As we wrap up a busy week here at OtF, things are really just starting to roll. With two new writers on staff, you can look forward to more coverage of the Nashville Predators and the NHL than we’ve ever had before. In the month leading up to training camp, we’ll feed a steady diet of player previews, roster appraisals, and of course keep you up to date on what’s going on around the league.
After the jump we’ve got two big issues being set on the table for next week’s World Hockey Summit, an updated list of top hockey writers on Twitter, and a whole lot more!
First off, I highly recommend you check out Seth’s preview of the battle for the 6th and 7th defense spots on the roster this fall. While we have two likely candidates in Ryan Parent and Alexander Sulzer, every Predator should understand the importance of coming prepared to training camp. Just look at how Joel Ward went from obscurity to a multi-millon dollar NHL career thanks to his 2008 camp, and how Pekka Rinne failed to lock down the #1 goaltending job early last season.
Predators News
Preds On The Glass: Our Weekly Travelogue Heads to the New Age Capital of Sedona and Friday Wrap-Up
Buddy contemplates vortexes and Harmonic Convergence while serving up the morning links.
Dear NHL: please stop changing the greatest game on Earth… | Section 303
Jeremy doesn’t like all this tinkering with the game… except for two recent changes, he’d keep those.
Timeout! – Predlines
Nathan lays out what to expect from his columns this season.
Ya! The Habs Rule! Montreal Canadiens news and views: A better 2010-11 for Sergei K? Nyet!
A Montreal blogger wonders why there hasn’t been more press coverage of Sergei Kostitsyn‘s move to Nashville this summer, writing “fans and media in Montreal had enough difficulty understanding him, so imagine the backwoods Tennesseans out of the Smokey Mountains trying to figure it out.” Wow, when I read that I almost kicked over my spittoon!
What The Puck: Hockey Movie Sunday: Week 4
Rachel prepares herself for a classic…
Around the NHL
Who is the king of hockey coverage on the Internet? – Cult of Hockey
David Staples took on the considerable task of compiling a list of hockey writers sorted by Twitter following. I’m like a bottle of Heinz steak sauce…
Brian Burke: The world awaits
Ahead of next week’s World Hockey Summit, Brian Burke makes a public case for a return of the World Cup of Hockey, to be held every other summer before NHL training camps open. I definitely think some kind of pre-season tournament like this could indeed help grow the game.
Fighting for a future – The Globe and Mail
Another hot topic at the World Hockey Summit will be the status of women’s hockey at the elite international level, where continued dominance by Canada and the U.S. has been mentioned as a reason to drop it from Olympic competition.
The 10 best player-inspired NHL rules changes – Puck Daddy
Awesome stuff from Greg Wyshynski here, recalling how malleable the NHL rulebook has proved over time.
Top 5 St. Louis Blues Forward Prospects – NHLHotStove.com
A few names to keep an eye out for in the years ahead.
The Dark Blue Jacket: Time to step up: Rick Nash
How much more can Columbus fans expect out of their hulking winger?
Hurricanes Lead League With Power Play Chances – Canes Country
Here’s an area in which the Predators can improve (26th overall last season).
More Dirty Tricks from CHL – Western College Hockey Blog
The nastiness continues between Canadian junior hockey and the NCAA…
Review: NHL 11 demo – From The Rink
Mike Chen breaks down the latest iteration of the EA Sports franchise.
Best Forwards In The NHL – Normalizing Corsi – The Copper & Blue
An interesting look at adjusting Corsi numbers to accommodate how a player is used. For example, if a guy gets lots of shifts starting with an offensive-zone faceoff, his Corsi numbers will be inflated relative to a defensive stalwart.
To keep up with all of our coverage of the Nashville Predators, you can subscribe to the RSS feed, follow us on Twitter (@Forechecker, @predatweeter & @SLakePreds), or catch the site on Facebook. You can also email me at the.forechecker@gmail.com.