Doug Weight fit to be King; Grabner 3rd in Calder; Nielsen 6th in Selke

No doubt! That’s why I try not to get too invested in the awards process. The voters are all over the map, the definitions are all over the map, and even when a voter is clear about what he/she is voting on, he might not be clear about who actually best exemplifies those qualities.

And given all that confusion, I’m almost okay with voters doing make-up/reputation votes for omissions past. Which is why I really didn’t think Lidstrom needed another, and they should have tossed one Weber’s way. (Not that single voters can swing the vote that way.)

I’m at the point where, with the Calder Grabner and Couture had better seasons than Skinner. But if they want to give super bonus points to Skinner for doing it so young, then sure, why not.

… for HER, THEM (the boyfriends) or US?

1. Every cycle of America’s Next Top Model
2. Almost every episode of Teen Mom
3. Multiple Real Housewives of Godknowswhere

That is grounds for divorce, or at least a charge for spousal abuse. I don’t understand the appeal of Teen Mom, it’s really just a tragic, tragic show.

The flipside is that she happily watches a ton more Islanders

Yeah, I accept Bravo shows as a domestic transaction cost for watching so many Islanders games. Especially since, with LHH, I “have to watch” them, honey.

Is a top LHH search term the last 3 days

Then:

Actually, my dog caught and brought me a rabbit last night, so that image is giving me flashbacks.

I’m trying to remember if they’ve had him two years in a row or if it was some other celeb Isles fan. I tend to be behind on any pop culture references that emerged after 2002.

will be Pat Benatar. Next year: a Baldwin brother to be named later.

Mariah Carey refuses to return our calls.

As a GM, I would have done the same thing. It did not work out, so what. What did work out was that the organization realized that the team needed re-structuring, hence the rebuild. We will all be a lot happier in the end for it.

and still like it.

Snow changed my mind by the end of the year though. The Smyth gamble was ballsy and still defensible in my book. The evolution in approach had me thinking, by summer 2007, that I could dig this enough to write about it every day. Whereas HWSNBN made me feel helpless, Snow’s moves generally make me think, "I understand why he might do this" even when I don’t agree with them.

…and “ballsy” is a good word to describe it. If they landed Guerin at that point it would have been less of a circus, and he would have stayed. I believe that was their first target. Smyth leaving just added to the circus atmosphere, and the exodus. It was a prety big bump… but that change of direction eventually led to the 2008 draft, Tavares, Nino and a restocked inventory of talent.

But I read that as JP grading Snow at least a B so far.

but I said that I thought he was doing a “great” job, and I have quite often listed the tremendous work he’s done since autonomy.
Your interpreter is off a bit… but understandabe. I wrote it in the context of why he wouldn’t get jack Adams consideration right now.

Much of what JP blames on garth he had no controll over. I don’t think any amount of money could of kept Smythe. In the end we didn’t give up very much at all to bring him in as a rental so no harm no foul. The DP cotract I think had more to do with Wang- who Snow still has to answer to, than Snow.

Ultimately, the team has to win, BUT the second half of last season proved that the team DID win. It was too bad that the Isles were out of the playoff hunt by Thanksgiving. I say erase the first half of last year and concentrate on what happened the second half. Re-bulds take time, many of us old-timers witnessed what resulted in the very first building of this team back in the 70’s Four Cups. I am not saying that THIS team will win four cups but, this team as it gets more mature and experienced will contend for a cup for a few years to come.

that’s where I was going. They don’t do documentaries on losers… That’s why Endy Chavez still isn’t a household name in NY.

Point of order: Eaton was the one signed with Jurcina, while Mottau was signed late and emergency-like after Streit went down, no?

(Not to gloss over the rest of your post, which I pretty much nod in agreement.)

… but will add that my B+ is based on where the team is NOW compared to where it was 3 years ago.. and wht my expectations were… and are.
There was NOTHING in the bin before the 2008 draft. There were “prospects” on the cusp like Comeau and Nielsen, but almost zilch behind them. Not one first liner (vet or prospect) and a defense that was led by such luminaries as Brendan Witt and Sean Hill.
On Bailey, my concerns are not that he is “ruined”, but not the same player that he was when they drafted him. He captained a team that went through a great tragedy… he led them to some success, and they were prepared to follow him to battle again. Instead he was given two hours a day of whiteboard hockey, and a team that wasn’t ready to compete for anything but the first pick in the next year’s draft. He also would have been a key on that WJC team, rather than watching his peers over the holidays, and getting a week of repoup time.
I expect big things from Bailey because THAT is in him. THAT doesn’t leave. He would have had an extra year in juniors, then a year under good leadership in the A where he may have also dominated… then he makes it to the Islanders in his third year… That might have been a disaster… but it was better than rushing him to sell 100 extra seats a night… and having a kid who sometimes looks like he’s not sure what his role should be.
That’s on the GM… because there’s no way Gordon was making htat call in year one.

He seemed to want a little too much face time, but whatever.

I’d be fine with Hamm. I was honestly fine with Mohr — maybe because my expectations were extremely low. I just don’t think there’s much you can do in an official NHL show capacity. They will tone you down. He got in sex, virginity, pot in Vancouver, and some joke-by-numbers digs at the lottery teams. As a distraction between awards, it was fine.

And actually, his acting in the opening 24/6 gimmick was pretty good.

Fooled you! First round of picks goes straight to Iraq!