Is this still true if Ekholm is playing $4M hockey next year? While you also have Walman and you're stuck with Nurse's $9M?

You're probably better off to add a 2RD instead.

Yea I'll double up on this. I don't see Ekholm in for much of a raise if at all, you can also do better than spending 3-4M for a 3rd pair Dman, with due respect to Kulak.

Its also a possibility you have better success moving a certain $9M dman next year.

Mostly because it doesn't help. While I hardly expect a win, the re-alignment of ridings was an opportunity to see what a stand alone red deer riding might show..... but it's gonna be hard to blame Red Deer for voting so heavily right if there isn't even a Liberal or NDP candidate running.

I'm pretty sure you just live on the other side of 30th from me unless you moved, but last I looked we don't even have a candidate running from top half of the light spectrum

Honestly.....5 Alberta ridings going Liberal would be impressive all the same

I'd rather play them and test them in the first part of the year and then bring in rentals to finish the year if you don't think they're up to the task.

I disagree. I don't like blocking the path of prospects with vets. That's what we're already doing, Savoie and even Phillip should be getting a shot but they're stuck behind a slog of vets.

So more of a build it and then pay it back type thing

I think you need to subsidize it with taxes from gasoline. The rub to that is that you have to have it available as a viable alternative before sending the gas price up

Fair. I just tossed some prospects in with the big guns, think that'd be better for them than burried on a 4th line anyways.

We could extend Frederic and he sits in there too. We'll have to see.

I do think it would be good to see a Canadian company get into the EV game, but more than electric cars, I'd like to see us go all in on high speed rail.

I think an East West corridor that runs through the north of the provinces would be great. Pipelines, power lines and rail lines that connects Prince Rupert, Ft Max, Gillam, the James Bay Hydro Dams and to refineries in NB.

I work for one of them.... actually technically two of them now.

But yes, yes and yes I agree. Getting oil and gas to each coast needs to be a priority. So does more wind and solar, don't love the UCP trying to step those back (I have doubts we see a lot more hydro honestly, but geothermal!)

On top of all that. I think they already have a pretty full roster for next year. Bouchard needs an extension, I'd also extend Emberson. Then you give the prospects NHL experience for the first half to ¾ of the year, accrue cap space and then if you need to you make a trade at the deadline.

I think they'll be fine come playoffs honestly

I would like to see more of Rodrigue and I think this gives him a good chance to show something next year.

I understand why a lot of people feel that way. But aside from some guys definitely being a bit beaten down from the run last year, I think most of the problems come down to a dip in goaltending....but the flip side is that I'm still not that worried about the goaltending.

Yea that's kind of where I come back to. I think he'll take more than Leon but I don't see it being significantly more, even the $16M people have been projecting since the summer