Random Thoughts (November 25, 2008)

The offensive output isn't quite there yet but his presence on the ice as a threat to score and to throw fists makes Milan Lucic look like a young Cam Neely. As an 18-year-old rookie with the Vancouver Canuks in 1983-84, Neely scored 16 goals and tallied 31 points. As a 19-year-old rookie with the B's in 2007-08, Lucic scored 8 goals and tallied 27 points. Both players are big (Neely went 6-1/220, Lucic checks in at 6-3/230) physical players who handle the puck far better than they should considering their size. Like Neely, Lucic is capable of a "Gordie Howe" hat-trick on any given night. Hopefully Lucic will reach Neely's level as a goal scorer (#8 reached the 50 goal level three times in his career) sooner than later... Matt Cassel is making life in New England very enjoyable this fall but I would still hesitate to throw millions his way this spring when he becomes a free agent because you have to take into account that he throws the ball to Randy Moss and Wes Welker. This is not Tom Brady in 2001 utilizing Troy Brown and David Patten. Cassel is throwing to a Hall of Famer on one side and the Pats' all-time single season receptions leader on the other. Cassel is making the throws but any minor mistakes he makes are being cleaned up by two Pro Bowlers. Now, if the Detroit Lions (Calvin Johnson at receiver, rookie Kevin Smith at running back) or Minnesota Vikings (Adrian Peterson at running back, Bernard Berrian and Sydney Rice at receiver) want Cassel, they have the nucleus of offensive players in place to make Cassel's transition go smoothly. Both of those teams should also have a head coaching vacancy, which could easily be filled by Patriots offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels. On the other hand, if the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, or St. Louis Rams decide they want Cassel under center, they might want to upgrade their receivers and running backs to give him a chance... Adam "Pacman" Jones should have been banned from the NFL for his actions as a Tennessee Titan. Instead he was given a second chance and started the season with the Dallas Cowboys. With the Cowboys, Jones broke the NFL's conduct policy and received a 6-game suspension. That transgression was not enough to keep him out of professional football either; he rejoined the Cowboys for practice this week and can return to the lineup for their December 7 game at Pittsburgh. I hope my employer gives me so many chances if I decide to start a brawl in a strip club, repeatedly get into fistfights when I'm drunk and cause havoc simply because I'm good at what i do... Enjoy LeBron in Madison Square tonight...