kipwinger

25 is totally "dmacs" number. I mean why shouldn't we hold numbers for druggie idiots who throw their careers down the toilet while thumbing their nose at the organization that made them?

That second line is going to be sick. Hopefully Larkin and Nastasiuk will keep Mantha honest with their work ethic and pace.

This is a very good point. I hadn't thought about it. There should be a learning curve for a lot of coaches, particularly non-offensive minded coaches, for about a year or so.

My bold picks for the conference. Washington is on the cusp of being VERY good, and I liked the Williams and Oshie moves. Plus their two young Russians are going to be really good this year. Pittsburgh doesn't even make the playoffs because Kessel won't help as much as they think, and because Brandon Dubinsky eats Sydney Crosby alive in head to head play. Washington Tampa Detroit Montreal NY Islander Columbus NY Rangers Florida

That's not true. It's just been over ten years since a Wings coach deserved one.

We'll lose the Conference Finals in 6. To Columbus.

Haha, Boston Strong!

Wait, what?

Looks like TO is going to try their patented "sign a bunch of guys to one year deals and then trade them at the deadline" ploy again. Good luck with that.

Brad Richards is Babcock's future 4th line winger. David Legwand and Stephen Weiss beckon he join them.

Don't believe the hype. Johnny Depp can make even the most hardened of mobsters seem feeble, effete, and impotent. Just like he did with pirates, and cocaine smugglers, and serial killers, and raving lunatics, and Willy Wonka.

In a testament to how dumb Jim Rutherford is, rumor has it that the Leafs were going to trade Van Riemsdyk to Pittsburgh if the Pens hadn't been willing to pay up for Kessel. That's James Van Riemsdyk. The guy who would have been a perfect complimentary forward for Crosby and NOT been a giant ******* and distraction. Yikes.

If Dano can score 26 in the NHL, surely Mantha can score as much...provided he stops acting softer than a Johnny Depp character.

I doesn't matter whether it's an AHL contract or and NHL contract. The intent is clearly to send Dano to the Griffs. How do I know? Because it's not coincidence that he signed for the exact amount that can be safely buried in the AHL without incurring an NHL cap penalty. That wasn't true a year ago. Or two years ago. I think we feel different because I'd love to have Cleary on a line with somebody like Mantha. First, because Cleary was considered an under performing "floater" when he was first drafted too, and turned it around. Secondly, because Dan has never been shy about digging in his teammates ass if they don't hop to. I want him on the team to babysit Mantha alone.

I don't know about that. Jeff Blashill heaped praise on Hoggan, Paetsch, and Evans for being decent AHL players, but more importantly for being on ice leaders, advisors, and mentors for young players. I don't hear anybody complaining that 38 year old Jeff Hoggan was just given a new contract despite the fact that he'll almost certainly not play in the NHL, and if he did...he would suck. Cleary is in the exact same position, he just makes more money. Who cares? His salary doesn't count against the cap, he's likely not going to take up a roster spot (barring HUGE injury woes), and if he does it will only be temporary and will only cost 900K. He was signed because he's not ready to stop playing, the organization wants him around, and because (here's the most important part) both his wishes and the organizations' could be satisfied without negatively impacting the big club in any way (nobody loses a roster spot, no money against the cap).

Gotta think he wanted to go to Buffalo for some reason. Otherwise every GM for a contending team would have cleared the decks for the guy. I would have traded B. Smith a month ago if I new that I could have Cody Franson for 3.3 at 2 years. Kronner-E Dekeyser-Green Quincey-Franson Yes please. Brendan can go turn the puck over for Toronto if Babs loves his compete level that much.

Barring MASSIVE injury woes, I'll be surprised if he plays a single game for Detroit. And if such injuries occur, Dan Cleary will be the least of our worries. Last year, he actively took a roster (on the big club) spot away from another player. This year, he'll be doing that in GR. I care more about the former than the latter.

Would it blow anybody else's mind if Cleary was claimed off waivers when he's waived after camp? What if Bill Peters pulls another fast one and claims Cleary like he did Nestrasil?

Lol. About as quickly as Kane's will be. Sports is a business, and the people that run sports teams operate them as such. Every fan wants championships, new stadiums, and flashy free agents. You do that by winning and putting butts in the seats. And sometimes, to do that, GMs are willing to ignore the ethical imperatives. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying it is what it is. Businesses exist to make money, not to enforce the social good. Expecting them to do the latter, rather than the former, will always disappoint. Our very own Mike Illitch does plenty of unethical things in the name of our team. Nobody calls him out on it. So lets not pretend its just a Kings or Hawks problem.

I'm really happy about this. Glad to have a hockey guy who is higher in the pecking order than St. James. Hopefully it will up her game a little bit. I always thought she got away with sucking because nobody else at the Free Press knew anything about hockey.

You never know. Throwing oodles and oodles of money at someone can change their minds pretty quickly. Easy to stand on virtue until they put that offer on the table. Fortunately for Kopitar and Stamkos they'll get locked up LONG before that's ever an issue.

Kopitar will not leave the Kings. Just like Stamkos won't leave Tampa. Both teams are good, and will give those guys what they're worth. Pretending that Kopitar will leave is basically hockey porn. It's a nice fantasy, but it ain't real folks.

Why are you trying to talk her out of something she wants? You're saying the money whether its a Abby, Datsyuk, or Gordy Howe sweater. It's a sunk cost. So what difference does it make? Seems like you don't want her to get an Abby jersey because YOU don't want one. Which defeats the point of giving someone a gift.

If the success of video game GM modes, and Capgeek, and fantasy hockey, are any indication, quite a lot of people find drafting, developing, building, trading, signing FAs, scouring the waiver wire, and other personnel moves extremely interesting. Think about it, when you play video games, or participate in fantasy sports, is the actual game play the funnest part? Or is it all the stuff you do in the lead up to the season, or the game, what's satisfying?

Think of it this way. Vladamir Putin is the Vince McMahon of an entire country. One of the biggest and most powerful countries on earth actually. Awesome.