Commandant

Scouts saw a kid at 16 that had 83 points in 61 games before getting hurt. Dubois had 45 in 54 games.... Tkachuk is also a late 97... so this is his 3rd year of junior. 2 years at US NTDP level...

Also, even if he was a centre Laine wouldn't pass Matthews. don't buy the hype. It happens every year... Seth Jones is gonna pass MacKinnon, Hedman is gonna pass Tavares, Eichel is gonna pass McDavid. Its all bullshit hype for the draft. Rarely if ever is it a real debate like Taylor vs Tyler.

I'm missing why Edmonton does this deal. They don't get anything significant of value here. This is a massively lopsided deal.

Teams almost always have centres ahead of wingers, thats why Filip Forsberg fell behind Galchenyuk in that same draft. The fact that Galchenyuk was third overall despite that injury just shows you how highly regarded he was.

95% of players put on weight after being drafted Some players will grow an inch, some won't.

Latest rumors are that the NHLPA will use the 5% inflator, meaning we are looking at 73-74 Dubois and Tkachuk are not better today than Galchenyuk was in 2012, IMO.... and Nylander/Brown are definitely not.

If a player (ie P.K. Subban's current situation) is traded before his NTC comes into effect; the NTC is null and void. If he waives his NTC/NMC, it does not go away once he joins the new team.

On third overall Kekalainen says someone must knock his socks off in order to move the pick. Not likely to trade it unless an overpay. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ckc1DnTWYAEx1fA.jpg:small

Kyle Okposo will not re-sign with the Isles

You don't pass over a player of Keller's talent because of size. Desharnais will be long gone by the time Keller is ready for the NHL, and you trade a guy like Andrighetto or Reway if you are concerned about size of the roster, but you don't pass on talent. That said i prefer Jost to Keller.

He is a business guy... not a hockey guy. Running the Habs business isn't that difficult.

Eww I hate the idea of trading down. I don't want more 2nd rounders. I'd rather keep 9 and package 39+45 to get another first rounder.

Arthur Staple has us on Okposo http://hockey30.com/nouvelles/le-ch-favori-pour-kyle-okposo/

Habs say yes Isles say no.

I hadn't thought of that factor (I was mostly just thinking how the NHL has players from a bigger geographic pool) but that is also a great point. As you say, the idea that the league is watered down isn't really true.

Guys its June 13th, free agency starts July 1st, lets panic that Bergevin isn't going to make big moves

There has never been more talent relative to number of teams than there is right now. In fact part of the reason the goal scoring is down is that all the third and fourth liners are such good skaters and even if you get caught with a fourth line on a shift against the top line, its not an automatic scoring chance. The fourth line can skate, and play defensive positions well enough to keep that line at bay long enough and then get a line change on many occassions. In the 80s you got a first line against a fourth line and they were gonna get a prime scoring chance. (one of the reasons, not the only reason). There are so many more hockey players in the US than ever before. More europeans in the league than ever before (And from more countries). The talent is so much better than 21 teams and 80% canadians like the 80s... or the 70s when the NHL had 16 teams and the WHL had a bunch and it was 85% canadian.

http://lastwordonsports.com/2016/06/13/mark-barberio-re-signs-montreal-canadiens/

Just to be clear on a few things Fact - Mark Lafleur was 22 at the time he was driven to the Hotel. - The girl he was meeting up with was 16 at the time, and he was accused of sexually assaulting her when she was 14 (he would have been 20 at the time) At the time Mark was also charged with 21 other charges that included uttering death threats, another sexual assault of a different girl (a 17-year-old). Mark Lafleur was also accused of kidnapping, forcible confinement, mischief, theft, possession of crack cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana, threatening to kill a Montreal bus driver, dangerous driving causing bodily harm and damaging a bus. Guy Lafleur admitted to driving him to the hotel and said under oath. "He respected (the curfew) except for twice, when he asked if he could go to a hotel," Guy Lafleur said in court. "I thought that at 22 he had a right to some intimacy."

I agree he failed in a big way not getting Phil. My criticism of Bergevin has always been that he did nothing, last summer, to get a gamebreaker when this team had a glaring need for one after the loss to Tampa. Where I've defended Therrien is for not throwing good assets away to try to save the season when Price went down. But I've always said that last summer was the time to add a gamebreaking forward. If he doesn't do it this summer, he'll have lost my faith.

I don't think the court is crooked.. i think the police and prosecutor did a shitty job. Being convicted or not doesn't change the fact he did it. And doesn't change the fact that anyone who would aid a person (even their son) in breaking a restraining order to meet up with someone who was accusing him of sexual assault is a POS. That's my opinion whether you like it or not. =============== As for what therrien has to do with this... when you make attacks on me saying i have a lot of hatred and should seek help with that, well i think you need to look in the mirror.

And OJ spent zero time in jail for killing two people (we all know he did it, but he didn't get convicted). Not saying what lafleur did is the same as OJ, just saying sometimes famous people get off even when all the evidence is against them. But he admitted to driving his son to that hotel, he admitted to helping his son break curfew. That he got his conviction overturned on a technicality, doesn't change the fact he still committed those acts. As I've said he admitted to it.

Good singing he makes zero money and can be sent to the minors without counting against the cap. They got him on a cheaper cap hit on the one way deal, gambling he will make the team as at least a third line guy. There is a log jam in the bottom 6, i'm guessing we will see some moves (Eller, flynn, maybe)

I wanted Phil As for Martin Jones, that was never a position we were addressing last year at this time... Jones left LA cause he was an RFA and he basically forced the Kings to move him. He wanted a starting gig and knew that if he refused to sign an RFA deal they would eventually move him to a team that would give him better money and a shot at starting.

He got off of an Accessory on a technicality. He got off of Perjury on a technicality. This just in: Famous people sometimes get away with crimes they commit and don't always get convicted. Says the guy who has said far worse... and gone on far longer... about therrien, a man who has never been in any type of off-ice issue. Sure, but I'm the one with issues, cause i don't worship at the feet of lafleur.