[Bits] Olympic Camps, Martin VMA, Wishart Interest?, Omark Signs, Whalers History

Olympic orientation camps are underway for the U.S. and Canada this week, with all kinds of assorted "we can't skate but let's get pumped up" slow-news details. Here are some links on that and other Isles and NHL news:

• Olympic orientation camps are underway: NYIblog transcribes some of Kyle Okposo's video interview at the official site. (Video is also embedded below.)
• Talking with Okposo and others from USA camp.
• John Tavares on a line with Steven Stamkos and Logan Couture maybe? [McKenzie's Olympic camp tweet]
• IPB on where the Isles will need to draw fans from in Brooklyn...
• ... and on getting tickets for the game at Yankee Stadium.
  
• Interest abroad in Ty Wishart?
• Taking the contrarian view on who should be next Isles captain. [Eyes on Isles]
• LHH Inside Baseball: Garik16 takes his stats intro posts to Pensburgh.
• VOTE: Check out PGI's design for Team America and "The Sleeping Giant." All for a good cause and all that.
• Also of LHH: Lots of interest in LHH fantasy hockey in the last thread.
• "Back to School" (sorry) sale at the team store through Sept. 15.
• Matt Martin at the VMAs [Isles video]

From the NBA, but relevant to where the Islanders are headed: When owners squabble [Nets Daily]: Each move infuriated the sensitive Dolan. The "Blueprint for Greatness" was strategically placed outside his window, causing him to call both David Stern and Adam Silver separately to demand that they have Prokhorov take it down because it was affecting his employees' morale.

Elsewhere:

• 20 years ago, the Whalers reached a deal to stay in Hartford through 2013. Oops.
  
• Alex Pietrangelo is sure a contract will get done with the Blues. RFA, rinse, repeat.
• Pshh, golf. The Quiet Room: Claude Giroux’s golf career is over | Backhand Shelf
• Taylor Hall is the dag-dern shootingest shooter these parts have seen in quite a while.
• In a surprise move given how they've treated him as surplus, the Oilers have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with Linus Omark.
• One more at Copper & Blue: Those poor fellas have PTSD from the Tambellini era.
• Warren Young: Rightly on the Grantland list of "Brady Andersons of the NHL."
• If you missed this, officially: NHL goalies to use shorter leg pads in 2013-14 season - NHL.com
• NHL.com's 30 in 30: Rangers looking to take "final step," but can't find any Oilers Hall of Famers still in their prime.
  
• A little tongue in cheek: P.K. Subban should be traded: changing my tune on my favourite Montreal Canadiens player - Eyes On The Prize