Weave

I don’t understand this. It wasn’t for Staal to agree or disagree. Buffalo wasn’t on his no fly zone list. They were free to trade him here. His choice was accept the trade or retire.

Its amazing how a tank can empty when enthusiasm diminishes. I don’t think we should underestimate this. Even hardened pros can lose enthusiasm in the wrong environment and begin to lose effectiveness. Looking at you, ROR. Not saying this is the case here. Am saying there is a real possibility that it could play out this way. As Duda mentioned, very plausible it goes either way. He didn’t want to be here. He’s coming because right now it is the preferred option for him. That isn’t a permanent condition.

My take is a little more conspiratorial than this is a result of more extreme positions among society. I think we have been in the midst of a coup of sorts for some time now. Republicans have been playing the long game. Control has been slowly compartmentalized and we are in full transition to an oligarchy. While they wanted no part of him initially, I think the GOP realized at some point that Trump is a useful idiot for their needs, and that is the reason why they haven't asked hm to step down like they did Nixon. He has managed to activate a base that they needed to wrest influence from certain segments of society and trivialize them. They needed him to pack the judicial branch with members sympathetic to the end game. And now that they have the judges, and have the armed alt right and law enforcement in their pockets......... this won't end well.

If I am comparing a guy, I am using a similar level as the comparison, not someone levels above. If we are saying that someone has Lidstrom ceiling, we are implying that he has a complete game, excellent skating, excellent decision making at a level Lidtrom was at, possibly GOAT. If we are talking about those same skills but at another level, Neidermeyer is a better comparable. Or Teppo. And much more reasoanble.

Spent the afternoon at a brewery in the southern tier. Wife's birfday. Headed off to a fancy restaurant shortly.

At 17 overall if they expected more than they got out of him their expectations were out of whack. That far into the first round the trend is for guys that make it to be role players. and even at that the success rate is below 50%. Draft picks are overvalued in general.

You think he has an HOF level ceiling?

Hustles, hits, forechecks well, good for a few timely goals, skates very well, not well suited to move up the lineup though. He's essentially a more talented version of Matt Ellis. Which isn't a bad thing. He fits the cheap 4th liner role. I think he has a bigger toolbox than Ellis had, but in today's NHL it isn't as effective as it would have been 10-12 yrs ago. I think his skating and skill level will fit what Kreuger wants to do better than Larsson's skill set will. But he doesn't have Larsson's pest-iness, which we don't have enough of already. Hopefully we bring that back into the lineup in another deal this offseason, preferably with a top 6 player instead.

So Risto's effect on Ovi would essentially be neutral then. But highly entertaining. So I say we keep him out against Ovi.

I'm pretty much where you are. For the first time in my life politics is affecting my personality and my sleep. It does feel hopeless right now. I can't shake the feeling that the America I knew is gone.

I want that job anyway.

Me too.

Agreed. Slaw > lettuce

How often do 8 OAL picks turn out good enough to be players that drive their line? I feel like by the time you get to 8 those players are not reliable to pick at that level.

I read this with Mike Tyson's voice in my head.

It would seem that you can teach a QB enough accuracy to be reasonably effective.

Kessel’s game is gonna fall off a cliff when his time comes. I don’t know that I’d want him for any more than a season at a time.

What do you do for a living that 100 mph got let go?

He's got crazy hands. Tim Connolly hands. You might be right about him lacking in other areas though. He gets abused pretty badly here for being unmotivated and//or entitled. My gut tells me the other skills needed are more the issue than motivation. I can't put my finger on it, but he is lacking somewhere.

His points did, but he was a very effective player even with the Sabres. His legs kept him in the league longer than his hands did. I honestly have no idea what about Staal's game has kept him at 2C level, but when whatever it is goes away he won't have the legs Gionta did to survive it. That's all I'm getting at.

Yeah the haze on the ride home last night was impressive. It’s incredible how much smoke is being generated

Gionta was one of those incredible skaters that can play forever. Staal is not that guy. I think there is a very real risk of a precipitous dropoff. And its a risk I think that was well worth taking given last season, and the prive we paid to get him.

Definitely a hockey trade. I think Marcus was under appreciated around here. To my eye he was excellent at carrying the puck into the O zone. I thought his game dropped off after he got hurt though. I see this as a natural C and leader with grit coming in, exchanged for a utility player with better wheels and a good two way game. Marcus is more versatile and Eric better at his specialty.

My money is on Tage being the better player. I'm not certain Tage will have much of an NHL career, but I am putting better odds on Tage than I am on Mitts. Tage was physically outmatched at times, but looked like the kind of player that could make it happen. Casey, to me, just looked overwhelmed most of the time. Didn't Casey go through a huge stretch last season getting all secondary assists and no primaries? Or was that Nylander the season before?

This didn't age well.