The bright side of this disappointing season for the Nashville Predators is the fact that they may well land the highest draft pick this summer since David Legwand was taken 2nd overall in the 1998 NHL Draft.

Now that we can all agree this team is not making the playoffs, we can try to enjoy the last few games of the season without any pressure or expectations.

With the playoffs out of reach, the opportunity has come for the Nashville Predators to get a look at some of the top Milwaukee Admirals, and assess their readiness for NHL work in the fall.

Boasting a lineup chock full of AHL callups, the Nashville Predators were shut out for a league-leading eighth time, allowing the St. Louis Blues to leave town with a 1-0 victory in front of the smallest crowd of the season at Bridgestone Arena.

With a number of regular forwards lost to injury, the Nashville Predators have recalled Swedish winger Daniel Bang for tonight's game against St. Louis.

While Predators fans come to grips with the prospect of their team missing the playoffs, the players themselves still have much to prove over the final eight games, beginning with tonight's visit by the St. Louis Blues.

Today's hockey notes begin by touching on a pet peeve of mine - the self-defeating habit of some hockey fans to look down their nose at others who are just getting into the sport, drawn in by their local team's recent success.

Not only is the NHL Winter Classic set to come back in 2014 with a rescheduled match between the Red Wings & Maple Leafs in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but now there is open discussion about holding more outdoor games each season.

Against all odds the Nashville Predators put up a strong fight against the top team in the NHL, but they couldn't close the deal.