It can't be overstated how good he is or how fun it is to watch him play.
MINUS: The Coyotes just can't seem to string together 60 minutes of good hockey. Honestly, I don't know if they've done it once this year.
They were off to a good start on Friday against the Oilers - despite an early McDavid goal - outshooting the Oilers 22-12 in the first, but ended up on the wrong side of the possession war yet again when they followed that up with two fairly crappy periods.
MINUS: The rules of the expansion draft. I know that the league wants to have the new Corporate Nights franchise be competitive from the start, but by making such restrictive protection rules it really screws up what teams might do this season.
For instance, the Leafs could use a defenseman in a trade, but if they make one, they almost certainly have to lose a valuable forward like Komarov (one of the league's elite defensive players). To my mind, teams that already exist shouldn't have to change their strategies a year in advance for a team that will suck anyways.
I say the NHL should let teams protect 12 players and let the Las Vegas team feast on scraps. Which, ironically, consider that Boyes, Stepniak, Tlusty, Arcobello, Grabner, Paranteau etc. are always available for free, means they'd probably build a better team if they were forced to avoid all name-brand players.
MINUS: To the Maple Leafs for suspending AHL goalie Garrett Sparks for violating the team's social media policy - whatever that is.
In case you didn't hear, Sparks threatened to beat up some online troll who was apparently mocking a disabled person. (Note: please don't protest me for not saying "differently abled.")
Of course it doesn't look good to the organization when an employee is arguing online with idiots, but who cares? You could just ask him not to do it again. Why does he need a punishment? Not to mention an "indefinite" one? Other than the Leafs have to appear for some reason as a politically correct organization, even though they are one of the world's only employers whose employees are allowed to fight at work.
Sparks is by all accounts an awesome guy who is charitable and who tries to help young goalies emulate his success. Literally everything I've been able to find out about him boils down to him being the type of guy we wish all our pro athletes were - charitable, interacts with the public, doesn't act like he's the best just because he made it etc.
Sometimes, since people can be impossible when online hiding behind an anonymous screen name, you can lose your cool. Sparks lost his. Big deal. The guy probably did deserve to be beat up.
But Sparks also added a sexist comment to his threat, so of course people have to go completely insane with outrage. If we don't adopt generic, non-offensive language across the board, and right away, the world will disintegrate. There will be mass poverty, nuclear proliferation, global warming, income disparity and war. Whatever will we do?
I realize that pointing out the ridiculous crusade of political correctness aligns me generally with the worst kind of right-wing people, but you know what? Those people have a point.
This doesn't mean that Sparks was right to threaten violence and be sexist. This doesn't mean that people shouldn't make an effort to use more enlightened and less offensive language. It does mean that people should find a different way to combat these real problems without being language police.
Ask Sparks to act more professionally. And if his words are actually hurtful - like say he went on a pro-Hitler rant - then sure, suspend him. But all he did was lose his cool attacking a guy who was attacking a disabled person.
Seems like we could all use to be a tad less sensitive.
PLUS: I know how much people like to hear a straight-white-male talk about how mildly sexist comments don't matter.
PLUS: Though the expansion draft makes it unlikely, the Leafs/Shattenkirk rumours are pretty fun to fantasize about. Shattenkirk, who's rep makes him an offensive defenseman, is currently allowing the second-lowest shots-against/60 in the NHL, at his position.
MINUS: The Coyotes remain the NHL's worst possession team, with a brutal 45.9% Team Corsi-For.
MINUS: People think the Rangers - the NHL's second worst possession team - are one of the best teams in hockey. They aren't. Nice record and everything, but when you're the second worst possession team and your record is built on scoring 5 goals per game..........
Let's just say the Rangers are not a Cup Contender nor are they one of the best teams in the East, as they are often referred to as.
PLUS: My favorite thing in the world has to be Donald Trump - while Tweeting FFS - complaining about other people's hypocrisy.
PLUS: As I correctly predicted, Nazem Kadri is one of the best players in the NHL.
16 points in 21 games while being deployed as a shut-down centre against all the other teams best players. 9 of those points are 5v5. Over 50% possession. Some of the best highlights of the year across the entire league.
And, he does it while Marner, Matthews, JVR and Nylander all play on different lines.
He is outperforming everyone's favorite "I can't let go of the fact he will one day be a Leaf if we talk about it enough," John Tavares across the board, in every stat.
MINUS: The Coyotes have one - just one - positive possession player on their team. Jordan Martinook. And their third best possession player, Kevin Connauton - is a guy they barely ever play.
PLUS: Despite only having 5 points and playing in 16 games, Nail Yakupov is a 56% possession player.
MINUS: Whatever happened to Aaron Ekblad and his career trajectory to be the best defenseman in hockey?
MINUS: I heard some guys online talking about a Dougie Hamilton for William Nylander trade. Please, no. That trade would be a disaster for the Leafs.
Whether it's Nylander or Ryan Nugent Hopkins or even Hamilton, the idea that teams can't be deep at one position and instead should trade their depth away is preposterous, but a very common idea. Sometimes it's better to be really good at one thing than OK at a bunch of things.
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