Welcome to this segment that I call the "Knuckle Ball" where basically I spew off my thoughts on a few items in the world of baseball. In this entry, as per usual I will look into three matters in the world of baseball that have peaked my interest and first I will examine the plight of the youthful Texas Rangers and whether it's likely they can sustain their current torrid pace. Secondly, has coddling of pitchers actually had the reverse effect when accounting for the amount of injuries we have bore witness early in 2016 and to complete the trifecta today I ponder if the time has unfortunately come for the St.Louis Cardinals to move on from Matt Holliday as declining numbers are beginning to create a negative permutation for the Cards as they look to survive in this playoff race.
Any true Canadian baseball fan that doesn't hold even the slightest grudge against the Texas Rangers is in all likelihood displaying pathological tendencies as the American League Division Series from a year ago pitted the State of Texas against all of Canada. It was a series that the Blue Jays luckily squeaked by on but not without an irreversible amount of bad blood that judging from this years encounters with the Rangers hasn't gone away any time soon. This blogger however can see past that and recognize we're quite possibly viewing the major's next powerhouse as the amount of promising young talent on display is astonishing. Aside from veterans Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre patrolling the middle of the order, which in all actuality sandwiches the rest of the youngens in this lineup. Rougned Odor, say what you choose pertaining to his on and off the field demeanour is the best up and coming second baseman in the game today if he hasn't already reached the plateau today and he leads the rest of the kids out on the Arlington pitch. Jurickson Profar who first rose to prominence in the 2004 Little League World Series has transitioned himself into a useful utility piece for manager Jeff Banister as he's proven satisfactory all across the infield. Nomar Mazara has essentially asserted himself into the everyday lineup as has taken away valuable at bats from Ryan Rua and Ian Desmond which no doubt is a beautiful problem for a manager to have. These three are the stalwarts who I consider the core for the Rangers moving forward and with those three going nowhere anytime soon translates to the Rangers holding to top spot in the AL West for the forseeable future. Starting pitching isn't exactly a weakness for the Rags as well as Martin Perez and Cole Hamels are two power lefties that strike fear into opposing lineups. A formidable top two, a young emerging core, what could possibly hold them back. That my friends could be the bullpen. I'm reading a lot of banter that the Rangers are in the market for bullpen help which is of no surprise as any division leading team is always looking at ways to shore up deficiencies but it's only an internal problem due to the way Banister is utilizing this perceived weakness. As evidenced in last year's ALDS v Toronto, and for the purpose of clarification I've held this opinion long before this particular gentlemen.arrived in Texas and that is Jake Diekman is being criminally mis-used. Diekman is the most feared piece in the pen and for some unbeknownst reason Banister seems to favor Sam Dyson and Shawn Tollesen in more pressing scenarios. Sure, like mentioned earlier could Texas conceivably grab an Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller....absolutely but when your own Chapman or Miller currently resides on your own team, it's time to let Diekman loose and instill him as the closer. Such a move, and even though I originally prognosticated the Boston Red Sox as World Series bound, I could be swayed to classify the Texas Rangers as American League favourites.
It's interesting that Kevin Durant signed today with the Golden State Warriors as I believe there's a comparison to be made with the kind of upbringing he received in the NBA with how young pitchers are brought up in baseball. When Durant entered the NBA, he came in with a glowing reputation, and he's done nothing but live up to the billing but there's a primary reason for that. Durant wasn't pigeon holed as an "offensive specialist" if there's such a term as when he came into the association his defensive skills were putrid. His coaches were able to work through the shortcoming as the only way to strengthen a weakness is through reputation. Is Durant now mistaken as a defensive wiz, no but he can how hold his own because he wasn't coddled at a young age and was encouraged to make a mistake at the expense of personal growth. To wrap this around to baseball, it's my opinion that in recent seasons the baseball community has become far too protective with it's pitchers. In a business that is solely judged on wins and losses, it amazes that so many general managers bow down to pressure from ownership by resting and preserving pitchers when in all reality what ends up happening is their the ones that are handed pink slips. Look what happened in the overly publicized 2012 stretch run where manager Davey Johnson under a mandate from ownership, shut down Stephen Strasburg when the Nationals had locked down their playoff position. The Nationals ended up losing a deciding fifth game in the National League Divisional Series to the St.Louis Cardinals. Had they been given the luxury of Strasburg in the series, it's a no brainer who starts the all important deciding game but their hands were tied. It's a hard lesson learned in doing everything you can to seize your opportunities. A lesson learned there hasn't seemed to hinder organizational philosophies going forward. This came to mind as living in Canada I'm privy to a lot of reports pertaining to the Toronto Blue Jays and the talk of the town right now is what to do with Aaron Sanchez once he reaches his pitch limit. To me, as always I have concocted the only indisputable logic and that is let it ride with Aaron Sanchez, I cosign that Aaron Sanchez is a long term valuable commodity but here's the 101 on protecting assets, nothing in life is guaranteed and like I mentioned earlier not to sound all philosophical but live for the now, worry about tomorrow later. Sanchez is unquestionably the Jays best pitcher and while they envision him being one of their better pitchers in 2018, 2019 etc etc the fact is we're not there yet, so trot your best pitcher to the hill once every fifth day. We see this far too often, nothing says we won't limit Sanchez this season and he'll fall victim to a freak injury in 2017. The Blue Jays have a chance to win right now and shutting down Aaron Sanchez partially diminishes this potential.
One of my favourite moments in my baseball watching lifetime was the epic 2007 tiebreaker between the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres with catapulted the sporting universe into what we know as "Rocktober" where the Rockies won twenty two out of twenty three to reach the tiebreaker only to sweep their way to the World Series. In the Padres/Rockies game that I'm referencing, slugger Matt Holliday was involved in the games most memorable play where he slid into home base for the winning run but as replay later showed, he missed the plate and what the Padres would've done to have the type of instant replay we're privy to now. Some, perhaps most view this run as Holliday's coming out party. He spent one more year with the Rockies before joining the St.Louis Cardinals organization and the change of scenery didn't slow Matt down one bit as from 2007 to 2013 his batting average hovered around .300 with consistent power numbers to back up the statistics. From 2013 on unfortunately we've begun to notice dwindling production and 2016 has been a fall off Mt.Kilimanjaro figuratively speaking. Holliday's OPS is alarmingly below .800 and it begs the following question, at what point do the Cardinals who by a general rule are masters of identifying talent cut ties with the Stillwater,Oklahoma product. The Cardinals have enough good young pitching, similiarly to the Texas Rangers that they can get by on mediocre offensive seasons by most but when weighing his atrocity of a contract, surely their's got to be a team out there that would be willing to take a risk on this declining veteran, the San Francisco Giants come to mind to allow the Cardinals to do something they should've accomplished before this year, give the unequivocal reigns to phenom Stephen Piscotty.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Kevin Durant:The Decision
**I understand that the last several posts of mine have had no connection and am completely aware that there's a great deal of randomness to what I blog about it, and that's perfectly fine as whatever comes to mind is what I want to write about**
"This summer, I've decided, O boy this is tough....I've decided to take my talents to ( ? ). The decision looms and according to ESPN basketball insider Chris Broussard the finalists for Kevin Durant's services are either the Golden State Warriors or the Oklahoma City Thunder. Some late night reports have indicated that the Boston Celtics and the Dwayne Wade led(for now any way) Miami Heat are still in the horse race but are very much long shots. I've thought about this long and hard and as per usual have come to the only irrefutable conclusion that the only team that's truly the proper fit for his services are Oklahoma City. Let me explain why below.
I think back to some of the great athletes of our past that spent the majority of their careers in one market only to sprinkle in other destinations late in their careers. Brett Favre spurning the Green Bay Packers to join the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, Ray Bourque leaving the Boston Bruins to make one last ditch effort to attain Lord Stanley by joining the Colorado Avalanche, and Peyton Manning selfishly forgoing his iron clad reputation in Indianapolis to join the Denver Broncos at the tail end to chase rings. It happens, and in all three of the cases the legacies that were built respectively were tarnished. By no means do I feel that Kevin Durant is approaching the swan song in his career but he's built up the penchant of being the greatest Oklahoma City Thunder/Seattle Supersonic ever with apologies going out the fan clubs of Gary Payton and Trinity Valley Community College alum Shawn Kemp so there's an inherit risk of losing that title if he chooses to leave now. The market of Oklahoma City is craving a winner. The state of Oklahoma has been spoiled collegiately by the strong all sports presence of it's Sooners but professionally leave a lot to be desired and if Durant elects to re-sign in OKC, the tandem of him alongside Russell Westbrook is as formidable as they come and no reason whatsoever why they can't overtake the dominant Golden State Warriors, I mean they nearly did, and the Lebron led Cavaliers for National Basketball Association supremacy. Although arguable, I hold the opinion that not one guard/small forward duo outmatches what Durant and Westbrook supply on a nightly basis. The trade of Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic may have temporarily alienated Durant's camp as rightfully so as I can't for the life of me figure out why a team who is trying to keep it's superstars in tact would trade away one of their heart and soul individuals at a time like this.....a definite thumbs down to management. Away from sports for second and I'll cosign that this will have no bearing on KD's decision is to the socioeconomic impact could have on the community. The 1995 bombings devastated the city that is surely still recovering so if Durant had any remorse or support for the city that has embraced him with open arms for all of these eight years, imagine the positivity that would be spread city wide if Kevin Durant continues to call OKC home? Unmeasurable! At the time of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the Saints football club was a mitigated disaster but due to the devastation the Bayou was occuring, stars that had no business re-upping contractually like Drew Brees and Deuce McAllister knew the impact their consistent presence would have and years later look at the way the city of New Orleans has responded, not just the way they support their football team, but the vibrancy that exudes the city was non existent before Katrina and Brees and Co throwing out hope. I firmly believe goodwill still exists and I expect Durant to come to his senses and realize when weighing both a basketball and business decision, the Thunder will remain his best fit.
"This summer, I've decided, O boy this is tough....I've decided to take my talents to ( ? ). The decision looms and according to ESPN basketball insider Chris Broussard the finalists for Kevin Durant's services are either the Golden State Warriors or the Oklahoma City Thunder. Some late night reports have indicated that the Boston Celtics and the Dwayne Wade led(for now any way) Miami Heat are still in the horse race but are very much long shots. I've thought about this long and hard and as per usual have come to the only irrefutable conclusion that the only team that's truly the proper fit for his services are Oklahoma City. Let me explain why below.
I think back to some of the great athletes of our past that spent the majority of their careers in one market only to sprinkle in other destinations late in their careers. Brett Favre spurning the Green Bay Packers to join the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, Ray Bourque leaving the Boston Bruins to make one last ditch effort to attain Lord Stanley by joining the Colorado Avalanche, and Peyton Manning selfishly forgoing his iron clad reputation in Indianapolis to join the Denver Broncos at the tail end to chase rings. It happens, and in all three of the cases the legacies that were built respectively were tarnished. By no means do I feel that Kevin Durant is approaching the swan song in his career but he's built up the penchant of being the greatest Oklahoma City Thunder/Seattle Supersonic ever with apologies going out the fan clubs of Gary Payton and Trinity Valley Community College alum Shawn Kemp so there's an inherit risk of losing that title if he chooses to leave now. The market of Oklahoma City is craving a winner. The state of Oklahoma has been spoiled collegiately by the strong all sports presence of it's Sooners but professionally leave a lot to be desired and if Durant elects to re-sign in OKC, the tandem of him alongside Russell Westbrook is as formidable as they come and no reason whatsoever why they can't overtake the dominant Golden State Warriors, I mean they nearly did, and the Lebron led Cavaliers for National Basketball Association supremacy. Although arguable, I hold the opinion that not one guard/small forward duo outmatches what Durant and Westbrook supply on a nightly basis. The trade of Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic may have temporarily alienated Durant's camp as rightfully so as I can't for the life of me figure out why a team who is trying to keep it's superstars in tact would trade away one of their heart and soul individuals at a time like this.....a definite thumbs down to management. Away from sports for second and I'll cosign that this will have no bearing on KD's decision is to the socioeconomic impact could have on the community. The 1995 bombings devastated the city that is surely still recovering so if Durant had any remorse or support for the city that has embraced him with open arms for all of these eight years, imagine the positivity that would be spread city wide if Kevin Durant continues to call OKC home? Unmeasurable! At the time of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the Saints football club was a mitigated disaster but due to the devastation the Bayou was occuring, stars that had no business re-upping contractually like Drew Brees and Deuce McAllister knew the impact their consistent presence would have and years later look at the way the city of New Orleans has responded, not just the way they support their football team, but the vibrancy that exudes the city was non existent before Katrina and Brees and Co throwing out hope. I firmly believe goodwill still exists and I expect Durant to come to his senses and realize when weighing both a basketball and business decision, the Thunder will remain his best fit.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
#BB18 Power Rankings(Week of July 1st)
While generally this blog is dedicated to discussing the happenings in the world of sports, a little diversity never hurt anyone and I felt it was appropriate to divulge into another strong passion of mine, that being the world of reality television, particularly Big Brother(Canada and U.S.A). With Big Brother 18 well into the swing of things, I've surmised that it would be enjoyable to dedicate a weekly posting to my thoughts on the game itself and how I would rank the positioning of each player in the house. These weekly rankings won't necessarily be notated based on who I like the most, but largely based who I think is in the best spot at the current time. With CBS going public pertaining to this summer's twist classified as the "Battleback", which who are kidding, it's code for "Redemption Island", I won't include the already evicted houseguests on full disclosure that one could conceivably come back after the special July 22nd episode. How I usually like to organize these lists are in descending order from least likely to win to which houseguest is controlling the dynamics presently.
Enjoy!
14.James-James, at least from my vantage point isn't here for the right reasons. As has been discussed plentiful times on RHAP, James' sole motivations for entering the house a second time is to acquire more television time, which honestly is nearly impossible to get behind. Let's analyze his game from Big Brother 17 for a moment.....he made the jury which has to be commended but how he did it could be greatly scrutinized. In BB17, James was the benefactor of a house split in which his own alliance was targeted early and the "stronger" player from said alliance(Jason Roy) was the one who was forced to bite the bullet and once his numbers disintegrated he was perceived as fodder and was given a three week reprieve until alliances had reconfigured once again. His strategical competence could be compared to that of the English soccer team in the most recent Euro 2016 tournament(hey, I had to include a sports reference sooner rather than later) as the English team sat back and let the inferior Icelandic squad push the pace of play. Fast forward to this summer as he was given the undeserved honor of playing second time(paging Johnny Mac) and it's as if he's following the same script. He's conveniently weezled himself into the eight pack alliance, and before I continue on my tangent can we just give a shout out to the castmates for not resorting to ridiculous, obscure alliance names such as the "Moving Company", or "Chop Shop", as I'm kind of digging these number themed alliance monikers. In my viewings of James, he's more content of flirting with the likes of Natalie and Nicole and has no interest of making a bold move in order to better position his house standing. Mr.Huling strikes me as the kind of individual who'd rather sacrifice his own game if it meant siding with the cool kids, and the cool kids he sided with alright and the reason for the dead last ranking is because he's the only returnee and one of the few who I give a 0% chance of taking the championship belt this season.
13.Victor- I am indeed aware that Victor has won the week two edition of the Roadkill twist and has been giving the luxury of secretly nominating a houseguest for eviction but that doesn't rescind the angst I have regarding Victor's game. If I were to offer up a comparable in Big Brother circles to Victor's game I would conjur up the name of Jeremy McGuire from the infamous Big Brother 15. Somebody who believes that with his beach body physique and athleticism that his housemates will naturally want to be on his team the entire summer as if to say he's caught a glimpse of the unfortunate Jozea syndrome. Victor's lack of self awareness in this game is pitiful as anyone who doesn't pick up on the notion that the returnees would inevitably side with the siblings and form the seasons first major alliance is perplexing. I'd love the opportunity to interview Victor and inquire what his thoughts were when a large group of eight houseguests would huddle up sans himself and yet still opine he's in the numbers. His trajectory in this game is not a good one and even with the Roadkill victory, there's still a strong chance he could be walking out the door next Thursday if his name isn't pulled in the Veto draw. I'd normally rank James ahead of Victor in this spot but I can't get past my disdain for James as no excuses for a returning player to fall in the same trap in back to back seasons even though it's obvious James will find a way to outlast Victor.
12.Bronte-It's reassuring to see CBS has stunt casted from their own hit sitcom the Big Bang Theory, Bernadette Rostenkowski. Wait, are you now telling me this is not Bernadette but an actual human being going by the name of Bronte, well I'll be damned. In all seriousness, Bronte is going to exit the house eventually and be embarrassed at the fact that her reads on her fellow competitors was nearly Jozea-esque. You're adament that you desire an all girls alliance but yet in a meeting that the now evicted Jozea had organized you sell out one of your own core alliance members in Bridgette for "spying" at the other side? Not an ideal way to ingratiate yourself to your fledgling aliance. This aspiring mathematician can surely figure out that 5>8 when computing that her numbers are in the minority and in order to reach longevity in this game, I'd strongly recommend that the "Spy Girls" try to swoon Da'Vonne and Zakiyah into their core group as in my opinion Da'Vonne's standing isn't actually that great as I will attempt to eloquently explain shortly and it would behoove the aforementioned two to latch on to this all girls bond as if Bronte can convince these two of this, then sincere apologies for ranking her this low and she may have an arm and a leg in this game after al.
11.Tiffany-Once again, keep in mind this isn't a ranking based on where I project someone to finish, as if it was Tiffany would jump much higher on this list but this ranking is meant to rank players on their chances to win which sadly I don't give much hope for Ms.Tiffany Rousso. Her sister Vanessa didn't sit still last season, she consistently jumped from one group to the next and I'm just not seeing that capability out of Tiffany, Her content-isms if you will with this eight pack and fatal five alliances is concerning to me because on both fronts it's apparant she's at the bottom of the totem pole and her progression screams of being dumped at final seven, final eight. There will come a time, and it remains to be seen on when that time is, the individuals that she has put her trust into will view her as expendable when the numbers allow them to do so. The one thing Id like to comment on is why Tiffany, if she learned anything from her sister isn't grasping at the opportunity to reel in Victor and Bronte because that's what the Senior Rousso did so masterfully, latch on to the underdogs and let it ride. The lack of adaptability has led me to this particular ranking.
10.Da'Vonne-There are select things to like about Da'Vonnes game but conversely there are things to shutter about. We'll start with the things I'm liking, I'm liking that Da'Vonne isn't satisfied with status quo and is already looking ahead to future weeks and is starting to shake down with players who share similar agendas have the ideology to target some of the power players sooner than most. This subject matter was brought up on one of the more recent RHAP episodes in which one or more of the live feed correspondents were in agreeance that Da'Vonne is starting to replicate some of her mistakes of playing too strong, too fast which I vehemently disagree with. Da'Vonne's issue last summer was the confrontations not necessarily her strategical aggressiveness. This season, Da'Vonne is showcasing a more reserved demeanor and isn't being construed as the vocal leader but yet is involved in making a plethora of under the table deals which is okay in my books, the reason for such a disappointing ranking is that in making these deals she's not being covert enough and some of her dealings are being relayed to the wrong ears. So in summary with Mamma Day as she's affectionately known by, it's not how many deals she's making that has me at a cause for concern, it's her carelessness in keeping the pertinent conversations private that will prove to be her downfall.
9.Paul-Similarly to James, the motives for being in the house are being questioned by me. His style of play, personality, way of conversing with others is so over the top that his rambunctious way of doing things have no place in the Big Brother house figuratively speaking of course in the sense anyway that the way he conducts himself gives him little traction to make a deep run in this game. He was definitely considered for the #13 slot ahead of James but then I got thinking, is it possible that what Paul is preaching could be an evolutionary way of scheming and plotting in this house and could we see someone that is so open and so care free skate all the way to the end. After the first two episodes and due to my Canadian citizenship that's all I can go by as my access to the feeds is limited, I thought Paul was a disaster but am slowly turning in a more positive direction. This current week will go a long way in grading how legitimate Paul's outlook is. He may not know it yet, but the exit of Victor this week would be a tremendous blessing for his game as if this happens he'll fall into a similar spot as Ashleigh Wood was in Big Brother Canada 3 as with his alliance diminished, he becomes a valuable number and when the absurd eight person alliance splits, depending who he makes nice with could become a power player. The more I talk myself into this, perhaps the ranking is too low???? Would love to hear your thoughts.
8.Michelle-Seemingly Michelle is in a spectacular spot right about now as she's comfortably negotiated her way into the veterans' circle. Amongst the veterans, she's viewed as non threatening which virtually guarantees her a top four position as I fail to recognize one player that will soon target her with the exception of maybe Bridgette but the likelihood of this happening is very slim. The reasoning for the low ranking is her potential to win. If I recall correctly, we had someone in Big Brother 13 by the name of Adam Poch who was portrayed as a super fan but yet in reality all he was really accomplishing was aiding the returning players to victory and I can't help but ponder if all Michelle will get out of this experience is unknowingly assist either Nicole Franzel or Frank Eudy to Big Brother supremacy.
7.Zakiyah-The gossip queen of the house will find herself in hot water if she doesn't adjust her sharp tongue because right now in my eyes she's too much of an open book. Her edit on the television show has been a rather odd one as she went from being chummy with Jozea and Paul to all of a sudden transitioning to the veterans and siblings. I'll preface this by saying that I understand CBS does what it can to produce an entertaining television show but it would've been honourable had they showcased what led to those three's falling out. Zakiyah has reportedly entered a showmance with Paulie which historically seems to always favour the female in these type of games as Paulie will predominantly be viewed as the bigger threat. Why have Zakiyah at seven then and not higher? Well, for two reasons primarly, one being the aforementioned showmance with Paulie which generally translates into the female being perceived as the Goat, and not the type of goat that Corey chooses to torture and secondly from my two eyes I'm not seeing a clear, laid out strategy that has her identifying a ride and die option? Is it Da'vonne, and if so, I'm questioning if that's very wise as would you really want to head into a jury battle with someone like that who has been blessed with the gift of gab? If I was playing, and trust me I will when Big Brother Canada 5 premiers, that's not my ideal final two landing spot.
6.Natalie-Natalie mistakenly found her way to a minority alliance after, along with Bronte, advocating so strongly for an all female alliance, There are as many flaws in this plan as there are in Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin building his hockey club. For starters, if you crave an all female alliance early on, newsflash Natalie,,,,,try to recruit more than two girls as a three person alliance does nothing in the pre jury segments of this game. I can't wrap my head around the logic for why Natalie didn't or hasn't(and if she has I apologize for this rant) tried to work her way into the good graces of Zakiyah and Michelle, two players who are apparently content sitting pretty in large numbers to decimate some of the stronger males and for the first time since Suvivor:Fans v Favourites, allow the girls to roll to the end. Those reading this will surmise that in order for that to happen, an Erik Reichenbach is needed and unless CBS has plans to fly in Erik mid game, a new and improved Erik may in fact already be in the house in Victor Arroyo. Victor personifies someone that would clamor at the idea of riding shot gun with the ladies as purportedly when he got cast on this show he thought he was being cast on the Bachelorette. Back to Natalie, her persistence has impressed whether or not she's making the appropriate reads on her fellow house mates and I can see somebody like this who's physically fit being a challenge beast when the time calls and all of this has led to the number six ranking.
5.Nicole-On premier night, she eluded to the fact that she learned from her mistakes about not engaging in showmances any longer, as most will remember the courtship between her and fellow Big Brother 16 contestant Hayden Voss. Did you really learn anything Nicole as she very quickly became flirty with Corey. If it's strategy, then bravo to you Ms.Franzel but as someone who has astute knowledge of this game I can't help but remember that in Big Brother 16 she would constantly go in the Diary Room in the first few weeks and reiterate that her friendship with Hayden was pure strategy and nothing more. Case closed. Nicole is obviously one of the front runners this season, and it's for that reason that I only gave her the number five slot. Will she be seen as too big of a threat?? I'm thinking so, and if the game plays out the way I think it will, the actual frontunner Frank Eudy(hmm, who did I rank number one?) will realize that triumphing over Nicole will be a difficult task and she could be prone to a blindside in the near future. Even though she has the resume to win a game such as this, it's for that reason that I speculate she'll barely reach jury and if somehow she can surpass and conquer the great Frank Eudy, a path to the final two is well in sight.
4.Corey-Unbeknownst by some, Corey's perception inside the confines of the Big Brother house differs greatly from the perception from the casual fan. Inside the house, Corey is considered endearing, incredibly loyal and someone that people want to keep around a long time. This my friends is a recipe for success. In my mind, Corey's mimicking a style that was proven successful by Hayden Moss. On the exterior, the belief is that he's the favourite to win each and every competition as Hayden was in Big Brother twelve but the truth is they don't win a lot, because in Big Brother the majority of the competitions are carnival based and require little skill. This idea that the physical threat has to go early is faulty logic as the referendum should truly be that the scheming, nerdy types that win and each every year(Steve Moses, Ian Terry etc etc) are the ones that need to be kept a close eye on. Corey has a quiet charisma that will carry him deep and once they reach jury, if he can acquire the understanding that the time is now to go after the veterans, Corey Brooks the Big Brother 18 champion becomes more plausible.
3.Paulie-The best way to describe Paulie Calafiore is very aware socially. This repeated talk of the "Calafiore way" holds some merit as on the surface it's clear that they're in it to win it, but conversely carry a presence of being a total softy, social butterfly type. I know there are superfans out there that don't appreciate that their spot was taken in favour of a sibling of a former houseguest but reality is the Calafiore's actually play the game. Sure, was the decision to take Derrick to the final two idiotic? Yes, unless you're RHAP live feed correspondent Taran Armstrong but people must remember with how much affection Cody was getting from exiting jury members, he had the internal belief that he could beat anyone, including Derrick. In his post game interviews, Cody used the excuse of unreversible loyalty which I saw right through as code for "the game's over and I still want Derrick to be my buddy". You can be assured that Paulie won't make the same mistake as if I'm correct and Paulie and Frank make a deep run, while Frank will be looking to chop Paulie, it wouldn't surprise me if Paulie elects to do the same,
2.Bridgette-Is it too early to coin her "Basic Bridgette"? This travelling nurse shouldn't pack her bags just yet because her stay projects to be a very long one. In reading social media, she's receiving very little credit thusfar which I can't fathom because I ask this, is it a sin to be soft spoken in the early stages? Not at all! She's in good with everyone not named Michelle and judging off of her occupation, she's a smart cookie who'll contend in the mental based competitions, if she wants to win those that is. Bridgette has an understanding of the strategy and the reason for adamency for the all girls alliance in the very few diary room sessions of her we've seen is that she knows her best line to the final two is taking as many players that have a less understanding of the game including Bronte or Natalie, her core alliance to boot. Although quieter, she signifies someone who is a smooth speaker that can give crisp, concise answers when the time is needed.
1.Frank-At this point, I expect Frank to win. Why you ask, well I should clarify he's not exactly who I WANT to win((that mantra belongs to Michelle), but the fear I have is that this "Battleback"twist was inputed to assist Frank's journey. Many have compared this premise to that of Redemption Island and while it's been announced that all battleback competitions will commence on July 22, nothing has been stipiulated that the Battle Back won't continue throughout the duration of the season, very much like the Ozzy Lusth rigged season of Survivor:South Pacific(the fact that he didn't win is a complete indictment on his terrible survivor social game) If my premonition is correct and the Battle back lasts the entire campaign you can bet that Mr.Eudy has a guaranteed spot paved in the final three. Without the anticipated twist aiding his game, he's actually playing a very sound game. Natalie and Bridgette adore him which you can count he'll exploit that loyalty later on and the fact that he's the leader of a couple different alliances correlates to longevity. I'll put it this way, I'll be more surprised if Frank doesn't win then if he were to win.
Monday, June 27, 2016
2016 NHL Draft first round grades
As some of my more loyal readers I'm surely are already well aware, there aren't many stronger passions that I possess that exceed my fandom for junior hockey and specifically the NHL draft. Drafts in general can be surmised as crapshoots because at the end of the day you're selecting based off potential, not necessarily concrete results. I'm also not naïve enough to suggest that my opinion is any more right than anybody else's as what enlies in the draft is a great deal of subjectivity which adds to the intrigue when reading respective junior "insiders" perspectives on how each team fared. Originally, I was going to grade each team on their overall performance at the draft but with too many unknowns picked in the later stages of the draft, I'll hedge by bets and dissect the first round performances. I'll grade each pick on a scale out of five. Hope you thoroughly enjoy.
1.Toronto Maple Leafs-Auston Matthews(Zurich Switzerland)
4/5
A grade of an inevitable pick can be extremely non chalant as there was essentially nothing Matthews could've done throughout the course of his draft eligible season to play his way out of the top overall selection and that's even considering the strong late fight Patrick Laine put up to provide an alternative thought process for the Maple Leafs. He's a center, which when engaged in a coin flip, which to clarify, I'm not necessarily classifying this as a coin flip, always land on the side of the number one center because in this day and age the classification is becoming a rarer and rarer commodity.
As a proud Western Canadian, I can't completely ignore the fact that he spurned the WHL(Everett Silvertips property) to acquire a pay cheque in Europe but in fairness to the individual, a new trend may be beginning where the Canadian Hockey League has further difficulty recruiting players as how do you compete with the concept of an eighteen year old kid making a hefty wage? The answer bluntly is you can't, and ways to increase attractiveness back with the Canadian Hockey League is another blog post for another day. Leaf land is salivating over the possibility of Matthews getting paired alongside pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos is becoming more realistic by the day as we inch closer to the July 1st free agency window. Not who I foresee as the best player in this class, but a stud nonetheless and after years of epic failures, the Toronto Maple Leafs I can safely say are headed in the right direction.
My comparable:Jason Spezza
2.Winnipeg Jets-Patrik Laine(Tappara Finland)
2/5
He can shoot the puck! What a noble concept. Can he do more to provide justification for the number two overall selection? When I watch Laine play, I can't help but harken back to a comparison of a young Theoren Fleury.. Let's all take a deep breath and for once discard these absurd Teemu Selanne comparables. He's a Fin, duly noted, he's about to suit up for the Jets, once again understood but that my friends is where the comparisons should stop. Teemu Selanne wasn't just as sniper as in the clutching and grabbing it was his speed that elevated his stardom. Laine by no way shape or form possesses the foot speed that Teemu once did and frankly in my viewings his productivity has been bolstered by playing alongside the likes of Jesse Pulujarvi and Mikko Koivu in international tournaments. Like mentioned and like everyone in the inner circles of hockey continually giggles about is his shot and while I agree that he'll be dynamite on the power play I fail to see a well rounded game and this pick goes into the vault as a pick that Jets fan will remember for all the wrong reasons. A power play specialist at number two? Ok Winnipeg.
My comparable:Theoren Fleury
3.Columbus Blue Jackets-Pierre-Luc Dubois(Cape Breton QMJHL)
4/5
On certain Social media outlets, I've seen observers pertinent to the happenings of the Columbus organization roast the pick harder then CNN roasts Donald Trump on a daily basis. I fully sympathize with those who percieved Puljujarvi as the automatic selection at three and are now up in arms over the differentiation but similarly to Matthews, the versatility of Dubois gave him the Quebecois the edge in this spot.
Pierre-Luc is your quintessential late bloomer, a big body who took a longer while to adapt to a grueling seventy plus game schedule in the Canadian Hockey League. If I'm not mistaken, there were those back in 2010 that criticized the Columbus regime(different regime this time around keep in mind) for "reaching" for RyJo. Well....I'd say that worked out pretty well until the incompetent John Tortorella was brought in to steer the ship. Let's keep this in mind, sometimes, most of the time we can't solely judge a players draft stock based on the past year's statistics or if we did, the likes of Simone Gamache, Corey Locke and Ramzi Abid would be locks to be taken first overall. Projections are a large chunk of the equation and while on a personal basis I would've preferred Puljujarvi, Columbus is receiving themselves a long term building block.
My comparable:Eric Staal
4.Edmonton Oilers-Jesse Puljujarvi(Karpat Finland)
5/5
Home run, Golden Goal, buzzer beater....whatever patented sports analogy you choose to use in this situation is fine by me and completely accurate as unquestionably the Oilers have received the best player from this draft class. We could go into detail critiquing their roster management adding their millionth winger to the fold but the fact is the scene in Oil county is a little less messy with Jesse. I love the explosiveness with how he skates. The ability to go from 0 to 10 on a step will cause opposing defenceman nightmares for years to come. The likelihood of eventually playing alongside Connor McDavid who possesses unrivaled hockey IQ will put to bed any concerns people have pertaining to his ability to think the game. This is a scoring winger and if I were a fan of the Oilers, which I am, I'd fist say get a gosh darn defenceman, and then I would say we have ourselves our greatest Fin since Jari Kurri with a wholehearted apology going out to the great Jani Rita.
My comparable:Anze Kopitar
5.Vancouver Canucks-Olli Juolevi(London OHL)
1/5
The Vancouver Canucks came into this weekend's draft in Buffalo with the organizational consenus that they were in need of a number one defenceman. The Vancouver Canucks are now set to leave Buffalo with the organizational consensus that a number one defenceman is still required. Perhaps I'm being a little hard on Juolevi but I have a plethora of concerns with the pick which has led me to this conclusion. I'm weary when a player comes over from Europe to North America as a relative unknown and gets shipped to a canadian powerhouse in the London Knights and looks better then what he really is due to who he's teammates with, He makes a good first pass, not the best first pass of all time if you took Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino's word with the 100% believability. Essentially, Olli tops out as second pairing defenceman and this notion that he's potentially NHL ready is tomfoolery.
My comparable:Craig Wolanin
6.Calgary Flames-Matt Tkachuk(London OHL)
4/5
The 2016 Memorial Cup hero has landed in Cowtown and the Flames couldn't be happier as Tkachuk is the prime definition of Brian Burke's favourite word "truculence". The lineage, being the son of St.Louis Blue great Keith is another tip of the cap to the pick as Matt has lived his entire life understanding the hard work that is needed to succeed at the next level. He's a battler, when you watch him play it's not the most aesthetically pleasing but effective as what impressed me was particularly during the Memorial Cup in Red Deer was his niche to find the open areas and always be in a scoring position. I envision a world where new bench boss and Saskatchewan native Glenn Gulutzan utilizes Matthew on the wing with the shifty fellow American Johnny Gaudreau. It's a combination that projects to be an outstanding match.
My comparable:Zach Parise
7.Arizona Coyotes-Clayton Keller(US NTDP)
3/5
A sub plot of the 2016 draft was the amount of prospects projected as first rounders that spent time playing for the St.Louis minor hockey association, Keller was one of five Missouri products who had their name called during Fridays first round so congratulations to the ever growing midwestern hockey circles. To analyze Keller, not unlike Puljujarvi has an exceptional first step but unlike Jesse, doesn't have the coveted size to compliment it. Initially, I considered giving this selection a four but the more I pondered it, does Keller really fit in to a team need? The Coyotes are filled with a bunch of smaller forwards when delving into the core such as Max Domi,Anthony Duclair, Tobias Reider and eventually Dylan Strome, I question whether more size should've been sought after. Looking at how the draft board played out, I likely would've favoured Logan Brown in this spot.
My comparable:Ray Ferraro
8.Buffalo Sabres-Alex Nylander(Mississauga OHL)
3/5
Alex's older brother William once stipulated that his brother was more talented than he was, and that's high praise seeing as how William himself was an eighth overall selection in 2014.The Sabres may be reaching here based off of the reputation William preceded him with but it's well within range leaving me with the description of a bland pick. William spent the majority of the Ontario Hockey League campaign menacing on a line with New Jersey Devil prospects Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastien, who kudos to the Devils for nabbing Bastien where they did. My biggest contention with the young Nylander is his compete in the corners. He backs off and is extremely dependant on his linemates engaging in the dirty areas, I'm not questioning that Alex will grow stronger but it's one thing to put on muscle, it's a complete other to have that determination to fight for what's yours. I view this selection is a complete wildcard.
My comparable:Markus Naslund
9.Montreal Canadiens-Mikhail Sergachev(Windsor OHL)
4/5
Talk is talk but in this instance that widely reported viewpoint that Sergachev is the most NHL ready defenceman in this draft is something I'm willing to cosign. It's clear that Canadien fans have long grown tired of Russian turned pylon Andrei Markov, one can opine whether the addition of a young fellow Russian could not only do wonders for the career of Sergachev but could possibly have a secondary effect by re-energizing Markov. The debate begins now Habs fan. We all agree that Sergachev can play in the show as early as next year but with the Windsor Spitfires being awarded hosting duties for the 2017 Memorial Cup, does Marc Bergevin and co cater to Mikail's developmental needs by allowing him to lead the expected Spitfire powerhouse next season. This is an awfully difficult decison as the Habs are nowhere near contending status but yet they're closer to it with Sergachev as one of the six defenceman. Excellent pick, excellent draft for the Canadiens, nearly handed out a 5/5.
My comparable:Nick Leddy
10.Colorado Avalanche-Tyson Jost(Penticton BCHL)
3/5
Jost is widely regarded for boasting phenomenal leadership intangibles. Aside from holding the future captain mantra for the Avalanche, well that is only after a young captain in his own right Gabriel Landeskog stepping aside, more importantly I'm curious on whether his Junior A dominance will be transferable to the NCAA and NHL ranks. The packages that I've witnessed of Jost I see a player who has an underrated shot and has a penchant for joining the rush at opportune times. If I didn't know any better I would prognosticate that Jost is Jonathan Toews long lost brother. There are too many uncanny similarities for their not to be a relation. Likely the easiest comparable I'll have to do the entire first round. In summary, I'm optimistic for Avalanche fans but the tell tale sign will be how he competes against stiffer competition in the NCAA next season.
My comparable:Jonathan Toews
11.Ottawa Senators-Logan Brown(Ottawa OHL)
5/5
At the lack of a better adjective, it shocks me that Brown fell to number eleven. It shocks me further that the Devils agreed to make an elementary deal trading down one spot at the expense of losing Brown.We may never know who the Devils had at the top of their draft board, one may presume due to their willingness to drop down that Brown wasn't on their radar and if true.......WHY????? A seventeen/eighteen year old who is a giant at 6'7 and continues to grow provides the Senators with the number one center they have long coveted. Kyle Turris can slide into the two hole, a role for which is more suited pertaining to his skillset. The knock on Brown is that he's missing that killer instinct as he's been "accused" of coasting from shift and shift but I can assure that the motivation behind being a first round pick will change all of that and mark my words, Logan will be a perennial all-star in three to four years.
My comparable:Brent Burns(interesting comparison, right???....future defenceman?)
12.New Jersey Devils-Michael McLeod(Mississauga OHL)
2/5
His physicality legitimately surprised me in my viewings. Known as a skill player, but then again who isn't when selected as a forward in the first round, his attention to laying a licking on vulnerable defenceman strikes fear amongst opposition and in actuality opens up portions of his offensive game. In my notes had compiled for Michael, one thing that constantly stood out like a sore thumb is his propensity to pass up on glorious shooting opportunities. In the National Hockey League, when the scouting report labels you as a passer and not a shooter, defenceman will cheat and limit your own productivity and it's for this reason why I'm giving this pick a 2/5, not necessarily an indictment towards McLeod but because I feel this is a unwarranted reach.
My comparable:Scott Pellerin
13.Carolina Hurricanes-Jake Bean(Calgary WHL)
.5/5
Surveying the Carolina Hurricanes depth charts. am I incorrect when I see the names of Justin Faulk, Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, Haydn Fleury and now Jake Bean all compiled in the defensive side of things? I'm not incorrect which for sooooo many reasons makes the pick of Bean laughable. Laughable for two reasons. For starters, from a team need perspective, where is the fit and who is going to put the puck in the back of the net for the Canes? Does Head coach Bill Peters have this delusional fantasization that Andrej Netrasil and Nathan Gerbe are going to magically transition into forty goal scorers? Coach Peters.....please give your head a shake as this organization very much like the Edmonton Oilers has a flawed roster management structure. Is the expectation to win games 2-1 every night, if so it would help if you had a goaltender.
Getting this back onto Bean, the second reason why I'm scolding the pick is in my personal opinion when it comes to Bean's hockey ability. In my projections, I would've rated Bean as a third to fourth round prospect. I'm not seeing the hype. Is it because he's an offensive defenceman? If so, have you seen his shot as a player like Luke Schenn who's no sharpshooter would put Bean's shot to shame. Simply put, Bean is a player who has gotten by with an above average skating stride with zero physicality and a shot that goaltenders in Atom hockey would welcome. Some may consider this next statement of mine bold but that is Jake Bean will NEVER be a National Hockey League regular. I'm sorry if this came across as mean, I'm just calling it how I see it when it comes to Mr.Bean.
My comparable:Steve Eminger
14.Boston Bruins-Charlie McAvoy(Boston Terriers NCAA)
5/5
The author of the now infamous tweet that McAvoy sent out back in 2013 which said that he"f'n hates Boston" didn't exactly endear himself to the passionate Boston fan base but any knowledgeable and competent fan is well aware that this tweet came from a fourteen or fifteen year old and can't possibly correlate the tweet to the individual McAvoy is now.Aside from the questionable welcome to the city of Boston, what kind of player is McAvoy? A darn good one at that, full marks go out to the Bruins after a treacherous 2015 first round, they've more then corrected their mistakes by selecting McAvoy. Accumulating fifty six penalty minutes a year ago while playing in the NCAA is rather high for that league which explains to me that their is some ruggedness in his game which unlike his tweet in 2013 is the kind of player that flourishes in Massachusetts. In watching Sportsnet's draft coverage they were speculating asto which players could conceivably jump into the show next year and I found it telling that not one expert mentioned McAvoy as a possibility. This speaks to the Canadian media's lack of familiarity with the NCAA brand as he's my darkhorse to stick with a Boston defensive group marred in turmoil.
My comparable:Willie Mitchell
15.Minnesota Wild-Luke Kunin(Wisconsin NCAA)
4/5
When forecasting the long term dividends of this pick for the Minnesota Wild, this was well thought out as the inclusion of Kunin is a terrific compliment to the type of forwards the Wild currently have in their system. Team speed in recent years has never been a concern for Minnesota but the attention to detail in the defensive zone slowly evaporated under the guidance of Mike Yeo, a trademark that was constantly enforced during the Wild's infancy years under Jacques Lemaire and now under an offensively minded head coach in Bruce Boudreau, it was imperative to pluck somebody into the system that plays a ninety foot game, and they've done that. Kunin is somebody that will more then not project out as a second line center, somebody who's speed will infuse offence whilst being a staple on the P.K. He had no issue with finding the back of the net at Wisconsin a year ago but when I watch his tapes, I'm just not entirely convinced he'll able to supply sustainable offence at the next level.
My comparable:Sergei Brylin
16.Arizona Coyotes-Jakob Chychrun(Sarnia OHL)
4/5
Acquiring this pick from the Detroit Red Wings in a ridiculous deal that sent the contract of Pavel Datsyuk to the Arizona Coyotes, and let me just vent that the fact the National Hockey League allows these type of transactions to take place screams competitive inequality. A team basically covered up Detroit's boo-boo by reaching the Salary cup floor by taking a contract of a player who for all purposes is inactive, but I regress as the purpose of this posting is to assess draft performance. Chychrun heading into the 2015-2016 season was perceived as a potential top five pick but his play, as well with injury troubles early in the campaign derailed any hope he may,of had of reaching that pinnacle. Jakob is an elite skater that will pair nicely with a couple of Arizona'e elite defenceman in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Michael Stone that while more polished lack the top end skating ability(I'm willing to compromise that in some circles, OEK could be a top tier skater), Chychrun will come in, likely in two years and be an asset for the power play, a power play that has struggled in recent years but will surely improve with the influx of young talent coming in., Was it a nice pick, undoubtedly but the price they had to pay opens up a whole different can of worms.
My comparable:Kris Letang
17.Nashville Predators-Dante Fabbro(Penticton BCHL)
2/5
The second of three Junior A graduates that had their name called in the first round, specifically in the BCHL which will do wonders for recruitment, Fabbro is a very mundane defenceman that doesn't play with a lot of flash but will have Predator fans quickly coining the nickname Shea Weber 2.0 pertaining to his electric shot. I've concluded to grade this pick as a 2/5 for the simple reason that Fabbro isn't the type of skill set that David Poile and company should've been after in this slot. The strenghths in his game are awfully similar to Weber and Ryan Ellis on a Predator blueline that is quickly garnering the unwanted reputation of being slow on foot. Observing the draft board prior to the pick, they would've been better served going with Julien Gauthier or German Rubstov especially for a franchise that anticipates contending in the very near future. Gauthier or Rubstov provide more NHL ready frames.
My comparable:Ryan Pulock
18.Winnipeg Jets-Logan Stanley(Windsor OHL)
3/5
Skimming through social media, I'm reading that a lot of loyal Jet fans are unsatisfied with the pick and while they're entitled to hold this opinion, I'll try to eloquently explain why I feel it wasn't such a reach and why you could be satisfied customers shortly. Logan Stanley is a big body that will continue to grow into his frame, a sentiment if I'm not mistaken was also relatable to that of current Jet Tyler Myers. He's not the best skater and I certainly won't try to fool anybody by suggesting otherwise but the stronger he becomes the skating will vastly improve. Stanley's defensive awareness stood out under the tutelage of former Western Hockey League goon Rocky Thompson(to think he's a revered head coach now is shocking) and has drawn enough confidence to the Winnipeg Jets for them to internally justify this pick. He has a professional-esque style of play which makes this pick a safe one and hopefully will quiet down some of the more public critics.
My comparable:James Patrick
19.New York Islanders-Kieffer Bellows
4/5
The son of 1982 first overall pick Brian Bellows has landed in Brooklyn and ready to earn the praise of Jay-Z because as I'm sure everybody reading this all knows that Jay-Z has an affinity with any Brooklyn based sports organization. In the 2014-2015 season, one that ultimately put Kieffer on the map, he was a dynamo throughout Sioux City's USHL playoff run accumulating nine goals in twelve games en route to a league championship. The aforementioned championship run garnered him a reputation of stepping up when the game is at it's most climatic point. Kieffer is a sniper who's not afraid to muck it up in the corners and could prove to be a terrific compliment to John Tavares as J.T welcomes anybody who can retrieve him the puck,.
My comparable:Derick Brassard
20.Detroit Red Wings-Dennis Cholowski(Chilliwack BCHL)
2/5
Here's my concern with the pick, and perhaps I've been tougher on the Western Canadians thanks in large part to a greater sample size, but very much like Fabbro, the competition was inferior and wasn't forced to engage in one on one battles against the likes of Adam Brooks(Regina), Brayden Point(Moose Jaw) and Kailer Yamamoto(Spokane) so the question remains if he can match wits with some of the games best. Detroit is a drafting giant, so if they saw something that I'm not, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt as they've had head scratcher picks that have materialized before but to summarize, I'm unsure if Cholowski possesses the physical tools to ever slot in as a reliable top four defenceman.
My comparable: Frantisek Kaberle
21.Carolina Hurricanes-Julien Gauthier(Val'dor QMJHL)
4/5
The bodybuilder is heading to Raleigh. Ok, so he's not exactly a bodybuilder personally but grew up in a family that made their careers in the field and it's the work ethic instilled in him through the type of regiment that is required to succeed in this type of field. Back to Gauthier, he surprised many by cracking the Canadian entry at the World Junior Hockey Championships and while he may have underwhelmed scouts then, I actually didn't share these findings as what I saw was a player who was a force in the corners who showcased great speed, the only knock on him was that he cancelled out the creativity that we know he has. It's that a sign of a lack of confidence, that'll naturally improve with age and I wholeheartedly expect great things as he will be the pinnacle of the Val'dor Foreurs next season. After a dud with #13, the same reservations shouldn't be applicable with this pick.
My comparable:Ales Kotalik
22.Philadelphia Flyers-German Rubtsov(U18 Russia)
3/5
I keep hearing issues pertaining to character, but I honestly feel these are misguided. Is the fact that the Russian Ice Hockey Federation prides itself on cheating a scathing knock on Rubtsov, if it is that's completely absurd as this has this perceived anti Russian bias written all over it. In doing my due diligence with the pick, fans across social media have compared the work of Hextall here to that of the now criticized selection from the Dallas Stars with Denis Guryanov. Two completely different packages people. Guryanov(not even sure I spelled it right), is a shooter who doesn't play a both ends game while Rubtsov is miles more electric and won't be a liability in the defensive zone. All this bad blood seaming through Russian hockey has me surmising that it may be advisable for Rubtsov to come North of the border and strut his stuff in the Canadian Hockey League and my home town Regina Pats would be an ideal landing spot......just saying German, Regina's a calling.
My comparable:Artem Anisimov
23.Florida Panthers-Henrik Borgstrom(HIFK JR Sweden)
3/5
An unknown(relatively unknown) Swede coming to the National Hockey League,a novel idea that's never worked for said team who's drafted these type of players? Right? Wrong....as queue the Henrik Lundqvist's, and Henrik Zetterberg's of the worlds and I think they worked out just fine for the Rangers and the Red Wings respectively and Panther fans are collectively praying that Borgstrom will lead to similar results. Borgstrom is someone that needs to put on strength as he's a little undersized for his height and his commitment to the University of Denver next season will go a long way in better acquainting himself to the North American game. With all the turmoil in the Panthers front office right now it's imperative that they capitalize on the momentum that was the 2015/2016 season and while some privy to the happenings in South Beach will opine that due to above a more sure fire pick would've been preferable but I'm not willing to write off Henrik just yet.
My comparable:Benoit Pouliot
24.Anaheim Ducks-Max Jones(London OHL)
1/5
My ranking of 1/5 has very little to do with Max Jones the player and has more to do with Max Jones the fit on the Anaheim Ducks.The summarization of the Anaheim Ducks is that they have a plethora of size but aside from fellow London Knight Corey Perry they're deprived of a lot of pure scoring. Max Jones is not what I would consider a pure scorer as he's more built in a mold of a Ryan Kesler type, a trusted two way player who's more effective as a trailer on the rush as opposed to the one initiating the breakout. If it wasn't obvious enough, I don't see Max Jones ever fitting admirably within the Ducks top nine and it would not surprise me in the least if the Ducks get off to another expected hot start next season if Jones is dangled as trade bait to push the quack attack to a point where they haven't been since 2007.
My comparable:Cory Stillman
25.Dallas Stars-Riley Tufte(Fargo USHL)
5/5
Unlike the Ducks synopsis above, the addition of Tufte fulfills a team requirement and those in the heart of Texas will quickly fall in love with Riley. Let's not call a spade a spade, size matters and Tufte has that in spades. At 6'5, he currently occupies the left wing position but based off of my viewings I firmly maintain he'd be a better player at center. I'm not fully convinced Tufte will ever be a feared scorer in the show but he'll be your prototypical power forward who will, similarly to Logan Brown a nightmare matchup for National Hockey League calibre defenceman. We'll see if Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin can locate Tufte's offensive game while away at college because if he can, can you imagine a scenario where Jamie Benn and Riley Tufte are flying down to the corners together? Scary proposition.
My comparable:Chris Kreider
26.St.Louis Blues-Tage Thompson(Connectictut NCAA)
3/5
Another giant who's name gets called in the first round. The city of St.Louis hasn't had an athlete this intimidating since the days of the great Orlando Pace. I exaggerate of course but let's take a second to dig into the evaluation of Thompson. Thompson for his size is an exquisite skater which as a general statement is becoming an increasing inevitability when it comes to these tall, lanky types something that wasn't the case in the late nineties/early two thousands. Thompson has spent a year at Connecticut but he's a darkhorse of mine to be considered NHL ready. The way he skates could create the dilemma of where Ken Hitchcock could slot Thompson in as the third line center as it's expected the Blues will allow David Backes to walk in free agency. A long shot I concur but based on the skillset, something that I imagine will be deeply looked at.
My comparable:Craig MacTavish
27.Tampa Bay Lightning-Brett Howden(Moose Jaw WHL)
5/5
Contrary to my harsh outlook with other Western Canadians in this piece, the Lightning nailed one out of the park at number twenty seven with Quenton's little bro Brett. It's very hard to find one facet in Brett's game that he has difficulty with, a pro's pro if you will. His skating is premier, he shoots the puck above average, and more importantly he always knows where to go when particular plays present themselves, These intangibles presumably made the sprint to the podium an easy one for Steve Yzerman. Too many times a prospect gets picked high because of a flashy trait and when they reach that next level, the weaknesses in their game get exposed but this won't be problematic for Howden as like mentioned, he's an all around player that will ease the natural prospect development anxiety that most General Managers are forced to live with.
My comparable:Jason Pominville
28.Washington Capitals-Lucas Johansen(Kelowna WHL)
1/5
To offer up a comparison to the game of basketball, this has Andrea Bargnani written all over it. A player who assuredly works hard but is soft as butter and refuses to engage into the hard nosed areas. The great Bob McCown from the Fan 590, and I've referenced this quote on a few occasions throughout the course of creating this blog once said "I wouldn't trust Bargnani covering the coach let alone an actual defender". To provide some correlation when it relates to Lucas Johansen, if I was a coach I wouldn't feel comfortable him covering a fourth line mucker from the ECHL knowing full well their was a high probability he'd get taken for lunch for. To spin this to a more positive angle for Caps fans, the lineage being the brother of Ryan Johansen can only help his development as right now his only area of strength is the ability to push up the puck offensively. Earler I hinted at a positional change down the road for Logan Brown, it's definitively possible that a similar change for Johansen could signal promising results.
My comparable:Ladislav Smid
29.Boston Bruins-Trent Frederic(Wisconsin NCAA)
4/5
The addition of Trent Frederic at twenty nine has been panned amongst critics. This is an unfair criticism from my vantage point because Trent Frederic is a quality prospect although I will support the majority agreement that trading down in all actuality could've landed Frederic but credit to Don Sweeney for stepping up and taking the player he targeted notwithstanding the backlash he has begun to receive. Frederic's style is very mundane, prides himself on displaying a North/South game that you know will bring an honest effort each night. It's likely that he'll never be counted to deliver top six minutes and with that I realize some of you are up in arms asking why you would ever bring in a first round commodity who doesn't project to a top six role which is a fair inquiry but keep in mind that sometimes a player who brings a consistent effort trumps a Alex Kovalev who shows up once every tenth night.
My comparable:Scott Lachance
30.Anaheim Ducks-Sam Steel(Regina WHL)
2/5
Disappointing first round for the Ducks eh? Here's the thing about Sam Steel and being from Regina I feel I can speak the loudest about due to the amount of times I've seen him play and that is that he can't lead a team in junior, let alone future professional escapades. He's a small, shifty player but the amount of times he gets pushed off the puck is staggering. The Regina Pats find themselves in a transitional period that was supposed to revolve around Sam Steel but due to inconsistent progression and sporadic injury issues, General Manager and Head Coach John Paddock was forced to bring in secondary pieces at the expense of the long term outlook of the franchise. In my projections, I saw Steel as a late second/early third round prospect and I hope my analysis on this player can be trusted with the quantity of times I've seen Sam in person. He'll always be effective on the power play because of the soft mitts but the unfortunate realization is that he'll be a liability in all other areas long term. I sincerely hope Steel proves me wrong.
My comparable:Robert Kron
1.Toronto Maple Leafs-Auston Matthews(Zurich Switzerland)
4/5
A grade of an inevitable pick can be extremely non chalant as there was essentially nothing Matthews could've done throughout the course of his draft eligible season to play his way out of the top overall selection and that's even considering the strong late fight Patrick Laine put up to provide an alternative thought process for the Maple Leafs. He's a center, which when engaged in a coin flip, which to clarify, I'm not necessarily classifying this as a coin flip, always land on the side of the number one center because in this day and age the classification is becoming a rarer and rarer commodity.
As a proud Western Canadian, I can't completely ignore the fact that he spurned the WHL(Everett Silvertips property) to acquire a pay cheque in Europe but in fairness to the individual, a new trend may be beginning where the Canadian Hockey League has further difficulty recruiting players as how do you compete with the concept of an eighteen year old kid making a hefty wage? The answer bluntly is you can't, and ways to increase attractiveness back with the Canadian Hockey League is another blog post for another day. Leaf land is salivating over the possibility of Matthews getting paired alongside pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos is becoming more realistic by the day as we inch closer to the July 1st free agency window. Not who I foresee as the best player in this class, but a stud nonetheless and after years of epic failures, the Toronto Maple Leafs I can safely say are headed in the right direction.
My comparable:Jason Spezza
2.Winnipeg Jets-Patrik Laine(Tappara Finland)
2/5
He can shoot the puck! What a noble concept. Can he do more to provide justification for the number two overall selection? When I watch Laine play, I can't help but harken back to a comparison of a young Theoren Fleury.. Let's all take a deep breath and for once discard these absurd Teemu Selanne comparables. He's a Fin, duly noted, he's about to suit up for the Jets, once again understood but that my friends is where the comparisons should stop. Teemu Selanne wasn't just as sniper as in the clutching and grabbing it was his speed that elevated his stardom. Laine by no way shape or form possesses the foot speed that Teemu once did and frankly in my viewings his productivity has been bolstered by playing alongside the likes of Jesse Pulujarvi and Mikko Koivu in international tournaments. Like mentioned and like everyone in the inner circles of hockey continually giggles about is his shot and while I agree that he'll be dynamite on the power play I fail to see a well rounded game and this pick goes into the vault as a pick that Jets fan will remember for all the wrong reasons. A power play specialist at number two? Ok Winnipeg.
My comparable:Theoren Fleury
3.Columbus Blue Jackets-Pierre-Luc Dubois(Cape Breton QMJHL)
4/5
On certain Social media outlets, I've seen observers pertinent to the happenings of the Columbus organization roast the pick harder then CNN roasts Donald Trump on a daily basis. I fully sympathize with those who percieved Puljujarvi as the automatic selection at three and are now up in arms over the differentiation but similarly to Matthews, the versatility of Dubois gave him the Quebecois the edge in this spot.
Pierre-Luc is your quintessential late bloomer, a big body who took a longer while to adapt to a grueling seventy plus game schedule in the Canadian Hockey League. If I'm not mistaken, there were those back in 2010 that criticized the Columbus regime(different regime this time around keep in mind) for "reaching" for RyJo. Well....I'd say that worked out pretty well until the incompetent John Tortorella was brought in to steer the ship. Let's keep this in mind, sometimes, most of the time we can't solely judge a players draft stock based on the past year's statistics or if we did, the likes of Simone Gamache, Corey Locke and Ramzi Abid would be locks to be taken first overall. Projections are a large chunk of the equation and while on a personal basis I would've preferred Puljujarvi, Columbus is receiving themselves a long term building block.
My comparable:Eric Staal
4.Edmonton Oilers-Jesse Puljujarvi(Karpat Finland)
5/5
Home run, Golden Goal, buzzer beater....whatever patented sports analogy you choose to use in this situation is fine by me and completely accurate as unquestionably the Oilers have received the best player from this draft class. We could go into detail critiquing their roster management adding their millionth winger to the fold but the fact is the scene in Oil county is a little less messy with Jesse. I love the explosiveness with how he skates. The ability to go from 0 to 10 on a step will cause opposing defenceman nightmares for years to come. The likelihood of eventually playing alongside Connor McDavid who possesses unrivaled hockey IQ will put to bed any concerns people have pertaining to his ability to think the game. This is a scoring winger and if I were a fan of the Oilers, which I am, I'd fist say get a gosh darn defenceman, and then I would say we have ourselves our greatest Fin since Jari Kurri with a wholehearted apology going out to the great Jani Rita.
My comparable:Anze Kopitar
5.Vancouver Canucks-Olli Juolevi(London OHL)
1/5
The Vancouver Canucks came into this weekend's draft in Buffalo with the organizational consenus that they were in need of a number one defenceman. The Vancouver Canucks are now set to leave Buffalo with the organizational consensus that a number one defenceman is still required. Perhaps I'm being a little hard on Juolevi but I have a plethora of concerns with the pick which has led me to this conclusion. I'm weary when a player comes over from Europe to North America as a relative unknown and gets shipped to a canadian powerhouse in the London Knights and looks better then what he really is due to who he's teammates with, He makes a good first pass, not the best first pass of all time if you took Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino's word with the 100% believability. Essentially, Olli tops out as second pairing defenceman and this notion that he's potentially NHL ready is tomfoolery.
My comparable:Craig Wolanin
6.Calgary Flames-Matt Tkachuk(London OHL)
4/5
The 2016 Memorial Cup hero has landed in Cowtown and the Flames couldn't be happier as Tkachuk is the prime definition of Brian Burke's favourite word "truculence". The lineage, being the son of St.Louis Blue great Keith is another tip of the cap to the pick as Matt has lived his entire life understanding the hard work that is needed to succeed at the next level. He's a battler, when you watch him play it's not the most aesthetically pleasing but effective as what impressed me was particularly during the Memorial Cup in Red Deer was his niche to find the open areas and always be in a scoring position. I envision a world where new bench boss and Saskatchewan native Glenn Gulutzan utilizes Matthew on the wing with the shifty fellow American Johnny Gaudreau. It's a combination that projects to be an outstanding match.
My comparable:Zach Parise
7.Arizona Coyotes-Clayton Keller(US NTDP)
3/5
A sub plot of the 2016 draft was the amount of prospects projected as first rounders that spent time playing for the St.Louis minor hockey association, Keller was one of five Missouri products who had their name called during Fridays first round so congratulations to the ever growing midwestern hockey circles. To analyze Keller, not unlike Puljujarvi has an exceptional first step but unlike Jesse, doesn't have the coveted size to compliment it. Initially, I considered giving this selection a four but the more I pondered it, does Keller really fit in to a team need? The Coyotes are filled with a bunch of smaller forwards when delving into the core such as Max Domi,Anthony Duclair, Tobias Reider and eventually Dylan Strome, I question whether more size should've been sought after. Looking at how the draft board played out, I likely would've favoured Logan Brown in this spot.
My comparable:Ray Ferraro
8.Buffalo Sabres-Alex Nylander(Mississauga OHL)
3/5
Alex's older brother William once stipulated that his brother was more talented than he was, and that's high praise seeing as how William himself was an eighth overall selection in 2014.The Sabres may be reaching here based off of the reputation William preceded him with but it's well within range leaving me with the description of a bland pick. William spent the majority of the Ontario Hockey League campaign menacing on a line with New Jersey Devil prospects Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastien, who kudos to the Devils for nabbing Bastien where they did. My biggest contention with the young Nylander is his compete in the corners. He backs off and is extremely dependant on his linemates engaging in the dirty areas, I'm not questioning that Alex will grow stronger but it's one thing to put on muscle, it's a complete other to have that determination to fight for what's yours. I view this selection is a complete wildcard.
My comparable:Markus Naslund
9.Montreal Canadiens-Mikhail Sergachev(Windsor OHL)
4/5
Talk is talk but in this instance that widely reported viewpoint that Sergachev is the most NHL ready defenceman in this draft is something I'm willing to cosign. It's clear that Canadien fans have long grown tired of Russian turned pylon Andrei Markov, one can opine whether the addition of a young fellow Russian could not only do wonders for the career of Sergachev but could possibly have a secondary effect by re-energizing Markov. The debate begins now Habs fan. We all agree that Sergachev can play in the show as early as next year but with the Windsor Spitfires being awarded hosting duties for the 2017 Memorial Cup, does Marc Bergevin and co cater to Mikail's developmental needs by allowing him to lead the expected Spitfire powerhouse next season. This is an awfully difficult decison as the Habs are nowhere near contending status but yet they're closer to it with Sergachev as one of the six defenceman. Excellent pick, excellent draft for the Canadiens, nearly handed out a 5/5.
My comparable:Nick Leddy
10.Colorado Avalanche-Tyson Jost(Penticton BCHL)
3/5
Jost is widely regarded for boasting phenomenal leadership intangibles. Aside from holding the future captain mantra for the Avalanche, well that is only after a young captain in his own right Gabriel Landeskog stepping aside, more importantly I'm curious on whether his Junior A dominance will be transferable to the NCAA and NHL ranks. The packages that I've witnessed of Jost I see a player who has an underrated shot and has a penchant for joining the rush at opportune times. If I didn't know any better I would prognosticate that Jost is Jonathan Toews long lost brother. There are too many uncanny similarities for their not to be a relation. Likely the easiest comparable I'll have to do the entire first round. In summary, I'm optimistic for Avalanche fans but the tell tale sign will be how he competes against stiffer competition in the NCAA next season.
My comparable:Jonathan Toews
11.Ottawa Senators-Logan Brown(Ottawa OHL)
5/5
At the lack of a better adjective, it shocks me that Brown fell to number eleven. It shocks me further that the Devils agreed to make an elementary deal trading down one spot at the expense of losing Brown.We may never know who the Devils had at the top of their draft board, one may presume due to their willingness to drop down that Brown wasn't on their radar and if true.......WHY????? A seventeen/eighteen year old who is a giant at 6'7 and continues to grow provides the Senators with the number one center they have long coveted. Kyle Turris can slide into the two hole, a role for which is more suited pertaining to his skillset. The knock on Brown is that he's missing that killer instinct as he's been "accused" of coasting from shift and shift but I can assure that the motivation behind being a first round pick will change all of that and mark my words, Logan will be a perennial all-star in three to four years.
My comparable:Brent Burns(interesting comparison, right???....future defenceman?)
12.New Jersey Devils-Michael McLeod(Mississauga OHL)
2/5
His physicality legitimately surprised me in my viewings. Known as a skill player, but then again who isn't when selected as a forward in the first round, his attention to laying a licking on vulnerable defenceman strikes fear amongst opposition and in actuality opens up portions of his offensive game. In my notes had compiled for Michael, one thing that constantly stood out like a sore thumb is his propensity to pass up on glorious shooting opportunities. In the National Hockey League, when the scouting report labels you as a passer and not a shooter, defenceman will cheat and limit your own productivity and it's for this reason why I'm giving this pick a 2/5, not necessarily an indictment towards McLeod but because I feel this is a unwarranted reach.
My comparable:Scott Pellerin
13.Carolina Hurricanes-Jake Bean(Calgary WHL)
.5/5
Surveying the Carolina Hurricanes depth charts. am I incorrect when I see the names of Justin Faulk, Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, Haydn Fleury and now Jake Bean all compiled in the defensive side of things? I'm not incorrect which for sooooo many reasons makes the pick of Bean laughable. Laughable for two reasons. For starters, from a team need perspective, where is the fit and who is going to put the puck in the back of the net for the Canes? Does Head coach Bill Peters have this delusional fantasization that Andrej Netrasil and Nathan Gerbe are going to magically transition into forty goal scorers? Coach Peters.....please give your head a shake as this organization very much like the Edmonton Oilers has a flawed roster management structure. Is the expectation to win games 2-1 every night, if so it would help if you had a goaltender.
Getting this back onto Bean, the second reason why I'm scolding the pick is in my personal opinion when it comes to Bean's hockey ability. In my projections, I would've rated Bean as a third to fourth round prospect. I'm not seeing the hype. Is it because he's an offensive defenceman? If so, have you seen his shot as a player like Luke Schenn who's no sharpshooter would put Bean's shot to shame. Simply put, Bean is a player who has gotten by with an above average skating stride with zero physicality and a shot that goaltenders in Atom hockey would welcome. Some may consider this next statement of mine bold but that is Jake Bean will NEVER be a National Hockey League regular. I'm sorry if this came across as mean, I'm just calling it how I see it when it comes to Mr.Bean.
My comparable:Steve Eminger
14.Boston Bruins-Charlie McAvoy(Boston Terriers NCAA)
5/5
The author of the now infamous tweet that McAvoy sent out back in 2013 which said that he"f'n hates Boston" didn't exactly endear himself to the passionate Boston fan base but any knowledgeable and competent fan is well aware that this tweet came from a fourteen or fifteen year old and can't possibly correlate the tweet to the individual McAvoy is now.Aside from the questionable welcome to the city of Boston, what kind of player is McAvoy? A darn good one at that, full marks go out to the Bruins after a treacherous 2015 first round, they've more then corrected their mistakes by selecting McAvoy. Accumulating fifty six penalty minutes a year ago while playing in the NCAA is rather high for that league which explains to me that their is some ruggedness in his game which unlike his tweet in 2013 is the kind of player that flourishes in Massachusetts. In watching Sportsnet's draft coverage they were speculating asto which players could conceivably jump into the show next year and I found it telling that not one expert mentioned McAvoy as a possibility. This speaks to the Canadian media's lack of familiarity with the NCAA brand as he's my darkhorse to stick with a Boston defensive group marred in turmoil.
My comparable:Willie Mitchell
15.Minnesota Wild-Luke Kunin(Wisconsin NCAA)
4/5
When forecasting the long term dividends of this pick for the Minnesota Wild, this was well thought out as the inclusion of Kunin is a terrific compliment to the type of forwards the Wild currently have in their system. Team speed in recent years has never been a concern for Minnesota but the attention to detail in the defensive zone slowly evaporated under the guidance of Mike Yeo, a trademark that was constantly enforced during the Wild's infancy years under Jacques Lemaire and now under an offensively minded head coach in Bruce Boudreau, it was imperative to pluck somebody into the system that plays a ninety foot game, and they've done that. Kunin is somebody that will more then not project out as a second line center, somebody who's speed will infuse offence whilst being a staple on the P.K. He had no issue with finding the back of the net at Wisconsin a year ago but when I watch his tapes, I'm just not entirely convinced he'll able to supply sustainable offence at the next level.
My comparable:Sergei Brylin
16.Arizona Coyotes-Jakob Chychrun(Sarnia OHL)
4/5
Acquiring this pick from the Detroit Red Wings in a ridiculous deal that sent the contract of Pavel Datsyuk to the Arizona Coyotes, and let me just vent that the fact the National Hockey League allows these type of transactions to take place screams competitive inequality. A team basically covered up Detroit's boo-boo by reaching the Salary cup floor by taking a contract of a player who for all purposes is inactive, but I regress as the purpose of this posting is to assess draft performance. Chychrun heading into the 2015-2016 season was perceived as a potential top five pick but his play, as well with injury troubles early in the campaign derailed any hope he may,of had of reaching that pinnacle. Jakob is an elite skater that will pair nicely with a couple of Arizona'e elite defenceman in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Michael Stone that while more polished lack the top end skating ability(I'm willing to compromise that in some circles, OEK could be a top tier skater), Chychrun will come in, likely in two years and be an asset for the power play, a power play that has struggled in recent years but will surely improve with the influx of young talent coming in., Was it a nice pick, undoubtedly but the price they had to pay opens up a whole different can of worms.
My comparable:Kris Letang
17.Nashville Predators-Dante Fabbro(Penticton BCHL)
2/5
The second of three Junior A graduates that had their name called in the first round, specifically in the BCHL which will do wonders for recruitment, Fabbro is a very mundane defenceman that doesn't play with a lot of flash but will have Predator fans quickly coining the nickname Shea Weber 2.0 pertaining to his electric shot. I've concluded to grade this pick as a 2/5 for the simple reason that Fabbro isn't the type of skill set that David Poile and company should've been after in this slot. The strenghths in his game are awfully similar to Weber and Ryan Ellis on a Predator blueline that is quickly garnering the unwanted reputation of being slow on foot. Observing the draft board prior to the pick, they would've been better served going with Julien Gauthier or German Rubstov especially for a franchise that anticipates contending in the very near future. Gauthier or Rubstov provide more NHL ready frames.
My comparable:Ryan Pulock
18.Winnipeg Jets-Logan Stanley(Windsor OHL)
3/5
Skimming through social media, I'm reading that a lot of loyal Jet fans are unsatisfied with the pick and while they're entitled to hold this opinion, I'll try to eloquently explain why I feel it wasn't such a reach and why you could be satisfied customers shortly. Logan Stanley is a big body that will continue to grow into his frame, a sentiment if I'm not mistaken was also relatable to that of current Jet Tyler Myers. He's not the best skater and I certainly won't try to fool anybody by suggesting otherwise but the stronger he becomes the skating will vastly improve. Stanley's defensive awareness stood out under the tutelage of former Western Hockey League goon Rocky Thompson(to think he's a revered head coach now is shocking) and has drawn enough confidence to the Winnipeg Jets for them to internally justify this pick. He has a professional-esque style of play which makes this pick a safe one and hopefully will quiet down some of the more public critics.
My comparable:James Patrick
19.New York Islanders-Kieffer Bellows
4/5
The son of 1982 first overall pick Brian Bellows has landed in Brooklyn and ready to earn the praise of Jay-Z because as I'm sure everybody reading this all knows that Jay-Z has an affinity with any Brooklyn based sports organization. In the 2014-2015 season, one that ultimately put Kieffer on the map, he was a dynamo throughout Sioux City's USHL playoff run accumulating nine goals in twelve games en route to a league championship. The aforementioned championship run garnered him a reputation of stepping up when the game is at it's most climatic point. Kieffer is a sniper who's not afraid to muck it up in the corners and could prove to be a terrific compliment to John Tavares as J.T welcomes anybody who can retrieve him the puck,.
My comparable:Derick Brassard
20.Detroit Red Wings-Dennis Cholowski(Chilliwack BCHL)
2/5
Here's my concern with the pick, and perhaps I've been tougher on the Western Canadians thanks in large part to a greater sample size, but very much like Fabbro, the competition was inferior and wasn't forced to engage in one on one battles against the likes of Adam Brooks(Regina), Brayden Point(Moose Jaw) and Kailer Yamamoto(Spokane) so the question remains if he can match wits with some of the games best. Detroit is a drafting giant, so if they saw something that I'm not, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt as they've had head scratcher picks that have materialized before but to summarize, I'm unsure if Cholowski possesses the physical tools to ever slot in as a reliable top four defenceman.
My comparable: Frantisek Kaberle
21.Carolina Hurricanes-Julien Gauthier(Val'dor QMJHL)
4/5
The bodybuilder is heading to Raleigh. Ok, so he's not exactly a bodybuilder personally but grew up in a family that made their careers in the field and it's the work ethic instilled in him through the type of regiment that is required to succeed in this type of field. Back to Gauthier, he surprised many by cracking the Canadian entry at the World Junior Hockey Championships and while he may have underwhelmed scouts then, I actually didn't share these findings as what I saw was a player who was a force in the corners who showcased great speed, the only knock on him was that he cancelled out the creativity that we know he has. It's that a sign of a lack of confidence, that'll naturally improve with age and I wholeheartedly expect great things as he will be the pinnacle of the Val'dor Foreurs next season. After a dud with #13, the same reservations shouldn't be applicable with this pick.
My comparable:Ales Kotalik
22.Philadelphia Flyers-German Rubtsov(U18 Russia)
3/5
I keep hearing issues pertaining to character, but I honestly feel these are misguided. Is the fact that the Russian Ice Hockey Federation prides itself on cheating a scathing knock on Rubtsov, if it is that's completely absurd as this has this perceived anti Russian bias written all over it. In doing my due diligence with the pick, fans across social media have compared the work of Hextall here to that of the now criticized selection from the Dallas Stars with Denis Guryanov. Two completely different packages people. Guryanov(not even sure I spelled it right), is a shooter who doesn't play a both ends game while Rubtsov is miles more electric and won't be a liability in the defensive zone. All this bad blood seaming through Russian hockey has me surmising that it may be advisable for Rubtsov to come North of the border and strut his stuff in the Canadian Hockey League and my home town Regina Pats would be an ideal landing spot......just saying German, Regina's a calling.
My comparable:Artem Anisimov
23.Florida Panthers-Henrik Borgstrom(HIFK JR Sweden)
3/5
An unknown(relatively unknown) Swede coming to the National Hockey League,a novel idea that's never worked for said team who's drafted these type of players? Right? Wrong....as queue the Henrik Lundqvist's, and Henrik Zetterberg's of the worlds and I think they worked out just fine for the Rangers and the Red Wings respectively and Panther fans are collectively praying that Borgstrom will lead to similar results. Borgstrom is someone that needs to put on strength as he's a little undersized for his height and his commitment to the University of Denver next season will go a long way in better acquainting himself to the North American game. With all the turmoil in the Panthers front office right now it's imperative that they capitalize on the momentum that was the 2015/2016 season and while some privy to the happenings in South Beach will opine that due to above a more sure fire pick would've been preferable but I'm not willing to write off Henrik just yet.
My comparable:Benoit Pouliot
24.Anaheim Ducks-Max Jones(London OHL)
1/5
My ranking of 1/5 has very little to do with Max Jones the player and has more to do with Max Jones the fit on the Anaheim Ducks.The summarization of the Anaheim Ducks is that they have a plethora of size but aside from fellow London Knight Corey Perry they're deprived of a lot of pure scoring. Max Jones is not what I would consider a pure scorer as he's more built in a mold of a Ryan Kesler type, a trusted two way player who's more effective as a trailer on the rush as opposed to the one initiating the breakout. If it wasn't obvious enough, I don't see Max Jones ever fitting admirably within the Ducks top nine and it would not surprise me in the least if the Ducks get off to another expected hot start next season if Jones is dangled as trade bait to push the quack attack to a point where they haven't been since 2007.
My comparable:Cory Stillman
25.Dallas Stars-Riley Tufte(Fargo USHL)
5/5
Unlike the Ducks synopsis above, the addition of Tufte fulfills a team requirement and those in the heart of Texas will quickly fall in love with Riley. Let's not call a spade a spade, size matters and Tufte has that in spades. At 6'5, he currently occupies the left wing position but based off of my viewings I firmly maintain he'd be a better player at center. I'm not fully convinced Tufte will ever be a feared scorer in the show but he'll be your prototypical power forward who will, similarly to Logan Brown a nightmare matchup for National Hockey League calibre defenceman. We'll see if Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin can locate Tufte's offensive game while away at college because if he can, can you imagine a scenario where Jamie Benn and Riley Tufte are flying down to the corners together? Scary proposition.
My comparable:Chris Kreider
26.St.Louis Blues-Tage Thompson(Connectictut NCAA)
3/5
Another giant who's name gets called in the first round. The city of St.Louis hasn't had an athlete this intimidating since the days of the great Orlando Pace. I exaggerate of course but let's take a second to dig into the evaluation of Thompson. Thompson for his size is an exquisite skater which as a general statement is becoming an increasing inevitability when it comes to these tall, lanky types something that wasn't the case in the late nineties/early two thousands. Thompson has spent a year at Connecticut but he's a darkhorse of mine to be considered NHL ready. The way he skates could create the dilemma of where Ken Hitchcock could slot Thompson in as the third line center as it's expected the Blues will allow David Backes to walk in free agency. A long shot I concur but based on the skillset, something that I imagine will be deeply looked at.
My comparable:Craig MacTavish
27.Tampa Bay Lightning-Brett Howden(Moose Jaw WHL)
5/5
Contrary to my harsh outlook with other Western Canadians in this piece, the Lightning nailed one out of the park at number twenty seven with Quenton's little bro Brett. It's very hard to find one facet in Brett's game that he has difficulty with, a pro's pro if you will. His skating is premier, he shoots the puck above average, and more importantly he always knows where to go when particular plays present themselves, These intangibles presumably made the sprint to the podium an easy one for Steve Yzerman. Too many times a prospect gets picked high because of a flashy trait and when they reach that next level, the weaknesses in their game get exposed but this won't be problematic for Howden as like mentioned, he's an all around player that will ease the natural prospect development anxiety that most General Managers are forced to live with.
My comparable:Jason Pominville
28.Washington Capitals-Lucas Johansen(Kelowna WHL)
1/5
To offer up a comparison to the game of basketball, this has Andrea Bargnani written all over it. A player who assuredly works hard but is soft as butter and refuses to engage into the hard nosed areas. The great Bob McCown from the Fan 590, and I've referenced this quote on a few occasions throughout the course of creating this blog once said "I wouldn't trust Bargnani covering the coach let alone an actual defender". To provide some correlation when it relates to Lucas Johansen, if I was a coach I wouldn't feel comfortable him covering a fourth line mucker from the ECHL knowing full well their was a high probability he'd get taken for lunch for. To spin this to a more positive angle for Caps fans, the lineage being the brother of Ryan Johansen can only help his development as right now his only area of strength is the ability to push up the puck offensively. Earler I hinted at a positional change down the road for Logan Brown, it's definitively possible that a similar change for Johansen could signal promising results.
My comparable:Ladislav Smid
29.Boston Bruins-Trent Frederic(Wisconsin NCAA)
4/5
The addition of Trent Frederic at twenty nine has been panned amongst critics. This is an unfair criticism from my vantage point because Trent Frederic is a quality prospect although I will support the majority agreement that trading down in all actuality could've landed Frederic but credit to Don Sweeney for stepping up and taking the player he targeted notwithstanding the backlash he has begun to receive. Frederic's style is very mundane, prides himself on displaying a North/South game that you know will bring an honest effort each night. It's likely that he'll never be counted to deliver top six minutes and with that I realize some of you are up in arms asking why you would ever bring in a first round commodity who doesn't project to a top six role which is a fair inquiry but keep in mind that sometimes a player who brings a consistent effort trumps a Alex Kovalev who shows up once every tenth night.
My comparable:Scott Lachance
30.Anaheim Ducks-Sam Steel(Regina WHL)
2/5
Disappointing first round for the Ducks eh? Here's the thing about Sam Steel and being from Regina I feel I can speak the loudest about due to the amount of times I've seen him play and that is that he can't lead a team in junior, let alone future professional escapades. He's a small, shifty player but the amount of times he gets pushed off the puck is staggering. The Regina Pats find themselves in a transitional period that was supposed to revolve around Sam Steel but due to inconsistent progression and sporadic injury issues, General Manager and Head Coach John Paddock was forced to bring in secondary pieces at the expense of the long term outlook of the franchise. In my projections, I saw Steel as a late second/early third round prospect and I hope my analysis on this player can be trusted with the quantity of times I've seen Sam in person. He'll always be effective on the power play because of the soft mitts but the unfortunate realization is that he'll be a liability in all other areas long term. I sincerely hope Steel proves me wrong.
My comparable:Robert Kron
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
2016 NHL Mock Draft
Here below is a two round NHL Mock draft for this summer's crop of young talent that I have constructed.
1.Toronto Maple Leafs-Auston Matthews(Zurich Lions)
2.Winnipeg Jets-Patrik Laine(Tappara Finland)
3.Columbus Blue Jackets-Jesse Puljujarvi(Karpat Finland)
4.Edmonton Oilers-Olli Juolevi(London OHL)
5.Vancouver Canucks-Matt Tkachuk(London OHL)
6.Calgary Flames-Pierre-Luc Dubois(Cape Breton QMJHL)
7.Arizona Coyotes-Mikhail Sergachyov(Windsor OHL)
8.Buffalo Sabres-Jakob Chychrun(Sarnia OHL)
9.Montreal Canadiens-Alexander Nylander(Mississauga OHL)
10.Colorado Avalanche-Logan Brown(Windsor OHL)
11.New Jersey Devils-Kiefer Bellows(US NTDP)
12.Ottawa Senators-Tyson Jost(Penticton BCHL)
13.Carolina Hurricanes-Clayton Keller(US NTDP)
14.Boston Bruins-Dante Fabbro(Penticton BCHL)
15.Minnesota Wild-Charlie McAvoy(Boston U)
16.Detroit Red Wings-Jake Bean(Calgary WHL)
17.Nashville Predators-Michael McLeod(Mississauga OHL)
18.Philadelphia Flyers-Brett Howden(Moose Jaw WHL)
19.New York Islanders-Luke Kunin(Wisconsin U)
20.Arizona Coyotes-Max Jones(London OHL)
21.Carolina Hurricanes-Samuel Girard(Shawinigan QMJHL)
22.Winnipeg Jets-German Rubtsov(Vityaz Poldolsk RUS)
23.Florida Panthers-Logan Stanley(Windsor OHL)
24.Anaheim Ducks-Julien Gauthier(Val'dor QMJHL)
25.Dallas Stars-Vitali Abramov(Gatineau QMJHL)
26.Washington Capitals-Tage Thompson(Connecticut U)
27.Tampa Bay Lightning-Rasmus Asplund(Farjestad Sweden)
28.St.Louis Blues-Boris Katchouk(Sault Ste.Marie OHL)
29.Boston Bruins-Carl Grundstrom(Modo Sweden)
30.Toronto Maple Leafs-Carter Hart(Everett WHL)
Round Two:
31.Toronto Maple Leafs-Pascal Laberge(Victoriaville QMJHL)
32.Edmonton Oilers-Riley Tufte(Fargo USHL)
33.Florida Panthers-Filip Gustavsson(Lulea Sweden)
34.Columbus Blue Jackets-Alex DiBrincat(Erie OHL)
35.Calgary Flames-Cameron Morrison(Youngstown USHL)
36.Winnipeg Jets-Cliff Pu(London OHL)
37.Arizona Coyotes-Markus Niemelainen(Saginaw OHL)
38.Buffalo Sabres-Kale Clague(Brandon WHL)
39.Montreal Canadiens-Libor Hajek(Saskatoon WHL)
40.Colorado Avalanche-Luke Green(Saint John QMJHL)
41.New Jersey Devils-Tyler Benson(Vancouver WHL)
42.Ottawa Senators-Will Bitten(Flint OHL)
43.Carolina Hurricanes-Sam Steel(Regina WHL)
44.Tampa Bay Lightning-Nathan Bastien(Mississauga OHL)
45.Montreal Canadiens-Brett Murray(Carleton Place CJHL)
46.Detroit Red Wings-Jordy Stallard(Calgary WHL)
47.Nashville Predators-Victor Mete(London OHL)
48.Philadelphia Flyers-Adam Mascherin(Kitchener OHL)
49.Boston Bruins-Taylor Raddysh(Erie OHL)
50.Carolina Hurricanes-Brandon Gignac(Shawinigan QMJHL)
51.Los Angeles Kings-Cam Dineen(North Bay OHL)
52.Philadelphia Flyers-Noah Gregor(Moose Jaw WHL)
53.Calgary Flames-Ryan Lindgren(US NTDP)
54.Pittsburgh Penguins-Dmitri Sokolov(Sudbury OHL)
55.Calgary Flames-Evan Fitzpatrick(Sherbrooke QMJHL)
56.Toronto Maple Leafs-Mitch Mattson(Bloomington USHL)
57.Tampa Bay Lightning-Jordan Kyrou(Sarnia OHL)
58.St.Louis Blues-Keaton Middleton(Saginaw OHL)
59.San Jose Sharks-Jacob Cederholm(HV71 Sweden)
60.Pittsburgh Penguins-Max Lajoie(Swift Current WHL)
1.Toronto Maple Leafs-Auston Matthews(Zurich Lions)
2.Winnipeg Jets-Patrik Laine(Tappara Finland)
3.Columbus Blue Jackets-Jesse Puljujarvi(Karpat Finland)
4.Edmonton Oilers-Olli Juolevi(London OHL)
5.Vancouver Canucks-Matt Tkachuk(London OHL)
6.Calgary Flames-Pierre-Luc Dubois(Cape Breton QMJHL)
7.Arizona Coyotes-Mikhail Sergachyov(Windsor OHL)
8.Buffalo Sabres-Jakob Chychrun(Sarnia OHL)
9.Montreal Canadiens-Alexander Nylander(Mississauga OHL)
10.Colorado Avalanche-Logan Brown(Windsor OHL)
11.New Jersey Devils-Kiefer Bellows(US NTDP)
12.Ottawa Senators-Tyson Jost(Penticton BCHL)
13.Carolina Hurricanes-Clayton Keller(US NTDP)
14.Boston Bruins-Dante Fabbro(Penticton BCHL)
15.Minnesota Wild-Charlie McAvoy(Boston U)
16.Detroit Red Wings-Jake Bean(Calgary WHL)
17.Nashville Predators-Michael McLeod(Mississauga OHL)
18.Philadelphia Flyers-Brett Howden(Moose Jaw WHL)
19.New York Islanders-Luke Kunin(Wisconsin U)
20.Arizona Coyotes-Max Jones(London OHL)
21.Carolina Hurricanes-Samuel Girard(Shawinigan QMJHL)
22.Winnipeg Jets-German Rubtsov(Vityaz Poldolsk RUS)
23.Florida Panthers-Logan Stanley(Windsor OHL)
24.Anaheim Ducks-Julien Gauthier(Val'dor QMJHL)
25.Dallas Stars-Vitali Abramov(Gatineau QMJHL)
26.Washington Capitals-Tage Thompson(Connecticut U)
27.Tampa Bay Lightning-Rasmus Asplund(Farjestad Sweden)
28.St.Louis Blues-Boris Katchouk(Sault Ste.Marie OHL)
29.Boston Bruins-Carl Grundstrom(Modo Sweden)
30.Toronto Maple Leafs-Carter Hart(Everett WHL)
Round Two:
31.Toronto Maple Leafs-Pascal Laberge(Victoriaville QMJHL)
32.Edmonton Oilers-Riley Tufte(Fargo USHL)
33.Florida Panthers-Filip Gustavsson(Lulea Sweden)
34.Columbus Blue Jackets-Alex DiBrincat(Erie OHL)
35.Calgary Flames-Cameron Morrison(Youngstown USHL)
36.Winnipeg Jets-Cliff Pu(London OHL)
37.Arizona Coyotes-Markus Niemelainen(Saginaw OHL)
38.Buffalo Sabres-Kale Clague(Brandon WHL)
39.Montreal Canadiens-Libor Hajek(Saskatoon WHL)
40.Colorado Avalanche-Luke Green(Saint John QMJHL)
41.New Jersey Devils-Tyler Benson(Vancouver WHL)
42.Ottawa Senators-Will Bitten(Flint OHL)
43.Carolina Hurricanes-Sam Steel(Regina WHL)
44.Tampa Bay Lightning-Nathan Bastien(Mississauga OHL)
45.Montreal Canadiens-Brett Murray(Carleton Place CJHL)
46.Detroit Red Wings-Jordy Stallard(Calgary WHL)
47.Nashville Predators-Victor Mete(London OHL)
48.Philadelphia Flyers-Adam Mascherin(Kitchener OHL)
49.Boston Bruins-Taylor Raddysh(Erie OHL)
50.Carolina Hurricanes-Brandon Gignac(Shawinigan QMJHL)
51.Los Angeles Kings-Cam Dineen(North Bay OHL)
52.Philadelphia Flyers-Noah Gregor(Moose Jaw WHL)
53.Calgary Flames-Ryan Lindgren(US NTDP)
54.Pittsburgh Penguins-Dmitri Sokolov(Sudbury OHL)
55.Calgary Flames-Evan Fitzpatrick(Sherbrooke QMJHL)
56.Toronto Maple Leafs-Mitch Mattson(Bloomington USHL)
57.Tampa Bay Lightning-Jordan Kyrou(Sarnia OHL)
58.St.Louis Blues-Keaton Middleton(Saginaw OHL)
59.San Jose Sharks-Jacob Cederholm(HV71 Sweden)
60.Pittsburgh Penguins-Max Lajoie(Swift Current WHL)
Thursday, March 3, 2016
2016 Brier Preview
A hearty congratulations goes out to Team Alberta led by the Manitoba convert Chelsea Carey as they prevailed as the Giants of Grande Prairie and will now represent Team Canada at the 2016 Ford World Women's Curling Championship held in Swift Current,Saskatchewan. The Scotties, even with the largely surmised consensus that the field was a two team race translated into a really competitive, enjoyable event to take in and there were a plethora of surprises, no more than Krista McCarville triumphing all the way to the final after a six year hiatus.
The Tim Horton's Brier, being hosted by the Rideau Canal is set to begin this Thursday as the infamous and widely hated relegation event will begin followed by the regulation event beginning on Saturday. Curling pendants, most if not all are labelling this particular field as perhaps the strongest ever. Do I have the courage in prognosticating this tremendous collection of talent? Better believe I've acquired the daunting task of breaking down what guarantees to be a week full of fabulous shot making and controversial sweeping techniques. Following the same format I used for the Saskatchewan Tankard and the Scotties, I will rank the teams from one through eleven in descending order whilst creating a separate ranking for the four teams forced to battle in relegation. Enjoy!
11.Team New Brunswick(Mike Kennedy) I'll be blunt, an increasing trademark of this blog in saying that I give the group from the Grand Falls curling club ZERO chance to not just win, to not just not qualify, but am giving them 0.0% chance of winning more then two games. As John Morris, third for Team Canada tweeted out, "There's no free space on the Bingo Card this year", well John this is completely incorrect as New Brunswick is that free space. Proclaiming that this rink isn't headed for relegation would be like saying that the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the right track to be 2017 Stanley Cup Champions. Constructing bold remarks is nothing new for myself but presenting false hope for a listless squad would be doing all an injustice.
Skip:Mike Kennedy
Third:Scott Jones
Second:Marc Lecocq
Lead:Jamie Brannen
10.Team Quebec(Jean-Michel Menard) The 2006 Brier champion is in the house. It's fitting that TSN currently employs Russ Howard as it's lead analyst as many have drawn comparisons to how current Quebec third Martin Crete conducts himself to the way Russ used to by the constant reverberating screeches that Martin showcases to enhance team communication. The fact that Menard triumphed to a Brier championship back in 2006 speaks to the strength of the field that he's only ranked tenth in my prognostications. There's a couple prominent reasons for this, firstly the depth in Quebec men's curling isn't what it used to be as playdown numbers are dwindling. Team growth really isn't achievable when the regionalized competiton is at an all time low and secondly and quite possibly more importantly, Menard plays sparingly on the World Curling tour so intimidation is probable when he sizes up against the likes of Jacobs and McEwen(that definitely wasn't me foreshadowing who I have as number one and two!). In a normal Brier, I rank the plausibility high that this rink could strive for a .500ish record but not when encapsulating in the gauntlet otherwise known as the 2016 Tim Horton's Brier.
Skip:Jean-Michel Menard
Third:Martin Crete
Second:Eric Sylvain
Lead:Phillipe Menard
9.Team Ontario(Glenn Howard) The country club atmosphere that this team exudes doesn't bode well for it's chances headed into this event. Some, likely most while digesting that I have a Howard ranked ninth will be appalled at the notion but when you dissect a little deeper, the ranking may not be so far fetched. In watching the Ontario provincial final broadcast by Sportsnet in which Glenn upset pre-event favourite and growing notorious provincial choker, I stop it at notorious provincial choker as he's had some admirable results on the Grand Slam circuit, John Epping, you got the impression that Glenn was just happy to be back at the dance and any positive result would purely be a bonus. In my opening of the summarization regarding the Ontario foursome, I referenced a country club atmosphere due to the lineup being trotted out. For years, Glenn has went public on his desire to one day compete in a Brier with son Scott, well after inserting Scott in as the team lead, he can now check it off his bucket list. Long time friend and teammate of Glenn, the great Wayne Middaugh was slotted to play third until he suffered a gruesome injury while enmbarking on an alternate winter sport activity. Richard Hart and Glenn have been teammates for nearly thirteen years, so you just knew when Richard picked up the broom again after a brief "retirement" that he and the younger Howard would once again join forces. If my point wasn't already strong enough that this rink cares more about relationship sustainability then results out on the ice, they bring in Richard's son Joey on as the alternate. It doesn't feel right supplanting Glenn Howard this low in the seeding but sometimes the dream of getting to the promised land outweighs the anticipation of what you can do once you get there, and this has never been more applicable when delving into Team Howard's chances. 5-6 record tops.
Skip:Glenn Howard
Third:Richard Hart
Second:Adam Spencer
Lead:Scott Howard
8.Team British Columbia(Jim Cotter) The British Columbia men's curling provincials and the name Jim Cotter are becoming synonymous with one another. Six Brier appearances in the last eight seasons has Jim desperate for that sought after breakthrough in Ottawa. When analyzing the rink Cotter has assembled, the common denominator although extremely skilled is that they tend to cave in under pressure. The appointment of John Morris skipping heading into to the 2013/2014 campaign enabled a newfound strategy for Jim who prior to teaming up with John, had the river boat gambler image, taking unnecessary chances when the game didn't call for it. After John left after a one year tenure which nearly saw the four who curl out of the Kelowna/Vernon clubs reach the 2014 Olympics, I've noticed a more mature strategy which has caused fits for fellow opposition. His backdrop consisting off Rick Sawatzky, Ty Griffith, and Ryan Kuhn are being put into more identifiable roles and this is in lieu of Cotter presenting himself as a more authoritative figure. Tyrel's strength, and stats will back this up is his upweight while Ryan's calling is more with the softer, feel thoughts. Because there a plethora of herculean teams infront of them, I was hesitant to rank them any higher but it would not surprise me in the least if by the end of the week they were playing meaningful games by the weekend.
Skip:Jim Cotter
Third:Ryan Kuhn
Second:Tyrel Griffith
Lead:Rick Sawatzky
7.Team Canada(Pat Simmons) The 2015 Brier final featuring the rinks of Northern Ontario's Brad Jacobs and Canada's Pat Simmons rink who when the week began was headlined by John Morris was quite possibly one of the more captivating sporting matches I've been privy to in some time. The made for the subplots that were Team Canada a year was riveting drama with John Morris voluntarily(reportedly) stepping down to third while promoting Saskatchewan born Pat Simmons into the skip position. I for one have a hard time believing that the front end of Thiessen and Rycroft didn't pull a few nudges Morris' way in favour of the change, but that is neither here nor there. The inclusion of Carter Rycroft is a fascinating development as two years ago as a member of the Kevin Koe rink he had plans to step back from the game completely, well two Brier wins later he is still kicking around and when quantifying the leadership abilities he brings to the table, the Canadian entry is better served for it. Not to make this out to be a glorified Carter Rycroft appreciation thread, but I truly feel his accomplishments in the game of curling are criminally overlooked. A three time Brier winner, a 2002 Olympic silver medallist, 1998 Canadian Junior finalist and what most people fail to remember is it was he who was the original lead in what became the legendary"Ferbey four" Recollections aside, what will plague Team Canada's chances is a lack of repetition. They purposefully, probably in large part accommodating Rycroft's wishes cut back their competitive schedule. In any sport, less practice results to a decrease in performance. Can they pull a rabbit out of a hat once again in 2016? This blogger says no but I would've said no last year as well.
Skip:Pat Simmons
Third:John Morris
Second:Carter Rycroft
Lead:Nolan Thiessen
6.Team Prince Edward Island(Adam Casey) Adam Casey, a remnant of the former Brett Gallant island junior squad that captured a Canadian junior title back in 2009. Why is this important you ask? Well for starters I don't care who you are but if you can jettison yourself to a Canadian title at any level you belong at this level. Casey for being twenty six has a myriad of experience, not only with the previously mentioned Canadian Junior title, but also when accounting for his time with Brad Gushue. Gushue eventually dumped Casey once Bam-Bam himself, Mark Nichols made his way back to the rock so that left Casey to move back to the Island and form his own team, and he certainly did a commendable job organizing this unit together. David Mathers, fresh off a 2015 Brier appearance representing Team Ontario alongside Mark Kean is Casey's new third after upgrading over Josh Barry. At second we have Anson Carmody who along with Casey celebrated that very same Canadian junior title. Before I introduce the lead for the Islanders, I'd like to go on a tangent focusing in on the importance of team morale. What does team morale mean for me, well it means someone who can brush aside the unfortunate bad breaks, crack a joke during the more tenser times, and maybe I'm waaay off base(I'm not) by saying that team lead Robbie Doherty fulfills all those descriptors to a t. Doherty, better known as the great Thomas Arbucke is undeniably the funniest man in curling with apologies going out to John Cullen. We need more Robbie Doherty's for this great sport to grow. Sport at the end of the day is an entertainment business and win or lose we have to keep the fans engaged. As Arbuckle's famous saying goes, "when in doubt, blame the skip". If I've prognosticated this field correctly, I'm not sure how many times Casey will need to be blamed. Darkhorse playoff entry.
Skip:Adam Casey
Third:David Mathers
Second:Anson Carmody
Lead:Robbie Doherty
5.Team Saskatchewan(Steve Laycock). In my Scotties preview, when previewing the Krista McCarville foursome I eluded to the fact that this was going to be a difficult team to opine about. Well similarly to Krista, I share these exact statements for Steve and his Saskatoon crew. When I completed my highly acclaimed Saskatchewan Tankard preview, I made it well known that Steve was a shoe-in, I even went as far to say that he might as well have booked his flights before the Tankard commenced. The essence of what was behind me saying that wasn't necessarily an overwhelming endorsement pertaining to Laycock as it was a scathing retort towards the lack of quality for the rest of the Saskatchewan's men curling scene. Let's not call a spade a spade, I think highly of the Laycock rink as a whole but strongly maintain they're positioned incorrectly. Kirk Muyres is the best curler on this team and should be skipping. It pains me to say this as I am a Saskatchewan native myself but I believe Steve on a personal basis is unquestionably one of the more overrated curlers in this country. He's been graced with great lineups but has failed to deliver time and time again. He'll always favour the draw over the hit which is okay but it's one thing to favor a selection, it's another to not have that ability in your repertoire all together. The playbook on how to beat Steve has never been a secret and in order for Saskatchewan to try and end this thirty six year Brier curse, that aforementioned penchant to always rely on the draw will HAVE to change.
Skip:Steve Laycock
Third:Kirk Muyres
Second:Colton Flasch
Lead:Dallan Muyres
4.Team Newfoundland and Labrador(Brad Gushue) The game of curling is currently enthralled in an evolutionary state, a thought shared by many in the community and it can thanked in large part, or frowned upon, whether you're a glass half full or half empty type of individual to Brad Gushue. These controversial brushing techniques were brought to the forefront by Brad and in wake of these discoveries, broom manufacturers have been at odds with the National curling bodies. In fact, in lieu of a video that the Gushue rink posted via Youtube, Curling Canada elected that for the Scotties and Brier to ban hair brooms because of how, with particular techniques can greatly manipulate a stone. Many have been aptly quoted by saying that with such sweeping heads, it's become more of a sweeper's game then a throwers game which is a terrible direction for the sport. To get this back pertaining to the chances of Gushue because I already approximately about a month ago eloquently pieced my thoughts with the health and longevity of this game. Brad Gushue got off to a blazing start on the Grand Slam schedule, and yes feel free to correlate the brushing advantages they may have had earlier on in the season while others tried to catch up. The season has since cooled down considerably but that's not to say Brad doesn't have envisions in bringing back Brier Gold and this becoming Team Canada for the 2017 Brier being hosted by, ironically enough.....St.John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The other team who enters playdowns in these parts(ok, that may have been a uncalled for exaggeration) is certainly pulling for a Gushue 2016 win. The x factor is this, can Bretts Gallant, who in Junior gravitated towards the clutch penchant step up his game and be an asset because in recent Brier championships, the subpar performances are becoming a norm, as if it to label him a liability which is shocking because in lesser events, I've seen games where he's singlehandedly carried the Gushue four to victory.
Skip:Brad Gushue
Third:Mark NIchols
Second:Brett Gallant
Lead:Geoff Walker
3.Team Alberta(Kevin Koe) This quiet, unassuming skip doesn't give off a fiery competitior vibe, but if you solely judge his demeanor on the ice, you'll quickly ascertain that this is someone that is ultra competitive and will do anything to conquer the opponent. Kevin Koe left his Brier winning team after the 2013-2014 season and joined forces with 2010 Olympic Gold Medallists Ben Hebert and Marc Kennedy while prodding Brent Laing away from Glenn Howard. After self admitted struggles in 2014/12015 which I consider hilarious because this team did after all win their province and reach the hometown Brier, subtle changes were made headed into this season. Last year, Koe instilled Brent Laing to hold the broom for him while Marc Kennedy threw third, and for whatever reason the dynamic just didn't mesh, so the decision was made for Kennedy to hold the broom. For what it's worth I have an opinion on this, and I'd hope you care being as how you're choosing to read this and that's I feel if someone is going to effectively thrive in the third position, he or she must embark on the responsibility of calling angles in the house. There are very few teams who have compiled championships when the third is not in the house calling line for the skip and the reason for this is by preventing this combination, the third in question loses egagement in the game. Once again, just a personal observation. Experience up their ying-yang, no reason after what has thusfar been an incredible season this team won't be around to participate in Semi-final Saturday.
Skip:Kevin Koe
Third:Marc Kennedy
Second:Brent Laing
Lead:Ben Hebert
2.Team Northern Ontario(Brad Jacobs) When I view Team Jacobs on television, at times I forget if I'm watching curling or a body building competition. Tongue in cheek comment of course(or was it) as there skills on the ice continue to substantiate year after year. Ryan Fry, third for this unit before finding a quasi permanent home with Brad, had been around the block spending significant time with Brad Gushue and before that Jeff Stoughton. Essentially, a who's who of curling. The knock on Fry has always been can he fit in from a team chemistry perspective. A little older then the rest of the team, the preceding overbearing reputation that he once had has been replaced by a calming influence for three others who are related by blood. Being the non relative on a team full of family would be a difficult scenario to walk into in any sport, but I give Fry major props for understanding his role and focusing on just making shots, in which he's made several over the last two to three years. An Olympic hangover is a real thing, and we may have seen drops of that last season, but hangovers shouldn't last more then a year, well actually they shouldn't last more then a day but you catch my drift. I spoke to how I felt Jim Cotter has became more authorative in recent years, and the same observation is applicable when describing Jacobs. This doesn't lack confidence, I'd be shredded to pieces if I suggested they did but the big difference between the 2014/2015 Brad and the 2015/2016 Brad is he has that will to win back. I was flopping back and forth to who I thought would reign victorious, so we'll see if Jacobs follows fellow Northern Ontario rep McCarville's footsteps by being the finalist or whether he'll replicate what he blazed through in 2013, a Brier Championship.
Skip:Brad Jacobs
Third:Ryan Fry
Second:E.J Harnden
Lead:Ryan Harnden
1.Team Manitoba(Mike McEwen) The best comparable when describing the trail that has finally led Mike McEwen to this Ottawa Brier could be when assessing the plight of Phil Mickelson. For years, Mickelson was coined as the greatest player to never win a major in golf but finally broke through at the 2004 Masters. McEwen on the other hand always drew the short straw, first it was not being able to squeeze by Jeff Stoughton, then it was the Cinderella provincial run of Rob Fowler only to lose a heartbreaker to Reid Carruthers in 2015. The prevailing thought was would McEwen ever find a way to secure a provincial title? A quirk in this year's provincial saw him lock up a berth before the final was ever played. Super junior Matt Dunstone, our 2016 Canadian Junior champion had already committed to the World Juniors in Copenhagen which rendered him ineligible to compete in the Brier. Let me just say, and I'm aware this does nothing when analyzing the chances of McEwen, in all reality a useless thought and that's that Matt Dunstone is the best individual thrower in the world today, and I don't even view this as a bold assertion. Playing Dunstone in the final, a game in which he won, got his flight booked to the Nation's capital but how else did they do it? First they made the perplexing decision heading into the season to name long time rival Jon Mead as fifth player/coach. Was Mead the missing link, perhaps as this Winnipeg rink flourished immediately. A long standing great team playing in their first Brier and winning, where did I hear that before *cough Kevin Koe cough*.
Skip:Mike McEwen
Third:B.J Neufeld
Second:Matt Wozniak
Lead:Denni Neufeld
Now for the relegation thoughts, and once again following a descending order.
4.Team Nunavut(Wade Kingdon) I'd like to formally retract my previous fears I had heading into the Scotties when I opined that I worried the Nunavut ladies would get smashed in every game(literally not figuratively as I have no idea if they got smashed in the patch afterwards). They didn't, they actually won a game. I was surprised as were most curling pendants. Can the Nunavut men reciprocate this feat? I doubt it but after watching the fortunes of the ladies, I'm not ruling anything out. They first match up againt Jamie Koe of the Northwest Territories, so we should have a better measuring stick pertaining to competitveness after this first contest. I'm predicting 0-3 but I give them a slight chance at registering a 1-2 mark.
Skip:Wade Kingdon
Third:Dennis Masson
Second:Aaron Fraser
Lead:Bruce Morgan
3.Team Yukon(Bob Smallwood) Last time I conjured up a Brier preview, I joked that the first time Smallwood participated in a Brier he was known as Bob Andrews, the second time Bob Smallwood, so I wondered out loud what surname would be used in his third trip.. Surprisingly, he remains Bob Smallwood. I give these boys credit, as they toppled a "Yukon" foe that bent the residency rules by bringing in ex Newfie and Canadian Junior finalist Matt Blandford in for playdowns. Smallwood showed who was boss up north. Can he show who's boss on a National Stage. I remember watching last year's relegation final which pitted Smallwood against Casey and remember thinking that shot for shot Team Smallwood held their own, strategically was their the Islanders controlled the outcome. The proof will be in the pudding to see if they'v put in the conceptual work this off-season to have a farmer's chance this season.
Skip:Bob Smallwood
Third:Jon Solberg
Second:Clint Abel
Lead:Scott Odian
2.Team Nova Scotia(Jamie Murphy) Great hitters, extremely great hitters. Unfortunately, their touch game is about as good as John Daly is after he realizes he's missing the cut(reference via YouTube John Daly making a thirteen on a par three).If I was playing Murphy, irregardless where Murphy placed his first stone I'd be attempting freeze after freeze, come around after come around. You don't beat this team going up and down the sheet. This is a very simplistic way of looking at things but sometimes simplicisty is the best recipe for guaranteed results. They may be able to beat the likes of Kingdon and Smallwood 2-1, but unfortunately this may be a faulty approach going up against the team who I've ranked at number one.
Skip:Jamie Murphy
Third:Jordan Pinder
Second:Scott Saccary
Lead:Phil Crowell
1.Team Northwest Territories(Jamie Koe) Based on the presumption that the more Northern Koe will get through relegation, we'll be tuning in shortly to a good ol' Koe v Koe tilt. So what is a Koe v Koe tilt you ask. It's a game in which the Alberta Koe destroys Jamie on the ice whilst shaking early only for Jamie showcasing his skills destroying Kevin in the patch. In all seriousness, the acquisition of broom slammer Chris Schille makes this the team to beat in this much maligned event. The experience of Koe and Schille will prove to be too much and in the main field, feel free to place your bets that Koe will finish eleventh just ahead of Mike Kennedy.
Skip:Jamie Koe
Third:Chris Schille
Second:Brad Chorostowski
Lead:Robert Borden
The Tim Horton's Brier, being hosted by the Rideau Canal is set to begin this Thursday as the infamous and widely hated relegation event will begin followed by the regulation event beginning on Saturday. Curling pendants, most if not all are labelling this particular field as perhaps the strongest ever. Do I have the courage in prognosticating this tremendous collection of talent? Better believe I've acquired the daunting task of breaking down what guarantees to be a week full of fabulous shot making and controversial sweeping techniques. Following the same format I used for the Saskatchewan Tankard and the Scotties, I will rank the teams from one through eleven in descending order whilst creating a separate ranking for the four teams forced to battle in relegation. Enjoy!
11.Team New Brunswick(Mike Kennedy) I'll be blunt, an increasing trademark of this blog in saying that I give the group from the Grand Falls curling club ZERO chance to not just win, to not just not qualify, but am giving them 0.0% chance of winning more then two games. As John Morris, third for Team Canada tweeted out, "There's no free space on the Bingo Card this year", well John this is completely incorrect as New Brunswick is that free space. Proclaiming that this rink isn't headed for relegation would be like saying that the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the right track to be 2017 Stanley Cup Champions. Constructing bold remarks is nothing new for myself but presenting false hope for a listless squad would be doing all an injustice.
Skip:Mike Kennedy
Third:Scott Jones
Second:Marc Lecocq
Lead:Jamie Brannen
10.Team Quebec(Jean-Michel Menard) The 2006 Brier champion is in the house. It's fitting that TSN currently employs Russ Howard as it's lead analyst as many have drawn comparisons to how current Quebec third Martin Crete conducts himself to the way Russ used to by the constant reverberating screeches that Martin showcases to enhance team communication. The fact that Menard triumphed to a Brier championship back in 2006 speaks to the strength of the field that he's only ranked tenth in my prognostications. There's a couple prominent reasons for this, firstly the depth in Quebec men's curling isn't what it used to be as playdown numbers are dwindling. Team growth really isn't achievable when the regionalized competiton is at an all time low and secondly and quite possibly more importantly, Menard plays sparingly on the World Curling tour so intimidation is probable when he sizes up against the likes of Jacobs and McEwen(that definitely wasn't me foreshadowing who I have as number one and two!). In a normal Brier, I rank the plausibility high that this rink could strive for a .500ish record but not when encapsulating in the gauntlet otherwise known as the 2016 Tim Horton's Brier.
Skip:Jean-Michel Menard
Third:Martin Crete
Second:Eric Sylvain
Lead:Phillipe Menard
9.Team Ontario(Glenn Howard) The country club atmosphere that this team exudes doesn't bode well for it's chances headed into this event. Some, likely most while digesting that I have a Howard ranked ninth will be appalled at the notion but when you dissect a little deeper, the ranking may not be so far fetched. In watching the Ontario provincial final broadcast by Sportsnet in which Glenn upset pre-event favourite and growing notorious provincial choker, I stop it at notorious provincial choker as he's had some admirable results on the Grand Slam circuit, John Epping, you got the impression that Glenn was just happy to be back at the dance and any positive result would purely be a bonus. In my opening of the summarization regarding the Ontario foursome, I referenced a country club atmosphere due to the lineup being trotted out. For years, Glenn has went public on his desire to one day compete in a Brier with son Scott, well after inserting Scott in as the team lead, he can now check it off his bucket list. Long time friend and teammate of Glenn, the great Wayne Middaugh was slotted to play third until he suffered a gruesome injury while enmbarking on an alternate winter sport activity. Richard Hart and Glenn have been teammates for nearly thirteen years, so you just knew when Richard picked up the broom again after a brief "retirement" that he and the younger Howard would once again join forces. If my point wasn't already strong enough that this rink cares more about relationship sustainability then results out on the ice, they bring in Richard's son Joey on as the alternate. It doesn't feel right supplanting Glenn Howard this low in the seeding but sometimes the dream of getting to the promised land outweighs the anticipation of what you can do once you get there, and this has never been more applicable when delving into Team Howard's chances. 5-6 record tops.
Skip:Glenn Howard
Third:Richard Hart
Second:Adam Spencer
Lead:Scott Howard
8.Team British Columbia(Jim Cotter) The British Columbia men's curling provincials and the name Jim Cotter are becoming synonymous with one another. Six Brier appearances in the last eight seasons has Jim desperate for that sought after breakthrough in Ottawa. When analyzing the rink Cotter has assembled, the common denominator although extremely skilled is that they tend to cave in under pressure. The appointment of John Morris skipping heading into to the 2013/2014 campaign enabled a newfound strategy for Jim who prior to teaming up with John, had the river boat gambler image, taking unnecessary chances when the game didn't call for it. After John left after a one year tenure which nearly saw the four who curl out of the Kelowna/Vernon clubs reach the 2014 Olympics, I've noticed a more mature strategy which has caused fits for fellow opposition. His backdrop consisting off Rick Sawatzky, Ty Griffith, and Ryan Kuhn are being put into more identifiable roles and this is in lieu of Cotter presenting himself as a more authoritative figure. Tyrel's strength, and stats will back this up is his upweight while Ryan's calling is more with the softer, feel thoughts. Because there a plethora of herculean teams infront of them, I was hesitant to rank them any higher but it would not surprise me in the least if by the end of the week they were playing meaningful games by the weekend.
Skip:Jim Cotter
Third:Ryan Kuhn
Second:Tyrel Griffith
Lead:Rick Sawatzky
7.Team Canada(Pat Simmons) The 2015 Brier final featuring the rinks of Northern Ontario's Brad Jacobs and Canada's Pat Simmons rink who when the week began was headlined by John Morris was quite possibly one of the more captivating sporting matches I've been privy to in some time. The made for the subplots that were Team Canada a year was riveting drama with John Morris voluntarily(reportedly) stepping down to third while promoting Saskatchewan born Pat Simmons into the skip position. I for one have a hard time believing that the front end of Thiessen and Rycroft didn't pull a few nudges Morris' way in favour of the change, but that is neither here nor there. The inclusion of Carter Rycroft is a fascinating development as two years ago as a member of the Kevin Koe rink he had plans to step back from the game completely, well two Brier wins later he is still kicking around and when quantifying the leadership abilities he brings to the table, the Canadian entry is better served for it. Not to make this out to be a glorified Carter Rycroft appreciation thread, but I truly feel his accomplishments in the game of curling are criminally overlooked. A three time Brier winner, a 2002 Olympic silver medallist, 1998 Canadian Junior finalist and what most people fail to remember is it was he who was the original lead in what became the legendary"Ferbey four" Recollections aside, what will plague Team Canada's chances is a lack of repetition. They purposefully, probably in large part accommodating Rycroft's wishes cut back their competitive schedule. In any sport, less practice results to a decrease in performance. Can they pull a rabbit out of a hat once again in 2016? This blogger says no but I would've said no last year as well.
Skip:Pat Simmons
Third:John Morris
Second:Carter Rycroft
Lead:Nolan Thiessen
6.Team Prince Edward Island(Adam Casey) Adam Casey, a remnant of the former Brett Gallant island junior squad that captured a Canadian junior title back in 2009. Why is this important you ask? Well for starters I don't care who you are but if you can jettison yourself to a Canadian title at any level you belong at this level. Casey for being twenty six has a myriad of experience, not only with the previously mentioned Canadian Junior title, but also when accounting for his time with Brad Gushue. Gushue eventually dumped Casey once Bam-Bam himself, Mark Nichols made his way back to the rock so that left Casey to move back to the Island and form his own team, and he certainly did a commendable job organizing this unit together. David Mathers, fresh off a 2015 Brier appearance representing Team Ontario alongside Mark Kean is Casey's new third after upgrading over Josh Barry. At second we have Anson Carmody who along with Casey celebrated that very same Canadian junior title. Before I introduce the lead for the Islanders, I'd like to go on a tangent focusing in on the importance of team morale. What does team morale mean for me, well it means someone who can brush aside the unfortunate bad breaks, crack a joke during the more tenser times, and maybe I'm waaay off base(I'm not) by saying that team lead Robbie Doherty fulfills all those descriptors to a t. Doherty, better known as the great Thomas Arbucke is undeniably the funniest man in curling with apologies going out to John Cullen. We need more Robbie Doherty's for this great sport to grow. Sport at the end of the day is an entertainment business and win or lose we have to keep the fans engaged. As Arbuckle's famous saying goes, "when in doubt, blame the skip". If I've prognosticated this field correctly, I'm not sure how many times Casey will need to be blamed. Darkhorse playoff entry.
Skip:Adam Casey
Third:David Mathers
Second:Anson Carmody
Lead:Robbie Doherty
5.Team Saskatchewan(Steve Laycock). In my Scotties preview, when previewing the Krista McCarville foursome I eluded to the fact that this was going to be a difficult team to opine about. Well similarly to Krista, I share these exact statements for Steve and his Saskatoon crew. When I completed my highly acclaimed Saskatchewan Tankard preview, I made it well known that Steve was a shoe-in, I even went as far to say that he might as well have booked his flights before the Tankard commenced. The essence of what was behind me saying that wasn't necessarily an overwhelming endorsement pertaining to Laycock as it was a scathing retort towards the lack of quality for the rest of the Saskatchewan's men curling scene. Let's not call a spade a spade, I think highly of the Laycock rink as a whole but strongly maintain they're positioned incorrectly. Kirk Muyres is the best curler on this team and should be skipping. It pains me to say this as I am a Saskatchewan native myself but I believe Steve on a personal basis is unquestionably one of the more overrated curlers in this country. He's been graced with great lineups but has failed to deliver time and time again. He'll always favour the draw over the hit which is okay but it's one thing to favor a selection, it's another to not have that ability in your repertoire all together. The playbook on how to beat Steve has never been a secret and in order for Saskatchewan to try and end this thirty six year Brier curse, that aforementioned penchant to always rely on the draw will HAVE to change.
Skip:Steve Laycock
Third:Kirk Muyres
Second:Colton Flasch
Lead:Dallan Muyres
4.Team Newfoundland and Labrador(Brad Gushue) The game of curling is currently enthralled in an evolutionary state, a thought shared by many in the community and it can thanked in large part, or frowned upon, whether you're a glass half full or half empty type of individual to Brad Gushue. These controversial brushing techniques were brought to the forefront by Brad and in wake of these discoveries, broom manufacturers have been at odds with the National curling bodies. In fact, in lieu of a video that the Gushue rink posted via Youtube, Curling Canada elected that for the Scotties and Brier to ban hair brooms because of how, with particular techniques can greatly manipulate a stone. Many have been aptly quoted by saying that with such sweeping heads, it's become more of a sweeper's game then a throwers game which is a terrible direction for the sport. To get this back pertaining to the chances of Gushue because I already approximately about a month ago eloquently pieced my thoughts with the health and longevity of this game. Brad Gushue got off to a blazing start on the Grand Slam schedule, and yes feel free to correlate the brushing advantages they may have had earlier on in the season while others tried to catch up. The season has since cooled down considerably but that's not to say Brad doesn't have envisions in bringing back Brier Gold and this becoming Team Canada for the 2017 Brier being hosted by, ironically enough.....St.John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The other team who enters playdowns in these parts(ok, that may have been a uncalled for exaggeration) is certainly pulling for a Gushue 2016 win. The x factor is this, can Bretts Gallant, who in Junior gravitated towards the clutch penchant step up his game and be an asset because in recent Brier championships, the subpar performances are becoming a norm, as if it to label him a liability which is shocking because in lesser events, I've seen games where he's singlehandedly carried the Gushue four to victory.
Skip:Brad Gushue
Third:Mark NIchols
Second:Brett Gallant
Lead:Geoff Walker
3.Team Alberta(Kevin Koe) This quiet, unassuming skip doesn't give off a fiery competitior vibe, but if you solely judge his demeanor on the ice, you'll quickly ascertain that this is someone that is ultra competitive and will do anything to conquer the opponent. Kevin Koe left his Brier winning team after the 2013-2014 season and joined forces with 2010 Olympic Gold Medallists Ben Hebert and Marc Kennedy while prodding Brent Laing away from Glenn Howard. After self admitted struggles in 2014/12015 which I consider hilarious because this team did after all win their province and reach the hometown Brier, subtle changes were made headed into this season. Last year, Koe instilled Brent Laing to hold the broom for him while Marc Kennedy threw third, and for whatever reason the dynamic just didn't mesh, so the decision was made for Kennedy to hold the broom. For what it's worth I have an opinion on this, and I'd hope you care being as how you're choosing to read this and that's I feel if someone is going to effectively thrive in the third position, he or she must embark on the responsibility of calling angles in the house. There are very few teams who have compiled championships when the third is not in the house calling line for the skip and the reason for this is by preventing this combination, the third in question loses egagement in the game. Once again, just a personal observation. Experience up their ying-yang, no reason after what has thusfar been an incredible season this team won't be around to participate in Semi-final Saturday.
Skip:Kevin Koe
Third:Marc Kennedy
Second:Brent Laing
Lead:Ben Hebert
2.Team Northern Ontario(Brad Jacobs) When I view Team Jacobs on television, at times I forget if I'm watching curling or a body building competition. Tongue in cheek comment of course(or was it) as there skills on the ice continue to substantiate year after year. Ryan Fry, third for this unit before finding a quasi permanent home with Brad, had been around the block spending significant time with Brad Gushue and before that Jeff Stoughton. Essentially, a who's who of curling. The knock on Fry has always been can he fit in from a team chemistry perspective. A little older then the rest of the team, the preceding overbearing reputation that he once had has been replaced by a calming influence for three others who are related by blood. Being the non relative on a team full of family would be a difficult scenario to walk into in any sport, but I give Fry major props for understanding his role and focusing on just making shots, in which he's made several over the last two to three years. An Olympic hangover is a real thing, and we may have seen drops of that last season, but hangovers shouldn't last more then a year, well actually they shouldn't last more then a day but you catch my drift. I spoke to how I felt Jim Cotter has became more authorative in recent years, and the same observation is applicable when describing Jacobs. This doesn't lack confidence, I'd be shredded to pieces if I suggested they did but the big difference between the 2014/2015 Brad and the 2015/2016 Brad is he has that will to win back. I was flopping back and forth to who I thought would reign victorious, so we'll see if Jacobs follows fellow Northern Ontario rep McCarville's footsteps by being the finalist or whether he'll replicate what he blazed through in 2013, a Brier Championship.
Skip:Brad Jacobs
Third:Ryan Fry
Second:E.J Harnden
Lead:Ryan Harnden
1.Team Manitoba(Mike McEwen) The best comparable when describing the trail that has finally led Mike McEwen to this Ottawa Brier could be when assessing the plight of Phil Mickelson. For years, Mickelson was coined as the greatest player to never win a major in golf but finally broke through at the 2004 Masters. McEwen on the other hand always drew the short straw, first it was not being able to squeeze by Jeff Stoughton, then it was the Cinderella provincial run of Rob Fowler only to lose a heartbreaker to Reid Carruthers in 2015. The prevailing thought was would McEwen ever find a way to secure a provincial title? A quirk in this year's provincial saw him lock up a berth before the final was ever played. Super junior Matt Dunstone, our 2016 Canadian Junior champion had already committed to the World Juniors in Copenhagen which rendered him ineligible to compete in the Brier. Let me just say, and I'm aware this does nothing when analyzing the chances of McEwen, in all reality a useless thought and that's that Matt Dunstone is the best individual thrower in the world today, and I don't even view this as a bold assertion. Playing Dunstone in the final, a game in which he won, got his flight booked to the Nation's capital but how else did they do it? First they made the perplexing decision heading into the season to name long time rival Jon Mead as fifth player/coach. Was Mead the missing link, perhaps as this Winnipeg rink flourished immediately. A long standing great team playing in their first Brier and winning, where did I hear that before *cough Kevin Koe cough*.
Skip:Mike McEwen
Third:B.J Neufeld
Second:Matt Wozniak
Lead:Denni Neufeld
Now for the relegation thoughts, and once again following a descending order.
4.Team Nunavut(Wade Kingdon) I'd like to formally retract my previous fears I had heading into the Scotties when I opined that I worried the Nunavut ladies would get smashed in every game(literally not figuratively as I have no idea if they got smashed in the patch afterwards). They didn't, they actually won a game. I was surprised as were most curling pendants. Can the Nunavut men reciprocate this feat? I doubt it but after watching the fortunes of the ladies, I'm not ruling anything out. They first match up againt Jamie Koe of the Northwest Territories, so we should have a better measuring stick pertaining to competitveness after this first contest. I'm predicting 0-3 but I give them a slight chance at registering a 1-2 mark.
Skip:Wade Kingdon
Third:Dennis Masson
Second:Aaron Fraser
Lead:Bruce Morgan
3.Team Yukon(Bob Smallwood) Last time I conjured up a Brier preview, I joked that the first time Smallwood participated in a Brier he was known as Bob Andrews, the second time Bob Smallwood, so I wondered out loud what surname would be used in his third trip.. Surprisingly, he remains Bob Smallwood. I give these boys credit, as they toppled a "Yukon" foe that bent the residency rules by bringing in ex Newfie and Canadian Junior finalist Matt Blandford in for playdowns. Smallwood showed who was boss up north. Can he show who's boss on a National Stage. I remember watching last year's relegation final which pitted Smallwood against Casey and remember thinking that shot for shot Team Smallwood held their own, strategically was their the Islanders controlled the outcome. The proof will be in the pudding to see if they'v put in the conceptual work this off-season to have a farmer's chance this season.
Skip:Bob Smallwood
Third:Jon Solberg
Second:Clint Abel
Lead:Scott Odian
2.Team Nova Scotia(Jamie Murphy) Great hitters, extremely great hitters. Unfortunately, their touch game is about as good as John Daly is after he realizes he's missing the cut(reference via YouTube John Daly making a thirteen on a par three).If I was playing Murphy, irregardless where Murphy placed his first stone I'd be attempting freeze after freeze, come around after come around. You don't beat this team going up and down the sheet. This is a very simplistic way of looking at things but sometimes simplicisty is the best recipe for guaranteed results. They may be able to beat the likes of Kingdon and Smallwood 2-1, but unfortunately this may be a faulty approach going up against the team who I've ranked at number one.
Skip:Jamie Murphy
Third:Jordan Pinder
Second:Scott Saccary
Lead:Phil Crowell
1.Team Northwest Territories(Jamie Koe) Based on the presumption that the more Northern Koe will get through relegation, we'll be tuning in shortly to a good ol' Koe v Koe tilt. So what is a Koe v Koe tilt you ask. It's a game in which the Alberta Koe destroys Jamie on the ice whilst shaking early only for Jamie showcasing his skills destroying Kevin in the patch. In all seriousness, the acquisition of broom slammer Chris Schille makes this the team to beat in this much maligned event. The experience of Koe and Schille will prove to be too much and in the main field, feel free to place your bets that Koe will finish eleventh just ahead of Mike Kennedy.
Skip:Jamie Koe
Third:Chris Schille
Second:Brad Chorostowski
Lead:Robert Borden
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