Vancouver is out as a HUB city, even though the NHL really wanted to do it there, to the point I fully believe the plan a few days ago was to announce them as one of the options...but as things worsen in parts of the States the city of Vancouver essentially said that if players test positive it will be an issue...All fair and so we move on..We could see the actual Hubs announced today...but my guess would Monday. The virus in the States is worsening and as exciting as "Hubgate" has been, tonight we get some actual normalcy, and the DRAFT LOTTERY is upon us!!!
At stake tonight, among the many great young future stars...two complete aces in Alex Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield. Two players who are very different, but almost equal in some ways...
Quinton Byfield's stock has been rising fast. First off he is a center, and that matters a ton in the NHL right now with a HUGE amount of teams in need of a center...Secondly, he is a BIG center, who is very much along the lines of Eric Lindros or Ryan Getzlaf... We haven't seen anyone like Byfield in a while now...perhaps Auston Matthews is the closest..but the two aren't really compatible.
Check out the video below.....and be prepared to want this kid immediately on your team..
Watch this...
Those two players should and will be the focus tonight in the NHL draft lottery..
The problem with tonight is tonight could be a huge problem...
The other story tonight: Will this lottery make any sense tonight? I really and truly hope we see teams who aren't still playing get these top picks. Unfortunately, the NHL caved to the two powerful teams they always have been a little afraid of...Montreal and the NY Rangers. When it appeared the Habs and Rangers were going to lose out on the chance of getting a top pick the NHL came up with this crazy system. And because of this tonight we could see Alexis Lafrenière skating next season on a line with Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby or Auston Mattews...
Quinton Byfield could be the Leafs third-line center behind Matthews and Tavares...
I can't imagine the Leafs, Penguins or Oilers would have been mad about not getting a shot at one of these two players...
The cities who will have to go without hockey for 9 months...when the NHL starts the 2020-21 season...those are the fans who deserve to be excited by tonight...
Anyone who is still playing...they have a shot at winning a Stanley Cup...and that should and always does having a shot at a teenage kid who may or may not work out...
But when (and I say WHEN because its 2020 and NOTHING is easy) one of the top three spots goes to the field of teams who aren't in the final 16 in the NHL playoffs we will get one more fun thing to discuss..
Fanbases wanting their team to tank in the playoff series....can you imagine?
I've got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart....
coming up:Johnny Hockey finds out where you guys traded him...Yes, Mr. Williams, there is a Santa Claus...
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— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) August 2, 2017