Pokey Jones

Scandella yes, but in all fairness Antipin needs time and development. He will be better if he has the work ethic and will. Sometimes those Russians aren't all that motivated so we shall see. As for Baloo, he is just a dice rolling gamble. Low wager, potential reward, I can see why they did it and don't hold it against them even if he doesn't develop and is a total bust. Give Housley time with the younger D especially. It's going to take time, probably a year or two.

For the right price anybody but I would not trade Jack, Risto, McCabe (I still believe he can be a solid #3 or 4) and probably Scandella. I'd also probably keep Bailey and Antipin cause I still see possible upside. Everyone else can go and I wish some went sooner than others. Pommers is fine, but at his age if somebody wants him dump the salary. I still believe what I've been saying since I got here, the culture and attitude has to be changed and that won't happen if you just tweak the roster bit by bit, you have to rip out the core and replace it entirely. otherwise you run the risk that the new blood adapts to the old. maybe those inside the locker room can sort them out with info we don't have, but when you want to get rid of the bad, you cut deep and wide to make sure you get it all.

Missed this earlier. Reinhart does in fact go to all the right places, and will get a tip now and again but watch more closely at how little he actually does there and how easily he is moved out most of the time. If he wasn't he'd have a lot more goals no?

There were a lot of close losses last year too, but they were still losses. Same problem as always, they do not score/finish in too many games. Some decent play here and there, but not much rebound work, jamming it home or sustained pressure. The core players aside from Eichel just don't have it with the possible exception of ROR (still undecided on him). Kane on occasion, but mostly he just shoots from a distance. Guys like Bailey could develop it, but they need examples to learn from.

Ben Hutton is the Vancouver name bandied about as part of it.

If someone wants Pommers you trade him. You trade them all.

I'd settle for a Jim Lorentz at this point. Somebody, anybody able to get in front of the goalie and cause a little havoc? Nope, not on this roster. Let's see, I'm called too negative so let me think of something positive..................thinking............................still thinking.......................oh, it's kind of cute the way Reinhart skates around all over the place like he's actually doing something. If hockey was horseshoes, he'd rack up a bunch of points. How's that? I got really bored after the second period. They suck. Again.

Apparently Vancouver still seriously wants Kane. They have talked. No word on how far apart that is or if it is serious.

Its not that Jack doesn't want to score goals, its that Kane doesn't ever pass the puck back, he almost always goes for the shot himself. more back and forth all over is what this team still needs - and guys like Okposo have to be more ready when Jack throws it over to them last second.

This will be a tough one and I wouldn't be too down on them if they lost as long as they gave a solid effort. Columbus can be a physical team and their PP shouldn't be as anemic as the Detroit one was. So don't take stupid penalties and try to beat them with speed. Also our PP has to be better to win this one. I think the usual unwritten rule is you play a shutout goalie in the next game if he wants to or is able to play. So I'd be surprised if Johnson started.

Well I don't think it was really great hockey from either team, but we were better than them and on any night that's all that matters. McCabe has gained a fire of some sort and you got to love it. It is easy to nitpick things in this game but there is no point to that. It's all a step in the right direction.

Ask for this more often ok? Wow, a shut out, that's new. Gonna just kick back and enjoy the feeling for tonight. Another step forward.

Sloppy hockey with poor puck management. This team still has to learn to play together as a unit, and not as a bunch of individuals. Effort level is good though and they seem to be picking up their speed so let's hope that continues. If it does, they should be ok as Detroit isn't exactly coming across as a powerhouse. Myself, I'd take Okposo off that Eichel line and put Bailey back but I'm probably more impatient than Phil.

Honestly, I had concerns when the LaFontaine/Murray thing happened but I gave him the benefit of a doubt. Losing lotteries wasn't his fault, but his entire plan was based around getting McDavid rather than building a team step by step. The straw? Probably the Lehner trade. He was giving away first round picks left and right but that deal, as most so called experts said at the time, should have been a 2nd rounder at most. Clouded judgement on that one for sure. (In politics or finance, you'd have wanted an investigation for family collusion :))

I just want to see effort and enthusiasm in a home game. Teams are supposed to be harder to beat at home right? Let's see that. (On that racial thing, it's changing a lot. But how could you forget Mike Grier! )

Yup, it's sweat.

Moulson - lol

Contrary to some belief, I am an optimist about them or else I wouldn't be here. I think the big difference is I see this as a reset moment and a beginning and I think the starting point for that is a little lower than most here who have imo over valued this team based on their expectations. If they did not fire Murray, I would not be here and I would only watch casually waiting for the eventual moment to arrive in another year or whatever. It's upwards now, but the hill is steep.

If we are in the playoff hunt. If not, I would try to move him about a month before the deadline.

Yes, the deadline market has been turning the other way for a while now. I think Murray found that out the hard way. Last year a number of teams tried to move bodies and were left holding on to them as prices dropped at the deadline rather than going up like in the past. cap issues are certainly a factor, but probably the younger GMs have more build from your own system mentalities now.

Yup, there isn't enough back and forth passing on this team in general. Too many one shots and long shots, not enough puck possession. Definitely have to move the puck around more on the PP and I would also say move Jack around more.

Oh ya, I don't see LA doing that until deadline or some weeks before, and only if they think they have a real cup shot if they add a few pieces. I'm just thinking they are the type of team who might think Kane is a perfect fit for a playoff run and they have the depth on D.

I think you are right for the most part. Tampa had that great run end of last year and almost made it in and Ottawa beat the odds before that with their end of season streak but for the most part, making up early season points is extremely difficult, especially with all those overtime loss points that can get added.

My understanding in most well run organizations is the scouts do the grunt work and bring the names they find to guys like Jankowski who correlate, compile, rank, and so on based on team criteria. The big difference with teams is what main criteria management values the most. Analytics, personality, size, speed, all those things and more matter, but each team has their priorities which they as a group have presumably agreed upon.

hated The Deuce. Ozark was the best new show I saw this year, can't wait for season 2 of that.