MLSE Dinosaurs – August 30, 2009

Fantasy Guide can be found here.

Minnesota hockey writer Michael Russo and Edmonton hockey writer Jim Matheson are both very clear in the fact that Mike Comrie will not sign with their city. Comrie’s agent is very certain that he will sign within two weeks, but I think we can be safe assuming it won’t be with the Oilers or Wild. I think he is waiting to see what happens in Ottawa – if Heatley is moved, then they will have room for Comrie.

Excellent article by James Mirtle, found here, regarding the little-reported fact (I know it’s “allegation”, but I’M saying that it is “fact”) that the Leafs are standing in the way of any sale. As I’ve been saying since the Nashville sale attempts, the Leafs are the powerhouse behind stopping him. They don’t say a word and they pull their long, thick strings with the Toronto media as a “favor” to play down their involvement or stay away from the story entirely, but it is the MLSE’s greed putting a stop to any move – and they’ll keep doing it until a team actually arrives in Southern Ontario. The entire thing is happening behind the scenes, so MLSE looks like angels to many, but mark my words – the MLSE is the most powerful organization in the NHL and not only will Gary Bettman do whatever he can to please them, I think he’s literally frightened of the consequences of failure. MLSE won’t stand for a move and they carry a big stick. And the funny thing is – the Leafs would profit from a move. Like the Yankees vs. Mets, a Leafs vs. Hamilton rivalry would take hockey to new heights – not just driving up television earnings, but merchandise sales. But that’s why billionaires boast only average intelligence and above-average luck: they can’t see the forest through the trees. Dinosaurs. They’ll die off and the forward-thinkers will take over. Eventually.