June 2009 - Posts

• Free Agency To Begin Tomorrow

  Posted Jun 30 2009, 12:58 PM by Ryan Miller

  If you'd like to keep track of the festivities as they are happening, we'd recommend that you bookmark this link.

  We'll see if the Preds make any kind of a splash.

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• UPDATE - Kiss 2 Admirals Goodbye? (Er, No, make that ONE Admiral?)

  Posted Jun 29 2009, 12:14 PM by Eric W. Kent

  Yes - I still work here.

  No - Ryan Miller isn't the only one working on content.

  As anticipated, the Predators have made qualifying offers to several restricted free agents. If you'll remember, we identified 8 players who played for Milwaukee last season that were now Group 2 Restricted Free Agents. The Preds had to tender these players contracts before June 25th or they would (in essence) become unrestricted free agents.

  Ryan Jones, Ryan Maki, Cal O'Reilly, Antti Pihlstrom, and Kelsey Wilson were all tendered qualifying offers.

  Triston Grant was already signed.

  There are two names that are missing? Ian McKenzie and Tim Ramholt. Not a big surprise on either one. Ramholt is expected to go overseas. I don't know what is to become of McKenzie. He may be back on an AHL-level deal if he doesn't find work elsewhere. EDIT: My original information had McKenzie signing a one year deal last year. That turns out not to be accurate. McKenzie signed an ELC last year at the age of 21 - so he's actually under contract for a total of three years. Last year was the first...so he's got two more remaining. (Thanks to Chris Jerina for the correction!)

  Also - for what it's worth, the Preds also made qualifying offers to Matt Ellison and Denis Platonov. Both players have been playing in Russia...so I'm a little confused about why they would need qualifying offers. I imagine this is strictly a procedural move in case the players return to the US and sign with some other NHL team.

  Ellison played a season ago for the Ads before heading for the KHL.

  Platonov played 3 games for Milwaukee in 2004 before heading to Russia.

  Here is the pic ThatOneGuy provided of Matt Ellison. (I think he appreciates the way he trims his nose hair)

  

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• Thoughts For The Jessiman Family

  Posted Jun 29 2009, 01:59 AM by Eric W. Kent

  We here at Short Shifts wanted to take a moment to pass along our best wishes and thoughts for the Jessiman family.

  According to a report from the BBC, Laura Jessiman, mother of Admirals' Forward Hugh Jessiman, passed away last week. She was injured while on a hike in Scotland, where the family was vacationing. A search party was launched using police, mountain rescue, and a Royal Air Force helicopter. While the 51-year-old Jessiman was located and transported to the hospital, her injuries were too severe for her to be saved.

  There will be an exhibition hockey game Wednesday in the Jessimans' home town of Darien, CT, featuring some NHL players and other professional players including Hugh Jessiman. That game, dubbed "The Big Assist" is a fundraiser for the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation. It will mark the passing of Laura Jessiman with a moment of silence, and the players will be wearing a patch with her initials on it.

  (Laura Jessiman picture from the Darien Times Archives)

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• Mazel Tov To Eric Kent

  Posted Jun 28 2009, 03:02 PM by Ryan Miller

  He's a daddy now.

  Elijah William Kent born today at 12:20pm, coming in at 19 inches, and 5 pounds-15 ounces.

  Mommy and baby are doing fine.  Daddy is already teaching him to how to skate.

  Way to go, buddy!

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• Preds Draft Summary

  Posted Jun 27 2009, 10:14 PM by Ryan Miller
  While 2 out of their first 3 picks were defenders, the Preds spent a good chunk of day #2 selecting several forwards with some size. 

   

  There are some nice scouting writeups on most of them linked below.

   

  The Preds stayed mostly in North America, and lots of the players will be playing in college next year -- and if you like to watch Badger hockey games, you'll get to see some of these players over the next few seasons.

   

  Round 1 (#11 overall) - Ryan Ellis
  Round 2 (#41 overall) - Zach Budish (Minnesota)
  Round 2 (#42 overall) - C.-O. Roussel
  Round 3 (#70 overall) - Taylor Beck
  Round 3 (#72 overall) - Michael Latta
  Round 4 (#98 overall) - Craig Smith (Wisconsin)
  Round 4 (#102 overall) - Mattias Ekholm
  Round 4 (#110 overall) - Nick Oliver (St. Cloud State)
  Round 5 (#132 overall) - Gabriel Bourque
  Round 7 (#192 overall) - Cam Reid (New Hampshire)

   

  Budish is an interesting case -- he was a two sport athlete in high school, and had a serious injury playing his other sport in the fall of 2008.  Playing high school football, he tore his ACL, tore his meniscus and partially tore his MCL.  Scouts are saying that without the injury, he probably would have been a 1st round draft pick.  They also say that he has the potential to be a similar player to Keith Tkachuk.  Not a bad comparable.  Preds brass has spoken to with all kinds of doctors about Budish, and they are convinced that he'll be able to have a full recovery, and that they got a pretty good player out of the deal.

   

  In other news, Cal O'Reilly's brother was taken in the 2nd round (33rd overall) by the Colorado Avalanche...so maybe in a year or two, we'll see him playing for Lake Erie.

   

  And remember to tune into Admirals Center Ice on Monday evening -- Assistant GM Paul Fenton will be on the show, and will have some more insight into this draft class, and the future of the organization on the NHL and AHL levels.  Catch the show from 6-8pm on Sports Radio 1250 WSSP this Monday night.
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