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...

OK, so not as easy on the ears as CAPTAINS OF THE ATLANTIC. Ahoy there matie....but just think, eventually we will get to the Pacific, and that's even better. Here is a list of the best and worst (and everything in between) captains of the Metropolitan Division. The Best: John Tavares of the New York Islanders Sidney Crosby has so many luxuries that John Tavares never has and seemingly never will. Crosby has a team with a wealth of talent, 3 Stanley Cups, stable ownership and a real future. That's not to take anything away from him as a leader. He is as good as they come, but Pittsburgh makes it too easy for him.  Amid the complete shit show that is the New York Islanders, John Tavares has stayed put, and been a good soldier. Some speculate that he is the reason that the organization even exists at this point in time. Without Tavares, the Islanders top player is...Matthew Barzal? maybe... Bailey and Lee are Tavares' linemates so God knows what they'd be witho...

Oh yeah, Captains in the Atlantic, a maritime tale. I love the sound of that. So what I'm gonna do is power rank the captains of each team, starting in the NHL Atlantic division. What I'm looking at is my opinion on these fellas. How I feel about their on-ice and off-ice "leadership" or whatever. So let's do that... Oh yeah, teams without a Captain, I will select their most veteran 'A' and they will be ranked, ok.... The Best: Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators This is an easy one. He is one of the best players in the game today, and one of the best defensemen of all time. While he seems to be injury prone, he has two Norris trophies to his name and single-handedly carries the Senators. Being the best player on your team is crucial, being the best ever (or one of) is icing. Henrik Zetterberg of the Detroit Red Wings Detroit sucks. They suck so bad. But they haven't always and Zetterberg has been a loyal guy. Now while that can cost you acc...

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....

What’s so great about Steven Stamkos? June 30, 2017 Leave a comment Edit I’m curious…what is so great about Steven Stamkos? Why does every GM want him? Why does every player want to be him? Why is Matt Martin’s wife so hot? I’ve got a lot of questions. We all know Steven Stamkos generates shots, he scores a metric shit load of goals and his points per game (PPG) is indicative of the star we know he is. So what’s the point of this then? Well, Steven Stamkos, like a few other NHL superstars, spends about half of his career on the DL. Over his career, Stamkos has missed 118 games, which is nothing compared to Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Joffrey Lupul or Sidney Crosby. So, how much value is lost when a super star player misses a bunch of games, and for fun, can they reasonably be replaced by another player? Steven Stamkos So the first guy to look at is Steven Stamkos. Dollars per point (2016-2017) – $4,250,000 This is an insane stat. This past season, Tampa Bay had...

The NHL is a league known for being old as shit and thinking old as shit. Grit, heart, Mark Messier and going 'hard in the corner' matter most. There has only recent been a league-wide shift towards favoring athletes who know how to play hockey and away from guys that know how to tough. That shift has seen the league - or at least people that follow the league - to identify a younger 'prime' for players than previously thought. Of course it isn't true of everyone, but generally speaking a player will peak between the ages 22-25, because of course. Who wasn't at their best in their early twenties? After that it's all tv dinners and family reunions, fuck. So, I want to look at some of the worst active player contracts in the league. Counting down to #1, the shitty award...I guess.Here goes: Jonathan Toews (also Anze Kopitar, but whatever) 8 years, $84 million (ends 2022-23) I am not going to pretend that Jonathan Toews is not an elite player. He is,...