Monday, June 27, 2011

POTG Monday Morning Headlines, News, and Links

After a week long trip that included a run through the desert in Las Vegas and then the abrupt shock of going to the very Midwestern twin cities of Minneapolis/St.Paul I am slowly getting back up to speed here at home.

We ask that you click on the big banner above and check out our 17 draft posts and 16 Awards show post from the last few days. Over the next few weeks we will have plenty of video from the Awards as well as the top ten draft picks in Minnesota.

This was my third visit to the Awards Show in Las Vegas and it just keeps getting better every year. The great folks at The Palms Casino and Resort upgraded us to a 22nd floor Studio Suite that made us feel like we were staying in a hotel worth of The Hangover.

Thanks also to Ryan Porth and the folks at The Fourth Period who gave the whole Nashville crew invitations to their after-party at the Moon Nightclub where we had a great view of the strip with the moon rising above it.

The Wild did a great job of putting on the draft and things ran very smoothly on Friday night and Saturday. It was interesting that the Preds' pick of Magnus Hellberg was considered the number one story on the XM Home Ice news update when I finally got into my car late Saturday night.

Anyway, the hockey never ends with the Predators' Development Camp starting today and free agency starting on Friday. We will have the latest details of the camp schedule for those wanting to attend up in about an hour. We also expect the official announcement of Kirk Muller as the Milwaukee Admiral's head coach at a noon Presser at 501 Broadway.

Make the jump for our attempt to get back in the swing of things back home in Tennessee...

In Pred Nation...

Josh Cooper has his draft round-up at the Tennessean.

David Boclair has his peak at the draft with plenty of talk about the very funny Magnus Hellberg who will compete with Anders Lindback for the Preds' funniest goalie. He also has a post saying that Alexander Radulov's return is unlikely this season.

Dirk Hoag released his annual team mileage breakdown that is one of the highlights of the offseason.

Mark Willoughby has a draft round up as well as his weekly view and an amazing story of his adventure in a LifeFlight helicopter in Angels in the Air.

AJ has an early discussion of the new Preds' Jerseys that does not take into account of seeing them in person. When the real ones come out, they will be be the hottest seller in the league. I'm not a jersey person but I'm sold on the new ones.

Ryan Porth at the shiny new Smashville 24/& has a look at the new Predators' schedule.

The Goalie Guild calls Hellberg a "match made in heaven" for Magnus Hellberg and Mitch Korn.

Last week, Pete Weber did his season ending wrap-up on XM's Hockey this Morning. Follow this link to listen.

Around the NHL...

Ryan Smythe got his wish and went to Edmonton after his request last week.

Ryan Porth looks toward July 1 with the first of his his Dirty Dozen free agents.

Kevin Allen has the ten teams that improved the most during draft week.

Winnipeg fans were the star of the draft and our friends at Illegal Curve were there with complete coverage from a Jets point of view. It was disappointing to see the Wild fans scatter after their pick on Friday night.

David Shoalts files this piece on the decline of the number of Russians being drafted. We heard his questions to David Poile and he left out the best answers.

The rising salary cap (and floor) is going to put the crunch on a bunch of clubs, including the Predators.

Interesting that the Phil Kessel trade came to it's final conclusion when Boston drafted Dougie Hamilton with Toronto's oick on Friday night.

Puck Daddy has the ten most awkward draft photos.

Good guy Robyn Regehr is leaving Calgary after 12 years in the trade to Buffalo. Let's hope he finds new life with the Sabres.

In spite of the rumors that the NHL Awards will leave Vegas, their ratings were up 35%. Maybe that will breathe new life into a new Vegas deal (we hope).

Justin Bourne has a primer in the effective use of Twitter.

Odds and Ends...

Scientists now think one of Saturn's moons may have a salty sea under a sheet of ice on the surface.

A new award winning ad for Kia is causing considerable controversy as it appears to make light of pedophilia.

If there is an issue with the Atlantis Space Shuttle on the journey that launches on July 8, the astronauts will return via a Russian spacecraft with one person having to stay as long as May 2012.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

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