NHLTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsNHL DraftPlayoff BracketPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksFantasy cheat sheet 4h agoWe’re now just a week away from the start of the NHL season, meaning hockey fans are being flooded with season previews. That’s great for most of us, as we head into a new year clinging to optimism and best-case scenarios. But for fans of teams that are rebuilding or just plain bad, preview season just means any lingering hope gets squeezed out, as every preview seems to echo the same theme: Your team is bad, and your team stinks.AdvertisementThat’s where today’s column...…NHLTeamsScores & ScheduleStandingsNHL DraftPlayoff BracketPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksFantasy cheat sheet 4h agoWe’re now just a week away from the start of the NHL season, meaning hockey fans are being flooded with season previews. That’s great for most of us, as we head into a new year clinging to optimism and best-case scenarios. But for fans of teams that are rebuilding or just plain bad, preview season just means any lingering hope gets squeezed out, as every preview seems to echo the same theme: Your team is bad, and your team stinks.AdvertisementThat’s where today’s column...WW…

Mar 11, 2021One of my favorite movie characters is Count Rugen from “The Princess Bride.” He’s the creepy bad guy who’s trying to write the definitive work on the subject of pain. He’s fascinated by how much can be endured, and just how bad it can get. The sports fan side of me kind of gets where he’s coming from. Misery is interesting to me.I’m also a fan. These two facts may be related.With three decades of Maple Leafs pain under my belt, I’m getting close to self-appointed expert status on the subject. But these days, there isn’t a ton of Leafs-related agony to be found. Toronto is...…Mar 11, 2021One of my favorite movie characters is Count Rugen from “The Princess Bride.” He’s the creepy bad guy who’s trying to write the definitive work on the subject of pain. He’s fascinated by how much can be endured, and just how bad it can get. The sports fan side of me kind of gets where he’s coming from. Misery is interesting to me.I’m also a fan. These two facts may be related.With three decades of Maple Leafs pain under my belt, I’m getting close to self-appointed expert status on the subject. But these days, there isn’t a ton of Leafs-related agony to be found. Toronto is...WW…

Dec 4, 2020Picture a hockey player. Not a specific one, but your version of the archetypal player, the generic one that comes to mind when you think about the sport.Chances are, you’re picturing some growling menace with a black eye, missing teeth, and an angry expression. Maybe a scar or two, or cartoon-style bandage. That’s hockey, right? It’s a sport that’s all about toughness, where a punch in the face is just part of the deal. Not everyone plays like that, of course, but the real ones do. for the win, am I right?Except … lots of the ’s best ever players don’t really fit that mold,...…Dec 4, 2020Picture a hockey player. Not a specific one, but your version of the archetypal player, the generic one that comes to mind when you think about the sport.Chances are, you’re picturing some growling menace with a black eye, missing teeth, and an angry expression. Maybe a scar or two, or cartoon-style bandage. That’s hockey, right? It’s a sport that’s all about toughness, where a punch in the face is just part of the deal. Not everyone plays like that, of course, but the real ones do. for the win, am I right?Except … lots of the ’s best ever players don’t really fit that mold,...WW…

May 28, 2020It started with a question from a reader: What if the NHL held a draft where each of the 24 teams who’ll be resuming the season could pick one player from the seven outsiders?Not permanently. Just a loaner, one that would join a contender for the rest of whatever the 2019-20 season looks like, then return to his original team for next year and beyond. Consider it a temporary boost to a postseason that’s already breaking most of the rules anyway.Would the NHL ever do this? Of course not, for a million reasons, starting with the fact that it barely makes sense. But it wouldn’t be...…May 28, 2020It started with a question from a reader: What if the NHL held a draft where each of the 24 teams who’ll be resuming the season could pick one player from the seven outsiders?Not permanently. Just a loaner, one that would join a contender for the rest of whatever the 2019-20 season looks like, then return to his original team for next year and beyond. Consider it a temporary boost to a postseason that’s already breaking most of the rules anyway.Would the NHL ever do this? Of course not, for a million reasons, starting with the fact that it barely makes sense. But it wouldn’t be...WW…