French Collection

I am sure KA remembers how good that team was and he would know many of those players. He knows the importance of leadership, character and chemistry and he is careful in assembling this team with skill and those other traits I listed.

Under Armour just seems like a perfect fit for hockey. I don’t want to minimize other sports but UA doesn’t seem to sound right with track, basketball, soccer etc.. Smart marketers could do well with this alliance.

KA inherited Skinner’s deal and so far it hasn’t hampered his plan. He is not a $9M player but if he plays like he can it is not a brutal contract. So far, KA has been avoiding the big contracts, saving cap room for the internal growth of his players. I hope he keeps some powder dry for making a deal (UFA or trade) for a piece that will help take the next step when this team is in the playoffs. My mind always flashes back to Butch Goring for the Islanders at the deadline. He was the perfect fit on that team to complement the stars they had and help them win 4 Cups in a row.

With my iPad, which is a 5 year old model. We are also in the country so it is not the fastest internet.

Washington will be without Backstrom for a while. Their core is a year older. They should drop a bit. I can’t see 8 100 point teams in the east this year, there will be closer races for the last few spots.

Habs fans are saying Suzuki’s new deal had not even kicked in last year so he was making a lot less.

Rick Westhead of TSN reporting that Hockey Canada paid out plaintiffs 12 times over the years and one player was involved in 4 incidents, costing them $1M. Wow, a repeat offender keeps coming back. I am really disappointed with that organization. So many people were hurt and it was hushed up because these guys are “hockey stars”.

KO gave a great interview. His concussion issues had more to do with mental health than physical health. He’s come a long way. He is a strong person and it sounds like his wife was a tremendous help in getting him back to where he is now. I liked the story of his High School days when he scored 20 points one weekend while on the bantam team. Crosby was on the senior team and had scored 15. Sid was so competitive he went out and scored 25 the following weekend to beat KO.

Hockey news is scarce right now and actual games are not happening. As a fan of the game I will watch as much as possible but it won’t have the same feel as Christmas/New Year. The Hockey Canada scandals will make it awkward to put a positive spin on the tournament from this country’s perspective.

I don’t think Power is playing.

I used to take a lot of pride in that when I got my new NHL Record and Guide Book every season. No Cups but a darned good team every year. Kind of like the Leafs have been in the last 5 years. (Comparison hurts but it’s pretty close).

Maybe the Sabres sign him, flip him to someone else while retaining 50%. Weaponizing cap space in a pre arranged deal.

There is a stench on all of these guys.

I think you nailed it. His stare at the Habs table was kind of creepy. I watched him live about 6 times and he never left me thinking he was a star. He may become a 1C yet but my take is a middle 6 C. He almost looked better as a 15 year old. I don’t think he busts like Sean Day but the next Bergeron is a stretch.

I still see a bit of upside with Asplund. The player he can be similar to is Lehkonen from the Avs. Pesky, hard on the forecheck, solid penalty killer and potting some goals. I see him eventually settling in as a homegrown 4C, providing he gets better at draws and can handle the 200’ responsibility.

They lost Huberdeau, Weegar, Giroux and Marchment. The last two were cap casualties and were nearly point per game producers. Chiarot is gone as well. I don’t think they will be as good. Tkachuk is the only significant piece coming in.

I don’t know if he lost his love of the game. I think he lost the room and had nothing left in his bag of tricks to get those guys going. I think he was going to get fired so he resigned first.

I think they need all of the talented young guys to play a full season to get a better picture of who they are. Krebs was acquired by KA so I doubt he goes anywhere soon. VO just signed a fair contract and his scoring is required until the young guns force him down the depth chart. We have not seen Mitts’ ceiling and he could break out this season. I don’t think it will be this year if he is moved. I voted for him because if he picks up his game he could get moved to make room at C for Cozens, Krebs, Savoie or Kulich. I see KA wanting to see what a healthy Mitts can do, to determine his value.

Brooke Henderson wins her 2nd Major and 12th LPGA tournament, both a record for Canadian golfers.

Smaller or less desired markets need to draft and develop, then hope to retain talent. I like Maurice, he’d worn out his message in Winnipeg. Florida has some similarities in a solid goalie, good scoring lines and a questionable defense.

These guys are pros but the chemistry is affected as well. Florida had Huberdeau as a long time core player and Weegar was a key piece. They may be disgruntled to be in Calgary.

Nemec,Wright, Slafkovsky,Edvinsson,Johnston ahead of Quinn? They are not valuing what has been accomplished to date. Holtz, Cooley and Jiricek ahead of JJP is the same idea, draft position seems to be the main factor. Levi stays under the radar, hope he keeps improving.

Derek Roy, Dan Paille and Nathan Paetsch were Sabres prospects at that time.

A lot of people, myself included assume Tkachuk is built for playoff hockey and will be a beast. This is a small sam0le but in 27 games he has 15 points. Huberdeau has 21 points in 26 playoff games. Calgary will struggle to sign both of these guys in my opinion. If they have to move them at the deadline it really disrupts their chance at a deep playoff run. Both teams might be worse off this season.

Florida not having 1st round picks will make it tough to replenish their roster with top notch ELC guys. They are almost like Vegas.