Alaska Darin

The traditional thinking is to draft centers and make them wingers. Centers generally have a more well rounded defensive game so they're more likely to progress faster.

Monday through Saturday ain't Sunday. Let's see how he does under actual game pressure and, more importantly, whether this team continues to make mental mistakes at critical junctures. I realize this is one off season and it's a process but some things will be evident very early on.

It looks like they may have figured out how to make Fear not suck.

Great trade. 3rd rounders make it about 15% of the time and defensemen get better over a much longer timeline than forwards. Beaulieu has some size, can skate, and can move the puck. At this time, only Risto is clearly better. Let's see what Housley can do with him.

Congrats to the officials.

It would have been interesting to see Nashville skate the Cup on their home ice. Too bad.

Someone is going to seriously regret signing KS to a big deal. The playoffs were an excellent indication of exactly what kind of player he is. By the end of the Pittsburgh series, he was barely a third pair defender.

After a Predators goal: "HEY! YOU SUCK!" "HEY! YOU SUCK!" “WE’RE GONNA BEAT THE HELL OUTTA YOU! IT’S TRUE, IT’S TRUE, IT’S WHAT WE’RE GONNA DO!” After a goal is announced and the Saber Tooth Tiger roars the number of goals scored: After first roar: “THAT”S ONE!” After second roar: “THAT”S TWO!” After third roar: “THAT”S THREE!” (and so on...) After whatever number is the last goal: “THANK YOU MURRAY, MAY WE HAVE ANOTHER? HE SHOOTS….HE SCORES….YOU SUCK!” "Mur...ray!" "Mur...ray!" "Mur...ray!" "YOU SUCK!" (then) "IT”S ALL YOUR FAULT!" "IT”S ALL YOUR FAULT!" "IT”S ALL YOUR FAULT!" When opposition player falls down: "1, 2, 3, 4, HE JUST HIT THE ICY FLOOR! 5, 6, 7, 8, WHERE THE HELL'D YOU LEARN TO SKATE?" When the opposition ices the puck: "If you’re crappy and you know it, ice the puck! (clap clap) If you’re crappy and you know it, ice the puck! (clap clap) If you’re crappy and you know it, and you really wanna show it, if you’re crappy and you know it, ice the puck! (clap clap)" It's a fun atmosphere but I imagine during the dog days of the regular season some of that stuff gets a little old/campy. They are totally amped up in the post season, so it shows well on television. It reminds me a little of how the Alaska Aces fans were in their heyday in the WCHL/ECHL (and the Shark Tank was back when Irbe, Makarov, Garpenlov, Larionov, etc. were there). That barn was rocking and had tremendous atmosphere. We used to get former NHL players in pretty regularly and they all gushed about how much fun it was to play in front of crowds like that.

He's a goalie. They're all mentally unstable. Job requirement.

I didn't include the entire rule. The 30 day rule only applies AFTER the 4th June 1st of your draft.

According to Article 8.6©(iv) of the CBA, the drafting club shall retain exclusive rights for the negotiation of his services until the later of: (a) the fourth June 1 following his selection in the Entry Draft, or (b) thirty (30) days after NHL Central Registry receives notice that the player is no longer a bona fide college student.

LA Kings

Walter Payton and Lee Roy Selmon are both excellent choices. The teams Payton played on his first seven seasons were historically bad. I can only imagine the numbers he would have put up with better players around him. His QBs were Gary Huff/Bob Avellini/Mike Phipps/Vince Evans but he led his team in receptions 5 times. The receiving corps was even worse. The game against the Vikings he ran for 275 yards the Bears won 10-7.

Pittsburgh is so beat up but they got guts. Murray was great tonight. Karlsson? Not so much.

OHL, QMJHL, and WHL are Canadian Major Junior leagues. It's where the vast majority of NHL first round draft choices come from.

Was he standing in the shadow of Sidney Crosby when he said it because McDavid isn't even close to Crosby and the postseason made it more obvious. McDavid wasn't even the best postseason player on his own team. Karlsson has scored more points in the post season than McDavid and is doing it with a broken foot. When his team desperately needed him in games five and six, he played his best game (a goal and 4 assists) - including the dagger goal in the third period. In Game 7 against the Ducks, McDavid's entire stat line consisted of ONE SHOT on goal. What Karlsson has done so far this postseason is incredible. Made even more so when you realize he's doing it with two fractures in his foot.

Erik Karlsson is the best player in the NHL right now. He reminds me a lot of Nik Lidstrom but with a little more offensive flash to his game.

You're not paying for sex. You're paying for them to leave with no strings attached.

The taxes in NY are criminal but people keep voting the same way, so it'll never change. I pay almost as much annually for my unimproved land in WNY as I do for property tazes on my 5000SF house.

I sat by a guy once who was so short and fat that his arms didn't hang right - they balanced on his fat. I'm not lying when I say his elbow was pretty much in the middle of my seat. He looked at me with that sheepish look and said "Sorry." I glared at him and said "Probably not gonna keep you from having lunch, right?" Needless to say, we didn't end up being friends.

Montana couldn't play in bad weather. I think every QB who has ever played would love to play in this era and would rack up ridiculous numbers. It's impossible to compare across eras because the game changes so dramatically.

I hate both Pittsburgh and Washington. That said, I have no issue with the hit on Crosby. It was a hockey play where essentially everything that could have gone wrong did. I'm far more concerned about the sheer number of checks from behind near the boards that the Penguins have thrown. Those are incredibly dangerous and someday someone is going to end up paralyzed or dead because the NHL refuses to deal with the issue consistently, especially in the postseason.

I loved Billy Guerin the player. Dude had it all and played his ass off.

1. The youngest defenseman on Washington's roster is 2 years older than McCabe.2. Washington's core has bèen together nearly half a decade.

Buffalo media continues to look like a bunch of hillbillies with an agenda.