training camp

One of the interesting storylines to follow during training camp later this month will be the progress of Antti Pihlstrom, the Finnish agitator who has an outside shot at landing a roster spot with the Predators. After leading the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals in goal scoring (with 27 in 78 games), is Pihlstrom ready for the big stage in Music City?

Pihlstrom is likely to make his biggest impact as

Today's projection should be an easy one. Coming into training camp Pekka Rinne has 3 career games of NHL service, so normally one might wonder if there's much history to leverage in terms of predicting future performance. But with the Predators, we have a very clear guideline to follow. Each of the last two seasons have seen Nashville's backup goaltender steal the spotlight with a performance

(On Roydell Williams and when he will be entirely healed)

Well, he's pushing himself through this but he's on the practice field and that's the most important thing. As far as when he's a hundred percent, I think he'll play at a hundred percent by the weekend, so we'll just have to watch him. It's literally a day-to-day thing.

In order to tide us all over until training camp opens next month, I thought I'd take a cue from Lowetide and some others by taking an early peek ahead to the 2008-9 season for individual members of the Nashville Predators. Hey, it's the middle of August, and there's nothing else to write about, right?

So what I've done is taken the current roster (minus the AWOL Radulov), added in a few others

After all of this crap with Brett Favre considering retirement, then playing, then retiring, then considering un-retiring, then staying retired, the un-retiring (whew!) I have come to one conclusion. Brett is a major league ass-hat.

(On the first two practices with the Rams)

(On the day's practice)

It was good. We had a great session last night and then to come back today at noon in the heat, it was good. We got what we wanted, they stayed focused and with that day off looming it was good to see.

(On if the last group of the day turned up the intensity)

Terry McCormick's Tuesday camp confidential. 

(On if the intensity had picked up during the afternoon practice)

Jim Schwartz believes the heat of camp will help in the heat of battle