While I am aware the Canadian Football League season has begun, and we tend to bleed green at this time of the year, I have to start in Toronto with the Blue Jays.
The Jays are solidly above .500, but remain in a battle with Boston for second place in the American League East, bobbing between three and five-games back of Baltimore.
That puts the Jays in the hunt for a wild card spot as of today, but we are a long way from the playoffs yet.
To chase down the Orioles the Jays are going to need some help.
That help could be Jose Bautista coming back, and going on a hitting tear, something he is capable of doing.
It would help too if the Jays as a team could perform better at the plate against top pitching. That was an issue last season too and with players such as Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin hitting .230 and .215 respectively, the Jays sputter when another team’s ace is on the mound.
Of course bullpen help is always good. The successful teams these days have the deepest bullpens.
And now for another meal of crow in regards to J.A. Happ. I had thought his signing a blunder, but he has 11-wins and a chance at 12 before the All-Star break, which would equal his career best for wins in a season. If he does nothing post All-Star game he has still exceeded my expectations.
‘Rider time
Now on to the CFL and the Roughriders.
To start with Shawn Lemon, who was seen only a few months ago as a masterstroke replacement for released John Chick, made barely a ripple as a ‘Rider.
And now Lemon is gone, shipped east to Toronto for offensive lineman Matt Sewell, and quarterback Mitchell Gale.
Sewell adds depth with Chris Best sidelined.
Gale has been on the sidelines for 33-games, but has completed just nine CFL passes for 100-yards, so he’s not a tried-and-true back-up to add security should Darian Durant falter.
The trade suggests issues with Lemon which are not necessarily related to on-field skills.
In terms of the Roughies’ defensive line Jonathan Newsome and A.C. Leonard look solid enough at least in game one that we need not lament Lemon’s departure too much.
As for that first game against Toronto, it’s a bit difficult to ascertain exactly where the ‘Riders are as a team.
Overall they looked very much like a team that is an amalgam of new faces, with mistakes large and small spotted throughout the game.
There were early game jitters which gave the Argonauts a 14-point lead, but the rest of the way the ‘Riders settled somewhat, actually outscoring TO the rest of the way. That however, is not anything to be too excited about. Toronto, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan are the teams which face the most scrutiny as the season launched, and none of the three have showed anything through two weeks to change that.
Durant was solid, and he’ll have to be. The ‘Riders have five QBs around, and the four not-named Durant are all huge question marks in terms of their value.
Curtis Steel was all right rushing the ball, but showed spurts of that with Toronto in the past too. His issue has been consistency.
Naaman Roosevelt might be the deep threat receiver the team needs, but again time will tell.
The Roughriders are clearly a work-in-progress, and more will be learned Friday as they head into Edmonton, a team some see declining, although I’m not convinced of that just yet.
NHL moves
The National Hockey League free agent frenzy began Canada Day with a lot of players shuffling teams on the long weekend, although few moves had that ‘will change’ the order of things in the NHL.
Milan Lucic signing with Edmonton is good news if you are an Oiler fan. He brings some toughness up front.
Add that to the trade to acquire a much-needed defence man in Adam Larsson, the Oilers might actually be on the move upwards. Yes they gave up Taylor Hall, so they over paid, but it is simply the price they were left with always drafting forwards and forgetting you need a team, not always the ‘best player available’.
At least the Edmonton trade was made for a reason.
Apparently the front office in Montreal simply went brain dead and made a trade to spite their fans.
P.K. Subban, gifted offensive defence man, supporter of community initiatives in Montreal, only 27, and a six year contract is sent to Nashville, a team in need of offence, so Preds fans are rejoicing.
The Canadiens get Shea Weber back, 30, and showing signs he might be slower afoot these days, and a contract that will drag on Montreal for a decade.
This was maybe as bad a deal as there is from Montreal’s perspective. The team struggles to score goals with Subban in the line-up. That issue grows with Weber.
And, Montreal didn’t address their scoring woes through free agency either.
Among the remainder of Canadian teams in the NHL no signing on the weekend is going to have fans dreaming playoffs in the season ahead.
