nice to see it in an event like this.

Coyotes mimicking Buffalo: starting to build a little Russian contingent.

Please, no. They're immensely talented. But Winnipeg paired them together and Seattle's 18-20 year olds crushed them and made them disappear for vast stretches of the series. If you draft Benson, you let he and Savoie battle to be the one high-energy high-attack top 6 guy. The other you move. Benson is the one guy I hope we don't draft.

Briere says, "This is the way." That's the right pick.

Hey, that guy sounds like the color guy and studio analyst. And that guy sounds like Briere.

The D run is on!

Does the run on defensemen start early?

That was adorable from Price.

"veteran leadership" = continuing tank When expected in playoffs? "I have no clue." = going for #1 again next season. The Oilers and Sabres (though #2, #2 back-to-back) way.

Wedge was Red 2. (Biggs was Red 3. John D = 4. Luke 5, Porkins 6... etc.) Did y'all know that Lego is finally releasing a set with an official Red Leader (Garven Dreis) minifig this summer? The more you know. All that will be missing of the original Star Wars fighter crew will be a Pops (Gold 5).

The Concept of Kassian is strong with this one.

Not heartless enough? They tanked. Then they cut Ruff and Regier. They kicked every goalie including their face-of-franchise goalie to the curb. Then they shipped out their best skater because he was despondent in a season-ending interview. Then they whacked their entire minor-league coaching staff and half their scouts simply for cost savings. Then they shipped out their captain and face of the franchise who was getting better year over year and was a point-per-game guy. Then they shipped out the other guy they tanked for. They whacked 3 GMs and 4 or 5 head coaches in 10 years. They haven't re-signed a single goalie, even the good ones (ones? no, just one). They got rid of everyone who was blocking anyone under the age of 21. The only person they've been buddy-buddy with is their captain who all the players respect and whose play is perfectly suitable for a 4W and his cap hit is a fraction of what it was last year. And Bjork. I think they liked the name. And you don't want to move someone you just acquired in a trade because it doesn't look good for future UFA signees. They were a bit too buddy-buddy with Bjork.

Don't disparage the good name of Darth by tying it to HCRK.