POTG Weekend Headlines, News, and Links

It is pretty amazing that David Poile locked up Sergei Kostitsyn on a one-year deal that will give him the chance to see if he can reproduce what he did last season. It will be different for him in camp this year as he will be under more scrutiny to see if he can live up to his salary.

I'm am very surprised that the Preds were willing to part with $2.5 million to retain him. I was thinking something along the lines of $1.5 to $1.75 million would be a fair price. I'm sure the fact that teammate Joel Ward got an inflated $3 million in a multi-year deal played into the value.

This was the only deal of the five signings of the RFAs subject to the grievance hearing that I thought was a bit high but David Poile maintained his dignity and level-headedness unlike in the Chicago situation a couple of years ago when they paid crazy money to avoid losing players.

Anyway, we have a ton of news and links for you to carry you through the weekend after the jump...

POTG Weekend Headlines, News, and Links

There has been far too much media driven (mostly Canadian) hand wringing about Shea Weber leaving Nashville over the last few months. With the word that the Predators filed for arbitration yesterday, no other team can submit an offer sheet for Weber that the Predators would have to match.

In the post season presser, David Poile was confident that they would get a new deal done and he has never wavered from that and indicated then that this was the route they would go. If a deal is not done by July 20, a hearing would be scheduled and negotiations could continue up through and after the setting.

Worst case scenario is a one or two year award would be given that the Preds could not stomach and they would let him go but it will never get to that. Both sides seem committed to wanting a mult-year deal that won't force the team to cut corners elsewhere.

Josh Cooper has a statement from David Poile regarding the arbitration filing as well as Weber's sudden change in agents.

Update (11:17 Sat) from @TSNRyanRishaug: Preds and Webers agent Jarrett bousquet done talking for now, will resume negotiations at the draft and the nhl awards.

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

POTG Weekend Headlines, News, and Links

After looking as bad as a team could look in Boston, The Vancouver Canucks and Roberto Luongo found their magic at Rogers Arena last night with a 1-0 win to take a 3-2 lead as the series heads to Boston for game six when the Stanley Cup will be in the building.

We had a story, postgame transcripts from Roberto Luongo and Max Lapierre, game notes, and Johnny Canuck which is a great video.

Make the jump for the weekend news and links...

POTG Weekend Headlines, News, and Links

After a long drought of games with game one of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday being the only game in the last week, the pace will return to every other day for the next four games starting tonight in Vancouver. This will be a critical game for both teams.

If Vancouver wins, they will make it a lot harder for Boston to come back and can start to focus on trying to wrap the series up at home in game five if not in Boston.

Boston will have a tough row to hoe if they don't win tonight's game to take away home ice advantage from the Canucks. If they are to have any hope of winning the series against arguably the leagues best team, they have to win this game.

Dan Hamhuis appears to be out with a "lower body"injury but Vancouver has been great at mixing and matching from the nine defensemen that have been used in the playoffs. Game time is at 7 p.m. Central on NBC.

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...