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Summer Notes

August 6, 2019, 9:05 AM ET [11 Comments]
Paul McCann
Nashville Predators Blogger •Predators Radio Network • RSSArchiveCONTACT
It’s August at last, but it’s not October yet… dammit… the countdown to rookie camp and training camp has begun. Here are some random notes to get the month started… beginning with some exciting news about SlapShot Radio.

- SlapShot Radio is back for out 12th season in September, the longest running hockey show in the south returns with our season premier on September 23rd. That’s not a typo, we are moving to Monday nights on 102.5 the Game… stay tuned for more information as the season gets closer.

- Nashville draft pick Phil Tomasino impressed during last week’s World Junior Summer Showcase tournament.

- The Rocco Grimaldi RFA situation went to the arbitration hearing on Sunday and we are not-so-patiently waiting for the decision, reports have the parties $350,000 apart. I will be curious to see where this one lands… a decision is expected today.

- Sunday’s Grimaldi hearing was one of three arbitration hearings that happened, the other two were Joel Edmoundson of the Blues and Anton Forsberg of the Hurricanes.

- The New York Rangers bought out Kevin Shattenkirk’s contract, making the former All-Star defenseman a UFA. That didn’t last long as the Tampa Bay Lightning snapped him up… 1 year, 1.75 million.

- NHL.com has a column about top “bounceback” candidates for 2019/20. Top of the list… Filip Forsberg. Interesting to put a player who potted 28 goals in only 64 games on that list… but the reasoning is solid.

- Three ex-Preds are on that list as well… James Neal, Wayne Simmonds and PK Subban.

- Eight years, $76 million. That is the extension that the Tampa Bay Lightning signed goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to… an AAY of $9.5 million.

- Looks like the Saddledome is going to finally be replaced in Calgary. The Flames and the city have come to an agreement on a new arena deal.

- 15 year NHL vet Chris Kunitz retired last week… the worse news is that he is joining the Chicago Blackhawks in player development. Good hire for Chicago.

- Speaking of retirement… former NHL great and Florida Panthers broadcaster Denis Potvin has retired from broadcasting. What a career for a great player that was equally as good as a broadcaster.

- Former Pred Samuel Girard has extended in Colorado… seven years, $5 million per season. If his development continues on the same track it has been, this contract will look like a bargain a few seasons from now.

- If Minnesota thinks that firing Paul Fenton will fix the damage that previous awful contracts and bad decisions caused, well… there’s another think coming. I appreciate Craig Leipold rightfully taking the heat for the hire, but there is a LOT of work to do in Wild Country.

- Noted candidates for Wild GM include … wait for it … former Bruin and former Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli… really! In texting with a notable hockey journalist, they joked that they thrive on the chaos and are rooting for Chiarelli.

- Whoever does get the Wild GM job has a real mess to fix. The team’s ill-advised twin contracts for Ryan Suter and Zach Parise will take $15 million in cap hit… for the next SIX years. That one isn’t on Fenton…

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