Brian Lawton

is a good hire for the New Jersey Devils.

But I still don't think the National Hockey League is ready to embrace analytics the way that they should.

No, this is an area that could be a competitive advantage, but you have to embed it in the decision-making process.

And you've heard me say that before.

And you can go around and look at teams, and you can be fairly certain that analytics, when the data and the instinct of a general manager meet, the data loses every time with certain organizations.

I think Edmonton's very smart to push deeper into that area.

I love talking to those guys.

I talk to Tim Barnes.

I talk to Sonny Mehta.

It's a different conversation about trends in the NHL.

It's about what's expensive to buy in characteristics.

It's almost more of a financial conversation.

Doesn't sit well with everyone.

I believe it's dead on.

I think Steve Eisenman is excellent, and I'd have all the reason in the world to say he isn't because he came into Tampa, took what we had built over two years, and made the finals his first year.

It's been, what, eight years, and they haven't made the finals?

But that's not my point.

My point is Steve is an excellent GM.

He's super hardworking.

There is some circumstance –