Under the current playoff seeding format, it’s possible that the Blackhawks and Red Wings would meet in Detroit on the final day of the regular season in a game that each team wants to lose. (Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

By Stu Hackel
The Sharks jumped into first place in the Pacific Division on Monday night — and good for them, because, as we pointed out last week, they are making the most of their stretch run during which they play almost all of their games  head-to-head against the teams they are fighting for a playoff spot. Of course, finishing first in the division will make San Jose’s points total moot, because that guarantees the Sharks a playoff spot.

Another thing that first place will give the Sharks – as it does all division-winners — is home ice advantage in the first round. And that provision in the NHL playoff format can handicap other teams that have a better record but a lower playoff seed.

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Winger Alexander Radulov (right) has blossomed in the KHL, becoming a two-time scoring champion. (Yuliya Dmitrieva/KHL Photo Agency via Getty Images)

By Stu Hackel

We should learn more shortly about Alexander Radulov who — according to his Russian agent — seems headed back to the NHL. His arrival is anticipated this week, maybe within the next 24 hours. So far, however, there have been no confirmations from the Predators, who own his rights, or his agent, Jay Grossman, who has been silent in his Twitter account and elsewhere, that this is a done deal. They all seem to be heeding the advice of actor Ian McShane who, as Al Swearengen on the TV series Deadwood, said, “Announcin’ your plans is a good way to hear God laugh.”

UPDATE: Radulov joined the Predators on Wednesday and practiced with them for the first time, playing on a line with David Legwand and Patric Hornqvist. He also practiced on the second power play unit on a line with Legwand and Andrei Kostitsyn with Ryan Ellis and Sergie Kostitsyn on the points. It’s uncertain whether he’ll play in the next Nashville game Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Earlier this week, the most Predators GM David Poile would say was this gingerly worded statement released on Monday afternoon: “We have been in contact with Jay Grossman, Alexander’s agent, throughout this process of trying to return Alexander to the Predators and the NHL. Though the complicated process has yet to be concluded, every indication is that Alexander will be returning to Nashville in the near future. We do not anticipate having any further update on this process until tomorrow, at the earliest.”

But others have been speaking. Radulov’s potential arrival in Nashville has already shaken some Western Conference teams who worry that the winger’s presence will make a rather good team much better, providing it with the pure goal-scorer it has lacked since, well, since Radulov jumped leagues and abandoned his contract for bigger loot in the KHL three years ago.

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Brent Peterson in 2007. (David E. Klutho/SI)

By Stu Hackel

Let’s take a break from concussions and language issues for a bit and talk about a more uplifiting subject on and away from the rink.

Before going any further, take a look at this video of Brent Peterson, the former NHL player and Nashville Predators associate coach who has been undergoing experimental treatments for Parkinson’s Disease. If that doesn’t move you a bit, you can’t be moved.

Rendered unable to walk normally — he could only shuffle his feet — without his medication, Peterson was suddenly on a treadmill at the Preds’ practice facility on Wednesday thanks to the treatments.

TSN had more video of Petey’s tale as well (here and here) on Thursday night.

His is a truly remarkable story, not just because he’s a great guy (which he is), but also for the hope he gives others who suffer from Parkinson’s debilitating symptoms.

It is the season of miracles.

No ban for Francois Beauchemin for his hit on Mike Fisher was one of the NHL’s recent vexing decisions. (Mark Humphrey/AP)

By Stu Hackel

In the first regular season road test of the expanded Rule 48 on hits to the head, the NHL cruised through any obstacles and arrived at a solid ruling: the Oilers’ Andy Sutton was handed a five-game suspension Tuesday by the NHL for a hit to the head of Avalanche rookie Gabriel Landeskog in a game last Friday.

This would not have been a suspension last season. It would have been considered a legal north-south hit, non-penalized and not suspendable. In the battle against head injuries, the new Rule 48 shows a flexibility not often attributed to the NHL and those responsible for crafting it, the league’s general managers. They recognized the shortcomings of their initial Rule 48 and improved it.

Yesterday, we looked at some of the more puzzling decisions by the league’s Department of Player Safety on boarding and hits from behind, wondering if they haven’t been too soft since the regular season began, especially in light of the tough suspensions that were handed down during the preseason. Today, we’ll look at some other rulings it has made.
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After 13 seasons, 207 goals and 706 points, it appears quite likely that the Bruins’ concussion-stricken center Marc Savard has played the 807th and final game of his NHL career. (Brian Jenkins/Icon SMI)

By Stu Hackel

The news out of Boston about Marc Savard is not good. “Marc Savard won’t play this year,” GM Peter Chiarelli told Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe today. “Nothing has changed in our monitoring. He’ll be examined and he’ll be declared unfit to play….”

“Based on what I see, what I hear, what I read, and what I’m told, it’s very unlikely Marc will play again,” Chiarelli added. “Now, knowing the uncertainty of this injury, there’s always a chance [he could play]. But based on what I’m told, it’s very unlikely he’ll play. As an employer, I support him and hope he gets back to living a healthy life.”

This is not entirely unexpected news, but it’s not good news in any event. The NHL has taken serious and good steps to reduce the chances of concussion but, sadly, they may have come too late for Marc Savard. He’s not the only one whose career has been cut short in this manner, but everything should be done to make sure that deliberate hits to the head are no longer allowed in the NHL’s rules. Right now, that’s not entirely the case.
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After a turbulent 2010-11, young defenseman Erik Gudbranson is poised to contribute to the new-look Panthers this season. (Susan Stocker/MCT Landov)

By Stu Hackel

We had so much fun looking at potential NHL rookies on Wednesday, we thought we’d finish today with another dozen.

Again, this second list is by no means comprehensive and the players are listed in no particular order. They aren’t necessarily favorites to win the Calder Trophy, although some will likely be in the discussion. It’s just another random compilation of names that we’ve been hearing and thinking about, players with a decent-to-excellent chance of making their teams coming out of training camp. Some have already gotten lots of publicity, some aren’t well-known. Some played a bit last season, but still qualify as rookies (as Logan Couture and P.K. Subban did in 2010-11). Some haven’t been in the NHL yet, but hope to break in this season. Some may not make it. Some who are not discussed here will. But they’re all trying to win a job for 2011-12.

And here they are:

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All eyes are now on the contract negotiations between the Kings and RFA defenseman Drew Doughty. (Jason O. Watson/U.S. Presswire)

By Stu Hackel

Now that Shea Weber’s arbitration award is settled, what will the immediate ripple effect be on the remaining top unsigned NHL defensemen – Drew Doughty of the Kings, Luke Schenn of the Maple Leafs, and the Jets’ Zach Bogosian?

The one-year $7.5 million salary that Weber received is the largest arbitration award in NHL history and it makes him the NHL’s top-earning defenseman, bypassing the Florida Panthers’ Brian Campbell, who pulls down slightly over $7.1 million per season. That in itself is crucial because it will provide a standard for all other defensemen contracts going forward.

More immediately, there had been speculation that the three above-named RFA players, teams and their agents were waiting for Weber’s salary to be determined before moving forward with deals for the other RFA defensemen, figuring that Weber’s payday would provide something of a guide for what a top young blueliner should earn in the salary cap NHL.
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The Predators run a tight financial ship that Shea Weber’s new deal could rock. (Paul Hebert/Icon SMI)

By Stu Hackel

What is going to happen to the Predators and Shea Weber? A salary arbitration ruling will be made in the next 48 hours and it should prove pivotal for Nashville. [UPDATE: TSN reports Weber was awarded a one-year, $7.5 million contract.]

First, the Preds and their outstanding blueliner were unable to negotiate a contract before their hearing Tuesday morning in Toronto. As we’ve noted earlier this summer, avoiding arbitration is the path that RFAs and their teams usually travel; it’s not worth the risk of exposing themselves to the uncertainty of an arbitrator’s decision and the potential hard feelings from the testimony about the player’s perceived worth.

Why couldn’t the Preds and Weber agree when so many others did? A few factors seem to be at play here. First, there are two other core members of the team who will be UFAs next season: goalie Pekka Rinne and Ryan Suter, Weber’s defense partner. Nashville GM David Poile can’t open the vault too wide for Weber, much as he might like, because he’s got two more big contracts coming up and Weber’s deal is going to be a benchmark for the organization’s other stars.
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Dustin Penner (2007) is the only restricted free agent to change teams, and he cost the Oilers plenty. (Jason O. Watson/US Presswire)

By Stu Hackel

Let’s file this post under the category of things we have to cover (our SI.com hockey page overlord John Rolfe likens it to eating your spinach). It’s less fun than, say, debating Chris Osgood’s career or trying to figure out who has the right to claim the history of the Winnipeg Jets, but it contains useful information and perhaps even essential vitamins and minerals. So open up and start chewing.

Few things are more restrictive than restricted free agency in the NHL. Hundreds of players have been RFAs since the current CBA was adopted in 2005, but only six have received offer sheets — Ryan Kesler, Thomas Vanek, Dustin Penner, David Backes, Steve Bernier and Niklas Hjalmarsson – and of those, only Penner changed teams.

That’s something to keep in mind when you hear people urge NHL GMs to take a run at an RFA. The 2011 group is stellar, led by Steven Stamkos, Drew Doughty, Shea Weber, Zach Parise, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Devin Setoguchi, Luke Schenn, Kyle Okposo, and Zach Bogosian. Any club would be instantly better with one of them in its lineup. But the RFA system is too onerous to permit player movement. Three weeks into free agency, some of these guys have re-upped with their old teams and it’s folly to think any of them are going anywhere other than back to where they came from.
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The Rangers avoided having to disparage Brandon Dubinsky, who led the team in scoring last season, by agreeing to a new contract hours before their salary arbitration hearing. (Bennett Cohen/Icon SMI)

By Stu Hackel

It’s salary arbitration time in the NHL, one of the most complicated and often anti-climactic periods of the offseason.

The first of hearings took place on Wednesday when defenseman Chris Campoli was awarded $2.5 million for next season. But the Blackhawks walked away from the award, which they indicated they would do when the sides couldn’t reach a negotiated settlement last week and signed free agent defenseman Sami Lepisto instead for $750,000, substantially less than the $2.75 million Campoli was reportedly seeking. So Campoli is now an unrestricted free agent.
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