Smashville News:
2020 NHL Entry Draft Profile: Kasper Puutio | On the Forecheck
Eric begins his draft coverage earlier this year. First up, an in-depth look at Finnish defender Kasper Puutio.
Weekly Edge: Nashville Predators offense starts hot, defense needs time | A to Z Sports
Our friend Alex is back with his Weekly Edge column. Turns out, he isn’t a Predal Tavern fan either.
I know our pupper isn’t a service dog in training, but Smash has the cutest ears and most “boopable” nose ever.
Central Division News:
Blackhawks confronted by faceoff dilemma despite NHL rule change | Chicago Sun-Times
Just in case you take our excellent faceoff talent for granted, check out the woes in Chicago. I sometimes think Jonathan Toews must feel very alone. Then I remember that he is very well compensated for it.
Blues notebook: No bonding needed as long trip set to begin | stltoday.com
Speaking of lonely, imagine being Justin Faulk and trying to catch up with all the in jokes and little traditions of a group that battled together to win it all last season.
5 questions the Blackhawks need to answer during their 7-game homestand, including whether the Alex Nylander-Jonathan Toews-Patrick Kane line should stay together | Chicago Tribune
These are fine, but I think there are more than five questions.
Other Hockey News:
Penguins lose Malkin, Bjugstad to ‘long-term’ injuries | ProHockeyTalk
It seems the Pittsburgh Penguins are in need of some help down the middle. May we present a slightly used Kyle Turris or Nick Bonino? Could we have in return that Patric Hörnqvist that we sent you a while back? Or an Alex Galchenyuk? Or some picks and prospects?
Detroit Red Wings’ Anthony Mantha: ‘We’re meant to be a 1st line’
Ummmm…duh!
Five biggest surprises of NHL’s opening week | ProHockeyTalk
Shout out to our man Carter Hutton for his excellent start to the season.
Sharks mailbag: DeBoer, Marleau and more before Predators game | The Mercury News
I am surprised by the surprise in San Jose that Joe Pavelski isn’t easily replaceable.
The NHL’s best and worst of the week – Inside Mike Green’s recovery and what’s next | ESPN.com
Good column. Emily Kaplan writes some enjoyable pieces.
NHL experts – Bold predictions, breakout and trade candidates, bounce-back teams, more | ESPN
Looks like Greg Wyshynski would like the Nashville Predators to win the Stanley Cup. Apparently we could be expected to throw a heck of a party. Also, I miss Sam Girard.
‘Hockey is Magic’ web series teams up NHL, illusionist Flom | NHL.com
This first video is an overview and it looks like it will be a fun series. Our representative is Matt Duchene.