Mike Chen's Hockey Blog
Next entry: Worst of the Best
Previous entry: Hope For The Hopeless: 03-04 Sharks
Brats In A Candy Store
by Mike Chen on 11/08/08 at 01:38 PM ET
Comments (2)
Oh, those wacky Tampa Bay Lightning. You just never know what they’re going to do next. But rather than being unpredictable in a “Saw” slasher-movie kind of way, I think they’re more in line with the old John Ritter film “Problem Child.”
When I saw that the Lightning had shaken up their roster yet again by moving Matt Carle for Steve Downie and Steve Eminger, I just shook my head. I’m sure lots of people probably did it too, and I wonder what Vincent “Lifetime With The Lightning” Lecavalier thought.
I doubt that Vinnie and Matt Carle became BFF during their two months of shared ice time, but the Lightning captain’s gotta be sick of the roster turnover now. Yet, Tampa’s management—a two-headed monster run by Oren Koules and Len Barrie with Brian Lawton as a GM figurehead—isn’t just acting like a kid in a candy store; it’s acting like a bratty kid in a candy store.
“Moooooooooom, I hate all our food at home! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! Make it go away!” (Trade Dan Boyle/Brad Lukowich)
“Look, mom, look at all the flavors! I want all of them! I’ll just diiiiiiiiiie if I don’t ge them! Please, please, please!” (Sign Ryan Malone, Radim Vrbata, Mark Recchi, etc.)
“This one sucks. I hate it! Why’d you ever buy it in the first place? That one over there looks awesome. I want that one!” (Trade Alexander Picard/Filip Kuba for Andrej Meszaros)
“This one is terrible! I hate it the most! I don’t care that you just bought it, I want a new one! A new one! (stomps feet) I hate you, mom!” (Trade Matt Carle/San Jose’s 1st rounder for Steve Downie/Steve Eminger)
If this was February and Carle was maybe five years older and the Lightning were in last place, I could maybe understand moving him for a pair of young underachievers. But Carle’s still on the better side of his 20s and was pretty much the centerpiece of the Dan Boyle fiasco. In fact, this is what Lawton said at the time:
“We are thrilled to add a player with Matt’s abilities to our roster as we continue our plan of retooling and refinishing the Lightning team. He quarterbacked the number one power play unit in the NHL two seasons ago as a rookie and he clearly will add speed and skill to our lineup. He fits with our plan of trying to getting younger and better.”
You’d think that a team looking at the big picture would have held off on spending so much money on overpaid forwards and brought in some veteran defensive help to steady the young defense. But this team acts on impulse, like a little brat that wants and wants for the sake of wanting rather than an adult that thinks through needs, wants, and the big picture.
So why blow it all up before Thanksgiving? The Lightning seem so reactive to every situation that you have to wonder whether or not they actually have a plan or if they’re stuck playing fantasy GM with their team. It’s not like Carle actually played that well (12 games, 1 goal, 2 assists) but the whole point of a rebuilding team is to, you know, rebuild. The guy obviously wasn’t going to turn his career around (as in, rebound from a sophomore slump and clashes with coach Ron Wilson) in just a few games under a new team but his raw talent was enough to make him coveted throughout the league.
Young defensemen take time to develop. I’m betting that Barry Melrose figured that with time and guidance, Carle would eventually figure it out. Now he’s gotta retool his revolving-door defense yet again.
Since Oren Koules is a Hollywood big-wig, I suggest he take in a little bit of philosophical filmmaking called The Empire Strikes Back. Here’s a passage he can learn from:
Luke Skywalker: Look, I’m sure it’s delicious. I just don’t understand why we can’t see Yoda now!
Yoda: [cheerfully] Patience! For the Jedi it is time to eat as well. Eat. [Laughs] eat. Hot. Good food, hmm? Good, hmm?
Luke Skywalker: How far away is Yoda? Will it take us long to get there?
Yoda: Not far. Yoda not far. Patience. Soon you will be with him. Root leaf, I cook. Why wish you become Jedi?
Luke Skywalker: Well, mostly because of my father, I guess.
Yoda: Oh, father! Powerful Jedi was he. Powerful Jedi.
Luke Skywalker: Oh, come on! How could you know my father? You don’t even know who I am. Oh, I don’t even know what I’m doing here! We’re wasting our time!
Yoda: [sighs, looks upward] I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: [voice emanates from nowhere] He will learn patience.
Yoda: Much anger in him, like his father.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Was I any different when you taught me?
Yoda: He is not ready!
Luke Skywalker: Yoda? I am ready! I— Ben, I can be a Jedi! Ben tell him I’m rea— [bangs his head on the low ceiling] Ow!
Yoda: Ready, are you? What know you of ready? For 800 years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained! A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one, a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away to the future, the horizon. Never his mind on where he was [pokes Luke]. Hmm? What he was doing. [paces around] Adventure. Heh! Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things. [turns to Luke and points with his walking stick] You are reckless!
And of course, as we all know, Luke ran off impulsively to try and rescue his pals only to find his best bud shipped off frozen in carbonite, his own hand cut off, bad news about his family lineage revealed, and awkwardly nursed back to health by his somewhat affectionate secret sister. Yeah, bad stuff happens when you act impulsively.
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Matt+Carle, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Comments
Anyone still drinking the Koules-aid down in TB? This whole situation appeared to be a problem last summer, and it seems those doubts are turning out to be accurate!
Posted by Faux Rumors from Globally- Here, there, Everywhere on 11/10/08 at 08:44 AM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Intent To Blow vs. In The Crease
What Do You Expect From A Rookie Season?
About Kukla’s Korner
Kukla’s Korner is updated around the clock with the work of our own talented bloggers, plus links to the best hockey writing around the internet. We strive to bring you all the breaking hockey news as it happens.
The home page allows you to see the latest postings from every blog on the site. Subscribe here. For general inquiries and more, please contact us anytime.
Get the top online sports betting bonuses available to sports betters!
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker.
As well as reading about hockey games, you can also find info about poker like which poker sites accept American Express or which are the best Canadian poker sites and also find the top rakeback sites at rakeback.net.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
In the middle of this mess is Barry Melrose pretty much a lame duck with regards to his roster.
Posted by SYF from a "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" on 11/08/08 at 02:38 PM ET