Hard in the Corner

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...

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 ...

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....

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,...