You can recommend a subject, if you'd like. But please, do make it one about religion, politics, race, or Arthur the aardvark.
- Mononoke

I always enjoyed Arthur. The one where they flash forward and he was married to Francine was a real eye opener.

On the other hand, I loved Cerebus the Aardvark. The years when he was the pope were the best.

If someone ate all your pickles while you went to take a piss, he better not be your friend when you come back.
- Mononoke

No one dares eats my pickles.

Fresh blog and no one even cares about datsyuk anymore
- YuenglingJagr

Bc it was pure luck. Just like the Flyers selecting Goulbourne over Duclair.....Kevin Marshall 2 picks before Subban.....Derek Mathers 2 picks before Ondrej Palat. Flyers got super lucky.

Kidding aside, it is a lot of luck. But you also make your own luck by selecting the type of players who have payoffs. That's lottery ticket drafting. If you want to select Garret Klotz with the 66th pick in the draft, he of 4 points in 63 games (those penalty minutes doe!)...not much payoff there. If you want to select Derek Mathers, he of 5 points in 55 games (PIMs galore!), over the linemate of Coots who almost hit 100....it's funny how you don't end up with the Datsyuks of the world. Hexy gets it. Look at the type of players he has selected late....he selects players with skill and with good ceilings. He gets it. Not every one pays off, but you will hit one eventually to a certain degree. And that's better than all the Klotzs in the world.

I always enjoyed Arthur. The one where they flash forward and he was married to Francine was a real eye opener.

On the other hand, I loved Cerebus the Aardvark. The years when he was the pope were the best.
- mayorofangrytown

Man. You got your aardvark knowledge down pat. I used to love when I was younger watching and reading Arthur. What a blast.

Bc it was pure luck. Just like the Flyers selecting Goulbourne over Duclair.....Kevin Marshall 2 picks before Subban.....Derek Mathers 2 picks before Ondrej Palat. Flyers got super lucky.

Kidding aside, it is a lot of luck. But you also make your own luck by selecting the type of players who have payoffs. That's lottery ticket drafting. If you want to select Garret Klotz with the 66th pick in the draft, he of 4 points in 63 games (those penalty minutes doe!)...not much payoff there. If you want to select Derek Mathers, he of 5 points in 55 games (PIMs galore!), over the linemate of Coots who almost hit 100....it's funny how you don't end up with the Datsyuks of the world. Hexy gets it. Look at the type of players he has selected late....he selects players with skill and with good ceilings. He gets it. Not every one pays off, but you will hit one eventually to a certain degree. And that's better than all the Klotzs in the world.
- Mononoke

^

Might as well have traded those picks away if you're going to use them on low-ceiling crap. If you want 4th-line talent, you go out and sign VDV or White or Bellemare. Not take the infinitesimally small chance that somebody like Klotz/Mathers morphs into a Milan Lucic.

Bc it was pure luck. Just like the Flyers selecting Goulbourne over Duclair.....Kevin Marshall 2 picks before Subban.....Derek Mathers 2 picks before Ondrej Palat. Flyers got super lucky.

Kidding aside, it is a lot of luck. But you also make your own luck by selecting the type of players who have payoffs. That's lottery ticket drafting. If you want to select Garret Klotz with the 66th pick in the draft, he of 4 points in 63 games (those penalty minutes doe!)...not much payoff there. If you want to select Derek Mathers, he of 5 points in 55 games (PIMs galore!), over the linemate of Coots who almost hit 100....it's funny how you don't end up with the Datsyuks of the world. Hexy gets it. Look at the type of players he has selected late....he selects players with skill and with good ceilings. He gets it. Not every one pays off, but you will hit one eventually to a certain degree. And that's better than all the Klotzs in the world.
- Mononoke

Wut? Picking guys that were good at ice hockey at lower levels?

^

Might as well have traded those picks away if you're going to use them on low-ceiling crap. If you want 4th-line talent, you go out and sign VDV or White or Bellemare. Not take the infinitesimally small chance that somebody like Klotz/Mathers morphs into a Milan Lucic.
- Tomahawk

""We will not bat a thousand on every single draft pick. We also have them by the bushelful, in part, because of that. We don't have any hubris that we will get them all right. We're not certain that we have an enormous edge over anybody else. In some cases, we might not have an edge at all."

Amen, Sam. Amen. Drafting gems is luck. The philosophy behind it isn't.

Man. You got your aardvark knowledge down pat. I used to love when I was younger watching and reading Arthur. What a blast.
- Mononoke

My son loved Arthur. It was way better than the rabbit show.

Cerebus was the king of underground comics when I was in college.

^

Might as well have traded those picks away if you're going to use them on low-ceiling crap. If you want 4th-line talent, you go out and sign VDV or White or Bellemare. Not take the infinitesimally small chance that somebody like Klotz/Mathers morphs into a Milan Lucic.
- Tomahawk

Maybe just not enough pixie dust... eh?

Ooof Dodgeball was bad. LOL

But keep in mind that his deal can be used as a comparable by other teams, so the PA will pressure him to take the money. Basically, if Stamkos is only getting $7/8M, how can a guy like, say, Andrew Ladd justify wanting $6M per?
- jmatchett383

I'll probably be made to eat these words, but I won't be surprised if Ladd gets squeezed out of that $6m/yr contract by the market.

Kucherov is making 700k. Palat and Johnson each 3.33 mil. Hedman 4 mil. Drouin 900k. Killorn 2.5 mil.

All of those players gonna get paid over the next couple years. Take whatever you'd pay Stamkos and divvy it up to these guys, who combined are clearly way more important. Hell, Kucherov alone is close to Stamkos at this point. And Hedman I'd take over him in a heartbeat.

Those contracts are going to start skyrocketing. Kucherov could get 6. P/J 6. Hedman 8-9. It might not just be Stamkos who walks but Yzerman who tells him to....
- Mononoke

They should be making moves to get rid of Callahan, Filppula, Garrison, Carle and maybe Bishop before thinking about letting Stamkos walk

Bill: If Pelle hadn't died, do you think they would have won a Cup, or gotten to Game 7 of the SCF, in 1987?
- jmatchett383

maybe

Ooof Dodgeball was bad. LOL
- Pixote Andolini

You should start up a Slam Ball league.

Dodgeball is so 50s.

They should be making moves to get rid of Callahan, Filppula, Garrison, Carle and maybe Bishop before thinking about letting Stamkos walk
- YuenglingJagr

If they got rid of them, which they should (some they probably can't), you're talking about 11 mil for Stamkos for 8 years. The players I listed could be due for a $22+ mil raise in the next couple years. Things will get very hairy. Identify your core.

I think today is Leon Stickle Day.

I think today is Leon Stickle Day.
- PLindbergh31

I thought it was World Turtle Day. Waste of a perfectly good TMNT shirt.

I thought it was World Turtle Day. Waste of a perfectly good TMNT shirt.
- mayorofangrytown

I think that was yesterday. I saw the Red Wings twitter account tweet a .gif of that gutless puke Claude Lemieux.

You should start up a Slam Ball league.

Dodgeball is so 50s.
- mayorofangrytown

What is slam ball?

What is slam ball?
- Pixote Andolini

Slam Ball was that sport/activity/league that Pat Croce had some involvement in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slamball

Ooof Dodgeball was bad. LOL
- Pixote Andolini

Ah, c'mon. Some of it was kinda funny.

I'll probably be made to eat these words, but I won't be surprised if Ladd gets squeezed out of that $6m/yr contract by the market.
- BulliesPhan87

I agree with you.

Especially if he want to stay in Chicago. They can't afford 6 mil without moving guys like Shaw or Krueger or maybe attaching someone like Tevo to Bickell to move him.

that is why I am not sure Stamkos gets 11 million. The only way I see it if he goes to Toronto. Teams that are close to winning aren't going to have the space unless the really sacrifice depth to create space. Even if he decided to stay in Tampa, with all the RFA and UFA's coming up, they can't afford 10 million on Stamkos.

Murray tonight.

Should be some fun second guessing if they lose tonight.
- J35Bacher

Regardless of the outcome I don't see a need for second guessing. Imho, this isn't a difficult decision, and Murray is the right choice.

Ah, c'mon. Some of it was kinda funny.
- johndewar

"That's about as useful as a poopy flavored lolipop"