NHL Morning Papers (Saturday Edition): Heatley tries to clear air, Predators/Leafs vie for Kessel, will Great One be at Coyotes training camp?

Today’s morning news:

General NHL:

• Eric Duhatschek wants to know if Alex, Sid and Geno can save the NHL from itself.
• The founder and owner of ESPN is looking everywhere for hockey and aside from an occasional Top 10 play on his network, cannot understand why the NHL ever left.
• Mike Danton’s father is less than pleased about his son’s parole.

Team News:

• It looks like the Ducks are ready for a fresh start.
• Good news for Thrashers fans as Evander Kane is showing that he has some very good skills that might keep him up with the pro’s this season.
• Will veteran forward Mark Recchi be able to supply the B’s with enough scoring with the possible loss of Phil Kessel and last season’s 36 goals?
• The Veterans arrive in camp today for the Sabres and while most have decent security, for some a battle for jobs is about to begin as the Sabres currently have 15 forwards for 12 spots and 9 d-men for 6 spots.
• It appears that Sabres GM Darcy Reiger doesn’t know though if one of those 15 forwards will be Drew Stafford as the two sides are still stuck in a contract stalemate.
• News out of Calgary is that Theo Fleury is getting a second chance with the team he won the Stanley Cup with.

  Can Fleury return after being away for so long? (Photo courtesy of the Hockey News)

• 5 questions of concern for the Carolina Hurricanes as camp gets underway.
• The Colorado Avalanche have named 38 year old Adam Foote as just the second captain in team history.
• If the Dallas Stars are looking for success this season, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News, says they must hit the ice flying.
• Traverse City was very good for one Wing’s prospects who was looking to improve his stock.
• As was disscussed in our Wings preview yesterday it appears that Derek Meech might be the odd man out in Detroit.
• The University of Alberta Golden Bears blasted a ton of shots at the Oiler rookies and pulled off a 4-3 win in Edmonton.
• In Oilers areana news, David Staples and Gary Lamphier of the Edmonton Journal discuss how the Oilers cash demands would shut out Northlands. 
• While Gary Lamhier writes that if public cash is used for this project then some think it should be under public control.
• The Panthers were so close to a playoff spot last season and the big question is for this season is, have they done enough to get into the playoffs?
• Michael Russo says it is time that new GM Chuck Fletcher starts to impliment all that he has learnt in order for the Wild to turn things around.
• Carey Price thinks that good things are coming to Montreal and even with all the new faces, expects them to have pretty good chemistry.
• Perhaps the best thing Heatley can do is just apologize and get on with the business of playing hockey because right now it doesn’t appear anyone is buying his attempt to clear the air.
• However even if he does try and take the “quiet road” it appears the Ottawa media are salivating over his return and the opportunity to question him.
• Can Eugene Melnyk blame Dany Heatley for the apparent poor season ticket sales in Ottawa or are other factors more likely the cause?
• It appears that the Predators are interested in acquiring Phil Kessel but are unwilling to give up draft choices to do so.
• The Philadelphia Flyers have a certain edge to them as the upcoming season approaches and perhaps the big loss in game 6 to Pittsburgh last season has a lot to do with it.
• The use of speed and size are going to be new for the Flyers, who in the past have gone mostly with the former and not been as worried about the latter.
• Dan Bylsma is doing things his way, which means that he is holding his first ever training camp, a few months after winning the Stanley Cup.
• If you were curious as to what you should be watching out for at the Pens camp, Rob Rossi of the Tribune-Review has quite the list.
• The good news in St. Louis is that they have a healthy defence, which means that there will be some serious competition in training camp for the open spots.
• The buzz is beginning over the Tampa Bay Lightning and similar to the expectations for the Stars, it appears that the pundits think T Bay needs to get off to a fast start.
• It appears that Brian Burke is giving Coach Wilson the freedom to set his own roster.  However Brian Burke still thinks that the Leafs were quite soft last season.
• It appears that the media is now giving the edge to the Leafs in the Phil Kessel sweepstakes.
• The Canucks are giving Mark Parrish an opportunity to revive his career and are hoping he can regain some of his earlier fine form.

Situation in Phoenix:

• In its quest to purchase the Coyotes the NHL has received the support of two key groups.
• Jim Balsillie took all the shots directed his way by the NHL over the past few days in Court in his quest to realize his dream of NHL ownership.

  Balsillie vs. Bettman (Photo: The Canadian Press, via TSN)

• Another big question in Phoenix is will the Great One be at the team’s training camp which opens today?
• The CBC conducted a Q & A on the Coyotes future with experts Richard Powers, associate dean at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto, and Richard McLaren, a University of Western Ontario professor specializing in bankruptcy and sports law, to make sense of what all this means moving forward.
• Of course this all depends on Judge Baum who appears to be in no hurry to make his ruling. 
• However if Balsillie does win the Coyotes for a reported $242.5 million, Dave Perkins of The Star thinks that might be quite the bargain.
• If he is denied an opportunity to purchase Phoenix, then the Canadian Competition Bureau, might go to bat for Mr. Balsillie.

Minor Hockey:

• One of Russia’s best young hockey players will be a Saginaw Spirit this season.
• The Capitals sure have a solid group down in Hershey.
• Checking out the Nashville Predators depth at goalie and who is likely to play for Milwaukee this season.