Chris Chelios might be the biggest on-ice villain the Nashville Predators fans have ever had the pleasure of razzing, but as I've said several times this summer, the Preds need a veteran presence on the blueline, and Chelios is openly looking for work. Expecting three rookies like Alexander Sulzer, Cody Franson, and Teemu Laakso to make the opening day roster puts too much responsibility on too many young players. So what's the solution?

In this morning's news & notes, we have word of potential interest by the Preds in signing Chelios, as well as other updates on how the team might look in training camp. All that, and more on the Phoenix situation after the jump...

Predators News

Predators show interest in acquiring Chris Chelios - The Tennessean
I'm sure Buddy from Preds on the Glass sat up when he saw this headline - he's been floating Chelios as a depth option on D for quite a while now. Ken Klee and Greg de Vries are also noted as potential acquisitions for Nashville.

Preds On The Glass: Notes from Barry Trotz's Interview on XM 204
Buddy's got all the scoop on Coach Trotz's appearance on XM 204's "Home Ice" yesterday afternoon, including an interesting comparison between Colin Wilson and a current NHL center.

Training camp switches for Santorelli, Ward; Preds offer coaching symposium - Inside Predators
John Glennon informs us that Mike Santorelli will likely get the first crack at playing wing alongside David Legwand and Martin Erat on the second line in training camp. It's an interesting gambit by Barry Trotz to see if he get the most of his group of young centers.

Weber, Predators' defensemen proving their worth - NHL.com
In a Winter Olympics preview piece, Todd Kimberley talks up Nashville's Big 3 of Weber, Suter, and Hamhuis.

Confessions of a Predators Fanatic: Dear....
Kelly reaches out to free agent winger Petr Sykora, in an attempt to bring him to Nashville. Or maybe it's David Poile writing under a pseudonym...

NHL Officials-related articles - Nashville Predators Examiner
Jim Diamond shares a number of different stories this morning about the officials who make the game work.

Around the NHL

NHL's fingerprints all over its damaged credibility - The Globe and Mail

Stephen Brunt cackles with glee over the latest turn in the Phoenix Coyotes drama, which has seen Jerry Reinsdorf back out and the NHL submit a bid to buy the team. Based on the tone of the piece, I'm guessing it was written on his laptop while he was spooning with Richard Rodier.

Doan hopes NHL bid saves Coyotes - Sportsnet.ca
The Phoenix Coyotes captain spoke out strongly in support of keeping the team in place at the Olympic orientation camp in Calgary.

Chatting with Ilya Kovalchuk about KHL millions, his future in Atlanta: 'My goal is to win the Stanley Cup' - Puck Daddy
The Atlanta superstar opens up in a Sovietsky Sport interview, and says of Alexander Radulov's jump to the KHL, " If you play only five minutes per game for your club, and at the same time you know that you are better than some teammates... I may have done the same if I were in his place" Evidently 16:32 per game (putting Radulov among the Top Six forwards on the 2007-8 Preds) translates to "five minutes" in Russian.

Why Our Writers Do What They Do... - Blog Huddle
A discussion got rolling among the SB Nation hockey bloggers about just why each of us got into doing what we do... and so our Editor In Chief asked us to put it all in one place. It's interesting to see how many different ways people end up in this mess!

State of the Sports Blogosphere: Observations, Criticism and Thoughts on the New Sports Media - TheFasterTimes.com
B.D. Gallof (the well-known NY Islanders blogger) writes about the shifting relationship between old and new media in terms of hockey coverage. He tends to portray things as a bit more confrontational than I might see it as, but perhaps that's due to the situation we have here in Nashville, where the Preds are open to engaging with new media.

"Heavy butt," a hockey term that won't be catching on any time soon - Cult of Hockey
David Staples brings us a phrase used by Ken Holland recently to describe Jonathan Toews...

Sleepless in every NHL city - The Hockey News: Top Shelf
Ryan Dixon plays "Debbie Downer", giving NHL fans in every city a reason to worry about the upcoming season.

Getting to know the Dallas Stars with Defending Big D - PensBurgh
Our cross-conference blogger interview series continues with the Dallas Stars, a team that we need to keep an eye on. After a host of injuries wrecked their chances last year, Dallas is primed to return to the Western Conference playoffs.