1984Echoes

I thought Russia/ Putin was hinting that they were going to start being more restrictive with their athletes... maybe heard that within the past year...? If the future is so bright for this kid then I have no problem whatsoever with Yzerman taking that chance...

None of these guys are proven to be "the answer" as a utility IF'er due to one deficiency or another (experience, glove, bat...): W Castro, H Castro, Short, Kreidler, Palacios But... The very first guy I show the door is Short. There's just not enough there... Second guy has to be Willi. It might be a tough debate for some between Willi and Harold... but no, show Willi the door. Next comes Harold.

The corpse of Evan Longoria is 37 years old. This is your idea of building a Tigers' playoff team for the future? No. He is not better than taking a chance on a Candy recovery year. Not at all.

I've been wondering this. Is he better if surrounded by better talent, as G2 points out? Or are we better off obtaining a true dominant #1 center and pushing Larkin to the 2nd line? Does Kasper develop into that...? Or is he just Larkin 2.0 and a better 2nd line center than first line? Where do we find/ obtain, or otherwise get this supposed superstar Centerman?

I would want to do that with Soto. Offer him arb and then trade them. He has value IMO, and someone will want him, and overpay for him. Maybe I'm wrong... But I think he has the highest trade value of anyone that the Tigers might want to trade...

Looks like a weird chihuahua until you get down to the wings...

Hahaha! Yeah... that most likely is what is staying his hand...! Or public voice in this case...

I've been impressed with Elmer's speed down the ice. That I believe, was the biggest knock on him, his overall speed... but the U.S. ice is smaller, and once he "pistons" his legs a few times, he's a runaway freight train cruising down the ice. The announcers were commenting on it Friday night, and you could see it. Maybe there are faster skaters out there... but I view it as less a liability on defense than I was led to believe as long as he plays it smart defensively. (PS: and keeps moving his skates like I've seen him do...). The positives: that he's so agile on his skates in short areas, doesn't get knocked off the puck (what Ras has struggled with in previous years... he's improved there though, right?), his stick handling, reach, and creativity are off the charts, and he has the ability to get the puck into the net... demand that they find a spot for him. He could make the 3rd line dangerous depending on who else he shares that line with...

That why I both agree with what you've stated her as well as my earlier comment that Xi should speak more loudly and clearly that he wants this "ended now". Not that he could directly affect Putin's decision-making... But the clarion call would rattle the Kremlin soundly methinks...

Germany should be sending its first IRIS-T air defense system to Ukraine within the week... And the US has two NASAM's going there within the month I believe. And Putin is stupid. I agree with your other comment: bomb the Kerch (too lazy to type out the full russian name... I'ma justa going to keep calling it Kerch) Bridge again, as soon as they possibly can. If they can hit another tanker train, directly, I think the resulting "selfie" videos we've seen over the past week will be even more spectacular...!

Score a TD with 3 minutes left... miss the 2-point conversion. Onside kick recovery. We kick a FG with a minute 38 sec's left...

Garbage points in garbage time. Do I win?

I agree with that...!

I caught Friday night's game but not Saturday's... I wanted to see how McIsaac looked too but obviously missed him... On Friday they still looked like they were losing pucks to speed, effort, and especially stick handling... although it seemed like they got better as the game went along. But they also looked like everyone was being more responsible defensively (both forwards and D) and not allowing the incessant odd-man rushes of the past several years. The weak stick-handling and passing bother me though... I'm still too amazed by the Russian 5 and would like to have that back... I agree that they'll go with the vets and call up the kids as needed. My guess is it'll be Sebrango and/ or McIsaac if they indeed believe either of those two are ready to get some NHL time... we'll see.

I don't believe that to be true. Their entire society - from the very top to the very bottom - is infected with the belief that China will supersede the U.S. as both the #1 economic as well as military power in the world. So yes... Xi is self-interested. In being the supreme dictator, in usurping the U.S., in maintaining his own power/ power-base... However... China usurping the U.S. feeds directly into the maintenance of his power. So... the two (both dictator and country) are perfectly aligned. He wants Russia to stop because (A) if Russia ruins itself by slamming its head repeatedly against a NATO/ EU/ US wall... he's just lost a military partner (B) If Russia falls apart because Putin has disgraced himself... he loses a military/ counterweight power to the US's influence (C) If Russia actually goes nuclear, then they will become such a pariah that Xi will be forced to distance himself from that debacle. No one will go near that 10 foot pole and that includes China. (D) I can probably list a few more reasons why an expedient end to this war benefits China... and Xi... So that is where I am coming from. He needs to exert more overt pressure on Putin to stop this. On the other hand...: (A) Russia is forced to pander to China (Read: Sell dirt cheap oil & gas because no one else will purchase (I'm exaggerating but... not much...)). (B) ... Russia becomes China's bitch ??? Bottom line: I believe China would rather have a Russia that is not a nuclear pariah, not falling apart at the seams, and still has some semblance of military power that is not completely discredited and shredded to insignificance. Just my 2 cents...

But I would rather the upside be developed fully and - especially in the case of Edvinsson - when they hit the NHL go straight to the top two pairings, able to keep their minutes with a minimum of mistakes. It looks like Edvinsson is going to need at least a year at GR to get through that... Can McIsaac get better? He's lost so much time to injuries he may be a bit underdeveloped... But if he gets some NHL ice time, I'm less worried about him getting tossed into the fire, even on the 3rd pairing, than exposing Johannson or Edvinsson before they are actually ready... such is my thinking... Oh... and I'd rather have McIsaac push out a vet if he's capable of doing so just because... I'm an advocate of going younger... as long as it makes sense...

But they are also extremely calculated in whatever move/ statement they make. If they are thinking clearly... regardless of the competitive relationship with the U.S. ... Then they clearly know that it is better for Russia to halt all hostilities. Forget the U.S.'s position... China benefits itself by speaking more loudly and clearly that they want an end to this, and that they do NOT support Russia's war against Ukraine. Quite conversely, China is affected in multiple deleterious ways with a war that continues to drag on... Just my 2 cents.

Lindstrom-McIsaac makes a decent 3rd pairing? Does McIsaac get a shot this year? Loads of vets in front of him...

... is no longer on the roster.

A few more of these will be devastating to Russia's war footing. Specifically making the Kerch Bridge completely inoperable. In addition to the psychology that the bridge is within range I mean...

This needs to be spoken more loudly and clearly. By China.

North Carolina Research Triangle. Booming. Or should I say: BOOM! (?)

Those are devastating points.

On a wild guess... all of the backlogs are from blue districts... But I'm just guessing.

Point!!!