26.Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs, or as some of you may consider them as, the Toronto Maple Laughs are finally on the road to respectability but don't misconstrue respectability with contending, at least not quite yet. The Leafs a couple of years ago decided change was a necessity so what Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment have tried to administer is collecting experienced hockey minds who've had success in other markets, ie Lou Lamoriello and head coach Mike Babcock and unlike previous Leafs regimes, have completely handed the hockey operations to those mentioned without meddling one bit. It's not just Lamoriello and Babcock, it's Brendan Shanahan with Mark Hunter who has a keen eye in scouting junior talent that has Toronto headed in the right direction. There were growing pains throughout the last campaign and the same types of pain are to be expected, just not as severe this coming winter. You take a gander at the prospect pool the Leafs have stockpiled and it's filled with names that you begin to speculate how much longer we'll have to wait for to reach the show. In terms of an immediate impact on the back end two names that come to mind are Connor Carrick and Kootenay Ice alumni Rinat Valiev as individuals that have a real shot at cracking the everyday lineup. Having suited up for sixteen games a year ago and faring relatively well, it would be no shock if the heavy hitting Carrick inherits more responsibility out of Babcock. Carrick is small in stature being listed at 5'11 but plays a mean game, something when you examine the rest of the Leafs anticipated D core, they possess very little of. Valiev is an interesting phenomenon to say the least. I remember watching Valiev on a couple different occasions while he resided in Cranbrook and say what you want about the player, he puts that age old Russian stereotype to bed as his style exudes of what you would normally expect out of a gritty North American prospect. I chose to discuss these two particular prospects because it's my belief there's not enough heart and soul on the back end and teams for the last couple of years know full well that when they matchup versus Toronto that they'll have a decided physical edge. This couldn't ring more true for number forty four himself, Morgan Reilly. In my preview of the Panthers(#27) I criticized Keith Yandle for being soft, well Morgan Reilly puts that criticism to shame. If a Pee-Wee hockey team were to be told that the kids would be given the luxury of scouring the ice with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the natural reaction amongst parents would be a fear for their kids safety as the strength disparity is alarming but then you'd have the parents who would sign parental consent if it was only Morgan Reilly on the ice as he's built like a pee wee player on the surface. As a member of the management team/scouting staff, you're always on pins and needles wishing that the prospects you draft progress skill wise and grow stronger but the script doesn't always play out that smoothly and in the case of Reilly, his lack of development in certain areas has me conceding that he'll never reach that number one, franchise defenceman mantra although if you believe some in the front office they'll say he's already there and you take the rumblings on Social Media at face value which you can't, Morgan may soon be named team Captain which would be a mistake of epic proportions.
The Steven Stamkos pursuit turned out to be an unsuccessful one for the Toronto Maple Leafs, well essentially for all pursuers as he elected to re-sign in Tampa. That ship has now sailed with the question asked, who's going to be conduct the next ship that the leafs can jump onto? Can a ship being led by Mitch Marner, another London Knight and 2016 first overall pick Auston Matthews be enough to sail this franchise to the post-season? In order to happen, secondary pieces will be required to input career years particularly the enigma that Nazem Kadri has become. Everyone who watches Nazem play sees a player who lives on the perimeter and refuses to touch down on the undesirable areas This is unequivocally his last chance to succeed as if he falters early in 2016-2017 you just know Lamoriello will be scouring the trade market to send him away. Other pieces that will need to compliment Matthews and it's funny how were talking about complimenting a rookie but that my friends is the evolution of sports where rookies can come in and very quickly ascend into the team's most reliable player. It wouldn't surprise most if Auston led the team in scoring right from the get go although James Van Riemsdyk may have something to say about that. Van Riemsdyk is a conundrum because JVR was originally brought in with a different core that included the likes of Phil Kessel. That core is a distant memory and some, and by some I mean myself are intrigued if Van Riemsdyk will stay motivated when it's likely the last meaningful game his squad will play will take place before christmas. A quintessential power forward who displays his trademark wrist shot multiple times a game is in a unenviable position being as how he's only the tender age of twenty seven years of age and he's practically a senior citizen on the team. I can't speak to the character of James but I can only imagine this must be a trying time as what first line twenty seven year old winger wants to be stuck in an endless retool? Not many!
Enlisting two veterans in James Reimer and Jonathan Bernier, it was difficult to find the appropriate amount of playing time to keep them in a momentus state. Lack of consistent reps likely attributed to poor statistical lines but that should now change being as how Toronto has a concrete starter in former Anaheim Duck Freddie Andersen. Tough luck for Bernier but even if his most loyal fans even including the fifteen that would watch him on a nightly basis while a member of the Lewiston Maeinacs couldn't orchestrate a scenario in which Babcock and company would've given him another season to strut his stuff. Andersen is a goaltender that is a big body that unfortunately plays small comparable to a young Ben Bishop before he figured out to maximize his most coveted asset. I'm not attempting to compare Bishop to Andersen fully as that would be like comparing apples to oranges, what I'm eluding to is that it would be wise for Anderson to take a page out of Ben's playbook to become a more consistent netminder.
25.Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have a simple problem. When building this hockey club, and I'm sure I shared a similar sentiment when previewing the club last season, General Manager Ron Francis has seemingly forgot from his playing days in which he shone for the Pittsburgh Penguins among other organizations that in order to win in the National Hockey League, you need more then a young hot shot defence. I love the way the defence is built, don't love that they don't have the offence to compliment it but some of these chess pieces they have on the back end are salivating to write about, I just wish Francis would hire an offensive minded consultant(even though that's his background) and fix the forwards.Defensively, it all revolves around Justin Faulk. I can't find one facet of his game that he struggles with, great on a power play, excellent board work and is a smooth of skater as you will find league wide. He falls into a similar pigeon hole as Oliver Ekman-Larsson does in Arizona where his traits are Norris worthy but will likely never win one due to where he geographically situates. Haydn Fleury has come a long way in my books, When I first saw him play as a member of the Red Deer Rebels, this Saskatchewan native looked lost and for a time early in his Central Alberta employment he fell into the doghouse of Brent Sutter. The minute the Rebels were rewarded to host the 2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup, it's as if a light bulb went off in his head. Sure, he had a lengthy list of achievements from his junior career and in reality the hosting gig was only a tip of the cap as he's been a member of Team Canada at the World Juniors, participated in the Top Prospects game and was a 2014 first round pick of the Canes which at the time I perceived as a reach(he went seventh overall) but is looking like a stellar pick now. Fleury has the capability to step in right away and play a bottom two role, either that or get him acclimatized with the professional style by starting him in Charlotte and slowly working his way up to the big club in Raleigh. Jaccob Slavin is the last defender I want to touch on with this entry. Going into the past season, I knew very little pertaining to Slavin but was he ever impressive. The Hurricanes faithful had little hope for Slavin to contribute a regular role not to mention stepping in and at times fulfilling a top four role. He definitely has great offensive upside, the one critique I have for him was his timidness, which was understandable as most rookies come in and are afraid to take chances. As a sophomore, the progress that needs to be seen from the coaching staff is someone that showcases a greater level of comfortability and starts to believe he belongs because as I'm sure most Hurricane diehards would cosign, it's not incomprehensible to suggest that Jacob may have a better offensive outlook then widely praised Noah Hanifin.
I haven't been privy to a better figure skater turned hockey player like Jeff Skinner since the glory days of Kenny Wu. I thought that reference was advisable as being this enterprise is called the "Flying V", every so often I can't help myself recollecting the great Mighty Duck teams. In all seriousness, where is the productivity upfront going to come from. I peruse their entire forward roster and fail to find a reputable scoring threat behind Skinner. And even Skinner, his flare for the dramatic has tapered off since the multitude of injuries, particularly concussions he's been forced to deal with. The entertainment value is a little low in Raleigh right now, luckily for this fan base at the same time they receive the fortune every Sunday of cheering on the eccentric Cam Newton and the powerhouse Carolina Panthers. The Hurricanes even during their cup winning year of '06 and their finalist appearance in 2002, they've instilled a boring brand of hockey. Bill Peters was supposed to come in and change the culture, a culture that from my outsiders perspective has had an insignificant amount of change. I can safely speak on Peters' coaching regiment as when he was the general for the Spokane Chiefs, the type of game the Chiefs induced was that of a up tempo always to the attack type of brand, with featured, and I don't mean to re open old scars but former underachieving Hurricane Drayson Bowman. Peters can teach
an attack that encourages offence but in fairness to Bill, any style implemented won't be successful unless you have the required assets to do so., A player who I have high(higher) hopes for is Andrej Netrasil. This former Victoraville Tigre enjoyed a career last year accumulating twenty three points while playing behind both Staal brothers on the depth chart. With long time captain Eric Staal now a member of the Minnesota Wild, I would assume you'll see Nestasil jump into a top two center position. Judging from his career statistics where at least I could see from has never had a season where his goals have exceeded his assists so if I was the coaching staff, and it's not something you want to normally engrave in a young players D.N.A, and that is to be more greedy and shoot the puck. He scored thirty five goals in the QMJHL showing that he has the propensity to do just that but the tell tale sign will be who Peters allows Nestrasil to line up beside. I'm fully aware that I'm overhyping Andrej but when you're trying to pick apart this forward group, you're grasping at straws to find pucks in the back of the net. A definite contender along with Montreal, and not the kind of title you want to be competing for to score the league's fewest goals this season.
I'm all for organizational loyalty, but this blinded loyalty has gone a tad too far with Cam Ward. Ward was the netminder when he replaced the infamous Martin Gerber early on in the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs and it was a brilliant decision by then Head Coach Peter Laviolette as it elevated the franchise to it's first championship. Cam Ward was then a twenty two year old who in the grand scheme of things wasn't exactly a hot shot entering the league as the Canes went out of their way to acquire Gerber before the 2004-2005 lockout commenced from the Anaheim Ducks because I'm compelled to think with the plethora of veterans in that locker room, Brind'Amour,Stillman, Doug Weight etc etc they dreamt up a scenario where the acquisition of Gerber would supplant them to the top of the hill but little did they know it was the Sherwood Park, Alberta native Ward that was the missing link to reach Lord Stanley. The truth is however that Ward has mightily struggled with inconsistency. His numbers, more exact his Goals Against Average has hovered around the 2.40 mark the last couple of seasons and that would be classified as satisfactory but when you start adding on the aforementioned goal droughts Carolina constantly finds itself in, commendable numbers on most teams, not good enough in the Carolinas. I should clarify, the biggest gripe that most take with Cam Ward aren't the numbers as they'll suffice, it's the falling victim to the neck breaker goal each and every game. If I received a penny each and every time Ward allows a stinker, I'd be a very rich man(overused pun, I know). The value for which the Hurricanes awarded Ward diminishes the possibility of Eddie Lack getting a fair shake in this goaltender competition but undeniably Lack is the more athletic of the two and when you take that with the overwhelming consensus among fans when skimming through social media that they need to back Eddie Lack, along with and likely more importantly NHL ready prospect Alex Nedeljkovic, who had an outstanding swan song to his junior career is clamoring for increased responsibility has me concluding that there were too many warning signs that Hurricane management should've picked up on before extending Ward.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
2016-2017 National Hockey League Pre-season preview(Teams 28 and 27)
28.Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes are one of those franchises that exude mediocrity. Labelling them as mediocre when examining very recent results may be a bit of an exaggeration but the way they conduct hockey operations screams of a team content with just floating by and never really making a real push to reach that next plateau. Yes, they made the conference finals in 2012 on the heels of Mike Smith but even that edition had glaring weaknesses. They've made national headlines by hiring a twenty six year old General Manager in John Chayka who has a strong analytical background but the last time I checked the analytical formula is a very small chunk of the pie when building a successful hockey club. On the back-end everybody and rightfully so enamors over Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Ekman-Larsson is certainly an interesting case study as he's slowly falling into the tunnel Drew Doughty found himself in the majority of his career playing on the West Coast and that is whether he'll ever receive enough attention to challenge for a Norris? His skill-set is definitely Norris-esque but the skepticism is if the Desert Dogs will ever muster up enough offence while OEK still plays in Arizona(possible 2017 off-season trade anyone?). An underrated commodity that I have lots of time for is Michael Stone. Over the last couple seasons, I've seen a few Coyote games live and Stone has always shown up as a standout. Unlike his brother Mark in Ottawa, Michael's foot speed is not a setback, not saying it's necessarily a strength, sufficient would be an appropriate word. A newcomer to the Coyotes defensive group is Alex Goligoski. Goligoski is someone that unlike Stone that I wasn't all that impressed with in his previous stops. The unfortunate scouting report pertaining to Goligoski is that he's painfully soft like we're talking Alex Kovalev soft. His offensive numbers over the course of his career are stellar, accumulating two hundred and seventy seven career points and for a team that will be grasping at straws to find offence his presence will be a welcome addition. The more I micro analyze this ranking the more I've come to the understanding that the through thick and thin the Coyotes do have one of the better defensive lineups in the league, it's the offence that I'll get to in a second that is the real cause for concern.
Hands up if back in 1996 you would've ever speculated that a Domi would lead it's team in scoring? If your hand was truly up in 1996 then props to you but it's a real possibility heading into this season. A second year player from you guessed it, the London Knights projects to be the most dynamic scoring option this coming campaign. What Domi's claim to fame is his knack to weezle his ways into the open areas near the slot and has a cannon for a wrist shot. That's a positive spin, the negative connotation is that a second year player will hold the daunting pressure of carrying the city of Glendale on his back figuratively speaking of course. I will say to wrap my admiration for Domi up and that I think what he has to deal on a daily basis is nothing but inspirational. As a type one diabetic the fact that he can withstand the rigorous fitness regime to maintian professional athlete status provides a role model for children who may have an illness or disability but seeing what Domi does on a daily basis provides hope. The year was 2004, as a hardcore Regina Pat supporter it still burns me that Martin Hanzal declined a chance to play for the Patties as he was the teams first round selection that year. The decision hasn't exactly hindered his professional plight but its completely within my right to hold a gripe. All that aside, Hanzal is a more polished Michael McCarron, a reference you'll understand if you're following my posts in order. Someone that makes sound decisions while sprinkling in enough offence to fulfill top six status. Hanzal has been subject of mass trade speculation and I'm not naive enough to realize that he may not finish the year in the desert but if he does expect nothing less than a fifty point campaign. When I brainstorm which prospects may be ready to take full time status this year, two names come to mind. You're going to be sick of hearing about London Knight alumni by the end of this but Christian Dvorak has a real chance to crack the lineup. Aside from his obvious on ice gift, his leadership qualities have been renowned which will make the transition to the pro's seamless. The other who I foresee ready to take the next step is Laurent Dauphin. Dauphin, surprisingly to most has no connection to the London Knights but does come in with heralded defensively responsible qualities. Dauphin won't be someone you pay to watch but I guarantee to you that he's a necessity on any team because he's more then able on the penalty kill and will give a consistent effort every night, a trait that should never be overlooked., The killer D': Domi, Duclair, Dvorak,....how soon can we insert a fourth to that list in Dauphin?
Two years ago, all Coyote fans would've been bold in their support for Mike Smith. Now, not so much. Louis Domingue stepped in when Smith endured injury troubles last year and now legitimate questions need to be asked what the best course of action that needs to be taken when accounting for long term sustainability of the franchise is who should see the bulk of the action. I think a few factors favor Domingue, mainly with a new management structure taking shape it behooves the group to build for the future and let's face it, I can't imagine any scenario where Smith is still property of the Coyotes in two years. This is not a playoff team, the sooner this is realized the better off the patrons in Coyote land are.
27.Florida Panthers
A divisional title, a resurgence amongst the South Beach faithful, a ranking of #27 you ask? Once the shock wears off I ask that you continue to read and hopefully by the end we can share the same consensus. Aaron Ekblad is a stud, no one has or ever will question that but who are the pieces around him that make this a stable d core? I can admit a mistake when I pen one and at this time last year when I was previewing the Detroit Red Wings, I sung high praises for Jakub Kindl and from what I saw last season, the accolades were completely undeserved. He looked disinterested and could care less about the fate of the team. Fitting that he hails from "Sumperk", Czech Republic as when I broke down his game last year I came to many "knee jerk" reactions. The hot button topic when it comes to the Panthers D is the newly signed Keith Yandle I've seen my share of overpayments throughout the years but very little out does the disaster that is the Yandle contract. Seven years at forty four million dollars???? Are you kidding me. Going from an expendable piece from the Arizona Coyotes to the New York Rangers primarily used as a third pairing defenceman translates into receiving a $44 million pay cheque the following season? Absurd! I don't agree with but understand the reasoning for bringing Yandle on board. The premise is that he can act as a mentor to young Ekblad a role that Willie Mitchell previously filled but the flaw in that plan is based on the money given the expectation is that he can be Ekblad's partner on the first unit which is far from the truth. I could literally spend an eternity breaking down the deficiencies in his game, likely 44 million of them but at the sake of readability, I'll narrow it down to a couple. You know that feeling when you're at a hockey game and you notice that player who comes across more skilled then he actually is, well that's Yandle in a nutshell. To add a comedic element to this, how can you possibly want to associate with a player who while living in Moncton for a year playing for the Wildcats had no idea what Lays Ketchup chips were? Not a player, skill and self awareness related that I'd want to delve that quantity of cash to. Jason Demers was another one of their "prized" free agency possessions. Demers was reportedly choosing between Edmonton and Florida and based on my outlook heading into this year, was in a lose-lose conundrum. Go to Florida, be automatically inserted as a number three with no real chance to move up the depth charts as they have Ekblad and now Yandle who have secured the top two for the forseeable or he could've went to Edmonton and presumably been penciled in as the number two with a chance to move up to the one slot with all the current uncertainty in Oil town. If Demers came to South Beach for the chance at rings, sadly it won't have the same ending as when Lebron signed on with the Heat.
Another reason for why I suggest a high probability for major regression is there were too many forwards who flat out over achieved last season. On the theme of overachieving two names jump to the forefront in the legendary Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov. Let me preface this by saying that growing up learning the game of hockey, Jagr was unquestionably one of my favourite players. I loved the craftiness and swagger that he demonstrated going way back to his mullet wearing Pittsburgh playing days. However the craftiness that he displayed has been slowly diminishing with full disclosure that what he did in 2015-2016 was nothing shprt of extraordinary. Extraordinary or not, Jagr's statistical line is unreplicable because so many things went right last season and the Panthers as a forward group basically avoided any significant injuries which aided Jagr's performance. This is no longer the player who can singlehandedly dangle through entire teams at ease, for a lack of a better term he's a third wheel on a line now. The ageless wonder just doesn't possess the necessary speed any longer and this spring's playoffs were an alarming indicator of this that when the tough gets going, he backs away. Jagr's level of production is a ringing endorsement of a young lad who I've been a huge fan going back to his days dominating for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Q in Jonathan Huberdeau. Huberdeau who draws a harkening resemblance to former L.A King great Luc Robitaille is certifiably a budding star in this league and if I'm correct in thinking that Barkov is trending for a regression, Gerard Gallant, Huberdeau's former junior coach will need Jonathan to reach at least a thirty goal plateau. I've given enough fair warning about the concerns I have heading into season for the Panthers but to pinpoint a positive, look no further then Vincent Trocheck. Trocheck goes about his business quietly but his penchant for delivering clutch second line scoring doesn't go unnoticed. An eighteen goal increase in production from a year ago, I expect Vincent to continue climbing the wall and who knows how high he can get. The residents of Miami need some good news after losing Dwayne Wade to the Bulls in free agency and perhaps Trocheck will silence some of those devastated Miami sport fans.
The signing of James Reimer is a puzzling one. No qualms about providing insurance behind the veteran Roberto Luongo but to sign a career back-up(he only started in Toronto at a lack of a quality National Hockey League option) to a five year deal leads me to believe that the Panther regime views Reimer as the heir apparent to Luongo which will come back and bite them in the you know what. When was the last time the Panther organization developed a goaltender properly? You could make the argument is Luongo who ironically is back in the fold after spending years in Vancouver but aside from the man fans affectionately chant "Luuuuuu" to, the lack of development is troubling. Markstrom, who like I discussed in the Vancouver Canuck preview was never given a fair shake in Miami. I will resign to the fact that I'm probably being too harsh pertaining to this development angle considering the franchise was only granted expansion in 1993 but for an organization who repeatedly states that they're headed in the right direction, the plan for the future that includes James Reimer contradicts these beliefs. Ownership best be getting on their hands and knees praying that Samuel Montembeault materializes as a top flight option in a couple years.
The Coyotes are one of those franchises that exude mediocrity. Labelling them as mediocre when examining very recent results may be a bit of an exaggeration but the way they conduct hockey operations screams of a team content with just floating by and never really making a real push to reach that next plateau. Yes, they made the conference finals in 2012 on the heels of Mike Smith but even that edition had glaring weaknesses. They've made national headlines by hiring a twenty six year old General Manager in John Chayka who has a strong analytical background but the last time I checked the analytical formula is a very small chunk of the pie when building a successful hockey club. On the back-end everybody and rightfully so enamors over Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Ekman-Larsson is certainly an interesting case study as he's slowly falling into the tunnel Drew Doughty found himself in the majority of his career playing on the West Coast and that is whether he'll ever receive enough attention to challenge for a Norris? His skill-set is definitely Norris-esque but the skepticism is if the Desert Dogs will ever muster up enough offence while OEK still plays in Arizona(possible 2017 off-season trade anyone?). An underrated commodity that I have lots of time for is Michael Stone. Over the last couple seasons, I've seen a few Coyote games live and Stone has always shown up as a standout. Unlike his brother Mark in Ottawa, Michael's foot speed is not a setback, not saying it's necessarily a strength, sufficient would be an appropriate word. A newcomer to the Coyotes defensive group is Alex Goligoski. Goligoski is someone that unlike Stone that I wasn't all that impressed with in his previous stops. The unfortunate scouting report pertaining to Goligoski is that he's painfully soft like we're talking Alex Kovalev soft. His offensive numbers over the course of his career are stellar, accumulating two hundred and seventy seven career points and for a team that will be grasping at straws to find offence his presence will be a welcome addition. The more I micro analyze this ranking the more I've come to the understanding that the through thick and thin the Coyotes do have one of the better defensive lineups in the league, it's the offence that I'll get to in a second that is the real cause for concern.
Hands up if back in 1996 you would've ever speculated that a Domi would lead it's team in scoring? If your hand was truly up in 1996 then props to you but it's a real possibility heading into this season. A second year player from you guessed it, the London Knights projects to be the most dynamic scoring option this coming campaign. What Domi's claim to fame is his knack to weezle his ways into the open areas near the slot and has a cannon for a wrist shot. That's a positive spin, the negative connotation is that a second year player will hold the daunting pressure of carrying the city of Glendale on his back figuratively speaking of course. I will say to wrap my admiration for Domi up and that I think what he has to deal on a daily basis is nothing but inspirational. As a type one diabetic the fact that he can withstand the rigorous fitness regime to maintian professional athlete status provides a role model for children who may have an illness or disability but seeing what Domi does on a daily basis provides hope. The year was 2004, as a hardcore Regina Pat supporter it still burns me that Martin Hanzal declined a chance to play for the Patties as he was the teams first round selection that year. The decision hasn't exactly hindered his professional plight but its completely within my right to hold a gripe. All that aside, Hanzal is a more polished Michael McCarron, a reference you'll understand if you're following my posts in order. Someone that makes sound decisions while sprinkling in enough offence to fulfill top six status. Hanzal has been subject of mass trade speculation and I'm not naive enough to realize that he may not finish the year in the desert but if he does expect nothing less than a fifty point campaign. When I brainstorm which prospects may be ready to take full time status this year, two names come to mind. You're going to be sick of hearing about London Knight alumni by the end of this but Christian Dvorak has a real chance to crack the lineup. Aside from his obvious on ice gift, his leadership qualities have been renowned which will make the transition to the pro's seamless. The other who I foresee ready to take the next step is Laurent Dauphin. Dauphin, surprisingly to most has no connection to the London Knights but does come in with heralded defensively responsible qualities. Dauphin won't be someone you pay to watch but I guarantee to you that he's a necessity on any team because he's more then able on the penalty kill and will give a consistent effort every night, a trait that should never be overlooked., The killer D': Domi, Duclair, Dvorak,....how soon can we insert a fourth to that list in Dauphin?
Two years ago, all Coyote fans would've been bold in their support for Mike Smith. Now, not so much. Louis Domingue stepped in when Smith endured injury troubles last year and now legitimate questions need to be asked what the best course of action that needs to be taken when accounting for long term sustainability of the franchise is who should see the bulk of the action. I think a few factors favor Domingue, mainly with a new management structure taking shape it behooves the group to build for the future and let's face it, I can't imagine any scenario where Smith is still property of the Coyotes in two years. This is not a playoff team, the sooner this is realized the better off the patrons in Coyote land are.
27.Florida Panthers
A divisional title, a resurgence amongst the South Beach faithful, a ranking of #27 you ask? Once the shock wears off I ask that you continue to read and hopefully by the end we can share the same consensus. Aaron Ekblad is a stud, no one has or ever will question that but who are the pieces around him that make this a stable d core? I can admit a mistake when I pen one and at this time last year when I was previewing the Detroit Red Wings, I sung high praises for Jakub Kindl and from what I saw last season, the accolades were completely undeserved. He looked disinterested and could care less about the fate of the team. Fitting that he hails from "Sumperk", Czech Republic as when I broke down his game last year I came to many "knee jerk" reactions. The hot button topic when it comes to the Panthers D is the newly signed Keith Yandle I've seen my share of overpayments throughout the years but very little out does the disaster that is the Yandle contract. Seven years at forty four million dollars???? Are you kidding me. Going from an expendable piece from the Arizona Coyotes to the New York Rangers primarily used as a third pairing defenceman translates into receiving a $44 million pay cheque the following season? Absurd! I don't agree with but understand the reasoning for bringing Yandle on board. The premise is that he can act as a mentor to young Ekblad a role that Willie Mitchell previously filled but the flaw in that plan is based on the money given the expectation is that he can be Ekblad's partner on the first unit which is far from the truth. I could literally spend an eternity breaking down the deficiencies in his game, likely 44 million of them but at the sake of readability, I'll narrow it down to a couple. You know that feeling when you're at a hockey game and you notice that player who comes across more skilled then he actually is, well that's Yandle in a nutshell. To add a comedic element to this, how can you possibly want to associate with a player who while living in Moncton for a year playing for the Wildcats had no idea what Lays Ketchup chips were? Not a player, skill and self awareness related that I'd want to delve that quantity of cash to. Jason Demers was another one of their "prized" free agency possessions. Demers was reportedly choosing between Edmonton and Florida and based on my outlook heading into this year, was in a lose-lose conundrum. Go to Florida, be automatically inserted as a number three with no real chance to move up the depth charts as they have Ekblad and now Yandle who have secured the top two for the forseeable or he could've went to Edmonton and presumably been penciled in as the number two with a chance to move up to the one slot with all the current uncertainty in Oil town. If Demers came to South Beach for the chance at rings, sadly it won't have the same ending as when Lebron signed on with the Heat.
Another reason for why I suggest a high probability for major regression is there were too many forwards who flat out over achieved last season. On the theme of overachieving two names jump to the forefront in the legendary Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov. Let me preface this by saying that growing up learning the game of hockey, Jagr was unquestionably one of my favourite players. I loved the craftiness and swagger that he demonstrated going way back to his mullet wearing Pittsburgh playing days. However the craftiness that he displayed has been slowly diminishing with full disclosure that what he did in 2015-2016 was nothing shprt of extraordinary. Extraordinary or not, Jagr's statistical line is unreplicable because so many things went right last season and the Panthers as a forward group basically avoided any significant injuries which aided Jagr's performance. This is no longer the player who can singlehandedly dangle through entire teams at ease, for a lack of a better term he's a third wheel on a line now. The ageless wonder just doesn't possess the necessary speed any longer and this spring's playoffs were an alarming indicator of this that when the tough gets going, he backs away. Jagr's level of production is a ringing endorsement of a young lad who I've been a huge fan going back to his days dominating for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Q in Jonathan Huberdeau. Huberdeau who draws a harkening resemblance to former L.A King great Luc Robitaille is certifiably a budding star in this league and if I'm correct in thinking that Barkov is trending for a regression, Gerard Gallant, Huberdeau's former junior coach will need Jonathan to reach at least a thirty goal plateau. I've given enough fair warning about the concerns I have heading into season for the Panthers but to pinpoint a positive, look no further then Vincent Trocheck. Trocheck goes about his business quietly but his penchant for delivering clutch second line scoring doesn't go unnoticed. An eighteen goal increase in production from a year ago, I expect Vincent to continue climbing the wall and who knows how high he can get. The residents of Miami need some good news after losing Dwayne Wade to the Bulls in free agency and perhaps Trocheck will silence some of those devastated Miami sport fans.
The signing of James Reimer is a puzzling one. No qualms about providing insurance behind the veteran Roberto Luongo but to sign a career back-up(he only started in Toronto at a lack of a quality National Hockey League option) to a five year deal leads me to believe that the Panther regime views Reimer as the heir apparent to Luongo which will come back and bite them in the you know what. When was the last time the Panther organization developed a goaltender properly? You could make the argument is Luongo who ironically is back in the fold after spending years in Vancouver but aside from the man fans affectionately chant "Luuuuuu" to, the lack of development is troubling. Markstrom, who like I discussed in the Vancouver Canuck preview was never given a fair shake in Miami. I will resign to the fact that I'm probably being too harsh pertaining to this development angle considering the franchise was only granted expansion in 1993 but for an organization who repeatedly states that they're headed in the right direction, the plan for the future that includes James Reimer contradicts these beliefs. Ownership best be getting on their hands and knees praying that Samuel Montembeault materializes as a top flight option in a couple years.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
2016-2017 National Hockey League pre-season preview(Teams 30 and 29)
Well, that time of year has come again where free agency has begun to filter out and the draft is complete which gives me enough to go off of to complete my second annual Season preview. The way I construct these sort of previews is I extensively analyze each facet of the organization, defensively to up front and finally opining on the state of the goaltenders. Last year, I began my list with the team that I forecasted as the top team going into the season but realized I take more enjoyment when ranking in descending order. I plead that you thoroughly enjoy.
30.Vancouver Canucks
Jim Benning initiated this off-season by proclaiming that the defense needed to be rebuilt and in an interview that took place during or around the time of the draft he stated that he believes that with the drafting of Olli Juolevi and the acquisition of Erik Gudbrandson that the appropriates steps had been taken. Have they? Whether or not Juolevi is inserted into the lineup as early as this year which I maintain is highly doubtful, this defensive corpse has more holes than a Regina ring road on a warm summer day. Where do I begin with my critique....for starters as I clearly illustrated in my NHL draft grades blog post, I don't believe for a New York minute that Juolevi projects as a number one defenceman as it's obvious he was a benefactor of playing with the talent infested London Knights Ontario Hockey League franchise and his professional upside remains in a state of flux. Even if Jim Benning does end up hitting a home run with the lanky Finn, it's Juolevi and who else? Chris Tanev is a decent piece but it could be argued that Tanev's appeal largely correlates with the lack of NHL calibre depth they have throughout the system. Tanev's strengths are his puck moving abilities and his unique awareness to jump into the rush at opportune times. His eloquent skating skills will be an asset for former Medicine Hat Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins as Willie preaches up tempo pace, but ironically the primary reason for the lack of success in Van city is Desjardins's system doesn't compute with the pieces he currently has to work with. Tanev has limitations, on a good team and by no means can Vancouver be perceived a good team, he's a borderline number four defenceman who will be pressed into # 1/2 minutes. Lastly, I want to touch on a trade that Jim Benning made this spring sending former Sault Ste.Marie Greyhound Jared McCann to the Florida Panthers for the aforementioned Gudbrandson. I've as a general statement been difficult on the Canuck organization and for good reason, and I'll give credit where credit is due, the Canucks robbed the suddenly incompetent Florida Panther organization in this trade. McCann is a dime a dozen where Erik is a shut down, bruising defenceman who will only grow stronger with age. I was shocked to find out he was on the trade market and naturally a team that is in a defensive crisis quickly pounced. I've long admired Gudbrandson's game ever since he patrolled the blue line for Canada's World Junior entry but a initial concern I would have is whether his game's compatible to the aggressive, offensive game that the Canucks intend to roll with it. Aside from that, he's legitimally the only defensive stalwart I have any confidence about which is understandable when you weigh the ranking I've handed British Columbia's team.
The Sedin twins are so old that they remember the days playing against Gordie Howe. I say that in jest of course and in all seriousness it's astounding that the Swedish sensations have been around since 1999. No one has ever questioned the skillset or dedication Henrik and Daniel bring to the forefront but like most star athletes, the sign of a model franchise is that of when an organization knows when to move on, and it's abundantly clear to turn the page that Canucks must turn to younger, future driven leaders. Who might some of those be, Bo Horvat was lauded for his leadership abilities while playing in the Ontario Hockey League but from all accounts had a down year in 2015-2016 and the Canucks need added production out of the number two center. The big fish the Nucks pried from Pacific ocean was Loui Eriksson. I have no issue with Eriksson the hockey player, I do take issue however with the thirty year old Eriksson taking the most money as opposed to finding himself the right fit to contend for the Stanley Cup. Players that leach on to the extra cash, and players like Sheldon Souray and Matt Martin who sacrificed better cup winning opportunities come to mind are players that I have no time for. Financial security is nice but life is more about money and enjoyment should trump the moolah. I can talk crap about the Canucks all day but one positive quality stands out when assessing the entire forward group and that is sheer team speed. The aforementioned Eriksson has excellent wheels and not to mention the Canucks employ probably who most consider a top five skater league wide in Jannik Hansen. The more research I do on the Canucks, it's apparent the way Canucks will beat teams(expect the W's to come few and far between) is to utilize that speed and master the cycle game down low. The Sedin's trademark is the cycle game but it's a strategic concept that in order to maintain at least partial respectability the entire team will want to grasp onto.
Let the Markstrom v Miller debate ensue. Depending what side of the ledger you find yourself on, you can formidably conjure up pros and cons for each netminder in what appears to be a heated topic around the water cooler in the lower mainland. Miller, the veteran who during his Buffalo Sabres tenure was at the top of his game but has fallen off in recent years. Markstrom on the other hand is seeking a viable opportunity for consistent playing time. During the 2010 World Juniors in Saskatoon/Regina, one I remember fondly due to my close proximity the talk amongst the TSN broadcasters was that we were witnessing the next great goaltender in Markstrom. His rights originally belonged to Florida and for whatever reason a lack of trust conssumated between player and coach and in fairness to the Panthers injuries weren't helping the process. When the move to Vancouver got formalized, there was an early tentativeness to award him much playing time but in thirty two starts he backstopped his way to a satisfactory .915 Save Percentage. With that in mind compounded by the fact that Miller truly hasn't been relevant since the 2010 season only one logical choice presents itself for Vancouver.
29.Montreal Canadiens
What a tumultuous off-season in Montreal it has been already. In what some are calling the worst trade in sports history,the Montreal Canadiens dealt away the most popular Canadien since Patrick Roy in P.K Subban to the Nashville Predators for the aging, arguably pylon-esque Shea Weber. I won't go as far to say it was the worst transaction that I've ever seen as in my opinion that mantra may belong to the Detroit Tigers back in 1987 for shipping John Smoltz to the Atlanta Braves for former Toronto Blue Jay Doyle Alexander. With apologies going out to the few that deeply followed the career of Alexander, the Braves won that deal in a landslide! (BTW I'm going to post the one memorable play that Alexander was involved with in his career), Anyways getting back to the fruitless Canadiens, how does a team recover from trading away their most prized asset sans Carey Price? Defensively, Weber is the new colonel but it's a leadership role that on the ice any way he isn't the least bit deserving of. Weber is an asset on the power play with his booming shot but it wasn't as if Subban's shot was a liability. The cold hearted truth is that heading into the 2016-2017 campaign the defenceman who I look for the most out of is Alexei Emelin.Emelin for whatever reason takes a lot of heat from the fan base and I can't quite piinpoint why. What I'd like to see out of Emelin is a propensity to shoot the puck more frequently. He's a smooth skater who because of his silky skating finds himself in prime areas in the offensive zone but resorts to being too pass happy which hinders offensive development. Another area of improvement I foresee in the game of Emelin is his physicality. He's been known to lay some doozies however you see this side of his game so rarely that it's not harped upon. At 6'2, 216 he can provide so much more intimidation in his own zone and the onus is on the coaching staff to instill this thought process as like I'm attempting to imply, I see a defenceman who has the package to be considered a # 1, but it's getting the package open is proving to be difficult. If my prognostication is correct and the Montreal Canadiens are safely enshrined in the lottery conversation then the surely bantered about debate about what to do with 2016 first rounder Mikhail Sergachev will carry on. Sergachev plays(played) for the Windsor Spitfires who are happening to host the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup and with that guaranteed spot in the tournament, what needs to be analyzed is what's best for the long term outlook of Mikhal the prospect? Potential wise, his body is NHL ready and would likely see the bulk of top four minutes in Montreal. With Montreal not expected to fare well though, the converse scenario is to have him spend another year in junior while suiting up for a junior powerhouse in addition to getting a plethora of national exposure because you just know Sportsnet(the CHL rights holder) loves to milk the team they're assured of seeing in late May. Bergevin is a General Manager that strikes me of not having a concise plan, so the Sergachev decision could go either way and it wouldn't surprise me.
The only tangible move up front has seen the addition of Andrew Shaw from the Chicago Blackhawks and the subtraction of Lars Eller who has wound up in Washington. I happen to love Shaw's game, tenacious and plays with a level of truculence that would make Brian Burke proud. I'd like the acquisition more though if they didn't have a million Andrew Shaw's lined up already. Let's not call a spade a spade here, Andrew Shaw and Brendan Gallagher are carbon copies of one another. While Shaw may possess slightly more speed, Gallagher has more of a refined finish which undeniably is the only differentiation between the two. They need more scoring desperately and Michel Therrien and Co.are hoping they've found some in the enigma that is Alexander Radulov. On paper, the signing of Radulov was imperative but when you bring his questionable character into the equation, you have to wonder how will he fit in to the Montreal Canadiens locker room. Throughout the years he's mustered up the salty reputation of being a me first player and if you believe the local media in reports that captain Max Pacioretty had a few dustups with the eccentric now departed P.K Subban, how he will interact with Radulov remains a juicy mystery. In order for this club to be quasi competitive this season I don't think it's far fetched to suggest that the Habs will need the former Nashville Predator and Quebec Rempart to pot at least thirty goals because I have no idea where the rest of the offence will come from. Well that's a lie, I have a theory, one that shot down evasively from a friend of mine who has an obsession with the Canadiens. A few days ago I made the bold comment insinuating that a prospect, a former first round pick to boot Michael McCarron has first line capabilities. My friend who's garnering the reputation of being borderline delusional when it comes to hockey assertions ahot it down quicker then you could believe but here's a few truthisms regarding McCarron. 1) He received tutelage from one of the best, if not the best junior hockey coaches out there in Dale Hunter,It's purely coincidental that I'm featuring this many former London Knights on the first night of the preview! 2) His size is coveted. I think some more invested in the Canadians seem to think because he's only scored seven goals in two years that is in some way a knock on the prospect, au contraire as just because he's listed a 6'6 doesn't necessarily equate to him being a power forward, goal scoring center. In fact, McCarron's bread and butter is his slick passing abilties as in all actuality there's some around hockey circles that would like to see him play bigger but sometimes a player is what he is. Over the course of my perusings around social media,I've read comparisons of Milan Lucic which in no way shape or form are accurate. Think Joe Thornton, a play making center he uses his big frame to shield defenders and open up passing lanes. Some may frown at the notion but Montreal has a special one on their hands.
Carey Price. Need I say more? I will say this though, I have some reservations of what could and should be expected out of Carey this season.,After all he did miss the bulk of last season and goaltenders are finicky in the sense of no one's real sure how long it will take him to revert back into game shape. Being named to the Canadian entry for the upcoming World Cup will fast track the progress but could you imagine a scenario where he gets hurt in the tournament? You thought the riots in Vancouver post 2011 game seven were bad, just picture the outrage with Habs fan if Carey were to get hurt during preliminary play, they'd be berating his commitment or lack there of to the organization by putting his country first. You think that's nothing to worry about but Habs fans are a different beast and something like that would rile the fan base.
30.Vancouver Canucks
Jim Benning initiated this off-season by proclaiming that the defense needed to be rebuilt and in an interview that took place during or around the time of the draft he stated that he believes that with the drafting of Olli Juolevi and the acquisition of Erik Gudbrandson that the appropriates steps had been taken. Have they? Whether or not Juolevi is inserted into the lineup as early as this year which I maintain is highly doubtful, this defensive corpse has more holes than a Regina ring road on a warm summer day. Where do I begin with my critique....for starters as I clearly illustrated in my NHL draft grades blog post, I don't believe for a New York minute that Juolevi projects as a number one defenceman as it's obvious he was a benefactor of playing with the talent infested London Knights Ontario Hockey League franchise and his professional upside remains in a state of flux. Even if Jim Benning does end up hitting a home run with the lanky Finn, it's Juolevi and who else? Chris Tanev is a decent piece but it could be argued that Tanev's appeal largely correlates with the lack of NHL calibre depth they have throughout the system. Tanev's strengths are his puck moving abilities and his unique awareness to jump into the rush at opportune times. His eloquent skating skills will be an asset for former Medicine Hat Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins as Willie preaches up tempo pace, but ironically the primary reason for the lack of success in Van city is Desjardins's system doesn't compute with the pieces he currently has to work with. Tanev has limitations, on a good team and by no means can Vancouver be perceived a good team, he's a borderline number four defenceman who will be pressed into # 1/2 minutes. Lastly, I want to touch on a trade that Jim Benning made this spring sending former Sault Ste.Marie Greyhound Jared McCann to the Florida Panthers for the aforementioned Gudbrandson. I've as a general statement been difficult on the Canuck organization and for good reason, and I'll give credit where credit is due, the Canucks robbed the suddenly incompetent Florida Panther organization in this trade. McCann is a dime a dozen where Erik is a shut down, bruising defenceman who will only grow stronger with age. I was shocked to find out he was on the trade market and naturally a team that is in a defensive crisis quickly pounced. I've long admired Gudbrandson's game ever since he patrolled the blue line for Canada's World Junior entry but a initial concern I would have is whether his game's compatible to the aggressive, offensive game that the Canucks intend to roll with it. Aside from that, he's legitimally the only defensive stalwart I have any confidence about which is understandable when you weigh the ranking I've handed British Columbia's team.
The Sedin twins are so old that they remember the days playing against Gordie Howe. I say that in jest of course and in all seriousness it's astounding that the Swedish sensations have been around since 1999. No one has ever questioned the skillset or dedication Henrik and Daniel bring to the forefront but like most star athletes, the sign of a model franchise is that of when an organization knows when to move on, and it's abundantly clear to turn the page that Canucks must turn to younger, future driven leaders. Who might some of those be, Bo Horvat was lauded for his leadership abilities while playing in the Ontario Hockey League but from all accounts had a down year in 2015-2016 and the Canucks need added production out of the number two center. The big fish the Nucks pried from Pacific ocean was Loui Eriksson. I have no issue with Eriksson the hockey player, I do take issue however with the thirty year old Eriksson taking the most money as opposed to finding himself the right fit to contend for the Stanley Cup. Players that leach on to the extra cash, and players like Sheldon Souray and Matt Martin who sacrificed better cup winning opportunities come to mind are players that I have no time for. Financial security is nice but life is more about money and enjoyment should trump the moolah. I can talk crap about the Canucks all day but one positive quality stands out when assessing the entire forward group and that is sheer team speed. The aforementioned Eriksson has excellent wheels and not to mention the Canucks employ probably who most consider a top five skater league wide in Jannik Hansen. The more research I do on the Canucks, it's apparent the way Canucks will beat teams(expect the W's to come few and far between) is to utilize that speed and master the cycle game down low. The Sedin's trademark is the cycle game but it's a strategic concept that in order to maintain at least partial respectability the entire team will want to grasp onto.
Let the Markstrom v Miller debate ensue. Depending what side of the ledger you find yourself on, you can formidably conjure up pros and cons for each netminder in what appears to be a heated topic around the water cooler in the lower mainland. Miller, the veteran who during his Buffalo Sabres tenure was at the top of his game but has fallen off in recent years. Markstrom on the other hand is seeking a viable opportunity for consistent playing time. During the 2010 World Juniors in Saskatoon/Regina, one I remember fondly due to my close proximity the talk amongst the TSN broadcasters was that we were witnessing the next great goaltender in Markstrom. His rights originally belonged to Florida and for whatever reason a lack of trust conssumated between player and coach and in fairness to the Panthers injuries weren't helping the process. When the move to Vancouver got formalized, there was an early tentativeness to award him much playing time but in thirty two starts he backstopped his way to a satisfactory .915 Save Percentage. With that in mind compounded by the fact that Miller truly hasn't been relevant since the 2010 season only one logical choice presents itself for Vancouver.
29.Montreal Canadiens
What a tumultuous off-season in Montreal it has been already. In what some are calling the worst trade in sports history,the Montreal Canadiens dealt away the most popular Canadien since Patrick Roy in P.K Subban to the Nashville Predators for the aging, arguably pylon-esque Shea Weber. I won't go as far to say it was the worst transaction that I've ever seen as in my opinion that mantra may belong to the Detroit Tigers back in 1987 for shipping John Smoltz to the Atlanta Braves for former Toronto Blue Jay Doyle Alexander. With apologies going out to the few that deeply followed the career of Alexander, the Braves won that deal in a landslide! (BTW I'm going to post the one memorable play that Alexander was involved with in his career), Anyways getting back to the fruitless Canadiens, how does a team recover from trading away their most prized asset sans Carey Price? Defensively, Weber is the new colonel but it's a leadership role that on the ice any way he isn't the least bit deserving of. Weber is an asset on the power play with his booming shot but it wasn't as if Subban's shot was a liability. The cold hearted truth is that heading into the 2016-2017 campaign the defenceman who I look for the most out of is Alexei Emelin.Emelin for whatever reason takes a lot of heat from the fan base and I can't quite piinpoint why. What I'd like to see out of Emelin is a propensity to shoot the puck more frequently. He's a smooth skater who because of his silky skating finds himself in prime areas in the offensive zone but resorts to being too pass happy which hinders offensive development. Another area of improvement I foresee in the game of Emelin is his physicality. He's been known to lay some doozies however you see this side of his game so rarely that it's not harped upon. At 6'2, 216 he can provide so much more intimidation in his own zone and the onus is on the coaching staff to instill this thought process as like I'm attempting to imply, I see a defenceman who has the package to be considered a # 1, but it's getting the package open is proving to be difficult. If my prognostication is correct and the Montreal Canadiens are safely enshrined in the lottery conversation then the surely bantered about debate about what to do with 2016 first rounder Mikhail Sergachev will carry on. Sergachev plays(played) for the Windsor Spitfires who are happening to host the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup and with that guaranteed spot in the tournament, what needs to be analyzed is what's best for the long term outlook of Mikhal the prospect? Potential wise, his body is NHL ready and would likely see the bulk of top four minutes in Montreal. With Montreal not expected to fare well though, the converse scenario is to have him spend another year in junior while suiting up for a junior powerhouse in addition to getting a plethora of national exposure because you just know Sportsnet(the CHL rights holder) loves to milk the team they're assured of seeing in late May. Bergevin is a General Manager that strikes me of not having a concise plan, so the Sergachev decision could go either way and it wouldn't surprise me.
The only tangible move up front has seen the addition of Andrew Shaw from the Chicago Blackhawks and the subtraction of Lars Eller who has wound up in Washington. I happen to love Shaw's game, tenacious and plays with a level of truculence that would make Brian Burke proud. I'd like the acquisition more though if they didn't have a million Andrew Shaw's lined up already. Let's not call a spade a spade here, Andrew Shaw and Brendan Gallagher are carbon copies of one another. While Shaw may possess slightly more speed, Gallagher has more of a refined finish which undeniably is the only differentiation between the two. They need more scoring desperately and Michel Therrien and Co.are hoping they've found some in the enigma that is Alexander Radulov. On paper, the signing of Radulov was imperative but when you bring his questionable character into the equation, you have to wonder how will he fit in to the Montreal Canadiens locker room. Throughout the years he's mustered up the salty reputation of being a me first player and if you believe the local media in reports that captain Max Pacioretty had a few dustups with the eccentric now departed P.K Subban, how he will interact with Radulov remains a juicy mystery. In order for this club to be quasi competitive this season I don't think it's far fetched to suggest that the Habs will need the former Nashville Predator and Quebec Rempart to pot at least thirty goals because I have no idea where the rest of the offence will come from. Well that's a lie, I have a theory, one that shot down evasively from a friend of mine who has an obsession with the Canadiens. A few days ago I made the bold comment insinuating that a prospect, a former first round pick to boot Michael McCarron has first line capabilities. My friend who's garnering the reputation of being borderline delusional when it comes to hockey assertions ahot it down quicker then you could believe but here's a few truthisms regarding McCarron. 1) He received tutelage from one of the best, if not the best junior hockey coaches out there in Dale Hunter,It's purely coincidental that I'm featuring this many former London Knights on the first night of the preview! 2) His size is coveted. I think some more invested in the Canadians seem to think because he's only scored seven goals in two years that is in some way a knock on the prospect, au contraire as just because he's listed a 6'6 doesn't necessarily equate to him being a power forward, goal scoring center. In fact, McCarron's bread and butter is his slick passing abilties as in all actuality there's some around hockey circles that would like to see him play bigger but sometimes a player is what he is. Over the course of my perusings around social media,I've read comparisons of Milan Lucic which in no way shape or form are accurate. Think Joe Thornton, a play making center he uses his big frame to shield defenders and open up passing lanes. Some may frown at the notion but Montreal has a special one on their hands.
Carey Price. Need I say more? I will say this though, I have some reservations of what could and should be expected out of Carey this season.,After all he did miss the bulk of last season and goaltenders are finicky in the sense of no one's real sure how long it will take him to revert back into game shape. Being named to the Canadian entry for the upcoming World Cup will fast track the progress but could you imagine a scenario where he gets hurt in the tournament? You thought the riots in Vancouver post 2011 game seven were bad, just picture the outrage with Habs fan if Carey were to get hurt during preliminary play, they'd be berating his commitment or lack there of to the organization by putting his country first. You think that's nothing to worry about but Habs fans are a different beast and something like that would rile the fan base.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
The Winning Picks in Baseball for July 5th,2016
Atlanta over Philadelphia
Washington over Milwaukee
Toronto over Kansas City
Cleveland over Detroit
Tampa Bay over Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels
Miami over New York Mets
Boston over Texas
St.Louis over Pittsburgh
New York Yankees over Chicago White Sox
Oakland over Minnesota
Seattle over Houston
San Diego over Arizona
Baltimore over Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco over Colorado
Washington over Milwaukee
Toronto over Kansas City
Cleveland over Detroit
Tampa Bay over Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels
Miami over New York Mets
Boston over Texas
St.Louis over Pittsburgh
New York Yankees over Chicago White Sox
Oakland over Minnesota
Seattle over Houston
San Diego over Arizona
Baltimore over Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco over Colorado
Monday, July 4, 2016
The Knuckle Ball:Volume seven
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.
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.
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.
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