Lockout, Shmockout - let's have a meetup anyway: Tuesday's notes

With the NHL owners and players taking a break from CBA negotiations, hockey fans are left to speculate on what to do. Hmm... what to do... what to do...

Join us tonight from 6-8 p.m. at Sam's Sports Grill for the OTF Meetup!

Our morning notes include an update on the Nashville Predators' travel situation, a hilarious look back at the 1972 Summit Series which changed the game of hockey forever, and celebrity wedding news!!!

Nashville Predators News

Predators lose charter jet service – USATODAY.com
Hey, buddy, can you spare a ride for the Preds? It looks like they need to line up alternative transportation, now that Swift Air has cancelled their contract for this season. By the way, I wonder what published reports were used to get that "the Predators will travel more than 43,700 miles" line from?

Penalty Box Radio Sept 3, 2012 09/03 by Penalty Box Radio | Blog Talk Radio
Last night's PBR featured special guest Jonathon Blum...

Monday Night Forehand 09/03 by HasBeenSports | Blog Talk Radio
MNF's new lineup debuted as the Nashville podcasting landscape continues to shift.

Lockout a Double-Edged Sword for Nashville Predators - The Hockey Writers
Personally, I don't think losing a month (or even two) would be that bad for the Preds, especially depending how the new CBA shakes out.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Lockout City : Tom Benjamin's NHL Blog :: CanucksCorner.com
I'm 100% on board with Tom here. The NHLPA had better be prepared to hold out for an entire season, because "The last thing they – or we – need is for the players to stand united until December before collapsing and signing a deal only marginally better than they could get today."

Hockey fans: there is nothing you can do to prevent a lockout | Puck Daddy
A nice summation of the cacophony of calls for fan action these days. Sorry folks, but petitions, sit-ins, and such won't make any difference whatsoever.

It’s time for players to cut a deal and let NHL owners run their business, Peter Adler argues | Edmonton Journal
The bar for spectacular nonsense written about the CBA negotiations has been set to a new high. Apparently Mr. Adler is unaware that zillions of public corporations publish their revenue figures every quarter.

Down Goes Brown: Team Canada's 1972 Summit Series application form
In the event of a lockout, it looks like DGB will have no shortage of material.

The Quiet Room: Richard Zednik’s Neck (is still horrifying) | Backhand Shelf
It's still amazing that Zednik survived a lacerated carotid artery, and played again.

Elisha Cuthbert Engaged to Dion Phaneuf: All the Details! - UsMagazine.com
Now for some hard-hitting hockey news! Found via Kukla's Korner.

Dustin Penner’s controversial signing remains the only successful RFA poaching of the 21st century | Edmonton Journal
RFA Offer Sheets have turned out to be a real dud under the current CBA.

Welcome to the MHH lockout week - Mile High Hockey
Here's a novel approach to keeping a hockey site busy.

Hockey Prospectus | Summer Skate: Central Division

Hockey Prospectus is publishing a series of posts on each division this summer. For those that do not know, Hockey Prospectus uses advanced stats to predict the success of each team and player. Here is the post on the Central Division.

http://www.puckprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1369

This was also featured as an ESPN insider article. The only difference was that Custance provided a brief write-up on Elkholm.

They didn't waste much time with their outlook for the Predators.

With career seasons from virtually every member of the team, the Nashville Predators rode extremely fortunate shooting percentages to advance out of the first round for the second straight season, leading those who don't follow the team closely to assume they were a team on the rise.

Unfortunately things were trending down in Nashville in way you don't need advanced statistics to determine. Playing most of their games in their own zone and/or without the puck, it is only a matter of time before the Predators cool off, potentially out of the playoff picture altogether.

They also took a pretty good shot at Mike Fisher. The article is very short, but I think it is the same things we have heard about this team for a while now. Dirk has pointed out the same exact issue surrounding the Predators shooting percentages. This team has got to find a way to become a better puck possession team.

What are your thoughts on the Article? Is it "This article is right on the money." or " Who cares it is just advanced stats."?

Hockey Prospectus is publishing a series of posts on each division this summer. For those that do not know, Hockey Prospectus uses advanced stats to predict the success of each team and player. Here is the post on the Central Division.

http://www.puckprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1369

This was also featured as an ESPN insider article. The only difference was that Custance provided a brief write-up on Elkholm.

They didn't waste much time with their outlook for the Predators.

With career seasons from virtually every member of the team, the Nashville Predators rode extremely fortunate shooting percentages to advance out of the first round for the second straight season, leading those who don't follow the team closely to assume they were a team on the rise.

Unfortunately things were trending down in Nashville in way you don't need advanced statistics to determine. Playing most of their games in their own zone and/or without the puck, it is only a matter of time before the Predators cool off, potentially out of the playoff picture altogether.

They also took a pretty good shot at Mike Fisher. The article is very short, but I think it is the same things we have heard about this team for a while now. Dirk has pointed out the same exact issue surrounding the Predators shooting percentages. This team has got to find a way to become a better puck possession team.

What are your thoughts on the Article? Is it "This article is right on the money." or " Who cares it is just advanced stats."?

Who is the Greatest #28 in Nashville Predators history?

We move right along to #28 in our jersey number series. From brutal enforcers to faceoff specialists, this set of 9 candidates is quite the assortment.

Denny Lambert

Lambert was claimed by the Predators in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft as their primary enforcer. He was a fan favorite for his friendliness off the ice and his fists on it. In just one season with the Predators, he racked up 218 PIM (along with 5 goals and 16 points), ranking second in PIM's in a season behind Patrick Cole (242), also from that year. Lambert was traded in the offseason to the Atlanta Thrashers for Randy Robitaille. He later joined the Admirals in the 02-03 season for 39 games, notching 12 goals and 24 points. Lambert would officially announce his retirement at the conclusion of that season.

Jeremy Stevenson

Another hard-nosed owner of #28, Stevenson was signed by the Preds as a free agent on September 25, 2000. In his first two seasons with the organization, he played in a total of 12 games while spending the bulk of his time with the Milwaukee Adimrals. In Milwaukee, he amassed a mammoth 454 PIM in just 113 games. His offensive production was mediocre, scoring 28 goals and 48 points for the Ads in those two seasons. Stevenson was signed by the Minnesota Wild in the 2002 offseason.

However, he would not part ways permanently with the Predators, as the Predators claimed Stevenson on waivers from Minnesota one year later. With his return, he did appear more regularly on the Predators lineup. In two years, he played 88 games for the Predators, accumulating 177 PIM, 9 goals, and 16 points. The following season, upper management was ready to dispose of Stevenson for good, and he was placed on waivers before eventually being picked up by the Dallas Stars.

Cameron Mann

Traded by the Dallas Stars prior to the beginning of the 02-03 season, Mann played only 4 games with the Predators in the 02-03 season, spending the majority of his time in Milwaukee. Coming off a hot season with the Utah Grizzlies, then AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, he recorded 26 goals and 57 points with the Admirals. Mann became a free agent that offseason and decided to take his talents across the Atlantic Ocean, playing primarily in Germany for the rest of his career.

Tomas Kloucek

This stay-at-home defenseman has been already featured in our jersey series, as he also donned #5. Click here to refresh your memory on Kloucek.

Patrick Leahy

In hot contention with our friend Pascal Trepanier for the Player who has spent the least amount time on the Predators lineup award, Leahy also played only 1 game with the Predators. Spending the majority of his stint with the Predators organization in Milwaukee, he registered 10 goals and 30 points in 52 games. The following season Leahy abandoned his aspirations to become a regular in the NHL and joined the EHC Linz club in Austria.

Ryan Jones

Jones was acquired from Minnesota along with a second-round selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (Charles-Olivier Roussel) for defenseman Marek Zidlicky on July 1, 2008. Expectations were high, as he was one of the three finalists for the Hobey Baker award. However, he was not able to solidify a spot on the Predators lineup, juggling his time between the Predators and the Admirals during his two years with the organization. In 40 games with the Admirals, he scored 17 goals and 27 points, while notching 14 goals and 28 points in 87 games with the Predators. He was instrumental in the Admirals' run to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs, scoring 4 goals and 7 points in 11 games. Jones was claimed on waivers by the Edmonton Oilers late in the 09-10 season.

Steve Begin

On October 20, 2010, Begin was signed as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the Nashville Predators. He played only 2 games with the Predators, with his debut coinciding with a road game win against the New Jersey Devils. Begin seemed to struggle in the AHL as well, as he was only able to rake in 3 goals and 3 assists in 36 games. The Predators decided against resigning him, and he became a free agent on July 1, 2011. He has not played an NHL game since.

Kyle Wilson

On July 5, 2011, Wilson signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators. He played only 5 games with the Predators, spending the majority of the season in Milwaukee, where he tallied an impressive 22 goals and 54 points. Wilson did not stay long with the organization, however, as he was traded along with Anders Lindback and a seventh-round draft pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Sébastien Caron, two second-round draft picks and a third-round draft pick.

Paul Gaustad

If you have made it to this point, it was well worth it, as the "Goose" is up next on our list of candidates. Gaustad came over to the Predators from the Buffalo Sabres at the 2012 Trade Deadline along with a fourth round pick in exchange for a first round draft pick. This acquisition, along with picking up Hal Gill and Andrei Kostitsyn, drew much praise from the hockey world and was most likely a serious factor in David Poile's nomination for the General Manager of the Year Award. Gaustad was a huge reason for the Predators' success leading up to the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs and their victory over the Detroit Red Wings in the first round.

He has been known for his uncanny ability at winning faceoff draws, as well as his ability to screen goaltenders and deflect goals. He definitely did not fail in living up to these expectations in Music City. He averaged 57% on faceoffs and gave the Predators the added depth they desperately needed, on top of significantly bolstering their defense. This summer, Gaustad locked up a four-year, $13 million contract extension with the Predators, and with the departure of Ryan Suter, expect Gaustad's presence to increase on both sides of the ice.

Poll

Who is the Greatest #28 in Nashville Predators history?

• Denny Lambert
• Jeremy Stevenson
• Cameron Mann
• Tomas Kloucek
• Patrick Leahy
• Ryan Jones
• Steve Begin
• Paul Gaustad
• Kyle Wilson

  93 votes | Results

Who is the Greatest #27 in Nashville Predators history?

Today we are proceeding to #27 of our jersey series. Though it is fairly obvious who will take this one home, let's take a look at all the players who have ever donned #27.

John Slaney

Slaney ventured over to the expansion Predators in the 98-99 season from the Phoenix Coyotes. He played 46 games with the Predators, amassing 2 goals and 14 points. He also recorded his worst +/- rating, -12, in his entire NHL career. Slaney was then relegated to the Admirals in the IHL for 7 games before becoming a free agent in the offseason. He was eventually picked up by the Pittsburgh Penguins, where in 29 games he would record his second-worst +/- rating of -10.

Randy Robitaille

Robitataille's arrival to Music City from Atlanta in 1999 marked the beginning of his full-time status in the NHL, making occasional appearances for the Admirals during his tenure with the Predators. Robitaille's rookie season with the Preds was his most prolific one, ranking first all-time for most power-play points by a rookie (2G-9A) and third for most shots by a rookie (113). In two seasons with the Predators, Robitaille accumulated 20 goals, 51 points, and a +/- rating of -24. After his second year with the Preds, upper management chose not to re-sign him. Interestingly, Robitaille was actually brought back as a free agent 5 years later, but he was placed on waivers and sent over to the Minnesota Wild before he ever stepped foot on the ice at 501 Broadway again.

Jukka Hentunen

This Finnish forward spent a total of 38 games in the NHL, 10 of which were with the Predators, to whom he was traded from the Calgary Flames in the latter part of the 01-02 season. During his stint with the Predators, he recorded 2 goals and 2 points. The following season, he decided to return to his homeland to play for play for the Jokerit Helsinki club team.

Jason York

York joined the Predators in the 02-03 season after being demoted to the Anaheim Mighty Duck's minor league team in Cincinatti. He became a regular on the Predators lineup and stayed with the team for two seasons, amassing a total of 6 goals and 34 points. Unlike our other candidates, York's +/- rating was a stupendous +13 for the 02-03 season, the highest on the team for that year. The veteran defenseman became a free agent after two seasons with the Preds and decided to take a year off during the NHL lockout before signeing with HC Lugano for the 2005-06 season, where he would win the Swiss League championship.

Pascal Trepanier

This candidate is our nominee for the Player who has spent the least amount time on the Predators lineup award, playing 1 game for the Preds during the 02-03 season before forever bidding farewell to the NHL. He spent the rest of the season in Milwaukee, scoring 9 goals and 24 points in 52 games.

Patric Hornqvist

Probably the most familiar player in this set of candidates, Hornqvist was the last player selected at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Surprising, is it not? Hörnqvist signed on a three-year contract with Nashville in May 2007 and joined the team at the beginning of the 08-09 campaign. Nevertheless, he had some difficulties adjusting to the pace of NHL games, and after 28 games, he was reassigned to Milwaukee. In Milwaukee, Hornqvist recorded 17 goals and 35 points on top of contributing greatly to the Ads' run to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs against the Houston Aeros (losing in the 7^th game of that series). Convinced by his stellar performance in Milwaukee, David Poile and company decided to make Hornqvist a regular on the Predators roster the following season. Hornqvist, in turn, did not hesitate to prove himself, leading the Predators in goals (30) and tying for the team lead in points with 51. The following two years for Hornqvist were very successful as well. In the 10-11 season, he notched 21 goals and 48 points, while the following season, he dominated on the second line alongside Gabriel Bourque and David Legwand for the majority of the season, scoring 27 goals and 43 points. It is imperative to note that Hornqvist is the only one of three players picked last overall to play at least 100 NHL games and score at least 20 goals.

To further glorify his resume, Hornqivst was the named NHL's 3^rd star of the week for the week of December 14, 2009. He also set a number of team records. In the 08-09 season, he recorded the most goals (30), points (51), power-play goals (10), game-winning goals (8), and shots (275). The following season, he continued his hot streak with the most game-winning goals (5) and shots (265). Expect Hornqvist to absorb a much more elevated role now that comrade Alexander Radulov has defected, once again.

Poll

Who is the Greatest #27 in Nashville Predators history?

• Jukka Hentunen
• Patric Hornqvist
• Randy Robitaille
• John Slaney
• Pascal Trepanier
• Jason York

  123 votes | Results

Happy Birthday, Brian McGrattan

Today's birthday boy on the Nashville Predators is none other than enforcer Brian McGrattan, who turns 31.

It's been a big year for McGrattan, who finished off a season which saw him notch a couple spots high atop HockeyFights.com's Best of 2011-2012 list, and quickly signed a contract for another year with the Predators this summer. In July he dropped the gloves in order to put on a wedding ring, but for the biggest highlight from the last year, I'm going to go with his talk at the Nashville Salvation Army Sobriety Banquet:

Happy Birthday, Big Ern!

Who is the Greatest #26 in Nashville Predators history?

Sometimes speed and tenaciousness can overcome size and strength, and I have a sneaking suspicion that will prove to be the case with our latest poll, in which a whirling dervish of a scorer is likely to stand tall over three hulking bangers...

Follow @Forechecker

Phil Crowe

A big lug of a winger (6'2", 230 lbs), Crowe played 4 games for the Predators during the 1999-2000 season, recording no points but fighting Vancouver's Donald Brashear twice in the same game on November 20, 1999.

Bubba Berenzweig

A candidate for Most Appropriate Name in Nashville Predators history (alongside Vern Fiddler), Berenzweig was a popular, if little-used defenseman in the early days of the franchise. He played only 37 games over the course of four seasons at the NHL level (1999-2000 through 2002-2003), spending the rest of the time with the Milwaukee Admirals.

His most productive stretch came in 2001-2002, when, in 26 games, he scored 3 goals and added 7 assists.

Wade Brookbank

Brookbank began his career as a Nashville Predator, suiting up for nine (scoreless) games at the start of the 2003-2004 season before being traded to Vancouver on December 17, 2003 for "future considerations".

Steve Sullivan

The first player in Preds history to take home a trophy from the NHL Awards (winning the Masterton in 2009), Sully's time in Nashville was highly dramatic from start to finish. From the hat trick he recorded in his first game as a Predator (February 18, 2004 after his trade from Chicago) to the dazzling goal he scored in the 2011 playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks, Sullivan was always one of the most dynamic players on the ice.

Perhaps the most dramatic story in Sullivan's career came in that gap from 2007-2009, when he lost almost two full calendar years due to back trouble. For a long time it looked like his career was done, but when he returned to action in January 2009, it provided a shot in the arm for a team that needed his offensive skills. Up until his January 10 debut, the Preds averaged 2.45 goals per game. From there on out that season, they averaged 2.71.

In 317 career games for Nashville, Sully ended up with 100 goals and 163 assists, leaving him high on the Preds' franchise lists for goals (4th). assists (7th), and total points (5th) all-time.

Poll

Who is the Greatest #26 in Nashville Predators history?

• Bubba Berenzweig
• Wade Brookbank
• Phil Crowe
• Steve Sullivan

  290 votes | Results

NHL Lockout nearing a certainty as players & owners call off talks

SB Nation -- 15 days before the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement, talks have broken off between the NHL and NHLPA while optimism has been thrown out the window.

"At this point, talks are off," NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said at NHL headquarters in Manhattan Friday after a meeting that lasted approximately 90 minutes. He noted that it was the owners who opted to call off talks and that the players are ready to resume at any time. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called that claim inaccurate.

The union made a counter-proposal Friday based on a proposal submitted by the league earlier in the week, and cautious optimism had filtered through the hockey world due to the simple fact that the two sides were at least discussing the same proposal.

But Friday's news seemingly brings us back to square one: The owners want more money -- whether that's from a direct roll back in salaries or increased escrow -- and the players do not want to give it to them. The players are sticking by their initial CBA proposal, one from which the league is not prepared to work, saying that the players are not willing to budge on the "core financials."

Fehr: players are not prepared to see a reduction in their salaries.

— Steve Lepore (@stevelepore) August 31, 2012

Fehr: if players are not prepared to take "meaningful reduction" than owners see no point in discussing or responding to NHLPA proposal.

— Steve Lepore (@stevelepore) August 31, 2012

The NHLPA's initial offer two weeks ago called for a reduction in player salaries for the next three seasons after which the deal would "snap back" to again give the players a 57 percent share of hockey-related revenue, the same terms under the current CBA. Fehr called the give back in the first three years meaningful, but Bettman called the fourth year a non-starter.

Bettman says salaries snapping back to 57% in the 4th year "isn't acceptable".

— Steve Lepore (@stevelepore) August 31, 2012

The PA's initial proposal also called for greater revenue sharing -- the NHLPA believes that larger-market teams should spread wealth around to smaller-market teams, and he praised the idea of an "industry growth fund" similar to one he negotiated as head of the MLB Players' Association that would help struggling clubs.

The owners want a longer-term deal, and Bettman cited the 10-year agreements reached in both the NBA and the NFL a summer ago. The players disagree, citing an uncertain economic future and high player turnover rates as reasons to stick to a three or four year agreement.

All in all, it seems as though the two sides are back to the beginning and no real progress has been made.