To be fair, to AJ ... if you take away the specific names, you just gave a functional description of every color analyst I've heard on an ESPN broadcast. They are obviously coached to talk only about household name players and players who are familiar to big market team fans, even if it makes them sound slightly unhinged. She's just a bit less prone to wander off script than some of the others. Pretty much every network analyst is on the same page about Kane, for example. You don't get any real conversation about him until you get to the print/website reporters.
And FWIW, with all the above being the case across pretty much all non-RSN television coverage, it's small wonder that so many fans don't trust expanded stats. The Canadian networks are slightly less frantic about being marketers instead of analysts, but they lean to the same star manufacturing/worship crap as well. If all you hear is how Patrick Kane is still a great player just looking for the right fit to go back to burning out the red light, then the beat reporter pointing out that he was the single worst defensive player in hockey over the last two seasons and that Kane would have to score 60 goals to make up the difference ... well, HE'S the one who sounds unhinged.
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