AGRI Biz

 “Boo-uuurns” Talk about your stupid decisions. The Hockey Hall of Fame committee decided in their infinite wisdom to leave former NHL coaching guru Pat Burns off their list of inductees this week.Burns, who is terminally ill with cancer, may not have long to live. You got to think it would have meant a lot to Burns to see himself inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.  But now, having been passed over, Burns ...

He’d never do it, but Jimmy Devellano should have burst into the NHL’s offices in New York City and cried out, “What does a guy have to do to get into the Hall of Fame around here?!” And he should have done it 10 years ago. At least. They finally granted Jimmy D. Hall of Fame status yesterday. Thank goodness they’re not doing it posthumously because I was beginning to wonder. Red Wings ...

These rankings are based on which team is picking so don't give me a hard time if I get a few picks wrong due to teams trading picks.   1. Taylor Hall - Oilers 2. Tyler Seguin — Bruins 3. Brandon Gormley — Panthers 4. Cam Fowler — Blue Jackets 5. Erik Gudbranson — Islanders 6. Jack Campbell — Lightning 7. Nino Niederreiter — Hurricanes 8. Vladimir Tarasenko — Thrashers 9. Ryan Johansen — Wild 10. Brett Connolly — Rangers 11. Derek Forbort — Stars 12. Jeff Skinner — Ducks 13. Mikael Granlund — Coyotes 14. Alex ...

<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> This time last season, there was sense of excitement surrounding the Minnesota Wild.   The team had a new General Manager and was heading into a new era—one of hope and promise, but also one of uncertainty.   Now, one ...

With the 2010 NHL Entry Draft less than a week away, many armchair general managers are checking out their favorite team's depth charts in order to determine what it is their team needs. With the Philadelphia Flyers set to draft 89th, 119th, 149th, 179th, and 209th overall, there really isn’t a lot of hope that they will emerge from the draft with what we’ll call a “blue chip” prospect. That said, the ...

With the 2010 NHL Entry Draft less than a week away, we take a look at five possible players the New York Islanders could identify as players they could pick up with the fifth-overall pick in the first round. Having watched the Islanders as a season ticket holder for the last six years—and a credentialed blogger for the last three—it's easy to identify what type of players the Islanders really need ...

While many Montreal Canadiens fans will scream at general manager Pierre Gauthier for trading recent playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues, Gauthier actually made the right decision in moving the Slovak goalie. And the timing couldn't have been better. With Halak and Carey Price both under the age of 26, the question came down to which goaltender would offer better potential. It was clear in Gauthier's mind, and in the minds of most people ...

After a disappointing season for any hockey team, the next offseason usually includes a complete roster assessment, a youth movement, and a strong emphasis on putting together an excellent draft class. That list of priorities fit the Carolina Hurricanes plan almost perfectly this summer. Just one season removed from an appearance in the Eastern Conference finals, the 'Canes struggled mightily this season, and were unable to recover from a dreadful autumn, despite several bright ...

Looking ahead at the NHL Awards the Hart Trophy is most valuable trophy a single player can get. The Hart Trophy is awarded to the player who is judged to be the most valuable to his team. This year's nominees consist of two familiar nominations in Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, but they are also joined by the surprising favorite in Henrik Sedin. Taking this into consideration, we're going to look ...

The old mantra says that "Defense Wins Championships," right? Many NHL teams would agree. Though defense can often be dominated by the goaltender, a goalie's life is often made easier through the work of his defensemen. Having a solid defensive-minded player in front of the net can help opponents gain scoring chances and can often prevent goals from being scored. These defensemen can also help start the rush the other way, ...