View From The Cheap Seats: Twins

I don't know why I said "View From The Cheap Seats", but it sure sounds good. Actually, it should be "view from no seats at all", because I refuse to go to the Metrodome, except for Red Sox games. Anyways, two things I've noticed about the Twins organization lately:

• I tell you what though, the Twins love their versatile infielders:

  -Harris can play at 2nd, 3rd and short and has done well,
  -Punto can play pretty well pretty much everywhere
  -Tolbert is turning into a super- utility man also, much like a young Nick Punto did
  -Buscher can play 3rd and first obviously, and he's even taken grounders at second a couple times.
  -The only Twins IF (besides Morneau) who has played only one position is Adam Everett, and he's been injured most of the season

• Michael Cuddyer pinch- hit in the 9th inning of the 1st game of the Twins- O's doubleheader. Cuddyer grounded out to 1st, and will be relegated to pinch hitting duties the rest of the season. Cuddyer missed 63 games with foot & finger injuries

LA Kings Daily trade rumor

It seems like everyday you hear a new trade rumor about so- and- so going to LA in exchange for Kopitar, or a high round pick. Most of these are extremely stupid, and usually include an old, overpriced goalie usually named Khabibulin. Today's daily rumor comes from the Los Angeles Times, and yes, includes LA receiving an old, overpriced player.

Helene Elliott reports the Anaheim Ducks should trade defenseman Mathieu Schneider to the Los Angeles Kings, pointing out it would address their respective needs. The Ducks would free up necessary cap space to re-sign Teemu Selanne while Schneider's salary would push the Kings close to the salary cap "floor" as well as provide them with a veteran presence on the blueline. Ducks GM Brian Burke admitted discussing a trade with Kings GM Dean Lombardi but "nothing lines up yet".

Mathieu Schneider, don't get me wrong, is a solid, maybe even very good defenseman. That said, Los Angeles has got to show some foresight before they pull the trigger. LA's front office has got to know that their future is not now, its two, maybe three years from now. Signing a 39 year old defenseman won't help them when they need it, in the future. That's not to say a defenseman can't play past age 39, but with age comes incresed suseptapility to injury, and is that a risk the Kings are willing to take? If people think the Kings will pick up Schnieder just for the sole reason that his 5.75 million contract will get them over the cap floor, forget about it.

And we're off

School started for me today, and it couldn't have come a better time. I was getting sick of doing nothing all day and partying all day, then coming back at all hours of the morning and doing it all again. So, yeah, that's pretty exciting. I had three classes today, Spanish, Poly Sci, and English. I started at 8:15 and ended at noon, and really liked it. Got some homework, but not much. Only one class tomorrow, I wonder what I'm going to do with myself.

The College Life

Here I am, all moved in to my cozy new dorm room. Classes don't start until the 3rd, so I'm just going to party until then, It'll be a fun couple of days. My dorm room is actually bigger than my room at home, but that's because my room was 10x10 and I shared it with my brother. So far, so good, although I am sacrificing some things, I drink my tea without milk. But yeah, life in an all- guys dorm: going to be amazing.

The Pickup Flying Under Everyone’s Radar

A lot of people are talking about pickups like Marian Hossa in Detroit , Naslund in New York, and rookie stars like Stamkos, Doughty, and Schenn, for good reason of course.

Me, I’m ranting and raving about draftees like Jake Gardiner, Aaron Ness, and Joe Gleason (for good reason, just wait a few years.)

The biggest pickup, for the future, of course, might be the Blues signing goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux out of the University of North Dakota.

Lamoureux played three years with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars, averaging a .917 save percentage before moving on to the U of North Dakota where he was a full- time starter his junior and senior years, amassing ten shutouts and a .917 save percentage also.

The two knocks against Lamoureux are: Number one, he’s liable under pressure. I saw him play in the WCHA frozen four for UND, and he let in 6 goals versus Boston College. In the NHL spotlight, although in a small market like St. Louis, how he performs is anyone’s guess.

The other knock on Lamoureux is that he’s 5’8”. The only goalies under 5’ that have made it, that I remember anyways, are Chris Osgood, Manny Legace and Martin Gerber, and all three of those goalies have had trouble holding starting roles.

All told, one of the biggest things Lamoureux has going for him is his work ethic. He realizes his size holds him back to an extent, so he works on some other asset of his game. He’s got an amazing glove hand, one of the best I’ve ever seen, which kind of makes up for his lack of size.

Lamoureux is also in the Blues organization with former UND teammate and Hobey Baker winner TJ Oshie. Oshie should make the NHL team out of training camp, while Lamoureux will most likely get shipped out to the AHL or ECHL. Who knows though, the thought of someday playing with a former teammate might be just the confidence boost Lamoureux needs.

Wild Team Preview Part 1 of 4- Prospect Camp

Yesterday, the Wild announced their roster for their prospect camp, along with the announcement that the Wild will participate in the NHL’s prospect tournament in Traverse City, Michigan.

The prospect tournament includes ten draft picks, and those attending are:

Player- League

Forwards

Cody Almond- WHL

Cal Clutterbuck- AHL

Chris Culligan- QMJHL

Colton Gillies- WHL

Ryan Graham- QMJHL

Justin Hodgman- OHL

Matt Kassian- ECHL

Kevin King- WHL

Tomas Knotek- QMJHL

Morten Madsen- AHL

Carson McMillan- WHL

Jordan Mistelbacher- WHL

Scott Wasden- WHL

Defenseman

Tyler Cuma- OHL

Eric Doyle- WHL

Justin Falk- WHL

Alexandre Neron- QMJHL

Maxim Noreau- AHL

Frederic St. Denis- CIS

Marco Scandella- QMJHL

Tyler Schmidt- WHL

Goaltenders

Anton Khudobin- AHL

Cody St. Jacques- OHL

Steven Stanford- WHL

Let me first say the obvious in that most of these kids won’t make the team. However, I see a few of them making it out of camp or at least in the foreseeable future.

I could see Colton Gillies making the club out of camp. Gillies had 24 goals and 47 points in 58 AHL games, which could really help out on the second or third line where scoring will be a big problem.

I think Cal Cluterbuck might also be worth a look towards the end of the season. He has put up decent numbers at the AHL level, although he might benefit from another season in the AHL; only time will tell.

Also, don’t sleep on Cody Almond. He played in the WHL last year and put up great numbers. He’s the Wild’s fifth round pick, and a long shot to make the team, but I think you could see him in a Wild uniform in the coming years.

Keep an eye on goaltender Anton Khudobin from Houston. He only played 12 games last year, posting good numbers, but I’d really like to see more games played out of him. Moreover, I don’t think the Wild can fit him in. Unless the Wild decide to carry three goalies which is highly unlikely, the Wild have no place to play him.

The Wild have a very young goaltending corps in Backstrom and Harding, so if Khudobin pans out in the near future, expect the Wild to use him as a trade chip.

Republican VP Speculation Turns on Alaska Govenrnor

With the hoopla of the Democratic National Convention over and done with, its time to start second- guessing politicians (very different than what already happens, right?). The Republicans, yet to name a VP nominee, are rumored to be looking at Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. I'm sure Palin would fit the bill well, but this has turned in to one big publicity stunt. No disrespect, but it seems like the Republicans are trying to match the Democrats stride stride- for- stride and blow- by- blow right now. Its kind of like, "well, you've got an African- American candidate, well then, we'll get a woman candodate." Like you've got a minority, and we might as well get one too (I'm talking minority in a political sence, anyways.) When it comes down to it, I dont care if we have a purple, blue, yellow, whatever color or gender president, as long as they get the job done.