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...

Today, the New Jersey Devils dealt 45 point player Adam Henrique, depth forward Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 3rd round pick for Sami Vatanen and a conditional pick. The Ducks managed to not get worse in this trade and Devils got miles better. But what's more interesting, is that the Ducks reset the market on top pairing defensemen. After Oilers' GM Chiarelli went completely mental and dealt a Top 5 left winger for a 2nd pairing defenseman in the Hall/Larsson trade, this deal is a breath of fresh air and really proves what a dolt Chiarelli is. It would be weird to see a team fire their GM as a result of two other teams trading assets, but this one really should be enough to do it. Sami Vatanen was available, and for a pretty low price. This is a guy that makes any team he is on, better. And he is a much better defenseman than Larsson, unquestionably. So then, why did Chiarelli sell so low on Taylor Hall, getting a worse asset back? Well, it's because he is terrible at ...

I'm a Leafs fan. I have no problem saying that. I love the Leafs. Yes, I watch other teams, but it's so I can see players, not teams. For example, I used to watch Washington, to see how Eric Fehr was doing. That has since been resolved. In any case, I love watching the Leafs which is why I hate...regional blackouts. Why is it that every Saturday night, I can be sure to see that little Filipina girl sign the anthem in T-dot, but this evening, TSN doesn't see fit to let me watch the game? Regional blackouts, that's why. What is the purpose of these fucking things? It seems to me they take more money out of the hands of the NHL, the broadcaster and the cable companies than it helps put in. And I know that every single human being on Earth hates them. So, ok...money is the name of the game. But this can't help. TSN, tonight, on TSN4, will air a black screen in place of the most popular hockey game in Canada, and therefore North America, and therefore the World....

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...