Mr.TaterSalad

Someone with a high cap number has to be the odd man out in Toronto as they are waaaaay over the cap at $8.1 million. Nylander is rumored to be dissatisfied and Pierre LeBrun reported that he and Toronto aren't even close on a contract. And we got what Toronto could want in return, plenty of draft capital and cheap prospects for their farm. Look, I know chances of this happening are about as good as Al Avila leading an organization to a World Series one day. But let me have my holiday and free agency fun. Don't crush a man's dreams just because he's on the whacky weed.

Toronto is now $8.1 million over the cap having signed Baby Bert and Max Domi. Any chance they get rid of William Nylander and any chance at all we're in play? Who am I kidding, he's not a right side defenseman and we're not in it to win it just yet. Hell, Toronto may not even be fielding trade calls on him. But unless the NHL cap is fugazi, they have to make bold moves to get under it and trading Nylander is certainly one of those. But I can dream can I not? Get me William Nylander and Alex Debrincat and all of a sudden we're smoking!!!

This has to be the year Boston finally regresses, no?

I have FAPTSD (Free Agency Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) because I read the name Cleary instead of the world clearly in your sentence there.

Something tells me if Gostisbehere is playing well by the deadline and we're all but officially out of playoff contention that he could get flipped for a pick/picks. I like the signing though for what it is. Being over 30 he doesn't our timeline long-term, but I like the deal.

A star as in trading for William Nylander? Like they type of star?

I like that Compher signing for depth scoring. I'm more excited about the Debrincat news though that his agent has been given permission to speak with certain other teams. I am holding out hope that we're one of those teams and that Stevie is talking to his agent. If we needed Debrincat and Compher that'd be solid.

Unless Raymond steps up in a big way or some unforeseen rookie comes up and has a huge year, I don't see where the offensive production is going to come from on this team. Do we have more than one or two players next year that are capable of netting more than 25 goals and 50 points? I expect 35 year old David Perron to regress at some point in the very near future. Where is the production coming from, with or without his regression?

The Supreme Court should be like NASCAR, with all their sponsors and billionaire giftgivers listed. I wonder if Coke would be willing to sponsor Clarence Thomas?

I wonder how right wing Christians would feel being refused service at a business simply on the basis of being right wing Christian? The ever aggrieved white, Christian right wins again thanks to their blatantly partisan Supreme Court legislating from the bench against laws and rulings they personally don't like. From affirmative action to bodily autonomy to student loans to LGBTQ+ rights to environmental protections, they are striking down things not on the basis of interpreting constitutionality, but because things do or don't align with their own personal agenda. I'm old enough to remember when Republicans and the Christian right supposedly were against activist judges, making laws and legislating from the bench.

Really bummed to see Suzy Kolber lose her job. I always enjoyed her work as an ESPN NFL host on TV.

**** Disney and **** what they did to ESPN and every hard working person and personality who lost their job today. Corporate media is detestable!

Especially when one of those guys is a bum like Ben Chiarot.

I hope Yzerman has a plan to make up for our scoring deficit long term whether this offseason or next. We were bottom 10 in the league in goal totals, goals per game, shot totals, shots per game, shot attempts % Corsi, assist totals, and assists per game. Under 26 year old players, who have a history of scoring 30+ and 40+ goals in a season, who also want to play for you (allegedly) don't grow on trees. I trust Yzerman, but it really stinks passing on a guy like Debrincat. He fits sooooo much of what we need.

Yzerman started behind the 8 ball though compared to Vegas and Seattle. George McPhee in Vegas and Ronnie Francis in Seattle started with clean slates and all the cap space in the world. Yzerman had to clear millions in cap space from Kenny's mess and unload several bad players/contracts off the roster. When you combine that with absolutely zero lottery luck to land a superstar player on offense, that really set us back compared to those teams. One can also point out that we got almost nothing of value from the last 2-3 drafts of Ken Holland and company. To be sure, Yzerman is not and should not be free from criticism. He's made some moves I disagree with like signing Ben Chiarot and pairing him with Mo Seider, not going after Alex Debrincat (or so it seems for now), and drafting so heavily on defense when we are bottom 10 in most offensive/scoring metrics. But it must still be acknowledged, in line with any criticism, just how far behind Yzerman was and just how big a hole this franchise was in thanks to the last few years of Ken Holland.

Joe Harris doesn't play defense from what I understand right? So we brought in a 3 point shooter who doesn't play defense to try and trade another 3 point shooter in Bogdanovic who doesn't play defense? You can't put Harris and Bogdanovic on the floor at the same time if neither plays a lick of defense right?

Matt Duchene bought out in Nashville. He's probably too old for our timeline at 32.

Axios: Karamo denies allegations that she threatened to kill her family The Chair of the Michigan GOP is a black woman who allegedly threatened to crash a car with her husband and children inside while they were driving. I wonder if our friend has anything to say?

What a roundtable of talent for this Amazon Music roundtable discussion.

Blazing Saddles is my favorite movie, Spaceballs is #2 for me as far as Mel Brooks films go. I do find High Anxiety hilarious as well.

I believe in the Mafia the term is called flip or rat. Lots of Sammy "The Bull" Gravanos flipping and ratting Trump out.

Debrincat played on Ottawa's second line with Joshua Norris as his Center and not Tim Stutzle. Had he played on their first line I bet his numbers are up. If he comes here and plays on our first line with Larkin and Raymond, I bet his numbers increase to, assuming Raymond continues to develop and isn't a liability.

25 year old players who score 35-40+ goals in a season on multiple occasions, with favorable trade conditions, don't grow on trees. If Yzerman doesn't doesn't think we are in position to take the next step and aren't ready for a guy like Debrincat then ok. But we were bottom 10 in every scoring metric and we have a chance to get a young, 35+ goal scorer. What's not to like about that?

How have we not drafted a winger yet and why draft another goalie? We need goal scoring and we drafted defense and goaltending in the 2nd and no goal scoring. That's a bummer. Also, I'm bummed out that Debrincat seems less and less likely now.