Remember playing Pokemon Red, Blue, and/or Yellow? Remember when you went to Lavender Town and got the Poke Flute from Mr. Fuji? This old man was more than the guy who gave you an item to wake up Snorlax, though.
He also cared for forgotten, abandoned Pokémon. He looked after Pokémon like Cubone and Nidorino, ensuring they weren't homeless. In a sense, that's a similar vein to what Kelly McCrimmon has done.
Now, hear me out. This might sound a little silly. But the Vegas Golden Knights general manager does something similar. Let's look at some of the examples, shall we?
First, we have Jack Eichel. The Buffalo Sabres didn't want to give him an artificial disc replacement surgery and opted for neck fusion. McCrimmon gets him and the Golden Knights give him his requested surgery.
Then, we have Tomas Hertl, who was stuck on a middling Sharks team. No matter how Josh from San Francisco tried to cope, the team was going nowhere. McCrimmon acquires him and revolutionizes the power play.
Finally, there's Mitch Marner, who was stuck on a cursed Maple Leafs franchise. McCrimmon picks him up in a sign-and-trade and breaks the NHL.
You get the picture. The Golden Knights' general manager puts players in a better situation, similar to how Mr. Fuji does this with Pokémon.
Who could be next to join the Golden Knights in McCrimmon's "Vegas Volunteer NHL House?"
Don't mind the tacky name since it was the closest thing I could come up with from Bulbapedia's definition for Mr. Fuji. But it resembles what the general manager has done with the Golden Knights. He's brought in players from rough situations and unleashed their talents.
So who could be next on the trading block? Well, one name that could use some care is Rasmus Andersson. The defenseman's trade market has been heating up recently, with the Swedish star looking for a trade to Vegas. Initially, the first attempt failed between both sides. But could the second time be the charm?
There's also Bowen Byram, who's been linked to Vegas in the past month. The defenseman is looking to leave the same situation that Eichel escaped when arriving in Las Vegas. While his statistics might not be as appealing, he might be a lower-cost option to consider. Could an offer sheet be in his future? Stay tuned.
If you think about it, almost every player on a lackluster team is fair game. McCrimmon has harbored a reputation as being one of the most aggressive general managers in the league, after all. You don't earn that reputation by sitting back and doing nothing, after all.
That's not a bad thing, either. Imagine if Mr. Fuji were a general manager for an NHL team instead of being a foster parent for numerous Pokémon. Would he be as aggressive as the Stanley Cup-winning general manager is now? Most likely.
But Mr. Fuji would also carry a passionate side for winning. That's how he stumbled upon Mew, after all.