NHL Morning Papers (Saturday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for Saturday the 20th of September:

• Todd Bertuzzi is as skinny as he has been in a long, long time, writes Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun.  Craig Conroy can’t get over the fact that he is the oldest player on the Flames.
• Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet are slated to play the same amount of games in the first month of the season.
• Surprise, surprise, Martin Brodeur does not want to see his workload suddenly decrease this season.
• Sabres defenseman Teppo Numminen has a new appreciation for playing the game after his heart troubles from a year ago, writes John Vogl of the Buffalo News.
• We all know Detroit is winning the Central Division so the Predators look like they will battling the Blackhawks for second place, writes John Glennon.
• Mike Peca is already out of the line up and camp has hardly even begun.  Over the off-season, Scott Howson made a point of adding a louder dressing room presence to a team he deemed to be too quiet in 2007/08.
• Joe Sakic thinks the Avalanche have a really good team heading into 2008/09.  Sakic may think that, but many people are calling for the Avs to struggle this season.
• It looks like Michael Ryder is slated to open the year playing alongside Marc Savard on the Bruins’ top line.  The former 30 goal scorer wants to put last season behind him.
• Mathieu Garon is not overly excited about the Oilers carrying three netminders to start the season.  Meanwhile, the entire Oilers team is pumped about the possibilities heading into the regular season.  Even coach Craig MacTavish is openly optimistic about his team.  Illegal Curve favorite Robbie Schremp is really hoping to crack the Oilers roster.
• Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has ten questions facing the Wild in 2008/09.  Here is more information on the possible contract talks between the Wild and Marian Gaborik’s agent Ron Salcer. The Wild has higher expectations for James Sheppard in his sophomore campaign.
• Guy Carbonneau thinks the Habs’ off-season acquisitions will fit in very well.
• Here are the Senators’ lines heading into tonight’s exhibition game with the Rangers.
• Jason Botchford wonders who will be the Canucks captain for this season?  Here is a Q & A between Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province and new Canucks GM Mike Gillis.  Don’t expect Stever Bernier to line up alongside the Sedin’s right away.
• Tonight is the start of the opportunities for the fringe Rangers to make their case for cracking the team’s opening night roster.
• Ron Wilson will guarantee one thing, that the Leafs will work hard, writes Steve Buffery.  Some people in the Leafs organization feel different not having Mats Sundin at training camp.  Is Pavel Kubina slated to be the next Leafs captain?  Mike Van Ryn is excited to have a fresh start and another chance to prove himself.  It is defense first for the Leafs, writes Damien Cox.
• The hold up in the Patrick O’Sullivan negotiations is over term, writes Dan Arritt.
• Is Mike Modano going to make the move to the wing?
• Both players took a while to report last season, so that is why the Ducks are so excited to have both Scott Niedermay and Teemu Selanne in training camp this season.
• New Thrashers coach John Anderson has a lot of things to sort out at training camp.
• Marian Hossa is slated to line up beside Pavel Datsyuk to start the exhibition season, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  It is nothing big but Hossa did have some tightness in his back on Friday.
• David J. Neal of the Miami Herald has heard it all before, he just wants to see the words translate into performance for the Panthers this season.  On the ice, it looks like Nathan Horton is going to move from wing to center.  Horton also wants to be a leader for the young Panthers.
• Bryan Berard thinks he can help the Flyers especially on the power play where he excels.
• There are not as many spots up for grabs this training camp as there were last camp in Phoenix, but that does not mean coach Gretzky still isn’t looking for a couple diamonds in the rough.
• Eric Godard is with the Penguins to fight and replace Georges Laraque, not score goals, writes Dave Molinari.  Michel Therrien and his players are completely on the same wavelength.
• David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News has five questions for Sharks fans.
• He skipped rookie games, so Steve Stamkos is champing at the bit to get on the ice for some game action.  Damian Cristodero has an interesting piece on the Lightning ownership.
• Bruce Boudreau is getting recognized these days, writes Corey Masisak of the Washington Times.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.