Commandant

I don't know about that. The Leafs are probably close to giving up on the kid. Like we did when we gave up Ribeiro for Ninnimaa, or like the Blue Jackets did when they gave up Nikita Filatov for a 3rd Round Pick. I could see the Leafs trading him for pennies on the dollar if he doesn't make an NHL impact soon.

I think he'd be a good young LW we could get on the cheap (relatively speaking). I don't know that Montreal will be much better for him though... I really think what will happen is that eventually the Leafs will trade him to some random southern team and he'll break out away from all the media attention.

The Nazem Kadri situation, are the Leafs correct in always using the media to air their issues with him? Is the tough love approach working? http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/10/02/the-nazem-kadri-dilemna/

Irrelevant. He'll play 25 minutes per game in Sarnia... He'd play 25 minutes per game as the number 1 centre on any team in the league.... He'd be shadowed by the other team's best players no matter where he plays. He'll have decent wingers in Sarnia (every team can put together a first line) so there is no issues there. He's so far above the competition, that strong or weak team, he's still the best player on his team. And remember when I say Sarnia is weak, I'm talking about them finishing 6th - 8th in the conference, making the playoffs, and then losing in the first round. The OHL West is also much stronger than the East. Put the same Sarnia team in the OHL East and they are likely 3rd-6th in the conference. The big thing Sarnia being weak does though is increase the chances that they decide to say "screw it" and trade away Galchenyuk to a contender in December/early January for 16 year olds and draft picks.

Good work as always. Set as my desktop.

My last CHL Preview today is the WHL’s West Division. Habs prospect Tim Bozon is the best player on the best team in the division, in Kamloops. http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/10/01/top-shelf-prospects-2012-13-whl-preview-b-c-division/

There are less available but we are actually seeing more and more being taken.... one of the reasons why is the draft changing from 9 to 7 rounds a few years ago. 60 less guys drafted in the "take a chance" rounds; who then improve and get taken in later years.

3 points in 4 games, plus in the only game he didn't get a point he still was a +1 and scored in the shootout. The bigger issue is that Sarnia is 1-2-1. The team just isn't very good.

and here is the assist (better play on the assist by him, better quality vid too)

Galchenyuk's first goal of the season, Friday Night He added an assist last night in Sarnia's first win. Not putting up gaudy numbers yet... but he's heating up

Today I look at the WHL U.S. Division, home to the Portland Winterhawks, and one of the top prospects for the NHL draft in defenceman Seth Jones. http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/09/30/top-shelf-prospects-2012-13-whl-preview-us-division/ He just stole the draft boards off my site.... LOL.

A look at the WHL's Central Division. This is a division loaded with stars. The best team (IMO) in the CHL is here. Two Top 10 picks from the 2012 NHL Draft. Two more players who I've got as top 10 picks in 2013. And the potential first overall pick in 2014. http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/09/29/top-shelf-prospects-2012-13-whl-preview-central-division/

Today I look at the WHL's East division, where the Memorial Cup hosts from Saskatoon play. In the article I take a look at Habs prospect Dalton Thrower. The team also has Darren Dietz. http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/09/28/top-shelf-prospects-2012-13-whl-preview-east-division/

A look at the QMJHL’s West division featuring the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, and a look at Habs prospect Olivier Archambault in Drummondville. http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/09/27/top-shelf-qmjhl-west-preview/

Today I look at the QMJHL East division, home of the Quebec Remparts and Mikhail Grigorenko…. and Habs prospect Charles Hudon in Chicoutimi. http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/09/26/top-shelf-prospects-2012-13-qmjhl-preview-east-division/

Probably AHL journeymen. But who knows... many would have said the saem about Desharnais at the same age. Damn good QMJHL players though.

The Season previews move on the QMJHL. We look at the Maritime Division which is home to the 2-time defending Q Champs in Saint John, and the latest prospect wonderkid, Nathan MacKinnon http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/09/25/top-shelf-prospects-2012-13-qmjhl-preview-maritime/

I really liked Ranford as a training camp invite. I liked him last season.

The OHL East is the conference of parity right now. Other than Belleville, no one stands out. I gave edges to Niagara and Barrie because their top guys are NHL caliber and if they stick around they can be enough to push them just a little bit ahead of everyone else. If those 3 guys weren't around... I'd take Oshawa as the biggest challenger to Belleville. But really not a lot of difference between all these clubs. And Belleville is the only one I'd give a chance to if it comes down to an OHL final vs Kitchener, London, or Plymouth. The power is in the west this year. Even a team like Guelph or Owen Sound would be the second best team if they switched conferences.

Today I look at the OHL's Eastern Conference, home to Sean Monahan and the Ottawa 67s, the Subban Brothers in Belleville, Schiefele and the Barrie Colts, and Ryan Kujawinski and the Kingston Frontenacs http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/09/24/top-shelf-prospects-2012-13-ohl-preview-eastern-conference/

De-Registering has nothing to do with setting up their own league. They could set up their own league today because they are locked out. The NFLPA and NBA players de-registered in order to sue their leagues in US Labour Courts under anti-trust legislation. Its a tactic to end the lockouts, and could happen in this case as well (at some point).

He can stay if he wants, it will cost him even more money to do so though, as he'll be paying back significant portions of money already collected on his front loaded deal.

CHL Previews All week. Today, the OHL's Western Conference, home to Alex Galchenyuk http://lastwordonsports.com/2012/09/23/top-shelf-prospects-2012-13-ohl-preview-wstern-conference/

Conboy signed somewhere recently, sorry I can't remember where.

Its a closed shop. The moment he signs his contract it binds him to the union as well as the team.