ADB

Kessel is not worth the second pick overall? I will take a guaranteed 30+ goal scorer (coming off surgery and with a poor team) over the "potential" of most high draft picks...especially this year! This isn't a Crosby or Ovechkin year people...this is the worst draft year in a while, and therefore, the perfect time to take the risk of trading those picks.

Hockey is about buying low and selling high. Kaberle is a great player...but, I'm sorry, great defenseman don't play on teams with the worst PP in the league, no matter how "bad" the forwards are. However, he does have a lot of value right now, mostly because of his low salary. Every year that goes by his value will get lower and lower. He is the only player on the team that can bring back a good return. Signing him to an extension won't be an option considering the money he'll want, the length of the contract, and the already crowded blueline.

Do you know anything about hockey or the Leafs? Obviously not considering your original post bashing Burke contained moves that were done before he even got there. Jiri Tlusty was a flop, fine. But how many other guys from that draft were flops? Tlusty was taken 13th overall. Out of the 17 guys taken after him in the first round, 6 have yet to play a game in the NHL...at least Tlusty has. Dale Mitchell is only 21, for one. Secondly, he was a third round draft pick. Not many game-breakers come from the third round. Three players from the third round that year have even played in the NHL yet...and they've combined for a whopping 13 games. Luke Schenn is only in his second season of NHL hockey, and many would consider him a solid defenseman. Nazem Kadri has only played one NHL game. Good job judging him before he's had a chance to even make the team. Let's look at who they have drafted in the last little while... The goalie you speak so highly of, Tuuka Rask, drafted by Toronto. 2007: Didn't have a 1st or a 2nd round pick, yet managed to draft defenseman Carl Gunnarsson in the 7th round, who is looking like a solid NHL player. 2006: Drafted Kulemin in the 2nd round. He looks pretty good to me. He has turned out to be, by far the best player taken in that 2nd round, besides Milan Lucic of Boston. 2005: The goalie you speak so highly of, Tuuka Rask, drafted by Toronto. Anton Stralman, a good NHL defenseman, drafted by Toronto in the 7th round, 216th overall in 2005. Only two other players taken in the 7th round that year have played in the NHL. 2004: Didn't have a first or second round pick. 2002: Matt Stajan, a player who never got much respect in Toronto, was drafted in the second round. Of those second round picks, he has played the most games, and amassed the most points, even though he was drafted late in the round. How about Ian White? He was taken in the sixth round, and he is a solid NHL defenseman. I could go on like his. The point is: Toronto has done so "poorly" in the draft in the last 10 years because they have had a history of trading away their top picks. It is pretty hard to draft "game breakers" when you don't have picks in the top 30 or even the top 60. It's pretty easy to draft a guy like Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, Stamkos, etc when they're staring you in the face. Toronto has done pretty well with the picks they have had. Ignorant people or Toronto-haters won't see that because they're content on just talking out of their behinds.

A guy I used to work with at Le Baron said if it was up to him, he would have them drop Motor Guide altogether. He didn't really get into specifics, but I guess everyone has their own preferences.

Fortunately for Montreal, if they lose to Toronto, not only would New York have to win, but Philly would have to get a point out of it as well in order for Montreal to finish 9th. Here's hoping that Toronto can help that process along!

Haha...I'll be sure to bring my own roll. Yup, a small Rapala Countdown casted around brush and shoreline should be money.

You possess a real wealth of information, John. You must be really good at what you do! When I saw this topic I just knew you'd be involved and offering great insight and advice.

I spooled up one of my combos with the Invisabraid...that rod got consistently outfished by my other combos, and anyone else in the boat.

Hilarious

Thanks a lot, Brando. Hopefully we run into you!

Thanks a lot for all of the advice, Cookslav. I especially like your Liptons Singles idea.

I understand what you're saying, Smitter. We will have all of the rice, granola, soup, etc., that we need. In terms of meat or protein, we won't be bringing much, besides some steaks for the first night, and some homemade prosciutto. So, in terms of actual meat, we will be relying on catching fish. But, we will, by no means, be going hungry. I appreciate your advice!

Thanks for the great detail, jds63!

I'm going down to shoot my old lady...you know, I caught her messin' around with another man.

Yup, we'll be bringing both flint steel and a magnesium starter, along with our lighters and matches. I hope there isn't a fire ban, but as Bill said, I'd be inclined to make one anyways. Lavielle is pretty remote, and I'm not saying rangers won't be there, but it is less likely than most other lakes. But thanks to everyone for the comments so far!

Yup, I already have been there. Thanks Jayess!

Nice fish, as always, Solo. Where in the States were you again...?

The pictures may have taken this one a bit too far over-the-top in order to be believable lol.

So, I have essentially one month to go until I hit Algonquin on May 2nd. Our site has been booked, the water-taxi has been booked, and we're picking up the rest of our gear this weekend. We'll be portaging the Opeongo Loop, which will take us to our ultimate destination, Lake Lavielle for a few days. We'll also be spending our first night at Big Crow, and exiting through the Dickson-Bonfield portage. This trip has been more than a year in the making and I feel like we've planned pretty well. I've been to Algonquin a couple times before, but never on a trip of this magnitude. I've read a few books and combed the web and I feel like we're good to go. I'm writing here just to see if anyone has any extra words of advice from past experience. Items that you brought that you shouldn't have, items you didn't bring that you should've, etc. We'll be spending three full days at Lavielle, and if any has any ideas of things we should see or places we should go while we're there, that would be appreciated too. Lastly, since this is OFC afterall, any fishing tips would help a lot. I'm not so much concerned with technique, as just after ice-out it should be pretty straight forward. But we will be relying somewhat on the fish for food (so as to lighten our packs) and any experience you have had on Crow River, Big Crow, Lavielle, or Dickson would sure come in handy. Thanks!

Yup, much nicer than the old low-fi version which most mobiles users used.

Right now you'll probably want slower baits. Even though the weather will be nice, the water temperatures will still be cold. Husky Jerks, X-raps, even plastics, all fished slow might be your best bet.

April 15th...that sounds a tad early for up there but with the temperatures next week, it sounds about right. I'm heading to Algonquin on May 2nd, and my concern is that the ice is going too early, and not early enough.

Nice fish!