French Collection

Sounds like something between Mule and Zadorov.

Watching Ekholm play for Edmonton makes me want a Dman like that to play with Power.

The ref was 8 feet away with an unimpeded view.

I forgot about Jost. He won’t score 28 but his versatility is an asset and I don’t think he would be opposed to 13F, where VO is not really suited for that role.

I think he could get some ice time on L3 with someone like Krebs and JJP but I feel he has more value in a trade. Savoie, Kulich, Rousek and Greenway will push him for ice time plus whoever they may acquire. KO and Girgs may return as well. VO could end up in a rotation like Quinn, JJP, Asplund and Hinostroza was in last year. He may prefer a trade where he is a regular. If KA can turn VO+ into a top 4-5 Dman that is a win in my mind because of the F depth and lack of true 4-5 D.

USA easily gets by Slovakia 7-1 to play for the gold medal at the U18s. Will Smith with a hat trick.

Hellebuyck went on to say that he enjoyed the 5 games of playoff hockey more than the entire regular season. He called it like a high that you have to chase. I want the Sabres to experience that, soon.

I think Mitts can work with Cozens and Quinn. We know Mitts is strong on the wall, keeping possession in the O zone and setting up people for scoring chances. Cozens can lead zone entries. His shot is improving so he can bury a lot of feeds. He is getting stronger and will win many battles. Quinn can do a lot, shoot, dangle, pass, steal pucks and back check. He will get stronger and be a handful for Dmen. This line could also have a C taking draws on their strong sides for any situation. Whoever is having a better night on draw could get more work. JJP could become a key on L3 with Krebs and ???

Good for him. It’s great to hear that a prospect is moving up the ladder during a playoff run in a good league.

No, not on my watch. I want to see their fans lose their minds. Well, not all of them because we would have a serious problem with that many I’ll people all at once.

No awareness for the Panthers on that one.

Mensch with a hat trick while Brett Murray had 1G 2A.

Yes and it would add to the President’s Trophy “curse”.

Savoie with an assist as the Ice win game 1 vs Saskatoon in their third round series. Komarov’s Quebec Remparts beat Nadeau’s Gatineau Olympiques 5-2 in game one. No points for either player.

I think he should be in due to his career numbers. Winning something is highly valued. Guys with lesser careers who have won Cup(s) and/or individual awards get in a lot more.

I listened to the entire podcast. KA doesn’t change his message. Patience, draft, develop, identify the core that wants to be here and lock them up. I keep feeling he is happy with the goaltending and he will come back in October with Comrie, UPL and Levi. He says Comrie had some bad breaks and didn’t get a fair shake. UPL is getting better and came in to save the season when Comrie went down. Levi is really good and ahead of the curve.

Playoff hockey. Things change quickly. Analysts cite how a team has swept the season series and then that proceeds to lose. I thought Hellebuyck would make a difference. I thought Seattle wasn’t ready. I thought New Jersey wasn’t ready and that Shesterkin would tip the scales. The Leafs could still choke, there is a lot of pride in the Bolts room. I picked Florida just because they were playing well going in and the President’s Trophy “jinx”.

Did he start the argument hoping for that outcome?

It many people have influence in Alberta like the Sutter family. Ownership is handcuffing the new GM if he has to keep Sutter. He will have to build a team of Sutter guys. They mention Toffoli was excellent, he played for Sutter in LA. If the current team is brought back, Sutter will not change his ways to accommodate certain players. KA could pick up a bargain or two. Hanifin, Anderson, Vladar.

I think playoff success, especially Cup(s) is highly valued by the HOF committee. International success adds to a resume. Individual awards catch their attention too. Tkachuk’s deepest run was winning two rounds. 89 playoff games in 20 years. His kids are keeping his name in the news so he may make it. Roenick’s big mouth is probably holding him back. He never won anything but played 150+ playoff games. Turgeon’s playoff experience is pretty weak, just over 100 games in 20 years. Verbeek did win a Cup but he wasn’t a big part of it. His playoff stats are meh. Skinner is not a HOFer. The only way to get considered would be for him to keep his current level of play going for 5 more years, win a Cup or two and collect a Conn Smythe in one of them. If he is a good playoff player when he finally gets there we won’t care if he makes the HOF or not.

Easier to fire the coach, always is. Injuries hurt them a lot but he is questioning the heart of his best players. Good for Bowness, he’s been around 40+ years, he isn’t scared to speak up now that the season is over. He might want to retire anyway. He took the C from long time captain Wheeler to shake up the old core. Scheifele has often disappeared. Dubois doesn’t want to extend. The only guy that seemed to give it all was Lowry. Hellebuyck may want out.

Is this because of contract buyouts?

Florida lives to fight another day. If nothing else it wears Boston down a little bit more.

This is the only list that Bryson is #1 on. Turnovers, no offense, can’t win a battle, pushover and a few other faults. He was given many chances to become a mainstay as a homegrown guy but he has not worked out and in my opinion should not even be #8D. VO is next on my list. 28 goals is good but he is no longer good enough to be a top 9 player. He doesn’t do any other tasks well. Even on the PP I find him lacking any creativity, he stands and waits for Dahlin/Power to tee it up for him. He doesn’t move it around or look for lanes. I much prefer Quinn, who will only get better. People say you can’t replace 28 goals but I think you do it by committee. Quinn/Peterka/Krebs improvement alone could do it but Greenway/Rousek and another UFA should put that number of goals in the rear view mirror. The Sabres don’t need to make a big splash on a UFA forward, just a steady 2-way grinder who can chip a few in and a C that can win draws as a bonus. I suggested Jonathan Toews as a 4C 13F option. I understand the love for KO, the leadership he brings and the bond he has formed with the young guys and the staff. I hope he realizes that he no longer helps much on the ice and that it is time to retire. If he really wants his 1000 games I can see a path for that, I just don’t want him being a regular for 82 games. He doesn’t bring enough on the ice and he will be that much older/slower in October. His leadership has helped changed the culture of the team for the better but I want the next captain to be ultra competitive to the point where participation medals are melted down and shot into space to replace the asteroids that fall onto earth. This is another reason I would like to have Toews brought in to mentor the leaders (Dahlin, Tuch, Cozens) on what it takes to get to the next level. I don’t care about Girgs one way or the other. One year deal max.

The reverse Lehner.