Prospect Pulse:Teddy Purcell

Teddy Purcell, a Newfoundlander, a graduate of SJHL's Notre Dame Hounds as well as the USHL's Cedar Rapids Roughriders, is a LA Kings prospect who figures to start the season in Manchester of the AHL. A lanky, playmaking center, Purcell put up 43 points in 40 games with the Maine Black Bears as a freshman.

At 6'2, 175 pounds, Purcell still needs to add some muscle to his frame to adapt to the pro game. Last season, he showed a willingness to improve his all around game and made great strides with his shot and acceleration. He has stated that he wants to increase his size and strength so that he can continue to develop at the pro level.

An undrafted player, Purcell so impressed the Kings with his talent that they persuaded him to leave college after only one year. Purcell was pursued by about a dozen NHL teams, but chose Los Angeles because he grew up idolizing Luc Robitaille. The Kings feel he possesses Top-6 talent and can contribute offensively after some seasoning in the minors. A solid contributor at every level he has played at, Purcell will be thrust into a scoring role in the American League this season.

News You Can Use Late in the Day:

-The Islanders signed defenseman Radek Martinek to a three-year extension today.

-The Flyers are optimistic after an opening night win.

-Burnside and Cox discuss the Devils playoff hopes in Friday Face-off.

-Teppo Numminen has returned to Buffalo to rehab.

-Ryan Shannon excited to start life as a Canuck.

-A look at the WCHA.

-Don Cherry disagrees with Burke, does not envision the Oilers in the sewer.

-Jose Theodore to make a rehab start in the American League tonight.

-The Sioux Falls Stampede welcomes a local product to the team.

-A preview of the Philadelphia Phantoms.

-Cape Breton Screaming Eagles' coach gets a two-game suspension for jumping on the ice.

-Hockey's Future previews the QMJHL.

-A look at the Sabres' AHL prospects.

-Rocky Wirtz is now in control of the Blackhawks.

-In the bottom story of the day, no news from Scott Niedermayer.

-Prospects to watch in the WHL.

-Alain Vigneault says he will spare no feelings in Vancouver.

-Fanhouse wonders if the Roberto Luongo deal is the worst trade in hockey.

-Shea Weber out with a dislocated kneecap.

-Leafs are looking to knock off the Habs for their first win.

-The Oilers will apparently bring up Brian Burke's outburst to Gary Bettman. I say let it go. The NHL needs some press in the US right now.

-Speaking of Bettman, he promises to make the NHL All-Star Game interactive. Good deal, I would like to play Left Wing please.

-An Interview with Sean Simpson.

-A story about Torrey Mitchell's road to the NHL.

-Interesting story about a trainer taking every precaution to prevent player deaths.

-Varsity hockey returns to Carleton University.

-Dan Barnes surmises that JF Jacques may be on the trading block. How are they going to replace his 3 minutes a night?

-The daily roundup from the Score. Note that Mike Peca doesn't figure to dress for the Blue Jackets.

-Some predictions from Hockey Rants.

-The Bruins focusing on special teams going into the season.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Prospect Pulse: Prediction Time

Due to the fact that I am from Saskatchewan, the Manitoba contingent of Illegal Curve saw fit to exclude me from the morning predictions. Basically, they are the UN and I am Israel. In the face of their demagoguery and elitist policies, I will nevertheless summon the courage to post my predictions.

Stanley Cup Champion- The Ottawa Senators. Cue the suicide watch on Bay Street.
Eastern Conference Champion - The Ottawa Senators of Kanata. I don't foresee a major hangover here. They are still a deep and talented team, now with bonus experience. I think the Penguins finish first in the East, but Ottawa takes them out in the playoffs.
Western Conference Champion- The Detroit Red Wings. They play in a weak division and I feel they will have the benefit of coasting through the regular season and remaining fresh for a long run. I see the Sharks as the Senators of a few years ago, all hype no finish.
Art Ross - Vincent Lecavalier - plays in a weak division and I feel he has something to prove.
Calder Trophy- Sam Gagner. I really like Toews and Kane, but they are going to have to do it all in Chicago. MacTavish has turned a corner philosophically, and will put Gagner in a position to succeed.
MVP- Sidney.
Most Surprising - Martin Gerber has a big rebound (no pun intended) year and bounces Sugar Ray from the starting position.
Disappointing - Flip a coin between Gomez and Drury. Actually, take Gomez. Too much money for this guy. It will weigh him down.
Most Surprising Team - Edmonton Oilers. Already written off for dead, they will not be the pushover/Phoenix clone everyone is expecting.
Most Disappointing Team - The New York Rangers. Jaromir is not going to like sharing the puck or the spotlight. Watch for a step backwards in Manhattan, despite the near constant fellating of this team by a few media types. I think Calgary will blow too, but I am never disappointed when that happens.


Prospect Pulse will return tomorrow with a look at another standout from the USHL's Fall Classic Tournament.

News You Can Use Late in the Day:

-The Edmonton Oilers send Zach Stortini and Ladislav Smid to the minors. The Oilers also name Ethan Moreau captain.

-The sale of the Predators is in trouble.

-A preview of the #1 ranked University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

-Good turnout for Bill Wirtz's funeral.

-A preview of the Southeast Conference. Note to the NHL, could you please rename these divisions? There are many deserving hockey luminaries who could lend their name to the divisions. Orr Division, Gretzky Division, Richard Division, Howe Division, Harvey Division and the Morenz Division. Discuss amongst yourselves.

-Denis Gauthier is a victim of the salary cap in Philadelphia. Mike Rathje is also placed Expect this to become commonplace.

-Mirtle with a list of youngsters who have made their respective clubs.

-Patrice Brisebois is back skating.

-The AHL suspends Steve Downie for one month.

-Mark Bell has been reinstated by the NHL.

-Former Leaf is Borje Salming is now art. Who says Illegal Curve offers no culture?

-The New Jersey Devils claim Sheldon Brookbank off the waiver wire.

-The Dallas Stars are still unsure where their goals will come from.

-Senators prospect Jim O'Brien has joined the Seattle Thunderbirds.

-An in-depth look at the Penguins from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

-Illegal Curve favorite Toby Petersen was cut by the Dallas Stars. He will report to Iowa.

-Jeremy Roenick says he is ready to be a cheerleader for the team. I wonder if they will be able to hear him from the restaurant he is eating at?

-The Red Wings are prepared to go with youth. Watch for Chris Chelios to tell the youngsters to stay the hell off his lawn.

-Bobby Holik is the new captain of the Atlanta Thrashers.

-Not to be outdone, Pavol Demitra is the new captain of the Minnesota Wild.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Prospect Pulse

Oliver Setzinger, originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 3rd Round (76th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, has finally made the jump to North America. After bouncing around various European leagues, the Austrian national team member returned to the Austrian League and began to put up big numbers. The 6'0, 200 lb. center is said to possess good skating and puck skills, in addition to being a hard and motivated worker. More of a set-up man than a scorer, Setzinger uses his size well to create room for teammates.

A posting on the European hockey forums cited an interview with Setzinger saying that he felt Nashville was not serious about bringing him to North America, and that he was very willing to make the jump. A late bloomer as prospects go, he was contacted by the Predators during his strong 2006-2007 campaign and has made his way to Tennessee looking for work in North America. He signed a contract with Nashville in February of last year and to the Preds' relief, reported to camp.

Currently playing LW in Predators training camp, Setzinger was skating on a line with Scott Nichol and JP Dumont. In the opening pre-season game, he was bumped out of the lineup but is expected to play in the next contest. Notes from Nashville fans say that he plays a pretty strong positional and defensive game, but seemed to have some initial trouble with the pace. Once he settled down, he made some good passes, but was otherwise not noteworthy. Look for Setzinger to start the year in the AHL.

News You Can Use in the Late Morning:

-Mirtle with a calender of important NHL dates. Also note his link about Nashville raising ticket prices.

-Hemsky pleased with his performance in the Joey Moss Cup. The first real test comes tonight, against the visiting Florida Panthers.

-Oiler blogger Lowetide with a player by player assessment from the aforementioned Joey Moss Cup.

-Radim Vrbata strong in his Coyotes debut.

-London Knights start the year ranked at #1

-Jiri Fischer up, around and in Gatineau.

-One armed player Scott Stafford signs with the Sarnia Blast of the WOHL. (Video)

-Sens interested in Jeff O'Neill? The Toronto Sun also notes that the Sens may have an interest in Cujo.

-Ten Camps worth watching.

-Is Naslund done in the NHL?

-Is a big season by Mike Fisher good or bad for the Sens?

-In breaking news, Sens sign Fisher to an extension. This basically makes my last news item moot, but I will leave it in anyways, for historical perspective. I am sure readers will reminisce about the 5 seconds ago when they were worried Mike Fisher might be on his way out of Ottawa. Scary days my friends, scary days.

-The Regina Pats' Logan Pyett looks to build upon his Super Series experience.

-The best WHL roundup around is found at Taking Note.

-Allan Maki reports on the NHL implications of a rising Canadian dollar.

-Aaron Ward not happy with the pre-season predictions. (Hat Tip, Kukla)

-The Hockey News' Adam Proteau responds to Ward.

-The NHLPA recorded phone calls. Dick Cheney for NHLPA President.

-A profile of Canucks prospect Alex Burrows.

-A Devils preview.

-Alan Muir of SI with a suggestion that Lowe is looking to move Pitkanen. This isn't going to happen. Muir fails to note that Pitkanen recently signed this one year deal with Edmonton and figures to be their #1 defenseman in the near future, if not now.

-Isbister hits Luongo in the throat with a slapper. Are the Canucks trying to hurt their #1 Goalie. Do they realize they can't score and need this guy to win them games?

-An interesting Blues blog.

-As noted last week, former QMJHL sniper Simon Gamache is in camp with the Leafs. Michael Traikos reports that things are looking good.

-Former Prospect Pulse feature Max Pacioretty looks to liven up U of Michigan's lineup.

-More Kings' season previews at Battle of California.

-Wild goalie Josh Harding with a mask memorializing the I-35 bridge collapse.

-Players on the Hotseat for this year.

-Line combination news and notes from the Score.

-Marc Denis looks good in Bolts' camp.

-Razor with an interesting take on cheaters in sport.

-Oilers unable to get Karamnov signed.

-Kasparitis wants back on the Rangers.

-A goaltending controversy in Denver?

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Prospect Pulse

Note: My recent prospect features have been very heavy on Euro and American content. I feel that most Canadians get a pretty steady diet of information on the top Canadian juniors and prospects from our sports media. With that in mind, I am trying to go off the path a little to highlight some exceptional talents from around the world.

Both of these young Slovaks are named Juraj Mikus. (The left one is the older, former Canadiens prospect) They are about a year about in age and are/were prospects in the NHL. I had heard some buzz about Juraj Mikus the forward playing on a line with Ziggy Pallfy in the Slovakian league and thought he might be a good feature for Prospect Pulse. About 20 minutes into researching this post, I realized there was double the fun. Here goes:

Juraj Mikus the Elder, originally taken in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens (4th Round, 121st overall), came over to play in North America last year and ended up with decent point totals despite a slow start. Despite the more than point a game clip, the Canadiens declined to sign him, citing too many forward prospects in their system. The right shooting forward had a strong draft year campaign, leading the Slovak team in scoring at the World Junior Championships. He is playing this year with Skalica of the Slovak Extraleague.

Taken in nearly the same spot (5th Round, 134th overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mikus the Younger is a talented offensive rearguard who put up very good numbers in the Slovak junior league. The 6'4, 185 defender posted a solid +32 rating, but needs to fill out his frame in order to advance to the next level. Expected to stay in Slovakia to develop, internet scouting reports on him are sketchy and/or unreliable because of the other Mikus. Even Hockey's Future has the wrong picture and stats up for him. He is expected to play this year with Dukla Trencin in the Slovak Junior League.

News You Can Use in the Late Morning:

-Lightning forward Tim Taylor likely finished after hip surgery.

-Colby Cosh with a post linking pre-season success to regular season wins. (Hat tip, Mirtle)

-Pens and Sabres to play an outdoor game.

-The Leafs' Paul Maurice predicts the playoffs for the Leafs. They were pretty close last year, and with the steps backward taken by the Islanders, its certainly possible.

-Interesting notes on off-season training.

-Profile on Oilers prospect Chris Van de Velde. The Oilers hope he builds upon last years' strong second half.

-Sens' prospect Jim O'Brien has not changed his mind about the pro game.

-Cujo waiting for the phone to ring.

-Mike Comrie plays grab-ass with Hilary Duff. Maybe she is after the Brick fortune? Little Mikey should watch out, at only 19, she has been passed around by more than her share of emo rockers.

-Panthers ink Noah Welch.

-5 Rookies to watch at Leaf's camp.

-Killer named one of the assistant coaches for the Spengler Cup. Maybe there are some 14 year old babysitters in Switzerland.

-5 Players on the bubble at Leafs' camp.

-Arnott named Predators captain.

-An update on the Wickenheiser playing with men story.

-The Kings' Derek Armstrong is willing to play any role on the revamped roster.

-The Ducks' Bobby Ryan ready for a fresh start.

-Hints and tips on how to select a hockey stick. (Hat tip, Kukla)

-Hawks open camp today.

-Ducks-Kings Game Day Preview.

-A heated battle to back up Kipper.

-A couple of brief profiles of Caps' prospects.]

-Wes Goldstein with a preview of the Central and Northeast divisions.

-Lightning players look for ways to escape Camp Torturella.

-Lightning training camp lines.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Morning Musings: Canada/Russia Super Series leaves much to be desired

After Canada destroyed Russia 8-1 on Tuesday night in Winnipeg, one has to wonder why this tournament was put together in the first place. Now, I understand the long standing relationship between Canada/Russia dating back to the storied 1972 Summit Series, but that was 35 years ago, in a fierce political climate that no longer exists between the two countries. Since September 28, 1972, Canada has played Russia in a number of hockey championships, but it is not as if any of those games were more heated than say games against the United States. In fact, with Canada's close battles with the United States over the past couple of years, maybe they would have been better off staying on this continent and playing an eight game series throughout North America. I can guarantee you one thing, that series would not be this one-sided.

On to the morning papers:

• Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution discusses the negotiations that lie ahead for Don Waddell. Both Kari Lehtonen and Marian Hossa will be free agents in the summer of 2008.
• Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun provides an honest opinion for why the league has come out with new uniforms across the board.
• While Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun has the story behind Andrei Taratukhin heading back to Russia before his entry-level contract has been completed. Let's just say it is not like Darryl Sutter is going to lose too much sleep.
• A sense of excitement is percolating throughout the Columbus Blue Jackets dressing room, prompting one player to say the "dark ages are over." Maybe this is the year the Blue Jackets finally make the playoffs...
• Once a top prospect of the Detroit Red Wings, it appears Igor Grigorenko has made it all the way back from a serious car accident in 2003 writes George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press.
• Devastating news out of Edmonton last night, and as Terry Jones explains, Fernando Pisani's health is far more important than any on-ice results.
• Almost under the radar, Panthers' defenseman Jay Bouwmeester pleaded guilty of DWI on Tuesday in Edmonton. Let's hope that is the last time we hear about an NHL player and the law for the rest of the season.
• Excitement is abound for the newest Montreal Canadiens, says Pat Hickey in this morning's Montreal Gazette.
• The Predators have already sold 9,000 season tickets around 1,000 more than they had at the same time last year. Was everyone too quick to write off Nashville as a viable hockey market?
• Apparently Sens' goalie Ray Emery will be ready for the beginning of the regular season, but maybe not before that.
• The San Jose Mercury News previews the Jeremy Roenick era in the Bay Area and one has to wonder whether the Sharks would have been better off standing pat for the rest of the off-season.
• I'm sure it won't take Vesa Toskala long to realize that he isn't playing in San Jose anymore. Both Paul Hunter of the Star and Mike Zeisberger of the Sun have interesting pieces about the Finnish netminder and the challenges that await him in the pressure cooker that is Toronto.
• With all the troubles Mark Bell has gone through recently, according to the Toronto Sun he may yet be in the line-up to start the season.
• While Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province wonders if maybe this is the year Brad Isbister finally reaches his potential? Yours truly wonders, maybe not....