You are correct about HuGo running an airtight ship but even the best orgs and protocols have occasional failings on account of loose lips.
Look at the time stamp when Marinaro announced how the Habs were extremely high on Hage with their 21st pick last year. Yes, Marinaro is not trustworthy but he somehow got it right. Process of elimination? Luck? Maybe someone tipped him?
I think that was pure luck as well as the fact that I also believed that they would be high on Hage and he was the player along with Luchanko and Boisvert that I was hoping would fall to us.
We know that Tony 100% has zero inside information so to me that in itself is proof that this is just a coincidence that was hardly low percentage given the draft position and Hage's potential availability/skill level/ and the situation with his father's death and love for the Habs. It was a screamingly obvious connection that would be made by anyone following the Habs.
Tony misses almost every time so the fact that he was correct this time on a glaringly obvious piece of speculation is nothing more than the odds eventually playing in to his favour. I literally speculated that the Habs might want to trade Domi to Columbus for Anderson as well as calling the Hage, Demidov, Beck Galchenyuk, Leblanc, Buturlin, Hutson, Struble, Sergachev, Koivu De La Rose picks and more lol. I have zero contacts within the Habs organization but if I was a media personality there would be droves of fans who would claim that I do despite the fact that I am wrong far more often than I am right but I am right far more often than Tony. That is not to say that I am special as there are many other posters who are correct more than Tony as well.
I am not an insider but when you have an understanding of the people who are making the picks and the players being selected you will hit on quite a few.
We have no evidence of inside information, only evidence of coincidence. Tony very likely is hearing from people who are affiliated with the Habs and/or people who cover the Habs but that is not to be confused with the inner circle at the top who are absolutely air tight.
The day that Tony or any other "insider" tells us that Kent or Jeff gave them the information then we can discuss this topic as an actual legitimate conversation. The nebulous claims of "people" or "some in the organization have told me" are entirely meaningless as these will be people who are not involved in the conversations and are only repeating hearsay from others who are not in the know or they are speculating based on their likely misguided observations.
If Marinaro was broadcasting leaked info, heads would roll and we would hear about the resulting firings.
It is so incredibly important that none of these things are leaked and we have seen the effort that is put in by HuGo and company to keep their cards close to the vest that these fan/media generated narratives are entirely nonsensical imo.
