Between TSN's Darren Dreger's "Dreger Report" entry about the Flames' mandating of shot-blocking "skate fenders," ESPN's Pierre LeBrun's "Rumblings" and an as-yet-un-captioned TSN's Insider Trading segment featuring both Dreger and LeBrun, rule change chatter and trade talk are both heating up ahead of next Tuesday's GM's meetings.
In his "Rumblings" article, LeBrun discusses the hot-button issues of goalie and "staged" fights...
I think the theme of the fighting discussion next week, if it is indeed held, will be along the lines of continuing to find ways to minimize some aspects of fighting in the game, just like the NHL's implementing the helmet rule this season in which fighters have to keep their lids on or else get an extra penalty for fighting without it. Calm down, fighting fans, the idea is not to completely ban fighting, but rather to get rid of some of the elements hockey people no longer want.
For example, Gabriel Landeskog's fight with Alex Chiasson last Friday night is what people still want to see: an emotional fight between two good hockey players that most hockey people feel strongly still has an important place in the game. But having two enforcers go at it in a staged fight? That has grown stale for many people.
One idea that could come up next week is the current rule that stipulates three fighting majors and you’re thrown out of the game; why not make it two fighting majors and you’re out, instead?
LeBrun outlines a few more points of emphasis for the GM's meetings...
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