Rich

It is going to be a really interesting free agency year this year. The salary cap isn't going up a whole lot. A number of the upper echelon teams are already up against the cap. Haven't seen a list of UFAs for this year yet, so don't know what the marketplace will be like in terms of supply and demand. Be really curious to see what someone like Frolik gets on the open market. I love Frolik's game. Great two way player. But I don't love him at $5M.

In a truly Canadian fashion I actually wrote them an email when they put the login wall up. Telling them that an online news organization that relies on ads to supplement their income is foolish to put up a block like that and that I wouldn't signup and login so they can track what I read, I would simply not read their content. I was surprised I actually got a reply from them, but I of course didn't change their mind. I feel for the news organizations in this day and age. They are in a tough place economically as their subscribers transition more and more from a print model to an electronic model, but there have been very few online news sites that have successfully put their content behind a pay wall and succeeded long term. On the other hand, I'm sure the online advertising revenue they are getting isn't covering the bills either.... But I still won't signup.

Please don't post full articles on the site.That sucks. I can't read it now. Can someone PM it to me? You can signup to the Free Press and read it for free or buy a newspaper. (Personally I won't sign up to read it either, but you don't have to pay)

Please don't post full articles on the site.

http://jets.nhl.com/v2/ext/files/mtscentre/MTSC-Building-Enhancements.pdf

You say you like to work with facts and not conjecture yet you have already shown in the past that you will only believe what the coach says if it fits what you currently believe to be the truth. So even if he fully disclosed injuries, there is a good chance that you would choose to believe he is lying. As for timeframes, injuries aren't always an exact science. Players have setbacks while training or rehabbing. The truth is that there is a very small percentage of fans that follow these things as closely as the people on this site do, and satisfying their curiosity does not out weigh the cons of fully disclosing injuries. The way I see it is that there are two main reasons why they don't disclose injuries: 1) First, medical conditions are a personal matter and a player would have to agree to have their injury disclosed for a coach to get up in public and do so. This is a matter of a right to privacy between a player and a doctor. I've heard Maurice say this a number of times in his interviews for Jets players. That due to privacy of medical information, he does not have the right to disclose ailments of other people without their permission. Is he making that up to not answer the question? Possibly, I'm not a privacy lawyer, but that explanation certainly makes sense to me. 2) Injuries rarely fully heal during the season and they won't other teams targeting those injuries to take a player out during a game. This is just common sense and the reason why most teams in any sport don't fully disclose injury information. As for how O'Shea treats the media. I can understand why he has the disdain he does for the questions they ask, but I agree he needs to work on how he handles them better.

Has more to do with the work it creates for Rich. I rarely do anything around here. The site isn't a whole lot of work to run. I don't do a whole lot more then you. The place mostly runs itself, which is a tribute to the posters and community we have here.

where do you find the ratings? I wonder how 1290 morning from 6 to 11 does. This isn't broken down by time slots, but it doesn't do as well as you'd think. Although if you were to poll people on this site, I'm sure it would be much higher. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/News-talk-radio-still-at-the-top-of-Winnipeg-radio-ratings-284097731.html

I'd agree with this. On the post game show, after the coach's interview, I will move to TSN1290. And don't get me started on the number of commercials they play. There's a reason they're able to play so many commercials.......massive listenership. Yeah I don't understand how they get the ratings to do.

I'd agree with this. On the post game show, after the coach's interview, I will move to TSN1290. And don't get me started on the number of commercials they play.

Especially when you were put in a can by a man in a factory downtown...

No you can clearly see that it was the coach. Rookie year Yakupov led all rookies in goals, tied for the rookie lead in points AND he was the Oilers top goal scorer. More than Hall, more than Eberle, more than anyone on the team. How is that not proving he was a legitimate #1 pick? That was the lockout year, I believe his 82 game prorated goal scoring pace was close to 30 goals. Pretty good for a rookie and #1 overall worthy right? Then year 2 hits and Dallas Eakins comes in and Yakupov looks like he's never played hockey before. But then Eakins is fired in Yakupovs 3rd year and his play visiibily improves but the points are slow coming as his shot is off and he looks like he lacks some confidence. The points do start to come though and his game looks better and he finishes the year with 20 points in the final 28 games. Not too bad right? It is plain as ******* day for anyone who cares to look that Dallas Eakins was the only thing holding Yakupov back. He wasn't the only one. RNH, Eberle, Schultz, Petry, they all saw their games turn around hugely after Eakins was fired. The man destroyed the confidence of that team. He was the only cancer in that room and now that they've done an enema of the entire management that hired him and kept him people will start to realize just how spectacularly that held the team back. So you are basically saying he has had one good lockout shortened season and one good 20 game stretch. I'd want more out my first overall pick. I've seen him play, there is no denying he has a crap load of talent. But for me juries out on whether he has the heart or drive or whatever you want to call it needed to get to that elite status in the NHL. And yes, I expect a first overall pick to show progress year to year to get to that status. One possibility is that it was the coach. Another possibility is he is a streaky player who only shows up when he is motivated to. I'm not saying you are wrong, just saying he hasn't really proven a whole heck of a lot yet. Your theory on the coach is just that ... a theory. Time will tell if it is proven right or not. You are a scientist, you should understand that. Doesn't change the point that Edmonton would be foolish to trade him now because they would be selling low. I am curious though, question for you. If Yakupov is a bust again this year under McLellan, will you put that on the player or will you still blame Eakins for ruining his career?

The problem with Yakupov is that after 3 years in the NHL, the guy hasn't lived up to the hype of a 1st overall pick. You can sit here and speculate that the problems lay on the shoulders of a coach, and that may be true, only time will tell. But as of today, Yakupov hasn't yet proven he deserved to be taken 1st overall. So far, you would have to say he is a bust. It will be interesting to see if that changes. Rumours of locker room issues and bolting to the KHL persist (I'm sure KHL rumours have subsided with the condition that league is in right now). If Edmonton really believes his potential is better then he has shown so far, then they would be foolish to trade him when his value is at his lowest. His salary is still relatively cheap, so I don't see an upside to them trading him right now, unless someone dangles something special, and I don't know who would do that. I certainly hope it isn't Chevy.

The good old days!

Bell and Larry Tenenbaum to buy the Argos. http://www.tsn.ca/bell-tanenbaum-to-own-argonauts-1.286511

The woman's FIFA tournament is taking over IGF.

Look 7 posts up.

I get what you are saying but it is more complicated then that. I don't know what the CFL policies are, but most professional sports organizations have athletes sign code of conduct agreements, same with CEOs and anyone who is in the public eye and is seen as representing a company or brand. Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can say and do whatever you want without consequence. It means the government can't arrest you for it. Every action has a reaction. The CFL and BC Lions need to protect their brand. If they are seen supporting a person with conflicting views of a large percentage of their fans, it could mean loss revenue for them. That is why code of conduct policies are in place. To protect a brand and company. So you definitely have your right to your own beliefs and free speech, but if you signed an agreement that if those beliefs conflict with your employers and if you do something to tarnish their brand, they have the right to punish and or fire you.

Forum does have an ignore function: Go to your profile (where it says your username in the upper right) Click on My Settings Then 'Ignore Preferences' on the left hand side You can manage who you ignore there (add / remove from your ignore list). You can also choose to ignore signatures, posts, messages, etc. The only caveat is you cannot ignore people in the admin and moderator groups. Does this work for spouses? Only if you have them sign up to the site, then do all of your communication through PMs. Or I could open a special new section where you can post back and forth to ignore each other but everyone else gets to read your dirty laundry.

Forum does have an ignore function: Go to your profile (where it says your username in the upper right) Click on My Settings Then 'Ignore Preferences' on the left hand side You can manage who you ignore there (add / remove from your ignore list). You can also choose to ignore signatures, posts, messages, etc. The only caveat is you cannot ignore people in the admin and moderator groups.

A minor league team will always have a number of vets on it. Part of their job is to mentor the younger players as well as providing stability for the on ice product. Show them how to be a professional. There are rules in the AHL that limit the number of vets a team can have, but all teams will have vets.

Sorry, can't see a CFL player developing an NHL attitude with the amount of money they are paid and the competition they face keeping a job. Apples to oranges. I don't think money and guaranteed contracts has anything to do with attitude. It isn't an "NHL" attitude. It is human nature. Some people just are who they are and for whatever reason are destructive to themselves and others. I don't know if this is the case with Durant, but there is a reason he dropped so low. And if every team saw or had the same information, there is something there. If someone is lazy or has a poor work ethic, they are lazy and have a poor work ethic. I've seen this in people that I've work with who make less money then an NHL player and make less money then a CFL player.

I believe it is so teams don't abuse the 3rd string QB. 3rd string QB rarely sees the field so you could gamble to bury/dress a Canadian QB there so you can dress another DI. I've also seen it said that it is a collective bargaining issue and that the CFLPA doesn't want it to happen (don't know the rationale behind that) It is time they look at it and figure out a way to make it work. The Canadian football league should encourage Canadian QBs (like they do the other positions), not put them at a disadvantage.

TSN Draft will be televised at 7PM tonight. Join us in the MBB chat room tonight to watch as it all unfolds. Who will the Bombers take at #2? Will the Bombers package picks to move up in the draft? Or will we be looking to move down?

It is how you build a strong contending team. Competition is a good thing and forces all your players (incumbents and rookies) to only get better. And if a younger guy shows that he is ready to take a veteran's spot, that is a good thing. Look at the Calgary model. they were able to get the 1st overall pick in last years draft because they were able to trade Jon Gott to Ottawa. You can only do things like that when you have depth and competition. It also means you don't have to force a player into playing until they are ready. Let them learn and prove themselves before stepping in to be a full time starter.