In response to Wheatskins' comment:

Does someone have a problem with Hamilton?

If you do, let me know and I'll arrange a get-together with you and Dougie so you can sort it all out.

I'll be at the Ice Wine Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake this weekend, I'll see what Mama & Papa Hamilton have to say.

Wheats, just let him know I've got an eye on him.

Look what happened to Camara's career once the word got out!

I have listened for years and years what Don Cherry has stated  " Ya can't rush a rookie, especially a defenceman"...Now there is a lot of stuff coming out of Grapes, but this one I believe to be true. All though I can't remember who, but I'm thinking I've heard other hockey people make this same statement...

I've not watched Hamilton play junior hockey. Only this last WJH series. And from what I saw, I'll repeat again what I've posted. He's not ready for NHL, but don't let him go back to juniors but let him play in the AHL...As Grapes would say "you'll ruin the poor kid"....( same goes for goalies)....I've heard them mentioned as well....

In response to Chowdahkid-'s comment:

In response to jmwalters' comment:

In response to Chowdahkid-'s comment:

In response to jmwalters' comment:

In response to shuperman's comment:

In response to jmwalters' comment:

In response to BadHabitude's comment:

and I never thought I'd say this, but even the anouncers last night were talking about sending Hamilton back to jr during or after his 6 game limit.

That would be interesting. I think it was just assumed by many that Hamilton would walk in and take a top 4 spot. If he is sent back to juniors I am not sure who moves up. McQuaid is a bottom pairing guy and just coming off a major injury to boot. Johnson? Bartkowsi? Warsofsky? Hmm.....

I've been chatting about this recently.  We need a solid dman pickup.  Someone who can log some key minutes.  McQ is not a top 4. Neither is AF. Boychuk is borderline.  Chara seidz are studs.  After them it's a crap shoot for minutes.  

I like the redden idea.  He played with chara.  Would come cheap and will do everything to show the world why he was a world class player.  

I have been rather cold to the Redden idea since Freidman mentioned it because, well, its Redden....a guy who has been sucking even in the AHL. That said, he may well be a decent temporary option, provided he comes cheap as you say. We should have suspected something was up with that report, obviously PC is starting to weigh his options.

If this is true, why are there reportedly many teams interested in him with Friedman's rumour ? Your opinion of how he's been playing might be a bit off compared to what NHL people think.

P.S. In the rumour it was suggested Redden has been playing well and should be in the NHL.

Three teams do not constitute "many." He is pursued for the same reason the Corvo's and Commodore's of the world still find employment....teams are desperate to find warm bodies to plug holes in their D and hope to catch lightning in a bottle.

Ummm................. I lstened to Friedman's interview and those were three stated off the top of his head . He didn't name them all as it was a question directed at him in mid sentence of another thought which he continued on with. 

Many !

So we ar basing this all on an offhand comment made by a reporter who was just musing from the top of his head while answering a completely different question......solid.

In response to jmwalters' comment:

In response to Chowdahkid-'s comment:

In response to jmwalters' comment:

In response to Chowdahkid-'s comment:

In response to jmwalters' comment:

In response to shuperman's comment:

In response to jmwalters' comment:

In response to BadHabitude's comment:

and I never thought I'd say this, but even the anouncers last night were talking about sending Hamilton back to jr during or after his 6 game limit.

That would be interesting. I think it was just assumed by many that Hamilton would walk in and take a top 4 spot. If he is sent back to juniors I am not sure who moves up. McQuaid is a bottom pairing guy and just coming off a major injury to boot. Johnson? Bartkowsi? Warsofsky? Hmm.....

I've been chatting about this recently.  We need a solid dman pickup.  Someone who can log some key minutes.  McQ is not a top 4. Neither is AF. Boychuk is borderline.  Chara seidz are studs.  After them it's a crap shoot for minutes.  

I like the redden idea.  He played with chara.  Would come cheap and will do everything to show the world why he was a world class player.  

I have been rather cold to the Redden idea since Freidman mentioned it because, well, its Redden....a guy who has been sucking even in the AHL. That said, he may well be a decent temporary option, provided he comes cheap as you say. We should have suspected something was up with that report, obviously PC is starting to weigh his options.

If this is true, why are there reportedly many teams interested in him with Friedman's rumour ? Your opinion of how he's been playing might be a bit off compared to what NHL people think.

P.S. In the rumour it was suggested Redden has been playing well and should be in the NHL.

Three teams do not constitute "many." He is pursued for the same reason the Corvo's and Commodore's of the world still find employment....teams are desperate to find warm bodies to plug holes in their D and hope to catch lightning in a bottle.

Ummm................. I lstened to Friedman's interview and those were three stated off the top of his head . He didn't name them all as it was a question directed at him in mid sentence of another thought which he continued on with. 

Many !

So we ar basing this all on an offhand comment made by a reporter who was just musing from the top of his head while answering a completely different question......solid.

Actually JM, my buddy who scouts the Eastern teams told me last year that the Rangers were very pleased with how Redden was playing in the minors and that he was clearly just priced out of a position with the big club. They apparently really liked the way he helped out the younger players and couldn't say enough about how much he acted like a pro with his attitude, etc. I'd love to see Redden in Boston for a low price. Like Shupe pointed out, everyone counted Souray out too.

In response to jmwalters' comment:

In response to dezaruchi's comment:

Actually JM, my buddy who scouts the Eastern teams told me last year that the Rangers were very pleased with how Redden was playing in the minors and that he was clearly just priced out of a position with the big club. They apparently really liked the way he helped out the younger players and couldn't say enough about how much he acted like a pro with his attitude, etc. I'd love to see Redden in Boston for a low price. Like Shupe pointed out, everyone counted Souray out too.

Fair enough then Dez. As long as he gets Scott Hannan money ($1mill) and not Travis Zajac money ($1 zilllion)....:)

You read my mind JM because 1 mill is the amount I was thinking.

In response to dezaruchi's comment:

Actually JM, my buddy who scouts the Eastern teams told me last year that the Rangers were very pleased with how Redden was playing in the minors and that he was clearly just priced out of a position with the big club. They apparently really liked the way he helped out the younger players and couldn't say enough about how much he acted like a pro with his attitude, etc. I'd love to see Redden in Boston for a low price. Like Shupe pointed out, everyone counted Souray out too.

Fair enough then Dez. As long as he gets Scott Hannan money ($1mill) and not Travis Zajac money ($1 zilllion)....:)

It was the worst game I've seen him play, including the jr championship when they played the U.S.

I thought Hamilton looked better, actually good and NHL ready in last year's preseason games.

And I think a couple players from that AHL lineup have earned some NHL spots for the first few games until a couple of roster guys get it together.

In response to dezaruchi's comment:

In response to BadHabitude's comment:

In response to SanDogBrewin's comment:

In response to BadHabitude's comment:

and I never thought I'd say this, but even the anouncers last night were talking about sending Hamilton back to jr during or after his 6 game limit.

Why do you think 10th round draft pick Bob Beers is in a radio booth and not a scout, on an NHL development team or a coach ?

Hey, don't get me wrong, I am very high on this kid.

But he was just horrendous last night.

Again - what happened?

Absolutely false. Either your expectations are way too high or you really don't know what you're talking about. Actually, I now suspect it's a combination of the two.

horrendous ???   no comment , I'm with you Dez.

In response to Chowdahkid-'s comment:

In response to BadHabitude's comment:

It was the worst game I've seen him play, including the jr championship when they played the U.S.

I thought Hamilton looked better, actually good and NHL ready in last year's preseason games.

And I think a couple players from that AHL lineup have earned some NHL spots for the first few games until a couple of roster guys get it together.

Because of the sample size ?

Your dramatic, roller coaster emotions and opinions are mind boggling. They can get a bit extreme at times. LOL

Well, you might have something there.  Check the SC predictions thread.  I have Hamilton picked for the Calder.

Blame the wild swings starting with Joe Thornton.  I was so thrilled when he and Samsonov were drafted.  And that season I grew to hate Thornton.  And then the next one was Kessel, again another that I grew to hate.  

Then the long bitter fight over the Kessel trade.

And I really regret not having made my sentiments about those guys known earlier.

I felt emotionally ripped off by both of those guys.  Now I don't want to be late to turn on 

What is reasonable to expect from him?

I find Scotty Bowman's old line about every rookie in the lineup costing you x number of games (I can't remember what the number way) is generally accurate.  High-value rookies will help you win, but they will also, because they are rookies, make bonehead plays that cost you games.  There's no way around it, and you hope that your team is significantly more talented with that rookie in the lineup than the vet who might have replaced him.  I was thinking about this on Sunday when Atlanta took out the Seahawks.  Russell Wilson made a rookie mistake at the end of the first half that cost the Hawks a field goal attempt.  The Seahawks ultimately lost the game by less than a field goal.  You can look at that one moment and say, yes, there are all sorts of other things that might have gone differently if other players had been better, but that's a play where a typical rookie mistake is easy to isolate for its damage to Wilson's chances of winning.

These will happen to Hamilton.  He'll miss a coverage, pull a Wideman trying to get back on a two on one, make a terrible pass that puts the puck on Crosby's stick in the slot.  It's going to happen mid-way through the third in a tied game, result in a goal and a spot in the doghouse, and cost the Bruins a game.  Be prepared for it because there's nothing you can do about it.  He's a rookie.

I think his overall impact on the Bruins will be more significant for the pressure it puts on the opposing D - he can make better long passes than most of the Bruin D, and, if he isn't scared into submission by Julien, he has the instinct and the stride to appear in the rush unexpectedly.  Just the need to account for what he can do will open up space, and that will make a difference even if it isn't immediately obvious that it's Hamilton that is making it happen.

A question for you guys.  

You guys say drafting and evaluating talent is a bit of a crap shoot, an inexact science.  

And I agree with that.

You're willing to forgive the Bruins scouting for drafting a guy who can't skate (Reul).

Obviously I'm not a pro scout - so how come I'm held more accountable for my likes & dislikes & picks?  Why should I be held to a higher standard than them?

So far I've been totally wrong on one guy, Camara.

I've published my alternate picks & evaluations in the prospects thread, but I'll put them in here again.

2010 1 2 Tyler Seguin C *LOVED* the pick, 

2010 2 32 Jared Knight RW Did not like this pick, would have taken Tyler Toffoli

2010 2 45 Ryan Spooner C Did not like this pick, would have taken John McFarland

2010 4 97 Craig Cunningham LW   2010 5 135 Justin Florek F  

2010 6 165 Zane Gothberg G   2010 7 195 Maxim Chudinov D  

2010 7 210 Zach Trotman D  

2011 1 9 Dougie Hamilton D *LOVED* the pick, hard worker in camp

2011 2 40 Alexander Khokhlachez LW agree with this pick, hard worker in camp

2011 3 81 Anthony Camara LW didn't like the pick, did not impress me in camp, would have taken Joshua Leivo

2011 4 121 Brian Ferlin RW agree with this pick, raw talent from FLA

2011 5 151 Rob O'Gara D didn't like the pick, would have taken Darren Kramer from WHL Spokane Chiefs

2011 6 181 Lars Volden G hated this pick, was horrible at camp,  would have taken Mitchell Theoret from the ice dogs

2012 1 24 Malcolm Subban G *LOVED* this pick

2012 3 85 Matthew Grzelcyk D Hate this pick (size), would have taken Josh Anderson from the London Knights

2012 5 131 Seth Griffith F Hate this pick (age, size), would have taken Connor Brown from the Erie Otters

2012 5 145 Cody Payne F Agree with this pick

2012 6 175 Matthew Benning F Hate this pick (nepotism) would have taken Colin Smith from Kamloops Blazers

OK.  So any draft picks that I agree with and/or make it are either no brainers or a fluke.

Otherwise I'm outright wrong.

How am I blowing my own horn?

My biggest gripe about Bruins drafting is their picks that are losers like Cross, Reul and Volden.  From seeing them, from stats from any way you look at it they were wasted draft picks.

Benning and Grzelcyk are on the edge.

Looks like I have to update my spreadsheet again with picks I didn't like, hated, really hated and really really really hated.

Bottom line.  I'd like to see the Bruins draft *better* than they do.  At least - one NHLer out of every draft.

Anyone notice how Dez & Chowda always gang up on me over this?  They oughtta fight their own battles.  And no one ever calls third man in.  Talk about a rigged nhloa (giving a nod to null in whatever hole he lives in)

What about the guys who they pick and who I liked at camp?

Are you guys saying you love every pick the Bruins make and would have picked exactly the same guys?

Come on now, give a BadHab abreak.

Yah.  A good rap session with other victims makes me feel a lot better, kind of empowering.  One day I'll be able to leave the shelter.

In response to BadHabitude's comment:

Yah.  A good rap session with other victims makes me feel a lot better, kind of empowering.  One day I'll be able to leave the shelter.

I cut myself to ease the pain.