On the Beat: Jose Theodore doesn’t see himself as backup

What team beat writers are saying this afternoon:

• Ducks prospect Chad Palmieri is impressing at the U.S. Hockey National Evaluation Camp.  This kid has loads of talent, and the violation of team rules he was served with wasn’t anything to look down on him for.
• Arturs Irbe has been named the new goaltending coach in Washington.  He was always very good at overcoming the odds and proving doubters wrong with his strong work ethic, so I’m sure he will become a very good goaltending coach.
• The Blue Jackets have some very nice depth on the right wing heading into the season.  Nash and Voracek is quite a young dynamic top-two combination.
• Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News profiles fourth liner Krys Barch.  I like the profiles of players that aren’t as well known across the NHL.
• The Hockey News has the Habs finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference this upcoming season.  Habs fans are having fun with that on Habs Inside/Out.
• Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record has an interesting one-on-one interview with Jacques Lemaire.  Lemaire sounds impressed with the job Brent Sutter did before him.
• Capitals netminder Jose Theodore doesn’t seem himself as a backup.  Then he should start playing like a starter.