While a full 82-game regular season NHL schedule still remains up in the air for the 2012-13 season, the beat will go on in the virtual world. NHL '13 is set for release on September 11, 2012, and we're slowly, but surely starting to learn more and more about the game.
Today, EA released the player ratings for Western Conference teams, which of course includes our beloved Predators. Follow after the jump for ratings (minus the new guy), OUTRAGE and a fancy graphic:
As a Predators fan, I think you have to be pleased with these ratings, because it looks like, for the most part, they went with the best case scenario.
A few things that stand out:
EA still has Paul Gaustad on the wing. Come on, he's a center. It was frustrating last year having to switch he and Craig Smith's spots on the fourth line, and then having to put him on the PK. Anyways....
Is Martin Erat really as good as David Legwand?
Brandon Yip is a full "four" better than Gabby Bourque (lol).
Everything looks to be ok on defense. Weber 90, Klein 78, Gill 80, Josi and Ellis low 70s, but will probably improve, Blum 81- OH MY GOD. WHAT ARE YOU DOING EA?
Rinne at 89 is - I think, correct me if I'm wrong - a slight drop off from his rating last year.
The Nashville Predators have addressed the lack of experienced depth on the blueline by signing free agent defenseman Scott Hannan to a one-year contract. This provides some backup on the left side, where the depth chart currently has a lot of youth outside of Hal Gill.
Quoth the Preds:
Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed defenseman Scott Hannan to a one-year, $1 million contract.
Hannan, 33 (1/23/79), has amassed 197 points (33g-164a) and 522 penalty minutes in 908 regular-season games and 15 points (1g-14a) and 89 penalty minutes in 82 playoff games with San Jose, Colorado, Washington and Calgary since the 1998-99 season. The 6-1, 225-pound blueliner enters the 2012-13 season having played more games than any NHL defenseman in the last 10 seasons (798). Hannan dressed for 75-or-more games for the 11th consecutive season (78), and averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons (20:21) with the Calgary Flames a season ago.
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The folks up in Calgary seem to have been pretty happy with how he fit in last season, and I think he makes a nice fit here. He can play a basic, reliable type of game and can hopefully soak up some of the tough minutes allowing guys like Roman Josi to be put in a position where they can succeed.
As for Jonathon Blum? The pressure to earn a roster spot may have just gotten a bit tougher, but a seven-man unit of Shea Weber, Kevin Klein, Scott Hannan, Hal Gill, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis and Jon Blum looks likely. At least with Blum, there's a comfort level there that he can play either side, so he may serve well as the 7th D.
Today's entry in the jersey number series presents us with a wide sampling of players from Nashville's hockey past. We have scorers, pluggers, thumpers and fighters all vying for your vote as the Greatest #19 of them all...
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Andrew Brunette
Brunette was a member of that first Nashville Predators team, and back in the 1998-99 season he chipped in 11 goals and 20 assists (with just 65 shots!). He will always hold a spot in Preds lore, however, as it was he who scored the first goal in franchise history, in a 3-2 win over Carolina on October 13, 1998.
He was traded in the summer of 1999 for a 5th-round draft pick, and has gone on to play over 1,110 games for a variety of different teams.
Mike Watt
Picked up via waivers for the 2000-2001 season, Watt patrolled the left wing for 18 games (1 goal, 1 assist) that year for Nashville, spending the rest of the time in Milwaukee. He was traded that summer to Philadelphia, but played only 5 more games in the NHL from that point on.
Martin Erat
More commonly recognized for being #10 in your program (but #1 in your hearts), Erat wore #19 during his first two NHL seasons, 2001-2002 and 2002-2003. In his rookie campaign he put up a respectable 33 points (9 goals, 24 assists) in 80 games, before spending most of the next season with Milwaukee. After that, he rebounded into full-time NHL work starting with the 2003-2004 season, bearing his signature #10.
Jim McKenzie
McKenzie had a long run as a hulking, physical winger who made Nashville his 9th and final NHL team during the 2003-2004 season (just after having won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey). While he put up just one goal and three assists during his 61 games as a Predator, that did bring up him to a nice round figure of 100 for his career.
Brendan Witt
Perhaps the first big Trade Deadline acquisition by the Preds, Witt was acquired in March 2006 from Washington in exchange for Kris Beech and a 1st-round draft pick (which later became goaltender Semyon Varlamov, now with Colorado). He was a huge thumper on the blueline who added toughness to the Nashville defense. After Nashville's playoff run fizzled against San Jose in six games, Witt signed as a free agent with the Islanders that summer.
Jason Arnott
Signed as a free agent in 2006, Arnott added genuine scoring punch down the middle. Out of his four seasons in Nashville, three of those are listed in the team's Top 10 in goal scoring, and he still holds the franchise mark for goals in a season with 33, set in 2008-2009.
Some fans didn't appreciate his lack of "rah rah" attitude on the ice or in the press, but Arnott stepped into a leadership role in 2007 after the Great Fire Sale and led the team to a remarkable playoff berth when the team's future in Nashville hung in the balance. It was his blast that ended Dominik Hasek's NHL career in 2008, and who knows what would have happened in that series against Detroit if Alex Radulov hadn't concussed him in the ensuing celebration. He left the Preds via the Matt Halischuk trade in June 2010, having compiled 107 goals and 122 assists in 275 games.
The battle over the NHL's next Collective Bargaining Agreement is truly joined.
Now that the two sides have exchanged proposals, and each has pretty much dismissed them out of hand, observers around North America are waiting to see where and when either the owners or players are willing to make a move towards "the middle", whatever that truly means.
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Travis Hughes sat in on a conference call as NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr updated the media, and responded to questions about whether the players would be willing to come down from their current 57% share of Hockey Related Revenues, down to 50%:
"Let me caution you when you start talking about 50/50 splits," Fehr said. "If you start talking about all revenue as opposed to hockey-related revenue, the way we calculate it the players are already at just about 50/50. Hockey-related revenue begins by subtracting some amounts of revenue. They don't count. What I'm saying is that if you add those things back in and then take what the players get, we calculate that to be about 51 percent."
Fehr said that the players are compromising directly off the start based on the fact that the league has a salary cap.
"Suppose the players came in -- as we have not done -- and we said, 'This is what we want. We'll have no salary cap, have a minimum salary and benefits, which will be a small fraction of the salary bill, and all the owners can pay whatever it is they want to pay. They can adjust their salaries up and down based on what they think is best for them. Whatever the free market produces, in a real free market, the players will take.'"
He continued.
"The reason we have a salary cap is because the owners believe -- and they are correct -- that the salary cap we have now pays the players less than what the free market would pay them. That's the starting point from the players' analysis, but the players are willing to live with that if we can work out an agreement."
The argument from the owners' side of things when it comes to a 50/50 split of revenues is that the two sides are partners in building and growing the NHL as a business. But Fehr rejects that idea whole-heartedly.
"If we are partners, do we have joint control?" Fehr asked. "Do we get to have an equal say on how the marketing is done, how the promotion is done, where the money is invested, where the franchises are located? Do we have an equal say on when teams are sold, where the money goes? Do we get part of that? Do we have an equal say on how the television arrangements are done?
"Do we have an equal say on anything? That's what a partnership normally implies."
The bottom line is... they're not really partners at all in the sense that Fehr is referring to, and the players have zero chance of getting "joint control". This is, quite simply, a power play. The owners have a chance to significantly tilt the league's financial parameters in their direction, and the stakes involved make it important enough for them to consider extreme measures in order to achieve it.
The change in tone coming from both the owners and players in their public statements regarding the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations has fans and reporters alike ratcheting up their odds that at least some time will be lost to a lockout this fall. This morning's hockey notes kick off with two local writers tackling that issue, then include two of the most mind-numbing takes on the labor situation I've seen yet...
Best of Nashville 2012 - The Nashville Scene
This year they have a reader poll for "Best Sports Blog". Can you help us defend our title from 2011? Vote daily!
Nashville Predators News
The Hippodrome: The Quarterback Battle Heats Up To Tepid | Pith in the Wind J.R. raises the delicate question of what happens to the money already plunked down on tickets for games which might get cancelled in the event of a lockout.
What if a Lock-Out Happens? A Hard-Core Fan Perspective | The Predatorial Jeremy shares his memory of the previous lockout in 2004-2005.
Top Moments From 2011-2012 – #7: Release The McGrattan | The Predatorial This certainly goes into the vault as one of the highlight fights in team history, but I remember having my son at that game, and he asked why those two guys were fighting. I had no good answer, it was just a sideshow.
Nashville Predators' Roman Josi tries to fill defensive role | The Tennessean Josi is the favorite right now to play alongside Weber on the top pair, so he's preparing now to be in shape for the job.
The Slate | Admirals Roundtable Ryan breaks down the just-released AHL schedule, which features 10 sets of 3-games-in-3-nights. Ouch!
Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey
Rolling newsletter: Could the NHL really consider contracting teams? | Dallas Stars Blog Mike Heika could have saved himself several paragraphs by just writing "Howard Bloom is an idiot".
NHL: Big Market Success Should Be Determinative | Overtime Richard Pollak doesn't see why big market teams want CBA change, because things are already going so well for them. *facepalm* Has a big business ever sat back and said, "nah, we're making enough money as-is"?
Time on ice competition plots for all 30 teams | NHLNumbers.com Real perty graphs, following up on work earlier this week about a new way to describe a player's Quality of Competition.
Next Year’s Big, Stats-Based Edmonton Oilers Project | Edmonton Journal Bravo to these gallant volunteers, it's just too bad the league doesn't formalize and publish stuff like this.
Michigan Daily and Kitchener Rangers Settle - Western College Hockey Blog Peace breaks out.
Cheating your height and weight in the program: a hockey player’s how-to | Backhand Shelf Did I tell you that I'm really 6'2"?
Goalie Equipment on rare "10% Off Everything" sale! | Hockey Gear HQ You poor goaltenders, I really pity you. Your gear is ridiculously expensive, and sales are few & far between. That's why you need to jump on this one.
We had a genuine exchange of volleys this week in the NHL CBA talks. The NHLPA made their initial proposal (finally, and with celebration by the hockey media) and the owners pretty much blew it off, so now both sides are taking a few days to sort through the issues and plot their next move. Part of the reason Shea Weber won't be at Monday's Town Hall is that Donald Fehr is meeting with several players up in Kelowna, B.C. early next week before negotiations resume a few days later.
Your morning hockey notes include a number of articles looking at what might happen in the event of a lockout, not just with regard to NHL players, but what it might mean for the development of the game at the youth level in the U.S....
Best of Nashville 2012 - The Nashville Scene This year they have a reader poll for "Best Sports Blog". Can you help us defend our title from 2011? Vote daily!
Nashville Predators News
The Hockey News 2012-13 NHL regular season predictions: No. 8 - The Hockey News
In their day-by-day tease of conference standing predictions, THN has the Preds making the playoffs again.
Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey
Potential Lockout Could Halt Record Hockey Growth in U.S. | The United States of Hockey Interesting numbers on youth hockey levels the last time we had to suffer through a lockout.
Revisiting the 04-05 lockout, when NHLers dominated the world’s hockey leagues | Backhand Shelf Yeah, back when David Legwand owned the Swiss second division!
Fixing the NHL crisis in five easy steps - sportsnet.ca I really like what Michael Grange has written earlier this week, but this? Ugh.
Ghost-tweeting and the NHLPA’s propaganda machine | Backhand Shelf So... either Jordin Tootoo was possessed by Henrik Lundqvist, or they've both got the same ghost-writer manning their Twitter accounts.
Canes Now - History lesson: owners usually get what they want | newsobserver.com blogs Instructive words here.
NHL-CHL agreement has expired; just don’t jump to conclusions - Buzzing The Net Some folks got excited about the possibility that young draftees might jump right to the AHL, but don't bet on it.
Wings cancel prospect tournament - Detroit Red Wings ...as was indicated a few days ago, they're doing this due to the labor uncertainty.
Ryan Miller Is The Highest Rated Goalie In NHL 13, But Should He Be? - Die By The Blade Controversy!
Posnanski: Paterno offered a complex challenge – USATODAY.com Not hockey related, but the story of how the Penn State scandal broke out while sportswriter Joe Posnanski was preparing a biography of Joe Paterno, and how he had to adjust on the fly, is fascinating.
With the Skate of the Union Town Hall meeting coming up on Monday, August 20th at Bridgestone Arena, a number of folks have been asking about the timing and details of the event. Just a short while ago, the Nashville Predators sent out the following:
WHAT: Nashville Predators' Skate of the Union Town Hall Meeting
· Event highlighted by player autographs, open skate, select a seat/open house, Pro Shop deals, an auction item fire sale, Smashville Rewards demo, Smash Hit Karaoke and Town Hall meeting.
WHO: Nashville Predators players, executives and personalities
WHEN: ThisMonday, August 20, 4-8 p.m.
· 4-5:30 p.m. - Open skate
· 4:30-6 p.m. - Photo opportunities with select players
· 5-6 p.m. - Player autographs on concourse
· 6:15-6:45 p.m. - Q&A with select players on stage
· 6:45-7:45 p.m. - Town Hall meeting with Tom Cigarran, Jeff Cogen, Sean Henry, David Poile and Peter Horachek. Questions may be submitted online via social media and at main doors of event
NOTES: Players scheduled to appear include Jon Blum, Mike Fisher, Paul Gaustad, Hal Gill, Kevin Klein, Chris Mason, Brian McGrattan, Craig Smith and Colin Wilson.
Attendees to Monday's event will receive a special discount of 25 percent on tickets to Petey's Preds Party on September 17.
The Predators flagship radio station 102.5 The Game will broadcast live from the Skate of the Union Town Hall Meeting.
Free parking will be provided in the Sixth Avenue parking garage (corner of Sixth and Demonbreun).
This all leaves one question hanging in the air... why the heck isn't Shea Weber scheduled to appear?
Update: Per the Preds, Shea has a prior commitment to a hockey school and NHLPA meetings.
I know some Preds fans got their hackles up when the guys on the 3HL raised the question of why he wasn't at the press conference following the team's decision to match the $110 million offer sheet, but it strikes me as really, really strange for a guy not to show his face in town for more than 3 weeks after a deal of this magnitude has been struck.
Anyways, it should be an interesting time Monday night... who will I see there?
Just as we wished the Captain a Happy Birthday three days ago, it's time to light the candles on the cake for the longest-serving player in Nashville Predators history, David Legwand, who turns 32. Just check out the list of franchise career leaders over at Hockey-Reference.com, and he's atop the leaderboard in a number of categories:
Short-handed Goals (10, second behind Greg Johnson)
Game-Winning Goals (37)
So give it up for Leggy, a guy who has settled into a nice career as one of the core players on a consistently competitive team year-in, year-out. Kick back and enjoy a few highlights from #11 (trust me, it's worth hanging in there for all of them):
My question to you this morning is... how high might Legwand's career numbers climb? Does he have a shot at milestone achievements such as 300 goals, or 1,000 points?
We will now proceed to #18 of our jersey series. This time, most of our candidates hail from universities with elite hockey programs, while one came from what is now a former NHL city and played only a handful of games with the Predators before being dumped fairly quickly.
Mark Mowers
Mowers made his NHL debut with the Predators in their inaugural season after being signed as a free agent with the team. Prior to coming to the Predators, Mowers accumulated a slew of honors from his collegiate years at the University of New Hampshire, which included Hockey East Rookie of the Year (1995), Hockey East First Team East All-Star (1998), and NCAA East First Team All-American (1998). He went on to play four years for the Predators, splitting his time between them and their farm team in Milwaukee.
In reality, Mowers truly thrived at the minor league level and not so much at the NHL level, where he was only able to 4 goals in 85 games. In 51 games with the Admirals during his first season with the franchise, he scored 14 goals and 36 points, earning the U.S. Born Rookie of the Year-IHL. In his next three years with the Admirals, he scored 55 goals in 131 games. Following his four-year stint with the Predators, Mowers became a free agent and shortly thereafter signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Throughout the rest of his career, Mowers would continue splitting his time between the NHL and AHL before finally moving across the Atlantic to play in the National League A in Switzerland.
Adam Hall
The Michigan State right winger was selected 52nd overall by the Predators in the second round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Hall joined the Predators immediately upon graduation in 2002 and continued with them for three full seasons. His play was very consistent during his time with the Predators, amassing no less than 13 goals and 27 points every season. For his steady performance, Hall was selected to participate in the 2003 Topps/NHL YoungStars game on All-Star weekend and later that spring represented the U.S. at the World Championships.
The following season, Hall was instrumental in helping the Predators reach their first ever playoff series against their arch nemesis, the Detroit Red Wings. Hall's spectacular play earned him an invite to the 2004 World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic. He was eventually traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Dominic Moore in the summer of 2006.
Mike Santorelli
Santorelli was selected 178th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Preds. After graduating from North Michigan University in 2007, Santorelli joined the Admirals in 2007. The impressive offensive numbers that Preds scouts saw from Santorelli from his time at North Michigan continued, scoring 21 goals and 42 points that season.
In 2008-2009 he scored 27 goals and 43 points for the Ads. That same season, Santorelli made his NHL debut with the Predators on January 8, 2009, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He would go on to play seven games with the Predators that season, compiling nothing other than a +/- rating of -5 for his stint with the Preds. The next season Santorelli also split his time with the Predators and Admirals. In Milwaukee, his offensive success did not seem to wane at all, scoring 26 goals and 59 points in 57 games. With the Predators, Santorelli was only able to score 2 goals and 3 points in 25 games, and it became clear that Santorelli's offensive success with the Ads did not translate to the NHL level. On August 5, 2010, Santorelli was traded by Nashville to the Florida Panthers for a 5th round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Niclas Bergfors
Bergfors, a quite disappointing acquisition for the Predators, signed a one-year contract worth $575,000 with the Predators on July 4 2011. The previous season, Bergfors had played for the Atlanta Thrashers and was able to score 11 goals and 29 points in 52 games. However, after playing only eleven games with the Predators, Bergfors amassed 1 goal and 1 assist before being placed on unconditional waivers by the Predators on November 24, 2011, making him a free agent. Bergfors soon decided to head overseas to the KHL, signing with the Ak Bars Kazan on 2 December 2011. After playing only eight games with them, he joined Severstal Cherepovets on a two-year contract.
Brandon Yip
A Boston University alum, Yip came over to the Predators to join his former teammate Colin Wilson on January 19, 2012, after being placed on waivers by the Colorado Avalanche. Though it was rumored Yip was to be used as temporary collateral by the Predators to land a big name, the ¾ Chinese, ¼ Irish right winger ended up finding his niche with the Preds. He was worked in on the fourth line with Nick Spaling and Craig Smith, and in 25 games during the remainder of the regular season, Yip recorded 3 goals and 7 assists. He provided the necessary depth the Preds needed to clinch their seventh playoff appearance. In 10 games of the postseason, Yip landed 1 goal and 1 assist.
Who says you have to wait until November to exercise your right to vote? Your links today include two opportunities to vote for the best & brightest things in the Nashville area...
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Nashville Predators News
Best of Nashville 2012 - The Nashville Scene This year they have a reader poll for "Best Sports Blog". Can you help us defend our title from 2011?
Thommy Awards | The Thom Abraham Show Does Shea Weber's contract get your vote as "Area story of the Year"? How about Barry Trotz for Coach of the Year? Head over and make your voice heard...
Junior Evaluation Camp ‘an eye-opening experience’ for Jimmy Vesey - Nashville Predators Examiner So far, so good, as Jimmy Vesey begins his climb up the ladder towards the NHL.
Destination Nashville? The Free Agency Woes of the Predators : The Hockey Writers John tries to separate perception from reality on why the Preds can't seem to land the big ones.
Hockey Night in Nashville: Predators plan to reduce Rinne's regular season workload Could Mase get more work than Anders The Giant did?
Czech Republic's Jan Hlavac finds new home in Kladno with HC Rytiri Kladno - NHL.com We were just talking about Hlavac the other day...
Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey
A competition metric based on ice time | NHLNumbers.com This is beautiful, beautiful work here. I've wondered if perhaps we should refine Quality of Competition metrics based on a player's position, and that of his opponents.
Swedish player who suffered cardiac arrest during game returns after nearly three years | Puck Daddy Now THAT's a comeback.
Do you have hockey junk in your trunk? These jeans might be for you. - Puck Drunk Love I can't wait for someone to come out with Bloggers' Jeans.
Wayne Simmonds signs 6-year contract extension with Philadelphia Flyers - Broad Street Hockey Is this another case of a guy going for a long-term deal before term limits are imposed under a new CBA?
NHLPA Counter Offer: What's the Bottom Line? - Arctic Ice Hockey This post breaks down the numbers using revenue growth totals mimicking recent history, but as I wrote yesterday, that's by no means a sure thing.
Donald Fehr had a good day in the media yesterday. The appealing part of the NHLPA's CBA proposal was that the players are apparently willing to put a cap on salary growth over the next three seasons, but want to avoid a rollback of current salaries or a straight-out reduction in their share of Hockey Related Revenues. Let the small-market teams benefit from overall league growth by redirecting new money into a "more aggressive and targeted" revenue sharing scheme.
How forward-thinking, many wrote. How magnanimous.
How clever.
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Note especially Donald Fehr's phrasing in the media scrum after yesterday's session. He basically said that if the NHL continued to grow revenues at the post-2005 rate, the giveback by the players would amount to roughly $465 million. Then, in a real eyebrow-raiser, he said if that growth continued at the pace of the last couple seasons, that figure could approach $800 million. Wowza!
That ain't happening, though.
Last season, two major new business deals drove a huge revenue boost for the league compared to 2010-2011. First, there's the broadcast agreement with NBC and its affiliated channels, worth $200 million per season. Secondly, Molson became the league's North American beer sponsor for seven years and $375 million (averaging out to $53.5M per season). Add in the benefit of moving a franchise from Atlanta to Winnipeg (where they sold out every game with some of the highest ticket prices in the league) and 2011-2012 looks like a year when a lot of very good things came together.
Those major boosts are already on the books, so expecting similar levels of revenue growth in the years ahead may be unrealistic. The concessions touted by the NHLPA could be significant if that growth continued, but if not? The owners would not get any benefit.
Fehr's proposal could be seen as a move to lock in the gains the NHL has already achieved and will benefit from in the years ahead, while the owners seem intent on making sure they get more of the cash regardless of whether revenues continue to grow or not. As Gary Bettman said this afternoon, there is a still a "wide gap" between the two sides.
Did you really expect anything different? If the NHLPA proposal was such a bold and innovative way to ensure the overall success of the league, wouldn't the owners have thought of it already? Whether or not you agree with that statement, you can bet that thought has crossed many owners' minds!
You're afternoon hockey notes contain more on the CBA and other items from around the league...
Nashville Predators News
One month out: The NHL labor talks and how the Preds may benefit | nashvillepost.com J.R. makes an exhaustive run through the CBA story to this point, and how the Preds might benefit from things like increased revenue sharing and the ability to trade cap space.
Nashville Predators CEO Jeff Cogen knows team's money limits | The Tennessean In order to support a competitive team, you can expect regular price increases going forward.
A Dangerous and Deceptive 3rd Line: Craig Smith | The Predatorial
Can Craig Smith earn an opportunity at center?
Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey
Grange on NHL: Cloaked in compromise - sportsnet.ca Michael Grange points out that the NHLPA proposal wasn't quite the bouquet of roses some made it out to be.
Gary Bettman says ‘wide gap’ remains in NHL labour talks - The Globe and Mail The Commish rains on the parade some members of the media were planning for Donald Fehr.
Introducing today’s NHL jerseys, in 8-bit SNES form | Backhand Shelf Sweeeeeet.
Why I Want To Kill Game Time - St. Louis Game Time I can certainly sympathize.
Pacioretty Signs For What? - Habs Eyes On The Prize Habs fans are giddy over the deal that locks up this goal-scoring power forward for 6 years.
Today, as expected, the NHLPA presented their proposal for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, but steered shy of the word "counter-proposal" because their vision of the league's future is fundamentally different than that proposed by the owners over a month ago.
For hockey fans hoping for a timely start to the season, there is a tiny ray of hope here, in that the players chose not to take a super-aggressive stance like the owners did, when a "gimme gimme gimme" attitude came across in every point. Instead, they offered significant concessions on key issues which may allow the two sides to avoid the drawn-out affair which led to a lost season and the imposition of the salary cap back in 2005. Emphasize that word "may".
Only now are negotiations truly going to get underway, however, now that each party has laid out their starting positions. It took a long time to get to this point, and to expect that an agreement will get hammered out in time for an October 11 Opening Night is, to put it bluntly, optimistic.
UPDATE: Video of NHLPA head Donald Fehr's address after today's session follows...
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Players OK With Salary Cap
Interestingly, and running counter to expectations, Donald Fehr indicated after the session that the players' proposal does include a hard salary cap. In addition, their proposal has them accepting less of a share in Hockey Related Revenues over the next 3 seasons, recognizing that some teams need financial relief. Of course, the devil is in the details, and we have yet to see the specifics of the NHLPA proposal.
The major issue on the ownership side is the disparity between the Haves and Have-Nots of the league, which has many teams raking in tremendous profits while others struggle to keep up with the rising salary environment. The owners' initial proposal sought to carve enough cash out of the players to make everybody happy at the Board of Governors meetings, and the NHLPA is seemingly putting the onus back on the league, through "more aggressive and targeted revenue sharing."
Attention Shifts To The Owners
Watchful eyes will now turn to Gary Bettman and the owners' camp, to see how the NHL responds to this offer. Perhaps more important than the specifics of their next proposal will be the timing - will it take days or weeks to arrive?
Those owners, remember, are coming from a strong position. They already have 2012-2013 season ticket money in the bank, and are better suited to wait out a lockout than the players. More NHL players make less than $1 million per season than make more (369 are above that mark for 2012-2013 per NHLNumbers.com, out of an NHLPA membership of 863).
Many in that majority will start getting uncomfortable once paychecks are missed beginning in October. That's when the pressure will truly escalate, and only then do I expect we'll see a deal struck.
Teams are already talking about cancelling prospect tournaments that they usually conduct as a lead-in to training camp, and of course the European games that traditionally open the season were scrapped months ago.
According to the players' union, no Nashville Predators participated in today's session.
We have a quartet of prime candidates for today's entry in the jersey number series. A banger, a scorer, a bargain-bin wonder and a minor-leaguer who rose to the challenge all vie for today's top spot...
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Patrick Cote (1998-2000)
Selected as part of the 1998 Expansion Draft from Dallas, Cote piled up 242 penalty minutes during the Preds' inaugural season to lead the team. He played just 21 games in 1999-2000 to wrap up his career as a Predator before moving on to Edmonton.
Scott Hartnell (2000-2007)
One of the more popular players in team history, Hartnell was picked in the 1st round (6th overall) in 2000 by Nashville and stepped right into an NHL job, an incredibly rare feat in this organization. He still ranks in the teams Top 10 in Games Played (436, 10th), Goals (93, 9th) and Power Play Goals (30, 6th). Perhaps my favorite moment was when he came back to Nashville the first time as a Philadelphia Flyer, however, and when his mug was put up on the big screen for a rousing round of applause, he responded with a wave to the camera like a five-year-old who had just caught a puck.
Jan Hlavac (2008)
Is this guy the Greatest Trade Deadline pickup ever by the Preds? He was acquired from Tampa Bay for just a 7th-round draft pick in 2008, and seemed to make a perfect fit alongside David Legwand and Martin Erat, scoring 3 goals and adding 10 assists in 18 regular season games for Nashville. Many were disappointed when the Predators simply let Hlavac go back to Sweden rather than bring him back for about $1 million during the summer of 2008. In the 2008-2009 campaign, the Preds suffered a horrendous lack of depth on the wing and failed to make the playoffs for the only time in the last eight seasons.
Chris Mueller (2011-2012)
The workmanlike hustler who made an impression on Preds fans when pressed into duty during the 2010-2011 season switched to #17 last season, going scoreless in four contests. He's inked to a two-way contract for 2012-2013, so we'll see if he gets another shot.
Your afternoon hockey notes include a surprisingly wide-ranging menu today - we've got one local blogger recounting a talk with Preds GM David Poile, another opining on what has been at times a bizarre summer, and the scandalous(!) unmasking of a notorious rumor-monger...
Nashville Predators News
The View from 111: A Conversation with David Poile Mark participated in a roundtable that a few bloggers had today with David Poile, in which he held forth on a variety of topics, from the Radulov/AK46 incident to the CBA, and much much more.
Still More Tough Luck for the ‘Other’ Other Guys: The Fans | Predators AJenda AJ has been stewing over the Ryan Suter & Shea Weber contracts, and notes that while we can argue over which team won each battle, it's the fans like you & me who end up footing the bill.
2012 U.S. WJC Camp Final Wrap Up | The United States of Hockey Jimmy Vesey is still in the running, having survived the cut-down to 34 players.
Nashville Predators GOAL Program - Nashville Predators Registration opens Tuesday morning for the latest round of the GOAL program, a wonderful opportunity for kids 4-7 to get their first taste of hockey. Check this one out if you have kids, folks, it's a fantastic (and FREE) program. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and fills up quickly, so plan ahead.
If you're looking for some puck talk, listen in as Pete Weber, Mark Howard, and Stu Grimson take a look around the Central Division:
Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey
@kyriacou22's Blog: Who is hockeyyinsiderr? Is the notoriously anonymous rumor-monger a 17-year-old from Quebec? WHO CARES - he and his ilk are not worth following, so once again, please don't bother pointing people his way, even if he tweets something about the Predators. Doing so only makes you look like a hockey rube.
Hockey Primetime - Fans wave digital picket signs as CBA negotiations heat up Now here's a novel idea. Protest a potential lockout by disengaging from official social media outlets of the league and its players until they hammer out a deal...
NHL’s pay to Bettman nears $8 million - SportsBusiness Daily It's good to be the king.
Giguere Earns a 1 Year $1.5M Contract Extension - Mile High Hockey Colorado brings back the veteran backup to Semyon Varlamov.
Confessions of a hockey blogger: my father-in-law posed in Penthouse | Backhand Shelf Oh come on, whose hasn't?
History Lessons: Leagues of the Northern Wilds | Backhand Shelf E takes us back to the dawn of professional hockey.
Our Predators jersey series moves right along to number 16. There are not any players that stand out in this set of candidates, yet what is interesting is most of them spent the majority of their time playing for the Milwaukee Admirals and not for the Preds themselves.
Ville Peltonen
Spending most of his time in various European leagues, the Finnish forward periodically returned to the NHL throughout his career. After playing for a year for Västra Frölunda HC of the Swedish Elite League, where he was the best pointman (scoring 51 points in 49 games), Peltonen returned to the NHL to play for the expansion Nashville Predators in 1998. His return was very promising, as he scored 10 points in his first 14 games. However, a serious shoulder separation put him out of action for the remainder of the year. The following season, Peltonen returned to the Predators lineup, with an NHL career high of 6 goals and 28 points in 79 games. Nevertheless, the next season for him would not be as prolific at the NHL level, scoring only 4 points in 23 games with the Preds before being reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals for the remainder of the season, where he scored 27 goals and 60 points. That season, he was selected to play in the AHL's All Star Game. After the conclusion of the 00-01 season, Peltonen became a free agent and returned to his home country to play for Jokerit in the Finnish Elite League.
Marc Moro
For anyone who happens to have NHL Center Ice and is keen on watching Toronto Maple Leafs games, you may have seen Moro as an analyst on Leafs TV. Before becoming a media personality, Moro spent some time with the Nashville Predators. Moro was dealt to the Nashville Predators along with Chris Mason for goaltender Dominic Roussel at the start of the Preds' inaugural season. Moro spent the majority of his time with the Predators organization at the IHL level with the Milwaukee Admirals. In 258 games with the Ads, he accumulated 9 goals and 36 points, climbing the ranks to team captaincy in the 99-00 season. In the 01-02 season, Moro was called up to the Predators as an injury replacement for 12 games before being traded at the trade deadline to the Toronto Maple Leafs for D.J. Smith and Marty Wilford.
Jere Karalahti
Having proudly donned 16 on the back of his jersey, the Finnish defenseman also wore 13. In our piece on the best #13 in Preds history, we describe Karalahti's career in greater detail. The readers deemed Nick Spaling to be the best #13. How will Karalahti fair against these candidates?
Denis Pederson
Before coming to the Predators, Pederson became very familiar with the New Jersey Devils defensive program of the late 90's (which eventually carried them to their second Stanley Cup in 5 years) and transformed into a very effective defensive forward. The Predators signed him as a free agent in the 2002 offseason, and Pederson only spent half a season during the Predators' 02-03 campaign, amassing 4 goals and 10 points in 43 games. He would then travel overseas to compete with Eisbaren Berlin of the German League before returning to the NHL in 2006, when he was signed by the St. Louis Blues.
Timofei Shishkanov
The third, and certainly not the last Russian of our jersey series, Shishkanov was the 33rd overall selection of the Nashville Predators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Shishkanov perfected his game in Russia before making his North American debut, winning gold with Russia's World U-18 team in 2001 and gold with Team Russia at the 2003 World Junior Championship. Shishkanov was immediately assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals in the 03-04 season and made his North American debut with them. He was instrumental in helping the Admirals catch the Calder Cup title that year, scoring 23 goals and 43 points in the regular season and 2 goals and 8 points in the playoffs. He would never be able to reach those numbers again in North America. Throughout the next three years, Shishkanov saw very limited action (2 games) in Music City before being dealt to the St. Louis Blues for Mike Sillinger halfway into the 05-06 season.
Darcy Hordichuk
After the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Hordichuk came to the Predators from the Florida Panthers and recorded career-highs with 7 goals, 6 assists and 13 points (and a remarkable +9) in his first season with the team. He holds the team record for most PIM and most hits in his first season (163,150), Hordichuck's presence never failed to be noticed and was key in the Predators' journey to finally clinching a playoff bid in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, after becoming a free agent during that offseason, his rights were traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2008 fifth-round draft pick on June 19, 2008. He was not able to come terms with the Hurricanes and instead signed with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1st.
Cal O'Reilly
O'Reilly was selected in the fifth round, 150th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Predators, and he would proceed to join the Predators organization at the tail end of the season by playing for the Milwaukee Admirals. He continued with the Ads for two consecutive seasons, impressing the Preds' upper management by recording 34 goals and a total of 144 points. O'Reilly was recalled by the Predators the following season, playing only eleven games (3G-2A) before being reassigned to Milwaukee for the rest of the season, accumulating 13 goals and 69 points. The Predators gave O'Reilly another chance in the 09-10 season. He split his time with the Preds and Ads and managed to score his first NHL goal against Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick on March 28, 2009. The next season O'Reilly played the most games with the Predators that he had every played (38) and managed to score 6 goals and 18 points. On July 7, 2011, O'Reilly signed a one-year contract with Preds, but at the start of the season, O'Reilly was traded from the Predators to the Phoenix Coyotes for a 4th-round draft pick in 2012 (the Preds ended up choosing Zachary Stepan).
With the Olympics over, and most of free agency wrapped up, there's nothing left to distract us from the major issue facing the hockey world these days - CBA negotiations between the owners and players. With the NHLPA expected to submit their counter-proposal this week, things could start to get pretty ugly...
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Nashville Predators News
The Hockey Junkies: One-A-Day: Nashville Predators A rather unique take on the events of the summer, presented in the form of a mock Shea Weber roast...
Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey
Dances with Wolves: Supporting the Players this Time | All Habs Hockey Magazine That throwaway comment from 2004 about ticket prices is sure to come back and haunt the owners this time around.
Larry Brooks: Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL determined to cut players’ salaries, which would lead to lockout - NYPOST.com Larry Brooks' use of hyperbolic language undermines the basic truths being expressed here.
NHL CBA negotiations set to be front page news - Ottawa Sun Bruce Garrioch gets the crux of the issue with the CBA negotiations. This isn't about the owners vs. the players, it's big-market vs. small-market owners.
In Case of Lockout, N.H.L. Has Leeway on Winter Classic - NYTimes.com Most expect the Winter Classic to be the impetus for eventually getting a deal done and starting the season, but if the NHL does have to cancel, they wouldn't lose much of their $3 million stadium rental fee.
Shea Weber, Louis C.K., and the real reason offer sheets are so rare | Puck Daddy The salary cap system has pretty much ruined the notion of acquiring players via offer sheet.
The Peerless Prognosticator: The Value of Top-Five Draft Picks The Preds haven't had one of these since David Legwand all the way back at the very beginning, in 1998.
1st Shift Corsi by Zone: The Impact of Neutral Zone Performance on Future Success - Fear The Fin Here's a novel way to slice up the Corsi data.
Andreas Lilja to miss start of season after hip surgery - Broad Street Hockey Uh oh, something tells me they're gonna offer sheet Jon Blum. (no, not really)
No NHL comeback for Cristobal Huet, signs 4-year deal with Swiss team | Puck Daddy So... one day he says he belongs back in the NHL, then he signs with a 2nd-division Swiss team?
2012 U.S. WJC Camp: Day 8 Recap — USA vs. FIN | The United States of Hockey Another update on how the kids are doing.
The Predators jersey series moves on to number 15, with Botox and goal gaffes highlighting this set of candidates...
Drake Berehowsky
When Berehowksy was claimed from the Edmonton Oilers by the expansion Predators in 1998 (along with Eric Fichaud and Greg de Vries), the Canadian defenseman was crucial on the Preds powerplay and was instrumental in their transition game. In 1999-2000 he set career highs with 12 goals and 32 points, leading the Preds defense in goals. That same year, he led the team in time on ice (22:40) and blocked shots (tied with Karlis Skrastins with 110). The following season was the second best of his career, with 6 goals and 24 points. His solid performance turned him into a very sought after defenseman at the 2001 trading deadline, when the Predators dealt him to the Vancouver Canucks. He would never achieve the same level of play in the NHL that he attained with the Predators.
Petr Tenkrat
The Czech forward came to the Predators from the Anaheim Ducks for Patric Kjelberg on November 1, 2001. Tenkrat played in only 58 games for the Predators before returning to Europe to play in the Finnish Elite League, yet while he was in Music City, he managed to register 24 points (8G-16A).
Rem Murray
Murray came to the Predators from the New York Rangers along with Tomas Kloucek and Marek Zidlicky in exchange for Mike Dunham on December 12, 2002. He spent two seasons with Nashville, playing a total of 82 games and accumulating 14 goals and 36 points in this span. Murray was soon diagnosed with cervical dystonia, a neurological movement disorder in the neck, during the 2003-2004 season, which forced him to retire shortly from the NHL.
At the end of 2003, Murray started experiencing severe pain and stiffness in his neck, which progressed to the point where his head was involuntarily forced to face the left. Murray was nevertheless determined to keep this secret from his teammates, the coaching staff, and even his pregnant wife. In January 2004, the symptoms became so severe that they became unavoidable. He was brought to the emergency room after a game in Toronto. Luckily, one of the most renowned Canadian neurologists, Anthony Lang, M.D, was on call that night. Dr. Lang, however, instantly diagnosed Rem with cervical dystonia and immediately referred him to a neurologist for treatment in the U.S. where Rem was living and playing with the Nashville Predators at the time. Murray soon began treatment with injections of Botox. Within a period of two years, Murray recovered and was eventually signed by the Edmonton Oilers in 2006, for whom he was a quintessential contributor to the 2007 run to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Kris Beech
In the summer of 2005, the center from British Columbia, Canada, was acquired by the Nashville Predators from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were disappointed with his development at the time. Beech only played 5 games for the Predators before being sent down to Milwaukee. After 48 games with the Admirals, with whom he amassed 18 goals and 50 points, he was traded at the trade deadline to the Washington Capitals for Brendan Witt.
Josh Langfeld
Signed as a free agent on September 4, 2007 by the Predators, Langfeld played only 2 games in Nashville before being relegated to Milwaukee. In 44 games with the Admirals, he scored 22 goals and 29 points. Unable to live up to the hallmark moment of his career, when he scored the 1998 NCAA championship-clinching goal in overtime for the Michigan Wolverines against Boston College and earning NCAA All-Tournament Team honors, he moved on to play for the Frankfurt Lions in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga the following year.
Matthew Lombardi
Nothing other than a black hole of money for the Predators, the speedy forward was deemed to be a key offensive component for Nashville following a 53-point season for the Phoenix Coyotes. Lombardi, an unrestricted free agent, signed a three-year, $10.5 million with the Predators in the 2010 offseason. However, after only two games with the Predators, he suffered a concussion and was unable to return for the remainder of the season. Due to uncertainty about his health and performance following Lombardi's hiatus, the Predators decided to deal him along with Cody Franson to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the offseason for Brett Lebda and Robert Slaney, neither of whom would even play a game with Nashville themselves following the swap.
Craig Smith
Selected by the Nashville Predators in the 4th round (98th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Smith would become the first player since Colin Wilson to bypass the Admirals and play for the Predators directly. He was selected by Nashville for his excellent offensive instincts and awareness on the ice, as well as his good size and versatility to play both center and wing. On October 7, 2011, Smith scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game against Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Playing 72 games for Nashville this past season, Smith spent the majority of his time on the 4th line alongside Nick Spaling and Brandon Yip, scoring a total of 14 goals and 36 points. No Nashville fan will forget Craig Smith's most memorable game, joining the ranks of Patrik Stefan, when Craig Smith missed an empty net goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
