Monthly Archives: August 2014

McDavid vs. Eichel is hardly Taylor vs. Tyler; Seguin for Art Ross? and more …

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Here is an interesting one - the Chicago Blackhawks have signed Michael Leighton to a one-year deal. His window - which was quite promising at one point - has come and gone. It was destroyed by injuries that had the worst timing. Antti Raanta's job is safe.

I agree with Ryan Lambert's take on the Kevin Hayes situation here. I also think Hayes makes an excellent dark horse pick for this season. He should either sign with his brother in Florida... which is unlikely because Florida has a logjam of forwards and that's the reason he didn't sign with Chicago. Or he will sign with Calgary, where his two college linemates play (Johnny Gaudreau and Bill Arnold). Hayes is profiled extensively in the Fantasy Prospects Report.

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Alright! Back with some fresh ramblings after pinch-hitting for Drance yesterday with ramblings that I wrote Thursday because I was camping with the kids. Now I'm back for good, other than one-day trips here and there. Nothing more to interfere with the site. So the Fantasy Guide will get some attention again - I hope to do the projected final NHL standings, my annual Calder candidate list, and the NHL team "goals for" projections all this week.

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Just a quick thought on TSN's attempt to drum up a Taylor vs. Tyler type of interest in next year's draft with McDavid vs. Eichel - Stop. Just stop. McDavid is a generational player. He's a Crosby who comes around every 10 years or so. Eichel is a likely Eric Staal or Mike Modano type, or at best a Stamkos. Eichel may be No.1 in most drafts, but not this one and not close. For example, Eichel would have gone first this past summer against that crop. But let's build the hype of next year's draft properly - a generational player, and a potential superstar, will go one-two. That still sells, there is no need to make up a fake "hmmm, I wonder who will go first" bit of drama.

Dobber for TSN president!

Thoughts on Zatkoff vs. Greiss, the issue of tanking, the New Jersey Devils and more …

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Back from vacation, but not really. Drance is enjoying sunny Cancun and I couldn't find a replacement for him. So with me camping with the wife and kids…I have these ramblings prepared in advance. I'm back Sunday, so the Monday ramblings will be fresh - not that you need them to be all that updated in mid-August…as if you needed my fast take on the Kyle Beach news (he signed to play in Austria).

Ah Beach. I remember having him too low on my Prospects Rankings and it drove some of the readers nuts. From age 18 to 20, he was too low and that was consistently the biggest criticism at the time. It just goes to show - these are prospects, and the ones who take the longest to make the jump are also the bigger risks. Beach, as a power forward in a deep Chicago system, was five years away at best. Easy to keep out of the Top 200 list.

Thoughts on Torey Krug, Simon Gagne, and the Pens top six   Austin Wallace here, make sure you take a look at the new prospect ramblings! Ross and I are both back from vacation and we will be puming these out more often.      If you haven’t picked up Dobber’s 2014-15 Fantasy Guide yet, [...]

  Thoughts on Ken Holland, John Carlson, and Reggie Dunlop   *   I made the mistake yesterday of letting it slip on twitter that I’ve never seen the movie Slap Shot. Now, this didn’t strike me as that BIG of an issue. There are a lot of films out there in the universe, and [...]

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Panthers possibly on the move, Eberle’s off-season thoughts, BizNasty’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and much more

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Dobber here. We held a contest in the forum this week, and the best ramblings would be presented here today. Here is the winner.

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I want to start by saying I think this is a brilliant idea, asking forum members to contribute to the daily ramblings.  I know for myself, the Daily Ramblings are normally one of, if not the first stop for me on the internet in the mornings.  Kudos to all who submit an entry!

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Thoughts on Draisaitl, Girardi, and what to name your cat

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I’m contemplating getting an orange tabby cat. Everyone I’ve spoken to says they are one of the best natured animals you’ll find. Friendly, affectionate, and in need of endless belly-rubs.

Assuming I get one, the next question is what would said cat be named? Something related to Nichushkin would be nice. An ode to my fanboy-like adoration of the young winger. This creates a potential issue, however. What if Nichushkin ends up as a bust? It’s not fun to think about, but he certainly wouldn’t be the first former first round pick to fizzle out. Posting 15 goal seasons, with no penalty minutes, and limited shots, before eventually leaving for the KHL at 27. This would hurt my fantasy team and leave me with some cat named after a relatively nondescript former NHLer.