Links and Sundry:
- Dustin Kohn's turn in the Islanders' first-NHL-game Q&A series reveals that he's a big fan of Weight.
- UPDATE: Per WebBard, From the Rink has their interview with Mike Bossy up.
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Hallucinogenic Euro Rumors: David, the Artist Formerly Known as Hans und Franz, tips us via FanShot to this crazy Swiss rumor (in German) that Mark Streit is headed to Anaheim. Streit said it's news to him, which is German for "bunk." [Google Translate link, if you want]
- B.D. Gallof had a fun MASH-ian take on this week's yes-Queens/"totally fictitious" jabs [Hockey Independent] ... Michael Gasparino also sorts through that drama [Still Drivin'] ... We Isles fans wait in joyful hope.
- Dee wonders whether Brendan Witt will be bought out. The NHL buyout window is now.
- Garth Snow's NHL Live interview [audio here] from yesterday
should be up on the NHL archive soon, though there weren't any big revelations. He did praise Calvin de Haan enough to make me suspect the injury doesn't categorically remove him from a training camp job audition. (For the record, it does for me, but I don't get a vote, for shame.) -
Mock Draft Time: Beginning today, the SBN hockey blogs will be running our annual first-round mock draft with three picks per day. The first three selections should be up today both at the hockey hub and the respective team sites. Which means our pick will be ... drumroll ... posted tomorrow. Now behave, or I'll trade the pick faster than you can say Voldemort.
- Can't get enough teenagers? Have a look at the hot names for the 2011 draft, when the Islanders will pick 13th. (Random prediction there...)
Nothing to add in coverage of Doug Weight's imminent one-year extension (though discussion continues here), other than to marvel at how Newsday's paywall alters how their original report is shared by outlets across the continent:
The Post's Web report pretends ESPN.com is the source of the news, which was technically broke by USA Today if you count words from the agent before Strang got a quote from Snow. ESPN, as it so often does on its TV "Bottom Line," confirms someone else's story and packages it as its own. (Hey, they did get a text out of Weight, though that didn't make Pierre LeBrun's free agency story; while we're there, that story says Ray Whitney may be pricing himself out of Carolina.)
Interestingly, ESPN did cite Newsday -- without a link -- for the Queens denial this week, while also citing FanHouse -- with a link -- for the original scoop. TSN, meanwhile, cited Newsday for the Weight story -- but Puck Daddy cites Newsday yet links to TSN, because of course national Puck Daddy readers just get a paywall at the Dolan publication.
As a rule, I try to spare you my media gazing, but this was a concise example of the merry-go-round. And I get a good chuckle to watch publications pretend other pubs don't exist. In Newsday's paywall case, they're practically asking other pubs to do so (though the Post may merely be competitive/petty).
Anyway: Generally I couldn't care less about the credit game. Except for exclusive interviews/sources, news is news to me; published sources multiply quickly. But I figure I owe you to do my best to tell you where I saw information ... and get this, I'll even provide a link! So I just ask that with FanShots here or grand statements in comments, you do the same: Provide the source name/link whenever possible.