17to85

Washington. But I believe Woods will dress. Washington is an unreliable yet occasionally spectacular punt returner, I really don't see him being the guy for that job in O'Shea's eyes unless something changes in-game, like Woods being injured. Not sure if you know this but...Washington has been fielding punts in practice. So,unless O'Shea suddenly doesn't like what he has seen from Washington in practice, I think it's safe to assume he will be used on punt returns during games. How many other guys have been returning punts? IMO, Washington is the next guy up if Woods goes down in game. Not surprising that he'd be fielding punts in practice, but I don't think that will affect our DI's or Woods status on the team. - One other guy -- Leggett. And it wasn't much. I do. With Ford looking ready to backup Grigsby & return kicks I could see Woods sitting out this week, and O'Shea using 3 DI's on D. And with the possibility of Bryant joining the WBB, the BB may be using Washington as a PR more than you think. They got woods into a lot of plays in preseason, I don't see any way they leave him off knowing how much our offensive coordinator likes to have players like that he can use in a variety of different ways. Ford isn't the same kind of player so I don't see him being there to backup the RB position ahead of Woods being on the roster. Now maybe they surprise us, but common sense seems to point to things going one way.

ehh pretty sure Spuds was a big Kelly apologist, it's no wonder he's out of sorts at a player who bailed on that assclown. Players always quit on bad coaches. We had a lot of guys quit on Tim Burke last year and we never see any comments about them because #1 Burke didn't trade them and #2 Burke didn't try and save face by trashing them for it in the media.

2012 # 1: Yak. At this stage I'd rather have Kane. So that year, Kane for #1 would have favoured Edmonton 2011 # 1: RNH. Again, at this stage, I'd rather have Kane. 2006 # 1: Erik Johnson. Rather have Kane. 2003 #1: MAF. Rather have Kane. 2001 #1: Kovalchuk. Points to be made either way but if Kane has a long career and doesnt bolt to the KHL, then Kane's the better deal. 2000 #1: Rick DiPietro. Rather have Kane. 1999 #1: Patrick Stefan. Rather have Kane. 1996 #1: Chris Phillps. Rather have Kane. The list goes on. A player you *know* is a top 5 pick calibre player versus a pick you *hope* is. as I said, you really are over valuing Kane. Yakupov having a down year in a year when most oiler players had down years doesn't diminish his value that much, and if you think Kane is a better player than RNH you clearly don't watch RNH play. His point totals might have lagged lately but he is playing a very tough role as a skinny young centre in the biggest toughest division in hockey. as for the rest of the comparables, 2000 was a hell of a long time ago already so that's what I said, you gotta go back a long way. Fleury I'd have ahead of Kane too because for all his faults the guy is still a cup winning goaltender. Johnson is a tougher one, but this past season he did look like that legit #1 D which is more valuable than Kane. Now granted Johnson had some early issues, but I wonder how much of that was related to screwing up his knee getting out of a golf cart? Now let's look at some others... Hall is way ahead of Kane, Tavares is way ahead of Kane, Mckinnon is way ahead of Kane, Kane is way ahead of Kane, Crosby and Ovechkin no more needs to be said. The fact that you even think Kane is on a comparable level to Kovalchuk says all I need to know about how you over value Kane. Kovalchuk did way more than Kane ever has. Kane is a nice player, but these days the first overall pick is so well scouted it's a gimmie pick.

#1 picks are hardly mystery door #1. You gotta go back a long way to find one that didn't pan out.

what I don't get is why Durant is on a players to watch list... He's been playing at a high level for years now, might as well have put Ricky Ray and Henry Burris on the list as well.

Kane for #1 favours Florida. Only in your mind. This draft is not as weak as people make it out to be, there are some pretty good pieces in the top 4 or 5. They're not surefire like some of the past drafts but they are pretty "safe" while still having high potential. Kane doesn't have that kind of value because top line centres or top pairing D (which is what the top 4 of this draft is) are more valuable than wingers.

what I'm saying is that kane for #1 is not bloody likely to happen. Florida will take Ekblad and trust that he turns into that top pairing defenseman he is projected to be but for a team to convince them to move down it's going to be a payment that you don't want to part with, like 9th overall and a pretty big piece. Stop trying to make a fair trade because a fair trade isn't going to happen any trade involving the #1 overall is going to favour Florida by quite a bit otherwise what's their incentive to do it?

and to think there were a lot of very vocal people who actually supported the crap Kelly was doing

pretty sure that's just around the other side of the lake from me here in Ontario... yeah I am pretty sure it's an Ontario one.

too many rider homers online to get real consensus picks anyway, rider homers will pick their rider players skewing the results.

you don't seem to grasp the idea that Florida wants a high first round pick as well.... Why does every trade you suggest involve under paying compared to what is being asked? Florida isn't unhappy to be forced to take the best player in the draft, but they're willing to go down if some team gives them a stupid price.

Florida has a guy they'd like to get but they can't justify taking him at #1 overall but they don't think he'll be around past a certain point, that's there whole mentality here.

Because one person knocked the guy and its fun to gang up and trash a guy before he even has played a reg season game. I would say this about Aaron Kelly. Dunn just hasn't really impressed me since his opening 2 games against a broken Montreal. He has a strong openg two games and then didn't really do much since. same could be said of the entire defence last year though.

The entire team week in and week out quit on Tim Burke last season why is no one bitching that we brought back so many of them? Time to get over it, Kelly was a dink and alienated more than one player who isn't a problem player.

catch is that Florida apparently specified they don't want to move further than 8

We're starting Aaron Kelly, safe to say there's trouble.

Florida wants a D and to pass up on Ekblad they need a young D coming back plus a pick in the top 8, I suspect Vancouver is reluctant to give them the D that they want.

Rumour is that Vancouver offered 6th overall, Shinkaruk and a roster player for the pick and Florida didn't take it.

since when is Dunn so unpopular? I thought he played well enough at the position last year being a rookie and all that.

definitely going with the guy they like better. I think there is no question at this point that Tate is the better player but if they're close in the eyes of the coaches and BLM isn't an injury risk and a bit of a flake then why not go with him?

for all the raving people did about the "higher calibre prospects" the Bombers had this year it's quite apparent that this current scouting staff is not as good at finding american recruits as the last staff was. Maybe they get better as they have more time to get everything going but the crop of WRs they brought in this year was pretty lacklustre.

good on them for trying to make the games more of an event... but if they want people to stay and drink after the games maybe stop playing ******* thursday night games!

of course you would cause it's terrible value for Edmonton.

I'd rather Bryant than Kelly

just Yakupov is doing a great disservice to the kid. Here's the thing, I think Kane is a really good player, but he's got issues of his own too that do hold his value back. I also get very angry when people try and downplay Yakupov because it's always with a bunch of bullshit that they read online which has no basis in truth. The fact is that Yakupov has a great attitude and is one of the hardest workers who does care about improving his game. My number 1 reason why I think the Jets won't trade Kane is because he has more value to them than he does to anyone else. No one is going to give an overpayment for Kane so you're better off keeping him.