Best of the Nation – 11.4.12

Photo: S.Yume/CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia

After the jump: 20-ish articles covering a range of subjects. Which player overseas has had the most impressive performance so far? Why is the CHLPA imploding? Who were the best free agent signings of the last CBA? Zack Kassian or Cody Hodgson? Perhaps most importantly: who is Roberto Luongo mocking with his new Twitter avater?

NHLE Scoring Leaderboard. Who would be this season’s leading scorer so far if the NHL were in session? Using NHL equivalencies and players’ work in other league’s we learn that it’s… [NHL Numbers]

On picking fourth liners. I found this piece extremely interesting – when does it make sense to employ the prototypical “energy” fourth-liner versus a more talented player who isn’t a fit stylistically? [NHL Numbers]

Randy Gumbley and the implosion of the CHLPA. The CHLPA is coming apart at the seams, and it is in no small part thanks to the reputation of Randy Gumbley, who appears to have been operating with the group under an alias. [Canucks Army]

The Reference Library. Eric T. of NHL Numbers has started a massive project: collecting the most influential pieces on stats-based hockey thinking into one place. [NHL Numbers]

I think the lingo is “book it.” Oilers president Kevin Lowe is invited on to Oilers Now, and given an opportunity to throw cold water on a rumour the Oilers have a massive trade in the works opts instead to pour gasoline on the fire. [Oilers Nation]

Roberto Luongo mocks HockeyyInsiderr with his new Twitter avatar. Fun stuff. [Canucks Army]

The best free agent signings between 2005 and 2012. The title’s pretty self-explanatory. [NHL Numbers]

A completely true and not made up interview with Barry Brust. And weirdly, the AHL goalie with a 0.979 SV% through two games apparently liked it! [Flames Nation]

Devan Dubnyk talks about CBA negotiations and the Roberto Luongo rumours. Dubnyk is the Oilers’ NHLPA player representative, and he’s also the guy who would be supplanted in a Luongo trade. [Oilers Nation]

Tyler Bozak’s blackface costume: racist or no? This happens every single year. Every year. If it’s not Raffi Torres dressing up as Jay-Z it’s Tyler Bozak dressing up as Michael Jackson. [Leafs Nation]

Unrelated to the above: apparently, Bozak has trade value. I’ll sum up the post, written on the Leafs website: ‘Trade him. Trade him now. PLEASE TRADE HIM NOW.’ [Leafs Nation]

Zack Kassian or Cody Hodgson? An interesting turn of events for both fans of the Canucks and people who think Mike Gillis made a terrible, terrible mistake – prospects guru Corey Pronman moves Kassian ahead of Hodgson for the first time on his young player rankings. [Canucks Army]

Random Thoughts. Kent Wilson talks about the lockout’s impact on Calgary, looks at Linus Omark and Patrick Thoresen, and discusses the various people losing jobs and or money (including paid writers here at the Nation) because of the NHL work stoppage. [Flames Nation]

Explode through the check. 2010 first overall pick Taylor Hall slams into Jonas Brodin, doing terrible damage to the top Wild prospect. Was the hit cvlean or dirty? [Oilers Nation]

This year in the NHL a trick would be a treat. Graphic Comments! Need I say more? [Canucks Army]

Five ways the Flames can win the Cup this year. Given that the first way involves a flux capacitor… yeah. [Flames Nation]

Potlatch. The NHL and NHLPA find themselves in an ugly battle over a new CBA, and Rex Libris takes us through the pressure points for both sides. [Oilers Nation]

Marlies allow two shorthanded goals in three seconds. Though, as Cam Charron tells us, “counting the time it takes for the Abbotsford Heat players to celebrate and get back to the face-off circle, and then score again, it really takes about 40 or 50 seconds.” [Leafs Nation]