Vladimir Tarasenko of the Blues scores gorgeous goal from knees in KHL (VIDEO)

03 Oct
2012

St. Louis Blues fans: This will simultaneously impress and depress you.

That was Vladimir Tarasenko, taking a feed from Ilya Kovalchuk and abusing the Neftekhimik defense for his fourth goal in three KHL games for SKA. Now, granted, it was a power-play goal; but still, quite a beauty.

So the good news: Vladimir Tarasenko can do that.

The bad news: Who the hell knows when he'll do that for the Blues?

Alas, SKA lost to Neftekhimik, 3-2, as Nail Yakupov scored two regulation goals and then the game-deciding tally in the shootout. Here is the Edmonton Oilers pick's first goal on the KHL:

Good thing they cleared up that transfer card stuff.

Tags: beauty, , , hell, ilya kovalchuk, , , , Neftekhimik, , , St. Louis Blues fans, Vladimir Tarasenko
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Wayne Gretzky sees Jan. 1 start to season; A-Team goalie mask; Nail Yakupov talks emoticons (Puck Headlines)

01 Oct
2012

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Move over Richard Bachman, above is your frontrunner for mask of the year. This is Allen Americans netminder Chris Whitley's lid for the 2012-13 season featuring he and three teammates as characters from the A-Team television show. (Darryl Bootland gets the honor of being B.A. Baracus.) The other side of the mask feature's Mr. T.'s van flying through an explosion. Amazing. [In Goal Mag]

• Wayne Gretzky was asked about the NHL lockout and he's optimistic about there actually being a season: "I believe in my heart, maybe because I'm such a big hockey fan, that they will be playing by Jan. 1" [Y! via CP]

• Adrian Dater on why he doesn't believe there will be a 2012-13 season: "It all comes down to this simple truth, to the players: no way in hell is the short, old guy with the New York accent who never played the game going to push them around this time. They have their rallying cry this time, and his name is Gary Bettman, and anything short of total victory over this man won't be acceptable to the rank-and-file of the NHL players union this time around." [All Things Avs]

• Jared Lundsford on why there will be a season. [NHL Numbers]

• Jim Devallano's comments that put him in hot water and the Detroit Red Wings out $250,000 began with an exchange on Facebook. [Sporting News via SBJ]

• Neate on 15-year old phenom Conor McDavid's early goings in the OHL. [Buzzing the Net]

• Today's "NHLers going to play in Europe" update: Thomas Vanek signs in Austria and Cody Franson inks a deal with Brynas in Sweden. Franson's contract, however, is for the entire season, not just the lockout. The former Toronto defenseman is currently a restricted free agent. (UPDATE: Mirtle has received confirmation that if there is an NHL season and Franson is able to work out a deal with a team, he can get out of his contract with Brynas.)

• Add Brandon Dubinsky to the list of NHLers heading to Alaska. He's signed a PTO with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. Like Scott Gomez, this allows him to just practice with the team so the Aces avoid a roster violation. [Aces]

• It was only a matter of time before politicians got themselves involved in this lockout mess. New Jersey senators, Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, have called for a deal to be made to help the city of Newark not lose millions of dollars in economic activity. [NorthJersey.com]

• Eric Duhatschek on Krys Barch's Twitter rant. [Globe and Mail]

• Meanwhile, Michael Traikos begins his column on Barch simply: "Krys Barch is an idiot." [National Post]

• Jeremy Welsh of the Carolina Hurricanes is hoping to be known for something other than having the NHL's highest cap hit of all time. [NHL.com]

• Please call when Ottawa Senators prospect Patrick Wiercioch took a shot to the throat last December, breaking a bone in the back of his neck. He's fully recovered and in camp with Binghamton of the AHL. "The sooner I pushed myself to get back, it kind of pushed that (incident) behind me quick. I honestly wasn't anywhere near 100% at the end of (last) year. I'd be a fool to say to that I was. I was trying to get through the season, each day and each practice, without thinking about it or worrying about where I was with my health. It was unfortunate the summer was so long, but it could have been a blessing in disguise that I got some time to let it heal and move forward."  [Ottawa Sun]

• Looking into the future of the Washington Capitals with their "Top-25 under 25" list. [Japers' Rink]

• No one dislikes Pavel Datsyuk, right? It's impossible. In the words of Helen Seinfeld, "How could anyone not like him?" [Backhand Shelf]

• Finally, this is from August, but how do you pass up an opportunity to post a video where Nail Yakupov, Twitter user extraordinaire, explains his emoticons?:

Tags: Aces, Cody Franson, , , Krys Barch, , , , , wayne gretzky
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Hockey Canada clears Nail Yakupov to play in KHL

29 Sep
2012

Last week we reported a story about Nail Yakupov and his problems securing an international transfer card that would allow him to play in Russia for Neftekhimik of the KHL. The IIHF reacted quite angrily, and the next day the organization announced that all of the pending transfer cards have been approved. But this was not the case at all. Hockey Canada on behalf of Sarnia Sting, the club Yakupov was assigned to just before the lockout was announced, blocked Yakupov's transfer card.

[Nicholas J. Cotsonika: Collusion question goes to the heart of NHL lockout]

Yakupov himself Tweeted that he would play again for Neftekhimik soon. His father publically stated, "my son will not go to Sarnia. Even if he is (disqualified from the KHL), he will continue training in Nizhnekamsk."

Vladislav Tretiak of the Russian Hockey Federation and Bob Nicholson of Hockey Canada discussed the matter during the IIHF congress in Tokyo, Japan this week. A round of negotiations was also scheduled for Friday of this week. And now we have a resolution.

From Hockey Canada:

"Hockey Canada and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation have announced that the OHL has determined that Yakupov had no independent legal advice when, at the age of 17 years old, he signed his contract with Sarnia. His release goes into effect immediately."

The KHL issued the following statement on its website:

"Thanks to a constructive dialog and joined efforts of KHL president Alexander Medvedev, Russian Hockey Federation Vladislav Tretiak and Hockey Canada President Bob Nicholson, an agreement has been reached regarding forward Nail Yakupov's play for Neftekhimik. Kontinental Hockey League points out the flexibility and the understanding of the Edmonton [Oilers] and the Sarnia [Sting] hockey clubs during the negotiation process. Nail Yakupov may resume playing for Neftekhimik on Monday, October 1 in a game against Dynamo Moscow."

Yakupov will face off against Alex Ovechkin and Dynamo Moscow on Monday. But this was an unpleasant situation for all involved. A number of years ago the Sting were reportedly involved in a legal battle with the Colorado Avalanche over where certain players may be assigned, even winning an injunction against the Avs, prompting Colorado to settle with the OHL club for $26,000. It is unclear from the KHL statement if any compensation has been paid to resolve this matter.

Fantasy Football video from Yahoo! Sports:

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Tags: federation, , Hockey Canada, , , , , , Russian Hockey Federation, Sarnia Sting, , Yakupov
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Nail Yakupov locked out of Russia by Hockey Canada?

26 Sep
2012

In two games with Neftekhimik Nizhnekams of the KHL, Edmonton Oilers rookie Nail Yakupov had zero points and was a minus-1.

So maybe they won't miss him if Hockey Canada is able to keep the No. 1 overall pick in last summer's NHL Draft out of Russia during the lockout.

The KHL announced on Tuesday that Yakupov is "temporarily" unable to play for Neftekhimik because of an IIHF investigation into his transfer to the League.

The KHL's Director of Sports Event Management Dmitry Kurbatov told Sportbox.ru that Yakupov temporarily cannot play in Russia until the IIHF determines the legitimacy of his transfer:

"The IIHF initiated this whole process," Kurbatov said. "Currently the IIHF is determining the legitimacy of Yakupov's transfer to the KHL. His current status in the NHL, the AHL and the KHL is raising questions. While the investigation is ongoing, in accordance with the Regulations we cannot allow a player to play in our league. I hope this problem will be resolved in the coming days."

The move by Hockey Canada not to approve the ITC comes from Sarnia, it appears, as the Edmonton Oilers officially assigned Yakupov to play there. It is unclear whether this was done before or after Yakupov's agent Igor Larionov negotiated for the Oilers to allow Yakupov to play in the KHL.

(Buzzing The Net, Yahoo! Sports' Junior Hockey Blog, has more on the Sarnia angle.)

Yakupov has also been very vocal as far as where he wanted to play. This move by Hockey Canada may now trigger KHL's reaction that could affect a lot of young Russian players who want to play in Canada.

Almost every player drafted in the CHL from Russia has a contract with a Russian club. Players who are playing in the Russian Junior League — the MHL — actually have KHL contracts. That means that these players will need their clubs to agree to allow them to play in Canada.

[Related: Goal of the year candidate from the KHL]

The move today was done for the benefit of the CHL, not the player involved. Any move by the KHL and the Russian Hockey Federations to restrict the movement of juniors will be done for the benefit of the KHL.

That just means that players will suffer in the end.

Here is the IIHF statement on the matter:

Nail Yakupov has played two games for the KHL Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk without an approved International Transfer Card, ITC. The ITC was not signed by Hockey Canada and was thus not approved by the IIHF. Playing without an approved ITC following an international transfer request is a breach of IIHF transfer regulations.

At this time, being that Hockey Canada did not approve Nail Yakupov's ITC, his case is in appeal procedures. Until appeal procedures are complete and a decision regarding his transfer to Russia is made, an ITC will not be approved or denied by the IIHF.

In accordance with IIHF regulations the IIHF has sanctioned the Russian Ice Hockey Federation with a fine of 5.000 CHF and informed the RHF to withdraw the player from further competition in order not to risk stronger sanctions, including sanctions (suspension) of the player, pending the final decision of the IIHF's appeal procedure. In accordance with IIHF regulations, the Russian Ice Hockey Federations has seven days (1 October 2012) to respond to Hockey Canada's appeal.

I asked the IIHF for further clarifications:

Q. Is not signing the ITC the same as not approving it?

IIHF: According to IIHF regulations the member national association has seven days to sign or not approve an ITC. The same time is given to respond to an appeal. It's the same time that now RHF has to respond to Hockey Canada's appeal. "Signing" is the same as "approving".

Q. Has the IIHF taken any steps to contact Hockey Canada?

IIHF: IIHF has contacted Hockey Canada who has submitted all relevant information to the IIHF. The documentation is part of the ongoing appeal process.

Q. And what were the reasons given?

IIHF: The IIHF does not disclose any reasons during the appeal process. Hockey Canada may, if they wish to, give the reasons when approached.

To close this out, here's a recent quote from Yakupov himself:

"How could they assign me to Sarnia if I am already in Nizhnekamsk?! I said right away that I will not play in the AHL if there is a lockout, I want to play adult hockey!

"Even before the lockout I was invited to Neftekhimik. Of course I agreed right away: to play for the home club is my long time dream. So I didn't have any other options where to go.  I bought tickets and flew to Nizhnekamsk right away.  And I can't play in the OHL because of my age. I don't think the League would change their rules because of one person."

For now, he sits and waits to find out where he'll play.

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Tags: accordance, Hockey Canada, , , , , , , ,
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NHL 2012-13 Campaign Preview: Edmonton Oilers

20 Sep
2012

Yes, indeed, despite the promise of impending labor Armageddon and a prolonged work-stoppage, your friends at Puck Daddy are previewing the 2012-13 NHL season (whenever the heck it starts). Why? Because this is the most important election in the history of all-time ever, and you need to know the candidates — like the Edmonton Oilers.

Here's an example of how bad the Edmonton Oilers have been: last year, they posted a 10-point improvement on the two seasons prior, and still won the draft lottery for the third consecutive year.

Granted, this time it was a stroke of luck. The Oilers were bad in 2011-12, but they weren't Blue Jackets bad. Fortunately for them, the hockey gods hate Columbus, so they gave Nail Yakupov to Edmonton instead.

But Oilers fans and Oilers management are sick of drafting first overall. While others might yearn for such a consistent windfall, this organization has grown weary of fortune by way of misfortune. It's time to contend.

The necessary improvements will have to come mostly from within. The aforementioned Yakupov and Anaheim defector Justin Schultz add to one of the league's most promising young cores, but if the last few years in Edmonton have taught us anything, it's that you can't expect the rookies to change the world. The task of leading this group to postseason contention falls at the feet of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall, a fact underscored by the recent, mammoth contract extensions to the latter two. Their time has come.

Can the Edmonton Oilers take the next step?

"The future is now, because we paid for it early"

For the most part, the Oilers concentrated on re-signing restricted free agents, agreeing to terms with Jeff Petry, Devan Dubnyk, Theo Peckham and Sam Gagner, who really came into his own midway through last season.

Justin Schultz was the big get in free agency. A top-four defenceman in the making that seemed set to join the Anaheim Ducks (who drafted him, likely expecting to, you know, have him) the first rounder instead played out his four years at the University of Wisconsin, avoiding signing his entry-level contract, then allowed the Ducks' rights to him to expire. Once freed from the oppressive shackles of sunny Anaheim, he bolted for Edmonton, where the weather is much, much worse, but the need for an elite defenceman to deify is much, much greater.

Schultz has never played an NHL game, but he could be an impact player immediately. "We hope to God he can step in right away and contribute or we are completely boned,"  Steve Tambellini said. (Okay, the actual quote is, "We believe he can step in right away and contribute," but we all know what he meant.) Schultz will be given every opportunity to crack the Oilers' top four.

Same goes for first overall draft pick Nail Yakupov, who is, by all accounts, quite good at hockey.

Finally, the Oilers signed Dane Byers, I think to provide Schultz and Yakupov with a veteran mentor who knew what it was like to step into the lineup having played very few NHL games.

At forward … The Oilers have some serious firepower. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle enter year 3, and both could be point per game players if they stay healthy.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the surefire Calder winner until injuries derailed the back half of his rookie campaign, but with an extended offseason to put a little meat on his bones, he could be a much stronger player as well. Might he approach point per game pace?

Nail Yakupov should make the team out of training camp, and Ales Hemsky and Sam Gagner are extremely skilled players that will round out the top two lines. Don't forget about Magnus Pajaarvi, either. He had a rough sophomore season, but he's still hovering around the depth chart, awaiting an opportunity.

The issue with this top six won't be scoring. They'll do that. It will be preventing goals. It will be up to new coach Ralph Krueger to finally get these guys playing consistent, 200-foot hockey. Shawn Horcoff and Ryan Smyth should be able to help with that. The veteran forwards will be counted on to model responsible play and hard work from line three.

On defense … The Oilers are much less promising.

Who knows how the pairings will shake out once Krueger is done with them, but Ladislav Smid and Jeff Petry had success together last season and will likely make up one half of the top four. The second half should be comprised of Ryan Whitney and a Schultz. (To start the season, expect it to be Nick Schultz, who came over from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline. However, a strong showing in training camp or early in the season from Justin Schultz and he could move up in a hurry.)

That said, Ryan Whitney has had his troubles staying healthy and Nick Schultz can play both sides. Might we see a Schultz n' Schultz pairing if and when Whitney goes down?

Either way, it's a defence corps devoid of high-end talent that will continue to struggle slowing that sort of talent on a nighty basis. They could use a little support from the forwards.

In goal … Devan Dubnyk and Nikolai Khabibulin will continue to split the load, although the division of labour likely won't be as even as last year. In 2011-12, Dubnyk started 42 games to Khabibulin's 40, and the two posted relatively similar numbers (although Dubnyk's even-strength save percentage of .927 was much better than the Bulin Wall's .914). This should be the year Dubnyk claims the starter's job for good.

Sung to the tune of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", it's "The Nuge Can Play", by the Team 1260 in Edmonton. It is terrible.

Steve Tambellini enters year five as the Oilers General Manager. Thus far, he's shown a flare for winning lottery drafts (and he recently showed the world that it's not as easy as it looks), and some in the Oilers' fanbase are growing impatient that he's forward-thinking enough to build a team that can turn those lottery wins into regular wins. If the Oilers are in the basement again this year, will Tambellini's employment be in jeopardy?

It should be, especially since there's no one else to blame if things go wrong. Sure, you could blame new coach Ralph Krueger, who takes over from the departed Tom Renney, but if he struggles, Tambellini has to be the one held accountable. Especially after the hiring process. From Copper and Blue:

I've got questions, concerns even, about this hiring process. The only other confirmed interviewee was Marc Crawford and the much-ballyhooed (by the local media, at least) Brent Sutter didn't get a phone call. While there are plenty of problems with the way the media went about covering this, the focus has to be on the Oilers here. In an effort to find the best possible coach for the team, they interviewed all of two candidates. Seems a bit light, no?

Yes.

It has to be Taylor Hall. He finally got that shoulder surgery he's apparently needed since before his rookie season, he signed a seven-year contract extension worth $42 million, and he's the face of the franchise (now that his face no longer looks like this). The Oilers' success hinges on Hall staging his first completely healthy campaign.

Nail Yakupov would be the easy pick here, but I'm going to go with Justin Schultz. While Yakupov has a large contingent of other forwards to play with and be overshadowed by, Schultz's road to first chair on the Oilers' blueline is relatively wide open. Expectations back there are low, meaning Schultz should be able to turn heads early on.

He's not a bust in the strictest sense, but in terms of failing to meet expectations, the player that concerns me most is Jordan Eberle, who put up 34 goals and 76 points last season with an 18.9 shooting percentage. That's high, and it's bound to come down. If it does, and Eberle's goal totals fall with it --perhaps helped along by a higher emphasis placed on defence in Krueger's new system -- fans may begin to wonder if it was wise for Steve Tambellini to offer that contract extension when he did.

[A woman is reading a newspaper in a kitchen. Her husband enters]

HUSBAND: What are you reading, honey?

WIFE: Just the sports section of the Edmonton Sun. Did you know the Oilers drafted a Russian first overall?

HUSBAND: God! No! God!

WIFE: Isn't that terrible?

HUSBAND: Russians are the worst thing in the world!

WIFE: You know, it's strange that they enjoy hockey at all, since it's a team sport, but they're not team players.

HUSBAND: It's a paradox. They're just so enigmatic.

WIFE: Unpredictable, too. One day, Yakupov might score a hat trick. The next day, he might try to hurt us!

HUSBAND: *nods*

WIFE: Oh Fred, what if he tries to hurt us?

HUSBAND: He likely will, honey, because he's a bad person. But tell you what. This house comes pre-wired for a security system. Why don't we go get one and install it today?

WIFE: That would make me feel a whole lot safer.

NARRATOR: Nail Yakupov. Russian.

Paid for by the Prejudiced Security Companies Association.

The Oilers will flirt with a playoff spot, and with healthy seasons from Hall and Nugent-Hopkins, strong rookie campaigns from the new recruits, continued development, some residual lottery luck, and a renewed commitment to two-way play under new coach Ralph Krueger, they might even get one. But that's a lot of stuff that has to go right. I don't see it happening. A seventh straight season in ninth or lower awaits.

Tags: , , , , Justin Schultz, , , , Nick Schultz,
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As the NHL locked out its players, Nail Yakupov, taken first overall in the 2012 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, flew back to his home town of Nizhnekamsk and agreed to a contract with the local KHL team, Neftekhimik.

He was scheduled to be in the starting lineup in Neftekhimik's next game in Nizhni Novgorod. But that's likely not going to happen, because the IIHF is refusing to issue Yakupov's transfer card to the KHL club.

It's something that could affect other NHL players trying to spend the lockout in Europe.

An IIHF transfer card is needed for any player participating in any tournament under the IIHF umbrella. It is sort of a permit to play. The KHL and every hockey league in Europe is under the IIHF umbrella. The KHL had its run-ins with the international hockey governing body before, when the IIHF either refused or delayed issuing transfer cards, like in the case with Alex Radulov. On certain occasions, these tensions led to KHL threatening to leave the organization.

"The IIHF is not allowing Yakupov to play. The transfer card has not been sent from Switzerland (the IIHF headquarters)," Neftekhimik director Rafik Yakubov told Sovetsky Sport's Pavel Lysenkov.

"I can't even imagine what this is related to. Perhaps the international hockey federation doesn't want to feud with the NHL and is waiting when they receive an approval from there. The negotiations are ongoing and we were told that there will be no requests. So, Nail cannot play against Torpedo. He is already in Nizhnekamsk, practicing with the team and is ready to play even tomorrow."

Lysenkov is reporting that Igor Larionov, Yakupov's agent, had an agreement in place with the Edmonton Oilers to allow Yakupov to play in the KHL for the duration of the lockout.

But now Yakupov has to wait.

The NHL is not a member of the IIHF, but has a great deal of power bossing the international governing body around. Rene Fasel rarely goes against NHL's wishes, and it is not surprising the IIHF is possibly waiting for NHL's official permission to issue transfer cards to NHL players allowing them to play in Europe during the lockout.

No one will officially confirm this within the IIHF, but it is possibly the case that this is yet another way the NHL can stop players from playing altogether. The IIHF's leadership is weak to make independent decisions.

(Asked how much of a role NHL plays in IIHF decision on transfer cards, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail to Yahoo! Sports: "None, either directly or indirectly.")

The large scale of the IIHF's ineptness is that apparently Yakupov is not the only one without the transfer card. Czech media outlets are reporting that none (!) of the NHL players who have signed deals in Europe in the last few days have received their transfer cards. Not Jaromir Jagr nor Evgeni Malkin nor Sergei Gonchar nor Ilya Kovalchuk. We are awaiting confirmation of this, as the time difference with Europe is such that it is tough to get answers.

But again, this whole story is not surprising. The IIHF does not want to get into a feud with the NHL even though, as I mentioned, the NHL is not related to the IIHF in any way.

UPDATE: Szymon Szemberg of the IIHF provided the following information in the hopes of clarifying the process and explaining some of the delays:

Whenever a club has signed a player to personal contract, the club that has recruited the player must start the international transfer card (ITC) procedure. Most likely, a professional club either has a card in the club office or acquires one from its national federation.

An ITC needs three signatures -- outgoing federation, ingoing federation and the player -- to be approved by the IIHF; and when it has the three signatures, the IIHF immediately approves the transfer, informing the relevant parties that the player is cleared to play.

The IIHF never stalls or delays any transfers. As soon as it has the three approvals, the player is good to go.

Example: When Atlant Mytishi wants to recruit Andreas Engqvist from the Montreal Canadiens, they take the ITC card and have the player and the Russian hockey federation sign it. After that they send it to Hockey Canada (as Montreal is in Canada) and HC checks with NHL Central Registry about the player's contractual status. If the player is not under a valid and binding contract, NHL CR gives HC the OK to sign the ITC. HC, if it is time pressure, scans the ITC and e-mails it as an attachment to the IIHF.

The very second the ITC arrives at the IIHF with all three signatures, the IIHF informs RHF/KHL/Atlant that the player is eligible to play. So the IIHF is never in a position to stall or delay anything.

In the regulations, it says that the outgoing federation has seven days to approve the ITC. The reason is that it sometimes it takes time to determine the players' contractual status or the player's old club must be given time to clear certain things, whether the player has honored all his obligations. If the outgoing federation does not approve within seven days, the IIHF immediately contacts the federation asking and asks for reason why. If the federation has no reason, the IIHF approves the transfer.

So when Yakupov left for the CHL it was the other way around; Sarnia started the ITC process and Neftekhimik/Russian HF were given seven days to sign the ITC.

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Shane Doan meets with Habs; Steve Staios retires; Nail Yakupov is rich now (Puck Headlines)

25 Jul
2012

• Brandon Dubinsky reacts to his trade to the Blue Jackets. [Reddit]

• Now that they've spent all the money in the world on Shea Weber, how do the Predators manage their roster and budget going forward? [On the Forecheck]

• By being drafted 1st overall, Nail Yakupov made $1.65 million US more than Sarnia Sting teammate Alex Galchenyuk. [Edmonton Journal]

• The Nashville Predators prove they mean business. By spending all their money on one asset, like any good business. [The Hockey Writers]

• Here's an article on CBA talks where, somehow, no one manages to say anything at all. [Toronto Star]

• Steve Staios has retired, and will join the Toronto Maple Leafs staff as a player development advisor. [USA Today]

• The Niagara Falls Reporter steps in to defend Lenny Palumbo, who revealed himself as a big ol' homophobe last week. [Niagara Falls Reporter]

• .... And Battle of California responds, hilariously. [Battle of California]

• Shane Doan will be meeting with the Montreal Canadiens, because why the Hell not. [The Globe & Mail]

• With Rick Nash off the table, what's next for the Sharks? Probably not much. [CSN Bay Area]

• Dustin Penner, on his target weight for training camp: "I'm going to be pretty specific here and say less than what I weighed-in at for last year's camp." [Mayors Manor]

• The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chats with new Penguin Brandon Sutter. Here's a quote taken out of context: "They were rubbing it in pretty good. Hopefully I can rub it back at him." [Post-Gazette]

• What should the San Jose Sharks expect from a healthy Michal Handzus? [Fear the Fin]

• Take a look at James van Riemsdyk and Luke Schenn in their new uniforms. As Pension Plan Puppets noted, now Schenn looks really like a pylon. [The Backhand Shelf]

• Do yourself a favour and check out this collection of stills from EA's NHL games through the years. Seriously, you guys, we live in the future. [Reddit Hockey]

• Hindsight, extenuating circumstance, blah blah blah, but the Leafs gave up more for Phil Kessel than the Rangers did for Rick Nash. [Vintage Leaf Memories]

• Dillion Donnelly takes blame for breaking the Memorial Cup. Apparently, he dropped it. Presumably into a wood chipper. [Mile High Hockey]

• Since I know you have time because it's the offseason, here's the entire pilot for a Canadian comedy about a minor hockey team called the Ramsay Downholers.

Tags: Brandon Dubinsky, Gazette, , , , , , , Reddit, Sarnia Sting, shane doan, Steve Staios,
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Oilers sign top pick Nail Yakupov to 3-year deal (Yahoo! Sports)

23 Jul
2012
EDMONTON (AP) -- The Edmonton Oilers have signed the top pick in this year's draft, right winger Nail Yakupov, to a three-year, entry-level deal.
Tags: , , , , , , the Edmonton Oilers, , , Yakupov
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