The non-Olympic Islanders resumed practice today, with Katie Strang tweeting a few roster/injury updates. For example, Tim Jackman and Jack Hillen are skating with modified headgear. The Bridgeport forward trio remain with the Sound Tigers for now -- there are three more Sound Tigers games (including tonight against Abbotsford) before the Islanders resume their schedule. After today, only one of Scott Gordon or Mark Streit will have an excuse to play hooky. (Not to be confused with "hockey," for which they need no excuse.)
Of relevance, I believe, to Garth Snow's trade deadline strategy is news of a contract extension today: Nashville has chosen its goaltender of the future, and his name is Pekka Rinne, signed to a two-year $6.8 million extension. (Interesting side discussion: The salary escalates from $2.8 million to $4 million in year two; an innocent raise, or an astute small-market move to leave the larger cash commitment for the year when Rinne could be trade rental bait?)
The Predators could still keep fellow UFA Dan Ellis on board, but the fact they've made their choice a week before the trade deadline hints that there is likely another low-cost depth goalie on the trade market who would provide competing bids next to Snow's peddling of Martin Biron. Ellis' cap hit is $1.75, Biron's is $1.4. This situation was always probably in the cards anyway, as Bossy knows the goalie market is only likely to get more flooded as more teams conclude that if they can't get a rare Luongo or Vokoun in the very upper tier of goalies, then it's not worth paying the premium for a big name.
However, in the context of handicapping Snow's chances to fetch any sort of meaningful return for selling goalie insurance to a playoff contender, this affects the market in an unhappy way.
Comment on goalies and the roster here. If you're watching USA-Switzerland, pick up gameday discussion in the previous thread.