Not much new Islanders reading at the moment, but ...
- Here's talk of 10 players who could challenge Sidney Crosby for the Art Ross (but who won't, out of respect for Sidney Crosby). Naturally icludes an Islanders forward who's okay at hockey. [Puck Daddy]
- I wrote a little about the benefit of the Islanders' center depth, because it simply hasn't been discussed in comments enough this summer. [LHH]
- If you missed this with his radio appearances this week, Rick DiPietro is on Twitter and now "out" about it. [@hdumpty39]
Beyond the Island (but not beyond the Country Club)
- Your day of Ice Bucket Challenges for ALS research includes Gary Bettman going all out, including pronouncing one of his challengers John "Butchy-gross." [SB Nation] Bettman's nominees included Brian Burke and other former league office employees, and among his nominators was the elite and distinguished Jeremy Jacobs, who likes things a certain way.
- The Red Wings extended Ken Holland as GM for four years, so an extension for coach Mike Babcock should be around the corner. [WIM]
- More on the stat fear about the NHL.com change in its terms of service: Don't worry, this is standard protection against yet-unseen threats, they say. [Puck Daddy]
- NEW! Eric Morris on the effects of helmets on preventing concussions. [Undisclosed Injury]
- NHL.com's 30 in 30 continues with five questions (and other topics) about the Avalanche: Who replaces Stastny? [NHL]
- The '80s in the NHL were amazing and goal-crazy. A time that will never be repeated. [Grantland]
- Would you dig hockey in Seattle? And do you have any good names for a team there? [LHH Fanpost]
- Presenting 39 rejected names for the Coyotes' arena in Glendale, which was recently changed from [corporate name of some sort] Arena to [corporate name of a different sort] Arena. [Five for Howling]
- Ingenious marketing ploy in Montreal, given their infamous "pressure" in that market: Let the fans pick the captain. [HEOTP]
- Denis Potvin is back in the booth for the Panthers. [Panthers]
- It's August, so: Did Shawn Thornton's play inadvertently lead to the end of Marc Savard's career? [SCOC]
- Minnesotan-raised but California-NHL-ized Craig Johnson discusses how much the game has grown there despite a criminal scarcity of smog rinks. [ESPN]
- The timeless: Should NHL teams wear white at home already? [Uni Watch at ESPN]
On the last one: I've always preferred white, for selfish historic reasons: 1) That's how it was forever, so you could easily identify where a game was held in pictures, and 2) Going to the games regularly in person is aesthetically better when there is actual variety in the color palette -- i.e., the road team shows up in different colors rather than white, white, white.