Thursday's news: J.P. Dumont helps train the next generation of Nashville Predators

Today's news kicks off with a great example of how unique the hockey market is here in Middle Tennessee. If you have a child who's learning to play the sport, the opportunity to work alongside members of the Nashville Predators is unmatched around the league.

We've got that and a whole lot more after the jump, including the likelihood of Chicago losing its Stanley Cup-winning goaltender here in the next few days...

Predators News

J.P. Dumont makes a guest appearance at hockey school - Nashville Predators Examiner
Just another wonderful example of how accessible these Nashville Predators are. When my son participated in clinics last summer, Scott Nichol was a regular presence. You just can't put a price on seeing your kid smile from ear to ear as he comes off the ice, proud of how he took a pass from a real NHL player and scored a goal.

Frozen-out free agents following the money overseas - The Globe and Mail
Denis Grebeshkov is just the latest NHL free agent to find the market much drier than expected, causing him to head to the KHL for the next two seasons instead.

Were The Preds Right To Pass On Denis Grebeshkov? " PredsBlog
Sam considers the question of #37. I'd have to agree given the team's financial limitations, but dang, it woulda been nice to keep him.

A Thought About Breakaways and Kevin Klein " PredsBlog
Sam highlights a particular area in which Kevin Klein could prosper next season.

Preds On The Glass: Drew Doughty Looks Forward to the King's Season and Thursday Thoughts
Buddy's morning links includes an interview he conducted with the Los Angeles defenseman at the NHL Awards in June.

Paul McCann - Random Notes / Thoughts
Paul checks in on a variety of topics including Patric Hornqvist, Alexander Radulov, and the passing of a fellow NHL PA announcer.

Off-season Losses & Gains (Part 2 of 4) | Predlines | A Nashville Predators blog
The series continues with a look at the transition at center with Jason Arnott yielding to Matt Lombardi.

Around the NHL

EHFD: Czech Extraliga - Puck Worlds
Bruce launches his series on European hockey with a review of the top league in the Czech Republic, which now faces local competition from the KHL as it expands into their territory.

The Hockey News: Top 10: Off-season moves
What? No love for Ryan Parent?

Caps Acquire D.J. King - Japers' Rink
Washington trades for St. Louis knuckle-dragger D.J. King.

‘Hawks present negatives on Niemi hoping for positive outcome - Blackhawk Up
The next piece of Chicago's championship team that could be leaving is goaltender Antti Niemi, who is scheduled for arbitration. An award will likely make him unaffordable for the Blackhawks under the salary cap.

NHL Arbitration Sucks - View From My Seats
Even though very few players actually go to arbitration, it serves as a motivator to get a deal done before both team and player end up saying nasty things to each other.

Calgary Flames Trying to Improve Their Mental Game - PuckUpdate
Are the Flames engaging in Jedi mind tricks?

Agent: Turco will end up with competitive team - The Dallas Morning News
Marty Turco's agent sounds confident, but I'm not so sure there's a #1 job with a contending team just waiting for him.

The Triple Deke: March 26, 1997 -- The Liveblog
Now here's an interesting idea "live blogging" a classic game watched on DVD. Here, it's the greatest regular season NHL game in living memory, when the Colorado Avalanche visited the Red Wings and Darren McCarty carved out his permanent place in Detroit sports history.

mc79hockey.com - The Annotated Paul Marcaccio
They're having a grand old time up north dissecting the Oilers double-speak about the new for a new, mostly-public-funded arena.

Real-Time Super Stats And Hockey Success - PensBurgh
Looking at how Hits, Giveaways, Takeaways and Blocked Shots correlate with winning hockey.

Players Escrow, Revenue Sharing, and the Kovalchuk Contract - Winging It In Motown
J.J. takes another whack at the business side of the game, in a wide-ranging argument that eventually hits just about every buzzword in the CBA.