POTG Weekend Edition: Headlines, News, and Links

Today's "weekend" edition comes late in the day on Saturday which is like a death trap for expecting anyone to find and read a new post. It is a real shame because it has a ton of news and links that really had to be scrounged for in what has turned into the deadest period for hockey news since this blogs inception.

Last summer, the Ilya Kovalchuk saga provided news deep int the summer and the year before that, the Phoenix situation was good for daily commentary as it snaked through all the twists and turns. The situation is the desert is no nearer resolution but nothing is said about it any longer.

My big issue today was that I was distracted with my purchase of a new toy, the Motorola Xoom which I got at Staples with a $100 off coupon which added to the recent price drop brought it down to an almost reasonable $399. It is a great device but the instructions are lacking at how to do a lot of stuff. Thank goodness for geek blogs on the Internets.

Anyway, make the jump for a ton of offseason hockey news for the starving masses...

In Pred Nation...

Ryan Porth rates David Poile's best off season moves since the lockout.

Dirk Hoag plays with the numbers to project next year's Predators offensive numbers. He is also ready to make the big $ in the coming year.

A new edition of the 303:30 came out yesterday featuring a discussion on "the big three" and also had Kevin Allen as a guest.

Predatorial as added a second staffer, Jeremy Sargent, who discusses the Francis Bouillon situation.

Brian Huddle has his assessment of the Predators' top ten prospects. He admitted later in a Tweet that Craig Smith should have been more prominent.

Lady Preds returns with a look at of Frankie Bouillon's concussion situation.

WacKY Hockey has a response to Robby Stanley's What Hockey Means to Me.

Meet the newest Predator blogger, Colin Fitts, who is 13 years old and bashes on Alexander Radulov.

Atlanta resident (and future regular in the Preds pressbox) Scott Burnside must have been solicited by the Preds as he presented his Thrash to Smash story for ESPN.

If you are looking for the finals of the Predators Dancer auditions, they will be at the Hard Rock on Sunday. If you want to try out to be an Ice Girl, here is the application.

Patten Fuqua found the full Huntsville Havoc schedule for those wanting to plan a trip south for hockey.

Around the NHL...

Breaking news on Saturday was that Columbus signed Vinny Prospal who I had written a week ago could have been some cheap veteran offense for the Preds.

With minimal fanfare on a Friday afternoon, the Winnipeg Jets unveiled their new logo on their web site. The one cool thing I noticed on the Jets logo is the triangle at the top of the circle which I assume is for True North. James Mirtle tweeted this link to the Roundel that looks a lot like the Jets logo.

The logo was leaked earlier in the day and here is a great post from Icethetics about being wrong on a couple of levels.

From @The4thPeriodDB: Drew Doughty #LAKings contract talks on hold. Parties won't come back to table for minimum 10 days. That would put it after the Shea Weber arbitration. I guess the Doughty camp wins the waiting game.

Adrian Dater got a new laptop and reflects on his childhood in a hippie commune.

Joe Yerdon takes another look at the four teams that are still under the cap floor. The Preds will come near the floor when Weber signs

A big topic this week was whether Chris Osgood was hall of fame worthy. RLD Hockey looks at opinions from all over to give each side of the argument. RLD's Saturday face off takes a look at what staffers would change if they were commissioner for a day.

OilersNation looks at the chance of a comeback by Nikolai Khabibulin in Edmonton this year.

Evgeni Nabokov's agent says that he is set to play in the NHL in 2011-12 but where?

What is wrong with the Islanders for considering bringing back Alexei Yashin after they bough him out once?

Adam Proteau's mailbag even has a Preds question this week.

What everyone feared has now happened. The drugs that killed Derek Boogaard have been linked back to his brother.

Julie Robenhymer looks at the ongoing struggles between the CHL and NCAA over young talent.

Odds and Ends...

The best surfer ever, Kelly Slater, chose big swells over winning recently when he blew off the J-Bay contest to stay and have a little fun.

There is potential that the last of the Mount Graham red squirrels could be wiped out in a forest fire. A "refugium population" is in captivity to preserve the genetics of the species.

Here is a list of common meeting participants that you will recognize. They don't have me listed. I'm the guy zoned out trying not to fall asleep.

This guy may have the coolest phone number ever 321-LIFTOFF. So how many of you will call it to see if he answers.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass