POTG Monday Weekend Round-Up: Headlines, News and Links

It's Monday of a week that holds promise to be much better that recent weeks since we leave for vacation Wednesday night to travel to Yosemite, Mammoth, Lake Tahoe, and Pacifica, California for another patented whirlwind trip to cover as much ground as possible in a few days and then come home and suffer through the mundane until we can do it again.

We will not have the daily links during my absence but I will try to pull together some actual feature stories and original video to fill the void.

After pouring through tons of regenerated dog days of summer hockey stories, one that wasn't hockey but was by one of NHL.com's best stood out. Dave Lozo's private blog about the aging process was an outstanding literary piece.

For all the rest of the hockey stuff. make the jump...

POTG Monday Headlines, News and Links

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and isn't suffering too bad on the return to work this week. I have ten more days until a much needed vacation.

With a relativity slow weekend on the hockey news front, we were still able to pull together plenty of stories and inks for your enjoyment. Make the jump for your Morning round-up...

POTG "Skate of the Union" Wednesday Headlines, News and Links

Today's "Skate of the Union" activities at the Bridgestone Arena, that will culminate in the keynote address at 6 p.m. draws a line in the dirt from looking back at the past year and gazing forward at the 2011-2012 season.

This is the last scheduled official event until the Predators' Rookie Camp kicks off in 61 days on September 12 at the Centennial Sportsplex.

It is a time to look back and access last season's accomplishments (and pick up a few cast off bargains from the garage sale) and then move on to hear the Predator's brass give their view of what they are planning to accomplish in the future (which will include bringing the Stanley Cup to town for a victory parade down lower Broad).

This is the third annual event and if you have never been here are the videos for year one and last year to give you an idea of what to expect.

We do know that the Predators new gold home sweaters will be introduced but will there be a "July surprise" with a player in attendance or  a special re-signing announcement. There is only one way to find out first hand and that is to show up and be counted.

Make the jump for today's News and links...

POTG Monday Headlines, News and Links

Since the Nashville Predators concluded RFA-gate at the end of last week, signing the five potential UFAs, this was truly the first hockey-less weekend of the summer. Predator fans have the "Skate of the Union" to look forward to on Wednesday this week which will usher in the road gold jersey and be the kickoff to the new season.

Also, since there is a date for Shea Weber's Arbitration hearing on August 2, there is also a known time frame for that saga to conclude too.

In spite of the off season slowdown, we still have plenty of news and links after the jump...

POTG Holiday Weekend Wrap-Up, Headlines, News, and Links

Free Agent Frenzy and the long holiday weekend have passed, but for Predators fans the rest of the week should be far more interesting as the fate of the remaining six free agents is still in limbo with a grievance hearing set for Friday. I would be surprised if Nick Spaling is not signed before arbitration, and maybe even Sergei Kostitsyn.

The Shea Weber negotiations continue as it appears that the Weber camp and the Drew Doughty camp  are at a standoff with each side waiting for the other to set the bar and neither has done so. Prior to the stupid money that was thrown about last week, I thought that Weber would sign for something in the $6.5 million range in a long term deal. Now all bets are off.

Fans were upset on Sunday when the Preds traded away Cody Franson in order to take Matt Lombardi's $7 million off the table, but David Poile was cleaning up his books in order to move forward in other areas. I expect to see more moves between now and preseason camp. Oddly enough, the Preds have the lowest payroll in the NHL per Cap Geek.

Fans should not underestimate Niclas Bergfors or Brett Lebda as they are the kind of players that could thrive with a little love from Barry Trotz and playing Predator hockey.

The Predators' Prospect Camp showed how well the team has done over the last few years in drafting top players even in the later rounds. This appears to be the year when a couple of defenseman will have the opportunity to side step Milwaukee on the road to Nashville.

Make the jump for today's news and links...

POTG Weekend Headlines, News and Links

Tonight is our first recommended event for Preds fans looking for interesting things to do in the offseason. The Nashville RollerGirls have a home bout at Municipal Auditorium tonight at 5:30 that will be the closest thing to a a Preds game for skating excitement that you will see until next season.

Here is our Facebook event page as well as the RollerGirls web site that has all the details. The NRG also got some great pub in the Nashville Scene this week. If you've never been to derby, you need to give it a shot. If you have been, we know you will be there.

Make the jump for today's news and weekend links...

POTG Thursday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

We are one day closer to the weekend aa play returns to the Eastern Conference tonight with Boston traveling to Tampa Bay for game three in their series that is tied 1-1. Last night's Canuck's blow out of San Jose showed why the were the best team in hockey in the regular season.

Make the jump for all today's news and links with special kudos to the NHL which was named the pro sports league of the year by Sports Business Daily...