Nashville Predators Development Camp report: the rise of Nick Spaling

This morning saw another public on-ice practice session for the Nashville Predators prospects, and the glowing reviews are coming from all corners. It's July, so naturally there's a bit of optimism in the air; all the guys seem fast, are bigger than expected, and have great shots. A note of caution, however, is warranted. As John Glennon says in his afternoon blog,

Let’s all remember that these are a few one-hour drill sessions in July, so we probably shouldn’t be drawing too much from them. It’s certainly not the same as watching players participate in highly competitive training-camp scrimmages.

After the jump, we've got a series of reviews from today's action, and a look at who really has a chance to make an impact at the NHL level this fall...

First off, it was great to meet up with @MikeBarnes5, who provided the video I used in yesterday's recap. You can find two clips of video from today here and here.

Colin Wilson skated for the first time today and looked fantastic - very strong on his skates, quick to make changes of direction and shake off defenders. It's only a matter of time before we see him at the NHL level, and he should generate some genuine excitement when he does. Brandon Felder has quotes from Wilson and some of the other prospects in his recap.

A Baby Blueline?

Now, one thing we've heard quite a bit this week is that after re-signing Steve Sullivan and Joel Ward, that the Preds are pretty much done shopping for now, and may not get either a winger or a defenseman prior to training camp, opting instead to promote from within.

Admirals Short Shifts breaks down the picture on the blueline:

Down in Nashville, it's sounding more and more like Cody Franson and Teemu Laakso are going to be given every chance in the world to make the Preds squad this year. 

According to John Glennon from the Tennessean, Franson is training in Nashville, and has stopped by the  Development Camp.  And Laakso received this glowing review from Preds GM David Poile.

"He tested out great, says he feels great,’’ Poile said. ``We liked what he did down in Milwaukee and he could certainly be a candidate to play for our team. So you weigh that kind of thing against what’s out there.’’

At one point, it sounded like signing a veteran defenseman was on Poile's to-do list this summer...but that makes it seem like he thinks the Preds might be able to promote from within.  After the exit of Zanon, Koistinen, and DeVries, would it be a stretch to see the Sulzer, Franson, and Laakso all make the roster?

My answer, yes, it would be a stretch - a mind-blowingly large one that would probably send Barry Trotz's blood pressure through the roof. I simply can't imagine an NHL team with aspirations for the playoffs lining up 3 totally raw rookies in the 5-6-7 slots, behind Kevin Klein (with all of 81 games of NHL experience) at #4. For the sake of his head coach's sanity, David Poile will obtain a graybeard, stay-at-home type to work the 3rd pair and mentor the new kids. It's a formula that worked well with Greg de Vries, and now it's time to move on to a more affordable option.

So why the public proclamations to the contrary? I can think of two reasons. First of all, with the prospects in town, Poile needs to communicate a message of opportunity - "there are NHL jobs on the table, kids, so work your butts off and force me to put you on the team". Secondly, there's no need for Poile to sign such a player right now - the early days of the Free Agency period are a player's market, when the Bouwmeesters and Beauchemins go to the highest bidder and draw all the attention. For the mass of players that remain, the market will shift in the GM's favor as training camp approaches and marginal players look for work. That's when you can snag a depth D out of the bargain bin, and I'm guessing that's what will happen here.

Spaling on the rise

Now there is something that myself, John Glennon, Paul McCann, and many others do agree on - that Nick Spaling has taken a big step forward and stands out from the pack with an all-around polish to his game. What I look for on days like this is a forward who can execute at high speed, make and accept strong, accurate passes, and use his speed or size to separate from defenders. They're not ripping their best slap shots or getting a chance to show their hockey sense in a 5-on-5 scrimmage situation, but you take what you can get, and Spaling just seems very slick compared to the other prospects right now. Might that translate into a 4th-line/PK opportunity this fall? It could be...

As Joe Sakic retires, a look back at "Quoteless Joe"

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

2 days ago: FILE - In this May 1, 2008, file photo, Colorado Avalanche center Joe Sakic waves to the crowd after Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Semifinal hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings in Denver. Sakic, the Avalanche's longtime captain who led the team to two Stanley Cup titles, will retire on Thursday, July 9, 2009, and end his 20-year NHL career, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because Sakic, a 13-time All-Star, will formally announce his decision Thursday in a news conference. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)

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With Joe Sakic set to hold a press conference in Denver this afternoon to announce his retirement from the NHL, a host of tributes are being written, mostly related to "Super Joe" and his world-class hockey skills, or reputation for leadership.

As Mike Chen noted yesterday, however, one of his nicknames was "Quoteless Joe", for the understated tone he took with the media, eschewing controversy even under the most trying circumstances. I got an up-close look at how Sakic handled such situations, as my first opportunity to cover an NHL game with media credentials was March 26, 1997 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

That was the infamous Darren McCarty/Claude Lemieux episode, wherein McCarty exacted revenge for Lemieux's blindside hit on Kris Draper in the 1996 Western Conference Finals. It was easily the most anticipated and exciting regular season NHL game I've ever seen, and the media coverage rivaled that of the playoffs - I remember going back and forth between the Colorado and Detroit dressing rooms after the game and having to work my way through a sea of people.

On the one hand, you had the Detroit guys like McCarty and Draper calling it a big win, but not overplaying it or delivering any "message board" material for a potential playoff rematch, while on the Colorado side guys like Mike Keane and Adam Foote bristled at the notion that the Wings had jumped them on home ice, rather than in an earlier game at Denver. Colorado's coach at the time, Marc Crawford, also held a surly press conference that called for league sanction over what Detroit had done.

The calm in all this storm, however, was Joe Sakic - as he cooly unlaced his skates and took questions from reporters, he shrugged off the talk of fisticuffs and spoke of being disappointed at losing the game, but that Detroit was a good team... zzzzzzz....

It wasn't that Sakic operated at a Jay Bouwmeester-like level of banality, but instead that as a team leader, he was focused on winning, and didn't want to engage in a sideshow that had nothing positive to offer the Avalanche.

The guy was pure class, through and through, and deserves every one of the accolades sent his way this week. Congratulations on a great career, and enjoy the days ahead, Joe.

Just get someone else to clear the snow off your driveway, OK?

Thursday news: Nashville prospect camp is underway, and the curious Chris Pronger contract

This morning we've got lots of news and notes related to the Nashville Predators Development Camp, as the media was out in full force for yesterday's initial on-ice session. Here's the Predators video recapping the day, and after the jump you'll find everything you need to start your day...

Top Predators' prospect forced to wait, watch - Nashville City Paper

David Boclair lets us know why Colin Wilson didn't skate yesterday. A delay in getting all the medical paperwork together was the reason, and he'll hit the ice with the rest of the prospects this morning at 10:00 at Centennial Sportplex.

Knee injury starts to heal for Predators prospect - The Tennessean

John Glennon checks in with Preds 2nd-round pick Zach Budish on the health of his knee, as well as several other prospects participating in this week's Development Camp.

Brentwood skater still wants to play for the Predators - The Tennessean

Glennon also discusses the critical year ahead for Blake Geoffrion. The local product is heading into his senior year at Wisconsin, after which the decision will be made as to whether the Predators sign him to a pro contract.

Analyzing The Sharks' Defense - Puck Prospectus | Behind The Net 

Gabriel Desjardins watched the video of every Even Strength goal given up by San Jose last season, to determine which defensemen were most responsible. I'm not crazy about this kind of analysis because it overlooks blunders after which the goalie bails out his team with a great save, but you have to admire the the effort and determination here.

The problem with the Pronger contract - From The Rink

James takes a look at the 7-year contract that Chris Pronger just signed with Philadelphia. Because he'll be 35 before it takes effect, if he retires at some point in the middle, the Flyers could be on the hook for a $5 million cap hit during the remainder of the deal.

Top 10 NHL 2009 Entry Draft Scouting Performances | The Hockey Writers

Christopher Ralph takes a stab at rating the best work done on Draft Day two weeks ago, and includes the Preds in his Top 10.

Blackhawks agree to three-year deal with Versteeg - TSN
The Chicago Blackhawks have cleaned up their qualifying offer mess by signing all the affected players to new contracts, with the latest going to Kris Versteeg. How they'll deal with the salary cap implications going forward is a bit of a mystery, but the bottom line is that the Calder trophy finalist won't hit the open market this summer as was hoped by some.