In a slightly interesting new development, the Coyotes were granted a restraining order - which seems like a strange use of a restraining order to me, but most of my law schooling comes from John Grisham books - which will allow the team to play in the arena until and continue operations until this mess is sorted out.
But wait - the next thing I read was that the Council will meet next week to decide whether or not to send the Coyotes a letter severing their agreement. Because nothing is official until you hear about it in a letter, apparently.
So if I have this right, until things are resolved, the Coyotes can continue on as if nothing is happening - which since they don't need the arena until September at the earliest, nothing is. And until they receive a letter confirming what has already been stated as a fact, nothing has technically happened anyways?
The whole thing is stupid - but it's going to get sorted out one way or the other. I can't fathom giving updates about this daily - it's crazy boring, at least until something happens because this crap has been going on way too long.
The worst part is that this is undoubtedly going to affect the team. There are some important RFA's to sign - Boedker, Dahlbeck and a few more - and why would they even want to?
If the Coyotes draft Dylan Strome, it's not like he's going to be pumped to come to the Coyotes amid all this garbage. What is supposed to be the happiest day of the kid's life is likely going to be a horrible disappointment: a kid known to be a hardcore Leafs fan is going to be picked one spot ahead of his hometown team's selection and go to where it would be a miracle (and not the dubious posthumous kind) to somehow emerge from this mess with a team that can be competitive annually for years to come.
It's just sad really. "Hey fans, come to our draft party where if we freeze the frame exactly right, you'll see the exact moment where Strome's heart breaks."
Because, make no mistake, this sideshow and uncertainty will take a market where making enough money to ice a competitive team is already hard and make it damn near impossible. Why would players re-sign with the team? Why would UFAs come here? Why would anyone buy tickets, jerseys or hats?
At a certain point, people just get a "this again?" attitude and stop caring. If the Coyotes aren't at that point with this recent chapter of their saga, then they are dangerously close to it.
And the rumours that the Coyotes have interest in Phil Kessel? Well, here's the thing: adding a high scoring superstar might make sense because he'd help the team sell some tickets, but guess what?
Phil Kessel can block a trade to 21 of the 29 teams the Leafs could possibly move him to because his current contract allows him to submit a list of eight teams he would accept a trade to. I don't know Phil Kessel, I've never met him and I have no inside information, but I can make a fairly educated guess that the Coyotes are not on that list.
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