nfreeman

Rayzer just called RK "Rob Kruger."

And they lost their LT and C for the year.

So, the Athletic today published a survey of 17 NHL GMs and coaches (7 GMs, 4 head coaches, 3 AGMs and 3 goalie coaches) in which the panel ranked all of the NHL starters. Hutton tied for DFL. One member of the panel said: Among goalies with 27 or more games played, Hutton was #32 in SV% (56th in SV% in shootouts), 39th in GAA and 30th in wins. I thought Hutton (and Ullmark) played very well for the first 30 games or so of last season and then more or less fell off the table to the point of being a net negative for the team. I wanted JB to bring in another goalie. I am deeply concerned that having a mediocre goalie creates an impossible burden to overcome for a team struggling to emerge from long-term suckitude. I think RK and the new goalie coach will help a bit, but I don't seem them surpassing lower middle class status. And if it's obvious at the end of the year that goaltending held the team back and materially contributed to another bottom-8 season, I will be fine with terminating JB. It will have been a terrible misjudgment about a fundamental part of the game -- analogous to Doug Whaley failing to bring in a real QB year after year.

The Pats will probably win, but maybe not. Sooner or later, every dog has its day. And if it's close in the 2nd half, and the Bills sack Brady on 3rd down, or lay a big hit on someone to force a fumble or an interception, or score to tie the game or get within 3 -- at that moment in time, there will be no place on earth as awesome to be as the Ralph.

My wife and I are about halfway through "American Crime Story -- The Assassination of Gianni Versace." It's not as good as the one about OJ, but it's still pretty good.

I too am willing to give RK the benefit of the doubt and see how things unfold, but I would much prefer Skinner with Eichel on the top line and Reino with Olofsson on the 2nd line.

So the question is whether I would trade Sheary, Risto and 2 protected #1s for Reino? Interesting. Maybe. I've already said that I'd trade Reino for Laine straight up, so getting Reino back for that package would IMHO be less than getting Laine back -- but OTOH there is a good likelihood that that package turns out to look fancier than it actually is. Sheary has close to zero value, Risto may have plateaued as a good-but-not-great defender, and picks after the top 10, possible several years out, are a crapshoot.

I don't think the Jets would make the trade if the picks were lottery-protected. However, if they agreed to, say, top-10 protection on the picks, and if Laine agreed to a bridge deal as part of the trade, I would make the trade in a heartbeat.

How so? Here's what you said: Again: do you think that the Sabres' fan base "doesn't care that the product is ****?" Or perhaps it can be true that many Sabres fans enjoy following their prospects AND that they are simultaneously unhappy with the state of the franchise.

Does the Sabres' fan base seem "more than happy" with the current state of affairs to you?

They also gave it to Knox on a "jet sweep" that he turned into a very nice play.

And this raises the point I made elsewhere about whether Reino should get a fat long-term deal. It's quite possible that the right number of those contracts on a team is 4 and not 5, and Point would absolutely be preferable to Reino for that 4th one. OTOH, it wouldn't be crazy to bank on the cap continuing to rise and thus creating room for Reino to get that 5th contract.

Dude.

Good to see ya sir! This year will be better.

If not he should be fired immediately?

While I want to see a good amount of turnover at forward, I too have been thinking that we need at least a couple of guys that can be trusted to lock it down on the PK and in a 5-on-5 defensive role. Larsson is probably my top choice for one of those slots. If they dump him and Zemgus in favor of guys like Ruotsie, CJ, Lazar, TT, etc -- I just see the team getting caved in on D and being unable to break the opponent's momentum. Interesting, and another indication IMHO that MIttsie's spot on the roster is not guaranteed.

I think it's less than 25% likely that Cozens makes the team. I also think it's less than 25% likely that Mitts doesn't make the team. So I think there's about a 5% chance that Cozens makes it and Mitts doesn't. Anything is possible, of course, but if this were true I don't think he would've hired RK.

Bob and Doug! Take off, eh?

And more forceful.

I agree that it would be a major slap in the face for Mitts. But when I watch him, I just don't see a guy who's ready to be an effective NHL player. I kinda like the idea of him battling against a lower level of pro hockey for half a season (or more) before throwing him in over his head again. Also, I freaking love the idea of Cozens blowing in like Tormund Giantsbane and seizing the 2C spot.

So, if we were to tweak today's lines to my liking, we'd have: Skinner - Eichel - ERod Vesey - Cozens - Reino Johansson - Asplund - Olofsson Girgensons - Larsson - Ruotsalainen ...putting KO and Sheary in the press box as extras and Mittsie and TT in Rochester for further seasoning. I could talk myself into liking that setup pretty easily.

...until the 2nd half of last season, although if we're going to quibble about "point producer" vs "mainstay who shows up when his team needs him and should be locked up to a fat long-term deal" I suppose there is room for disagreement.

Reino was terrible (in the context of expectations) in the 1st half of 2017-18.

Not sure why the whining on this is necessary, but just to be clear: copying a brief excerpt is OK. Copying an entire article, or most of it, is not OK. We don't have a strict word count limit here -- posters are expected to use their better judgment.

"Schitt's Creek" is low-key a really funny show.