[Bits] Tavares Reaction; Wang on Brooklyn; NCAA Rankings; NHL News

Yesterday's long expected but still big news of John Tavares becoming captain garnered some nice coverage around the league. A few links of note on that and other Islanders topics:

• Outstanding profile of Tavares from Nicholas Costonika at Yahoo.
• Official site: Tavares is the right choice. Also: Some Twitter congrats to 91. The Post: Captain at age 22. WSJ: Tavares on the past, present, future.
  
• Bridgeport: Anders Lee is ready for his first full pro season, Scott Pellerin looks for him to be a leader already.
• Newsday interviews Charles Wang on Brooklyn and the rebuild, sounding like a very happy owner.
  
• Hockey Wilderness asks me about the Isles.
• College Hockey News issues Top 10 preseason rankings, with a mention of Jake Bischoff's potential as he begins at Minnesota.
• On the Nets and marketing and (re?)connecting with fans on Long Island.
• Speaking of, the Coliseum redevelopment cleared another hurdle yesterday.
  
• With Scott Clemmensen recovering from surgery, the Panthers "could be interested in affordable veterans such as Mathieu Garon, 35, and Rick Dipietro, 31." Drink.
  

Elsewhere:

• What's this? A pro sports team squabbling with its municipal host? Shock! (This time it's the Senators and Ottawa.)
• Stop comparing Nazem Kadri to worse players. In case you were doing that, I mean.
• Jay Feaster sounds very invested in the results of prospect squads playing other teams' prospect squads. Like "organizational disease" level of investment.
• From Elliotte Friedman's 30 Thoughts, a plausible explanation: "During the summer, a number of players said they would refuse [the training camp invite] route, waiting for injuries/ineffectiveness to force team's hands or take a more lucrative KHL offer. As one exec said: "The teams with money don't have room, the teams with cap space don't have money."
• Also in that fountain of 30 thoughts? Martin Brodeur essentially dissing Ilya's effect on the Devils.
  
• Amazingly Flyers, if true: "Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported Monday night that Daniel CLeary will sign a three-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers worth an average of $2.75 million per year."
• Broad Street Hockey scratches its head on that.
  
• Gregory Campbell is not at 100 percent ... yet.
  
• Pierre McGuire says Bobby Ryan was sick with a MONSTER bug he picked up in the Far East last year.

2009: The Tavares Pick (and the wink)

(I forgot how badly Pierre McGuire nearly ruined the moment.)