best i could come up with is he's making $400k over there.

not sure the above referenced law or roberts court would have much sway in canada
- Tumbleweed

All that can be said is God bless Canada!! But be diligent the oligarchs think 50-100 years out.

Point about Matthews is he has given himself options by being drafted out of ANY league besides the CHL. Hopefully he's paved a road for others to follow.

I do disagree but also curious still as to why you think Drouin has proven himself in the NHL when nearly everyone else thinks he has not.
- Kucherovski

Be careful about appealing to a mass consensus, because for the most part those people have no clue what they're saying. Drouin is a positive relative possession player on a great possession team, indicating that for a rookie winger he is fantastic.

Consider Max Domi and Ryan Johansen, despite their reps, don't have this figured out yet.

Also, his assists per sixty essentially elite, and again, he's a rookie.

It only offends me that some of the worst posters think I would write anything for hits or to get attention. But that isn't about my feelings, that is just a scary way to treat ideas, as I have said.
- James_Tanner

"You're either with us or against us"! Then erase history........

It only offends me that some of the worst posters think I would write anything for hits or to get attention. But that isn't about my feelings, that is just a scary way to treat ideas, as I have said.
- James_Tanner

You stand with Jonathan Drouin, you believe the owner of Tampa is running a legal ponzi scheme to help millionaires keep their money away from regulators and have stated that Drouin is an all star. You have no factual evidence of any of this. This is or is not just a blog about your feelings towards Drouin?

I have no idea, this is now out of my scope. Was Matthews rights owned by a team in the CHL?
- tomburton99

i don't believe so.

to be honest, it's just my guess. I feel like there must be something blocking most players from doing what mathews did, otherwise it would happen more.

that or mathews is a trailblazer and opened up a new career path.

You stand with Jonathan Drouin, you believe the owner of Tampa is running a legal ponzi scheme to help millionaires keep their money away from regulators and have stated that Drouin is an all star. You have no factual evidence of any of this. This is or is not just a blog about your feelings towards Drouin?
- tomburton99

Will 2008 do?

The NHL - and its fans - don't respect anyone who has a different opinion about anything. I won't be arguing this with people all day long. I just suggest that people be open minded and think about why Drouin is such a bad guy, but it's OK for Yzerman to act like he's five and ruin his career until he's 26. (I saw many people suggest he should).

You don't have agree with me, but I laid out my reasons, so saying that I'm just saying this just to say it is offensive.
- James_Tanner

You're giving a different opinion just for the sake of being different and collecting hits (aka being a troll). But this isn't news to anyone who has frequented this site.

Why give a different opinion if you can't even support it or back it up? The points you tried to make in your blog (comparing him to the owner) were incredibly weak and for the most part irrelevant. The better reasons you give still entirely miss the forest for the trees as you just prove that you don't understand the slightest about business management or law. You've given no reason whatsoever as to why Drouin should be given special treatment relative to other high end prospects (e.g. Nylander) and I don't think there is any good reasons you can give...

Be careful about appealing to a mass consensus, because for the most part those people have no clue what they're saying. Drouin is a positive relative possession player on a great possession team, indicating that for a rookie winger he is fantastic.

Consider Max Domi and Ryan Johansen, despite their reps, don't have this figured out yet.

Also, his assists per sixty essentially elite, and again, he's a rookie.
- James_Tanner

Look at his 1st assist per 60, not all that great. John Scott has more goals per minute played than Drouin. Stats can be manipulated any way someone wants. Drouin has not proven anything otherwise I don't think Yzerman would have sent him to the AHL.

5'10 on skates??? Nuge started out playing NHL at about 170lbs also. Hell, Jared Spurgeon is an excellent D-man and he's 5'9, 176lbs...

As they say, it's not the size of the dog in the fight...
- lumlums

Agree with the "big enough" part of what you're saying, I'll agree with the OP about the good "enough part" though. He got drafted by a good team, and knowing that, willingly signed his ELC. I'm sure there is a photo somewhere of him doing so and smiling with his agent Walsh looking over his shoulder.

Good players drafted by good teams have a harder time cracking the lineup. Some willingly, if begrudgingly, pay the dues and accept that challenge, others force their way out of town. Pretty easy to infer which type of player most GMs would classify a "winner".

i don't believe so.

to be honest, it's just my guess. I feel like there must be something blocking most players from doing what mathews did, otherwise if would happen more.

that or mathews is a trailblazer and opened up a new career path.
- Tumbleweed

It's an option worth being discussed and researchws. Kids in Canada that play Major junior almost always leave home to play in a different city/town. Now it's not that big of culture shock given you stay in the same province and or country, speak the same language etc. Moving to Switzerland to make some extra money is an idea I could that seems overwhelming to a 16, 17 or 18 year old kid. But if you're good enough, like Drouin was and wanted to break some of the control shackles placed on you by the NHL than it's gotta cross your mind. But this is now becoming more of legal issue. Something I'm no smart enough for.

Well, Jimmy T, this is a better blog then the last couple. I kinda agree with most of your points.

You should have compared the draft to a slave market where teams bid(by trading draft picks) to own a "player" for the next 7-8 years.

The thing is that Tampa could be a toxic work environment for the kid. There could be all sorts of things happening behind the scene that we don't know about.

Anyways everyone that is complaining about Drouin doing the wrong thing because Tampa "owns" his rights, think about that for a second, should think about how they would "feel" if some corporation "owned them.

Modern day slave trade dudes. The only reason that it is kinda legal is because the players(veterans) signed the CBA.

I have no idea, this is now out of my scope. Was Matthews rights owned by a team in the CHL?
- tomburton99

Of course. Was drafted by Everett as a 9, I mean, 15 yr old. http://www.eliteprospects.../player.php?player=199898

It only offends me that some of the worst posters think I would write anything for hits or to get attention. But that isn't about my feelings, that is just a scary way to treat ideas, as I have said.
- James_Tanner

James, the vast majority of posters think that's exactly what you do. For you to try to play the role of willfully ignorant about your own intentions with this bullpoop comes across extremely arrogant and condescending to your readers. It's insulting to people's intelligence when you try to keep up this lie that is so clear to everyone (including the other blogger's on this site).

Well, Jimmy T, this is a better blog then the last couple. I kinda agree with most of your points.

You should have compared the draft to a slave market where teams bid(by trading draft picks) to own a "player" for the next 7-8 years.

The thing is that Tampa could be a toxic work environment for the kid. There could be all sorts of things happening behind the scene that we don't know about.

Anyways everyone that is complaining about Drouin doing the wrong thing because Tampa "owns" his rights, think about that for a second, should think about how they would "feel" if some corporation "owned them.

Modern day slave trade dudes. The only reason that it is kinda legal is because the players(veterans) signed the CBA.
- Pres.cup

Seriously? Slaves, modern day slave trade? Toews makes $10m per year to be a slave, really slave was what you came up with?

Will 2008 do?
- Mr Ricochet

That's accurate. But it's 2016. And it's Drouin. Tanner also is stating this without proof, he's stated that Yzerman is puppet controlled by an owner who actually makes the personal decisions. Let me also say that Tanner has anointed Drouin to an Elite leavel player. But again this isn't about Tanner's gut feeling. This is about the general masses demonizing a 20 year old player and his mouth piece agent.

It only offends me that some of the worst posters think I would write anything for hits or to get attention. But that isn't about my feelings, that is just a scary way to treat ideas, as I have said.
- James_Tanner

this isn't an idea, it's an opinion. there is nothing scary about people saying your opinion is misguided and foolish. nobody is limiting ideas. you aren't proposing anything new or interesting. you are saying a 20 year old kid should be treated a certain way, and the vast majority of people are saying they disagree with your opinion. whether they say it courteously or negatively doesn't matter. there are mods to deal with the worst of the worst.

you make it sound like the hockeybuzz populace is trying to "keep you down". it's the same way others like garth and clouts are/were treated. and spare the "offense" at the suggestion of click baiting. if you were unaware that a blog like that would get the reaction it did then, then as you called the lighting management morons, i'd suggest the same.

Seriously? Slaves, modern day slave trade? Toews makes $10m per year to be a slave, really slave was what you came up with?
- Kucherovski

I think the point was that Drouin has no choices if he wants to play in the NHL any time soon, its Tampa or nothing. You get drafted, told where to play and under their control for the next 7-8 years no matter the environment

Well, Jimmy T, this is a better blog then the last couple. I kinda agree with most of your points.

You should have compared the draft to a slave market where teams bid(by trading draft picks) to own a "player" for the next 7-8 years.

The thing is that Tampa could be a toxic work environment for the kid. There could be all sorts of things happening behind the scene that we don't know about.

Anyways everyone that is complaining about Drouin doing the wrong thing because Tampa "owns" his rights, think about that for a second, should think about how they would "feel" if some corporation "owned them.

Modern day slave trade dudes. The only reason that it is kinda legal is because the players(veterans) signed the CBA.
- Pres.cup

Yes, a slave market that players enter into willingly and get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for signing...

Get a (frank)ing clue man, if you signed a contract to do a job and knew this would be a possibility (it's a reality for most) I would not give two (frank)s that a corporation owned your rights. Your damn fault, now do the job you (frank)ing signed up for.

Agree with the "big enough" part of what you're saying, I'll agree with the OP about the good "enough part" though. He got drafted by a good team, and knowing that, willingly signed his ELC. I'm sure there is a photo somewhere of him doing so and smiling with his agent Walsh looking over his shoulder.

Good players drafted by good teams have a harder time cracking the lineup. Some willingly, if begrudgingly, pay the dues and accept that challenge, others force their way out of town. Pretty easy to infer which type of player most GMs would classify a "winner".
- Davewn

Agreed. I posted a couple of pages back with my view, which is essentially that it's a privilege not a right to play NHL hockey, and that it has to be earned. Especially when you consider that it's not just whether Drouin is deserving of a job, but also whether there is another player who isn't... if Drouin goes right into the NHL, somebody on that Tampa roster is out of a job.

I think the point was that Drouin has no choices if he wants to play in the NHL any time soon, its Tampa or nothing. You get drafted, told where to play and under their control for the next 7-8 years no matter the environment
- WhiteLie

Yes and no. Drouin has plenty of choices to play in the NHL for Tampa, play BETTER. I do agree though that if things aren't exactly how the one young player wants they don't have a choice but Drouin would still make $825,000 being a slave to the Lightning IF he did his job better.

anytime anybody ever compares professional athletics to slavery or exploitation in any way, shape, or form, they do nothing but make themselves look completely idiotic.

Well, Jimmy T, this is a better blog then the last couple. I kinda agree with most of your points.

You should have compared the draft to a slave market where teams bid(by trading draft picks) to own a "player" for the next 7-8 years.

The thing is that Tampa could be a toxic work environment for the kid. There could be all sorts of things happening behind the scene that we don't know about.

Anyways everyone that is complaining about Drouin doing the wrong thing because Tampa "owns" his rights, think about that for a second, should think about how they would "feel" if some corporation "owned them.

Modern day slave trade dudes. The only reason that it is kinda legal is because the players(veterans) signed the CBA.
- Pres.cup

And, uh, the fact that they freely sign a collectively bargained agreement to work under said conditions with very expensive legal representation making sure the i's are dotted and the t's crossed.

Who has it better, an 18 yr old professional hockey player or an 18 year old enlistee in the military? Talk about signing your life away...

Yes, a slave market that players enter into willingly and get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for signing...

Get a (frank)ing clue man, if you signed a contract to do a job and knew this would be a possibility (it's a reality for most) I would not give two (frank)s that a corporation owned your rights. Your damn fault, now do the job you (frank)ing signed up for.
- RonPielep

Again, his point is that the players dont have a choice. To play in the best league in the world, he has to enter a draft, go where he is told and has to sign a mandated entry level contract. No choices, no free market value on his services, and if the opportunity sucks your future earning powers are extremely limited.

Entering his next contract negotiation Tampa will say, "well you were in the minors for that half season, so you're obviously not good enough to earn $2m so you can accept our much lower RFA offer or sit out"

Damn, an error with a homophone? Unforgivable.
- James_Tanner

You made the error, own up to it. Take accountability, if you can grasp what that means. No need to get smarmy and defensive. You're getting the hits you wanted, be happy about it.

Yes and no. Drouin has plenty of choices to play in the NHL for Tampa, play BETTER. I do agree though that if things aren't exactly how the one young player wants they don't have a choice but Drouin would still make $825,000 being a slave to the Lightning IF he did his job better.
- Kucherovski

Yes he could play better, but who would he supplant in Tampa's top 6? Thats a tough environment to succeed in if you have to play 4th line with plugs when that isnt your skillset. I see both sides, but I am with Drouin wanting to find a better place to play. Arizona would have him first line tomorrow I am betting