conundrumed

I should mention most of all, when Kerins has the puck in your zone, he's a massive threat, He sees his options and invents new ones if he doesn't see a good one. Similar to Lindholm at floating into "soft" areas, but his shot relies on release, whereas Lindholm has a rifle. He hasn't been chasing the 2ppg mark all season by accident or by playing with McDavid. He creates offensively. Offencively? I've always hated that burp in language. He's offensive at hockey, but does it in an inoffensive manner.... Is it just me?

He's a Center. 2nd most draws in the league. An article is floating around comparing him to Mangiapane which is incorrect. He's an all situation leading playmaking C with finish. Hardly Mangiapane. I think the comparison is how many pts, and ends there. He's the Soo's best play driver. His skating and shot won't blow you away, but he's high IQ and makes things happen on breakouts and in the O zone. I don't really like "comparables" for the record, they are never on point. His trajectory, for me, is 2yrs in the A if I consider Pelletier will be an NHLer next year. 2C potential. Kerins is a center, without question. He's been a 1st to 3rd star away from home in 5-1 wins when he only registers an assist. He's a difference maker. He plays all of the hard minutes and matchups is why he's only a +10ish. He's 5'11" 185lbs, which isn't small. His frame is relatively broad and he uses a low center of gravity. Think Datsyuk size for comparison. His skating is similar but lesser due to edge-work. Consider the guys around him in the scoring race are also on excellent teams, but are 1st and 2nd rders. He was almost a ppg OHL player (64 games; 30g, 29a, 59pts) as a 17yo. Not that you can guarantee NHLers, but he'll be one. He's got the intangibles beyond the tangibles of skills. He won't blow you away, he's good at a bit of everything. From one-timers (when they set him up on the right for PP's) to penalty killing. Aggressive at the dot. He's a boss.

That was a really fun 3rd period. Sutter beginning to get into playoff mode himself. Everybody, play with everybody. lol I was confused, then laughed. Marky pulled, didn't understand, then, "oh, what team is this"? Speaks volumes about having depth. Holy renewed optimism. I was so negative with this entire mess last year that I had to leave the board for months out of frustration and spewing venom. What brought me back was the common consent was that our off-season was a disaster. I said to myself, "Self, you know common consent is generally wrong. Go in the other direction, we have a real bottom 6 and experienced NHL dmen". If we lose out in the 1st rd and folks call it failure, I'm leaving for good.lol It will be the same folks that had nothing but negative expectations for us, yet have been enthralled since October beyond their wildest of expectations. This season has already been a huge win. The rest is gravy.

Kerins will have quite a hill to climb coming in after an epic year with all eyes on him. Beck is quite the snipe. A full year in the O next year should see him pushing for the Goals title. Potentially both him and Coronato coming up for the '23-24 season as scorers could be a lot of fun. I've never been so excited by the layers of prospects we have than right now. What impresses me most with Kerins might be his interviews. He is driven and is a big time leader for the Soo. Great maturity level it would seem. Talks often about, "we have to teach the young guys what it takes to win". Lol, his tables are about to turn. Good player,

It's too bad we're in their division because they'll be giving away players like free candy again.

Stone has been practicing with the 1st PP unit, so the 14 day stint thing would be total sketch. This entire sitch is total sketch, they're already running an $82,500 cap next year with only 10 forwards. For the record, I don't like Vegas, but it could be any team. This pervasive cap manipulation and throwing away contracts (MAF) is really eroding it's way to becoming a mainstream thing to do. Because the managers won't stop it. Why would they? So now your managers meetings become a joke. The whole using LTIR cash (for guys you know are returning during this season) to make trades needs to get sewn up. Or address a playoff cap. It's only just beginning and potentially starts running rampant.

The fun doesn't stop. Kerins earns 1st star in Sudbury with 4 assists in an 8-4 win. 2nd star yesterday with 1g, 1a in a 5-1 win in the Soo last night in the away-home B2B against the Wolves. 65 games 41 goals (8th) 72 assists (3rd) 113 points (2nd) Pts/G: 1.74 (3rd) 1502 FOs (2nd) 56.9% (2nd to anyone with over 1000 attempts)

Back-to-back games with a goal. Lewis is getting into playoff-mode of fight hard for everything. I liked this signing from the getgo. He looks like the Trevor Lewis that I remember. A pita that's annoying as hell to play and doesn't take many penalties doing it. I hated him with LA but respected him as a really savvy bottom 6 player. Goals make the highlight reels, but the other 95% of the game is what guys like Lewis do to hold the fort. I recall reading his teammates would always vote him their MVP. And here we are. Still that Trevor Lewis. Did Sutter accidentally refer to him as "Stitch" or "Stitches" the other day when he was talking about Toffoli? Something like, "Him and Stitch....uh Lewis know the score, what the play is, how much time's on the clock". I may have mis-heard and shoulda went back, but I prolly saw something shiny and the ADD kicked in.

I love afternoon games. In the dome or Detroit exiting when it's still light out is my favourite thing. I can definitely back you up that most folks here don't see west games due to being on too late.

Damn. I love those guys. Great punk flare to driving rock. Shouldn't that be Mushroom Steak Melt? You've left me hungry and listening to M$M. Great band name too. Used to be a blues band in Toronto, KFC. Kentucky Fried Children. In London one of the regulars on the scene was God and the Crazy Lesbians from Hell. This thread should be "It's Game Day Biotechs and What's Your Favourite Band Names". Breaks the monotony.lol

Request: keep the Trumpisms (MSM) outta here:) Just say media. We're CDN.lol GFG

This is a funner start time for the eastern citizenry! Let's do this thing. GFG.

I think Wolf is off the table though. He snuck in as a 7th rder. We hardly targeted him. He's crushing it. Unreal. That's the volatility. Without question we targeted Vladar. That was heavily scouted. Excellent scouting, excellent find. we've come a long way in that regard imho. Everyone was all like, "What? Who's our backup?"lol It used to always be the Brian Elliott for a 2nd move. From the Feaster era of, "best goalie not in the NHL" morphing to BT trying to put bandaids on hemorrhaging, it's fair to ask questions. For the record, imo it probably started with Rittich. If I'm the Director of Scouting pointing it out, it's a red flag. Bonus for Rittich though, "the Flames' Director of Scouting likes me". Now, as td showed, it's very close. Vladar is a mechanics goalie like a cheaper Rittich for now.. The rest is athleticism and age. Great grab. I get your points about the failed goalie attempts here from Gillies to Parsons to MacDonald. I think we kinda did flavour-of-the-month stuff without scouting very well. That's changed now that BT finally came to the realization that the position is very significant. Room for discussion.lol

What?lol

That's a good conversation to have. It wasn't a goalie scout that found Rittich iirc. So that raises a question or 2 about goalie scouting. Perhaps it's gotten better since then and we're seeing better results? Say what you will about Rittich, but his mechanics were really, really good. Can I make an argument that Rittich may have moved the needle on scouting? A better focus on the mechanics rather than stats maybe? Conjecture, of course.

Uh-oh. Sounds like a potential lovechild.lol

I've seen why with Askarov. Some of the worst basics I've seen. Makes me wonder if that is Wallstedt too, but uncertain. The NHL will never see another Hasek. It just doesn't fly these days imho.

Something something my mom is well-known and well-respected something something... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Francis

His mom's coattails TD, his mom's coattails. Confirmed. That's how he started with the Sun.

Detroit took Cossa first and their Swede scouting is likely the best in the league. So something doesn't add up for me.

I'm sure it helps me.lol Thanks! I'll try not to say blockchain anymore, but I'm gonna need a pass for Eric Frances....

Nah, that's more a monthly thing.lol Okay, bi-weekly maybe....

For clarity, my dad's cousin was one of the founders of The Sun and ran the Calgary Sun when I lived there and Frances was hired. I know some things.lol

And here I thought we were buds, lol.

I hate to be the one to point this out, but... Blockchain Eric Frances.