Will Fedorov sign Radulov? Saturday's notes

It was only a few weeks ago that Sergei Fedorov, quite possibly the greatest Russian player to ever skate in the NHL, hung up his skates and took over as general manager of CSKA of the KHL. It looks like he may be ready to make an instant impact, however, by bringing Nashville Predators winger Alexander Radulov "back to the USSR"...

Nashville Predators News

Hockey. SE: Alexander Radulov - in CSKA?. Sport-Express
According to this report, CSKA may lock up Alex soon, having already signed his brother Igor, although another KHL team remains in the hunt. Apply Google Translate liberally.

The Hippodrome: Nice Guys Finish in The Finals | Pith in the Wind
J.R. chronicles Pekka Rinne's run to the finals in the EA Sports NHL13 cover vote (as soon as you're done here, get back over there and vote!).

Suter talks an important step - Predators Insider
Josh Cooper breaks down a few possible destinations for Ryan Suter.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

2012 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 2 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings - In Lou We Trust
The Devils reaaallllyyy don't want to fall behind 2-0 on home ice.

2012 Free Agency: Mats Zuccarello Makes KHL Deal Official - Blueshirt Banter
The Rangers lose their hobbit wizard to Mettalurg Magnitogorsk.

Fashion police tag Darryl Sutter for... - Inside the Kings
Maybe he's not changing the shirt because the Kings are winning? At least, I hope that's the reason...

Ryan Suter & Nashville Predators still talking: Friday's notes

With 30 days left until the opening of free agency, Nashville Predators GM David Poile is still doing his best to lock up Ryan Suter with a contract extension. Our belated hockey notes today start with that situation, and touch on yet another signing from Sweden...

Nashville Predators News

Ryan Suter, Preds begin contract talks - Cross Checks Blog - ESPN
If you're desperate for hope, this report at least says that Poile had something new to talk about with Suter and his agent.

Paul McCann - The Case For Suter to Remain in Nashville
Paul's shaking those pom-poms really hard, but a few of his arguments ring a little hollow. When you talk about a team's chance to win the Stanley Cup, and consistently spend to the cap to field a competitive team, can you truly say Nashville is the choice? Come on.

Cehlin ready for Nashville - Hockeysverige.se
Apparently the Preds have indeed signed Patrick Cehlin, just in the nick of time.

Digging for Gold: With the 66th pick in the 2012 NHL Draft… | The Predatorial
No 1st- or 2nd-round pick? No problem, writes Jeremy.

NHL Awards Roundtable: It's something for us to talk about. - Predlines
Dan, C.J., Carolina & Link debate the Masterton, Adams, and Selke.

Golden Bears name new hockey boss | Hockey | Sports | Edmonton Sun
Ian Herbers speaks with the Edmonton media about how family played the key role in his decision to leave Milwaukee for the University of Alberta. You can't argue with a choice like that, it sounds like a great situation for him.

The Aftermath | Admirals Roundtable
Cross Martin Gelinas off your list of potential Milwaukee head coaches.

Francis Bouillon building a future - Montreal Gazette
The Cube is very active supporting youth hockey back in Montreal.

Preds in review: Martin Erat - Predators Insider
It was the Year of the Marty Party. Now, if only he could play closer to 82 games...

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Tim Thomas 'Seriously Considering' Taking Year Off From Hockey - Stanley Cup of Chowder
Wow... this could be a real pain for the Bruins.

Is New Jersey Better than Los Angeles? - Battle of California
Outstanding smack here... Megalodon with another beauty.

Misfit Toys: Market Inefficiencies and the LA Model | Backhand Shelf
Sometimes, the Scratch & Dent section has some real bargains.

The Devils will need to re-imagine their Top Six in Game 2 | Backhand Shelf
They'll need to do something if they want anything more than the lucky bounce goal they got in Game One.

Kovalchuk is What Ovechkin Needs To Be | The Hockey Writers
Does the fact that Kovy is now in the Cup Final say anything about him individually compared to Ovechkin?

NHL salary cap to be temporarily set at $70.3-million - The Globe and Mail
Yeah, business is terrible, isn't it?

Lidstrom does it his way, Feaster on the spot: 30 Thoughts | Hockey | CBC Sports
As always, Elliotte Friedman is required reading.

Bob Hartley named Coach - Matchsticks and Gasoline
Calgary fans react with a bit of bemusement to the new bench boss, who happens to be the godfather of the GM's son.

Rangers News: Marian Gaborik Has a Torn Rotator Cuff - Blueshirt Banter
This sounds like it will involve a long recovery.

17:56 | mc79hockey.com
Tyler looks at what could be some terrible decision-making in Edmonton (shocking, I know).

Carolina Hurricanes may trade first round draft pick - The Hockey Writers
Is this David Poile's opportunity to get back into the first round?

Player Usage Charts offer deeper insight into NHL performance

One of the great fool's errands in the hockey stats movement is the search for a single number which can describe a player's performance.

No, real insight comes when you take multiple factors into account, providing context for basic results, such as those tied to how individual players influence a team's Shots For & Against. Are they playing against tough opponents? Are they starting more of their shifts in the offensive or defensive zone? Those descriptors for how a player is used can help explain a good portion of an individual's results. But unless you're comfortable wading through spreadsheets, it can often prove difficult to effectively communicate that sort of nuance to the general reader, especially when talking about multiple players at once.

Until now.

Thanks to a new collection of graphs put together by Robert Vollman of Hockey Prospectus, you can now get such insight into every team in the NHL. Follow on for a particularly elegant display of hockey analytics...

You can download a copy, which contains the graphs for each team along with an explanation of how they work, and review them yourself here:

Player Usage Charts 2011-2012 (PDF)

Here's what I had to say about the Nashville Predators' chart:

Despite his local reputation for being an inveterate line-juggler, Barry Trotz typically places his greatest trust in a core group of skaters. The trio of Sergei Kostitsyn, Mike Fisher and Martin Erat were the only forward line to stick together through the bulk of the season, and typically drew top opponents. The real difference-makers, however, are Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, who have driven positive results while taking on a difficult workload for a few years now.

Probably the most interesting aspect to watch in the year ahead is how much responsibility Trotz doles out to Colin Wilson, Craig Smith, Gabriel Bourque and Ryan Ellis, young players who fared well offensively in relatively protected situations. On the opposite end of that spectrum, there is an opening for the defensive-zone faceoff expert - Jerred Smithson took a tremendous amount of d-zone draws over the last several seasons, and Paul Gaustad was brought in at the Trade Deadline to provide an upgrade over Smithson in that regard, but as an Unrestricted Free Agent, Gaustad might prove too costly for Nashville to retain in that limited role.

So print this out, and spend some quality time this weekend by taking a deeper view inside how the 30 NHL teams operated last season.

Team Tootoo Fund announces three grants

The following press release just came from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee:

Nashville Predator Jordin Tootoo's The Team Tootoo Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee announces grants totaling $11,900 to three organizations.

In an effort to curtail bullying through local prevention programs, two grants were awarded to STARS and the Oasis Center. STARS - Students Taking a Right Stand - serves Middle Tennessee schools and communities by providing prevention, intervention and treatment services addressing bullying in public schools, and other social and emotional barriers. OasisCenter targets Nashville's most vulnerable and disconnected youth with a mission to help them grow, thrive and create positive change in their lives and in the community.

As someone who was picked on in high school, Tootoo hopes the programs will help do its part in curbing the epidemic of bullying. "If schools are able to educate and create a culture of tolerance and respect, we can see such a positive growth in our communities' kids," said Tootoo

One of the ways Tootoo was able to get through difficult times was with the help and encouragement of teammates. Recognizing the importance teambuilding had on his development, The Team Tootoo Fund also made a grant to The Sports Fund of The Community Foundation. The Sports Fund is permanently endowed source of funding to ensure support for Middle Tennessee nonprofits that provide a sense of belonging and inspiration of coaches, a "hook" to attract kids to programs also offering tutoring, and more.

"The teams I've been lucky enough to be a part of have helped me through many things - I am grateful for that support system," said Tootoo. "If you get knocked down, your team will pick you back up off the ground."

The Team Tootoo Fund's inaugural grant was awarded to The Jason Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the prevention of youth suicide through awareness and education.

More information about the Team Tootoo Fund is online, at www.cfmt.org/teamtootoofund.

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee oversees more than 840 charitable funds, providing customized philanthropic solutions with flexibility for donors, nonprofit organizations and the community. In the past 20 years, The Community Foundation has distributed more than $596 million to community programs and institutions. It is located at 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, #400, Nashville, Tennessee 37215. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.

Nashville Predators sign Daniel Bang to two-way contract

This just arrived from the Nashville Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed free agent forward Daniel Bång (DAN-yehl BAWNG) to a one-year, two-way contract worth $925,000 and the NHL level and $70,000 at the AHL level.

Bång, 28 (4/19/87), spent his sixth season with AIK's senior team, and second in Sweden's top league (Elitserien) in 2011-12, registering 18 points (8g-10a) in 50 games. He also posted six points (3g-3a) in 12 postseason contests in 2012, giving the Kista, Sweden native 10 points (5g-5a) in 18 career Elitserien playoff games.

The 6-3, 201-pound power forward will play his first North American professional season in 2012-13.

Obviously, the Preds are taking a more physical, truculent approach to their appropriately-named Swedish free agent signings, as opposed to the New York Rangers who recently added Jesper Fast. Or is this more for the Cheech & Chong crowd?

So... has anybody heard of this guy?

Nicklas Lidstrom announces press conference for tomorrow: Does this spell doom for Ryan Suter?

Twitter has been abuzz this last hour or so, as the Detroit Red Wings have announced that the team will hold a press conference tomorrow at 11 a.m. in Detroit for Nicklas Lidstrom. While nothing is confirmed, the thinking here is that Lidstrom will either announce a) his retirement or b) he is coming back for one more year.

TSN's Aaron Ward, a former teammate of Lidstrom's, says a source tells him that Lidstrom will announce his retirement. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press is saying the same thing.

So what does this mean for the Predators? Nashville's offseason pretty much hinges on what Ryan Suter decides to do, and one would imagine that Lidstrom's decision could have a pretty big effect on what Suter does.

Follow after the jump for more:

Let's look at the two probable outcomes of Lidstrom's announcement tomorrow and how each of those could possibly effect Suter's decision.

Lidstrom comes back for one year

Dirk thinks this is the most likely outcome as it gives Lidstrom another year to make a run at the Cup as well as play in the Winter Classic.

Detroit would surely continue to pursue Suter, and give him a year to learn under one of the greatest defensemen of all time. But is that what Suter really wants to do? It's hard to imagine Suter leaving Nashville to get out of Weber's shadow, only to have a bigger one cast over him, even if just for one more year.

If Lidstrom stays for another year, I'd put Suter's chances at landing in Detroit pretty slim.

Lidstrom retires

And here's where things get tricky.

Detroit would obviously be looking for a replacement for Lidstrom, and Suter would be a prime candidate to be the number one guy. He has already proven he can play at the highest level and would fulfill Detroit's biggest need heading into next season.

Regardless of whether Suter actually signs with Detroit, I think his price tage immediately goes up, and Jim Diamond agrees. With another cap-spending team like the Red Wings on the market for a stud defenseman, the demand goes up and, as we all learned in Econ 101, so does the price.

Now, the question becomes, would Suter want to sign with Detroit?

Josh Cooper doesn't think so, as long as Zach Parise doesn't go as well. And Parise leaving the Devils looks less and less likely with each New Jersey win.

Adrian Dater also brings up a good point, asking if Suter really would want the pressure of following up a legend like Lidstrom and being asked to pretty much be next in line.

All we can do now is wait and see. July 1st will be here before you know it...

Poll

If Nicklas Lidstrom retires, do you think Ryan Suter signs in Detroit?

• Yes
• No

  244 votes | Results

Making sense of Ian Herbers leaving Milwaukee: Wednesday afternoon notes

Our afternoon hockey notes can hopefully get you back thinking about the Nashville Predators, which may be a challenge given all the Nicklas Lidstrom conversation, and the opening of the Stanley Cup Final tonight.

So we'll kick things off with a double-barreled blast at "the Predator Way", followed by more insight into the move by Milwaukee Admirals head coach Ian Herbers, who is leaving the Preds organization to head up the University of Alberta program...

Nashville Predators News

The Hockey Gods Must Be Crazy: Jeff Carter, Puck Luck, and the Predator Way | Overtime presented by The Hockey Writers
I was wondering whether someone would pick up on Barry Trotz's criticism of Jeff Carter from back in December. Well done, Sam.

Best of Luck, Herbie - Milwaukee Admirals
Aaron Sims details what Milwaukee is losing in Ian Herbers, and offers some insight as to why he'd leave the AHL for Canadian collegiate hockey.

U of A HIRING DOESN'T PASS SMELL TEST | OilersNation
This Ian Herbers-to-Alberta story raises more questions than answers so far, as a junior hockey coach appears to have been caught up in the crossfire.

Smashville 24/7 - Should the Kostitsyns be re-signed?
I can't imagine AK46 would be back, but would be OK with SK74 on another short-term deal for close to what he made last season.

Nashville Predators job: Senior Manager of Marketing | Hockey Gear HQ
The Nashville Predators are looking for a Senior Manager of Marketing, opening up a chance to join one of the most dynamic sports organizations in the Southeast.

Paul McCann - SlapShor Radio - Assist Dog Fundraiser Tonight!
Paul's getting ready for a busy night.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Nick Lidstrom to retire, reports say. Scotty Bowman remembers | All Things Avalanche — The Denver Post
It's still mind-boggling to think what a combo of Lidstrom & Konstantinov could have done over the years.

Devils/Kings Stanley Cup Final Preview: Who has the better playoff beards? | Puck Daddy
Here's the key matchup of the series.

The View from 111: Conference Finals Review and Stanley Cup Prediction
Mark makes his call before the puck drops tonight.

A Cup of Joe In the Morning – Jonathan Quick’s Numbers Are Kind of Ridiculous | Backhand Shelf
Just in case you hadn't picked up on this yet.

Stanley Cup Final, Game 1: 5 Years Is A Loooooong Time - Battle of California
RudyKelly might need a name change to GiddyKelly.

Fast and small vs. slow and big on the ice - Grantland
Fans dig a big man's game, but does it actually help teams win?

Help, I have no hockey hate in my heart " The Active Stick
For many fans, it's hard to pick which team to boo.

Report: Hartley has second interview for Flames post - TSN
Forget Montreal, might Hartley end up in Calgary instead?

Bizball: Lack of Economic Parity Could Kill NHL - Forbes
I couldn't disagree more with the take here. While certainly the Islanders, Coyotes & Devils face serious problems, I have a hard time believing "all but a handful of clubs are struggling in the NHL."

Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic 10 Year Anniversary
Congrats to Michael on hitting a big milestone.

Swan Ball 2012 to Auction Mega Preds Road Trip in Early 2013

My friend Lucie Carroll is co-chairing the auction at this year's Swan Ball at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville, and she passed along an absolute dream of a prize package to be auctioned at this year's event via Facebook. The current $19k bid is far too rich for my blood, but follow after the jump to check out the offering....

The auction website says

Not in the 14-year history of the team’s NHL franchise have the Predators offered such a hockey-centric opportunity. Nashville Predators have grown from a young expansion franchise to a regular contender in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and you can literally join them, in the moment, for a memory of a lifetime. Value: Priceless

What's in the January 30-February 2, 2013 package?

• Travel for two to Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose on the team plane
• Hotel stay in the team hotel (one room) for all cities on the road trip
• Transportation to and from the hotel on the road trip
• Two tickets to the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks games
• Dinner with members of the coaching staff/hockey executives during the trip
• A round of golf for two at one of the cities during the road trip (subject to the specific cities selected and weather)

Restrictions apply:

Valid for the three game series Jan. 30 – Feb. 2, 2013. Passengers must be 18 years of age and older (no children permitted). Dates are subject to change. All travel logistics will be handled by the Predators. Winner’s certificate must be returned to the Predators by October 1, 2012.

Click here to bid on the package, or if you're like me and won't be participating, sound off in the comments with a ballpark figure that you'd pay for an experience like this. If money were no object, I'd probably retire and buy a stake in the team -- so I don't know exactly what I'd give up to fly from DC to the west coast with the team, hang out with the coaches and players in the hotel, and see three road games . . . all with my date and favorite travel partner. I envy the eventual winner, whoever you turn out to be.

Also, #SummerSucksDropThePuck.

Kopitar's OT winner gives Kings 1-0 lead: Thursday's notes

The Los Angeles Kings seized the early advantage in the Stanley Cup Final, taking Game One last night in New Jersey by a 2-1 overtime score. The game itself was somewhat overshadowed, however, by major news items developing around the league. Later this morning, Detroit's Nick Lidstrom is slated to announce his retirement at a press conference in Detroit, while the commissioner's address to the media has put business issues in the spotlight...

Nashville Predators News

Pekka Rinne makes Finals for NHL13 Cover | ladypreds
Did you need a reminder? Yes, yes you did. Now go vote.

Nashville Predators' Ryan Suter could be affected by Nicklas Lidstrom retirement | The Tennessean
Let's just hope we don't see Suter at this morning's press conference.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Recap -- Almost Gold - Jewels From The Crown
For being such a closely played, tight-checking affair, the overtime winner by Kopitar came on a stunningly wide-open breakaway.

NHL Salary Cap Could Rise to $73.8 Million | The Hockey Writers
While it may not go quite that high (not all league revenues count towards determining the cap), business is clearly doing well.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman talks Coyotes, CBA and Shanahan in 2012 question time | Puck Daddy
As is customary at the start of the Cup Final, the commish held forth on the state of the game.

Bettman and Fehr both cautious toward upcoming labour talks - The Globe and Mail
Nobody's saying much of anything so far, but we can start worrying.

EXCLUSIVE: Both teams in Stanley Cup finals (New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings) are for sale - NYPOST.com
Come on, guys, let's take up a collection.

Dedication is getting a Los Angeles Kings logo shaved into your head | Puck Daddy
At least they didn't do a Sacramento Kings logo, that would have been embarrassing.

C’mon Ref! with Kerry Fraser | Illegal Curve Hockey
It's always interesting to hear the ref's perspective on things.

NHL pledges to address state of officiating - The Globe and Mail
They're not quite sure what the problem is, but they promise to get to the bottom it.

Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " John Tortorella is Pissed Off About Rangers Facing Criticism for Defenders Blocking Shots
You've got to love Torts, he doesn't mince words.

And lastly, check out CBC's opening for Game 1. Awesome stuff...

Nashville Predators sign Joonas Järvinen

As was rumored and reported a week ago, the Nashville Predators have signed Finnish defenseman Joonas Jarvinen to an entry-level contract. Here's the team's press release:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed free agent defenseman Joonas Järvinen (YOH-nuhs JAHR-vehn-en) to a two-year, two-way contract.

Järvinen, 23 (1/5/89), played his first season with Pelicans Lahti of the Finnish League (SM-Liiga) in 2011-12, ranking second among all league skaters in plus/minus rating (+28), fourth in penalty minutes (125) and among the League's Top 20 defensemen in points (5g-18a-23pts). The 6-3, 220-pound blueliner posted six points (3g-3a) in 17 2012 playoff games, helping Lahti reach the SM-Liiga Finals and earn a silver medal. The native of Turku, Finland spent his first four professional seasons with his hometown team, TPS Turku, helping them claim the SM-Liiga title in 2010.

Järvinen participated in his first World Championship tournament earlier this month, recording three assists in 10 games for Finland. He has also represented Finland on the international stage at the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships, and the 2007 World Under-18 Championships.

Will Nashville lose Patrick Cehlin's rights? Wednesday's notes

While the hockey world looks forward to the opening of the Stanley Cup Final tonight (7:00 p.m. Central on NBC), front office staff from around the NHL are working to prepare for the upcoming Draft. Besides a Scouting Combine taking place in Toronto this week, there is also the matter of tying up loose ends from the 2010 draft. Players unsigned after two years go back into the pool, and the Predators have one such player in Sweden's Patrick Cehlin.

That story leads off our hockey notes this morning...

Nashville Predators News

June 1st Signing Deadline - Hockey Prospectus
The clock is ticking for players drafted in 2010 to get signed by their teams, or else they can go back into the draft. For Nashville, Swedish winger Patrick Cehlin is on that list, but it's not like he's tearing up the Swedish Elite League as of late.

Preds On The Glass: POTG Stanley Cup Finals Predictions
I really should have made a post setting up this series, but in lieu of that I'll just say the Kings should steamroll New Jersey.

Ex-Nashville Predators assistant Brent Peterson predicts Los Angeles Kings will win Stanley Cup | The Tennessean
See? Petey agrees.

A Tail of the Predators Offseason - Predlines
Do we have a poet laureate for Smashville? One can hope.

Hockey Night in Nashville: Blum has something to prove in 2012-2013 season
Can Blum bounce back? He's up next on my season review list, if I can ever get back to it.

Paul McCann - Finals start tomorrow!
Besides setting up the series, Paul shares info on the special fundraiser taking place tonight at Tin Roof.

Carrie Underwood and Ottawa Hockey Fans Make Nice - The Boot
Peace in our time... who'da thunk it?

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Superstitious Sutter a slave to routine - The Globe and Mail
Darryl Sutter landed in the right job, at the right time.

Witch’s Blue — Building a Stanley Cup calibre blueline, Lou Lamoriello Edition | Edmonton Journal
Wow, pretty much the opposite of the Nashville model here.

The Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, and looking forward to the Stanley Cup finals - Grantland
Can Brodeur win another Cup, 17 years after his first?

KuklasKorner : Media Battle
You've got to pay a physical price to get the job done during the Stanley Cup Final, even if you're part of the media. Good thing this wasn't a pair of bloggers, or else we'd never hear the end of it.

Gallagher: NHL owners likely seen as the greedy ones this time around in CBA talks - The Province
With a salary cap in place and revenues growing steadily year by year, it's hard for the owners to argue that they "need" the players to make concessions.

Mike Emrick, Pam Ward , Michelle Beadle top Media list - Richard Deitsch - SI.com
It's Doc's time.

Chris Jones takes the Stanley Cup to Port Hope - ESPN The Magazine
If you ever have the chance to see the Cup, take it.

Blackhawks’ GM Bowman admits disappointment over Patrick Kane’s adventures in Wisconsin | Puck Daddy
Disappointment... over not being invited along?

Lastly, here's my latest for the SB Nation YouTube channel on some individual stories to follow during the Cup Final:

Will he remain Lindback-up? Tuesday afternoon notes

You know we're desperate for real hockey news here in Nashville when the hot topic of the day is what might happen with the backup goaltending spot next season. After two seasons spent mostly on the bench, is Anders Lindback ready to move on? Two local blog posts this afternoon touch on that question...

Nashville Predators News

Smashville 24/7 - What to do with Anders Lindback?
Why, keep him as the backup - he serves pretty well in that role, and it's not like he's at the point where has to go be a #1 somewhere. Unless somebody rolls in with a sweet trade offer, why get rid of him now?

Nashville’s goaltending situation just got interesting: is Hellberg North America bound? | Section 303
Jeremy builds on the story we shared this morning about Magnus Hellberg being asked to come over to play in Milwaukee, and wonders if he might serve as Pekka Rinne's backup sooner rather than later.

Nothing Is Confirmed Until It Is | Admirals Roundtable
Ryan undercuts the Ian Herbers/University of Alberta talk, after a direct denial from the university.

Smashville 24/7 - Smashville On The Glass – Craig Custance featured
Fill your ears with Preds talk this afternoon.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

5 Reasons You Should Cheer for the LA Kings - Jewels From The Crown
Are you convinced?

Hawks Bring Back The Barbershop - Second City Hockey
They're not exactly crazy about 3 more years of Johnny Oduya at $3.3 million in Chicago.

Should penalties in NHL playoffs carry over to next game? GMs might debate it | Puck Daddy
I'm open to this idea.

Down Goes Brown: Kings vs Devils: The 2012 Stanley Cup preview
What more do you need?

Suter & Predators to talk, Herbers leaving Milwaukee? - Tuesday's notes

Now that we're a few weeks past the Nashville Predators' playoff elimination, the gears are starting to turn as the franchise prepares for the 2012 NHL Draft and a summer free agent market that could significantly reshape the team.

Our hockey notes this morning start off with reports that the first change might come behind the bench in Milwaukee, however. After years of relative stability, are the Admirals going through head coaches like drummers from Spinal Tap?

Nashville Predators News

Coming Down the Pipe!: Will Ian Herbers return to the Golden Bears?
Might the Milwaukee Admirals lose their head coach to Canadian college hockey? That seems like an odd move for Herbers, but apparently he's an alum of the University of Alberta, so perhaps there are some special ties there.

Hellberg: Nashville want me to come over - Hockey Express
2011 2nd-round pick Magnus Hellberg says he's been asked to come over from Sweden so he can tend goal for Milwaukee next season.

Nashville Predators, Ryan Suter's agent to talk this week | The Tennessean
Everybody's had some time to put the playoff disappointment behind them, so now it's time to get down to business.

Top 15 moments of the 2011-12 Preds season: #15 | Section 303
Does this count as a hat trick if it didn't all happen on the same day?

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Musings of a 36-Year Los Angeles Kings Fan | The Hockey Writers
For the die-hards in L.A., these are heady times.

The New Jersey Devils 2012 Playoff Run: So Far, So Good, So Why Not? - In Lou We Trust
Meanwhile in New Jersey, they're enjoying the rebound from 2010-2011.

Brodeur. Kovalchuk. DeBoer | Bobby Holik - Holik on Hockey
Holik is loving the way his former team is playing these days.

Martin Brodeur: A little above average for a very long time | Backhand Shelf
It sounds like he'd be a lock for Lake Wobegon's team.

End is near for Rick Nash, Blue Jackets as trade discussions set to resume | Puck Daddy
Which way will he go?

Bob Hartley to be named the Montreal Canadiens' next head coach | The Hockey Writers
I was wondering when he'd get back in the NHL.

Simmons: Leafs interested in Vokoun - Toronto Sun
Not a bad idea here for the Leafs, but priority #1 should be getting 2 or 3 penalty killing specialists.

In Russia, they play hockey on aircraft carriers (or at least that’s the plan) | Puck Daddy
Nice.

The Flexible Elephant: On the Surprising Mobility of Bloated Contracts | Backhand Shelf
It is surprising to see so many guys on long-term contracts get moved around, like Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Dan Boyle a couple summers ago, etc.

Larry Brooks: Can New York Rangers bring in players to improve team as long as coach John Tortorella adheres to shot-blocking approach? - NYPOST.com
Does all that focus on shot-blocking limit the Rangers' potential?

A hockey coach’s indefensible defence - The Globe and Mail
Can anything be done to "let the boys play"?

Sabres' Ruff, Regier Need to Go | The Hockey Writers
Time for regime change in Buffalo? Can the old guard adjust to life under Daddy Warbucks?

Pekka Rinne makes EA Sports NHL13 Cover Vote Finals vs. Claude Giroux

After topping John Tavares of the New York Islanders in the semfinals, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne has made the final round of voting for the honor of gracing the cover of EA Sports NHL13. He'll meet up with Claude Giroux, the Philadelphia Flyers' scoring sensation who enjoyed a breakout 93-point campaign, and led all players in jersey sales at Shop.NHL.com.

Puck Daddy has the details:

More than 23 million votes have been cast since EA Sports announced its NHL 13 cover vote campaign last month. After all of the voting, the final two players who will be vying to be on the cover of the game hitting shelves Sept. 11 in North America (Sept. 14 in Europe) are Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne.

The final voting period will run beginning today (May 29) through June 4, with the winner being revealed during the NHL Awards show in Las Vegas on June 20.

---

Pekka Rinne

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 209

Born: Nov 03, 1982

---

You know the drill, folks! Head over to covervote.nhl.com and vote until your mouse cries for mercy.

Then get a new mouse.

Do your part for Pekka Rinne in the NHL13 Cover Vote: Sunday's notes

As of our last update, Pekka Rinne still holds a lead over John Tavares in the semifinal round of voting for the EA Sports NHL13 cover, but he'll continue to need your support through Monday to make it to the final round. One fan has put together a video to rally others to the cause, but the bottom line is that you need to spend a little quality time at covervote.nhl.com today and push Pekka over the top.

Since there's been some confusion, it's worth clarifying - you can vote as many times as you like. There's a contest associated with this vote, in which you can only gain 10 entries per day, but if you sat there and cast 500 votes (one for every lap of today's Indy 500?) every single one of them will count.

So now, on to your morning hockey notes, which feature Nashville Predators prospect Austin Watson, the club's 2010 1st-round pick, who is going for the Memorial Cup championship today with the London Knights (6:00 p.m. Central on NHL Network).

Memorial Day weekend means hockey sales! | Hockey Gear HQ Whether you're pumped up about the Kings/Devils Stanley Cup Final, or are a hockey player who needs some new equipment, this weekend is the time to go shopping!

Nashville Predators News

2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup: London Knights — why they can win Sunday - Buzzing The Net
Because shot-blocking is all the rage in junior hockey, too.

2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup: London’s Austin Watson, Vlad Namestnikov talk shot blocking - Buzzing The Net
Yup, it sounds like Watson will fit in here just fine.

The 303:30 – the Memorial Cup, the Zolkower benefit and Rinne’s comments about being on NHL 13 | Section 303
Get set up for the Memorial Cup final in the latest 303 podcast.

Shea Weber had a bit better year than Zdeno Chara, so the Norris should go to him | Edmonton Journal
David Staples took the time to make a comprehensive comparison of the contenders' performances.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Down Goes Brown: Take the quiz: How well do you know the LA Kings?
Take this crash course before the Final starts!

A statistical breakdown: Los Angeles Kings vs. New Jersey Devils | Backhand Shelf
It sure looks like L.A. is the superior team.

For Los Angeles Kings, when does rest become rust for Stanley Cup Final? | Puck Daddy
Since they don't start the Final until Wednesday, I don't see a big difference for either the Kings or Devils here.

Stanley Cup playoffs prelude to ‘samurai’ labour showdown - thestar.com
A dire forecast here for the upcoming CBA negotiations might go - might the Winter Classic serve as the kickoff for a shortened season?

Bruins acquire another Bourque - BostonHerald.com
Well how about that, Boston traded for Ray's son.

Bowman nets Order of Canada, Grapes shut out - Toronto Sun
Scotty Bowman beats Don Cherry, again.

Hockey Historysis: Old-Tyme Forwards
That's what this Preds team needs, a little more "stout" up front!