Thread: Recommend a blogger/columnist every NHL fan should be reading

I'll start.

Derek Zona, The Copper & Blue - For Edmonton Oilers Fans. Relentlessly smart, refuses to accept conventional wisdom, backs up his columns with lots of statistical analysis. Ostensibly focuses on the Oilers, but lots of good stuff on the NHL in general. If you liked Daniel Tolensky's stuff, you'll like Daniel Zona's. A lot. Check out his latest column, lots of food for thought as always.

2010-11 NHL Marginal Cap Efficiency - The Copper & Blue
Here's another good one:

http://www.coppernblue.com/2011/8/17/1913101/who-will-crash-the-nhls-old-boys-club


Here is a column on the true value of a first-round pick: http://www.coppernblue.com/2011/4/4/2082829/nhl-draft-pick-value-first-round

I won't bore you again with the same links, but he is the same guy who did a three-part thesis with a detailed analysis of the (very high) value of Dustin Penner to the Oilers.

Another one is Down Goes Brown (sounds like a Dustin Brown fan site, no?)

It is written by the same guy who ran the fake Brian Burke twitter account, which if you haven't read it, was riotously funny. The archive is on the web site and it is a must read even in retrospect Down Goes Brown: The archive: all of Fake Brian Burke's tweets
Some samples

This is right after Burke was hired:

Finally going to have a chance to spend some time looking at this roster in-depth.
1:21 PM Jan 26th

Hmmm... not really much to work with, is there?
2:23 PM Jan 26th

Wait, what's an "NTC"? And does every one of these guys seem to have one?
8:36 PM Jan 26th

Tomas Kaberle and I are working together on his trade deadline options. He gave me a list of 10 teams. I gave him back a list of 20 more.
2:37 PM Feb 18th

Congratulated Stempniak on scoring in his first game as a Leaf. He said he's actually been here for three months. First I've heard of it.
9:27 AM Feb 13th

My all time favorite tweet:

Ran into Eklund last night. He kept grilling me about trades and rumors. Finally I just paid him for the pizza and slammed the door.
3:07 PM Feb 3rd

Just like the tweets from "Brian Burke," the blog pulls no punches and is absolutely hilarious.

From a recent post about the remaining UFA's:

Pascal Leclaire
The good: Every NHL contract he has signed so far has, eventually, expired.
The bad: Gets hurt every time a puck touches him, so that's like three injuries a year.
Where he'd fit: Would be a great addition for a team looking for a veteran starting goaltender, assuming the league adds 7,000 expansion teams between now and September

Sergei Samsonov
The good: Obviously isn't demanding way too much money, since if he was the Panthers would have kept him.
The bad: Won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1998, but has never even come close to competing for it since.
Where he'd fit: On your fantasy team as a "sleeper pick" based on name recognition, then on the waiver wire by mid-November, just like every year.

Whatcha got for me to read?