If the National Hockey League season was to start tomorrow, coach Mike Sullivan would open with a Number One Line of J.T. Miller centering Breadman Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière.
Are you happy with it?
Based on the doings – or non-doings as the case may be – of 2024-25 – you cannot be delighted unless your name is Alice Inwonderland.
Panarin should not be an issue but Miller yes and Bigl Al, VERY YES!
We know for sure that J.T. is no Mark Messier; not even close. What we also do know is that he's as erratic as a yo-yo and loves to play golf.
Oh, sure, he could turn out to be commodore of the crew but so far he's just the chief petty officer on the Good Ship Ranger.
Oddly enough, the very enigmatic Lafreniere could be the line-maker. At age 23, he's young enough to be Captain Marvel but there have been times when La La's head seemed to be in La La Land just north of Tarrytown.
A Bunch Of Blueshirt Notes, Quotes And Anecdotes
1. Everyone foresaw Sam Rosen's retirement; in fact the entire league toasted him on his assorted road trips. But that – mistakenly it turned out – to be the start, not the end of the MSG Networks' broadcasting exodus.
Don't ask The Maven to even try to get into Lafreniere's head. Peter Laviolette tried and discovered that banging his cranium against the Empire State Building would have produced better results.
Like I said at the top; Breadman is fine. Miller could be – under the right circumstances and LaLaLa – well, he's why someone invented "Coaches-size" Tylenol.