Weekend news: Joel Ward returns, while Tomas Vokoun gets pulled

Get ready for the weekend with a wrap-up of Predators and NHL news. After the jump, we've got a look at old coaches, young players, an attempt to craft the worst team money can buy, and a whole lot more...

Predators News

Predators will get Joel Ward back tonight - The Tennessean
The Preds get one very welcome piece of injury news, as Joel Ward is set to play his first game tonight.

What a difference a year made in the development of Patric Hornqvist - Nashville Predators Examiner
Jim Diamond looks at the reasons why Patric Hornqvist has gotten off to a better start than last season.

Preds, Sabres coaches enjoy long tenures - The Tennessean
In case you hadn't heard, Nashville's Trotz and Buffalo's Ruff are the longest serving NHL coaches with their current teams.

Predators rookie Colin Wilson ready to take bite out of NHL - The Hockey News
Alan Bass profiles the Preds rookie, who, we all hope, will be back in action soon as he recovers from a groin injury.

Around the NHL

Hurricanes 7, Panthers 2 - NHL.com - Recap
Our old pal Tomas Vokoun had a rough night on the road in Carolina.

Dallas 5, Calgary 2 - NHL.com - Recap
The Flames' 4-game winning streak to start the season comes to an end.

Franzen out at least four months - The Macomb Daily Blogs
The Red Wings suffer a huge blow as Johan Franzen will miss several months with a torn ACL.

Blues' Jackman goes on injured reserve - The Globe and Mail
St. Louis loses a key defenseman for a time, as Barret Jackman sprained his left ankle Thursday night against Atlanta.

Greasy is the word: The Edmonton Oilers try to score goals the Detroit Red Wings way - Cult of Hockey
An interesting analysis by David Staples illustrates how teams can overcome a talent deficit by crashing the net and working rebounds & tips for marginal goals. Keep this in mind given Patric Hornqvist's productive start.

The NHL in the Social Media World: Preview - Hockey From the Cheap Seats
Stay tuned for their series on Social Media in the NHL next week, which features Buddy from Preds on the Glass on Thursday.

One Goal Games - Puck Prospectus
Richard Pollock revisits a favorite question - are there teams that are better (or worse) at winning one-goal games? Year over year, are some franchises more "clutch" than others?

Worst team money can buy - HockeyAnalysis.com
David Johnson puts together an All-Overpaid NHL team. Did any Predators make the cut?

Preview: A brief guide to all 58 college hockey teams - Part I - Puck Daddy
Get the lowdown on college hockey from Puck Daddy. The closest team to Nashville is Alabama-Huntsville, which is in desperate need of support after being rejected for membership in the CCHA.

Edmonton - Calgary Post-Game: Even When We Win, We Lose - The Copper & Blue
The Edmonton Oilers (who come into town on Monday) lost in a shootout to Calgary, and there more than a few reasons for discontent...