Rich

Thought this was a very cool thing for the guy to do and say. Best of luck Jason.

You are going to have to give up at least that for a 3rd overall pick. I'd be okay with Burmi, a 1st rounder, and Morissey. Burmi at this point is basically a throw in for us. You are trading a 13th overall (Morrissey) and a 17th or 25th (assuming it is a first being discussed) to move up to 3. Chevy has always talked about accumulating assets to be able to make the moves they want. Not only drafting and developing, but with full cupboards they could make moves like this and target specific players they are high on. A couple of scouting reports on Hannifin: 6'3" 205 lbs Shoots Left http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/noah-hanifin/ http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/prospect-of-interest-the-411-on-noah-hanifin/ Compare that with Morrissey: 6'0" 183 lbs shoots left http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/josh-morrissey/

Quoted.

http://thehockeywriters.com/edmonton-oilers-fire-scouting-staff/ Interesting move. With their poor drafting history over the last number of years, it isn't surprising that this has happened. Chiarelli is going to want to bring his own guys in. The timing just seems curious. I'm sure they've had all their meetings and given their reviews and ratings on the prospects. You just think there would have been a benefit to wait a week. I guess if you don't have confidence in your scouting staff, no point in having them there for the draft.

Wrong on both counts. Whenever Durant was not behind center, Lapolice's play calling stunk to high heaven and was unwatchable. Unacceptable on all counts and if he was as good as people say he is, every single one of those 7 other teams would've been pounding on his door and blowing up his phone telling him he has a job as coach or OC after he got fired here. That didn't happen and for good reason. And trust me there were way more long balls thrown by our offense last year on 2nd and long than there had been in a while. It was sometimes good, sometimes not good, sometimes Willy did need to check it down instead of trying for a home run like he did in the Banjo Bowl, or against BC in that final game last year. But all in all, at least I can say this offense wasn't playing not to lose like that f***ing clown Lapo tried to instill here. I believe LaPo has turned down a few OC jobs as he only wants to be a HC. Completely disagree with this Lapo's conservativism and play not to lose mentality doesn't resonate well at all with anybody on other teams. Do you think Jim Barker and Scott Milanovich would put up with that in Toronto? Absolutely NOT Would Jim Popp and Tom Higgins put up with that in Montreal? Dinwiddie tried that last year and got demoted for it so NO. Would Huggnagel put up with that in Calgary? No f***in way. Would Chris Jones and Ed Hervey put up with that in Edmonton? If they did Steve McAdoo would not have a job there right now and would get dumped for Lapo immediately. Wally Buono had the option to go after him as head coach when he dumped Benevides yet refused to do so, I wonder why? The Ti-Cats? I don't know but I doubt Bob Young is looking for anything new on O there. You'd figure the Riders after dumping Cortez would be trying to take Lapo home after doing that, and why would Lapo turn down a chance to return as OC to the place he had the most success in? Very strange indeed. Only team I could see putting up with Lapo's tactics is Ottawa given that they rolled with a similar guy in Gibson last year. Bottom line, this silly belief that Lapo is a hot commodity has no water in it. PERIOD!!! I think you are projecting your own thoughts on Lapo onto the rest of the league. You really don't know how Lapos resume resonates with the rest of the league. Here are just a few of the articles and Tweets over the last 2 - 3 years that have mentioned Lapo. Usually where there is smoke there is fire. http://www.news1130.com/2013/12/11/lions-to-interview-khari-jones-for-oc-position/ https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl-55-yard-line/can-saskatchewan-s-money-get-paul-lapolice-to-replace-george-cortez-as-offensive-coordinator-195610644.html www.twitter.com/herbzurkowsky1/status/405386313177628672

I believe the switch to Saturday was asked for due to the number of people from Saskatchewan that come to Winnipeg for the game. Having it on Saturday means they can enjoy themselves after the game and have the Sunday to travel back home.

Mark - I've toured factories (known as "sweat shops" to guilt-laden liberals) in Egypt, Myanmar and Cambodia. I can tell you this - if it wasn't for us horrible North Americans buying up goods manufactured by these "working poor" from these countries, they wouldn't be "working poor", they'd be dead and starving poor. When it comes down to options for these people, it's work in these factories, or sell their bodies. It's that basic. When I was in Myanmar, I asked what the skilled ladies running the machines were making, and they told me $5 a day, which of course, given the North American mindset, made me recoil in horror. But then they told me that these ladies were really well-paid, given the cost of living was low enough that they had money left over to help support their families. My guide in Myanmar told me he could feed his whole family, including wife, parents and kids, on $50 a month. So I gave him a tip of $50 US so he could feed them all for a month. He showed me his house, which was by North American standards just plain awful - no electricity, bamboo walls etc. but he and his wife were happy. Could it be better? Yup. But that's the thing. We'd be hurting these people much much more by boycotting their products then by continuing to buy them. They are extremely happy to have jobs, which wouldn't exist, without us horrible exploitive evil North Americans. It's a process, and it takes time. The reality is, it's not possible for everyone to live the way most North Americans do. I realizes it will take time, but we actually need to be happy with less so they can have a little more. 20% of the world's population consumes 80% of the resources. What you don't realize is they have to take more, we can't give it to them. There are countries that have risen out of "developing" status and it wasn't due to North American handouts. It was due to finally getting good leadership and finding ways to thrive. I didn't see him ask for handouts. It is a reality if every nation were to elevate itself, regardless of the reason, we would have to have less for that to happen as our source of cheap labour would be gone. And would our economies accept that or would it fight to keep them down?

We won't know if Hellebuyck is ready until we see him play in at least one NHL game against NHL competition. Preferably more.

Ivan took a Burmi and has played in Moscow since he refused to play for the Ice Caps in 2013. I think we have written him off. Right. I had forgotten that the left.

Just checked. From the Jets players on the farm team last year, the following will be UFAs: Peter Budaj Will O'Neil John Albert Patrice Cormier Eric O'Dell RFAs: Keaton Ellerby Julian Melchiori Jussi Olkinura Ivan Telegin I would expect most of the RFAs re-signed this year, if only to keep the Moose supplied with players. Probably a few of the UFAs as well. It depends which prospects they project moving to the farm club this year and how many spots they need. For the Jets, the UFAs are: Frolik Halischuk Slater Stafford Stempniak Tlusty Pardy RFAs for the Jets: Peluso Chiarot Postma So only Postma is left of that bunch.

I wouldn't trade Burmi just to move up 4 spots in the draft.

You are not entirely correct on what being an RFA means. If someone else offers an RFA a contract and the player signs, the team who owns his rights can either match or let him walk. If the player walks, they get compensation from the signing team in the form of draft picks. The draft picks awarded are based on the contract signed. The higher the contract dollar value, the better the draft picks awarded. Most teams don't do this because if you get the player to sign a reasonable contract, the team who owns his rights will match and the only thing accomplished is you've done the negotiating for them. If you put a big dollar value in front of the player to scare off the team who owns their rights, then you end up increasing the compensation (draft picks) you have to give. Redmond was an UFA. Because of his injury that put him out for most of that one season and the time spent in the minors the prior years, he didn't play enough NHL games to retain RFA status. Postma has to sign or not play. No one is going to tender an RFA offer sheet on a fringe NHLer. They would have to give up compensation if he signed with another team. He could however elect to go to arbitration (Unlikely for Postma, and that is why you are seeing guys like Chiarot and Peluso signed right now. They are easier deals to make). Odell may fall in the same category as Redmond as he hasn't played many NHL games but I haven't checked his stats. Odell is pretty much a career AHLer anyway. And you do know that Chevy and his team negotiate multiple contracts with different agents at the same time. If they are working on Postma it doesn't mean that they can't work on signing Stafford at the same time. Different deals get done in different time frames. Those lower end contracts are important too as they also need to fill out their depth and supply the farm team. Tons of moving pieces in the off season, especially with the draft only a week away.

The KBF's and RagingIce's of the world have already made up their minds, but the undecided out there might still learn stuff.No offence to the posters here but I would hope this wasn't the main source of research for the undecided. And if it was my main source of research, then could I be offended? I can't give you permission to be offended. Either you are or you aren't. But thanks for asking.

I know. That's why I said hope.

The KBF's and RagingIce's of the world have already made up their minds, but the undecided out there might still learn stuff. No offence to the posters here but I would hope this wasn't the main source of research for the undecided.

I know people love to debate this stuff and there is nothing wrong with this thread and doing that. But let's be honest. No one is changing the mind or political alignment of someone else on a message board. Regardless of what facts or lack there of are presented.

Do you think Morissey is going to be starting over Chiarot day 1? I would think it'd be the opposite. Chiarot has already proven he can play in the NHL and has shown himself as serviceable. Can see Morissey going down and getting his chance on an injury call up. I haven't seen details of the contract, but with the lower dollar value, wouldn't be surprised if it was a one-way deal. Meaning they would have pay Chiarot full value if he were in the minors, while that isn't the case for Morissey.

So you're telling me that Rod Black spends more than three days prepping for a game?No, no, those three days prepping, were for the year. Is it during those 3 days he decides which player he is going to have a man crush on, give a stupid nickname to, and talk incessantly about regardless of what the player does during the game? I think Rod cried the day that Hamilton released "Sticky" Stala.

Split off the political discussion to General. http://morningbigblue.com/community/topic/7410-politics-again/

I can't fathom the mentality where if someone is doing something that doesn't hurt or affect me or others, and that if I don't agree with it, I feel the need to call them out on it to try and make them feel bad and myself feel better. I think I'd rather be cheap than an ass. Good thing I'm in Winnipeg I guess.

I have never understood how it can be socially acceptable to say "I'm poor" ....I mean, I've been relatively poor when I was in my early 20s, but I can't think of anything more embarrassing to actually admit in public. Honestly. If you can't afford something, then keep quiet about it, but to out-and-out beg for something and say "I'm poor, give me something free or drastically discounted..." ?? I can't imagine something worse... Not much different than publicly calling someone out on a forum. If you don't like what he has to say or is asking for, keep quiet about it and move on to the next post. So here's how I know you don't know me.... I guess I've also just learnt that you don't take your own advice.

I have never understood how it can be socially acceptable to say "I'm poor" ....I mean, I've been relatively poor when I was in my early 20s, but I can't think of anything more embarrassing to actually admit in public. Honestly. If you can't afford something, then keep quiet about it, but to out-and-out beg for something and say "I'm poor, give me something free or drastically discounted..." ?? I can't imagine something worse... Not much different than publicly calling someone out on a forum. If you don't like what he has to say or is asking for, keep quiet about it and move on to the next post.

To each their own. And with the amount of free tickets out there with the buddy vouchers, and people who just don't want to go, don't see a problem with it. Asking for a free regular season game or playoff ticket would be a completely different story.

Will be very curious to see what kind of return they get on these higher priced contracts. The Leddy deal last year was fantastic for the Islanders. The return will likely be less to take on the higher priced contracts. I don't think Crawford is at all the same goalie on a weaker team and would be shocked if they could trade him. Sharp has to be on the block for sure. I think they try to find a way to keep Seabrook.

If I didn't have to pay for my exhibition ticket as part of my season ticket package, I probably wouldn't want to pay full price for it either. It is exhibition, nobody wants to pay full price for that. It is why they offer the buddy vouchers. Having said that, my ticket was paid for some time ago, so I am looking forward to the game this week!