Follow @james_tanner123 PLUS/MINUS is the NHL's worst stat, however, if you care about that, you probably don't even watch the games anyways. Measuring anything is crazy - it's the internet, just guess and then get really, really defensive about your position!
MINUS: Where's the trades at? If I'm an NHL GM, I would be on the phone 24-7 attempting to acquire Lindholm and Kucherov.......even Trouba.
I can't remember the last time this many RFAs were unsigned with the season about to begin.
PLUS: He's not as funny or goodlooking as me, but Elliotte "Ellllllliooooootttttttte" Friedman's 30 Thought's is the best read of the week. I look forward to it always.
PLUS: Fear Street and Christopher Pike remember that?
PLUS: A new law may be passed allowing anyone to kick anyone else in the groin for saying "instant classic."
First, he's probably better than Pietrangelo. Second, you have the deepest group of forwards in the NHL and a legit top-flight starter. So what exactly do you need? There is no weakness in your lineup.
Having 3 x #1 D is something very few other teams can boast about.
MINUS: While we're talking Blues, let's hope Jake Allen isn't hurt to badly. The Blues need him and so does my hockey pool team.
PLUS: It's almost poetic how the Jays won on an Odor error. You can't make this stuff up, because if you did, you'd be accused of writing a high-cheese ending. Insert cliched Mark Twain quote here.
MINUS: Most people won't care about this, but as a guy who reads a ton of record reviews and is basically the music equivalent of, say, those guys who dress up like dudes from Harry Potter I gotta tell you, I find the bad reviews of the new Pixies album just sad.
To compare it to the best music, by the best band of your formative years is ridiculous. It's like people are punishing them for wanting to get back together and enjoy themselves (which, since they made four of the greatest records in rock history, they have the right to). Of course they can't match their earlier career heights.
But at the same time, this new record (and the last one) is about 10x more interesting than 99% of modern rock, so why be so snobby? Enjoy it. It's just for fun.
MINUS: The term "money puck" is the worst. Only thing worse is when people just straight up call hockey "puck." It is becoming clear that I secretly like snobs, just only when they agree with me.
MINUS: Seriously, how hard would it be for Tampa to call up Nashville and say "Look, I need you to take Bishop so I can sign Kucherov. Do a first? No? A second? Deal? OK. Book it; now we're both contenders."
MINUS: Once again, let us take a minute to note that the Oilers, Ducks, Sabres and Canadiens all had terrible offseasons.
PLUS: The Minnesota Wild will be surprising people all year.
MINUS: They shouldn't. Their roster is great.
PLUS: Top 3 teams in the West this year: Edmonton, St.Louis, Minnesota.
PLUS: Check this schedule:
Tonight: Hockey Pool Draft Tomorrow: Poker Wednesday: Hockey begins Thursday: New Jays series?
I love October.
MINUS: The injury to Jon Huberdeau. I was really looking forward to the Panthers being one of the NHL's best teams this year. I still think they can be, but Huberdeau out until after Christmas is a huge blow. You hate to see that.
PLUS: Narcos. This is a great show and gets my highest rating ever: Six Gustavos.
Here's my view on snobbery: If Phil Collins (or Matchbook 20 or Maroon 5, or Taylor Swift etc.) is your favorite, you deserve what you get. However, if you are down with Townes Van Zandt, then it's OK to like that stuff, too.
Grisham may be a technically bad writer, but at the end of the day he's entertaining and you learn a lot reading him. On some level, that makes him a poet. I mean, he's no Wallace Stevens........but who is?
PLUS: Even though I know 99% of people would hate it to the point of violence, I have to say, the new Bon Iver record is amazing. It's obviously not for everyone, but if "weird" "slow" "pretentious" "artistic" aren't words that scare you away from a record, then do check it out.
PLUS: The Blue Jays. What a game. What's there to really say? Once your team wins, you're just being an ass if you go on and on about it. I just am not used to cheering for winning teams.
PLUS: To the St.Louis Blues who have the best roster in hockey. Congratulations on your 2016-17 Stanley Cup victory.
MINUS: The non-signing of Nikita Kucherov. People are always going out of their way to praise and overrate Steve Yzerman, but he foolishly gave $ to the wrong player.
The proper move would have been to trade Stamkos and recoup assets and then sign the superior Kucherov. The Lightning are a Cup Favorite entering the year with him. Without him? Not so much. How do you go all summer without signing your best player?
Also, this is really gonna screw with my hockey pool if he doesn't sign.
MINUS: Basically the same thing as above, but replace the word "Kucherov" with Hampus Lindholm and of course the Ducks are not a Cup Contender regardless, but it's still dumb they haven't signed their best player and it goes without saying that this is also bad for my hockey pool team.
PLUS: The Chupacabra.
MINUS: The Coyotes cut Anthony DeAngleo. I was hoping the team would keep him, of course living in Toronto, I don't really get to see much of training camp (nor would I want to, if we're being honest) but some people I talked to who do, really liked his game at camp.
Supposedly there are talks to make a trade (all signs point to Stone who may start on the I.R) and then the plan would be to bring DeAngelo back once that happens. What I have heard is that the Coyotes would prefer not to lose Dahlbeck on waivers for depth purposes, but that if there isn't a trade, they would risk losing him (no risk really, he is terrible) and bring DeAngelo back up at that point.
Other cuts include: Stefan Fournier, Dakota Merrmis, Justin Peters and Christian Fischer.
Stone, and Connauton are likely starting on the I.R, Tinordi is still suspended and so the Coyotes only have to make one more cut to get to opening night.
PLUS: With one cut to go most of Strome, Dvorak, Dauphin, Crouse and Chychrun appear to have made the team.
I would be ecstatic if they had the guts to go with five rookies in the lineup. I don't necessarily count on it, but this'd be the franchise to try it out, I think.
The obvious cut is Brad Richardson, but so many people still think you actually need that kind of player in a lineup that he probably does end up the team.
Oh but he grinds and hits and.......is there no end to the hubris of people who don't respect the results of measured performance?
PLUS: To Radko Gudas for his unwavering commitment to exposing the NHL Player Safety department as a complete joke with an ironic name.
PLUS: To the Blue Jays, obviously. And what could be better than simultaneously embarrassing the most unlikable team in pro-sports while watching the Red Sox blow it?
MINUS: What is happening in Edmonton is absolutely pathetic. Peter Chiarelli was hired to take over a team that had been terrible for years. He should have been able to operate patiently, after all, he didn't have anything to do with their getting 4 first overall picks in recent years.
However, he's acted the entire time he's had the job like he's in full panic mode. Why would you trade Taylor Hall? Just on principle, it's idiotic to trade one of the league's best 5v5 players. But why did you only get back a medium level defenseman?
Why would you give Nail Yakupov away? At the least, you could have paired him with McDavid and built his value up. People think he's a bad player, but he's not. He has always produced when playing with good players and the more you dig into the numbers, the better he seems.
Then they follow up one of the worst trades in franchise history, by going out and signing the totally superfluous Kris Russel?
It feels like this is rock-bottom for a team that could write a book about hitting rock bottom after you already thought you had, like four or five times. The level of ineptitude displayed by Peter Chiarelli has been staggering and he should immediately be removed from his job before he does any more damage.
PLUS: Hockey begins Wednesday.
MINUS: I can't tell you how many times I've read some variation of the idea that Adam Larsson instantly become the Oilers best defenseman when he was acquired.
Has no one seen Oscar Klefbom play? Jeez.