buddha

becher: Skating: NHL average Puck skills: NHL average Hockey sense: Below NHL average Compete: NHL average Shot: Above NHL average Analysis: Becher took significant steps forward from being a mediocre junior player into one of the best WHL forwards this season. He was also very good at the world juniors for Czechia. The third-year draft-eligible center is a strong skater with a good skill level. He can beat defenders one-on-one with pace. He sees the ice OK and has a good one-timer. He showed well running the flank on Prince George’s power play although he doesn’t project into that role as a pro. He’s average-sized, but competes well enough and gets to the middle of the ice. Nothing about his game truly stands out, so a clear NHL role isn’t something I see, but there’s enough to his game to potentially find a way into some sort of job.

plante: Tier: Has a chance to play games Skating: NHL average Puck skills: Above NHL average Hockey sense: NHL average Compete: Above NHL average Shot: Below NHL average Analysis: Plante was one of the better forwards for the U.S. NTDP this season. He’s a highly skilled forward who can make a lot of plays and brings a strong tempo to his game. He is a very creative playmaker with the puck who can create on the move, at the net and from the perimeter. He’s not that big or physical, but Plante gives a good effort and plays with courage. The debate on him will be as a smaller winger if he’s dynamic enough offensively and a natural enough scorer to be an NHL middle-six wing.

ondrej becher. sounds like a slightly bigger max plante. winger, playmaker, sound defensively, scored a lot of points in the whl last year.

they could probably do that. but then no kane or any other good offensive player.

so we take trouba which allows the rangers to free up enough space to sign kane?

smaller wing (5'11...so not THAT small) "cerebral", good to great passer. was rated by most as a 3rd or 4th rounder except for button who had him as an early 2nd.

i think its easier to ascertain a front office's "plan" today because we have more media coverage and more information about what they're doing. when smith was gm you had news and free press columnists. now you have so much more. regardless, both were terrible at executing any type of plan they may have had. im really confused by the admiration people seem to have for al avila. is it because he was a nice guy? he led the organization into its worst suatained period in its 100 year history and people brush it off because he had a "plan"? it didnt work! is it because some of the current guys are still young? forget randy smith for a minute, al avila was bad. full stop.

remember when it was a debate as to whether matt boyd was better than gleyber torres? torres: 14.5 war boyd: 9.2 war

bert was a terrible skater and was the opposite of defensively sound.

not at all. mbn is a 200 foot winger with a great shot, is physical, and is defensively sound.

he cant hit. why would anyone want him as a dh?

i didnt want eiserman. zadina 2.0.

what everyone predicted.

borrego drops out. he either knows he wont get it or he doesnt want any part of rebuild 6.0 or whatever edition were on now.

if they want to cut salary they do. the pistons did it last year when they traded up for sasser, iirc.

lawyers turn the ada into a massive money making operation. like every other law they help to write.

every class action is like that. lawyers always get paid, everyone else doesnt get that much per person. most class actions are ridiculous, you only see the ones in the news that involve big companies. my favorite was working on the one were a blind guy sued red box for not having braille on its vending machines renting movies...that he couldnt see. it didnt go anywhere. guy was a professional class action plaintiff. or the "coconut oil made me fat" class action. that one was fun too.

i dont see the point to that trade from detroit or edmonton's point of view. youre up against the cap so you take larkin and seider who will cost more than draisatl? how does that help? if youre edmonton you have to re-sign him or deal him for another "star" like say, makar or maybe quinn hughes. if not, then what makes anyone think mcdavid will re-up? larkin is a nice player but he doesnt move the needle for mcdavid. what they need to do is move nurse's contract which....good luck.

BS ESPN article about crazy offseason things that could happen. stamkos to detroit was one, draisatl traded to detroit for another. they wrote any trade for him starts with larkin and seider plus picks. would you do it?

interesting.

i thought kenny would retire at this point. im sure the players union would like him to continue handing out ridiculous contracts with no movement clauses to average players...

edey is going to be a monster on offense with Ja. defense? well...he'll block some shots sometimes.

read it pro hockey rumors. no idea if its true.

he lists him as the "best bet in a bad class." i'm fine with drafting him just for that reason alone. its a bad class. if he can make the shot respectable he could be a good wing player, i'm fine with that because we dont have any of those and that's what the nba is built on these days. ausar thompson is going to be a great defender who can make some layups. he will never shoot well enough to be anything more than that. holland may end up in a similar situation shooting wise but without the amazing defense. that would be the worst case scenario and is thus the one del focuses on. however, in THIS class, he presented the most upside, imo. i liked carter too. i like the "trade back for assets" route also. if they did stay put and make the pick, the holland choice seems like they made the best out of a bad situation.

holland is hollinger's #1 player. "The other reason to like Holland is his defense. His 3.5 percent steal rate stands out; some iffy gambles spiked the total, but there is real talent (and fire) on this end. Overall, his rates of rebounds, steals and blocks compare favorably to former Ignite lottery pick Dyson Daniels, for instance, who has now become an awesome defender at the NBA level. I think Holland has similar pathways to being elite at this end." "On top of that, there’s the good ol’ eye test. I’ve seen Holland shoot a ton, both before games and during them, having watched him in person several times over the last year. He has a low push shot that needs some work, but he’s also not a 24 percent 3-point shooter. His 72.8 percent mark from the line is a more accurate tell on where he stands as a shooter — he isn't Stephen Curry, but his shot isn’t broken either. Just reaching the point where he makes one in three would make him a potent two-way wing, and that feels attainable." "Lastly, consider Holland’s age. With a July 2005 birthdate, he’s nearly a full year younger than several other players vying for places with him in the high lottery: He's six months younger than Rob Dillingham, nine months younger than Stephon Castle or Matas Buzelis and more than a year younger than Donovan Clingan and Reed Sheppard. Teams get caught on class year, but birth year is what matters."