2019-2020 NHL season thread

The Pens had best shore things up on defense if they hope to challenge for anything next year. Totally uninspired performance.

 

Ding, ding, ding

 

I mean, the Caps have looked like total ass so far but I don't really know how much to read into these round-robin games. They've also sat Carlson as a precaution, which throws off the whole defense and PP. So we'll see if he plays Sunday.

 

Never anticipated Chicago knocking off Edmonton. But, this whole thing is extremely unpredictable.

 

Very, very late on this, but had no idea Carolina ownership had sent John Forslund into exile. Further reading revealed screwing Chuck Kaiton two years ago. WTF?

Sam Mills, your take? I would certainly appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

 

Leafs trying to rally here ...

 

Holy shit

 

Wife and I were watching Pitch Perfect for the 731st time. I just now turned it on.

 

Can’t wait for the Torts postgame interview.

 

Far bigger. Miracle on Manchester in 82. But a short series after 4 months off, Who knows what’s going to happen.

 

Total f_ck job by Tom Dundon. Basically, the contracts of John Forslund and analyst Tripp Tracy were up. Dundon offered crap contracts ... in essence, freelance deals that are a cut in pay. Knowing Dundon, the cut is significant. Tracy took it, almost certainly because he's not interested in looking around and will not have the suitors that Forslund is certain to have.

All you need to know is that Rod Brind'Amour is the lowest paid head coach in the NHL and that longtime play-by-play radio voice Chuck Kaiton - who, like Forslund, moved to Raleigh from Hartford with the team - was basically squeezed by Dundon when he wouldn't take the screw job with a smile.

Forslund is playing this as reasonably as can be expected. He does not want to move and does not want to walk away, but Dundon is being a POS and Forslund doesn't sound like someone willing to play Dundon's foolish game. For a man who willingly tossed countless millions toward the failed AAF, that he is penny-pinching like this over Forslund is ludicrous. That he is willing to lose institutions like Kaiton and Forslund over what is petty cash to an NHL organization, relatively speaking, is plain stupid. Yes, they're not players and they don't affect the on-ice product, but I suspect this means a lot more to many people than Dundon understands. That is, assuming he gives a crap at all.

While Dundon is praised, and rightfully so, for being more willing to spend on players than Peter Karmanos, the moves on the cheap away from the spotlight is troublesome. Kaiton gone. Brind'Amour the lowest paid coach in the league ... and his contract is up soon. Don Waddell is probably working cheap because he was originally hired to run ticket sales and other operations within the ESA, not as GM. Odds that Dundon has bumped up his pay, given the other evidence, is about zero. And now Forslund with a foot out the door.

Assuming Forslund does not return, Mike Maniscalco - a respected and liked soul by the organization and fans alike - will probably be kicked upstairs to work with Tracy and they'll find someone to host the pregame show and intermission segments.

https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article244250692.html