Around this time last year,I formulated an entry vocalizing five golfers who had not yet won professionally who I thought were up and comers and potential stars in the making. The list included five names: Emilano Grillo, Luke Guthrie, Tommy Fleetwood, Kevin Chappell, and Kelly Kraft. Out of the aforementioned list, only Englishman sir Tommy Fleetwood hasn't met my expectations and am willing to discard him from any future prominence professionally. Guthrie has been a productive commodity with a plethora of above average finishes but hasn't quite reached the winner's circle. Chappell enjoyed a tremendous 2016 Players Championship only falling behind world number one Jason Day and finished the 2015 campaign with three consecutive top twenty five finishes. Grillo has had a very disappointing start to this season but very much unlike Fleetwood I foresee the Argentinian turning the corner when accounting for his length off the tee and his Ballesteros-esque short game prowess. Finally with Kraft, the recent Web.com tour graduate has hovered around the cut line most of the events which I fully realize isn't a clear path when seeking out future stardom but completely coincidentally, he's enjoying a career week at the RBC Canadian Open. If a couple breaks go his way in Oakville,Ontario then my list could be welcoming it's first winner shortly. Similarly to last year,I will list my five chosen ones in alphabetical order and entailing in a brief synopsis for each player. I can only hope you'll thoroughly enjoy this entry!
Bronson Burgoon(06/02/1987) Arguably was already given a edge due to possessing one of the tour's great names, the great Bronson Burgoon, or soon to be great Burgoon has yet to crack a top ten finish but it's the tools he carries in his repertoire leave me especially intrigued. When scouring Burgoon's statistical line for 2016, I'm noticing an individual who's posted consistent, more specifically average results but his clear strength is his short iron game. Those reading this will surmise that I'm grasping at straws trying to build up the potential of Burgoon, but keep the following in mind. To win on the PGA Tour, length off the tee which isn't particularly Bronson's strong suit doesn't hurt but watching a weekly event, you'll notice a good portion of the field who are absolute bombers off the field but falter around the greens. A course such as Torrey Pines South the current venue used for the Farmers Insurance Open likely won't lay claim to Bronson's first victory as at 7,698 yards it doesn't necessarily play into a professional who only averages 282 yards off the tee but at courses that require accuracy and precision he'll enter the event with a sizeable advantage because of his sharp shooting from one hundred and fifty yards in. He came close at the Honda Classic earlier in the spring(relatively close) and it's at a layout that favours accuracy off the tee dissuading the likes of Dustin Johnson or Big Break alum Tony Finau from firing their tee shots a country mile with no real repercussions. Burgoon is a poor man's Jordan Spieth/Zach Johnson, someone that will never overpower a golf course and has to strategically plot his way around to succeed. I hope and firmly believe that we'll see Bronson as a champion shortly
Si Woo Kim(06/28/1995) For those that have the misfortune of listening to me overconfidently boast about particular prognostications, these lucky few will not be surprised in the least with the inclusion of Si Woo Kim on this list. He's someone that I like to think, even though I'm not naive enough to realize I didn't, that I discovered on tour and have no qualms of proclaiming this twenty one year old the next prodigy. He came awfully, awfully close to prevailing at last week's Barbasol Championship, and a win would've eliminated his name from this list but as it stands, it won't be long until he's hoisting a trophy. Aside from any statistical advantage Si is atop of the leaderboard, it's his poise and confidence in high pressure situations at the tender age of twenty one that has me drawing comparisons to a Rory McIlroy type of arch. Whether it's a case of a player not knowing what he's on the verge of accomplishing or what, if watching last week's final round in Alabama you could easily attest to the fact that he at least on the exterior asserted no fear, a,championship type quality that all great players showcase. Even though I expect this particular summarization to be one big 'I told ya so moment', I'll continue on the prognostication trail by making the bold prediction that by this time next year, leading up to the PGA Championship he'll have already won two events on tour along with an additional major. Hideki Matsuyama, Ryo Ishikawa are two Asian players who've displayed relevance success on the World stage but both will quickly have the best Asian born players tag erased, as Si Woo Kim will have a equal impact to that Se Ri Pak did on the ladies professional tour. The Asians eventually invaded and begun to dominate the LPGA, the question I must pose is how much longer until we see a parallel impact on the men's tour. If my forecasting skills are valid, not much longer at all!
Zander Lombard(01/18/91995) Easily the most obscure name I've included on this list, but his potential merits such. The South African 'phenom' will look to position himself as the next great South African golfer taking the torch from Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and will one day join Louie Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, the only question that remains is if he'll take up residence on the PGA Tour or continue plotting away on the European Tour. In the last month and a half, his results have began to flourish and it's only a matter of time until he engages in his breakthrough moment. So most will be asking, what kind of golfer is Zander Lombard? Well, as full disclosure I was considering a few golfers to make this list of five and Zander just made the cut for this entry and I must admit I've seen very little of him, but it's what I have seen gives me reason for extreme optimism. I was up early one morning(way too early I may add) and I turned on my television and started viewing the second round of the BMW International Open. This round for whatever reason they were featuring a high quantity of Zander's work and I saw a few things that I will soon point out. First, his abilities off the tee remind myself of one Jason Dufner. Not the tallest guy, listed at 5'11, but it's his techniques that bring out the comparisons to the Auburn alum Dufner. Turning professional as a teenager is a risky proposition, a trait that is becoming far too frequent but this quick notorious results from the likes of Jordan Spieth, it's not exactly swaying away the youngens from making the plunge. To cite a further example getting away from my early Friday morning BMW viewing of Zander was at the Open Championship at Troon. Now, I could write an entire article pertaining to my displeasure regarding Troon's difficulty(it wasn't major quality) but regarding the play of young Lombard, he made the cut, his first made cut in a major leading me to prescribe the opinion that Zander is the best figure to have Lombard in his surname since the days of legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.With a Dufner swing, a 2016 stellar season what's not to like going forward?
Jamie Lovemark(01/23/1988) Admittedly Lovemark came close to cracking this esteemed list a year ago, so no chance he was missing out on back to back years. Lovemark is everything that Lombard and Burgoon are not, an incredibly long hitter. While I may enjoy the aspects of a grinder's game moreso than I gravitate to a long hitter, talent is talent and can't be overlooked. Throughout the golf media, the terminology of best player to never win a major is unquestionably overused, but maybe it's time to consider Jamie as the"best player to never win a PGA Tour Event". In his relatively infant PGA Tour career, he's already accumulated six career top ten finishes, and conceivably one can only knock on the door often without getting tired of doing so, unless you're Sheldon Cooper. I already hinted at his incredibly long driving accolades, he averages a whopping three hundred and four yards off the tee which ranks fifth on tour but it's the putting that needs vast improvement for him to elevate to that next level. An alarming statistic is that he sits 172nd in three put avoidance the rule of thumb is to win any tournament, even one three put can be observed as one too many in the attempt to reign victorious on the tour. Lovemark has been blessed with too many physical gifts not to finally conquer an event, expect that to come in 2016.
Trey Mullinax(06/29/1992) As a fan of most SEC programs, the affinity I have for this University of Alabama alumni is unquantifiable. In lieu of his eighth place ranking on the Web.com tour, he's all but played his way onto the PGA Tour for the 2016-2017 campaign. The strengths of his game are plentiful, versatility being a strong component but the caviot is how do you measure performance on a tour that as a general statement select courses that don't meet the challenge requirement that the top show would offer. When I analyze a soon to be Web.com tour graduate, some features I look for is will the skills that made him dominant translate to all platforms. In the case of Mullinax, I believe it does as the length comes naturally(312 yard average) but more importantly and apologies if I'm beating a dead horse but the clutch putting accolades that he possesses will be paramount if he ever proves my prophecy correct and wins at that next level. The last point I wanted to make about Trey and I think it's a good one is that the quality of competition he faced while competing in the SEC could be construed as advantageous as well. The University of Florida and Auburn historically recruit exceptionally well so given the luxury of playing against future PGA Tour pros such as Trey did will only serve as a confidence boost when he suits up with the best next season. There's always that one Web.com graduate who shows immediate dividends, reminiscing back to the early triumphs that fellow graduates Zach Johnson and Chad Campbell displayed and if I'm correct about my premonition, Mullinax will be a prime winning candidate very shortly.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Sunday, July 17, 2016
#bb18 Power Rankings(Week of July 15th)
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!
12.Tiffany-As the great Alex Kidwell from RHAP has declared numerous times throughout the course of his podcast airings, it's never wise in the Big Brother game to exhaust this much strategical capital this early on in the game. We still find ourselves in the Pre-jury phase and Tiffany is nearly tripling the amount of confrontations/complicated strategy thar Vanessa partook in her season. I'm reading a lot on Social media, I've even caught a glimpse of Vanessa Rousso's twitter feed and she's publicly stated that it's not fair that because Vanessa played the game a certain way that Tiffany is getting pigeon holed. Such is life though. Is it fair that PGA Tour professional Sam Saunders is perceived to be in the midst of an underwhelming career because his grandfather is Arnold Palmer? Chaos, if you believe notorious Survivor villain Kass McQuillan can be beneficial to one's game but that's a sound strategy only if you're playing to reach the final two/three. I don't believe Tiffany has such timid goals so therefore her hardcore wheeling and dealing will end up catching up to here as the majority of the house aren't going to want to leave getting "Vanessa'd"
11.Da'Vonne-I just finished shouting out Alex Kidwell so in reference to Da'Vonne, it's only fair that Taran Armstrong deserve a plug. Taran on a recent podcast(there's so many that you lose track) rightfully disparaged Da'Vonne for not being more amicable to the "Showmances + 1 alliance" Being positioned between Nicole/Corey and Zakiyah/Paulie would've been glorious but her hesitation has literally found her on the chopping block. I'm not sure the arch type Da'Vonne is striving for, if it's a strategical mastermind she's failing miserably unless she's employed the principles of overrated strategical "mastermind", Survivor Nicaragua's Marty which if the latter's true then we have a huge problem on our hands. It's not the place to spew my feelings towards one's cultural beliefs but in a game where adaptability is everything, her abrasiveness to hold true to her political correctness will assuredly be her downfall.
10.Paulie- This ranking may surprise most. I was torn and have done a lot of contemplating this morning regarding the merits of Paulie's game. Our current Head of Household I fear is running himself into a corner that is going to close in quickly. Image is important for all houseguests leaving the house but you sense it holds greater importance to Mr.Calafiore. His adamancy to remain in the cool kids club has negated any chance he had to win. What Frank did that CBS aired last week was deplorable but in my mind Paulie needed to capitalize on the friction and re enhance the bond with Frank because let's face it, if in the next two weeks some of the girls succeed in the mission to yank Frank out of the house, who then becomes the most intimidating target in the house? The obvious answer is either Corey or Paulie. As I've reported a few times, I don't agree with the notion that a physical threat is a dangerous commodity in the game of Big Brother but it doesn't matter what I think, if the houseguests believe something, they'll put it into action. Paulie has to smell the roses that while the "Zaulie" partnership greatly aids Zakiyah, it's putting a bigger target on a target that was already too big for it's bridges. I hate to say it, but I foresee him being in imminent danger. Hopefully he doesn't disappoint his brother Cody.
9.Nicole-Similarly to some others in her cast, the chaotic nature of her game has and will likely continue to cause her havoc. In the past week, there's been too much wavering between whether the correct inclincation was to target Tiffany or do what ended up being devised when a split vote was initiated. The reasoning for wanting to split the vote was to allow all in this scheme to deny involvement in the presence of Frank but like I ascertained with the Paulie summarization for Nicole the decision to alienate her relationship with him puts a bigger target on her back because Frank has become target enemy number one house for the majority of competitors so it behooves me as to why Nicole hasn't attempted to re kindle the friendship because it's been clear that Frank is out for blood so why not hide behind the covers while Frank begins his rampage? The other issue, and more debilitating from my vantage point is the sheer ignorance she's displaying towards valuable voting blocks in Natalie and Bridgette, I referenced this in my week two power rankings but to willingly align herself with Da'Vonne, Zakiyah and Michelle, arguably three of the most conniving players in this house has put her in a vulnerable position to be exposed. Don't think for a second that if Da'vonne indeed becomes the target that she wouldn't start throwing people like Nicole under the bus because when backs are against the wall all stops must be pulled out. Nicole's path to tinkering the script is to strengthen the bond with the minority and solidify her final two aspirations with Corey,
8.Natalie-In deference to the game of Natalie, she came in with a sparse knowledge base and it's showing with how she's attempting to maneuver herself. You get the impression that Natalie is perfectly content with just sliding through each week and frolicking around with James Analyzing solely from a game perspective, the intriguing question is how does James view Natalie in a game sense and how far will he go to protect his lady and thus creating a human shield. The "spy girls" are a dying breed and what needs to materialize for her is to begin laying the groundwork with Paul as surprisingly Paul is exuding efficiency and can probably steer her in a better direction then James could. Any time you're number eight on this list this early into the game, you're either playing recklessly(which she is not) or are playing for second place(which she certainly is). A competition win, preferably a H.O.H victory would shake up the dynamic in the house.
7.James-I can't believe I'm spewing this out as I held great angst for the Big Brother seventeen version, but is the Big Brother eighteen version actually causing me to pull a 180 when suggesting that he's becoming an endearing character? Say it ain't so Joe but I think deep down this is how I feel! From the conversational clips that I've been privy too, I'm noticing an individual who's more reasoned in his arguments and someone that's taking in valuable information and using it to his advantage. Throwing competitions, lying to his closest partner in the house to protect his core alliance and willing to twist and turn mid week hense the Bronte vote flip, a player that cares more about committing pranks and capitalizing on T.V time is emerging. Although the team twist, let's hope this week is the last we see of it has weakened the backlash that throwing a competition could normally find, James' propensity to do as such has constituted goodwill amongst the people he's handed his trust to and literally is a target for no one. All of the above is just reason to rank him higher then seven but then again this is James after all, and I'm anticipating the facade will wear off shortly.
6.Frank-Season eighteen's "villain" has awoken and it's about time. While no one in their right mind would express condoning the behavior for which he has displayed,it's obvious to me anyway that he means no malice behind the actions and simply has taken his goof-ball image too far in certain areas. How quickly the game can turn though. At this time last week, the entire house including Tiffany was gunning for Frank and low and behold the two have formed a secret(not exactly sure how secret they're keeping it) alliance. This type of synopsis writes itself quite often in the world of reality television and if I was playing I'd institute a similar trajectory, sans the inappropriate touching because in Big Brother or Survivor, when you're perceived as everyone's number one enemy the target becomes so large that before you know it the target becomes minuscule. We saw this with Dan Gheesling in essentially both of his seasons where his initial premise breaks down and is viewed as the outsider and the easy target so much so that all of a sudden they put you to the backburner until you eventually find yourself in the power position.. Just off the top of my head, similar examples also include Judd from Survivor Nicaragua, Danni from Guatemala and Jordan from Big Brother 11 and I'm sure there are numerous others. While I'm not prognosticating Frank as our winner, if I was he'd be number one in this subjective ranking but I don't think contrary to popular belief he's in any imminent danger. As mentioned earlier in this paragraph, Tiffany has already identified Frank as someone she can work with for the forseeable future and unless Nicole is hell bent on ruining her own game it wouldn't surprise me if Nicole and Frank find themselves in each other's good graces.
5.Michelle-Without detailed updates from the likes of the reputable RHAP crew, you would have no idea Michelle was still on the program. Astute observers that understand the intricacies of the game can appreciate her excellent position she finds herself in. Granted, she was one of my pre-season favourites to win the game for the first couple weeks I was having difficulty dissecting what Michelle was actually bringing to this game as were most fans as with her receiving little air time/notoriety, her personality wasn't shining through. After careful observation, the best way to describe her game would be to compare her to Willow MacDonald from Big Brother Canada 3. Apologies to those who find the comparison insulting but when you reckon the merits of both, both come across as goofy, naive young adults who didn't do enough in peak game changing conversations to be rewarded with tangible T.V time but had the incorrect assessment that acting wild during non peak periods, Willow along with Jordan Parhar going to bat with fictional podcasts or Michelle attempting to win the crowd over with her "Big Mich" persona but don't understand that trying to engage in quiet humor isn't enough for producers to give you the benefit of the doubt. To elaborate a tad further on what I mean by quiet humor, it's one thing to do what James does and ensure that when he speaks, the cameras are all over him but when you conduct yourself in the manner of Michelle and Willow and don't have the same level of infatuation for the camera which I certainly appreciate(T.V networks necessarily don't) it's harder for a story to be told. I like Michelle, won't be the last time I say that but sadly I think she's heading for a Adam Poch-esque arch type and she will be quickly forgotten once this season concludes.
4.Corey- Came into the game not knowing a thing about how to proceed, sits quietly, listens and absorbs information and becomes a force in the later stage. Hmm...where have I heard that before, Jordan Lloyd come to mind? Different players and if Corey was to reign victorious will have done so in different ways but this is a classic case of a player getting a terrible rap from the viewing audience but has genuinely endeared himself to the fellow houseguests.I truly don't believe Corey is trying to capitalize on fifteen minutes of fame and will be gratified just by making it all the way to the end with minimal diary room confessionals. His understanding of the game has exponentially grown, CBS is straying away from you finding out but he has a firm grasp on who he chooses to align with, has already engaged in the charade that was the vote flip. The best way(my best way) to describe this when accounting for my sporting background is the plight of golfer Henrik Stenson who coincidentally(not coincidentally at all) took home this Sunday's British Open. Stenson at forty years of age has never been one to open up for the cameras and for that reason among most golf experts he hasn't been met with the proper amount of affinity. Stenson just goes about his business and is constantly in contention to win golf tournaments and I feel the same way about Corey. Corey could play this game one hundred times and in each of those outcomes would find himself in a contending environment. The quiet assassin.
3.Paul- The unequivocal front runner to win America's favourite player and if he keeps up his complimentary game play could pull off the rare AF/game winning double. The outstanding element to Paul's game is his knowledge how to work the cameras. Unlike James where at times it comes across as forced, his television presence is completely natural which as a viewer we covet. I love his underdog demeanour and the best part is most if not all the houseguests feel for the fact that week after week Paul has lost prudent members of the "Friendship" and are emphatic and legitimately don't want to send him home anytime soon. The most rewarding facet I think is that Paul sees right through this and is using this perplexing sympathy to his advantage. Paul doesn't have a ride or die alliance member remaining which I proceed to suggest is a beautiful spot to be in because Big Brother 101 states it's too early to attach to one person solely or for that matter one alliance solely. This going back and forth between different factions will work masterfully unless he falls victim to the gossip game that has become increasingly notable. Spying from side to side is a dangerous water to be swimming in and he's got to minimize this propensity in order to remain a winning threat.
2.Bridgette-Let me get this straight, fans rag on Bridgette for being attached to the Donald Trump of the Big Brother house??? Not taking a shot at U.S politics or anything like that as I want as little association with that mess but to put into words most will understand, Bridgette is playing the game with somebody that the house doesn't respect so when someone who actually is lined up to take a shot, Bridgette will never be the recipient of the strike as Frank will always bare to take the heat. I'm aggravated by the lack of respect she receives quite honestly. Being soft spoken is not a crutch, not the best television I concede but when purely discussing strategy it's an amazing disposition to find yourself in. Aside from the obvious that the people choosing to ignore Bridgette will eventually require her services, she's done nothing to disable any relationship. She seems likable and upbeat and this positivity is contagious. In fact, when the team twist ceases, it will work to her advantage because I think part of the reason why no one is gaming with the travelling nurse is because of the association with Frank. She'll be the Dwayne Wade of free agents after July 22nd.
1.Zakiyah-This weeks best position belongs to.......Zakiyah. She's clearly perspicacious enough to the game of Big Brother and it's evident with how she's electing to enhance her social relationships. The "showmance" with Paulie, while most may disagree which is admirable I believe she is using to advance her own game. She's observant enough to know that Paulie at the end of the day, something he clarified in pre-season interviews has the intention of bro-ing it down to the end, whether that's Corey or Frank remains to be seen but it's irrelevant as I maintain Zakiyah is using the relationship as much as Paulie is. Da'Vonne can be a firecracker but it's amazing the calming influence Zakiyah can be to her and others. She's only twenty four years of age but the motherly influence she's exuding over the house goes well beyond her years and it's abundantly clear she has a hefty future in media relations to look forward to. Zakiyah is doing what a good Big Brother player should do and that's keep quiet, blossom the relationships with other and at all costs, avoid confrontations. She's doing all of these things and if she continues, we won't be remembering Zakiyah the "good" Big Brother player, we'll be reminiscing on Zaikyah, the great Big Brother player.
7.James-I can't believe I'm spewing this out as I held great angst for the Big Brother seventeen version, but is the Big Brother eighteen version actually causing me to pull a 180 when suggesting that he's becoming an endearing character? Say it ain't so Joe but I think deep down this is how I feel! From the conversational clips that I've been privy too, I'm noticing an individual who's more reasoned in his arguments and someone that's taking in valuable information and using it to his advantage. Throwing competitions, lying to his closest partner in the house to protect his core alliance and willing to twist and turn mid week hense the Bronte vote flip, a player that cares more about committing pranks and capitalizing on T.V time is emerging. Although the team twist, let's hope this week is the last we see of it has weakened the backlash that throwing a competition could normally find, James' propensity to do as such has constituted goodwill amongst the people he's handed his trust to and literally is a target for no one. All of the above is just reason to rank him higher then seven but then again this is James after all, and I'm anticipating the facade will wear off shortly.
6.Frank-Season eighteen's "villain" has awoken and it's about time. While no one in their right mind would express condoning the behavior for which he has displayed,it's obvious to me anyway that he means no malice behind the actions and simply has taken his goof-ball image too far in certain areas. How quickly the game can turn though. At this time last week, the entire house including Tiffany was gunning for Frank and low and behold the two have formed a secret(not exactly sure how secret they're keeping it) alliance. This type of synopsis writes itself quite often in the world of reality television and if I was playing I'd institute a similar trajectory, sans the inappropriate touching because in Big Brother or Survivor, when you're perceived as everyone's number one enemy the target becomes so large that before you know it the target becomes minuscule. We saw this with Dan Gheesling in essentially both of his seasons where his initial premise breaks down and is viewed as the outsider and the easy target so much so that all of a sudden they put you to the backburner until you eventually find yourself in the power position.. Just off the top of my head, similar examples also include Judd from Survivor Nicaragua, Danni from Guatemala and Jordan from Big Brother 11 and I'm sure there are numerous others. While I'm not prognosticating Frank as our winner, if I was he'd be number one in this subjective ranking but I don't think contrary to popular belief he's in any imminent danger. As mentioned earlier in this paragraph, Tiffany has already identified Frank as someone she can work with for the forseeable future and unless Nicole is hell bent on ruining her own game it wouldn't surprise me if Nicole and Frank find themselves in each other's good graces.
5.Michelle-Without detailed updates from the likes of the reputable RHAP crew, you would have no idea Michelle was still on the program. Astute observers that understand the intricacies of the game can appreciate her excellent position she finds herself in. Granted, she was one of my pre-season favourites to win the game for the first couple weeks I was having difficulty dissecting what Michelle was actually bringing to this game as were most fans as with her receiving little air time/notoriety, her personality wasn't shining through. After careful observation, the best way to describe her game would be to compare her to Willow MacDonald from Big Brother Canada 3. Apologies to those who find the comparison insulting but when you reckon the merits of both, both come across as goofy, naive young adults who didn't do enough in peak game changing conversations to be rewarded with tangible T.V time but had the incorrect assessment that acting wild during non peak periods, Willow along with Jordan Parhar going to bat with fictional podcasts or Michelle attempting to win the crowd over with her "Big Mich" persona but don't understand that trying to engage in quiet humor isn't enough for producers to give you the benefit of the doubt. To elaborate a tad further on what I mean by quiet humor, it's one thing to do what James does and ensure that when he speaks, the cameras are all over him but when you conduct yourself in the manner of Michelle and Willow and don't have the same level of infatuation for the camera which I certainly appreciate(T.V networks necessarily don't) it's harder for a story to be told. I like Michelle, won't be the last time I say that but sadly I think she's heading for a Adam Poch-esque arch type and she will be quickly forgotten once this season concludes.
4.Corey- Came into the game not knowing a thing about how to proceed, sits quietly, listens and absorbs information and becomes a force in the later stage. Hmm...where have I heard that before, Jordan Lloyd come to mind? Different players and if Corey was to reign victorious will have done so in different ways but this is a classic case of a player getting a terrible rap from the viewing audience but has genuinely endeared himself to the fellow houseguests.I truly don't believe Corey is trying to capitalize on fifteen minutes of fame and will be gratified just by making it all the way to the end with minimal diary room confessionals. His understanding of the game has exponentially grown, CBS is straying away from you finding out but he has a firm grasp on who he chooses to align with, has already engaged in the charade that was the vote flip. The best way(my best way) to describe this when accounting for my sporting background is the plight of golfer Henrik Stenson who coincidentally(not coincidentally at all) took home this Sunday's British Open. Stenson at forty years of age has never been one to open up for the cameras and for that reason among most golf experts he hasn't been met with the proper amount of affinity. Stenson just goes about his business and is constantly in contention to win golf tournaments and I feel the same way about Corey. Corey could play this game one hundred times and in each of those outcomes would find himself in a contending environment. The quiet assassin.
3.Paul- The unequivocal front runner to win America's favourite player and if he keeps up his complimentary game play could pull off the rare AF/game winning double. The outstanding element to Paul's game is his knowledge how to work the cameras. Unlike James where at times it comes across as forced, his television presence is completely natural which as a viewer we covet. I love his underdog demeanour and the best part is most if not all the houseguests feel for the fact that week after week Paul has lost prudent members of the "Friendship" and are emphatic and legitimately don't want to send him home anytime soon. The most rewarding facet I think is that Paul sees right through this and is using this perplexing sympathy to his advantage. Paul doesn't have a ride or die alliance member remaining which I proceed to suggest is a beautiful spot to be in because Big Brother 101 states it's too early to attach to one person solely or for that matter one alliance solely. This going back and forth between different factions will work masterfully unless he falls victim to the gossip game that has become increasingly notable. Spying from side to side is a dangerous water to be swimming in and he's got to minimize this propensity in order to remain a winning threat.
2.Bridgette-Let me get this straight, fans rag on Bridgette for being attached to the Donald Trump of the Big Brother house??? Not taking a shot at U.S politics or anything like that as I want as little association with that mess but to put into words most will understand, Bridgette is playing the game with somebody that the house doesn't respect so when someone who actually is lined up to take a shot, Bridgette will never be the recipient of the strike as Frank will always bare to take the heat. I'm aggravated by the lack of respect she receives quite honestly. Being soft spoken is not a crutch, not the best television I concede but when purely discussing strategy it's an amazing disposition to find yourself in. Aside from the obvious that the people choosing to ignore Bridgette will eventually require her services, she's done nothing to disable any relationship. She seems likable and upbeat and this positivity is contagious. In fact, when the team twist ceases, it will work to her advantage because I think part of the reason why no one is gaming with the travelling nurse is because of the association with Frank. She'll be the Dwayne Wade of free agents after July 22nd.
1.Zakiyah-This weeks best position belongs to.......Zakiyah. She's clearly perspicacious enough to the game of Big Brother and it's evident with how she's electing to enhance her social relationships. The "showmance" with Paulie, while most may disagree which is admirable I believe she is using to advance her own game. She's observant enough to know that Paulie at the end of the day, something he clarified in pre-season interviews has the intention of bro-ing it down to the end, whether that's Corey or Frank remains to be seen but it's irrelevant as I maintain Zakiyah is using the relationship as much as Paulie is. Da'Vonne can be a firecracker but it's amazing the calming influence Zakiyah can be to her and others. She's only twenty four years of age but the motherly influence she's exuding over the house goes well beyond her years and it's abundantly clear she has a hefty future in media relations to look forward to. Zakiyah is doing what a good Big Brother player should do and that's keep quiet, blossom the relationships with other and at all costs, avoid confrontations. She's doing all of these things and if she continues, we won't be remembering Zakiyah the "good" Big Brother player, we'll be reminiscing on Zaikyah, the great Big Brother player.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
2016-2017 National Hockey League Pre-season Preview(Teams 20 and 19)
20.Edmonton Oilers
A ranking that very much coincides with a great deal of recency bias. For years, I've recklessly prognosticated the Edmonton Oilers as feasible Stanley Cup contenders, or at the very least in the last couple seasons, locks to make the playoffs. Like the old adage stipulates, you learn from past mistakes and it's with that that I regretfully rank the Oilers at number twenty knowing full well that this will have the reverse kiss of death effect by this being the season where the Oil catapult to supremacy. Remember that 2015 Summer blockbuster starring Amy Schumer, "Train Wreck"? Well this current state of affairs on the back end puts the original movie interpretation to shame. Justin Schultz was viewed as the resident whipping post in Edmonton but yet when dealt to the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins he all of a sudden became a reliable third pairing defenceman. Coincidence......I think not. This Edmontonian defensive core gets shredded by insiders in our great game but in reality the defensive structure is almost as much to blame as the actual group of d-man that General Manager Peter Chiarelli has compiled. It's only appropriate that we begin this morning detailing the prized and controversial acquisition, from the New Jersey Devils Adam Larsson. The trade can be deemed as controversial because for the last twelve months, Chiarelli has repeatedly homilized that he's been in the market for a number one defenceman and by trading away Taylor Hall, the expectation is for giving away a player of that magnitude that you would safely land a franchise defender. The concern in Edmonton these days is that most aren't convinced that Larsson was enough compensation. Larsson has certainly had an interesting trajectory throughout his young career. Before being selected by the Devils he was long believed to be a probable # 1 selection of that 2011 draft, but his stock steadily dropped through that campaign which ultimately translated into him becoming the fourth selection. My scouting report of Larsson is the following, he's an average to slightly above average skater who doesn't possess the puck skills to ever flourish into that desired premium defender. On the plus side, he's a pain to play against his own zone because physically he's built like a veteran and he's fairly poised out on the ice meaning scarcely will you find him out of position. Taking a gander at his statistical productivity you'll notice that he's never tallied more than three goals in a season and possibly due to his increased role in Edmonton that may skyrocket(one can dream), the likely inevitably is that the numbers that he's capable of are better suited for a number 2/3 defenceman. Taylor Hall>Adam Larsson in trade value, sadly so. Chiarelli felt pressured to make a move for the sake of making a move, and admittedly I was one of those keyboard warriors begging for that, and look where it got us? The piece on the back end that I firmly believe has top pairing potential is Darnell Nurse. Nurse comes from as very athletic family with his sister heavily involved in the Canadian Women's basketball program and you can tell, he's a gifted commodity in all facets. Nurse gets typecast as a bruising body that famously stifled now teammate Connor McDavid in the 2015 Ontario Hockey League conference finals while a member of the Sault Ste.Marie Greyhounds but there's another compellling dimension to his game that get's overshadowed, his skating. Nurse's skating comparable is St.Louis Blue Alex Pietrangelo. The lankier one is the more we overlook skating ability but in this day and age hockey players are built differently and no longer do we see defenceman like Rod Langway or Joe Reekie that lag around the ice with their tallish,thinner frames and held the same equivalence to the way Yao Ming used to hustle up a basketball court. The fitness levels are extreme, not something I want to explore too deeply as that's another topic for another day but the essence behind what I'm attempting to imply is that a player like Nurse is so fit and quick, that the size that he's inherited is a definite asset and the nature of the beast is that the evolution of hockey players will force all making the plunge to the next level to work as hard off the ice as Nurse does. I said it when the Oilers made the selection but the Oilers have a long term keeper in Darnell.
First came the selection of Sam Gagner back in 2007, that seemingly flamed out quickly. In 2008, the Oilers settled for Regina product Jordan Eberle, unfortunately for Jordan he never received the memo that to be successful meant more then living off his World Junior laurels and that to be a trusted entity one must venture into the defensive game, something that was never ingrained in his D.N.A In 2009 the Oilers stumbled upon the enigma that was Paajarvi-Svensson who for whatever reason lost his confidence when he turned professional and I maintain to this day that he should've converted to a defenceman when the tribulations at forward were evident. I could continue down this path until I'm blue in the face but I'm reminded this post wasn't dedicated to revisiting Oiler draft history. The crux of what I'm attempting to illustrate is that while the Oilers have always sided with the "sexy" pick, their lack of awareness when building a roster has crippled draft performances and have led to non playoff teams since 2006. Can Connor McDavid be the messiah that performs the unthinkable and carries the Oil to late April hockey? As a previously confessed Oiler fan, I'm skeptical that he has the necessary supporting cast in place but will feature a couple who'll need to begin to breakout. Don't be frightened Oiler supporters, I know I just explained the Paajarvi pick was a disaster(through fault of the coaching staff) but it's a player that shares a similar name sake that has me awfully excited. Jesse Puljujarvi is an Anze Kopitar clone who I believe will come in and contribute immediately. The cold hard truth is that the Calder trophy is awarded to the prodigy coming in, McDavid would've been a shoe in hadn't it been for the injury that took away half his season and it's using this logic that Matthews will find a way to secure the award but voters abroad ought to pay close attention to Pulujarvi as I think if he receives tangible playing time with McDavid he'll be daily conversation around the water cooler as the Calder whispers grow louder and louder. Another Fin to keep up with the nationality obsession let's evaluate the worth of Iiro Pakarinen. Right off the hop, people invested in Oiler nation will surmise that Pakarinen isn't assured of consistent playing time with the big club but for a team that coach Todd McLellan constantly complains about an acceptable work ethic someone like Pakarinen who busts his but on every play would be welcome in the lineup. Realistically the Lovissa,Finland native is effective as a fourth line player and the cap on him is more then likely twenty points but we must ignore the output and focus on his work ethic. On Stanley Cup winning teams as we saw on the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins this past spring, role players such as Matt Cullen are imperative and if the winning resumes in the City of Champions, I could definitely see a scenario where Cullen and Pakarinen share a similar role.
The consensus of most Oiler fans is resentment towards the Cam Talbot acquisition last summer. Here's the gripe that I, and a lot of Oiler fans have is that during that particular off-season there were a plethora of more polished goaltenders available, ala from Stanley Cup finalists Martin Jones and one time Cup champ Antii Niemi. I'm all for committing to a proper rebuild but the goaltender is the one position where if not assembled justly it can exude a negative connotation for the rest of the retool. In a daunting attempt to get inside the head of Peter Chiarelli, I can somewhat appreciate the logistics behind the transaction as I think their was a stemming belief that Talbot inherited a winning culture from the great Henrik Lundqvist and he would bring back that knowledge, and it just hasn't happened. 21-9 with the Rangers in 2014-2015 projects as a smokescreen as I'm not expecting that Talbot will ever replicate a winning percentage like that with Edmonton.
19.Minnesota Wild
Out with the old, in with the new for the Minnesota Wild pertaining to their coaching carousel. After the decision was made by General Manager Chuck Fletcher to let go of Mike Yeo, they've caved into fan pressure by hiring the hottest name in the coaching market in Bruce Boudreau. The hiring of Boudreau delves into one of my biggest pet peeves in this premise that teams are held to this puzzling delusion that they're better off recycling coaches. Was Boudreau a winner in Washington? Not when it came to the playoffs and ditto when analyzing his success rate employed by the Anaheim Ducks. I'm sure tactically Bruce is a fine coach but he's shown the propensity to choke in the games biggest moments, something I would've advised Chuck to stay away from at all costs. Since the Wild aren't in the business of looking back and strive to push forward, we will now take a look at the group up front. The pace of play that Boudreau advocates not withstanding my disdain for the hire concurrently matches the type of nucleus the Wild possess. A fast, smaller group that will live and die by the transition game and they're a couple of stalwarts that this strategical initiative fits to a tee. Let's first discuss the merits of Jason Zucker. It's interesting, keeping in mind that what I'm about to elaborate on are wild projections but on a few different occasions I've seen the name of Jason Zucker mentioned as a possible expansion candidate for the soon to be Las Vegas franchise but I can't envision the Wild view Zucker expendable. I will admit however that when watching Jason play on a nightly basis, he at times that can leave a lot on the table due to not taking his time and ensuring he makes the sound hockey decision. He's fast, extremely, think Geoff Courtnall for an apt comparison but unlike Courtnall who was a revered sniper his career high is only twenty one goals. Why is that? Well....the first thought that comes to mind is other then questionable hockey I.Q, he worries too much about his defensive assignments which assuredly makes coaches smile but in the process dampens the offensive potential I know he has. Let me rephrase, if Zucker plays to his capabilities then no chance is he exposed for expansion however if doesn't buy in to the high speed transition game Boudreau calls for, then looking into real estate in Vegas may become a reality.After reading back today's postings, I've came to the conclusion that I've spent an awful amount of time boasting about some of these Finnish born players, and although I have no prominent ties to the country this vaunting will continue a tad longer. Mikael "puck magician" Granlund. There was a goal, , I believe it was in one of the World Championships Finland was playing in when he scored a game winning goal where afterwards TSN ran a piece where Mikael indicated that the celebration was a picture taken that went on to be made into a postage stamp. This doesn't necessarily speak to his production for the Wild, doesn't at all to be exact but what it does to be precise is it's a useful measuring stick that Granlund covets the big games and when they come around which has been few and far between for Minnesota, his productivity increases. Granlund is a playmaking genius but this enlies one of the problems I have with the Wild which definitely correlates with the low ranking of #19, and that's where's the compliment to Granlund? Is it Zach Parise? If that's what Wild management wants us to believe then I fret the future of the organization because Parise is essentially an older version of what Granlund is trying to become, a playmaker who requires the finisher. What made Parise very successful with the New Jersey Devils was that he had snipers like Ilya Kovalchuk beside him which maximized the value of Zachs game. Who does Mikael have to pass to.....Charlie Coyle and Nino Nieddereiter? I hate to rag on the great "El Nino" but players of this elk have no business being looked upon as the franchises top scoring threat. It's roster management flaws like this that have me believing we're staring a non playoff team in the face.
A talented, puck moving defenceman is the scouting report on 2011 tenth overall pick Jonas Brodin. As bland as that scouting report may seem, what I get out of it is Brodin projects out as a mundane defenceman and for someone who is widely perceived as the Wild's building block, they need someone more creative and willing to buy into the team concept to fulfill their actual number one responsibilities. Although "talented"(again, words of numerous scouting reports) he lacks the physicality to be entrusted lining up against first forward lines. And in all honesty, his skating isn't as polished as some are led to believe, in fact I rank his skating in the poor ledger. I was watching one of my favourite podcasts the other day named the "Quack Attack Podcast" and they had actor Ty McClary who memorably played the role of Texan Dwayne Robertson. I highly recommend you check out the podcast/interview but one thing stood out for me when they were chatting with Ty and that's when the project began filming Ty had no idea how to skate so what the producers did was allow Ty to hold on to a rope as coming from a rodeo family this came naturally to him and unbeknownst to the actor what it did was take his mind off the stress of learning how to skate. To tie this back to Jonas, I can only advise Jonas to check out this podcast himself and perhaps put this learning tactic to good use as his wheels at the current time are vastly overrated. A player that by no means is overrated is one of my favourites in the show, Val'dor Foreur alumni Marco Scandella.
While I have internal concerns with Bruce taking over the coaching reigns, I for one am subscribing to the theory that Boudreau may end up having a positive impact on Marco. Marco's repertoire is clearly is his resistive, thwarting nature that amounts to a shut down role. Scandella, from what I recall in junior, particularly in his World Junior tenure is that he's got more tricks up his sleeve regarding offensive efficiency. At the very least he has a cannon for a shot and one can hope that BB will provide Scandella at least partial power play to showcase the aforementioned cannon. Creativity breeds confidence as this unequivocally applies to the game of Marco as he's often timid on the ice and like I stated, the expectation is that Boudreau will implore some of that persuasive teaching when rectifying his game, Some will suggest he's already there but no question that he has the potential to reach definitive top two status.
The question we must ask ourselves is whether or not the 2014-2015 second half Devan Dubnyk was an aberration or was what he accomplished then not sustainable for some will classify as a journeyman goaltender. When he came on board to the Edmonton Oilers, and earlier I spent time spilling over the porous Oiler rebuild he was supposed to be the general which in turn would've prevented the need to acquire Cam Talbot years later. To take yon through the journey of Dubnyk's now lengthy career, his premier with Edmonton was for a lack of a better word disastrous. I harken back to post game interviews he conducted with Gene Principe while a member of the Oilers and it wasn't difficult to ascertain that you were looking at a goalie who was lost. It's probable he entered te National Hockey League with a high level of confidence after an unforgettable junior career with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League but what happened to him sadly rubs off on a plethora of young goaltenders. Point blank, the Oilers were a baaad hockey club which is translation for a terrible landing spot for a goaltender, I know not all of you reading are familiar with the inner dealings of the WHL but a great comparable when comparing the early struggles of Devan was that of Calvin Pickard. Pickard entered his WHL career as a can't miss prospect and by dragging along that label unfair expectations were stapled alongside him but what casual fans can't fathom is that you can be the globe's best netminder but when playing in front of a mitigated disaster, you have to tamper expectations, but most can't. To be fair in this assessment,100% of the blame can't go towards the Oilers in Devan's failed development, I'm no goalie guru but technically there were some glaring deficiencies that made you cringe. He stayed in the upright position too long thus was susceptible to the greasy rebounds. After moving on to Nashville and Montreal for a cup of coffee, he finally found a comfortable fit in Arizona.His statistics were phenomenal in the second half of 2014-2015 but not without some luck. If it wasn't for an unfortunate Mike Smith injury, I can certainly conjur up a scenario where he's still rotting away as the back up in the desert. No one ever claimed luck wasn't a tiny part of the equation and injury opened up significant playing time which he took and ran with. A .916 save percentage led to the playoff bound Minnesota Wild acquiring his services and that's where we currently stand. I've talked up Dubnyk pretty good here but the one thing that needs serious improvement is his playoff numbers if in fact the Wild find themselves in that position again which I'm not convinced they will. When comparing last year's save percentage in the regular season to his in the playoffs there's a drastic difference, Dropping down from .918 to ,877 is simply not good enough and he needs to do a muuuuch better job buckling down and becoming the most trusted goaltender in the state of MInnesota since Julie "The Cat" Gaffney.
A ranking that very much coincides with a great deal of recency bias. For years, I've recklessly prognosticated the Edmonton Oilers as feasible Stanley Cup contenders, or at the very least in the last couple seasons, locks to make the playoffs. Like the old adage stipulates, you learn from past mistakes and it's with that that I regretfully rank the Oilers at number twenty knowing full well that this will have the reverse kiss of death effect by this being the season where the Oil catapult to supremacy. Remember that 2015 Summer blockbuster starring Amy Schumer, "Train Wreck"? Well this current state of affairs on the back end puts the original movie interpretation to shame. Justin Schultz was viewed as the resident whipping post in Edmonton but yet when dealt to the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins he all of a sudden became a reliable third pairing defenceman. Coincidence......I think not. This Edmontonian defensive core gets shredded by insiders in our great game but in reality the defensive structure is almost as much to blame as the actual group of d-man that General Manager Peter Chiarelli has compiled. It's only appropriate that we begin this morning detailing the prized and controversial acquisition, from the New Jersey Devils Adam Larsson. The trade can be deemed as controversial because for the last twelve months, Chiarelli has repeatedly homilized that he's been in the market for a number one defenceman and by trading away Taylor Hall, the expectation is for giving away a player of that magnitude that you would safely land a franchise defender. The concern in Edmonton these days is that most aren't convinced that Larsson was enough compensation. Larsson has certainly had an interesting trajectory throughout his young career. Before being selected by the Devils he was long believed to be a probable # 1 selection of that 2011 draft, but his stock steadily dropped through that campaign which ultimately translated into him becoming the fourth selection. My scouting report of Larsson is the following, he's an average to slightly above average skater who doesn't possess the puck skills to ever flourish into that desired premium defender. On the plus side, he's a pain to play against his own zone because physically he's built like a veteran and he's fairly poised out on the ice meaning scarcely will you find him out of position. Taking a gander at his statistical productivity you'll notice that he's never tallied more than three goals in a season and possibly due to his increased role in Edmonton that may skyrocket(one can dream), the likely inevitably is that the numbers that he's capable of are better suited for a number 2/3 defenceman. Taylor Hall>Adam Larsson in trade value, sadly so. Chiarelli felt pressured to make a move for the sake of making a move, and admittedly I was one of those keyboard warriors begging for that, and look where it got us? The piece on the back end that I firmly believe has top pairing potential is Darnell Nurse. Nurse comes from as very athletic family with his sister heavily involved in the Canadian Women's basketball program and you can tell, he's a gifted commodity in all facets. Nurse gets typecast as a bruising body that famously stifled now teammate Connor McDavid in the 2015 Ontario Hockey League conference finals while a member of the Sault Ste.Marie Greyhounds but there's another compellling dimension to his game that get's overshadowed, his skating. Nurse's skating comparable is St.Louis Blue Alex Pietrangelo. The lankier one is the more we overlook skating ability but in this day and age hockey players are built differently and no longer do we see defenceman like Rod Langway or Joe Reekie that lag around the ice with their tallish,thinner frames and held the same equivalence to the way Yao Ming used to hustle up a basketball court. The fitness levels are extreme, not something I want to explore too deeply as that's another topic for another day but the essence behind what I'm attempting to imply is that a player like Nurse is so fit and quick, that the size that he's inherited is a definite asset and the nature of the beast is that the evolution of hockey players will force all making the plunge to the next level to work as hard off the ice as Nurse does. I said it when the Oilers made the selection but the Oilers have a long term keeper in Darnell.
First came the selection of Sam Gagner back in 2007, that seemingly flamed out quickly. In 2008, the Oilers settled for Regina product Jordan Eberle, unfortunately for Jordan he never received the memo that to be successful meant more then living off his World Junior laurels and that to be a trusted entity one must venture into the defensive game, something that was never ingrained in his D.N.A In 2009 the Oilers stumbled upon the enigma that was Paajarvi-Svensson who for whatever reason lost his confidence when he turned professional and I maintain to this day that he should've converted to a defenceman when the tribulations at forward were evident. I could continue down this path until I'm blue in the face but I'm reminded this post wasn't dedicated to revisiting Oiler draft history. The crux of what I'm attempting to illustrate is that while the Oilers have always sided with the "sexy" pick, their lack of awareness when building a roster has crippled draft performances and have led to non playoff teams since 2006. Can Connor McDavid be the messiah that performs the unthinkable and carries the Oil to late April hockey? As a previously confessed Oiler fan, I'm skeptical that he has the necessary supporting cast in place but will feature a couple who'll need to begin to breakout. Don't be frightened Oiler supporters, I know I just explained the Paajarvi pick was a disaster(through fault of the coaching staff) but it's a player that shares a similar name sake that has me awfully excited. Jesse Puljujarvi is an Anze Kopitar clone who I believe will come in and contribute immediately. The cold hard truth is that the Calder trophy is awarded to the prodigy coming in, McDavid would've been a shoe in hadn't it been for the injury that took away half his season and it's using this logic that Matthews will find a way to secure the award but voters abroad ought to pay close attention to Pulujarvi as I think if he receives tangible playing time with McDavid he'll be daily conversation around the water cooler as the Calder whispers grow louder and louder. Another Fin to keep up with the nationality obsession let's evaluate the worth of Iiro Pakarinen. Right off the hop, people invested in Oiler nation will surmise that Pakarinen isn't assured of consistent playing time with the big club but for a team that coach Todd McLellan constantly complains about an acceptable work ethic someone like Pakarinen who busts his but on every play would be welcome in the lineup. Realistically the Lovissa,Finland native is effective as a fourth line player and the cap on him is more then likely twenty points but we must ignore the output and focus on his work ethic. On Stanley Cup winning teams as we saw on the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins this past spring, role players such as Matt Cullen are imperative and if the winning resumes in the City of Champions, I could definitely see a scenario where Cullen and Pakarinen share a similar role.
The consensus of most Oiler fans is resentment towards the Cam Talbot acquisition last summer. Here's the gripe that I, and a lot of Oiler fans have is that during that particular off-season there were a plethora of more polished goaltenders available, ala from Stanley Cup finalists Martin Jones and one time Cup champ Antii Niemi. I'm all for committing to a proper rebuild but the goaltender is the one position where if not assembled justly it can exude a negative connotation for the rest of the retool. In a daunting attempt to get inside the head of Peter Chiarelli, I can somewhat appreciate the logistics behind the transaction as I think their was a stemming belief that Talbot inherited a winning culture from the great Henrik Lundqvist and he would bring back that knowledge, and it just hasn't happened. 21-9 with the Rangers in 2014-2015 projects as a smokescreen as I'm not expecting that Talbot will ever replicate a winning percentage like that with Edmonton.
19.Minnesota Wild
Out with the old, in with the new for the Minnesota Wild pertaining to their coaching carousel. After the decision was made by General Manager Chuck Fletcher to let go of Mike Yeo, they've caved into fan pressure by hiring the hottest name in the coaching market in Bruce Boudreau. The hiring of Boudreau delves into one of my biggest pet peeves in this premise that teams are held to this puzzling delusion that they're better off recycling coaches. Was Boudreau a winner in Washington? Not when it came to the playoffs and ditto when analyzing his success rate employed by the Anaheim Ducks. I'm sure tactically Bruce is a fine coach but he's shown the propensity to choke in the games biggest moments, something I would've advised Chuck to stay away from at all costs. Since the Wild aren't in the business of looking back and strive to push forward, we will now take a look at the group up front. The pace of play that Boudreau advocates not withstanding my disdain for the hire concurrently matches the type of nucleus the Wild possess. A fast, smaller group that will live and die by the transition game and they're a couple of stalwarts that this strategical initiative fits to a tee. Let's first discuss the merits of Jason Zucker. It's interesting, keeping in mind that what I'm about to elaborate on are wild projections but on a few different occasions I've seen the name of Jason Zucker mentioned as a possible expansion candidate for the soon to be Las Vegas franchise but I can't envision the Wild view Zucker expendable. I will admit however that when watching Jason play on a nightly basis, he at times that can leave a lot on the table due to not taking his time and ensuring he makes the sound hockey decision. He's fast, extremely, think Geoff Courtnall for an apt comparison but unlike Courtnall who was a revered sniper his career high is only twenty one goals. Why is that? Well....the first thought that comes to mind is other then questionable hockey I.Q, he worries too much about his defensive assignments which assuredly makes coaches smile but in the process dampens the offensive potential I know he has. Let me rephrase, if Zucker plays to his capabilities then no chance is he exposed for expansion however if doesn't buy in to the high speed transition game Boudreau calls for, then looking into real estate in Vegas may become a reality.After reading back today's postings, I've came to the conclusion that I've spent an awful amount of time boasting about some of these Finnish born players, and although I have no prominent ties to the country this vaunting will continue a tad longer. Mikael "puck magician" Granlund. There was a goal, , I believe it was in one of the World Championships Finland was playing in when he scored a game winning goal where afterwards TSN ran a piece where Mikael indicated that the celebration was a picture taken that went on to be made into a postage stamp. This doesn't necessarily speak to his production for the Wild, doesn't at all to be exact but what it does to be precise is it's a useful measuring stick that Granlund covets the big games and when they come around which has been few and far between for Minnesota, his productivity increases. Granlund is a playmaking genius but this enlies one of the problems I have with the Wild which definitely correlates with the low ranking of #19, and that's where's the compliment to Granlund? Is it Zach Parise? If that's what Wild management wants us to believe then I fret the future of the organization because Parise is essentially an older version of what Granlund is trying to become, a playmaker who requires the finisher. What made Parise very successful with the New Jersey Devils was that he had snipers like Ilya Kovalchuk beside him which maximized the value of Zachs game. Who does Mikael have to pass to.....Charlie Coyle and Nino Nieddereiter? I hate to rag on the great "El Nino" but players of this elk have no business being looked upon as the franchises top scoring threat. It's roster management flaws like this that have me believing we're staring a non playoff team in the face.
A talented, puck moving defenceman is the scouting report on 2011 tenth overall pick Jonas Brodin. As bland as that scouting report may seem, what I get out of it is Brodin projects out as a mundane defenceman and for someone who is widely perceived as the Wild's building block, they need someone more creative and willing to buy into the team concept to fulfill their actual number one responsibilities. Although "talented"(again, words of numerous scouting reports) he lacks the physicality to be entrusted lining up against first forward lines. And in all honesty, his skating isn't as polished as some are led to believe, in fact I rank his skating in the poor ledger. I was watching one of my favourite podcasts the other day named the "Quack Attack Podcast" and they had actor Ty McClary who memorably played the role of Texan Dwayne Robertson. I highly recommend you check out the podcast/interview but one thing stood out for me when they were chatting with Ty and that's when the project began filming Ty had no idea how to skate so what the producers did was allow Ty to hold on to a rope as coming from a rodeo family this came naturally to him and unbeknownst to the actor what it did was take his mind off the stress of learning how to skate. To tie this back to Jonas, I can only advise Jonas to check out this podcast himself and perhaps put this learning tactic to good use as his wheels at the current time are vastly overrated. A player that by no means is overrated is one of my favourites in the show, Val'dor Foreur alumni Marco Scandella.
While I have internal concerns with Bruce taking over the coaching reigns, I for one am subscribing to the theory that Boudreau may end up having a positive impact on Marco. Marco's repertoire is clearly is his resistive, thwarting nature that amounts to a shut down role. Scandella, from what I recall in junior, particularly in his World Junior tenure is that he's got more tricks up his sleeve regarding offensive efficiency. At the very least he has a cannon for a shot and one can hope that BB will provide Scandella at least partial power play to showcase the aforementioned cannon. Creativity breeds confidence as this unequivocally applies to the game of Marco as he's often timid on the ice and like I stated, the expectation is that Boudreau will implore some of that persuasive teaching when rectifying his game, Some will suggest he's already there but no question that he has the potential to reach definitive top two status.
The question we must ask ourselves is whether or not the 2014-2015 second half Devan Dubnyk was an aberration or was what he accomplished then not sustainable for some will classify as a journeyman goaltender. When he came on board to the Edmonton Oilers, and earlier I spent time spilling over the porous Oiler rebuild he was supposed to be the general which in turn would've prevented the need to acquire Cam Talbot years later. To take yon through the journey of Dubnyk's now lengthy career, his premier with Edmonton was for a lack of a better word disastrous. I harken back to post game interviews he conducted with Gene Principe while a member of the Oilers and it wasn't difficult to ascertain that you were looking at a goalie who was lost. It's probable he entered te National Hockey League with a high level of confidence after an unforgettable junior career with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League but what happened to him sadly rubs off on a plethora of young goaltenders. Point blank, the Oilers were a baaad hockey club which is translation for a terrible landing spot for a goaltender, I know not all of you reading are familiar with the inner dealings of the WHL but a great comparable when comparing the early struggles of Devan was that of Calvin Pickard. Pickard entered his WHL career as a can't miss prospect and by dragging along that label unfair expectations were stapled alongside him but what casual fans can't fathom is that you can be the globe's best netminder but when playing in front of a mitigated disaster, you have to tamper expectations, but most can't. To be fair in this assessment,100% of the blame can't go towards the Oilers in Devan's failed development, I'm no goalie guru but technically there were some glaring deficiencies that made you cringe. He stayed in the upright position too long thus was susceptible to the greasy rebounds. After moving on to Nashville and Montreal for a cup of coffee, he finally found a comfortable fit in Arizona.His statistics were phenomenal in the second half of 2014-2015 but not without some luck. If it wasn't for an unfortunate Mike Smith injury, I can certainly conjur up a scenario where he's still rotting away as the back up in the desert. No one ever claimed luck wasn't a tiny part of the equation and injury opened up significant playing time which he took and ran with. A .916 save percentage led to the playoff bound Minnesota Wild acquiring his services and that's where we currently stand. I've talked up Dubnyk pretty good here but the one thing that needs serious improvement is his playoff numbers if in fact the Wild find themselves in that position again which I'm not convinced they will. When comparing last year's save percentage in the regular season to his in the playoffs there's a drastic difference, Dropping down from .918 to ,877 is simply not good enough and he needs to do a muuuuch better job buckling down and becoming the most trusted goaltender in the state of MInnesota since Julie "The Cat" Gaffney.
Monday, July 11, 2016
2016-2017 National Hockey League Pre-season Preview(Teams 22 and 21)
22.Ottawa Senators
Internally I was convinced that any team that hired Marc Crawford as it's head coach would be making the pristine hire of the off-season. I thought, although it turned out to be a moot point that a partnership involving Marc Crawford and Auston Matthews would've been a sensible one given their chemistry and likeness they formed in Switzerland. When the Senators coaching search was materializing, it was a given that Crawford had to be one of the front-runners, if not the front runner, right? Not so fast as General Manager Pierre Dorion elected to hire Guy Boucher which nothing against Guy but the point of contention goes out to Marc Crawford accepting an associate role with the Sens. It's been long reported that Crawford was desiring a return to the National Hockey League but I construed as that meaning that Marc would only return if given head responsibilities, if not I concluded he would remain with Zurich. What this essentially signifies is the level desperation he had to return to North America even if it means finding himself in one of the more awkward coaching structures seen in league history. With the forwards, one of the hot button topics is where does Kyle Turris land amongst the hierarchy in the center depth? One of the main reasons I classify this a "hot button topic" is because there's a lot of differentiation from experts when viewing Turris' worth. When Turris was brought in to the Nations capital which coincided with him holding out from the Phoenix Coyotes, the goal was to eventually mold him as the long term number one center. His draft stock going way back to 2007 would indicate that this would not be out of the realm but to offer up a different perspective fully understanding that his trade value dropped due to him playing hard ball wit the Coyotes, they only gave up David Rundblad who to date has shown NHL staying power and a second round pick. So basically with that given package in return, if he became a number one than the Senators management team can indulge in jumping jacks, but if not they can sit back and say oh well. The reality is they need Turris to hold down the top fort which only explains that the drafting has been incredibly poor(that's no secret) in recent years and player development has to be a point of prioirty for the rookie General Manager.Wrapping this back around to Turris, although his weakness around the boards is cause for concern, he's an exceptional passer, a more polished version of, and if you're aware about my thoughts regarding the player this echoes little complimentary essences, Ryan Nugent Hopkins. The comparison of Turris and Nugent-Hopkins is a fair one as both hail from British Columbia, both are smaller stature and both are members of organizations that likely over value their abilities. Another player that I have my eye on this coming year is Matt Puempel. I fondly remember Puempel going back to his junior days with the Peterborough Petes and back then(his last of junior commenced in 2012-2013) he was a player that was projected as a sure fire top six forward and no question his development has slowed professionally. Here's what I surmise has happened to Matt. In junior, and this is part of the reason why he never cracked Canada's World Junior team,he was a shooter, never bought into the team concept and didn't play the prototypical sixty foot game and became complacent. Luke Richardson who oversaw his development the last couple years in Binghamton has attempted to indoctrinate a defensive prowess that would allow him to be trusted at the top level and solely basing off of his increased games played in 2015-2016, he started to take what was asked to heart. A new coaching staff puts a wrench in his continued confidence but maybe Boucher who isn't as far removed from the junior game, I'm not saying Dave Cameron was either but the style Boucher asks is more conducive to offensive players. I not only expect Puempel to crack the every day lineup but further to that don't be surprised if Guy persuades Matt to become the shooter we all know he can be his numbers might be substantially greater under his guidance.
I know most reading this will suggest the Senators strength is their defence and I unequivocally disagree with that assertion. I'm not beneath bold proclamations, but Erik Karlsson is the most overrated defenceman in the National Hockey League and this isn't the first time I've shared this thought. What Karlsson does aggravates coaches because he beats to his own drum and refuses to adapt to nightly game plans. Let me put it to you this way, when a defenceman consistently leads his team in scoring then that "defenceman" isn't committing to required responsibilities and is a liability in his own zone. Some of the leagues elite defenceman, to list a few, Drew Doughty, P.K Subban, Oliver Ekman Larsson all are gifted offensively but what separates themselves from Karlsson is that they take pride preventing the puck from reaching the back of their net while Erik is cherry picking near center ice when his team is pinned deep. Bottom line, I don't care whether he accumulates eighty two points or one hundred eighty two points, I want him nowhere my team until he figures out that the game of hockey is about more then making the cut for "Highlight of the Night", it's about displaying leadership, he's the captain for gosh sakes and demonstrating the propensity it takes to propel this unit to the playoffs. It's as if Karlsson is starting to believe his own press and because of all the wide spread lauding pertaining to his game and I put partial blame onto the voters for the Norris who up until this year don't reward the complete defenceman and egg Erik on to keep sliding by and disregard team unity. Another player that throughout the years that's let his own press get the best of him is Dion Phaneuf. Back in the World Juniors from 2004 in what many still call the greatest Canadian World Junior team of all time, legendary announcer now property of NBC Pierre McGuire coined the term "Double Dion" when Dion, while facing off against the pesky Czech Republicans, absolutely annihilated two Czech players with one hit including former Florida Panther Rotislav Olesz. Dion had a commendable junior career under the tutelage of Brent Sutter in Red Deer and the widespread consensus was the Calgary Flames had found their first marquee defenceman since Al MacInnis patrolled the Red Mile in the late eighties/early nineties.but that excitement quickly filtered into anguish. To put in perspective, over his first four years he rallied for two hundred and six points, an offensive dynamo to put it mildly but over the last nine years he's weezled his way to a meager two hundred and sixteen. In my opinion, there are a few reasons for his downfall but one I wanted to focus on was the wear and tear his type of approach can put on the body. Dion did everything with excessive force early on, if he was going to hit you, he'd make sure to run you through the boards, if he took an one timer pass he'd make sure his slapshot broke the glass reminiscent of Fulton Reed. To carry that charisma over a long, prosperous career just wasn't sustainable. His young over exuberance translated to, I won't go as far to say as "damaged goods" as he entered Leaf land and eventually Ottawa but for someone who was once perceived as a building block, all that's left of him now is riding the twine now as a third pairing defenceman. We've dissected Karlsson(more flaws then a Ryan Fitzpatrick spiral) Dion Phaneuf(makes Luke Schenn look like a speedskater) but there are in fact some, a few positive qualities in this defensive core and the player I wanted to fanboy about is Cody Ceci. Similarly to his anticipated teammate this season Matt Puempel, despite engaging in an oustanding junior career but aside from a sprinkle at the under eighteens, never did make the cut for the Under twenty team. Ceci has quickly becoming a fan favourite on the Rideau Canal, being a raised resident of Ottawa certainly doesn't hurt but it's his demeanor on the ice that has me rejoicing on the endless limitations that he possesses.He's built like a brick so if there was one weakness that I could identify and correct, it would be to pull a page out of the Double Dion playbook and be more tenacious when battling like built bodies in front of the net. His passiveness in that area is basically the only grey area I can locate in his game.
Does the Hamburgler have it in him to rob more prey? The better question is will Andrew Hammond even be given the allotted playing time to rob the aforementioned prey? From where I'm sitting, which happens to be far from Ottawa I'd heavily lean on Craig Anderson.To elaborate as to why, the former Guelph Storm displays a greater form of consistency in an area that is night and day from when they used to trot out guaranteed losses such as Patrick Lalime and Damien Rhodes. Thirty one wins a year ago on a sub par laden Senator team merits earned starter responsibility. It would be telling if the reigns were given to either Hammond or even more less likely Matt O'Connor as that would dignify an utter rebuild for a fan base that historically doesn't handle losing well.
21.Boston Bruins
General Manager Don Sweeney was crucified at the 2015 National Hockey League draft pertaining to his first round selections. To this day, there has been a great volume of criticism that has followed Sweeney around Massachusetts but this blogger doesn't think the take home from the draft looks as bad as it might have on draft night. Since we're analyzing the plight of the Bruin defenceman, lets observe the selection of Zboril and whether he projects to live up to the billing that was either fairly or unfairly stowed upon him. Zboril is a member of the Saint John Sea Dogs, a teammate of in my opinion more heralded prospect Thomas Chabot and due to that very reason it's plausible to suggest that he gets overlooked most nights. The investigative blogger in me is chewing over whether the Bruins will stomach holding onto Jakob and accept the growing pains that will naturally happen over the course of his rookie campaign because let's not call a spade a spade, the Bruins are in no position to compete for a playoff spot, at best lack the defensive depth to withhold from awarding Zboril a look this coming fall. Some scouting reports I read throughout the course of the year were detailing his thought processes were not enhancing and he was a prone to an assemblage of turnovers and some scouts were penning that Zboril for a lack of a better word, looked "lost" out on the ice. Never fearful with disagreeing, even with scouts who I can't help but respect their opinions, In my few viewings of Zboril I'm noticing an individual, who admittedly yes has got to slow the game down in his own mind but to provide a more positive spin, his natural raw talent arguably should've supplanted him within the top ten of the '15 draft. Is it advisable for a team that is in the process of re-tooling to exhaust a year out of a promising first rounders entry level deal? This could be a hotly contested topic and if it wasn't obvious enough I would find a way to give him an extended look but am getting the reaction that a return to beautiful Saint John, New Brunswick may be in the cards. The theme of the backend should be youth and if I'm going out of my way profiling players who may in fact not spend the season with the big club then I sincerely apologize. There's a reason for my madness. The self explanatory response would be that I should be saluting the great career of Zdeno Chara and what he could serve for the group in 2016-2017. While what Chara has done as a member of, ironically the two teams summarized tonight the Bruins and Senators, the value that he could contribute to this current group is minimal at best. Off ice leadership is vastly overrated because it's from my experience that you can be the most respected person on the planet however if all you can do is talk the talk but can't walk the walk, you're irrelevant for a professional sports organization. Hot take, sure but I'm just telling it how I see it. Getting back to defenceman who will undoubtedly contribute in the very near future, let's take a swipe at Colin Miller. Miller was very much a part of the 2015 draft shenanigans that Sweeney partook in. Originally seen as a throw in that sent Milan Lucic to Los Angeles, Miller came in immediately and exuded no rookie nerves.The delusionals out there that will theorize that Colin isn't even the best Miller on the team which is absolutely absurd logic, more crazy than the infamous Sheldon Cooper, and like Sheldon reiterates, his mother had him tested. He's a fifth round pick(151st overall)...so what! Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was a fifth round pick and I don't see Star supporters agonizing over the pick, quite the opposite actually, so Bruin fans remember where you get picked doesn't amount to anything unless you part the hard work in and Colin has done just that which has propelled him to soon to be NHL regular defenceman.
The Bruins, thankfully for their fan base that is used to winning teams in just about every other professional sport has much more to look forward to this year when it comes to their forwards. Ancient memory are the faces of the aformentioned Milan Lucic, Chris Kelly and former World Junior captain Daniel Paille who were important role players on the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship winning team. Hoping to be a part of the next Bruins dynasty are Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron along with newcomer David Backes. Backes and Marchand are the two Bruins I want to focus on for completely different reasons. Let's begin with the tenacious Marchand. Marchand is a polarizing figure because it's no secret that part of Marchand's stigma is that he thrives getting under the opposition's skin and it's that annoyance that he brings with him on the ice that I can appreciate. Earlier in his career he was unfairly placed in the same threshold of which Sean Avery conducted himself,. It's literally day and night between the two as the undeniable difference is that unlike Avery, Marchand can play as evidenced from his numerous inclusions in International tournaments. In fairness to Avery although his reputation precedes him, the one particular incident that I sided with him on was that stick swinging in front of the net to "distract" Martin Brodeur. To me, although it's unofficially classified as the Sean Avery rule, I stand in the minority by saying that I don't see an issue with it. You're swinging your stick side to side not once making physical contact with the goaltender thus you're not effecting the outcome of the play. How is it any different then in baseball when to reference a play from a while back featuring the Toronto Blue Jays v New York Yankees when on a weak fly ball to the shortstop, after rounding second base Alex Rodriguez, Alex screamed something along the lines of "got it" to pysche the infielder out. Unethical possibly, although I'm of the opinion that in professional sports you do anything to gain a competitive edge. As long as you don't break the rules, bending the rules is perfectly acceptable. That got me off on a brief tangent but let's get back on course by discussing Marchand. Marchand had a career year in 2015-2016 accumulating thirty seven goals and he's showing something that I've long known, and that's Marchand is a certifiable star and is beginning to gain full trust out of coach Claude Julien. What has surprised me most is his propensity to create gold out of seemingly constant coal behind the net. His linemate Patrice Bergeron is more renowned for his penalty killing and defensive penchant and the fact that you forget whether that's Marchand or Gretzky behind the net is remarkable. The common concurrence is that Bergeron has made Marchand the player he is today but truth to be told we have ti backwards, lately it's been Marchand that has assisted Bergeron securing multiple Olympic berths. Lastly, and this won't seem so joyous, what the heck was Sweeney thinking giving David Backes that kind of term? David Backes is nothing more than a third line center that was forced to play a top six role due to goal deficiency the St.Louis Blues found themselves in. What I can't begin to fathom is the peculiar fit that Backes appears to be in Boston. The 2011 team would've been more applicable for a player of his elk and his speed(or lack thereof) would've compatible to some of the players they enlisted in then but the 2016 team is a unit that encourages speed and quick puck movement, traits that don't necessarily go hand in hand with David. I'm not claiming to be a Bruin fan, but for a Bruins fan sake I hope with the contractual terms that the Bruins must abide by that it doesn't begin to alienate someone like a Ryan Spooner who was blossoming to be the # 2 center but with Backes stepping in I hope that doesn't send mixed signals to Spooner who was fantastic a year ago.
Bar none,Tuuka Rask is one of the NHL's best puckstoppers. What Rask needs to control is his temperament. When the going gets tough, his mental fortitude deteriorates to a point where he rubs off negatively on some of his younger teammates. When Tim Thomas was firmly planted in Boston which seems like ages ago, although it helped the American city of champions win another ring, one wonders whether Thomas' attitude wasn't the best of role models for at the time the twenty four year old who falsely now assumes that the worse times get that it's okay to explode emotionally. It's imperative that goaltenders through thick and thin showcase a calm presence as the last line of defence needs to show confidence to the rest of his crew. It is kind of funny that with how successful Thomas was that it generated a cynical environment in goal. If Rask's head is on straight, it becomes the unquestionable strength as there's a lot to like when you unsuccessfully scrutinize his technical abilities.
Internally I was convinced that any team that hired Marc Crawford as it's head coach would be making the pristine hire of the off-season. I thought, although it turned out to be a moot point that a partnership involving Marc Crawford and Auston Matthews would've been a sensible one given their chemistry and likeness they formed in Switzerland. When the Senators coaching search was materializing, it was a given that Crawford had to be one of the front-runners, if not the front runner, right? Not so fast as General Manager Pierre Dorion elected to hire Guy Boucher which nothing against Guy but the point of contention goes out to Marc Crawford accepting an associate role with the Sens. It's been long reported that Crawford was desiring a return to the National Hockey League but I construed as that meaning that Marc would only return if given head responsibilities, if not I concluded he would remain with Zurich. What this essentially signifies is the level desperation he had to return to North America even if it means finding himself in one of the more awkward coaching structures seen in league history. With the forwards, one of the hot button topics is where does Kyle Turris land amongst the hierarchy in the center depth? One of the main reasons I classify this a "hot button topic" is because there's a lot of differentiation from experts when viewing Turris' worth. When Turris was brought in to the Nations capital which coincided with him holding out from the Phoenix Coyotes, the goal was to eventually mold him as the long term number one center. His draft stock going way back to 2007 would indicate that this would not be out of the realm but to offer up a different perspective fully understanding that his trade value dropped due to him playing hard ball wit the Coyotes, they only gave up David Rundblad who to date has shown NHL staying power and a second round pick. So basically with that given package in return, if he became a number one than the Senators management team can indulge in jumping jacks, but if not they can sit back and say oh well. The reality is they need Turris to hold down the top fort which only explains that the drafting has been incredibly poor(that's no secret) in recent years and player development has to be a point of prioirty for the rookie General Manager.Wrapping this back around to Turris, although his weakness around the boards is cause for concern, he's an exceptional passer, a more polished version of, and if you're aware about my thoughts regarding the player this echoes little complimentary essences, Ryan Nugent Hopkins. The comparison of Turris and Nugent-Hopkins is a fair one as both hail from British Columbia, both are smaller stature and both are members of organizations that likely over value their abilities. Another player that I have my eye on this coming year is Matt Puempel. I fondly remember Puempel going back to his junior days with the Peterborough Petes and back then(his last of junior commenced in 2012-2013) he was a player that was projected as a sure fire top six forward and no question his development has slowed professionally. Here's what I surmise has happened to Matt. In junior, and this is part of the reason why he never cracked Canada's World Junior team,he was a shooter, never bought into the team concept and didn't play the prototypical sixty foot game and became complacent. Luke Richardson who oversaw his development the last couple years in Binghamton has attempted to indoctrinate a defensive prowess that would allow him to be trusted at the top level and solely basing off of his increased games played in 2015-2016, he started to take what was asked to heart. A new coaching staff puts a wrench in his continued confidence but maybe Boucher who isn't as far removed from the junior game, I'm not saying Dave Cameron was either but the style Boucher asks is more conducive to offensive players. I not only expect Puempel to crack the every day lineup but further to that don't be surprised if Guy persuades Matt to become the shooter we all know he can be his numbers might be substantially greater under his guidance.
I know most reading this will suggest the Senators strength is their defence and I unequivocally disagree with that assertion. I'm not beneath bold proclamations, but Erik Karlsson is the most overrated defenceman in the National Hockey League and this isn't the first time I've shared this thought. What Karlsson does aggravates coaches because he beats to his own drum and refuses to adapt to nightly game plans. Let me put it to you this way, when a defenceman consistently leads his team in scoring then that "defenceman" isn't committing to required responsibilities and is a liability in his own zone. Some of the leagues elite defenceman, to list a few, Drew Doughty, P.K Subban, Oliver Ekman Larsson all are gifted offensively but what separates themselves from Karlsson is that they take pride preventing the puck from reaching the back of their net while Erik is cherry picking near center ice when his team is pinned deep. Bottom line, I don't care whether he accumulates eighty two points or one hundred eighty two points, I want him nowhere my team until he figures out that the game of hockey is about more then making the cut for "Highlight of the Night", it's about displaying leadership, he's the captain for gosh sakes and demonstrating the propensity it takes to propel this unit to the playoffs. It's as if Karlsson is starting to believe his own press and because of all the wide spread lauding pertaining to his game and I put partial blame onto the voters for the Norris who up until this year don't reward the complete defenceman and egg Erik on to keep sliding by and disregard team unity. Another player that throughout the years that's let his own press get the best of him is Dion Phaneuf. Back in the World Juniors from 2004 in what many still call the greatest Canadian World Junior team of all time, legendary announcer now property of NBC Pierre McGuire coined the term "Double Dion" when Dion, while facing off against the pesky Czech Republicans, absolutely annihilated two Czech players with one hit including former Florida Panther Rotislav Olesz. Dion had a commendable junior career under the tutelage of Brent Sutter in Red Deer and the widespread consensus was the Calgary Flames had found their first marquee defenceman since Al MacInnis patrolled the Red Mile in the late eighties/early nineties.but that excitement quickly filtered into anguish. To put in perspective, over his first four years he rallied for two hundred and six points, an offensive dynamo to put it mildly but over the last nine years he's weezled his way to a meager two hundred and sixteen. In my opinion, there are a few reasons for his downfall but one I wanted to focus on was the wear and tear his type of approach can put on the body. Dion did everything with excessive force early on, if he was going to hit you, he'd make sure to run you through the boards, if he took an one timer pass he'd make sure his slapshot broke the glass reminiscent of Fulton Reed. To carry that charisma over a long, prosperous career just wasn't sustainable. His young over exuberance translated to, I won't go as far to say as "damaged goods" as he entered Leaf land and eventually Ottawa but for someone who was once perceived as a building block, all that's left of him now is riding the twine now as a third pairing defenceman. We've dissected Karlsson(more flaws then a Ryan Fitzpatrick spiral) Dion Phaneuf(makes Luke Schenn look like a speedskater) but there are in fact some, a few positive qualities in this defensive core and the player I wanted to fanboy about is Cody Ceci. Similarly to his anticipated teammate this season Matt Puempel, despite engaging in an oustanding junior career but aside from a sprinkle at the under eighteens, never did make the cut for the Under twenty team. Ceci has quickly becoming a fan favourite on the Rideau Canal, being a raised resident of Ottawa certainly doesn't hurt but it's his demeanor on the ice that has me rejoicing on the endless limitations that he possesses.He's built like a brick so if there was one weakness that I could identify and correct, it would be to pull a page out of the Double Dion playbook and be more tenacious when battling like built bodies in front of the net. His passiveness in that area is basically the only grey area I can locate in his game.
Does the Hamburgler have it in him to rob more prey? The better question is will Andrew Hammond even be given the allotted playing time to rob the aforementioned prey? From where I'm sitting, which happens to be far from Ottawa I'd heavily lean on Craig Anderson.To elaborate as to why, the former Guelph Storm displays a greater form of consistency in an area that is night and day from when they used to trot out guaranteed losses such as Patrick Lalime and Damien Rhodes. Thirty one wins a year ago on a sub par laden Senator team merits earned starter responsibility. It would be telling if the reigns were given to either Hammond or even more less likely Matt O'Connor as that would dignify an utter rebuild for a fan base that historically doesn't handle losing well.
21.Boston Bruins
General Manager Don Sweeney was crucified at the 2015 National Hockey League draft pertaining to his first round selections. To this day, there has been a great volume of criticism that has followed Sweeney around Massachusetts but this blogger doesn't think the take home from the draft looks as bad as it might have on draft night. Since we're analyzing the plight of the Bruin defenceman, lets observe the selection of Zboril and whether he projects to live up to the billing that was either fairly or unfairly stowed upon him. Zboril is a member of the Saint John Sea Dogs, a teammate of in my opinion more heralded prospect Thomas Chabot and due to that very reason it's plausible to suggest that he gets overlooked most nights. The investigative blogger in me is chewing over whether the Bruins will stomach holding onto Jakob and accept the growing pains that will naturally happen over the course of his rookie campaign because let's not call a spade a spade, the Bruins are in no position to compete for a playoff spot, at best lack the defensive depth to withhold from awarding Zboril a look this coming fall. Some scouting reports I read throughout the course of the year were detailing his thought processes were not enhancing and he was a prone to an assemblage of turnovers and some scouts were penning that Zboril for a lack of a better word, looked "lost" out on the ice. Never fearful with disagreeing, even with scouts who I can't help but respect their opinions, In my few viewings of Zboril I'm noticing an individual, who admittedly yes has got to slow the game down in his own mind but to provide a more positive spin, his natural raw talent arguably should've supplanted him within the top ten of the '15 draft. Is it advisable for a team that is in the process of re-tooling to exhaust a year out of a promising first rounders entry level deal? This could be a hotly contested topic and if it wasn't obvious enough I would find a way to give him an extended look but am getting the reaction that a return to beautiful Saint John, New Brunswick may be in the cards. The theme of the backend should be youth and if I'm going out of my way profiling players who may in fact not spend the season with the big club then I sincerely apologize. There's a reason for my madness. The self explanatory response would be that I should be saluting the great career of Zdeno Chara and what he could serve for the group in 2016-2017. While what Chara has done as a member of, ironically the two teams summarized tonight the Bruins and Senators, the value that he could contribute to this current group is minimal at best. Off ice leadership is vastly overrated because it's from my experience that you can be the most respected person on the planet however if all you can do is talk the talk but can't walk the walk, you're irrelevant for a professional sports organization. Hot take, sure but I'm just telling it how I see it. Getting back to defenceman who will undoubtedly contribute in the very near future, let's take a swipe at Colin Miller. Miller was very much a part of the 2015 draft shenanigans that Sweeney partook in. Originally seen as a throw in that sent Milan Lucic to Los Angeles, Miller came in immediately and exuded no rookie nerves.The delusionals out there that will theorize that Colin isn't even the best Miller on the team which is absolutely absurd logic, more crazy than the infamous Sheldon Cooper, and like Sheldon reiterates, his mother had him tested. He's a fifth round pick(151st overall)...so what! Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was a fifth round pick and I don't see Star supporters agonizing over the pick, quite the opposite actually, so Bruin fans remember where you get picked doesn't amount to anything unless you part the hard work in and Colin has done just that which has propelled him to soon to be NHL regular defenceman.
The Bruins, thankfully for their fan base that is used to winning teams in just about every other professional sport has much more to look forward to this year when it comes to their forwards. Ancient memory are the faces of the aformentioned Milan Lucic, Chris Kelly and former World Junior captain Daniel Paille who were important role players on the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship winning team. Hoping to be a part of the next Bruins dynasty are Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron along with newcomer David Backes. Backes and Marchand are the two Bruins I want to focus on for completely different reasons. Let's begin with the tenacious Marchand. Marchand is a polarizing figure because it's no secret that part of Marchand's stigma is that he thrives getting under the opposition's skin and it's that annoyance that he brings with him on the ice that I can appreciate. Earlier in his career he was unfairly placed in the same threshold of which Sean Avery conducted himself,. It's literally day and night between the two as the undeniable difference is that unlike Avery, Marchand can play as evidenced from his numerous inclusions in International tournaments. In fairness to Avery although his reputation precedes him, the one particular incident that I sided with him on was that stick swinging in front of the net to "distract" Martin Brodeur. To me, although it's unofficially classified as the Sean Avery rule, I stand in the minority by saying that I don't see an issue with it. You're swinging your stick side to side not once making physical contact with the goaltender thus you're not effecting the outcome of the play. How is it any different then in baseball when to reference a play from a while back featuring the Toronto Blue Jays v New York Yankees when on a weak fly ball to the shortstop, after rounding second base Alex Rodriguez, Alex screamed something along the lines of "got it" to pysche the infielder out. Unethical possibly, although I'm of the opinion that in professional sports you do anything to gain a competitive edge. As long as you don't break the rules, bending the rules is perfectly acceptable. That got me off on a brief tangent but let's get back on course by discussing Marchand. Marchand had a career year in 2015-2016 accumulating thirty seven goals and he's showing something that I've long known, and that's Marchand is a certifiable star and is beginning to gain full trust out of coach Claude Julien. What has surprised me most is his propensity to create gold out of seemingly constant coal behind the net. His linemate Patrice Bergeron is more renowned for his penalty killing and defensive penchant and the fact that you forget whether that's Marchand or Gretzky behind the net is remarkable. The common concurrence is that Bergeron has made Marchand the player he is today but truth to be told we have ti backwards, lately it's been Marchand that has assisted Bergeron securing multiple Olympic berths. Lastly, and this won't seem so joyous, what the heck was Sweeney thinking giving David Backes that kind of term? David Backes is nothing more than a third line center that was forced to play a top six role due to goal deficiency the St.Louis Blues found themselves in. What I can't begin to fathom is the peculiar fit that Backes appears to be in Boston. The 2011 team would've been more applicable for a player of his elk and his speed(or lack thereof) would've compatible to some of the players they enlisted in then but the 2016 team is a unit that encourages speed and quick puck movement, traits that don't necessarily go hand in hand with David. I'm not claiming to be a Bruin fan, but for a Bruins fan sake I hope with the contractual terms that the Bruins must abide by that it doesn't begin to alienate someone like a Ryan Spooner who was blossoming to be the # 2 center but with Backes stepping in I hope that doesn't send mixed signals to Spooner who was fantastic a year ago.
Bar none,Tuuka Rask is one of the NHL's best puckstoppers. What Rask needs to control is his temperament. When the going gets tough, his mental fortitude deteriorates to a point where he rubs off negatively on some of his younger teammates. When Tim Thomas was firmly planted in Boston which seems like ages ago, although it helped the American city of champions win another ring, one wonders whether Thomas' attitude wasn't the best of role models for at the time the twenty four year old who falsely now assumes that the worse times get that it's okay to explode emotionally. It's imperative that goaltenders through thick and thin showcase a calm presence as the last line of defence needs to show confidence to the rest of his crew. It is kind of funny that with how successful Thomas was that it generated a cynical environment in goal. If Rask's head is on straight, it becomes the unquestionable strength as there's a lot to like when you unsuccessfully scrutinize his technical abilities.
Sunday, July 10, 2016
#bb18 Power Rankings(Week of July 8th)
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!
13.Tiffany-Pure strategical placement has led me insert Tiffany at the bottom of these rankings. Tiffany's feud with Frank created the strong likelihood that either him or her would be the one biting the bullet this week coming up but with Frank's adversary Bridgette HOH, barring a miraculous turn inside the confines of the house, I can't draw up a scenario where she'll stay and will need to resort to the battle back.
12.Natalie-Natalie hasn't done anything particularly that would lead most to such a drastic downfall in these rankings other then the fact that I'm starting to notice she's trending towards being classified as something that normally is a sign of endearment, but not in the Big Brother universe,and that is a goat. She's essentially fallen into the trap that most on Social Media have perceived Bridgette is stuck in which by no means am I in agreeance and that's in a position where she's hiding behind a veteran, in this circumstance James. I see Natalie has fallen for James purported Southern charm and for that we give a prevailing thumbs down. Natalie has the "Spy Girls" alliance to fall back on, but I'm beginning to sense mistrust is creeping in and that bond is a thing of the past, at the very least a failed dominant, to reference terminology coined by the great Stephen Fishbach, voting blocks. Once again, I must remind readers that these rankings aren't where I expect a houseguest to be evicted necessarily as there's no way Natalie is going home next week but the 411 is that Natalie has found herself in the unenviable position of having no chance to win this summer. Hope the showmance,or budding showmance was worth it.
11.Michelle-I think Michelle is someone that's,an easy person to root for due to her super fan background but as a super fan she's either blinded by some of her past "heroes" or she's one of those super fans who's only goal is to reach jury, if the latter is correct than she'll reach her desired placement but if she has an inner belief of triumphing this summer, her strategical outlook must warp ASAP. Michelle over the course of them last couple weeks has grown close to Nicole, Zakiyah and Da'Vonne and unless I'm on a planet on my own that's a catastrophic position to be in as the aforementioned three are three of the most conniving game players this season. They will chop her so fast when the appropriate time arises. I know she's built this petty feud between herself and Bridgette but sorting through their differences immediately will benefit both greatly as Bridgette has numbers that Michelle could really use.
10.Frank- What a difference a week makes for Mr.Eudy. Last week's number one on my board, the house has turned on it's head to describe it bluntly and Frank's path to the end has closed with no time frame given for re opening. Frank's rumoured friendship with Mike Malin outside of the house has seeped into his game from the perspective of he rolled through the doors with the egotistical mindset the would lead and everybody will follow. This is flawed logic on a multitude of levels. For starters when recollecting the game of Mike this strategy was a colossal disaster in season two and fourteen and only worked in Big Brother seven all-stars because the level of adoration for his partner in crime Will Kirby reached Gina Marie Zimmerman-Nick Uhas levels. The game play that was successful for chill town, to steal a sporting analogy as this after all is primarily a sports blog, but is a one and done approach as Frank comes nowhere near in the persona department to that of Will. All of this negativity brought upon Frank may be all for not with the "battle back" subject to commence of the 22nd of July however one can't expect to live off of a twist. I'm of the opinion if was ever a player in the Big Brother house, you leave the game under any premise then you've just rescinded my ability to vote for you. Frank's saving grace could be in Da'Vonne continues to over strategize and over complicate the conversations, then it could be Da'Vonne and not Frank meeting with Julie next week.
9.Bronte-Seen as a weak commodity, but why? Because the alliance she chose in the first couple days decimated quicker than the BB Takeover did last summer? Here's my analysis on the game of Bronte. She's feisty like no other, the girls aside from those in the fatal five(or four) aren't susceptible to engaging in any tangible conversation as I'm getting the impression that her quieter demeanor(at least on the feeds) is masking her eagerness to get her hands in as many pots as humanly possible. She's tight with Bridgette, Natalie, their's a mutual respect that's held true since day one between herself and Paul, and lastly she's not on anyone's radar unless by radar you're referring to houseguests willingness to use her as a pawn and I'm fairly sure that mantra suited the likes of Spencer Clawson just fine. This is how I project the rest of the game playing out, she'll breeze by the next few weeks as the eight pack begins to shuffle and take swings at themselves then at about the final seven or six, herself and Bridgette will come to the conclusion that they're valuable votes and will be the power players. It's because I have the other half of this future dynamic duo winning the game(spoiler alert) is why I have Bronte lower then I should. An easy win against in the final two shouldn't equate to an overly high ranking.
8.Da'Vonne- As a continuation of Frank's struggles, Da'Vonne and Frank share a similar trait stemming from over confidence. I'll go on a little tangent here when I scribe that I don't care for Da'Vonne's me against the world attitude. Don't construe this as anything but an indictment for how she conducts herself within the house. For someone that was the second boot last summer, the sense of entitlement she exudes is offputting as she expects the other players, especially the first timers to bow down to her every move. I live for the day that Zakiyah or Nicole turns their back on her because ultimately I truly don't think she's an honourable individual. I don't necessarily agree with most, especially those who are given the gift of announcing their platforms on RHAP that have you believe that Da'vonne is playing any better then before. I'm not advocating for Frank's reported behaviour in the house but you begin to surmise that with the amount of confrontations she's a part of, it's important that we assign fault to the proper parties. I'm aware I'm straying away from Big Brother here but with the type of allegations being bantered about in the house, in life it's important that operate under the innocent until proven theory principle and just realize sometimes things aren't how they seem. To summarize my thoughts on Da'Vonne, the mouth has hampered in the past and it appears has continued to hamper her again. Best case scenario she's an early jury boot.
7.James-Captain Camo who, from now on I shall coin the phrase of "precocious Prankster" when pertaining to James. As a point of clarification, there's nothing precocious about James comedic abilities as I find his whole act tedious and annoying beyond anything else. I've said this before and will continue to opine this, but why was James cast? Was it because he can jump out of the closets, if so I better get on the next season of Big Brother Canada because I can do that and be a whole lot more tolerable and entertaining then him. I don't understand his strategy other then to say that similarly to Bronte, he's on no ones radar which deserves credit in itself. There is a way however where James can keep climbing these rankings, I mean after all last week I had him ranked dead last and that's at a certain point it would be advised if he left the dictator that is DaVonne and take more of a leadership role alongside Natalie and Bronte. It would be a fascinating final three having no idea how the jury would swing if they were left with a James, Bronte and Natalie final three. Survivor Samoa all over again and I'm starting to imagine this not so far fetched final scenario as a distinct possibility
6.Paulie Presuming Frank has exited the house over the next three weeks, where does this exactly leave Paulie? Big Brother is sometimes mistook for a game that favours physical competitors, and this observation couldn't be further from the truth yet new players come in every year and are immediately intimated by these kind of builds. Once again, understand that this players breakdown is assuming Frank encounters a quick demise but because Paulie is a noble competitor and hates throwing competitions just like his brother Cody is why him winning the game or getting to the end may turn into a herculean task. I'm resigned to lump Paulie and Cory in the same category and one of the reasons I vaulted Corey ahead of Paulie this week because I get the sense and I could be way off base here by saying I think Corey has been throwing all the competitions thus diminishing this challenge competence perception. Paulie is coming across a very likable personality and one of the few that I'm pulling wins this game but the issue and the reason for the six ranking to put this in a Big Brother loop, he has the body of Jeremy McGuire but yet the strategical mindset of Kent from Big Brother 2 which is a terrible combination.
5.Nicole-Nicole lacks that killer instinct to be deemed a potential winner of this game. I had mixed feelings about this heading into the season. From the first few weeks what's apparent is even though she says all the right things in the diary room, her tendency that needs correcting is that she relies heavily on others opinions and isn't willing to make the bold move to bolster Nicole's game and Nicole's game only. I'm beginning to form the realization that while Cody burned Nicole in an indirect way in Big Brother 16, Nicole doesn't seem to hold the expected amount of resentment towards Paulie which is dangerous waters because Paulie has eggs in different baskets that don't include. They say in life that repetition precedes you and this good girl image will prove to be here Achilles heel in this house.
4.Corey-The most clueless A & M alum to be spotlighted in the public eye since Johnny Manziel? Fortunately for himself his cluelessness is working to his advantage because he's a physical giant yet being confused for a 5'4 weakling with no upside in this game. Being Canadian and not having complete access to the feeds I must preface this by saying that my judgement of Corey is solely based on the television edit but am I the only one believing he's playing dumb? This man has a A & M education for gosh sakes but as I write this I harken back to Manziel being Aggie educated too so really doesn't say much. This naivety that he's presenting to fellow housemates is aiding him tremendously as like I touched on last week, he's going to turn on the jets in the competitions as we get deeper in the game and he's seemingly well liked. Unless the dynamics change drastically over the next few weeks, the Corey Brooks winner angle is one I can't ignore.
3.Paul-Paul has grown on me substantially since the first two episodes. No longer do I hold the opinion of inclination that Paul only arrived on my television set to aggravate me more then people who believe the Montreal Canadians are a lock for the playoffs next year. He's been the comic fodder in the early parts but his budding relationships with Paulie and Frank are serving him extremely well. Paul, because he is so light hearted and self deprecating is someone that whether it has a negative impact on their game they don't want to get rid of. Paul is a possible winner, hense the top three position if he does the following. While he's acting all buddy buddy with Paulie and Frank now, he has to show the rest of the house who in reality control the majority that he's willing to play ball. Something along the line of meeting with Da'Vonne and Zakiyah and agreeing that if he were to win the HOH that he'd nominate Frank. He's spent the first stage of this game in the minority, I'd hate to see him spend the rest of the game in one.
2.Zakiyah-Controlled sass. No idea if that's a correct usage of speech, probably not but for the lack of a better word that's how I describe Zakiyah. I ranked her relatively low a week ago but I've seen nothing but positive vibes over the last week and a half. The reserved temperament even though it was visibly clear that the situation involving Frank and Da'vonne was internally eating at her but how she played it off was that of an elite Big Brother contestant. She spilled her true thoughts to those in her immediate inner circle(Nicole and Michelle) but laughed it off with the likes of Paulie and Natalie ete etc. I was contemplating her at number one and the reason I didn't was due to the perception that she resides in a majority alliance unlike the lady I have ranked number one, and the jury seems to side with the underdog, see Ian Terry in Big Brother 14.
1.Bridgette-I was tempted to slot her in at number one a week ago but had no qualms about doing it this week. This soft spoken demeanor I think is misunderstood for most of the cast. Bridgette's game is more underrated then that of Detroit Lions Wide Receiver Golden Tate who I maintain is the most underrated receiver in football. I know some of these sport comparisons are way over some heads but that's par for the course when dealing with my sports encyclopedia memory. Let's analyze some of these relationships, she's tight with Natalie and Bronte. Paulie and Frank treat her like a little sister. Da'Vonne doesn't think she exists as she' stated several times that she's Franks puppet. Michelle holds a grudge but is so far removed from the decision making element that this gripe is virtually irrelevant. Paul and Bridgette are joking around with each other all the time and genuinely enjoy each other's company. James wishes he was a honourary "Spy Girl" so that goes without saying. Bridgette's going to coast and Frank's likely removal from this game soon will only further assist, to steal a Survivor coinage, winner's edit.
Saturday, July 9, 2016
2016-2017 National Hockey League Pre-season preview(Teams 24 and 23)
24.Columbus Blue Jackets
To provide you with a little insight into my feelings for the Columbus Blue Jackets, deep down I was torn on the ranking because on one hand the Blue Jackets under the guidance of GM Jarmo Kekalainen have solidified what was once a dwindling prospect pool and some of the Jackets on the 2016-2017 edition will provide re-assurance to the work that Jarmo is putting in, conversely on the other hand notwithstanding the admiration I have for some of the up and comers, I view the decision to retain coach John Tortorella as asinine. Have no qualms about being bold on this blog, and in saying that indisputably Tortorella is the worst coach in the league. The amount of times he alienates players yet is the one left standing at the end of the day is distressing. Brad Richards, John Grahame, Kevin Bieksa, none of which exactly classified as stars in this current era but when as a coach you have a repeated history of player alienation and media hostility, are you the coach I want overseeing my program? To be frank, I'd feel more comfortable with the Blue Jackets employing Jarmo's fellow Scandinavian Wolf "The Dentist" Stansson coaching this squad and he's someone that idiotically teaches players who attempt triple dekes on shootouts to then stop at the blue line after the deke's complete to "freeze" the goaltender. Mighty Duck memories never get old. I know I used a comedic example but is just illustrates the disdain I hold towards Tortorella. We won't be able to appoint the winner of the Ryan Johansen-Seth Jones trade for years to come as both are expected to be long term building blocks for their respective teams but in a premature declaration, I'm here to suggest that the Blue Jackets are getting paid the early dividends as it's of higher importance to have that number one defenceman ie Jones compared to a number one center that is probably in the lower tier of that classification. Jones's prototype is what General Managers strive for in the mold that he's a 6'4 defenceman who isn't debilitated by his lanky frame as he's a rhythmic skater and looking at the depth chart, without doubt the smoothest skater out of the bunch. The one knock on Jones that I have to vocalize is his questionable hockey I.Q. Too many times, especially while riding shot gun in Nashville,Tennessee he'd be prone to the irresponsible turnovers that would drive coaches insane. Jones has to learn that sheer talent alone won't get you by, it's the inappreciable work required off the ice that will ultimately pay off in his own defensive zone. Close down on the discerning turnover ratio and the Ohio sporting community will have the most reliable defender in their state since the days of great Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Eddie Edwards. The hope is that Jones based on the extension he recently signed can catapult his game to number one territory, but will need collective help to do this. David Savard I know is a player most Jacket fans were ready to dump to the curb last season but the reality is they need Savard to find his 2014-2015 form. Savard will always appear a step behind today due to his rugged skating but don't mistake that for an individual who's beneath providing a 100% effort each night. I can't help but think Tortorella has reigned in Savard's creativity with the drop off in goal production a year ago(reason # 999,999 to dismiss Tortorella from the Columbus' program )but sometimes players have to worry about their own skin and Savard needs to reinvent himself into the player he once was. If he subscribes to this advice, a goof chance Savard will resume his top pairing billing we all know he's capable of.
I referenced Savard's decreased numbers and it could be in large part due to the power play setup the Blue Jackets endorse. Since we're now discussing the forwards it's now appropriate to critique the awful setup and how something as small as where players position themselves can have such a ginormous impact. In hockey particularly, to capitalize on man advantages in today's day and age where goaltenders are built like brick houses, the only way you're going to find repeatable results is by crashing the net and causing havoc near the crease. It was mind boggling that when running the PP the Jackets had an animated perimeter presence and refused to engage in a noble concept, screening the goaltender. I'd thoroughly hope that during this off-season that you'll see the coaching staff refine the power play strategy as this is something that perplexed me that I had to get off my chest. The fact of the matter is that in order for the Blue Jackets to rebound into relevance, they'll need a few forwards to start playing up to their potential. There are three names I am choosing to focus on. Normally when you lead the squad in scoring it can't be equated to an off year but the fact that I'm calling out Brandon Saad on a fifty three point season speaks to the level I maintain he can reach. Saad was brought over from Chicago because then coach Todd Richards saw what most thought, Saad was caught in a numbers game in Chicago and was chomping at the bit to add on more significant responsibility. The uninitiated watch Saad go to work and don't realize behind the big frame of his is an extremely skilled player. that does more then skate up and down the ice. The one facet where I felt Brandon struggled with at times throughout the last campaign was his feet were working much quicker than his mind. Slow down and smell the roses and better utilize your linemates. A player that I'm going to feature shortly in Boone Jenner I opine would be a terrific compliment on the number one unit playing with Saad. Boone who possesses one of the great names in hockey also falls victim to the unfair reputation that he's not a gifted player and for those who surmise this then I can say with great certainty you've never watched more then a handful of games in his career. Is he an energy player? Yes, but he's so much more than that, I first became acquainted with Boone when on a Rogers Sportsnet telecast which at the time featured the illustrious voice of Peter Loubardias(get well soon Lou!) that pitted Boone's Oshawa Generals against the Peterborough Petes. At this time I had little information to go on pertaining to Jenner who incidentally and apologies for the useless tidbits, you'll get these a lot over the course of the blog has a sister who's widely considered one of Canada's best women hockey players but after the first action I had the fortune of viewing I knew we were on the verge of a NHL star. Jenner later starred at the World Juniors but his infant NHL career has been underwhelming at least from my vantage point. Am I being too harsh on two players that finished within the top three in team scoring, arguably but when expectations are high it's not a bad thing to shoot for the stars that some day are on the precipus of reaching the galaxy. Jenner needs to be more assertive from the neutral zone forward, it's recommended that he use that blazing speed to find the slot more often and then shoot. Shoot the puck more Boone, just like Brandon selfishness is sometimes a necessary evil. The third of underachieving Jackets that I need to deliberate on is Matt Calvert. It would be an injustice to group Calvert's role to that of Saad or Jenner but the argument could and will be made that he's underselling his required contributions to this club. Calvert who's averaged around the twenty four point plateau the last three seasons reminds me of Trent Klatt and similar ceilings are achievable. Klatt aside from one magical twenty four goal season with the Flyers back in 1996-1997 consistently left you hanging for more. Just like Klatt, has built up the trademark of playing with an unheralded aggressiveness, borderline recklessness that gets him in trouble but if he can get the proper tutelage, and for the third time this blogger ain't sure that's possible under this coaching staff I feel like Calvert's career can be salvaged, and maybe salvaged isn't the right word, perhaps allow Calvert to re find that discipline and leadership that he;s been lauded for going back to his days with the Brandon Wheat Kings. WHat Calvert essentially is a third line left winger that here's hoping he can add a more frequent penalty killing efficiency to his repertoire. Before I exit the discussion on the forwards, I just want to re-affirm something. In the grand scheme of this forward analysis what I ask you take out if it is that I'm not purposefully ragging on three forwards for no reason, I chose these three particularly because I know wholeheartedly they can contribute more which in turn can immediately make Columbus a more competitive hockey team.
Between the pipes this season, Jay Onrait's favourite player will once again rule the roost, that being Sergei Bobrovsky. Unlike in previous years however, some stiff competition will be present in Calder Cup winning goaltender Anton Forsberg. From what I've viewed which admittedly is very little of Forsberg I find it intriguing that he hails from the same city of former Olympic Gold medalist curler Annette Norberg. Norberg had a penchant of playing stunningly well in the most pressurized environments, ie the 2010 Gold medal final v Cheryl Bernard but otherwise Norberg's reputation was that of a curler who couldn't get up for the majority of meaningless round robin games but chanelled her inner Sandra Schmirler when a game reached it's highest importance and I brought this up because when I pondered the resume of Forsberg, statistical evidence would show that when the American Hockey League reached the post-season, Forsberg went all beast mode because during regular season outings most noticeably in his brief call up stints with the Blue Jackets was mundane at best. After reading my drawn out preview with Columbus, I keep reverting back to one main point, this team needs to dig deep and find the ability to self motivate or this will be a very long season in Ohio St.land.
23.New York Islanders
Most will perceive the ranking of #23 as obscene. There's a lot to like, however there's a lot to cringe over as well, and based on the ranking you'll ascertain I fall on the ledger of skepticism as opposed to optimism. Defensively, and before I go any further I wish to send out an apology for writing a novel when previewing the Blue Jackets, the franchise is in shambles and I did my due diligence in airing out the grievances. To the Islanders back-end, the truth is they lack a verifiable number one defender, I have a lot of respect for Travis Hamonic, not just the player but the person as I harken back to watching the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary which chronicled the tribulations Hamonic was faced with growing up. There were rumours aplenty this summer that Garth Snow and Peter Chiarelli were plotting the framework that would've sent Hamonic to Edmonton for Windsor Spitfire alum Taylor Hall but negotiations stalled as after the fact Snow went public stoically stating that Hamonic would remain in Brooklyn and continue to play in front of Jay-Z. I'm genuinely happy that Travis now has a secure home base as prior to the Snow announcement the relationship has seemingly been tumultuous between the two parties. Now by saying that, by no means in these current state of affairs is Hamonic a number one defenceman on a team with playoff aspirations. Hamonic is a classic example of a player who is efficient in all areas but not exemplary in any which one. What stands Hamonic apart is his team first mentality. It was no secret, as multiple "insiders" reported it that he had privately had discussions with Garth about facilitating a move but never made it public and never put himself ahead of the team. The consummate professional who is a nuisance to play against his own zone but will point out that he gets too much recognition for his offensive escapades which are vastly overrated. In my column summarizing the Montreal Canadiens, I made mention that some pendants consider the Subban-Weber as the "worst trade of all time"...well I'd like those very same pendants to say that with a straight face when we start analyzing the merits of Nick Leddy. I had forgotten the atrocity of the trade that sent Nick Leddy away from his original rights holder the Minnesota Wild to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the great Cam Barker. I kid of course as the only great quality in Barker was financially aiding fans of the visiting teams who'd safely wager on the opposition knowing full well that Barker would get beat off the rush at every opportunity leading to multiple breakaways per game. Leddy through all the scenery change has finally found a comfortable fit on the Island. One trait where Nick flourishes is making a quality break-out pass. His passes are always on the tape and they're crisp allowing the forwards to continue the transition game without losing a step. For a key cog on the blue line, I understand his lack of size will always create matchup problems and this can sometimes deflate the plus/minus numbers, but an embarrassing minus nine is unacceptable and needs to be rectified. Leddy is no longer the prospect the Blackhawks coveted when he was nineteen, he's twenty five now and for coach Jack Capuano, it's imperative that Leddy become more defensively aware because when assessing the rest of the Isles backend, they're missing the maturity that is required to withstand the grueling eighty two game schedule. Another player I wanted to touch on and no I'm not about to enlist this player as the next defensive saviour if you will but for whatever reason receives little praise in Ryan Pulock. Having played for the Brandon Wheat Kings, I had the luxury of watching Pulock several times being as how the Wheaties reside in the Regina Pats East division and at least in junior, although we must differentiate between the junior and professional style of play he was a beast, could singlehandedly alter a game. The Dauphin,Manitoba native is about to enter his third professional season and internally it's obvious that Pulock intends to crack the Islanders full time this fall. The tricky part here, and full disclosure I'm advocating his inclusion on the squad is that his what the Islanders lack with their six man unit isn't exactly where he thrives and more realistically Matt Donovan may be a better fit to fulfill a specific role.
I'm getting the impression, not quite sure why that most of the Islander fan base is shrugging off the departure of Kyle Okposo..The absence of Okposo is a large reason behind why I elected to rank the Islanders this low. Kyle from my reading on social media since he agreed to head to Western New York has been underappreciated when accounting for his contributions the last eight years. Okposo has spent most of those eight as John Tavares' wingman and the question work asking is now Kyle's gone, who's the trusted commodity that plays on his wing? The most likely option goes by the name of Ryan Strome. Strome had a miserable campaign as for a goal scorer he put up a meager eight goals. In the 2014-2015 playoffs where the Islanders put up a good hard fight in a ESPN classic laden series but came out on the losing end to the Washington Capitals, Strome hosted his coming out party and he was a force the entire series and I'm unsure if complacency kicked in or whether Strome somewhere along the grind lost the passion to compete because the entire year he wasn't the same Ryan Strome we're accustomed to. He needs to bulk up, anybody could watch a period of action and come to that determination. One of those cases where his entire hockey career he's had the ability to lead his teams and the minute that begun not to happen with the Islanders he started to sulk and frustration seeped into his repertoire. An attitude shift is needed as like I mentioned, there's now something to work hard for, a promotion in the lineup has opened up and it;s up to the former Niagara Icedog to seize the moment or continue plummeting down the depth charts paving the way for an Alan Quine or Michael Dal Colle to win the most wide open set of auditions since season one of American Idol,. I've been known to sprinkle in outrageous predictions now and again and if, and it's a big IF, Josh Ho-Sang can successfully woo the coaching staff and earn regular playing time this season he's one of my darkhorses to watch for the Calder trophy.. Calling Ho-Sang an enigma would be doing a disservice to the word as Ho-Sang has National Hockey League skills that will very soon make him an elite player but working against him is prima donna attitude that makes Johnny Manziel look like a saint. First things first Josh, set your alarm and don't sleep in!
Jaroslav Halak is getting paid the big bucks in Brooklyn but it's lesser known former San Jose Shark Thomas Greiss that is stealing the headlines. What a playoffs it was for Greiss in 2016 as he practically took the team on his back and stormed past the Florida Panthers. As good as he was in the Panther series, it was game one in round two v Tampa Bay that is most memorable. Greiss' composure was spectacular the entire evening in Tampa as he turned aside thirty three of thirty six shots, and most of those thirty three were of a top tier calibre. What this proved to me and I'm assuming Islander management is that Greiss is somebody that doesn't back down in big games, a growing complaint among Halak detractors and with how well he performed as the very least afford him the honour of starting opening night.
To provide you with a little insight into my feelings for the Columbus Blue Jackets, deep down I was torn on the ranking because on one hand the Blue Jackets under the guidance of GM Jarmo Kekalainen have solidified what was once a dwindling prospect pool and some of the Jackets on the 2016-2017 edition will provide re-assurance to the work that Jarmo is putting in, conversely on the other hand notwithstanding the admiration I have for some of the up and comers, I view the decision to retain coach John Tortorella as asinine. Have no qualms about being bold on this blog, and in saying that indisputably Tortorella is the worst coach in the league. The amount of times he alienates players yet is the one left standing at the end of the day is distressing. Brad Richards, John Grahame, Kevin Bieksa, none of which exactly classified as stars in this current era but when as a coach you have a repeated history of player alienation and media hostility, are you the coach I want overseeing my program? To be frank, I'd feel more comfortable with the Blue Jackets employing Jarmo's fellow Scandinavian Wolf "The Dentist" Stansson coaching this squad and he's someone that idiotically teaches players who attempt triple dekes on shootouts to then stop at the blue line after the deke's complete to "freeze" the goaltender. Mighty Duck memories never get old. I know I used a comedic example but is just illustrates the disdain I hold towards Tortorella. We won't be able to appoint the winner of the Ryan Johansen-Seth Jones trade for years to come as both are expected to be long term building blocks for their respective teams but in a premature declaration, I'm here to suggest that the Blue Jackets are getting paid the early dividends as it's of higher importance to have that number one defenceman ie Jones compared to a number one center that is probably in the lower tier of that classification. Jones's prototype is what General Managers strive for in the mold that he's a 6'4 defenceman who isn't debilitated by his lanky frame as he's a rhythmic skater and looking at the depth chart, without doubt the smoothest skater out of the bunch. The one knock on Jones that I have to vocalize is his questionable hockey I.Q. Too many times, especially while riding shot gun in Nashville,Tennessee he'd be prone to the irresponsible turnovers that would drive coaches insane. Jones has to learn that sheer talent alone won't get you by, it's the inappreciable work required off the ice that will ultimately pay off in his own defensive zone. Close down on the discerning turnover ratio and the Ohio sporting community will have the most reliable defender in their state since the days of great Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Eddie Edwards. The hope is that Jones based on the extension he recently signed can catapult his game to number one territory, but will need collective help to do this. David Savard I know is a player most Jacket fans were ready to dump to the curb last season but the reality is they need Savard to find his 2014-2015 form. Savard will always appear a step behind today due to his rugged skating but don't mistake that for an individual who's beneath providing a 100% effort each night. I can't help but think Tortorella has reigned in Savard's creativity with the drop off in goal production a year ago(reason # 999,999 to dismiss Tortorella from the Columbus' program )but sometimes players have to worry about their own skin and Savard needs to reinvent himself into the player he once was. If he subscribes to this advice, a goof chance Savard will resume his top pairing billing we all know he's capable of.
I referenced Savard's decreased numbers and it could be in large part due to the power play setup the Blue Jackets endorse. Since we're now discussing the forwards it's now appropriate to critique the awful setup and how something as small as where players position themselves can have such a ginormous impact. In hockey particularly, to capitalize on man advantages in today's day and age where goaltenders are built like brick houses, the only way you're going to find repeatable results is by crashing the net and causing havoc near the crease. It was mind boggling that when running the PP the Jackets had an animated perimeter presence and refused to engage in a noble concept, screening the goaltender. I'd thoroughly hope that during this off-season that you'll see the coaching staff refine the power play strategy as this is something that perplexed me that I had to get off my chest. The fact of the matter is that in order for the Blue Jackets to rebound into relevance, they'll need a few forwards to start playing up to their potential. There are three names I am choosing to focus on. Normally when you lead the squad in scoring it can't be equated to an off year but the fact that I'm calling out Brandon Saad on a fifty three point season speaks to the level I maintain he can reach. Saad was brought over from Chicago because then coach Todd Richards saw what most thought, Saad was caught in a numbers game in Chicago and was chomping at the bit to add on more significant responsibility. The uninitiated watch Saad go to work and don't realize behind the big frame of his is an extremely skilled player. that does more then skate up and down the ice. The one facet where I felt Brandon struggled with at times throughout the last campaign was his feet were working much quicker than his mind. Slow down and smell the roses and better utilize your linemates. A player that I'm going to feature shortly in Boone Jenner I opine would be a terrific compliment on the number one unit playing with Saad. Boone who possesses one of the great names in hockey also falls victim to the unfair reputation that he's not a gifted player and for those who surmise this then I can say with great certainty you've never watched more then a handful of games in his career. Is he an energy player? Yes, but he's so much more than that, I first became acquainted with Boone when on a Rogers Sportsnet telecast which at the time featured the illustrious voice of Peter Loubardias(get well soon Lou!) that pitted Boone's Oshawa Generals against the Peterborough Petes. At this time I had little information to go on pertaining to Jenner who incidentally and apologies for the useless tidbits, you'll get these a lot over the course of the blog has a sister who's widely considered one of Canada's best women hockey players but after the first action I had the fortune of viewing I knew we were on the verge of a NHL star. Jenner later starred at the World Juniors but his infant NHL career has been underwhelming at least from my vantage point. Am I being too harsh on two players that finished within the top three in team scoring, arguably but when expectations are high it's not a bad thing to shoot for the stars that some day are on the precipus of reaching the galaxy. Jenner needs to be more assertive from the neutral zone forward, it's recommended that he use that blazing speed to find the slot more often and then shoot. Shoot the puck more Boone, just like Brandon selfishness is sometimes a necessary evil. The third of underachieving Jackets that I need to deliberate on is Matt Calvert. It would be an injustice to group Calvert's role to that of Saad or Jenner but the argument could and will be made that he's underselling his required contributions to this club. Calvert who's averaged around the twenty four point plateau the last three seasons reminds me of Trent Klatt and similar ceilings are achievable. Klatt aside from one magical twenty four goal season with the Flyers back in 1996-1997 consistently left you hanging for more. Just like Klatt, has built up the trademark of playing with an unheralded aggressiveness, borderline recklessness that gets him in trouble but if he can get the proper tutelage, and for the third time this blogger ain't sure that's possible under this coaching staff I feel like Calvert's career can be salvaged, and maybe salvaged isn't the right word, perhaps allow Calvert to re find that discipline and leadership that he;s been lauded for going back to his days with the Brandon Wheat Kings. WHat Calvert essentially is a third line left winger that here's hoping he can add a more frequent penalty killing efficiency to his repertoire. Before I exit the discussion on the forwards, I just want to re-affirm something. In the grand scheme of this forward analysis what I ask you take out if it is that I'm not purposefully ragging on three forwards for no reason, I chose these three particularly because I know wholeheartedly they can contribute more which in turn can immediately make Columbus a more competitive hockey team.
Between the pipes this season, Jay Onrait's favourite player will once again rule the roost, that being Sergei Bobrovsky. Unlike in previous years however, some stiff competition will be present in Calder Cup winning goaltender Anton Forsberg. From what I've viewed which admittedly is very little of Forsberg I find it intriguing that he hails from the same city of former Olympic Gold medalist curler Annette Norberg. Norberg had a penchant of playing stunningly well in the most pressurized environments, ie the 2010 Gold medal final v Cheryl Bernard but otherwise Norberg's reputation was that of a curler who couldn't get up for the majority of meaningless round robin games but chanelled her inner Sandra Schmirler when a game reached it's highest importance and I brought this up because when I pondered the resume of Forsberg, statistical evidence would show that when the American Hockey League reached the post-season, Forsberg went all beast mode because during regular season outings most noticeably in his brief call up stints with the Blue Jackets was mundane at best. After reading my drawn out preview with Columbus, I keep reverting back to one main point, this team needs to dig deep and find the ability to self motivate or this will be a very long season in Ohio St.land.
23.New York Islanders
Most will perceive the ranking of #23 as obscene. There's a lot to like, however there's a lot to cringe over as well, and based on the ranking you'll ascertain I fall on the ledger of skepticism as opposed to optimism. Defensively, and before I go any further I wish to send out an apology for writing a novel when previewing the Blue Jackets, the franchise is in shambles and I did my due diligence in airing out the grievances. To the Islanders back-end, the truth is they lack a verifiable number one defender, I have a lot of respect for Travis Hamonic, not just the player but the person as I harken back to watching the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary which chronicled the tribulations Hamonic was faced with growing up. There were rumours aplenty this summer that Garth Snow and Peter Chiarelli were plotting the framework that would've sent Hamonic to Edmonton for Windsor Spitfire alum Taylor Hall but negotiations stalled as after the fact Snow went public stoically stating that Hamonic would remain in Brooklyn and continue to play in front of Jay-Z. I'm genuinely happy that Travis now has a secure home base as prior to the Snow announcement the relationship has seemingly been tumultuous between the two parties. Now by saying that, by no means in these current state of affairs is Hamonic a number one defenceman on a team with playoff aspirations. Hamonic is a classic example of a player who is efficient in all areas but not exemplary in any which one. What stands Hamonic apart is his team first mentality. It was no secret, as multiple "insiders" reported it that he had privately had discussions with Garth about facilitating a move but never made it public and never put himself ahead of the team. The consummate professional who is a nuisance to play against his own zone but will point out that he gets too much recognition for his offensive escapades which are vastly overrated. In my column summarizing the Montreal Canadiens, I made mention that some pendants consider the Subban-Weber as the "worst trade of all time"...well I'd like those very same pendants to say that with a straight face when we start analyzing the merits of Nick Leddy. I had forgotten the atrocity of the trade that sent Nick Leddy away from his original rights holder the Minnesota Wild to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the great Cam Barker. I kid of course as the only great quality in Barker was financially aiding fans of the visiting teams who'd safely wager on the opposition knowing full well that Barker would get beat off the rush at every opportunity leading to multiple breakaways per game. Leddy through all the scenery change has finally found a comfortable fit on the Island. One trait where Nick flourishes is making a quality break-out pass. His passes are always on the tape and they're crisp allowing the forwards to continue the transition game without losing a step. For a key cog on the blue line, I understand his lack of size will always create matchup problems and this can sometimes deflate the plus/minus numbers, but an embarrassing minus nine is unacceptable and needs to be rectified. Leddy is no longer the prospect the Blackhawks coveted when he was nineteen, he's twenty five now and for coach Jack Capuano, it's imperative that Leddy become more defensively aware because when assessing the rest of the Isles backend, they're missing the maturity that is required to withstand the grueling eighty two game schedule. Another player I wanted to touch on and no I'm not about to enlist this player as the next defensive saviour if you will but for whatever reason receives little praise in Ryan Pulock. Having played for the Brandon Wheat Kings, I had the luxury of watching Pulock several times being as how the Wheaties reside in the Regina Pats East division and at least in junior, although we must differentiate between the junior and professional style of play he was a beast, could singlehandedly alter a game. The Dauphin,Manitoba native is about to enter his third professional season and internally it's obvious that Pulock intends to crack the Islanders full time this fall. The tricky part here, and full disclosure I'm advocating his inclusion on the squad is that his what the Islanders lack with their six man unit isn't exactly where he thrives and more realistically Matt Donovan may be a better fit to fulfill a specific role.
I'm getting the impression, not quite sure why that most of the Islander fan base is shrugging off the departure of Kyle Okposo..The absence of Okposo is a large reason behind why I elected to rank the Islanders this low. Kyle from my reading on social media since he agreed to head to Western New York has been underappreciated when accounting for his contributions the last eight years. Okposo has spent most of those eight as John Tavares' wingman and the question work asking is now Kyle's gone, who's the trusted commodity that plays on his wing? The most likely option goes by the name of Ryan Strome. Strome had a miserable campaign as for a goal scorer he put up a meager eight goals. In the 2014-2015 playoffs where the Islanders put up a good hard fight in a ESPN classic laden series but came out on the losing end to the Washington Capitals, Strome hosted his coming out party and he was a force the entire series and I'm unsure if complacency kicked in or whether Strome somewhere along the grind lost the passion to compete because the entire year he wasn't the same Ryan Strome we're accustomed to. He needs to bulk up, anybody could watch a period of action and come to that determination. One of those cases where his entire hockey career he's had the ability to lead his teams and the minute that begun not to happen with the Islanders he started to sulk and frustration seeped into his repertoire. An attitude shift is needed as like I mentioned, there's now something to work hard for, a promotion in the lineup has opened up and it;s up to the former Niagara Icedog to seize the moment or continue plummeting down the depth charts paving the way for an Alan Quine or Michael Dal Colle to win the most wide open set of auditions since season one of American Idol,. I've been known to sprinkle in outrageous predictions now and again and if, and it's a big IF, Josh Ho-Sang can successfully woo the coaching staff and earn regular playing time this season he's one of my darkhorses to watch for the Calder trophy.. Calling Ho-Sang an enigma would be doing a disservice to the word as Ho-Sang has National Hockey League skills that will very soon make him an elite player but working against him is prima donna attitude that makes Johnny Manziel look like a saint. First things first Josh, set your alarm and don't sleep in!
Jaroslav Halak is getting paid the big bucks in Brooklyn but it's lesser known former San Jose Shark Thomas Greiss that is stealing the headlines. What a playoffs it was for Greiss in 2016 as he practically took the team on his back and stormed past the Florida Panthers. As good as he was in the Panther series, it was game one in round two v Tampa Bay that is most memorable. Greiss' composure was spectacular the entire evening in Tampa as he turned aside thirty three of thirty six shots, and most of those thirty three were of a top tier calibre. What this proved to me and I'm assuming Islander management is that Greiss is somebody that doesn't back down in big games, a growing complaint among Halak detractors and with how well he performed as the very least afford him the honour of starting opening night.
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