Commandant

Timmins has drafted 2 players in the first two rounds who are under 6 foot since he's been here. (kristo and Collberg, both 5'11) 4 players in this first three rounds. (Mac Bennett, and Yannick Weber, both 5'11) This idea that we draft small isn't really true. Guillaime and Lapierre don't work out in Montreal, David Fisher, Kyle Chipchura, Ben Maxwell go el bust-o, and McDonagh gets traded. If those picks worked out we wouldn't have a size issue. The size issue comes from Free Agents (Bouillion, Desharnais, Gionta), and from late round picks (Gallagher).

I like Compher because 1) Gritty and Physical.... goes to the net and makes a pest of himself while there. 2) Skilled... you don't lead the US NTDP in scoring two years in a row without skill, they are cranking out a ton of good prospects. 3) Elevates in big games. He's at his best in the biggest games that team has played. Put those three together, and I am a big fan of his. He can play C/LW which is what we need in the system too.

A look at Laurent Dauphin, a Centre with Chicoutimi in the QMJHL. 6'0, but skinny right now. http://lastwordonsports.com/2013/05/24/laurent-dauphin-2013-nhl-draft-prospect-profile-43/

More responsible in his own end than Subban? Subban is outstanding defensively. I don't know what the guy has to do to have that aspect of his game recognized, but he's our best defensive D, and honestly top 10 defensively. He can play both ends of the ice.

I'm thinking goalie with the 55 pick, or with Dallas' third rounder. A Saros, or Martin, or DesRosiers, or Jarry should still be there.

When you look at our team, you have Subban who is a young defenceman. You have Emelin and Diaz who are relatively young. You have Gorges who is signed for 5 more years. You have Tinordi and Beaulieu who are blue chippers and I guarantee both make the NHL. Then you have Dietz, Ellis, Pateryn, Nygren, Bennett, and a bunch more who while some will bust, we probably have an NHLer or two in that group. The Defence is stacked and will only need minor alterations going forward. A stop gap for 1-2 years til Tinordi and Beaulieu are ready is all that is really required here. At forward you have a lot less depth. So no I don't see trading a good young forward for a defenceman to be a trade we NEED to make right now.

It's hard to say, because players always fall. I had both Bealieu and Collberg rated as 9th in their draft years and they fell into our laps. But if you asked me a month before the draft I'd never think we'd get them. But 5 minutes before our picks i was asking for those two. So it changes. Right now though, realistic options at 25, 34, and 36. Compher, Morin/Mueller/McCoshen/Santini (ie a dman), and Dickinson

All those performance bonuses in the first year tell me there is a good chance he comes to North America.

Not surprised, that hit is vicious.

Anthony Duclair, a speedster with the Quebec Remparts http://lastwordonsports.com/2013/05/23/anthony-duclair-2013-nhl-draft-prospect-profile-42/

Today we have Justin Bailey of the Kitchener Rangers. A big forward who can play C or RW and has a hell of a shot. http://lastwordonsports.com/2013/05/22/justin-bailey-2013-nhl-draft-player-profile-41/

Sportsnet just interviewed Bergevin and might have asked him the two dumbest questions ever. “What number do you draft in the first round?” “How do you know who to take if you don’t know who is taken in front of you?”

Gets a very young team which is probably the best way for him to break into the NHL with his experience in Junior.

The pass by Domi last night (in the loss) was ridiculous. http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/london-knights-max-domi-between-the-legs-saucer-pass-to-bo-horvat-at-2013-mastercard-memorial-cup/

No one is saying that there doesn't need to be changes. Obviously there does. How many changes you can make in one offseason with the cap coming down is one issue. The second issue is a question... are you trying to win right now, or build a team. I think we are still building, and if thats the case, you don't throw out the 20 year old Calder Candidate. You gotta find another way, and perhaps it involves moving Gionta at the trade deadline next year, and continuing to build with youth for now.

Chris Bigras, a defenceman with Owen Sound http://lastwordonsports.com/2013/05/21/chris-bigras-2013-nhl-draft-player-profile-40/

To me, you've gotta keep Gallagher, even if you think he's 6th on the depth chart. He's 20 years old, and already had a season that would be 25+ goals over 82 games.... He's so young that he's one of the pieces you are building with (along with Galchenyuk, Patches, Eller)... The other forwards might be better right now, but if you want to rebuild the right way, you can't give up the young winger.

I sure hope so. It was a really crappy year for him. As a player, he went through the type of season that the entire Montreal Canadiens went through in 2011-12

Yeah Ference admitted that he gave the Finger to the Montreal crowd and that his story of an "equipment malfunction" was bullshit. Of course anyone who has worn hockey gloves would have known that Ference's explanation was BS right from the start, seemed the NHL didn't want to suspend him at that time. Yet they did suspend Wisniewski for his actions on the ice (blow job imitation).

"the center that is playing better should get the better wingers": Sounds simple enough, but its a delicate balance. The guy who is playing better is likely doing so, at least in part, due to the chemistry with those wingers. So the question is twofold 1) How long does one of the two need to be "playing better" in order to justify messing with the lines. 2) How do you change the lines to break up one that is working to give the "better wingers"

Dietz looked amazing… held the MacKinnon line to just 1 goal, and scored one of his own. Was cleaning up his partner’s (Siemens) mistakes too. Physical, good defence, good offence, Scored a goal, Ran the PP, Best Player on the Ice. Must have played 30 minutes, easy. Thrower also had a solid game. Not as good as Dietz, but the type of game that made him a second rounder last year. Good night for him too. Great progress from both players in this one.

Brooks Orpik is not a UFA. He is signed for next season at a 3.75 million cap hit. I'd absolutely love to get him, but doubt the Pens give him up, he's their best defensive D.

Eller should get some of Desharnais PP time. Also I disagree that DD is the better goal scorer and Eller the better playmaker.... I'd go opposite on that, Eller needs to correct his habit of holding on to the puck too long, and once he does that he'll be the better playmaker, but he's not there yet. Interesting though is that Eller is better than Plekanec was at the same age. If he can be as good and as valuable as Plekanec is, but with his added size, we got a real gem.

Steven Santini, big, physical Dman from the US NTDP http://lastwordonsports.com/2013/05/20/steven-santini-2013-nhl-draft-player-profile-39/

Fistric played less than 15 minutes per game for an Oilers team that lacked defence and toughness. I don't know that he is the answer.