Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c6f5433a-d94c-406e-b9b3-8f592c3cac0b.jpeg] Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images My favorite puck yenta is super-scout Jess Rubenstein who knows more hockey than The Maven and I don't care as you now will see why. I make pithy puck phrases and Jess jumps all over them. (So far nobody has gotten hurt but egos – we know – are fragile. Mave goes first, Jess replies. MAVE: "I believe that 'The People's Choice,' Matt Rempe, will get one more chance as a Blueshirt fourth-line regular." JESS: "No way. Rempe will be an extra. Period! And that is if he's lucky. Either Tye Kartye or Adam Sykora will beat out Matt. It's simple; the other guys can do more than Rempe." MAVE: "What does management do when both aspiring defenseman Drew Fortescue and Alberts Šmits are NHL ready?" JESS: "The problem is both Forts and Smity play on the left side. Either of the prospects has to prove that he can play on the right side. Meanwhile, Drury will have to convince Marcus Pettersson to waive his no-trade-contract." MAVE: "Don't argue with me when I tell you that Mika Zibanejad is a better defensive-backchecker than critics like Blue Collar Blue Shirts columnist Sean McCaffrey give him credit for – and I don't mean maybe either." JESS: "Mika's defensive play is very underrated. The problem is that everyone expects him to be a first-line center when, ideally, he's a good second line center asked to play as a first!"
