Tuesday's news: Pondering Tootoo

by Dirk Hoag on Jul 27, 2010 8:07 AM EDT

While Preds fans ponder how the blueline will shake out in light of Ryan Parent's two-year contract (announced yesterday), we still have other news to chew on as well.

Follow after the jump for a rumor of trouble in the desert, a passing in Pittsburgh, and the question of where old #55 has gone...

Predators News

What Happened to Tootoo? - Predlines
Has #22 lost his edge? Maybe the "old" Toots might make more of an impact on the current team.

Does Parent’s deal mean another year for Blum in the minors? - Predlines
In short, I'd say "yes", apart from cameo appearances in Nashville when one of the regulars gets hurt.

The Tennessee Plan: How to Help the NHL & NHLPA's Partnership - Winging It In Motown
They're breaking in a new blogger over at SB Nation's Detroit Red Wings site, and he promotes an idea to combat the Tennessee Privilege Tax which currently costs players $2,500 a game. He wants the NHL to threaten to move the Predators unless the state abandons the tax (seriously). The owners would take such a stance under the pretense that they're doing it to help the players, but it's really just to move the Preds to a more lucrative market (seriously).

Is Kovalchuk the next Alexander Radulov? - Pro Sports Blogging
I know I sound cranky this morning, but I'd be remiss to not also criticize a Preds blogger alongside a Detroit one; Dave sees Ilya Kovalchuk eventually pulling a future Alexander Radulov-like move as his salary remained the same while other NHL salaries rises over time. By building everything off the "Kovy doesn't care about winning" characterization, I think he's struggling to make a connection that's not really there.

What The Puck: Hockey Movie Sunday: The Mighty Ducks Recap
Rachel gets her summer hockey movie series rolling with a classic...

Around the NHL

NHL Return to ESPN a Possibility - Blueshirt Banter
The upcoming season is the last one in the current TV contract with Versus, fueling natural speculation about whether the league might benefit from another suitor.

Phoenix Coyotes, Ice Edge deal in trouble, Glendale says - AZCentral.com
Ruh roh...

To The 11th Hour? (Puck-Rakers Blog)
The Blue Jackets are headed to arbitration with their highest-scoring defenseman from last season, as they struggle to field a competitive team within financial constraints. If Anton Stralman wins big, the team will likely walk away and let him become an unrestricted free agent.

Burke no fan of CBA loophole - NationalPost.com
Toronto GM Brian Burke is back on the job, tossing his two cents in on the Kovalchuk mess.

KuklasKorner : The Confluence : Longtime Penguins’ PA announcer John Barbero passes away
The Pittsburgh Penguins community loses a beloved figure.

REPORT: Tod Leiweke to lead Tampa Bay Lightning as Chief Executive Officer - Raw Charge
Tampa gets their man to run the business side of the team.

It’s about sharing secrets when coachs get together - Kamloops Daily News
Neat find here from Kukla's Korner, about how NHL coaches had trouble initially opening up when they came together to coach Canada's Olympic team.

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Comments

Don't forget!

Tootoo also wore #14. I’d be interested in seeing comparative stats for Toots in each sweater at the NHL level :)

by stackiii on Jul 27, 2010 10:04 AM EDT reply actions

Hockey-Reference.com gives you that information, I believe. Just mouse over the jersey numbers to see when he wore each number.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Jul 27, 2010 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions

Greatest. Website. Ever.

On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.

by Chris Burton on Jul 27, 2010 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions

That Winging it in Motown piece, my goodness. That is stupendously bad.

On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.

by Chris Burton on Jul 27, 2010 10:52 AM EDT reply actions

The guy only doesn’t understand our lease, the fanbase, or have any logic in his writing. Other than those glaring issues …. it still sucks.

by 101st on Jul 27, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions

toots

An agitator who doesn’t agitator who doesn’t agitate,
a middleweight fighter who doesn’t fight,
a hitter who doesn’t hit, doesn’t have much value.

Nashville isn’t exactly a physical team and they need the few physical guys they have to wear the other guys down. Toots last 3 years, he has had
72 hits in 51 games (2010)
129 in 72 games (2009)
64 in 63 games (2008)

This may be up there on our team, but per game there were about 50 NHLers this past year that get about 2 hits per game and many of them bring other things, like the odd fight, penalty killing, and some offensive pop,
like Ott, Moen, Scotty Nichol, Begin, both Ruutus, Carcillo, Helm, Cooke, Laperriere, Helm, Abdelkader, Brouwer, Hanzel, Pahlsson Rypien, (the supposed king of the middleweights, it would be nice to see Toots take him on).

If he was toning down the running around and doing other things, great. As of now, he is a waste of a roster spot. I rather have Phillstrom, a guy who only did one thing, but he did it well, then a guy taking up a spot who does really nothing of note. Except sell whistles.

by DontfeedtheBelak on Jul 27, 2010 11:29 AM EDT reply actions

I do miss Pihlstrom

I wish he had gotten one more year to prove himself here, his speed really helped tip the Shots For/Against totals heavily in Nashville’s favor.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Jul 27, 2010 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions

His speed

and he was relentless, too. He would hit everything in sight.

For what he was, I also miss Scot Nichol. You wouldn’t expect more than a few goals from the guy, but he was one of the reasons why our penalty kill was so good, prior to this year.

He also got under the skin of the other guys, like Tootoo did. He had his borderline moments when he lost his cool (punching Spacek in the face, the playoff ejection) and hurt the team, like Toots, but unlike 22, he made up for it in other areas.

by DontfeedtheBelak on Jul 27, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe Lombo’s speed will have the same effect, but with the added bonus of actually being able to score.

"Get to the Choppa!"

by PredHead on Jul 27, 2010 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I love Jordin T...

I love Jordin T, I just wish they get rid of those annoying vuvuzelas errr, whistles when he hits the ice.

by jmkiii58 on Jul 27, 2010 1:54 PM EDT reply actions

overpaid

i think he is overpaid for his skill set. i will add i think he is less aggressive because of trotz demanding he take less penalties.

by predswilrule on Jul 27, 2010 5:04 PM EDT reply actions

Less aggressive

I totally agree that the coaching is at least partially to do with taking the teeth out of Tootoo.
But, again, an agitator that doesn’t hit, or fight, or help out in other areas (offense, PK, good on faceoffs),
isn’t worth a roster spot. Better to let a Spaling fill out the bottom 6, and help the PK.

by DontfeedtheBelak on Jul 27, 2010 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Parent

I think his contract is just insurance by Poile. I don’t believe it will hinder Blum/Jossi’s chances. The better Dman will play. If a younger player proves to be better than Parent will probably be a frequent scratch, and at less than a million not a huge hinderance to the payroll if he doesn’t play often. He was probably signed just in case Poile or Trotz don’t think the young D aren’t fully ready.

"It's gonna be fun on the bun."

by flyalder on Jul 27, 2010 6:37 PM EDT reply actions

But why for two years?

Klein and Parent have guaranteed NHL contracts for 3 and 2 years, respectively.
Doesn’t leave much wiggle room, even NEXT season, for one or two of Blum, Josi, and Ellis.

And, if the better player plays, period, than Klein would have been benched in favor of Franson at times this year.
I think, with so many higher end prospects coming up, they should have doled out 1 yr to each of Klein and Parent.

by DontfeedtheBelak on Jul 27, 2010 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions

maybe parent wanted 2 years and wouldn’t take a 1 year. and with an extra year on his contract it would be easier to trade if it comes to that. can’t really speculate on that given none of us where there for negotiations.

Klien played because he took on the other teams top lines. Franson was given easier defensive responsibility and kept away from top lines whenever trot’z could. Keep in mind Franson is still a little prone to getting caught pinching, whereas you don’t have to worry about that with Klien.

Philly fans don’t seem to have much expectations for Parent, for being undersized and injury-prone etc, so I still think if Blum or Jossi can show him up at training camp then they’ll get the nod. I don’t think this a giant road block for them, but just a pressure creator to push them to perform at their peak to get their chance.

"It's gonna be fun on the bun."

by flyalder on Jul 27, 2010 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Your wiggle room for the 2011-12 season would be Alexander Sulzer, whose contract will be up next summer.

Personally, I was really impressed with what he brought last year and shouldn’t be overlooked.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Jul 27, 2010 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Note from the rain forest in Central America

Winging It in Motown is the dumbest piece of writing ever to receive a reference from OtF. I am returning to the howler monkeys and sloths in Costa Rica. They make much more sense. Go Preds.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Jul 27, 2010 8:20 PM EDT reply actions