TSN RELEASES RANKINGS. RELEASE THE HOUNDS.
John Tavares ranked No. 1. NO WAY!!!!!
Tavares is 1, Hedman a clear-cut 2, Duchene equally firm at 3. Here’s Bob McKenzie’s story. Comment Guidelines.
67 Responses to TSN RELEASES RANKINGS. RELEASE THE HOUNDS.
John Tavares ranked No. 1. NO WAY!!!!!
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UIF says:
But which one of them is a really nice guy who will help old ladies cross the street? That’s what really counts.
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Vukota says:
The ground is starting to shake. Look out here comes the Herd!!!!
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pete DeBenedetto says:
How fantastic that the eyes of the hockey world are squarely on the New York Islanders…..I bet they haven’t had this much Good press since 83…..
make the best decision for the team Garth….you and your staff will go down forever as the GM that __________ed the Islanders. What will the blank be??
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matt says:
i guess garth snow must be smarter then all those scouts. i really hope this is all part of trying to gain more and more media attention and we just take tavares
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bob l says:
well, here we go, 10 scouts out of 10 agree… but none of them were our scouts, so it still doesn’t amount to a hillen of beans (god i love dry humor)
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West Coast Fan says:
25 cent drafts baby! Wish I could be there…
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Atari8bit says:
` Well there seems to be a TOP 3, then a drop to the next 3 or 4, then all over the place. So as long as we are picking one of those (personally hoping for Tavares)3 can’t really be grilled for going off the board. As we all know the draft and evaluations of 18 year olds is an inexact science, there certainly have been the Stefans, Daigle’s, Brendl’s in the last 10 years of high draft picks gone awry.
`Given the depth after #10 I am not so sure it’s worth it to pay much (anything higher than a 3rd rounder) to move from the 26th spot.
`I think Garth is doing exactly as he should in not tipping his hat to the media or fans.
Friday should be fun!
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txdbog says:
after reading everything on tavares…it just makes me mad to even consider anyone else. Im done…i officially convinced myself its going to be tavares, and in my opinion he is already an islander…
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Chris M says:
I have nothing to back it up, but my gut says we’re picking Duchene. I hope I’m wrong.
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isles99 says:
I don’t know what else (Tavares) could have done,” one scout said. “I mean, he has played four full seasons of major junior hockey. He’s been poked and prodded and analyzed and dissected maybe more than any prospective No. 1 pick in the history of the game. I hear people question his skating or defensive play, but he’s an elite level scorer who does his best work when the game is on the line. He’s stepped up to be the hero for Canada in two consecutive World Junior Championships and delivered in pressure packed situations. Enough already. He’s the top guyi . straight from the scout’s mouth. you tell me i watch youtube videos. i tell you i just follow what THE ELITE SCOUTS at tsn say. yea the must know something. even mckenzie admits isles live in their own little world.
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doc says:
Just because Snow says “…Popular opinion will not determine who we chose #1…” does not mean that he doesn’t agree with the popular opinion.
He just wants it to be known that it is HIS choice to choose Tavares… not the fans.
And all this talk about how you don’t make picks based on popular opinion… well, did anyone stop to think that maybe in this situation the “popular” choice is also the “right” choice for the organisation???
It will be a great relief to finally here Tavares’ name announced as the Islanders #1 pick.
DOC
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AZS says:
At this point it’s been beaten to death BUT JT has been “the man” since he was just a boy …eventhough he’s been the main target of opposing team’s D he still manages to produce …he makes the players around him better …
Can’t wait till Friday ….pick JT …
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Matt says:
my perfect draft would be taking John Tavares and Magnus Paajarvi Svensson. You would then have MPS – Tavares – Okposo as our first line for a long, long time.
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leviticus says:
Isles99 Mckenzie didnt say anything of the sort…you love nonsense and turmoil…why don’t you guys just take your meds and wait till friday to see what happens…can’t wait to see the geniuses on this blog take credit IF the Islanders choose JT…and then, you guys will complain about the second pick cause you all know soooo much…LOL, this is going to be fun. You guys are better than a comedy show!
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joey303 says:
I am officially done with reading the posts until Friday. Very redundantly redundant again and again, repeatedly repeating the same sameness. I cant take it. Why dont we all just cut and paste…………till Friday nite- see youse at Dugans
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Joe G. says:
You know whats unbelievable? Maybe aside from Tampa, every other team in the league would be picking Tavares first if they had the pick. But nooooooo as usual Garth Snow and the UNANIMOUS Islander scouts know more than anyone else. It really is unreal.
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Irish Isle says:
wwwww
o o
<
OFace Shock!!
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Paul23 says:
Jon and Kate’s special announcement will be that the Isles are taking Tavares 1st overall in this years draft.
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Jon Mac says:
I will be upset if the Islanders pick MD, but what do I know. I hope Islanders fans don’t overreact. Unless we trade the pick, we are getting one of the top three kids in the draft. Period. Are team will be a better hockey club after the draft then we were before. Yes, JT is the consensus number one pick, but that does not mean he is the best fit for the Islanders and the system we are trying to employ. I am so sick of people acting like Snow is a moron. He is a smart guy and he has a lot of smart people working around him. I give him credit for seeing sticking to his guns in the face of media and fan pressure. Obviously Wang would like him to take the pick that will sell the most tickets, but it is becoming clear that Snow is being given the flexibility to draft the kid who he believes gives the Islanders the best chance to win the cup, even it that pick might upset a fan base that has been to hell and back lately. Give Wang some credit.I just ask that regardless of the pick, Islanders fans give it a chance.
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admin says:
Please read before posting Comments.
http://www.islanderspointblank.com/2008/12/comment-guidelinesthese-are-effective-immediately/
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Greg says:
but duschene is a nice guy, so we will take him.
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Jamie says:
sNOw gm knows it all! If he says duchene is #1 than he must be number #1!
What a joke sNOw is!
Tavares or I go nuts!
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TIM says:
sorry cb i didn’t think my comment was out of line …….just let garth snow do his job as passonate of fans that we are we are not experts on drafting so please don’t jump all over the islanders if we don’t draft Tavares
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Brother Rat says:
19, ha! Hilarity. You can’t escape those two.
Anyway, in the past few days, I find myself gravitating to the Duchene camp. I feel almost dirty for toying with throwing my hopes from Tavares to Duchene…a complete player, with leadership, who plays two ways….? Hedman sounds great and will have a great career, but I’m more sold on a forward. I bet he’ll head to Tampa anyway, which means that if we get Tavares, Duchene heads to Colorado. That’s gotta be best-case-scenario for Duchene, to learn the game and leadership from under Sakic and Ryan Smyth? Who do we have to mentor Tavares–Dougie Weight? Trent Hunter?!
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RichM says:
The only thing we do not know is what is happening privately. Is it possible that Taveras has quietly told Snow that he does not want to play for the Isles? Either way, I will support whomever is picked. Let’s go Islanders!!!!
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i cant wait till friday is over….what was supposed to be a celebration has turned into dissent and dissatisfaction. either this organization is going to rise or it will die. this will be the last straw for many people. just watch as tis drama unflods.
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dose says:
snow said his people were unanimous in their choice and that the choice hasn’t changed since the lottery. could it be that only the islanders’ entire braintrust sees this completely differently than every other teams’? i guess it’s possible, but even for this team that would be mind boggling. if you take the man at his word, i think we have our answer.
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Brian G says:
If Duchene is chosen on Friday – I am predicting the lowest # of tickets ever sold for an Islanders Season.
CB – after the second round of the draft, could you do an update of the final trade for Josh Bailey…everything that was received from the 2008 draft move down.
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IsleofNJ says:
CB,
What about a thread on:
If the Isles don’t take JT, who is preferred pick…
VH or MD -
brian says:
MD
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i gotta say this though if the pick is not Tavares, they brought any commotion that occurs on themselves. If they said after the lottery “we are picking hedman or duchene” than the pick would have been a lot more acceptable to the fans than to be strung along like this. the pick will be JT
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So basically everyone feels John Tavares is the consensus #1 and best player available. Let’s pray that intelligence and common sense win out at this draft.
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starz31 says:
kudos to the Isles for cashing in on all this media attention…the more I read Tavares, the more I want him. Besides his success and talent…i really like the aspect of him being hyped for so many years and having to deal to media scrutiny and criticism for so long…this is an essential trait for playing in NY…not everyone is cut out to play in a big market
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doc (12): BINGO. I could not have said it better myself (seriously) FWIW I hope you are going to CBs after-draft thing, Id like to say hi and shake your hand since I like your comments so much.
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Jethro09 says:
I can’t stand this debate anymore. I may not make it until Friday night…
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TIM???? It’s not we asking for them to pick somebody nobody has heard of. We are asking them to pick the clear cut favorite. Is that a lot to ask for. I’m a die hard fan for 25 plus years and if they don’t go with JT I’m not getting a season plan. If they draft JT I’m getting a plan. Case closed….
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darn caps,always forget it’s on anyways we are just fans and fans don’t run this team so let the management do whats best for the team and if you want to cancel your tickets then you were not a fan anyways and were looking for a way out i for one will respect any decision garth snow makes i think Tavares is the best choice but i don’t work for the scouting department so garth ……do us proud
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Vlad from Brooklyn says:
Doc (#12) – You have cached my words. Hope we are right on this one! I’ll be there on Friday to share the moment. Fingers crossed.
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it’d certainly good to see that as the actual day draws nearer the reports/mocks/ranks/scouts etc, seem to be getting back to where they were before the lottery
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i think this is very good media coverage for the islanders and commend the islanders for keeping quiet friday will be a great day even if we don’t draft Tavares…thanks garth you are playing this perfectly
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miket239 says:
So where is the JT fan club already?!?!
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Brooks Simpson says:
Nothing new here.
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if garth snow picks JT on friday, i will persnoally apologize to him when i buy my season ticket package. that being said, don’t screw around garth.
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Jim says:
NO ONE seems to have read THIS part of the article:
“…”It’s a lot closer than your numbers (10 of 10) might suggest,” said one team’s NHL chief scout who ranked Tavares No. 1. “There’s not a huge gap between Tavares and the other two guys (Hedman and Duchene). I have Tavares at No. 1 but it’s not a stretch for me or anyone else, I would think, to make a case for Hedman as the top guy. Or even Duchene, especially the way he came on at the end of the year….”
I find it HYSTERICAL the amount of armchair GM’s here, and other places, that say that will throw a temper tantrum, like a petulant 4 year old, if the guy they want is not selected. As Herb Brooks once said:
“…The name on the FRONT of the jersey is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the BACK…”
I was solidly in the Tavares camp, but I have found myself thinking that Duchene might fit better into the system the Isles are trying to develop. Very good offensive ability, very good defensive ability, plays the PK and mans the point on the PP and can FLY. He may not be the best GOAL SCORER, but he may be the best for this team/system and that’s what Garth and staff are looking for. Regardless of what fan sentiment is.
That being said I will root for my Islanders, and whomever they choose at #1, regardless of the outcome.
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Hockey1919 says:
10 anonymous scouts with nothing on the line unanimously select the consensus number 1. I admit that I’ve prefered a defensemen that can play 30 minutes to shut down the forwards already in the East, but I also want the best player available. Putting more emphasis on best available, then based on what the NHL scouts (not fanboy YouTube scouts) are saying then it looks like JT may be the pick. As stated elsewhere, strange how the needs of the bottom 3 will be addressed if the seedings hold. Glaring need for goals with JT (everything else will have to wait) for the Isles, a big D for Tampa (who proved all offense, no D to get them the puck gets you nowhere) and a pseudo replacement up the middle for Sakic/Forsberg in CO by adding Duchene to Stastny.
Looks like it is going to be an exciting Friday and a no lose proposition if you’re an Islander fan. There is no way the Isles will not be a better team on Saturday morning unless they deal away the two first rounders for bloated contracts. Now its only a question of how much better this team will be?
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Church Hill Drew says:
Some thoughts:
Anything’s possible in Cirque Du Isles but things appear to be leaning towards Tavares again.
I just can’t fathom the entire braintrust being sold, unanimously mind you (Garth’s words)….on Duchesne. Just not possible…even for this team.
Furthermore, while the fans aren’t responsible for the decision, they are ultimately the ones paying the salaries in the end (with their ticket purchases), so YES, their wants and needs should be taken into consideration on some level. To say otherwise and diminish their role in the rebuild process would be an insult.
I think the Isles have a chance to do something special on Friday. Sadly, only this organization (okay, maybe the Jets) could screw up something so easy. Make the pick and move on with the process. A potential positive PR bonanza (when’s the last time THAT happened?) would be a nice boost for a change instead of reading about our “unconventional” GM’s shenanigans at the draft table.
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Alex O says:
Im usually in Snow’s corner but with this I strongly disagree. You do not get the benefit of the doubt as a GM with the historical blunders this team has made. Snow has not earned that respect ans certainly the franchise has not earned the fans good will to go against what the vast majority of the hockey world thinks. If JT is not as good as Hed or Duch, I for one would not blame the Isles as he was the consensus #1 pick.
Also for those of you that think that if people cancel their season tickets is somehow not being a fan, I say to you that it is actually being a fan. they put their $ where their mouth is. Just like in life if you do not get what you want in a product then you stop buying it. For far too long we have had incompetence rule the Isles and if you think that if you dont pick JT that you wont see a huge backlash, then youre nuts.
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Dan C says:
This could be a “lose” proposition for Islander fans.
1. Snow picks Duchene
2. Fans revolt S
3. Season tickets cancelled
4. Franchise endures last nail in couffin -
i’m sorry but if you can’t handle the tough times then you should’nt be a islanders fan i’m over 30 years an islanders fan so either stick it out or change tems…..my thoughts
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CB, thanks for the story. Unfortunately, all it does is give us another reason to be optimistic that Snow will do the right thing and even more of an incentive for him to do the polar opposite.
I might not make it to Friday.
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CT Isles Fan says:
In Snow We Trust. Right?
Hey, Bailey didn’t turn out to be so bad right?
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Bottom line … at the end of the day … I just can’t imagine the franchise pumping up 16,000 people for a draft day party at the Coliseum and then not selecting the player 90 percent of them want, when the other choices are not slam-dunk better choices.
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Bport fan says:
It is pretty humerous to see how many people have there toes dangling over the edge of the cliff. The draft is days away and Snow has yet to tip his hand. There are 3 very good players sitting in the top echelon of picks and the Islanders will be lucky to have nay of the 3.
Its funny to make fun of Snow because he has done so many negative things to the Islanders franchise.Boo hoo he didnt take Schenn last year or Filatov.Wannhh he didnt draft local boy C.Wilson oh well. He drafted a solid young kid in Bailey and he also accumulated more bargaining chips and pieces for the Islanders in the future.
Until Snow makes a Yashin like deal people should give him some slack. He is doing pretty well for what he has to work with. -
thank you #54
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NYI Pole says:
but (45), its the guy in the jersey that makes the name on the front relevant.
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mike says:
Chris M (10)
Your gut may very well right.
My opinion all along is they will pick Tavares unless Toronto or some other team can come up with a deal that will guarantee them Duschene and another top ten pick that will get them Cowan.
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TIM – would you really say that Islanders fans here haven’t endured the tough times? I’d say 3/4 of us have never seen the good times. Regardless of what happens in the draft, those of us who have stuck with the team for this long should be in some sort of fan hall of fame.
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#56, what makes you think Duchene/Hedman is NOT one of those types? Also, what makes you think that Tavares couldn’tPOSSIBLY turn into the next Daigle? My point is that IMO it seems that Duchene is the player better suited to play within the system the Isles are employing. It also seems, IMO (again), that he is a more complete (note I did not say better goal scorer) than the others…
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Jim @ 45: You don’t draft players based on the “system you’re trying to implement”. That’s what free agency is for. You draft players on their ability and you take the best players available, especially with the #1 overall selection. The “system” may not even be in place in two years, given the Isles’ penchant for firing coaches after two seasons (which I hope doesn’t happen, since I like Gordon). In two years, how will it look if the Isles take Duchene over Tavares not because he’s a better player but because “he fit the system better” if Gordon is fired and a new coach with a completely different system is running things? Take the best player available. Tavares.
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avolp55turgeonfichaud says:
I think the most significant thing is this entire debate is that Snow has said he and his staff are UNANIMOUS in their decision (and it has been the same since draft lottery night). If I had my own Snojanks Scoreboard, I would put the chances of Snow et al. banking on Duchene/Hedman unanimously FROM THE START at less than 5%. Certainly NOT Matt Duchene, who wasn’t even in the conversation until after the lottery.
The rest of the hockey world is unanimously in favor of JT (well, almost unanimously). How could Snow and Jankowski be unanimously voting AGAINST JT unless he admitted to taking steroids during his interview? If they are unanimously in favor of Hedman or Duchene, they may turn out to be right, but they are totally off the deep end!
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Islefan2487 says:
As far as Im concerned…until he makes a Mad Mike like decision…Snow is alright by me. What snow is doing is not identical, but very similar to what we did in the 70′s. Now im not excpeting any of these guys to be the next Gretzky or anything like that, all i want is this team to make it all the way to the top and finally shut these critics up about how we are a failure of an organization. Regardless of which one of the three they pick…I WILL STILL BE AN ISLANDER TIL THE DAY I DIE !!!
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Tom B says:
Well, this could become your MAD MIKE MOMENT!
Up until now I really didn’t mind that the islanders were keeping their selection close to the vest, however as we get closer it does seem rather ridiculous.
AND if this pick is not going to be Tavares, it would be in his own best interest to announce it now so there is not a riot in the parking lot!
This is why I say it’s 100% Tavares. It would be suicide for him to actually get 15,000 people into the NVMC and announce a draft pick that 80% of the attendees don’t want to hear.
It’s can’t be anyone other than JT, and if it is, This WILL be Snow’s “MILBURY MOMENT” and our moment to watch JT ride off with Colorado or GOD FORBID Toronto via a trade up.
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If Snow does pass on JT he will truly be knows as “DARTH SNOW” for sure in my book.
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So now who should we trust:
Garth Snow – who has very little record to go on and Ryan Jankowskior should we trust 10 Scouts with nothing to lose and were asked for their honest opinion and all had the same answer as to who was the best.
Greg Logan has stated the Isles most glaring need was scoring, which is what Tavares does better than anyone else.
Garth Snow has said he wants a player of character. JT is Team First, he tries to share the spotlight with his ‘mates. He is inspired by Special Olympians. JT has called playing hockey “HIS PASSION”. You dont think, he wont work on improving his d?
The Isles paying customers are go rabid for him. The money that can be generated from him is what Wang needs. CB, even posted a blog, saying the value a superstar can add to a franchise.
Really is this a difficult choice??
Hay CB I was wondering, if the Isles do draft JT on Friday, can you post a blog where we can apologize for all the bad things we have said in anticipation of Garth Snow making a pick we disagreed with?
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Throughout all of this debating… I have not been against Garth Snow. In fact I think he’s mostly done the right thing in the past 2 years regarding player acquisitions and last years draft etc.
I’m just in favor of him picking Tavares this year. So until then, I think he’s smart enough to know who the right choice is on all accounts. Best player, biggest “IT” factor, fan excitement and marketing/business on and off the ice.
DOC
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dose says:
#61 is right on. unless snow is flat out lying, he either tipped his hand or he and his guys know something the rest of the world (almost) is too dumb to get.
Unfortunately that means little with know-it-all Snow in the drivers seat.