QUICK HITS

• If you plan on watching the Olympics on tape delay, and don’t want to know the results beforehand, I’d recommend staying off twitter during the day.
   
• Chris Vande Velde and Alex Plante signed one-year, two-way deals yesterday. Both are depth signings. Plante took some strides last year, but his biggest hurdle will be fending off the younger defenders coming up. Martin Marincin, David Musil, Martin Gernat and Oskar Klefbom could push him farther down the depth chart. Vande Velde could be the heir apparent to Eric Belanger, as a 4th line centre. He needs to improve his footspeed, but he’s solid in the draws and on the PK. If Belanger has a bounce back year, I could see the Oilers moving him next year and replacing him with a cheaper Vande Velde. Of course Anton Lander will have a say in Vande Velde’s icetime, but I see Lander as a #3, who might develop into a #2.
   
• Nice gamble by Jim Rutherford in signing Alex Semin. Seven million is a lot of money, but they aren’t a cap team and it’s only a one-year deal. Semin is one of the most naturally skilled players in the league, and while his consistency and work ethic are a concern, I think he’s worth the risk for a year. Kirk Muller has an infectious personality, and I bet he’ll find a way to keep Semin interested. If he stays healthy, I see him bouncing back with 35 goals. The Canes have four solid offensive players in Skinner, Semin and the Staals. I’m sure their marketing campaign will revolve around the letter S…
   
• I can’t wait to see how the Wings will do without Nick Lidstrom and Brad Stuart. The Wings have struck out in free agency and trades thus far. Their blueline is average at best right now.
   
• Steven Jyles’ fumble didn’t cost the Esks the game last night, their inability to put up points in the first half did. The Esks D and special teams continually gave them great field position, but they couldn’t capitalize. Injuries are never an excuse, but last night the O-line didn’t look great missing three starters. The Esks D is great, but their offence is still a question mark.
   
• I wonder if Tim Thomas is eyeing a political career after hockey. He’s made his views on some hot topics very clear, however, because he has different views on marriage than some doesn’t make him an idiot. Too often we resort to name calling when someone disagrees with our stance on something, and while I don’t view marriage as only man and woman, I also can understand why some feel that way. Actual conversations about it would be much more beneficial than name calling, but it sadly that seems highly unlikely.  The interesting thing is why so many seem to think his opinion on marriage means more than anyone else’s. It doesn’t. Nor does mine.
   
• Memo to Ryan Tannehill: Get your ass to training camp. You’ve only played 1 1/2 years of QB in college and you need the reps if you think you’ll actually be a successful NFL quarterback. Every day you hold out decreases your chances of beating out Matt Moore as the Dolphins QB. Wake up.
   
Interesting how an attitude or persona can change how people are viewed. Many feel Steve Tambellini has done a below average job, yet in Toronto many feel Brian Burke is doing an okay job. Burke was hired November 29th, 2008. He’s been in Toronto for 3 1/2 years and they’ve never made the playoffs. Only two players, Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski, have longer stays in Toronto than Burke. Burke has re-built his entire team, but unless he acquires a goalie, they don’t look like they will improve.
Tambellini was hired July 31st, 2008 and the Oilers have finished 22nd, 30th, 30th and 29th under his watch. Sam Gagner, Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky, Ladislav Smid and Theo Peckham are the only players remaining since he arrived. Even though it never started until January of 2010, the Oilers finally have a plan, but I’m not sure what the Leafs plan is. They don’t keep their top-ten picks, but they also don’t want to finish 8th "And get blown out in the first round."
I’m guessing Burke gets more rope because he won a Cup in Anaheim, but his tenure in Toronto has been anything but successful.
  I love the 30 for 30 series. Up until Wednesday my favourites included: "Kings Ransom," "The Two Escobars," "Once Brothers,", "June 17th, 1994,’ "The Birth of Big Air," and "Into the Wind" the Terry Fox story, but now I have to add "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks" to my list. I highly recommend it.  Great story lines and shows how intense the Pacers/Knicks rivalry was. Many have told me that "The U" is a must see as well, and I’m looking forward to it. These types of documentaries are a must-see if you are a sports fan. I love them.
  Good article by Kevin Anderson on Claude Giroux. Great quote from Giroux when asked about the scars on his wrists. “Those are from (Sidney) Crosby,” he says half smiling, but with some tension in his voice. “Every time we’d line up against each other for a face-off during our (2012 playoff) series, instead of going for the puck when it was dropped, he’d hack me across the wrists. I ended up playing the series against (New) Jersey with one of them fractured and had to go for surgery on both of them after we were out of the playoffs.”
   All 18 players who filed for arbitration or had their team take them have settled before seeing an arbitrator. The NHL thrives on deadlines. I know it is unlikely, but the NHLPA and NHL should have a deadline for a new CBA. If they didn’t agree to a deal before September 5th, then they would present their case to an arbitrator and let him/her decide. We’d never have a lockout/strike and the fans would never get short-changed. I know it’s a pipedream, but having a deadline in place would force them to start negotiating earlier and get a deal done. The NHL culture thrives on deadlines so why not put one in place for CBA talks?