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With camps around the corner, my offseason lessons

By Terry Frei
Special to ESPN.com

Thursday, September 7, 2006

So what have we learned in the offseason? • Neil Smith didn't like being part of a multitiered and crowded chain of command. He reacted to it with such revulsion, it was almost as if he had spotted 23 rats running around in the hallways of the Coliseum. But give him credit, the Islanders were undefeated during his tenure. • Among the skaters, Patrik Elias is the Devils' cornerstone -- and with a seven-year deal, he better be for a long time. • When Gary Bett ...

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