That Aud Smell

Maybe not necessary, but it was funny. Because it's a diversity and inclusion council formed from ownership ranks (or, I guess, their equivalent (like what Ted Black used to do as alternate governor)). Kim's from at least 2 demographics that, we may infer, the NHL is seeking to include more (women, people of color).

What other minority women do you have in mind? Do they own an NHL franchise? Seriously. Who mods the mods?

[hikes up black socks while wearing shorts]: He's gotta earn his spot! I really do believe that, though. He's got to establish himself as a Sabre with his play -- not with his potential and pedigree.

but the picture still looks navy-ish?

Hmmm. Ya don’t say? Totally misunderstood (and was confused as a result). Thanks for clarifying. My theory on Eichel is that, a combination of natural talent, a strong desire to win, and just plain ol’ temperament and personality, are combining to create the player we’ve seen so far. A wonderful talent who does keep improving. Does he hate to lose though? Or does he love to win? I think there’s a difference in there.

I missed that. Interesting. Of course, Gionta would have been coasting for a different set of reasons at that point, yeah? My sense with ROR is that he is, in the football coaches' terms, all about ball. If he was miffed at Sam preferring to hang with Eichel, I infer that would have been more from a place of "that guy can't/won't show you the way; I can."

Same. What exactly was ROR's insoluble problem with Eichel? I don't think it was something as facile as personalities that didn't mesh. I theorize that ROR saw in Eichel a guy with far more natural ability and talent than ROR ever had, but who, quite unlike ROR, was unwilling and/or unable to do the incredible amount of work needed to hoist The Cup. #Floating #Coasting The story is not yet written, though. There's still time.

This is a good post - for at least a couple of reasons. The absence of an active market for the eventual Conn Smythe winner reflects horribly on several GMs. People here have posted to the effect that the Tim Hortons incident and Cal O'Reilly's rough handling of Nylander may have contributed to the Pegulas being done with 90.

Let the church say “amen.” Also: I’m legitimately happy for O’Reilly. And I fear for the Sabres. Hamilton reported that Jack had no issues with ROR, but that ROR had issues with Jack. I’m starting to wonder anew over what that might have been about.

ROR was apparently the first player ever to score in (sequential) games 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the SCF. Seeing him win the Conn Smythe ... well, like some song lyrics: “Hurts so bad. More than I expected that it would. Worse than that: It seems to be taking a little longer than it should.”

It was a brutal slog, no doubt.

For sure. Other sports with similar competitions do a better job, I think (rugby, cricket -- even hockey, I suppose). Of course, FIFA can't resist the almighty dollar (or legal tender), so expand away they will. Something similar may happen at the next (?) men's World Cup (which is expanding).

I saw that formulation. I just can't get past thinking of Bobby Kennedy.

I really only weighed in so that I could make a Foghorn Leghorn joke.

never figured muffy as having much in the way of hips.

an out of the box coach hiring by Bottsie.

Raahhhhh Kruuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

^^ This is the good stuff. It probably warrants its own thread in the wake of Skinner's signing. Or maybe it makes more sense of wait a bit. What are their in-season options with Reinhart in terms of extending him?

We're now charting toward a core of Eichel, Skinner, Dahlin, and presumably Reinhart. Anyone else belong there? I know it's a fallacy to blame a team's best players for its failures, but I can't help but be anxious about this. Perhaps it's the unpleasant memories of the "rotten core" that followed Black Sunday.

That's an odd way to proceed on a message board. When? Link? I missed it, is all. This is a good point. Consider that McDermott essentially hired Beane into that position. Which is not how those things generally work. Collaboration is clearly a Pegula calling card. That's where I am, all of it. We may come to find/feel that RaKru was little more than a snake oil salesman - fit for conducting leadership conferences, but unfit for being a HC in the NHL. In prospect ranking terms, his floor is incredibly low and his ceiling quite high. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.

Huh. I missed or forgot that.

Honest question: Why wouldn’t CAR pay him like this? Absence of Pegula bucks? Roster structure?

I believe this is a modern trend in hiring into the HC ranks. Heck - Liverpool FC just won the Champions League with a manager (soccer's version of the HC) who was very much in this mold (Klopp). Honest question: Is the Belichick model essentially the inverse (converse? obverse?) of this? Isn't Belichick like a total savant about the entire playbook, all the Xs and all the Os? Is the Rams HC similar? Maybe things are different in (American) football. Maybe basketball is a better parallel?

GAH! Maybe it depends on the kind of broken jaw? Lafontaine was (is?) a maniac.

Jesus with the Chara stuff. I mean - is his jaw not broken? How is he even a possibility to play in that state?