One could hope...

[cromag]

...that even with the mess that is Lightning ownership our new scouting department will save the day and bring us a very successful draft. Will Lawton be smart enough to listen to what they have to say?

[John F]

...that even with the mess that is Lightning ownership our new scouting department will save the day and bring us a very successful draft. Will Lawton be smart enough to listen to what they have to say?

Lawton only plans to be involved with the #1 pick. It's the staff choices for every other round.

The staff needed revamping, but I still find it insulting that they painted the cuts as not financial. Who are they kidding? Feaster at least was straight forward about cutting scouts to save money and invest it in the roster.

[Sotnos]

John, let me just say that calling the owners "OK (Not Really) Hockey" is golden. :)

[John F]

John, let me just say that calling the owners "OK (Not Really) Hockey" is golden. :)

You know, I really wanted to stop saying that until this blew up in our faces yesterday with ownership infighting... If the shoe fits...

[cromag]

Lawton only plans to be involved with the #1 pick. It's the staff choices for every other round.

The staff needed revamping, but I still find it insulting that they painted the cuts as not financial. Who are they kidding? Feaster at least was straight forward about cutting scouts to save money and invest it in the roster.

I truly hope you're right about Lawton only being involved with the 1st pick. And yes, Lawton is silly for trying to say the staff cuts aren't financial in reasoning :rolleyes:

[astro]

Maybe Lawton will make a trade with the Islanders to get the number one pick and then select himself. He'll make history being picked first overall twice :p

[aapbolt]

yet they had the money to send the little pustis dog to montreal to cover the draft. go figure.

[pete]

It is indeed a cruel injustice that Duemig will be in Montreal to cover the draft, but Erik Erlendsson won't. That just isn't right on so many levels.

[Flycoon]

Deumig has stated he won't show up if V4 is traded prior to the draft or he gets word something solid is in the works. Sure, BD. Your nose is so far up OK's keister there's no way this happen. He will have a spontaneous orgasm when the announcement is made of a trade for Subban and Higgins and a 4th.

[John F]

yet they had the money to send the little pustis dog to montreal to cover the draft. go figure.

It's the cash they saved from the scouting cuts! Duh! ;)

[Sotnos]

Deumig has stated he won't show up if V4 is traded prior to the draft or he gets word something solid is in the works. Sure, BD. Your nose is so far up OK's keister there's no way this happen. He will have a spontaneous orgasm when the announcement is made of a trade for Subban and Higgins and a 4th.
I have examples of several people arguing elsewhere that this is totally incorrect, Duemig isn't anyone's mouthpiece as he frequently confronts his targets face to face, and he's said he's not going if Vinny is traded so he's beyond reproach. I dunno what these people are smoking.

[aapbolt]

John F...that was funny. I personally do not think that duemig knows anything about what is or is not going to happen during the draft. I also think that since his way has been paid for, and I doubt he will pay his own way back from Montreal, that he will praise whatever the slizzard and OK do at the draft. to be honest if they draft well I will praise them also, but if they screw up then i will rake them over hot coals, which is more than the little pustis dog will do.

[John F]

Sotnos, those standing up for Duemig... well, they're AM Radio people. That's the only way to describe it. It's a generalization, of course, but it's a generalization that's got some meaning to it...

[aapbolt]

Obviously duemig missed ethics class the day they talked about ethics in journalism and and not putting yourself in a compromising situation. He must have been in the bar, again. Oh wait its ok he's Duemig :duh:

[Kowalski]

For what it's worth, on the way home the other day, I **did*** hear Duemig say he wouldn't have anything to do with the Lightning if they traded Vinny. Does that mean he won't go to the draft? Who knows. I'm impartial to him, but I'd tend to agree with that. I think it's a slap in the face to Tampa Bay, even if it is money related. I pray that the 2nd rounders turn out to be contributors in the future.

[Sotnos]

Sotnos, those standing up for Duemig... well, they're AM Radio people. That's the only way to describe it. It's a generalization, of course, but it's a generalization that's got some meaning to it...
Ah, I think I know what you mean. ;)

[Wrong Net Paulie]

Last years draft I felt went fairly well for them.

I don't think money was the only reason for slashing the scouting budget this year, you just have more tools available now. (Thats something i've been looking at, actually... writing another piece of scouting software using more metrics to almost a baseball scale, hey, it combines two things I love, programming and hockey)

I'm sure one of the reasons was money, but I also think one of the reasons is that you don't have to send guys everywhere anymore, not with technology and the internet today. If you were a business owner and could get full game films from Europe of a Jakub Kindl, would you?

Scout from the couch baby.

Anyways, i'm interested in seeing how they judge talent in this draft. Again, this is one of those things that outside of a huge curveball of a pick, take years to see really how well they drafted.

[WaiverWire]

I have known Steve for many years now. 1st off he is not a journalist, he is nothing more than a talk show host and he will be the 1st one to tell you that. This is why you do not see him in locker rooms after games as this is not what he does. He generates sports talk on the radio and does a very good job getting people to tune in whether they like him or loath him. During his career here he has made many friends within the sport teams, players and management to the common worker, we have here. There has been a number of times I have been with him and he has received a call from a player or management letting him in on something. Sometimes he has talked about it sometimes he has not.

I will bet that if the Lightning has paid his way to the draft, then someone is talking to him. And then to hear him say he would not be going if Vinny was traded tells me someone has definitely talked to him.

Now my fingers are crossed that the "too good to pass up deal" doesn't come to be.

[CTLightning26]

I have known Steve for many years now. 1st off he is not a journalist, he is nothing more than a talk show host and he will be the 1st one to tell you that. This is why you do not see him in locker rooms after games as this is not what he does. He generates sports talk on the radio and does a very good job getting people to tune in whether they like him or loath him. During his career here he has made many friends within the sport teams, players and management to the common worker, we have here. There has been a number of times I have been with him and he has received a call from a player or management letting him in on something. Sometimes he has talked about it sometimes he has not.

.

I agree. Sports talk show guys are there to entertain and inform when they have some sources that give them info. They are not beat reporters.
I have met Steve a few times and I thought he was fine..He is what he is.....He pisses you off or you totally agree with him. Sometimes both in the same show (I still can't understand how he could take the side of that girls hoop team coach who decided to press and keep starters in, shooting 3s, to score a 100-0 win)...That's what most talk show hosts do.
I will say this though, he kinda throws out the softy questions when he is interviewing someone in person and maybe that's what the Lightning wanted....He's happy to rip people when they are not there..
and another thing...can OK Hockey be going broke if they are paying the Big Dog's way to Montreal?

[Sotnos]

I will bet that if the Lightning has paid his way to the draft, then someone is talking to him. And then to hear him say he would not be going if Vinny was traded tells me someone has definitely talked to him.
Pretty much no one (outside of Eklund) thinks he'll be traded this weekend at this point, so he's not putting himself out on a limb, exactly.

The talk from the Duemig lovers now is that they're convinced now that everything's Barrie's fault because big dog told them so. :rolleyes: I don't have a problem with him for the most part (except when he pimps products and injects politics into his show) and I listen to him plenty. I just don't understand taking what he says as gospel & being swayed by it.

[RSchmitz]

Duemig suffers from some terrible mood swings. He also doesn't allow for differing opinions unless your very skilled at sugar coating it. But I do listen to him sometimes, there aren't any good alternatives.

[WaiverWire]

That was a great segment with Tocc. He made it kind of clear with what he was saying that Vinny is part of this team, and is taking on a new summer program to get better. The most interesting part was Vinny has hired two speed skating coaches with the goal of being quicker to the puck. Now how can you trade a star with that type of attitude?

[RSchmitz]

That was a great segment with Tocc. He made it kind of clear with what he was saying that Vinny is part of this team, and is taking on a new summer program to get better. The most interesting part was Vinny has hired two speed skating coaches with the goal of being quicker to the puck. Now how can you trade a star with that type of attitude?

Because he couldn't maintain that attitude throughout the season? That is of course if you believe that injuries and the crappy record didn't play a role in that.

[Avery86]

Because he couldn't maintain that attitude throughout the season? That is of course if you believe that injuries and the crappy record didn't play a role in that.

Do you? The reason I ask is because you brought it up.