AGRI Biz

Once again, we finish off the season previews with the Toronto Maple Leafsùthe only point throughout these at which I show any bias (unless you're a New York Ranger fan who took some sort of offense to the Rangers' preview). While the ending point is the same as last year, where the Leafs are at this point this year is vastly different. Like the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres before ...

Like the rest of the Northeast, the Ottawa Senators come into the season with a question that, if it gets answered, gives them the best shot at second place. While he Montreal Canadiens need to find a sustainable level of consistency, the Buffalo Sabres need to find that top-pairing puck-mover, and the Boston Bruins are simply hoping to make a seamless transition to a Kessel-less era, the Sens have the most ...

As we approach the halfway point of the Northeast division, we come to a team that went through wholesale change. While the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres didn't change much about their team's appearance, settling more on replacing missing players from within and integrating youth into the NHL game, the Montreal Canadiens pulled a Tampa Bay Lightning (Circa 2007/08) and remodeled the entire team. Now they have a whole new first line, ...

Yesterday we examined the Boston Bruins. While the Bruins do have a question to answer in who replaces Phil Kessel and how successful they are, we also have to consider that they were always planning for this a little bit anyhow—after all, they had to be prepared that he was going to be out until November, so they can just extend the contingency plan. The rest of the Northeast has questions; ...

It's finally here: The end is in sight. After five weeks we've made it through the Central, the Atlantic, the Northwest, the Southeast, and the Pacific. Now? We're simply left with the Northeast. And it looks like I've saved the hardest for last. To be honest, there's no predetermined way that this division can finish. For many, Boston is a foregone conclusion to finish on top, but after that there are so many ...

We're finally getting there. After countless glasses of scotch, cartons of cigarettes, and an endless supply of people approaching my front door saying, "If I could just have a few minutes of your time just to talk to you about the savior," I'm one team away from finishing the Central division—the second-last on this misguided journey. Speaking of which, I may or may not have an idea what I'm complaining about anymore ...

The Central division is one of the hardest to predict. Not only do the two teams that should be at the top have some of the most prolific offenses in the leauge (Detroit and Chicago), but it's almost impossible to discount the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, or Nashville Predators because they each have the pieces to be competitive. Then there's also the fact that all they seem to do is ...

I feel kind of silly. Obviously, we were chock full of Kanye West jokes on Monday when we were doing the Nashville Predators preview, but obviously the Preds and Nashville would have been the perfect time to talk about Taylor Swift. I moved on, though, and said to myself "we'll talk about her with the Columbus Blue Jackets—not the same, but at least she gets her due". And we didn't. So now, I've got ...

Yesterday, during the Nashville Predators preview, Kanye West had a second driving urge to interupt. And I really don't have a problem with this—except for the fact that Beyonce's video was no where near the best ever. In fact, because it was simply her dancing for three-and-a-half minutes, it made the song more annoying. Maybe I'm just bitter.   Columbus Blue Jackets 2008/09 Record: 41-31-10, 95 points, seventh in West—swept in first round of ...

On to our last division of the Western Conference, it's time for the Central Division. So far we've passed through the Pacific, the Northwest, the Atlantic, and the Southeast, and it looks like— Kanye: YOU KNOW WHAT? BEYONCE HAD ONE OF THE BEST VIDEOS OF ALL TIME!!!! ALL TIME!!!! BT: What? Kanye: YOU ALL HEARD ME? BEYONCE!! ALL TIME!!! VIDEO!!! BT: You're such a prick. Kanye: Buy my albums. Nashville Predators2008/09 Record: 40-34-8 188 points, 10th in ...