Hard in the Corner

Return The NHL is a horrible league. Really, truly, honestly, horrible. It's got a disaster of a leadership group, and they (as I've previously noted) care more about lining the owners pockets with desperate cash grabs, than creating a more fan friendly game that will grow on it's own. So, here's how I fix it for the players, for the fans (and maybe even for the owners). 1. A player's-choice re-draft So what is this? Well, it's likely the one idea on this list that you've never heard before. The basic idea is that players that are unhappy with their current situations can opt-out of their contracts and enter a league wide draft. Now, obviously the superstars are likely going to stay put, they're making good money and their on good teams, unless you're Mark Stone. But what about guys like Jacob Trouba. These are players that have been hamstrung by their RFA status (more on that coming up) and wanted out, only to see their lazy as fuck GM make...

Amongst all the bullshit that Toronto Maple Leafs fans are rambling on about, one question has stuck out to me. Mostly in that, nobody is asking it.. No, it's not whether Jake Gardiner's dog should be kicked, or if Leo Komarov can be both uncle & lover, it's JVR . April 27th was locker clean out day for the Leafs and a few notable players were packing up their stuff for, presumably, the last time. At least the last time as Leafs. One of those players is James van Riemsdyk. This season, James van Riemsdyk was the team's leading goal scorer, had a 7.2 point share and a 55.6% corsi player - in admittedly sheltered starts (62.7% OZs). So, why does he HAVE to go? Well, one reason is his asking price. He will undoubtedly be a 6x6 free agent this summer, and the Leafs have other priorities. Auston Matthews early extension being the most obvious. Matthews will be a minimum $10 million player for the foreseeable future, and his prime , along with Marner and Nyland...

I have a theory, and that theory is that Lou Lamoriello is a terrible GM, and has been for some time. Now, I know that isn't radical, especially in Lou's advanced age (he's 74), but I have a suspicion that he has been bad for much longer than the popular opinion would suggest. So, I've taken time to look at his entire GM career. From building the Devils franchise to a consistent powerhouse, to not tendering a qualifying offer to Antoine Bibeau. What I have found is basically a guy who excelled in a very particular aspect of the job and had to, in order to make up for serious failings. Lou Lamoriello joined the Devils in 1987 after the NHL draft. Over the course of the next few years, a pattern would evolve. Firstly, you don't want Lamoriello anywhere near your draft. Of all 29 of his 1st round picks, only 10 have had any level of NHL success. The majority of those have spent minimal time with the Devils before being traded to another team. You see, here's th...