IKnowPhysics

I see his (agents?) point of view. He's had a seven coaches in the last calendar year. When you're trying to get better and earn ice time, that can be frustrating. Hell, even in the real world, if you wanted to be promoted, but you had a new boss every two months, that'd be a pain in the dick. I can understand why a frank conversation about his development was sought after, however stamping your feet and refusing to report isn't the best way to initiate that conversation. Maybe that's the maturity thing. I'm glad this is behind us, and I continue to look forward to Grigorenko's continued development.

I don't go forward very often, but it's tempting to do so in the neutral zone when the opponent seems slow, not very agile, or un-expecting and they're the opposite stick hand of you. That way you can just tap that puck forward three feet, step around the non-stick side of the center, and have the puck right on your blade. Tried and true, if your wings aren't lazy :D

I generally only go forward in the neutral zone, especially the center dot. If I'm in my own end, I want to get that puck in my possession at all costs. Even if we're going to gun it long, I'd rather send the far-side wing long along the far boards and send it around behind the boards or skate it behind the net and make the direct pass. Maybe I'm a little more conservative, or maybe you've got pretty good confidence that your wing's going to win that puck.

I do too. Not sure how the stick tie up works there though with one hand. Just get your body over the puck, so that the opposing center can't actually get to it?

Right handed shot. I know how to do the box-out kick/tie-up by turning into the circle, but I feel like that wasn't the new and improved glove cheater's method. I seem to remember they dropped both shoulders straight in, tied up the stick somehow, then gloved it through their legs. Or something. I definitely want to get that stick tied up, for the reason you mentioned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E88HEuwInno

This is wayy off topic, but this is the only how-to thread we have at the moment. For the players: how do you win a faceoff using your glove, ie in the manner that is now illegal in the NHL? I've looked for videos of that type of faceoff win, but I can't find any. Specifically, I know you draw the puck back with your glove, but I want to know what the body positioning is and what the stick tie-up looks like such that you can actually get a free hand on it. I think it'd be funny to use it in beer league on D zone draws.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/154352/french-canada

So in reality, what are the Sabres' real options here? He backs down from his refusal, and goes to the Remparts. Or he doesn't back down and ____? His rights are assigned to the Remparts, but he's suspended by the Remparts for failure to report? He remains in the NHL, but is suspended by the Sabres for blahdy blah conduct? He remains in the NHL, and we just let him eat a roster spot while he's benched? He remains in the NHL, and we actually play him or let him earn his way back onto the active roster? We trade him to another NHL team (where they go through this too?)? He gets real ornery and goes to the K? Is that a comprehensive list? I don't think anyone goes for option #4, which means the only sure fire way to play is to report to the Remparts. I wonder if there could be a special-exemption written for the CHL transfer agreement, wherein an NHL team could trade cash for exemption rights from the transfer agreement on a player-by-player basis, subject to that Q team's approval. Like the Sabres and Remparts could agree to exempt Grigorenko from the CHL transfer agreement (and go play for Rochester) for something like $250K (maybe $150k for the team and $100k for the league). That way our team and other teams could just Pegula their way out of this if the player was good enough and the CHL team was willing.

I really like the Abarth, although I don't really fit in it well and I'd never stop driving what I'm driving now. Didn't notice how good or bad the seats were, besides the fact they were sort of nice leather.

From TBN's grab bag today:

I was thinking about this, but I don't know of any loopholes. ahem, islanders

It's also weird that he'd only be in the Q until March 15th (+ any playoffs, Remparts would probably make playoffs), but after that, he'd be done with the Q forever. Besides the potential injury thing, or maybe a desire to practice in Buffalo, I don't know why he wouldn't just go do that.

He's young. He's got a dick agent. He's not going to get a better situation elsewhere outside of the K, where he's said in the past he doesn't want to play. I'mma ride this one out and see what develops instead of immediately grabbing the pitchfork.

I get the impression that Tim Murray's strength is in player evaluation. Oster looks like a contract/CBA-oriented guy. Could be a good fit, and one that doesn't necessarily replace the functionality of Kevin Devine. There's no convenient list I was able to find, but I think a few teams have two AGM's, notably Boston (Jim Benning [player eval, trades, FAs] and Don Sweeney [player development]). I think in keeping with the model of dumping money into the front office, there's no reason to drop Devine, unless it's a bad fit or an insurmountable personality or philosophy conflict.

Well, the New Era factory isn't far away.

That's ###### insanity, and the biggest understatement I've ever read on this board, and maybe anywhere ever. There's no way I want MacLean here. Hell no. No way. I've sounded off on MacLean several times, whom I think know ranks as one of the worst NHL general managers of all time, and I'd do it a hundred more times to prevent him coming. I'd boo him at the stadium to his face on his first day at work. He is ###### awful. He's so bad, I'd rather have a no-name be appointed, just for the potential hope of that person developing into an administrator that doesn't completely suck dick. Doug MacLean single-handedly kept an expansion franchise in the absolute shitbowl of the league for ten ###### years. He flawlessly ran the perfect model of horrendous drafting and ###### ideas. You want to ###### up a draft rebuild? Get rid of your well-drafting AGM and replace him with Doug MacLean. That'd be a perfect way to do it. And then all of that good karma the new GM just got by having the backing of Craig Patrick is flushed down the shitter because he was the idiot piss-ant GM that hired Doug MacLean.

For a second, just one second, I thought those were the candidates for AGM. And I was like

My bad, I meant that. Fixed.

Judging from Murray on Howard Simon, it sounds like he recognizes that next year's draft is the better draft. He's confident that our high pick will net us a good player this year, but notes that the quality drops off much faster than a good draft would, to the point where he's more concerned about the value of 3rd and 4th rounds. At one point, in the context of draft picks and suffering, he stumbles over his words a little, admitting that he's looking for improvement but not lacking a high pick next year, struggling to not shout out "###### yeah, we're tanking next year too!"

Argh. I had a nice, lengthy post detailing his influence, but I tarded up for a second and closed the wrong tab. Super quick storyline: Pre-Craig Patrick, CBJ's front office blows on a historical level. Doug MacLean is committed to the retard academy 10 years too late. His replacement, Scott Howson, makes crappy, useless trades. His landmark deal is spending a fortune to bring in excommunicated Flyer Jeff Carter, who immediately sucks on a vagabond Columbus roster. Craig Patrick is hired in December 2011. Within one month, Howson makes a head-coaching change (to oust Scotty Arniel for Todd Richards, who's a better fit for an offensively-anemic roster). Within two months, Carter is shipped out for Jack Johnson and a 1st rounder. Johnson plays alright, despite injuries. Howson ships out Pahlsson, and packages the return from that trade with a 2nd rounder to trade for Bobrovsky, who plays his nuts off for Columbus. The Nash situation comes to a head, and Columbus collects, rebuilding their team with Dubinsky, Anisimov, Erixon, and a 1st rounder. Columbus jumps in the standings from finishing dead last in the West the previous year to finishing tied for 8th in the West. Howson's fired anyways. Cue the Herbie Hancock. Jarmo Kekalainen comes in and starts break dancing on the trade and draft floors, respectively. He makes six trades in three weeks, culminating in a trade for Marian Gaborik, and he executes the three first round picks that were collected. TL;DR: Craig Patrick un######ed the CBJ front office into something considerably less ######.

His demeanor on the radio was a lot more cool and confident than during the press conference. Public speaking or first-day-of-GMing jitters? We'll soon find out.

Not one to watch much NBA, I was unaware of this controversy. The old bent corner on the card, that's some bush league ######. Hilarious.

I never thought much about how I would be dressed when I go, and now I don't have to. Thank you.

Good: We should introduce the new personnel to the crowd. Better: And show some interview clips on the Jumbotron. Pegula: WITH A FREE BEER!