Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[Strangelove]

Montgomery fired for conduct.

Interesting how hush-hush this is, the guy always seemed a little weird to me.

[SKYO]

That said getting a player of Quinn Hughes ilk at seventh overall is pretty fucking good, considering the lack of the Canucks luck at the lotto since 1970.

[SKYO]

Montgomery fired for conduct.

Interesting how hush-hush this is, the guy always seemed a little weird to me.

The entire www is trying to figure out what he did, could be a type of sexual assault to a Stars employee behind the scenes - but who knows.

[Strangelove]

The entire www is trying to figure out what he did, could be a type of sexual assault to a Stars employee behind the scenes - but who knows.

I don't think it's that, but we shouldn't speculate too much.

It'll come out eventually, it's gotta be something perverse though, I mean look at him.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Montgomery fired for conduct.

Interesting how hush-hush this is, the guy always seemed a little weird to me.

The entire www is trying to figure out what he did, could be a type of sexual assault to a Stars employee behind the scenes - but who knows.

Didn’t they say it wasn’t criminal though? I can’t see them sweeping something like that under the rug. If I had to guess I’d say maybe it’s a substance or behavioural issue.

[Strangelove]

https://twitter.com/winsford99/status/1 ... 4389824514

Alan Strachan
‏@winsford99

From what I hear about the Montgomery firing, he merely did something that, in a broader sense, many of us have done. It was not illegal, just a lapse in judgment. I’m not free to be more specific right now but you’ll see what I mean when it comes out.

1:46 PM - 11 Dec 2019

https://twitter.com/winsford99/status/1 ... 2370900992

Alan Strachan
‏@winsford99

To my mind, the reaction was over the top. It should have been resolved with some grovelling and verbal self-flagellation. Many coaches have done much worse but this is what the world has come to.

2:06 PM - 11 Dec 2019

https://twitter.com/winsford99/status/1 ... 3480857601

Alan Strachan
‏@winsford99

Your pronouns are a bit ambiguous but if you’re suggesting that I have done it, yes I have.

That's right... Al Strachan is still alive!!

[Cousin Strawberry]

The entire www is trying to figure out what he did, could be a type of sexual assault to a Stars employee behind the scenes - but who knows.

I don't think it's that, but we shouldn't speculate too much.

It'll come out eventually, it's gotta be something perverse though, I mean look at him

Oh ya. He had his sausage out and into something for sure.

[Blob Mckenzie]

That said getting a player of Quinn Hughes ilk at seventh overall is pretty fucking good, considering the lack of the Canucks luck at the lotto since 1970.

I totally agree.

[Topper]

Sharks just cleared house. Bad hockey claimed the staff.

[Topper]

Guessing Monty did the full Monty in front of a cocktail waitress.

[Strangelove]

Sharks just cleared house. Bad hockey claimed the staff.

Cripes! How many coaches fired this year... are we approaching a record?

[SKYO]

The entire www is trying to figure out what he did, could be a type of sexual assault to a Stars employee behind the scenes - but who knows.

I don't think it's that, but we shouldn't speculate too much.

It'll come out eventually, it's gotta be something perverse though, I mean look at him

Oh ya. He had his sausage out and into something for sure.

That said getting a player of Quinn Hughes ilk at seventh overall is pretty fucking good, considering the lack of the Canucks luck at the lotto since 1970.

I totally agree.

Dec. 11th, doyle agree's.

[SKYO]

Sharks just cleared house. Bad hockey claimed the staff.

Cripes! How many coaches fired this year... are we approaching a record?

2019 the year of the NHL coach assassinations - a Netflix title documentary.

[Strangelove]

Sharks just cleared house. Bad hockey claimed the staff.

Cripes! How many coaches fired this year... are we approaching a record?

2019 the year of the NHL coach assassinations - a Netflix title documentary.

It's not even Christmas yet and 5 head coaches canned, not to mention Crawford likely ruined.

(otherwise Crow might have landed another head coaching gig)

[Meds]

That said getting a player of Quinn Hughes ilk at seventh overall is pretty fucking good, considering the lack of the Canucks luck at the lotto since 1970.

That is indeed why Benning is as well renowned as he is at the draft table.

With the exception of Juolevi and Virtanen, the guy has taken shitty lottery luck and come away with top-5 guys in every year.

2014 - Virtanen (6th). I think this was a bit of a political pick, and I don't think it has JB's fingers all over it as much as it does Aquamen and Linden. Benning had only been our GM for a couple of months at the time, and Jake was a fast skating, hard hitting, big shooting, forward who just happened to be from the hometown area. Fans were thrilled with this and the publicity was important after ticket sales went off a cliff following the 4 and out to San Jose and the "Fire Gillis" chant to end the Tortorella era. But in all honesty there are only two players behind him who Jim passed on that make this look lame and those are Larkin and Pastrnak. Nylander and Ehlers are regular season point producers, but they are soft and one of them has proven to be a prima-donna holdout princess.

2015 - Boeser (23rd). Picked that low in the first round and probably the 5th best NHL player of that year.....which is no small feat considering that the top 4 is rounded out by McDavid, Eichel, Marner, and Rantanen. Boeser and Barzal are tied in my books, Barzal had an incredible rookie season skating as a 2nd line center behind Tavares, but he cooled off when he was up against the top defenders every night once JT headed to TO. But he's still producing at a 0.88 ppg clip which is half and inch ahead of Brock's 0.84 ppg. Normally I'd give the centerman the edge in terms of overall usefulness, but Boeser has never been sheltered behind a top-5 player in his position, and only ended up with a legit linemate last season in Petey.

2016 - Juolevi (5th). Time will tell, but right now this is looking like the biggest dud of Jim's career.....and many speculate that Linden's fingers were all over this one.

2017 - Pettersson (5th). He's looking like the best player in the entire draft right now. Makar and Heiskanen could be fantastic as well, but Petey is still the crown jewel of the 2017 draft.....especially looking at the impact of Hischier and Patrick.

2018 - Hughes (7th). The only guy ahead of Quinn that I think anyone should have considered taking ahead of him is Dahlin.....and so far it's a toss up. But I agree with what UW said in regards to Dahlin's potential as a true minute-eating stud. I don't see that in Hughes yet unless his D-game takes a giant leap forward. Hughes is already possibly the best puck moving defenseman this franchise has ever seen.

2019 - Podkolzin (10th). Jury is out. None of us have seen much of what he can do, but the scouting reports are very flattering. Hughes and Kakko were the consensus top 2, but neither of them is setting the world on fire at the NHL level.....granted they are playing for shitty teams right now (though NJ is badly underachieving and has been rebuilding for almost as long as we have). Behind those two Jimmy may still come out with the 3rd best player in the draft in the 10 spot.

We also have two of the best goaltenders under 25 in Demko and DiPietro.

If we were to dive into the later draft rounds the story just gets better.