Nashville Predators News & Notes:
Ryan Johansen Suspended for Two Games for High-Sticking – On the Forecheck
Short version: NO. BAD. NO BISCUIT.
Preds’ Significant Others Debut New Podcast: Off Ice with Ida & Julie
In case you missed this on Wednesday, sports broadcaster Ida Björnstad is teaming up with non-sports-broadcaster Julie Turris to host a podcast about women in the Predators organization and around the league.
Other News & Notes:
Concussion lawsuit settlement deadline for players extended – Sportsnet.ca
The deadline for eligible former players to choose whether or not to settle (and get a guaranteed sliver of payment) has been extended because “Plaintiffs’ counsel […] have encountered difficulties reaching some eligible retired players”.
Wild’s Dumba hurt during fight: ‘I was angry and threw a wild punch’ – StarTribune.com
This was…not what I am going to call Matt Dumba’s finest moment.
Empty-calorie scorers: A real thing or an NHL myth? – Raw Charge
This is another great article from loserpoints, reevaluating conventional wisdom with modern analytics. If you’re already familiar with WAR, jump right in. If not, a quick intro:
Basically, whenever we try to evaluate a player’s skill we’re making WAR (Wins Above Replacement) judgements: this player is better than that player; he’s going to help the team win more games. For computer-modeled WAR, just like the informal kind, different models give different results depending on what the model is told is most important—in hockey, unlike in baseball, WAR is new enough that we don’t have one universal model. (For a human example: consider the people pointing out that Alexander Ovechkin is at minimum the greatest goalscorer of the modern era vs the people complaining he doesn’t backcheck and one season he was a -35 or whatever. Which matters more? It depends on who you’re asking.)
Okay, onwards.
Maple Leafs’ waiting game on Nylander form wearing thin – Sportsnet.ca
There’s drama in Toronto. (Drama in Toranna?)
Midseason shakeups in the NWHL – The Ice Garden
With the NWHL All-Star Game coming to Nashville soon, catch up on recent happenings around the league. (We’re also going to be working with our colleagues at The Ice Garden to help catch Preds fans up on who’s coming to town and women’s hockey fans coming to see the ASG to learn about visiting Nashville as a hockey fan!)
Who will win the six 2019 All-Star Skills events? – ProHockeyTalk
The NHL has an All-Star Game coming up too! We know what Pekka Rinne will be asked to do, but which events do you see the schedulers fitting Roman Josi in and how do you think it’ll go?
The Washington Capitals’ tribute video for Barry Trotz, Lane Lambert, and Mitch Korn – RMNB
Lots of big good feelings here, as well as some might-have-beens.
(What is with hockey dudes and The Notebook, though?)