Wednesday afternoon notes: Battling Brent

This afternoon's hockey notes touch all over the NHL landscape - we have more trade speculation (of course), the latest round of franchise valuations from Forbes, and one local TV station's coverage of Brent Peterson as he goes the surgical route in his battle with Parkinson's Disease...

5 Gift Ideas for Nashville Predators Fans | Hockey Gear HQ
Searching for gift ideas for a Nashville Predators fan? Included in this list we have ways to save on a custom hockey jersey, or buy your gifts from local businesses which support the Preds.

Nashville Predators News

Hockey Night in Nashville: Preds need more out of veteran forwards
The forwards have fizzled, writes Robby. If Barry Trotz moves Craig Smith back onto one of the top two lines, who takes a step back?

Should the Nashville Predators Trade Shea Weber for Bobby Ryan? - THW
I'll go with "no".

Paul McCann - Wednesday Notes and Tonight's SlapShot Radio
Paul sets up tonight's radio show, and also reminds us about college hockey at Bridgestone Arena this weekend.

Hockey is Life…And Sometimes, Vice-Versa - Predators AJenda
My best wishes go out to AJ during these difficult times.

Preds On The Glass: POTG Predators Seven Stories: Mastication-induced Arousal Edition
Buddy has a funny video clip in here, of how the Preds loosened up before last night's game.

Delaware North’s Employment of Individuals with Disabilities Nets Employer of Year Award for Bridgestone Arena- Nashville Predators
Just wait until Phil Williams hears about this. Seriously, though, it's great to see employers celebrated for helping people with various disabilities earn a living.

Also, make sure to check out this story from WKRN about Brent Peterson undergoing the first of four surgeries that will use Deep Brain Stimulation to help treat the symptoms of his Parkinson's Disease. The job he's doing to help raise awareness about the effects and treatment options to help deal with Parkinson's is simply amazing:

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

NHL Team Values– Forbes
On Forbes' annual list (which is highly suspect), the Preds moved from 27th a year ago to 25th in franchise valuation.

The Quiet Room: Want sympathy? Break your jaw! - Backhand Shelf
The nasty details of what goes on when a player breaks his jaw.

1-2-2 Forecheck - The Copper & Blue
A little chalk-talk for you.

Miller returns to practice for the struggling Sabres - The Globe and Mail
The Buffalo Sabres come to Nashville on Saturday, and their franchise goalie may be close to returning to action.

Aaron Ward and Joffrey Lupul Add Fire to "Fire Carlyle" - Anaheim Calling
Maybe Bobby Ryan's not the guy who needs to go.

Three Teams From Each Conference Are Exceeding Expectations. Here’s Why. - Backhand Shelf
Interesting to see how two teams let star goaltenders walk away via free agency and replaced them with journeymen, yet are now leading their respective divisions.

Pierre LeBrun makes his awards picks at the first-quarter pole - ESPN
A pair of Preds make the short-list for major awards here.

With a contract extension for Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning locks up its second cornerstone - Lightning Strikes
5-years, $20 million for the big Swedish defenseman.

The Hockey News: THN.com Top 10: Worst NHL clichés
Top 10? Man, we could go for 100 here, at least.

In hockey, lying to the media is seen as "professionalism," and that’s annoying - Backhand Shelf
I totally agree with Justin's take here. All too often, cliches like the ones above are used to just evade a question.

Puck Headlines: Hedman signs, Miller denies, Ovechkin dates - Puck Daddy
Don't let my sons see the final video in this post. Somebody would end up in the hospital.

NHL’s Brendan Shanahan: A Campbell Clone with Style | All Habs
When a ruling goes against the Canadiens, folks sure do get worked up in Montreal.

Bobby Ryan Trade Rumors: What It Would Cost To Get Him - Blueshirt Banter
See? Everybody wants in on this deal.

SmartSportsFan.com Releases the NHL Stats Machine, Interactive Charts for Analyzing Hockey Statistics
This could be interesting...