Ben Shelley: Reviewing the season: Kurtis MacDermid

I'd like him to play in 0 games, but he needs to play in at least 25 to count as the defenseman left exposed in the expansion draft (because it's either 45 games played in the most recent season or 75 over the past two, so his 45 this season + 25 next season = 70). I imagine that he'll get those in early in the season while one of the kids (Anderson or Clague) starts the year in the AHL, then, hopefully, he'll get stapled to the bench in the last half of the season after the kid is called up.

MacDermid is a Scots Gaelic word that literally translates to "warm body."

Edit: Scholars debate whether it also means "Drewiske."

As long as intangibles mean anything in hockey, MacD will get in to some games. The Kings are a flaccid team without him. Can't count on the refs to get you out of a tough night all the time.

I wouldn't count on a player like MacDermid getting the team out of any tough nights, either. He just might make them slightly less tough because of the feeling that someone stood up for the team. If he's the only one on the team who stands up for himself, though, that team has greater issues than just a tough night here and there, IMO. I'd rather the whole team toughen up a tiny bit than dress someone for the sole purpose of providing the only toughness.