Captains Head West…
In a one-week span (during the offseason) two Eastern Conference team captains head to the Western Conference. The first trade took place on September 10th. The Montreal Canadiens sent captain Max Pacioretty to the Vegas Golden Knights. In return the Montreal Canadiens received Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki, and a 2019 Second Round Pick. If that was not enough the Ottawa Senators sent their captain Erik Karlsson and Francis Perron to the San Jose Sharks in a monster deal. In return the Senators receive a large package of players – Josh Norris, Chris Tierney, Rudolfs Balcers, Dylan DeMeio, Conditional 2020 1stRound Pick, Conditional 2019 2ndRound Pick, and 2 more Conditional Picks. Well my takes on this – take #1 –
[ctt template=”10″ link=”c44x3″ via=”yes” ]With Karlsson and Pacioretty traded now we can all talk about the game instead of them, for that I am thankful [/ctt]
— Montreal was forced to move Pacioretty, their return. Not too bad. I think it will pay off for Montreal in the future, and honestly, I think Pacioretty will not have an easy time playing in the physical Western Conference. As far as the Karlsson trade…. He is one of the best defensemen in the NHL so no matter what you get in return it will look like garbage. Ottawa is a mess, and this is par for the course. The Western Conference just got better.
Drug Policy
The NHL is not running and hiding from the fact that marijuana is becoming legal in some US states and may just become legal in all of Canada. They laid down the law by saying that they will not be changing any of the leagues drug policies making it still an illegal substance. Great move NHL. I am with you on this one.
Crawford Is Out
Just when things could not get worse in Chicago they did! Corey Crawford is very doubtful for the start of this season. I also don’t think I am going out on a limb by saying that I would not be at all surprised if he did not play a game this season. It is scary how quickly things fell apart in Chicago.
Bobrovsky Wants Big $
Columbus looks to be in goalie trouble. Sergei Bobrovsky heads into the final year of his contract and things do not look optimistic. Bobrovsky wants to be the top paid goaltender in the league and I am not sure that Blue Jackets management is on that some page. I ask the question, should he be the highest paid goalie in the league? I guess my answer would be no, he is good but not that good. I would feel a lot different if he had some playoff success under his belt.
Prayers to Humboldt
We close the chapter on the Humboldt Broncos tragedy. No this does not mean we will forget or that we will quit praying for them. It just means that it is time for us to let players, families, friends and Humboldt the privacy to move on. The first game back for the Humboldt Broncos was last Wednesday night. It was exciting, it was emotional, it was amazing. Amazing to see a community come back together doing what they love…watching hockey. The ceremony was heartbreaking but yet amazing. I pray for the families. I will never forget this tragic accident and I will always pray for everyone involved. Prayers to Humboldt…
Brad Burud the owner/editor of the Inside Edge Hockey News. I am a huge fan of hockey, from youth hockey, to junior hockey, and of course professional hockey. I have played, coached, worked as statistician, and watched hockey all of my life. Hockey is not just a game, it is a lifestyle and family. The game of hockey is great! It can bring you nights of great enjoyment. It also brings nights where you feel like your team will never win. I am proud to be a journalist for the greatest game in the world. I have a degree in Business Administration, Psychology from Minot State University. I also have a Hockey General Manager and Scouting, and Sports Communications/Journalism degree from Sports Management Worldwide. I am also a member of the Sports Executives Association. Most of all I am a fan. Hockey is a huge part of my life and my families life.