Brandon

#NJDevils

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@r3dr0cker @jp_gambatese @MNState0fHockey Lmao

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@jp_gambatese @NYNJsportsfan23 The draft isn’t even over yet and people are dooming hahahaha

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@ReplicaKnight @PuckReportNHL Trades can happen at any time. The trade deadline is just the deadline for when players need to be on your roster to be elligible to play in the playoffs

[Framework @FrameworkPuter]

Don't let AI service providers dilute the meaning of "local". If it can't run offline on compute and data you actually own, it's not a Personal Computer.

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@astro__pallas Chromium-based: vivaldi or brave
Firefox-based: zen or librewolf

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@GreyDestiny Just did the random metro BND and got palat!! Def going for atlantic next

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@TheNasher61 @EASPORTSNHL Xbox

[Nasher @TheNasher61]

GIVEAWAY: TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF #NHL26, I have 26 game codes to giveaway! Both PlayStation and Xbox.

RETWEET, COMMENT with your console, & FOLLOW (so I can DM you) to enter. GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN. @EASPORTSNHL

WATCH MATTHEW VS BRADY TKACHUK 👉 https://t.co/gWNqnrSJwh

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

Enjoy retirement Bob! Thanks for all the years of great service and scoops and I’ll never forget:

“The trade is one for one”

[Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie]

The trade is one for none.

Which is to say I’m exchanging my semi-retired TSN life of the last five years — doing the World Junior Championships, NHL Draft Rankings, a handful of Toronto Maple Leaf broadcasts, TradeCentre and Free Agent Frenzy — for a fully-retired life of doing absolutely nothing.

Well, nothing work related anyway.

Today’s Free Agent Frenzy is the last working day in a 48-year professional career that included stops at The Sault Star, The Globe and Mail, The Hockey News (twice), The Toronto Star, TSN, ESPN and NBC, amongst others.

It’s been quite a ride.

I’ll be 69 years old in August. I decided a few months ago it’s as nice a time as any to call it a career with the expiry of my current contract. If I had been so inclined to continue doing the World Juniors and draft rankings etc. at TSN, the opportunity was certainly there for me to do so. And I’m so grateful to TSN for that.

Honestly, though, I am looking forward to waking up on Christmas morning this year and NOT flying to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the World Juniors.

I’m also looking forward to doing more travelling with my wife Cindy; having more time to give my sons Mike and Shawn unwanted (and unneeded) advice; playing even more golf than I am now; and having my two wonderful grandchildren Blake and Gunnar running my show on a full-time basis.

After almost 50 years in the business, there are far too many people to thank individually, so I won’t even try to name any lest I leave some out.

Just know that I’ve been blessed to work for, work with and work against so many great people who gave me boundless opportunity, incredible support and intense motivation. The nearly five decades have gone by in the blink of an eye.

I certainly never set out to be the TSN Hockey Insider. It never occurred to me that I would work in television. All I wanted to be when I grew up was a hockey writer, to have a “job” to watch, write and talk about the game. You know, tell a few stories and try to capture the spirit of the thing.

Mission accomplished, I guess.

I couldn’t say goodbye now without a special thanks to everyone at TSN, past and present.

I first started showing up on the network in or around 1986-87. In the 1990s, I was working full-time hours at TSN but still had a full time newspaper job, too. Since 2000, 25 years ago, TSN has been my primary professional home.

It’s been a very special place on so many levels. The best part of TSN has always been the people. The best people doing the best work. What an honour to be one small part of the unsurpassed excellence that is TSN. Every time I’ve walked out of Studio Six at the end of Free Agent Frenzy on July 1, I’ve said to myself: “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

And it doesn’t. That’s especially true on this Canada Day because I’m so very proud to be a Canadian. 🇨🇦

I’m a very lucky guy. I owe the game of hockey, and all the people within it — the players, coaches, managers, executives, scouts, agents et al — so much; I owe my family and friends even more. 

Finally, thank you to anyone who has ever read, watched or listened to any of my work in any form at any outlet over the last 48 years. It’s been a privilege to share some information with you all, and try to have a few laughs along the way on social media or whatever they’re calling it these days.

I’ve cherished it all.

Fully Completely.

✌️and 💕 

-30-

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@amandacstein What numbers are Sprong, Glass and Cholowski wearing?

[JP Gambatese @jp_gambatese]

#NJDevils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic proved to be an effective defensive defenseman this season... when alongside Jonas Siegenthaler.

Away from Siegs, though, Kovacevic has struggled. I think this is a reason for caution with re-signing him. Let's get into it:

(1/?)

[JP Gambatese @jp_gambatese]

Brett Pesce leads the #NJDevils defensemen in time on ice per game (20:47), which, though it might not be the right call, is reality.

He's also had a quietly strong first season in New Jersey. Let's get into how:

(1/?)

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@Hadz_66 @TheAthleticNHL @domluszczyszyn This list is a ranking based on fan ratings lmao

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@RonoAnalyst Wouldn’t matter if it’s 2 way or 1 way it doesn’t affect waivers and his full salary (under 1.15 million) can be buried in the minors

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@supermattt123 @jp_gambatese where's keefe

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

Some of the reasons why Markstrom was my ideal target

[JP Gambatese @jp_gambatese]

Let's talk Jacob Markstrom, and why he's a good fit for the #NJDevils and new head coach Sheldon Keefe.

Let's get one thing out of the way: SV% is generally a bad metric for gauging goaltender skill/effectiveness because it doesn't take into account average shot danger.

(1/?)

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@MrWhite1079 @JohnnyP_9 He plays really tough minutes in MTL which does not help his rating no doubt but to me he's not a 1st pair defenseman

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@MrWhite1079 @JohnnyP_9 He's definitely better than Siegs not better than Luke and nowhere near his ceiling. Also you think Hughes/Hamilton would be a nightmare defensive pairing but Guhle's defense isn't anything to write home about either.

[Brandon @ElitexGhost31]

@MrWhite1079 @JohnnyP_9 Yup definitely a 1st pairing dman. Compare that to Siegenthaler who had a terrible season. Or Luke and Nemec in their rookie years