Sign Barbashev, give him all the monies.

Dubas slit his own throat, can't go public saying you aren't sure you want it and then ask for a 50% wage increase and full autonomy a few days later.

Not really confident they'll hire someone more talented than Dubas to be honest. Shanahan saying they'd be looking for someone experienced is interesting, if it's a Bowman or Chiarelli type, I'm probably done with any kind of serious interest and will become more of a casual onlooker.

I can count on one hand the number of games I missed under the Dubas reign, feels a bit sad now.

Houston should get a long look, the #7 television market in the country and the NHL are in 8 of the top 10.

The owner of the Toyota CenterLorenzo Fertitta(sp?) commented while I lived there that the building had renovations done to accommodate an NHL team.

It's the only top 10 American market not to have had a team. The idea that Fort Lauderdale and Sunrise Florida can support teams and Houston couldn't is so wrong that it's ignorant.

I'd like to see someone feed Gudas his teeth.

I stand by this.

You've not done many drugs eh?

I'd like to see someone feed Gudas his teeth.

I really detest Boston, but the neanderthal in me really respects their mastery of the dark arts and it's every single player on the team.

What's the upper limit on a new deal for Bunting?

4x4=16?

I'd give him a 10 year contract now.

Likewise, the jobs his until he doesn't want it anymore.

He'd be unemployed for a few days at most if he left the Leafs, there are multiple teams that would fire their current GM just to hire Dubas.

Brownscombe/MLHS:

8.    It's pretty hard to believe that Auston Matthews is 33 games into his season and only has one multi-goal game. He had six by this time last season. He certainly deserved one tonight (six shots on goal).

Of late, most of it is down to luck. I do wonder if a small fraction of it is mindset as well. Watching him play, I never get the impression that the slower goal-scoring pace — still excellent at 42 goals, but well behind last season's otherworldly pace — is affecting his approach in the slightest. He looks like a player who is taking a lot of pride and joy in playing impeccable 200-foot hockey and piling up wins with his teammates than he is showing any concern about taking advantage of "point night" opportunities for the sake of individual trophies, scoring races, or other personal accolades. There is rarely any sign of him forcing anything or cheating.

He's arguably never looked more committed to tracking back deep into the defensive zone to break up plays and support his defensemen. You can see him highly engaged and motivated by the challenge of smothering other elite players in his matchups. He looks like a player whose sole focus is on winning games and executing the habits that are going to make the difference if and when this team finally breaks through at playoff time. Silly goal totals would obviously be fun — and may well still be in store the rest of the way — but I am getting plenty of enjoyment out of watching the total commitment to detail all over the rink in the vast majority of Matthews' games this season.

Their commentary is usually solid, as this one is.

It's crazy how some of these Matthews pieces come off, "narrative" setting pieces read like some of the crazy reporting out of Edmonton where every journalist sounds like a hype-man, for every SmartHockeyMan to have/had a management role there.

The article isn't wrong about Matthews 2 way game continuing to go relatively untalked about relative to how good it is.

If his shooting percentage comes up, he will hit 50 fairly comfortably. I do wonder if he is shooting from distance a little more to preserve the body for the playoffs.

A lot of Leafs throwing grenade passes to avoid this Isles forecheck, suboptimal.

I'd like to see Benn send someone to the shadow realm.

Anyone look at Engvall and his raw skills when he's on and his size and think he should be way better than he is?

When he really turns it on he gives me Nichushkin vibes.

It's really weird seeing a player who can't flick that switch more often.

Bunting is so perplexing, seems like the puck dies on his stick whenever he has time, but he is great for tap-ins and garbage goals.

I'd love to see Robertson on Matthews wing for ten games.

#MakePontusPermanent

Don't get me wrong, I think he has a future in the NHL. But I think he needs a full season in the AHL before being a permanent centre on a team that has Cup aspirations right now.

Also him being in the line-up means Robertson needs to come out, which is another issue.

Guy won the Swedish Conn Smythe and isn't exactly young, I'd give him a long look.

Thanks folks for the education on this, I was wrongly under the impression that this was an isolated incident that the young man had apologized and made amends for.

It's understandable why this has prompted such a visceral response in many.

It's a strange decision from the Bruins, even more callous than you'd normally expect from "Hockey Men".