#I wonder if Sebastian is going to be replaced but I highly doubt so

[fionnalovesanimeboys]

I like that they didn't showed Sebastian's face at in the newest trailer because they knew the whole fandom would be crazy over him and wouldn't sleep at nights

[onestowatch]

Moontower Gives a Voice to What We’re All Feeling on ‘What Day Is It?’ [Q&A]

Los Angeles based Indie-electro trio Moontower just unveiled their vibrant new EP What Day Is It?. Aptly titled for the current situation the world faces, we are all left wondering that same question as every day blends into the next. The highly anticipated release features innovative and enthralling soundscapes as well as relatable messages including striving for self-awareness and relational connection.

Moontower’s music combines quirky pop with French house inspired production. From their infectious singles to invigorating live shows, Moontower is a band on the rise. Ones to Watch had the opportunity to speak with them about their latest EP, virtual tour and musical influences.

Ones to Watch: In late May you released a 15-minute performance video entitled “What Day Is It?”. What inspired you to create an EP with the same name?

Moontower: We started Moontower as a live-focussed project and that has never really changed… With that in mind, it’s always been our intention to be able to FIRST play our songs live for people before releasing them, giving concert go-ers the opportunity to get acquainted with something new in the space that we intend the songs to be “best” heard. With all of the craziness that is 2020, we needed to get a little creative with how to keep that up! Our hope with putting out the “What Day Is It?” performance at the beginning of the Summer was that people could familiarize and experience the songs with live energy before the whole project was released, the same way you would normally in a venue.

The compelling four-track release has a uniquely experimental sound touching on themes of regret, self-doubt and broken relationships. What prominent message do you hope listeners will take away from this EP?

For our first EP, “Season 1”, we used a conduit to tell our own stories, that being a character named William Hollywood – a crime fighting cowboy at the center of our surrealist visual album. For this one, we wanted to tackle something both simpler and more daunting – writing about ourselves without a conduit. With this EP, we’ve touched very directly on some serious subjects to us personally – deaths in the family, dejection inspired by the downfall of our heroes, the unravelling of a relationship, lovesickness causing personal stagnation, and more. We hope people feel inspired to see the beauty in the process of putting yourself back together, especially when things work out differently than how you hoped.

Moontower just completed a virtual interactive tour. Can you explain more about what that experience was like?

Tom - The most important thing that we wanted to offer to differentiate the 15 minute “What Day Is It?” performance video from the 4 night virtual tour was giving people the closest thing they could have to going to a “real” show even when they can’t leave their living room. So, with the “What Day Is It?” virtual tour, you could see everyone else who was “there” and celebrate with them like you were at a venue, you could visit the “virtual merch booth”, there was an opening set and a meet and greet after the show. Really, our goal was to not compromise even in the time when so much is different than what we had envisioned before quarantine.

Jacob - It kept us sane. We had our first headline tour canceled, it would have been really easy to slide into a cycle of self-pity. Luckily we never had the time to.. and for that we have to thank our fans. The fact that we have people who want to see us put on something like this, we just wanted to give them (and ourselves) an experience that was deserving of their desire to look forward to something.

Devan - The experience was surreal, all around. It felt like a different kind of live show! For me, what sticks is the delirious, good, tired feeling that I usually get by the end of a show night. On a normal day of show, If I’ve put everything I could into setup, soundcheck, performing the music the best that I could, and talking with as many fans as I can – it usually ends up with me feeling pretty exhausted by the end of the night (but in the best way). I got the same feeling at the end of each night of our Virtual Tour, which I didn’t realize I needed! Putting on this Virtual Tour was not easy by any stretch – but like most things with Moontower, after putting in the heavy lifting we enjoyed every second of the reward.

On the topic of shows, you’ve performed live with Night Riots and The Driver Era as well as opened for COIN and Cold War Kids. Do you have any interesting tour stories you can share with us?

Tom - I think it is appropriate to give a little shoutout to Riker Lynch, the bassist of The Driver Era who replaced all of our stage water bottles with vodka on the last night of our tour with them. Nothing like sweating on stage and quickly downing a water bottle to discover it is very much NOT water.

Jacob - To jump off that story ^ I usually throw out water bottles to the crowd after our sets (venues charge too much for water) but yeah, not that night. It’s beautiful to feel like you’re home no matter where you go, that’s what our community gives to us...even if nobody knows who you are at the start of the night, you have friends by the end.

Devan - We’ve definitely had those hilariously classic touring stories, from fast food runs to the strange people you meet, to the unexpected – those never get old. Overall though, I do want to share that we’ve had the pleasure of touring with some of the most professional people in music. Touring is not easy - it’s tough but extremely rewarding work. When we went on those first couple of tours – I had no idea what to expect, yet we had so many pros around us to show the way. Always thankful for their guidance and the friendships made.

Through your infectious indie-electronic music you have managed to grow a dedicated and loyal fan base.  Who are some of your musical influences and how have they seeped into your sound?

Tom - Moontower started shortly after Jake and I went to go see one of my favorite groups Lemaitre at the El Rey. They really were (and are) so far ahead of their time and the way that they mixed alternative and dance in a live setting really inspired us to get the project off the ground and influenced what we set out to do in a major way. So much love to Ketil and Ulrik!

Jacob - There’s a lot about The Killers that speaks to what we want to do and where we want to go. It’s powerful pop-music you can dance and cry to. They’ve been a band forever, we wanna be touring and making albums together like that and even beyond till we’re as old as The Stones.

Devan - Our tastes are pretty different across the board. Tom’s typically obsessed with dance, French house, & impeccably-produced songs (SebastiAn, Caribou, Breakbot, Busy P). Jake’s got an obsession with well-written songs based on structure, bulletproof lyrics and melodies (Julia Michaels, Phoebe Bridgers, Billy Joel, Manchester Orchestra). I’m obsessed with songs that have grand & strong instrumental harmony (Coldplay, U2, Pat Metheny Group, Tears for Fears). Together, we like the middle ground of Daft Punk meets The Killers – it’s our sweet spot.

What is next for Moontower?

We’ve done a lot that we were very blessed to be able to get done before COVID hit – touring, filming big sequential music videos, promoting our EPs, and playing internationally. What we’re so excited to do next is something none of us have ever actually done before: make a debut full-length album. :)

Lastly, who are your "Ones to Watch"?

There’s an EP coming from a new artist going by Skofee! Also, always so much love to our friends constantly releasing music we love – Younger Hunger, OSTON, Valley, & Max Leone!

[mistressemmedi]

So, settle down and enjoy the saga that is: Kimi and the mistery vacant seat at Ferrari.

Usual disclaimers: sources are not confirmed, all rumours, bla bla, take it with a grain of salt.

Begin your read under the cut:

It all starts with Marchionne. If you've read articles from places like Autosport and such publications, there have always been rumours about how much Marchionne loved the Alfa Romeo brand and Charles Leclerc.

If you remember from last year (fairly sure I've reposted some of the articles myself) there was a running joke about Marchionne bringing bad luck to the team, and the fights that him and Arrivabene would have over the team performance. If you also remember, it came down to Marchionne publicly criticizing the team and especially Kimi, to the point where Maurizio Arrivabene had to basically state multiple occasions that the team (read: fuck what Marchionne thinks) has Kimi's back and didn't consider him "old". Proof came when confirmed him again for another year.

Nevertheless, Marchionne rebranded Fiat-Chrysler and made it into the succeful business that it is today, bringing it back from the edge a bankruptcy and failure.

His plans was to to do the exact same with Ferrari. The team needed rebranding, needed a boost of fresh energy. Enough with the "old model" of the race team, clearly it stopped working for them around the time Fernando joined them and Lewis started taking names on the grid. Also, right around when Schumacher (who had been with Ferrari for so long) showed up to help out Mercedes get started and eventually became the powerhouse that it is today.

Let's be real, even if nobody knows what the hell F1 is, they definitely know who Ferrari is. It's a symbiotic relationship, there's not one without the other. But the truth is, the sport moved forward and evolved. Ferrari didn't.

So, time for some drastic changes. The original plan was to have Jules Bianchi spearhead that change. For obvious reasons, that didn't happen. So the team development stalled.

Until last year, when Marchionne had his way and fired a good chunk of the team, replacing them with "in house" promotions. The right ideas weren't getting at the top, because the team had this stupid ass (and I can confirm, very Italian) notion of "It's worked for us thus far, why change it". Tensions came to a breaking point when Allison left. But we saw snippets of it, when Ruth Buscombe left Ferrari. And let's be real, she's relatively young in the field. Who in their right mind leaves Ferrari to go first to Haas, a baby team, and then Sauber, a clear backmarker? Talk about suicide of your career. But imagine how bad it was for Ruth to have to leave. Or Allison to be kicked out.

So, Marchionne wanted change, Arrivabene didn't. Remember, he's a team principal now but he was Ferrari's "cigarette man" (we all know who's the main sponsor) before that and had an old school mentality.

So while the technical staff issue was partially solved, the problem of the drivers remained.

In comes Charles Leclerc, a child prodigy basically. Didn't skip steps like Verstappen, and delivered results constantly in junior categories despite life's hard blows, remaining level headed.

Perfect candidate, but everyone has seen the story of the "young prodigy driver" in the junior categories, only for them to graduate in F1 and completely tank it.

So, in comes the Alfa Romeo-Sauber project: final step of the rebranding of Alfa, allows Ferrari to experiment and for Charles to test the waters without too much pressure.

What people weren't expecting, was Charles to do so well in such a short amount of time.

Marchionne had the inkling that it was going to happen, so he started to push for Leclerc to join Ferrari at the end of the season, or at least fast-track his promotion.

Remember, Marchionne also knew he had limited time.

Unfortunately Marchionne passed away, but John Elkann, who saw it very much like him, started to push for the team to finish what the deceased CEO wanted (along with other’s within the FCA circle - it was time for a changeee)

Problem was, Camilleri. New big boss at Ferrari. Why? Massive friend of Kimi. And a massive fan.

While all of this was happening, as a side note, Kimi was told from the start “Yo this is Sebastian’s year. You’ll race, we’ll let you win and at the front if the situation calls for it, but you are a clear second. But the contract states you get to race the full season, so off you go. Don’t worry about the replacement rumors”. At the same time, the tech staff at Ferrari basically built a car around Vettel. Like... For him basically. But we all knew it at the beginning of the season.

Anyways, in comes this weekend in Italy. This was supposed to be a triumph, Ferrari 1-2, Vettel on the top step, Kimi the sidekick and who the fuck cares about the third spot.

In comes John Elkann - Spa didn’t go exactly... Smoothly as hoped. The championship has not been a winning smash as hoped. Sebastian is in danger of not winning it again, the constructor’s championship will most likely be dominated by Merc, again. The Seb-Kimi combo is not getting the results promised, despite it all, and Marchionne was probably right.

The only constant, is Leclerc blowing everyone away with his results (Verstappen who?)

Here’s where it gets hazy: a conversation happened between Elkann, Camilleri, Raikkonen and his manager on Friday - the bottom line? Kimi is out. Charles is in (this conversation was also reported by Autosport - I wonder who spilled the beans on that, mhmmmm....)

Let’s be real - had Marchionne been around, this would have happened after Monza’s win. Imagine it, just how it would have been spun “We thank Kimi for his hard work, for his contribution in Italy, at home. Amazing asset for the team, couldn’t have done it without him etc. etc. But it’s fair he enjoys his retirement, and we move forward with Charles etc. etc.” It would have been sad, but it would have been a triumph and all that.

Marchionne is dead, so Kimi is told that he will stay. Until he is not. Elkann doesn’t approach it lightly, he simply says “Soz man, time to go”

(I’m not sure if he was going to be kicked to Haas, highly doubt it. But the point being Charles would go to Ferrari, Giovinazzi to Sauber).

Now, imagine being in Kimi’s shoes - you’ve been jostled around all season, you’re treated as “second” always, because that’s just how it is.

So he’s upset, his manager is upset, and most importantly? His side of the garage is upset. Remember this, they LOVE him.

So, around comes quali. Vettel was supposed to get pole. That’s just how it was planned. Until, Kimi’s side of the garage had enough, went against orders and sent him out to clock a faster time and not help out Vettel.

Result? Kimi sets fastest lap, gives a massive fuck you to Elkann and Vettel is furious because that was his pole and Kimi is out there with an advantage over him and that was not team orders.

Remember his radio? It wasn’t about the slipstream, it was about that side of the garage defying team orders.

In comes race day - fine Kimi has had his moment, but he’s been told EXPLICITLY to work as a stopper to Lewis.

(We all made a bit fun of him about how crappy he is at starts, Vettel getting the lead as usual etc.)

Only problem being... Start comes around, and Kimi jumps Vettel and blocks him for a few seconds as well, leaving him in dirty air.

Vettel sees red (ahahahaha), can’t focus and we see how that went. A mistake, which HE KNEW he couldn’t afford, yet makes it a bit like a rookie.

Kimi is past giving a fuck, Ferrari is literally scrambling for strategies because that’s NOT how it was supposed to go, and falls for the undercut like a goddamn sack of potatoes.

A distaster, and Lewis comes up on top because him and Merc were simply better. And Bottas acted as a sacrificial lamb (LEAVE THIS FINNS ALONE FFS).

Where does this leave the team? Kimi’s manager showed up with Raikkonen’s contract, basically stating “Good fucking luck trying to break this”, Kimi is 100% done with this shit, and Vettel?

Vettel realized at the start of the Italian GP, that it’s no longer about him vs another driver: it’s now his vs two drivers, Lewis and Kimi. And he doesn’t have a support of a second driver any more.

So, Ferrari has two weeks to fix these fucking political issues, because now they have two sides of the garage actively working against each other. Which leaves an easy win for Merc.

Edit: I thought this was a bit far fetched, embellished etc. But an Italian publication (y’all can do your own search) came out with a similar story I just wrote, late in the evening today. Which means people are talking, and you bet your ass that it is people who are on Kimi’s side.

Fin.

[janelevy]

Crush - Penny/Fem!MC

You can also read this on AO3!

**This takes place in 6th year, so now that everyone’s aged up a bit things get scandalous. In plainer words, this fic contains a lot of kissing. As in MC kissing Penny. Making out with Penny. A lot. What’s not to love?

You hadn't been particularly inclined to attend the party, but at the last minute a certain somebody helped convince you.

You were in herbology class, trimming away at the ivy, packing all your pent-up emotions into each hearty snip of the garden shears. Class had started roughly ten minutes prior, but only then did Penny come running in, panting heavily.

You glanced up and nearly dropped the shears on your foot. Yet seeing Penny's face stirred up more pain than being stabbed in the foot ever could. Her eyes were red and watery, nose dripping as she wiped at it carelessly with her sleeve. As you got closer to her, you noticed streaky paths left behind on her cheeks by tears, and fresh ones were welling up at her eyelids, threatening to fall.

"Pen?" you said, stepping over to her. It didn't take long for your heart to start beating quickly; that was the natural "Penny Effect," as you called it. Anytime she was nearby or made contact with you, you basically melted into a helpless puddle. For example, one time in third year she coughed on you accidentally and you'd almost fainted.

"Oh. (Name)," she sniffed. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "He did it. Seb really broke up with me."

Your jaw dropped. "What? When?"

"Just now. That's why I'm late to class, I- I was crying my eyes out in the loo." She rubbed her bloodshot eyes and created a smudgy cloud of mascara around her eyes like a mask. "But it's not just that he broke up with me, it's how he did it."

You stared at her dumbly, like a puppy waiting to be fed more treats— or in this case, more information. "How?"

"I found him snogging another girl in an empty classroom. I heard whispers, and… and it sounded like him, then I opened the door and it was him. H- he was with that girl Elizabeth. What does she have that I don't?" Penny broke into heavier sobs, and a few other students glanced over in interest. Sprout was too busy helping somebody at the other end of the greenhouse to notice, however.

You rubbed your friend's back and sighed. You had known it would only be a matter of time before that wanker Sebastian cheated on Penny. He was a player, a cocky pureblood redhead who always had the latest in brooms and fashion. You knew as soon as they started dating a few months ago that it wouldn't last. In all honesty, you were surprised they did last as long as they had. And everyone had known Seb was eyeing that Elizabeth girl— also a Hufflepuff, but in the year above you.

"You are way better than her," you assured Penny. It was kind of half-hearted; you're not the best at reassuring others. Sure, you've been convincing enough in the past, but actually comforting your friends is a whole other story. When you say words of comfort, they feel empty. And when you spoke to Penny then, it felt empty and pointless. You were speaking the truth— Penny was a million times prettier and smarter than that skanky brunette— but you knew it would take more than that to make her feel better.

"I just want to hex that bitch and see how she likes feeling like her chest was ripped open!" Penny snarled, clenching her fists.

"Hey, hey," you said. "Pen, she's not worth wasting your anger on. Neither of them are worth it."

She relaxed slightly. "As much as I don't want to admit it, you are right, (Name). I need to get it off my mind. How…" She paused, seeming to think for a moment, then brightened remarkably. "Aha! (Name), you have to come to the party with me tonight."

Instantly you deflated. "I'm, uh… not exactly a party person." Unlike her, you highly prefer staying in and reading with Rowan rather than dressing up and socializing into the early hours of the morning.

But Penny fixed those puppy eyes on you, and that's when you knew it was hopeless. Missing the party for your own selfish reasons would only make you feel worse about this situation.

So that's how you end up in a dress and awkwardly walking up one of Hogwarts' many staircases in heels. You curse under your breath as you trip for the hundredth time. The stumble nearly sends you crashing into the ancient stone steps, but you manage to right yourself on the railing. This reminds you of the time Rowan and Penny convinced you to go ice-skating with them, only these cursed shoes are that clumsiness multiplied by a thousand.

You're alone because Rowan had helped you get ready, but in usual Rowan fashion, they hadn't been interested in actually going themself. You promised to meet Penny, Tonks, and everyone else there. Now you wish you had an arm to lean on, though, because these stairs are simply impossible.

By some miracle, you scale them after some fifteen minutes of struggle and huffing and puffing. It's not difficult finding the spare room the party is being held in; the portrait concealing the entrance contains a young man who is holding a glass of firewhisky and wearing a ridiculous hat. He sways side to side and hums to himself as you approach.

You clear your throat, and at last he notices you. He opens an eye and asks, "Passwooooord?"

"Butterscotch toad," you tell him, and briefly wonder if Tulip had something to do with the password, considering her adoration for toads.

He nods, and the portrait swings open like a door, inviting you in. You climb through and right away you get an exact idea of just what kind of party this is. On the surface, it looks like what it's called: a Christmas party for sixth-years only. There's merry decorations, tinsel and strings of lights everywhere. But its innocence has been brutally torn away, replaced by a bunch of sixteen-year-olds stumbling around, drunker than the man in the portrait. Several couples are snogging in darker corners or right in the open, and nobody seems to care about it. Fancy, dressy outfits that were put together with care an hour ago are now disheveled and stained.

"Shit," you mutter. This is not the kind of thing you wanted to get into. But you're here for Penny. Her happiness is what's most important right now, not yours. So you grudgingly take a seat and lazily scan your eyes over the crowd, only kind of searching for her. She said she'd find you, after all, so—

That's when your eyes land on her. In less than half a second, all of your doubts vanish. This is a different Penny than the one you saw earlier in herbology— and only now do you realize you've never seen Penny in party mode. You only see her in her most modest form: neat Hufflepuff robes, hair plaited, appearance spotless. You can't believe you have known this girl for six years. You can't believe you have waited six years to see this version of her.

She smiles brightly and heads over to you. You don't bother to conceal the fact you're eyeing her up. She's wearing a tight-fitting blue gown adorned with sequins. The garment hugs the curves you'd never noticed she had. It's also low-cut, offering a decent view of her chest. You swallow shakily as your eyes continue moving up. Her face is all done up with fresh makeup and zero sign of the day's tears. Thick lashes, shimmery eyeshadow, dark pink lipstick. The most notable difference is her hair. You've never seen her hair without at least one braid woven into it. But now it's all let down, tumbling past her shoulders like blonde waterfalls. Plentiful, shiny waves of hair softer than the softest blanket— you know, you've touched it before. At last she reaches you. "Hey, (Name)! You finally made it."

Your nerves are so electric, you can practically feel them buzzing just underneath your skin. "Y- yep. I'm here," you stutter. Your mind is blank except for one thought repeating itself again and again, prodding your brain: Penny is hot. Penny is very hot. Penny is a very attractive person who is standing a few centimeters away from me. You hope you're not sweating excessively. Desperately, you hope not.

"What do you think?" she asks, gesturing around you both. "Aren't parties great? I like them because this is where everyone can let loose and have fun. I think we really deserve this, don't you?"

It takes a second to recognize that you've been asked a question. "Um, yeah," you say lamely.

"Come on, there's some people I want you to meet," Penny chirps as she grabs your hand. You grit your teeth the second you touch her. You know your hand must be sweaty as hell, but if she notices she doesn't say anything of it.

She introduces you to some of her Hufflepuff friends who you always noticed from afar all these years, but never actually talked to. There's Michael, who is clearly staring at Penny's chest the entire time she's talking to him. Gabriel is kind, but too tipsy to really have a decent conversation with. Marilia is sweet, but seems a little flustered when the two of you walk up to her. The entire time Penny drags you around from person to person, you're trying to ignore your lightheadedness.

Eventually you two find Ben, Tonks, Tulip, and Charlie. Ben and Charlie look very dashing in button down shirts. Tulip is in a sleek black skirt and white top, while Tonks is in her usual clothes, because of course she is. You envy her as you shift uncomfortably in your heels— there's definitely going to be blisters on your feet when the night is over.

"Well, well. (Name)'s actually tall for once," Tulip says.

You're too dizzy to bite back with a humorous response. You blink a few times. Your head is spinning, actually. Your brain is wobbling and your skull is tilting back and forth in your head like a see-saw. You look down at the drink in your hand. The frothy liquid is a swirling, dangerous whirlpool. What kind of dark magic is in that stuff?

A couple more hours pass by as you hang with your friends. Gradually the shy giggles turn into obnoxious guffaws. You and Penny sit on a sofa and you start out with a little space between you. Then that turns into her leaning a bit on your arm, then her head is resting on your shoulder. There's one point where you're laughing at something Tonks or Charlie just said, and you incline your head to look at the weight pressing into your side, and Penny's laughing too, you can feel her shaking sides tickle your ribs, and then her gaze flits upward and you're both looking at each other, and with that something falls into place. Your heart freezes and your brain, currently in quite the disastrous state, quits functioning. You wander into the lagoon in her blue eyes and after tonight, you realize vaguely, there's no wandering back out of that lagoon.

You and Penny excuse yourselves from the group. The room the party is being held in is connected to a few other smaller rooms, with short hallways in between. A layout that would be basic to any sober person is like a maze to you both. You kick off your heels and scamper close behind her, your bare feet skimming over the creaky wooden floor.

She gets her hands on a door knob and when it opens, you two fall through into a dark, narrow corridor. It seems empty and deserted. For just a second the air is filled with heavy breathing, but then fingers dig into your shoulders and you're slammed against the wall. She's just a hair taller than you without heels on, so she bends down slightly to rest her cheek on your chest. Her breath comes out in hot puffs, grazing your skin with the sweetest feeling that makes your heart slam against your ribcage. She stays in that position until both of you have caught your breath. Then she lifts her head so you're nose to nose.

"Your heart's like a jackhammer," she whispers. Jackhammer? You try to place a definition for that word, but you can't so you figure it must be a muggle object. Way to show her half-blood heritage.

You can't find the courage to reply. You're still stunned that you're here in this dark hall with Penny Haywood leaning into you— her breasts like a warm cushion between your bodies and her endless hair going astray and teasing your goose bump-covered skin.

As your eyes adjust to the dark, you can see that she's still studying you with a great intensity. She speaks again, and the tang of alcohol stings your nostrils.

"I've never done much with a girl before," she says. "I… I mean, little pecks and kisses here and there, but never—"

You wrap one hand around the back of her head, relishing the sleek coolness of her hair as you bring your lips to meet hers. You initiated the kiss, but it's her who leans into it hungrily, her entire body now pinning you to the stone wall. You soon learn how vocal she is; her moans travel up her throat, into your own mouth, and reverberate around your skull. It makes your knees wobble and the pure ecstasy fueling your brain explodes like an array of fireworks.

It's truly the most extraordinary thing you've done. Six years at Hogwarts— the Cursed Vaults, your interminable feud with Merula, your missing brother— all of it disappears in an instant. It's like you have cast the Obliviate charm on yourself, and preserved only these heart-thudding seconds of your life. You're snogging Penny Haywood after years of one-sided pining and watching her heart get stomped on by jerky boys who didn't appreciate what they had. You're snogging Penny Haywood, and it's the best thing.

Your relationship becomes an accidental secret. You know you wouldn't care if others found out, but neither of you speak about it aloud, so it just stays under wraps.

In fact, in front of others you and Penny are as painfully platonic as ever. But there are times, when Rowan is focused on their book or Tulip's head is turned the other way, where she'll let her hand brush yours as she reaches forward to get something. It's the most innocent action, and it almost exasperates you that she acts like you're a couple of awkward first-years.

Then, however, there are other instances where you and her are anything but a couple of awkward first-years. You'll be walking down the hall by yourself, heading to lunch, when an arm darts out of an empty classroom and drags you in. The door slams shut, a silencing charm is cast, and then she's on you like a hungry predator, sucking on the sensitive skin of your neck and reducing you to a wobbly mess. There are the times when you'll pounce as well, jogging down a deserted corridor with her and barely escaping Filch's ever-watchful eye. You might end up in a bathroom, falling into a stall together as the door bangs loudly against the wall, but you pull it shut with your heel and strain one hand back to slide the lock in place before you return your hand to her hair, unraveling the perfect braids as she lets your tongue explore her mouth, and after the make out session you leave with an aftertaste of the caramel sweets she had eaten earlier.

The first time you two are caught, it's luckily not in the act— it's afterward, in the girls' toilet on the third floor that is almost always empty. You're catching your breath, leaning against the cool marble wall, as she fixes her hair in front of the mirror.

The door groans open, and both of you jump. You turn to see who it is; Penny's face has turned three shades paler, so you know it must not be good. And sure enough, there's Merula Snyde, her eyes flicking back and forth from one disheveled girl to the other. "The hell happened here?" she asks, but from the glint in her gaze you know she knows.

"I'm just fixing my hair, Merula," Penny responds, your enemy's name coming out in a soft exhale that makes your heart thrum. Then she glances over at you, her gaze hard. "And so is (Name)."

"Fixing my…? Oh yes, I'm fixing my hair, too." It's useless, but you step up to the mirror neighboring Penny's and start frantically smoothing down the flyaway hairs.

Merula nods. "Right, right. Just fixing your hair. In the snogging restroom."

Your arms stiffen. Penny tenses next to you. Merula's smirking reflection stands just behind you.

"Everybody knows the empty restroom on the third floor corridor is for snogging. It's been the snogging restroom for ages, I mean— you've seriously never heard about it? I'm sure the Potters went here, I'm sure your parents went here, too, (Last name)."

"Shut your trap," you growl. "Tell me, Merula, if this is the snogging restroom, then why have you come here alone?"

Penny stifles a giggle behind her fingers as Merula smolders.

"Whatever," she snaps. "I suggest you find a spell good enough to cover up Haywood's lip color that's smeared all around your mouth, (Last name). And Haywood, if everyone sees those hickeys on your neck, then your pathetic little rebound will be even more obvious than when I reveal it to the whole school." With that, she stalks out.

You're trembling with fury by the time she's gone, but Penny doesn't seem bothered at all. She finishes taming her hair back into the braids, then faces you and shrugs. "It's Merula. You know she never does what she says she's going to do." She plants a final kiss on your cheek, then takes her exit.

As usual, Merula isn't true to her word. An uneventful month passes by, and sure enough nobody else still knows. You suppose you have enough dirt on the coward to keep her trap shut.

The second time you and Penny are caught, it is in the act. You two had sneaked into your dormitory, which is blissfully empty (you'd tried her dorm first, but Tonks had looked very confused when you and her bustled in, then immediately turned back around and left). First thing you do after entering is push her against a wall then lift her up in your arms so her thighs are squeezing your torso. Let's just say Quidditch practice has given you sudden bursts of extra strength. Now her head's above yours, and she stretches her neck down to collide her lips with yours. You both manage to dislodge a curtain, scare off a pet cat, and knock over a stack of books before falling as one onto your bed. The mattress bounces like your nerves. Your mouth is kiss-swollen and tingling, the "Penny Effect" taking control of you more than ever before.

It's when your hands are up her shirt and she's whimpering in pleasure into your neck that another unsuspecting soul walks in.

Poor, poor Rowan. They'd strolled into the dormitory expecting to have it all to themself for a nice, quiet reading session. That illusion is immediately destroyed when they see a peculiar sight on your bed: two girls tangled together in a fierce display of passion. Their eyes dart down to the robes crumpled on the floor— yours on one side, and yellow Hufflepuff ones on the other. They look back up and the long, silky blonde hair is unmistakable.

"For Merlin's sake!" Rowan shouts. You and Penny spring apart in alarm. "Couldn't you have found a more private place to do that?"

You nibble your sore lip. "I, um… it was private for a while." Rowan glares at you. "Un… until now," you add sheepishly.

Penny looks guilty as ever and won't remove her gaze from her lap. You're both in your underclothes, the farthest layer you two have ever reached thus far. So, you figure, it could've been worse.

"Unbelievable! How long have you two been doing this?"

"A few months," you tell them quietly.

Rowan perches themself on the edge of their bed, shaking their head in dismay. "Two of my best friends… you lot are my two best friends, and you decide to keep a secret this big from me?"

You open your mouth to explain, but Penny cuts in. "We wanted to keep it to ourselves," she says, raising her head and staring at Rowan solemnly. Her flat tone clashes with the apologetic expression on her face.

"Why?" Rowan demands.

You're too busy trying to figure out why Penny said that answer, so she covers for you again. "We're not really sure what this is, exactly, so… we just kept it a sworn secret."

Your muscles go limp, and you collapse against your pillow. Penny senses the movement and twists around, but when she tries to connect your gazes you refuse.

Rowan stands up with their arms crossed. "I'm just… I'm just going to leave. I need to think." They storm out with a huff and disappear back down the staircase.

"… fuck," Penny groans, falling onto her back as her silken hair spreads out like a fan.

"So… this is supposed to be a secret? Something forbidden you don't want anyone to know about?"

She flips onto her stomach, her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about, (Name)?"

"You'd be embarrassed if everyone knew, wouldn't you? It's like Merula said. I'm just your rebound, or your experiment, or— or whatever you want to call it. You just want to see what 'it' is like with a girl. Well guess what, Pen, you can't just kiss me silly, have sex with me, then move on to the next bloke!" While the harsh accusations roll off your tongue, something stabs at your gut. You curl yourself into a tighter ball as you speak, and you watch her confused expression shatter into a million irreparable shards.

You remember the first time you noticed how beautiful she is— it was back in third or fourth year, and you were playing gobstones with her in the courtyard, then she threw back her head and laughed, and it was the kind of laugh that made sunshine beam inside you, warming you to your core, and you just knew from then on. Even from the first moment she'd walked up to you in first year and remarked on how brave you were for dueling Merula— you'd noted how simply pretty she was, the kind of girl who you could pass on the street and do a double take at. The kind who could stick in your mind for a while even after only seeing her face once. And now you sit here on your bed, watching as she shatters in front of you, and the knife you've stabbed into your own gut twists.

Her voice is at an ominously low level when she finally speaks. "First of all, (Name), you implying that I'm a heartless slut really hurts my feelings. I never thought you could say something that bloody careless." She sits up and glowers at you. "And for your information, if you were my rebound, I would've let you go months ago. Do you think I kiss you all the time because I'm lonely and feeling sorry for myself?" Tears start to drip down her face. "No! I… I kiss you because I like it a lot, I… I enjoy it a lot. This has nothing to do with you being the same gender as me, it has to do with me liking you, goddamn it! And… and we never went out of our way to mention this to anyone, so I assumed it should be a secret. And even if we weren't secretive about it, I mean— I mean, I would be scared if everyone knew be— because… oh, (Name), it's 1990, progress should be made, but there are still so many who would judge us." She hops off the bed and snatches up her robes, slipping them back on and throwing the hood over her messy hair.

You tremble violently and hug your knees to your chest. She throws one more scowl at you, and it's like the one last dagger needed to finally kill you. "(Name), I do like you for real. Not just as a friend. Maybe… maybe even I love you. I don't know. But I don't deserve this." She whips around and you can hear her deafening, angry footsteps fading down the staircase.

You cave in on yourself and cry silently until you drift to sleep.

In your slumber, you have a nightmare. It's similar to Penny's situation with that arsehole Seb back in December. You hear something behind a closed door. You open it, and find Penny kissing someone who is way better looking than you, but they don't possess even half of Penny's beauty. The blonde turns to you with a devilish grin and cackles. "Just so you know, (Name), this is what a rebound looks like," she tells you before reattaching her face to the other person's.

You wake up drenched in sweat and feeling sour as ever. Your stomach rumbles, a swirling storm of sickness roiling within. You stay in bed all day and skip classes.

The following day, Rowan finally speaks to you again. "(Name)," they whisper, nudging you awake.

You roll over and look up at them in surprise. "I'm sorry," you say immediately. Your throat is parched. You can't remember the last time you had even one drop of water.

"It's alright," they reply, "though after thinking it over, it did occur to me that it really wasn't ever any of my business." Rowan hesitates, then carefully goes on. "Um… listen, I made up with Penny already"— you cringe just hearing her name— "and I was talking with her at breakfast this morning. She seemed very upset about whatever it was you said to her."

You rub your face and massage your aching temples. "I basically called her a slut."

"Oh," Rowan winces.

"And I, uh, I claimed she was just using me."

Rowan grits their teeth. "I would say it's safe to assume she has good reason to be upset, then, but—"

"No, yeah, you're right. Fuck." You unfold yourself from the depressed ball you had been tucked into for the past couple days. Your arms shoot up and you stretch your back luxuriously, waiting until your spine cracks in that satisfying way. "Alright. Let me get dressed and I'll talk to her in div."

You show up at divination class sooner than you would like. Gulping, you shuffle deeper into the room until your eyes land on your usual place in between Charlie and Penny.

Charlie grins broadly and welcomes you back. Penny, on a completely different page from you and him, is intently focused on her homework for charms. Her quill scribbles furiously over the page and her forehead is all crinkled up like tissue paper; both indicate her intense determination to ignore you.

You drop down into the seat next to her and awkwardly drum your fingers on the desk. "Well," you begin.

"Save it," she snaps.

You startle at her abruptness. "Pens—" you try again.

"Don't want to hear it."

Your heart drops and you settle back against your seat, utterly at a loss. Trelawney starts her lecture, slinking around in that strange way she does, but you're so far deep into your imagination that paying attention is out of the question. In your peripheral, you see Penny lifting her head ever so slightly, her eyes dully resting on the professor.

You think back to your fight, how her face was beet red, makeup ruined by tears and snot. Your mind then shifts to thinking about kissing her. You know that you'll never not like kissing Penny Haywood. Penny bloody Haywood. Ah, hell, what is wrong with me? You think about the first second you met her, you think about those late nights in the potions classroom brewing non-Snape-approved substances, you think about her sitting behind you by the fireplace weaving a million braids into your hair, you think about the werewolf, the secret only you know, the secret she made herself forget, you think about the Christmas party, you think about her tongue twirling in rhythm with yours, you think about the alcohol, the sweat, the tears, the most amazing feeling that bursts in your stomach when you lay in bed next to her and smell coconut in her hair from the shampoo she uses.

You spend the whole class thinking about what you've lost. When it's over you want to dig a hole, throw yourself into it, pull crushing dirt over yourself, and never see light again.

"Were you listening at all, (Name)?" Charlie teases as the class files out.

"Eh, divination is a waste of time anyway," you mutter. You spot Penny walking briskly two or three paces ahead of you. You excuse yourself and catch up to her.

"Penny, you don't have to say anything, but just listen to me, please. I didn't mean to—"

You feel an iron grip close on your upper arm. With a murderous growl, she yanks you into an empty side hall. She flings her arms into a crossed position over her midsection. "No," she hisses. "You listen to me. You had no right to attack me like you did. No right!" Already she's crying again, but this time she lets the tears drip undisturbed, leaving black mascara trails. "Everything was swell, then you turned on me out of nowhere! I'm sorry I wanted to keep us a secret, (Name). I'm sorry if I offended you. If you want me to scream it to the heavens, I will. I just… I just don't understand what went wrong."

You feel something heavy filling your eyes and blurring your vision. Your chest heaves and you let out a breath. "Penny, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I- I think I just felt… insecure. I didn't… I couldn't imagine why you would want to be with me. I'm way out of your league. You could've had someone like Bill, or— or…" You trail off. "I… just. I'm sorry, Pen. It was out of line, those things I said to you. You didn't deserve that. If… if we could restart where we left off, before I ruined everything, then maybe…"

The words die on your tongue again. Your mouth goes dry as your eyes slowly move up to lock with hers. "It's okay, love." She smiles and steps forward, tucking stray hairs behind your ear. Her smooth hand slips under your chin and she guides your lips to meet hers. It's the gentlest kiss you two have shared. Joy fizzes in every ounce of your blood, from your fingertips to your toes.

"I love you," you say as you separate. The words slip out of your mouth. You hadn't meant for them to come out, but Penny grins.

She takes your hand and chuckles in that light, airy laugh of hers. Like clouds you could float on forever. You know, you know you'll never be free from Penny Haywood's delightful curse. "I know," she says, and with that she pulls you back into the stream of students walking to class.

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Dobber’s early-season notes (Oct 08)

  Late draft? Pick up the Fantasy Guide! Last update was October 3 and since nothing major has happened since that date, that is where I’m calling it this year. Shortly, in Frozen Tools, we will have an “on pace” row for each player so you can review what each of their stats are on pace for over 82 games. We had that in the old version, we’ll be bringing that back.

*

I was bullish on Thomas Chabot in the Guide, bumping him up to 42 points after the Erik Karlsson trade. But from what I saw on Saturday I wonder if he shoots past that mark by the middle of March. Very composed and mature, and six moves ahead of everyone else. Then again, it was the Leafs’ defense he was up against so I’ll reserve judgment for a few more games. But man, so far so good.

*

The debate of Elias Lindholm vs. James Neal was never really a debate in my mind, but I’ve seen too many hockey writers assume that Neal would be Johnny Gaudreau’s linemate that it created this imaginary debate. Long-time hockey fans and writers have a lot respect for James Neal. That’s the ticket that gets punched when you tally 80 points in a season – once you do that, you’re considered “can’t miss” for years, even though you’re frequently missing. Neal had 81 points playing with Evgeni Malkin back in 2011-12. Since then, he hasn’t topped 62 points and is usually around 45 points thanks to injuries holding him to 70 or 75 games. This is over five seasons with three different teams, and this is clearly a well-established second-line number. Meanwhile, Lindholm is seven years younger, on the rise, he shoots right (which is what the Gaudreau line needs) and can play center as a backup to Sean Monahan. Two games into the season, Neal is still finding his way on one of the other lines (third line with Derek Ryan on Saturday), he has one point and is averaging 16:43 of ice time. Lindholm is on the top line, has three points and is averaging 21 minutes per game. In my Keep 12, back in September I traded Ryan Johansen for a draft pick so that I could make Lindholm my keeper over him.  Any lingering doubts you have over Lindholm and what he will do this season, you can probably start letting them go.

*

I grabbed Austin Czarnik in two of my leagues, late (almost the last pick in one) because I felt that the Flames pursued him hard, signed him early and promised him certain things for signing him such as ice time and PP time. To me, that says that they have scouted him, done their homework and brought him in to succeed. So he will be given every chance to do so. So far his ice time has been middling, he has seen secondary PP time, and has two points in two games with very solid linemates (Matt Tkachuk, for one). I’m not counting my chickens before they have hatched here, but I like the promising signs so far.

*

Scoring was up last year by 7.4% and I projected another 2.2% increase for this year. As I explained in the Fantasy Guide, I attributed some of this to the addition of Vegas, but most of it was due to the clampdown and reduction of the size of goalie equipment. Give a shooter even 5% more net to shoot at, and more pucks are going in. This year the league has added specific rules regarding elbow pad size, clavicle and shoulder pad size, and goalie pants/thigh guards. I don’t know what percentage of net the changes last season exposed, but you can bet that percentage has increased this year and so will the goals. I’m now thinking 2.2% is conservative. It won’t continue at the ridiculous pace we’re at so far just a few days in, but it will still increase over last year mark my words.

What does an increase in scoring mean for fantasy hockey? Well, I think it means that more forwards will give you fantasy-worthy production. Defensemen, too, but since the amount of forwards double the amount of defensemen, a percentage increase in the number of forwards has more of an impact on your league. In a nutshell, I think this means that more forwards available on the waiver wire will help you. The domino effect of that being that a focus on goalies and defensemen in the draft would be very helpful, since forwards are easier to replace (after the upper tiers of forwards, that is). If you drafted six solid forwards, six solid defensemen and two or three solid goalies, you have an advantage over someone who drafted 10 solid forwards, three solid defensemen and two solid goalies. Thankfully, I employ this strategy anyway, so I don’t regret my drafting.

*

An observation I made late last week (follow me on twitter here)

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Interesting observation on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLCanes?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLCanes</a> rookies last night. Ice time:<br>Svechnikov: 10:43<br>Zykov: 11:44<br>Necas: 11:05<br>and then…<br>Foegele: 17:34 <br><br>No PP time for him, but speaks to coach's trust and length of leash</p>— Dobber (@DobberHockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DobberHockey/status/1048586721447763968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2018</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

On one hand, this is great in the sense that Warren Foegele is likely in the NHL for good thanks to everything he brings. On the other hand, he’s not being pigeonholed offensively – so the early PP opportunities go to the highly-touted troika. This will probably put a cap on what Foegele will do, at least for the short-term. If he wants to change that for the long term, he’ll need to start putting pucks in the net and make his mark.

Disclosure: the above spiel was written Sunday afternoon before I went to Thanksgiving dinner (and I got to watch the game during dessert) – and then Foegele goes out and gets three points. Rather than edit my words, I’ll leave them in and reflect further. Sunday against the Rangers he still had no PP time, saw his ice time cut a bit to 13:27 (Svechnikov, two points and up to 13:17 TOI, Necas one point and up to 10:06). Zykov was scratched – and that’s where I think Foegele is safest among the Carolina rookies. He’ll get to play, he’s getting a longer leash, and if he keeps producing early the PP time will come. He’s clearly the most NHL-ready of the group. His zone starts are merely 40% and yet he’s driving possession despite pretty much zero sheltering. A diamond in the rough.

*

Here were Carolina’s line combinations:

#1

32%

FOEGELE,WARREN – STAAL,JORDAN – WILLIAMS,JUSTIN

#2

17%

MARTINOOK,JORDAN – SVECHNIKOV,ANDREI – WALLMARK,LUCAS

#3

15.8%

AHO,SEBASTIAN – FERLAND,MICHEAL – TERAVAINEN,TEUVO

#4

14.6%

DI GIUSEPPE,PHILLIP – MCGINN,BROCK – NECAS,MARTIN

Martinook in for Zykov paid dividends offensively. Rather – Martinook has been in the lineup all along, but he was promoted to Zykov’s line. And because those three clicked it may be tough for Zykov to get back into the lineup now. I love Zykov’s upside, but he was always a bit of a wildcard and we all knew that.

Ferland didn’t get the sweet linemates through much of training camp when I last checked, so I tempered expectations. But if he can stick there – and back-to-back two-point games says he can – then you have to think he can mimic what he was doing in Calgary on that big line. As always with him though, beware of injuries.

I remember when Jeff Skinner was traded a few big hockey analysts asked “where will the goals come from?” I shook my head at the time, thinking that wouldn’t be a problem. And now we’re seeing it. What is the problem is goaltending. Petr Mrazek won that by the skin of his teeth (it was 8-6) and has allowed seven goals on 44 shots so far (ouch). Could Curtis McElhinney actually take the backup job, as Don Cherry alluded to on Saturday? I think he’s worth the stash. I looked into doing it myself, but due to the idiot Tom Wilson suspension I’m stuck with one less reserve spot.

*

Speaking of bad goaltending, I could go on and on about the goalies who played Sunday. Not just Mrazek, but I’m not impressed with Garrett Sparks nor Cam Ward either. And that was before the Sunday games! Out of those three and Alexandar Georgiev, I was most looking forward to seeing what Georgiev could do. Woops. Yes, he was hung out to dry on a couple of them, but some of those were pretty ugly.

*

Vladislav Namestnikov was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch. After his big two points in his last 18 games to end last season with his new team, I don’t have very high hopes for him although he did pick up an assist. Just 9:30 of ice time for him, which speaks to the faith his coach has in him. Good on Steve Yzerman for trading him with a classic “sell high”. I wonder if more teams will mimic that: take a one-dimensional fringe offensive player like a Namestnikov or a Ty Rattie – have him play with a couple of superstars for two months and put up gaudy numbers, and then trade him for a “real” player such as a J.T. Miller. Do that three or four times before other GMs eventually catch on, but by then you’ve added a great core to your squad. Dobber for GM!

I know Filip Chytil picked up an assist Sunday, but I don’t like how his ice time dropped from 17 minutes Saturday to just 10 minutes. He has two points in three games, but the production won’t continue if the trend in ice time does.

*

One more note on Carolina – not only is the team having no trouble scoring, but the farm team is doing the same thing. Prospects Nicolas Roy has six points in two games for Charlotte while Janne Kuokkanen has four.

*

I looked into a forward on the waiver wire worth grabbing for a four-game week starting tonight and settled on Max Comtois. A goal in each of his first two games, reasonable ice time, and a pedigree of production.

*

Jonathan Quick is out again. Another lower-body injury. This is the time to obviously jump on Jack Campbell. As some of you know, I am a big fan of Cal Petersen. I believe the Kings are bringing him along to take over in two or three years. But Campbell really proved himself last season and I think can do well as the starter for a week or two. Anything longer than that? I have my doubts. Is Petersen any better? Well, he didn’t have a great game in the AHL on Saturday. But long term I do like him better, yes, in keeper leagues. He's just not ready yet.

Here and now – Campbell gets first dibs. We saw this already on Sunday when he stopped 36 of 38 shots. Campbell had a great game and paid immediate dividends to the savvy poolie who managed to catch the news in time and claim him off the wire. But let’s see how well he does against Winnipeg on Tuesday, against a team that can score. That would sell me a lot more. For all we know, Quick will be back within a week in which case the question is moot.

Peter Budaj was recalled to be the backup, this way Petersen can continue getting AHL work.

*

With Dustin Brown sidelined, there was not much question that Alex Iafallo would play with Ilya Kovalchuk and Anze Kopitar at some point. After trying Adrian Kempe there with little results, Iafallo was put on the line Sunday and he picked up two points (so did Kovalchuk). So that line will stick for a few more games methinks.

*

Contract year alert! Gustav Nyquist. Three points in two games so far. I smell a career year, just in time to cash in next July.

*

San Jose recalled Dylan Gambrell from the AHL as Joe Thornton has been placed on IR. Thornton has swelling in his surgically-repaired knee and it sounds like this could be a problem on and off throughout the season. His ice time was cut by three or four shifts last game. With him off the top line, the line no longer is the top one in my opinion. Joe Pavelski and Timo Meier? To me it is now Logan Couture with Tomas Hertl and Kevin Labanc. The Pavelski line will likely try Gambrell there or possibly Barclay Goodrow, who had a fabulous preseason but carries little fantasy value.  Gambrell has second-line upside and is coming off a three-point game in the AHL.

*

Regardless of what happens with, or what we think will happen with, William Karlsson this year in terms of repeating last year’s numbers, one thing I know for sure is that Jonathan Marchessault is as safe as it gets in fantasy hockey. He’s the driver, Karlsson is the passenger. I just think hockey sense wins out here, Marchy has it in spades. While I have questions of Karlsson getting 55 points or 75, I think Marchy gets to 70 safely.

*

In another move Sunday – the Ducks waived Pontus Aberg, so he’s about run through his gauntlet of chances.

*

Back to the bad goaltending and the Toronto/Chicago score-fest.

First of all, I’m disappointed that it didn’t work out with Tyler Ennis. I think we all knew that it wouldn’t, but we all hoped in our hearts that this oft-injured former stud prospect would find his mojo. And how better to do that than by playing with Auston Matthews? But he was taken off the line and Kasperi Kapanen was inserted there – and along with Patrick Marleau the threesome promptly picked up a combined eight points.

So yeah – Kapanen. Your next waiver-wire target (I literally paused midsentence here to grab him, and it’s a deep league so I suspect he’s available for you). I don’t believe he’s a long-term solution for this year, but he’s streaky as hell so I fully expect at least a week of greatness.

*

I still have my eye on undrafted prospect Dominik Kahun, who has settled in on the Jonathan Toews line (with Alex DeBrincat). He picked up a pair of nice assists Sunday.

Before my draft I traded to acquire Ty Rattie, a player I had actually drafted seven years ago and he’s somehow stayed in our league all along (the team that owned him last year ran out of draft picks before he could replace him, so he was kept one more year – and good thing). It required a good prospect on my part (Vitaly Abramov) plus a couple of pick upgrades, including one for this year that gave him the 24th overall pick. At the time, I had been hoping that Henri Jokiharju would slide to me at that spot. Turns out – that very pick was flipped to another team mid-draft and that team actually took Jokiharju with it! Just to rub salt in the wounds, I guess. So Rattie better pay off for me.

Anyway, I obviously bring that story up because Jokiharju put up three assists Sunday and already has five points this year in three games. To me, he’s the reason why Duncan Keith might have a bit of a resurgence. He is a master at moving the puck.  Thankfully, I drafted Jokiharju in my other league, so all is not lost!

*

William Nylander is holding firm on his (speculated) $8 million demands and Leon Draisaitl comparable. The Nylander camp feels that the hardline approach is the negotiating tactic that will work. The problem is – there isn't a negotiation. Kyle Dubas has moved on and is running the organization without Nylander. When he signs the offer given to him, he is welcome to join them. The more I read Dubas' favorite book (and I'm almost done) 'The Score Will Take Care of Itself', the more I see this. He's not even paying attention to what the Nylander camp is doing or saying. The paper that Dubas pushed to the corner of his desk towards Nylander's agent is still sitting in the same spot three weeks later, probably with a paperweight on it so it doesn't blow away. In a few weeks Nylander will return to sign it, possibly after firing his agent.

And the Draisaitl comparison is garbage. I like the Nikolaj Ehlers comparable better. /rant

*

One more note. Before you go dumping any of your Arizona players (i.e. Vinnie Hinostroza), hold up. They have only played two games and were shut out in both of them. No players have points yet, so don’t be discouraged that your (my?) Hinostroza sleeper pick hasn’t panned out yet. Don’t (Richard) panic. Let it play out. In the early-season crazy scoring rate, they could make up for lost time in about ten minutes.

*

Man, I had lots to say. And I could keep going, but it's 2am. Hey, if you want more Ramblings – check out the Goalie Post Monday Ramblings here!

*

See you next Monday.

 {youtube}QBNnlwMfLs0{/youtube}

    from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-dobbers-early-season-notes-oct-08/