Darren Dupont’s Moose Droppings!
The NHL trade deadline has come and gone, the Brier has been handed out, and NFL free agency is in full swing. We will cover it all plus a few nuggets that have been on my mind:
1. WINNERS – – Let’s start with the trade deadline and the National Hockey League. It’s easy to see the winners were the Colorado Avalanche, the Florida Panthers, and the Dallas Stars. Watching Colorado and Toronto on Saturday night, it was clear that the Avs are ready for another run at the cup. Brock Nelson made an immediate impact and they are going to be a hard out in the West. Dallas will be a tough out again after acquiring the best player available. Draft Kings’ Top-5 to win the Stanley Cup: 1) Dallas 2) Florida 3) Edmonton 4) Colorado T-5) Washington/Tampa Bay/Carolina. (Toronto, Vegas, and Winnipeg are all T-8 right behind them)
2. LOSERS – The losers? That’s up for debate but I’ll say it’s Carolina and LA. The Kings failed to add top-end scoring while Carolina spent so much time working on Mikko Rantanen that they were unable to really do much else. Edmonton? I’m in wait-and-see mode. I’m still confident the Oilers can get back to the cup though the road will be a tougher one this spring than last.
Some are calling the Leafs one of the winners of the deadline but just as many are calling them losers. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. At the end of the day it was never going to be about additions at the deadline for that group. It is always going to be about the core performing well when the chips are down. We will see.
3. GOOD NEWS AND A BRIER CHAMP – Hallelujah! It was announced late in the week that should Mike McEwen win the Brier it would be credited as a Saskatchewan win, despite him entering on a wildcard berth. Common sense prevails! I wrote about the situation last week in this space and it was solved by the time we got to the weekend. Unfortunately McEwen was unable to replicate the magic from Regina and fell in the playoffs. But, congratulations are in order for Brad Jacobs and his Alberta rink on the win. They were on the ropes several times throughout the weekend but always found a way. The good teams usually do. Congrats guys!
4. CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR – We learned this week that Justin Fields is set to sign with the New York Jets, while Sam Darnold is reportedly signing in Seattle, among other moves. It was last week that the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to the Vegas Raiders. Let’s be careful here. Player 1 in situation A will not produce the same output as Player 1 in situation B. We’ve changed a variable. Too often in sports we see someone performing well and feel our team missed the boat by getting rid of said player or passing on the opportunity to draft/sign them. Both Sam Darnold and Geno Smith found success in Minnesota and Seattle respectively. I wouldn’t expect to see the same results in different situations. Fit matters. I’m selling stock in the Vikings and Seahawks heading into 2025 and feel bad for those two fan bases. They both took a big step back moving on from players who fit. I hope I’m wrong.
5. THE EXCEPTION – There are always exceptions to the rule. Tom Brady is a great one, obviously. However, I’ll outline one major difference. Upon arriving in Tampa, Bay TB12 did arrive in a brand new situation. It didn’t start well. But, slowly Brady began to take control of the situation and made it one where he could have success. Tom built the situation and the culture in Tampa. That’s rare. Geno isn’t doing it in Vegas and Sam Darnold isn’t doing that in Seattle either. Both should be expected to have down years compared to the success they enjoyed at their last stops. Now it could work, they are talented players, but the expectation shouldn’t be a repeat of Sam Darnold 2024 in Minnesota. Justin Fields, however, could enjoy an UP year in New York. He’s talented and needs to keep trying new things and new places until he finds the right fit. Just like Sam Darnold… until now. Not-to-mention that Fields will be reunited with former Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson *shrug emoji.
6. HUSKIES – Congrats to the U of S Huskies on their Canada West championship this past weekend. The Dogs squeaked out the win in a tough three-game series against the Mount Royal Cougars. Amazing RP and I didn’t put anything on the line here given that I’m U of S alumni and he’s MRU alumni. Next time. After a stint away calling hockey in BC my return to Sask was anchored by calling games for the U of S Huskies and calling Brett Ward’s triple overtime winner to clinch a conference championship in 2012 will always be a great memory. I even have a vile of old rust from the Rutherford overhead beams and some dust from the concrete at centre ice as a momento.
7. THE PLAYERS AND INDIAN WELLS – Golf and tennis for me fall into what I’d call ‘Tier-II’. Meaning, hockey and football are ‘Tier-I’ and what I follow more than anything else and then sports like golf, tennis and curling fall into my second tier. I follow quite closely and am a big fan but it’s not quite on the level of hockey and football. Now that we’ve settled that, this week is The Players Championship, the biggest non-major on the golf calendar. It’s also the back half of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. I love the summer energy of being at a golf or tennis tournament. It’s a great spot to be outside and enjoy a coffee or a cocktail while watching and mingling around. It’s a little less intense but still very fun.
8. CANADIANS OUT – The Canadians are out at Indian Wells after Denis Shapovalov fell to phenom Carlos Alcaraz on Monday night. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is about a 15 minute drive from where we stay in Palm Desert when we visit and taking in the tournament remains on my bucket list. They call it tennis paradise and it really is. We’ve walked the grounds and even watched some amateur matches. Perhaps next spring I’ll finally take in the tournament.
9. CHANGES? – PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan held a press conference on Tuesday morning ahead of the Players Championship. He updated media on the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV golf. He said there are no additional meetings planned between the two sides but remains optimistic that a deal can be reached. Meanwhile golf fans remain fairly pessimistic. One thing that came from Monahan’s availability was his mention that the PGA Tour could be interested in adapting some of the things that make LIV golf different. What could those be? He didn’t elaborate but I have a suggestion or two. The first is that I’d allow rangefinders permanently on the PGA Tour. I’d do it for one main reason: to increase pace of play. The other I’d seriously look at is allowing the players to wear shorts. I wouldn’t allow it all the time but I would for a few smaller events in warm climates. This could make the tour more fun and prop up some events that maybe don’t get the best field each year. What would you change?
10. RANDOMS – If you’re a snapchat follower you know I’ve been posting my meals lately and I appreciate all the interest. I’ve been on a 28-day program as I get ready for a big photo shoot on Sunday. This is a brand new experience for me but something I’m quite excited to try. I may or may not share results of the shoot and in time I’ll tell you a little more of the fun stuff ahead… I’ll be back in Kitchener Friday as the Rangers get set to take on the North Bay Battalion. North Bay is trying to secure a playoff spot in the East while Kitchener is firmly a serious contender in the West… Then it’s off to Regina on Tuesday for a few days. I’ll be hosting the Regina Rams fundraising dinner and introduction of their recruiting class. It’s always a fun event on my yearly calendar… Is it spring yet in Sask? I don’t know what to pack. It’s +10 this week in the GTA and the snow is nearly gone… Don’t underestimate the power of walking, or taking the stairs… Three movies I’m excited for in 2025: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Avatar 3, and The Amateur.
Until next week,
DD
