The Lou Bashing Train

A short note here...

Let me say that Lou is, in my view, one of the two or three best GM's in the NHL (wow, really sticking my neck out there...) The guy has managed to keep a competitive team through seemingly thick and thin and even though he showed a few chinks in his armour with the original signings of Mogilny and Malakhov, he has performed nothing short of a miracle to get out from under their contracts.

Whether you agree with it or not, he has found a loophole and exploited it. Fellow blogger ninja, over at Raking Leafs, has a great piece ^ on the whole situation.

Now, having said that Lou seems to be some kind of magician, I still think he is a loser on this one at the end of the day. He essentially gave up a first-rounder next season for the 'services' of M & M last season (and for those who saw them play, it wasn't worth it, not by a country mile).

Folks, you can make fun of the Devils for playing in a swamp, or playing in front of barely 10,000 fans most nights, but you simply cannot argue with success. Ultimately, players win games, but it was and has always been Lou's mastery at player management and in this case, finding 'loopholes', that has enabled this on-ice excellence.

If anyone is to blame for this, it has to be the good people at the league offices. They left the door open, and the horses are now out of the barn.

Fearless prediction: Bobby Clarke uses the 'Lamoriello rule' to get rid of Hatcher at some time this season, before the rule can be changed next off-season.