Meet the Ultimate Canadian Scoopster: Elliotte Friedman

If you were unfamiliar with Elliotte Friedman—a renowned hockey insider and exemplary human being—and stumbled upon this piece of information in total isolation, what would be your initial reaction?

I, for one, have my reservations. My initial impression leans towards viewing this as an unsubstantiated claim by someone lacking credibility. Twitter, specifically, is teeming with similar characters: Journalists whose pool of sources is shallow, relying on calculated guesswork and vague language to elevate non-news into newsworthy items. What does the quote actually convey? Is there a formal offer? Is there genuine interest? In essence, it merely suggests that Patrick Kane is contemplating the Red Wings. That’s it. One could assume that Kane is exploring options with several teams out there.

On a different note, the Sabres are also in the picture.

It’s worth acknowledging a few crucial factors here. Firstly, it’s important to recognize that many of Friedman’s commentaries are derived from his podcast and are not intended to be standalone proclamations. When speaking spontaneously, humans tend to be evasive and guarded. It’s unfeasible to fill a weekly two-hour podcast with nothing but exclusive news, so Friedman incorporates tidbits he’s heard—not because he’s fabricating details, but because he genuinely possesses that information, even if he’s not entirely convinced of its veracity just yet.

Consequently, an observable pattern arises in how his content disseminates across the hockey media landscape. His ’32 Thoughts’ segments often contain phrases like “Don’t quote me on this,” “not saying it’s going to happen,” “I’m not 100 percent sure,” leaving the recipients in a quandary. Yet, on Twitter, these are aggregated as “Friedman: Kane to the wings, looking that way.”

However, what sets Elliotte Friedman apart is that he delivers the goods. Let’s consider this recent occurrence that demonstrates his astuteness:

Initially, these words seem noncommittal. However, merely an hour later, Minnesota dismissed head coach Dean Evason. The scoop was there, nestled in Friedman’s words. Follow him closely, and you become adept at interpreting his comments, much like how parents understand their child’s speech when nobody else can. Joseph Woll had better watch his back.

While some might prefer a confident, authoritative insider akin to Woj, wielding information with unwavering conviction, I find Friedman’s style more engaging. It’s a uniquely Canadian, polite, and almost apologetic form of delivering news, akin to a puzzle waiting to be solved. It’s an unmistakably human trait: He strives to be correct but, more than anything, does not want to be wrong.

Therefore, when Friedman, known for his careful approach, posts a bold statement like “All eyes on Detroit and the possibility of Patrick Kane’s arrival” the next day, it’s essentially confirmed.

Unsurprisingly, moments later, he drops the bombshell:

That’s a classic Elliotte move.