Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
• Easy ways to tell you might be purchasing an NHL knockoff jersey: 1. It's produced for a game that hasn't even been formally announced yet; 2. It costs $38. [More from Philly Sports Daily; reader Pat H. sends over this Giroux jersey image that doesn't have the new Reebok word mark.]
• After the Chicago Blackhawks cut ties with Chris Campoli, his agent said there's been immediate interest in his client's services: "There's not a lot of puck-moving free agents that are available and certainly not within his age category." [USA Today]
• After the Brandon Dubinsky signing, the cap situation for the New York Rangers: "Discounting the $6.5 million hit for Wade Redden that eventually will be taken off the books one way or another before the season starts, the Rangers have $6,439,666 left under the cap to sign Callahan and add a sixth defenseman." [NYDN]
• Washington Capitals defenseman Tom Poti's agent said he's working hard this summer to prepare for the start of his season on long-term injured reserve … er, on the Caps' blue line. [Capitals Insider]
• Meanwhile, here's a good breakdown of the Capitals' Poti predicament. [Japers' Rink]
• Tomas Kaberle's day with the Stanley Cup may or may not have taken place at Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament. [Globe & Mail]
• Scott Burnside on the lack of offer sheets: "Well, the answer is pretty obvious -- because it's futile. It has been that way throughout the history of the offer sheet, and it remains so even though the salary cap and internal budgets suggest these are fertile times for plundering other teams' players." [ESPN]
• Katie Strang makes the case that the New York Islanders should make a huge splash with an acquisition before the Aug. 1 referendum on a new arena. Like, perhaps, trading for a big-ticket already under contract? Novel concept. [Newsday]
• By the way, allow us to become the 10,000th people today pointing out the utter [expletive] irony in the band that gave us "Don't Fear The Reaper" playing at a rally to basically save the Islanders. More cowbell, indeed. [Islanders]
• If you're looking for in-depth analysis of Alex Ovechkin's alleged beer gut, look no further. And by that we mean posture diagrams from a 1960s physical education film strip. [Alex Ovetjkin]
• Nashville Predators defenseman Francis Bouillon has his post-concussion symptoms return, and he's ended his workouts. [On The Forecheck]
• Are the Buffalo Sabres going deep or log-jammin'? [Dave Davis]
• Interesting look at whether burning off entry level contract years for young players for the sake of NHL experience is a good idea. [Lighthouse Hockey]
• We want to make sweet, tender love to NHL 12. [Game Trailers]
• "Prized prospect Brandon Shea, a 16-year-old center from Marshfield, Mass., will join the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season, New England Hockey Journal confirmed Tuesday night, and will forgo a roster spot with the U.S. National Team Development Program and a Boston College scholarship." [Hockey Journal]
• Congrats to Rob Kerr, the new play-by-play voice of the Calgary Flames. [Herald]
• Dave Checketts says that the St. Louis Blues will have a new majority owner in place by the start of the season. [STLToday]
• Litter Box Cats looks at a name that used to mean something about the Florida Panthers' future but has been a forgotten man this offseason: Shawn Matthias. [LBC]
• Don Meehan on whether sports agents have an image problem: "I think some of them do, and they should really have an image problem. But you know what? I have a great deal of respect for the medical profession, and I don't think our society recognizes the invaluable services that our medical profession provides — and yet, there are bad doctors on occasion. It doesn't detract from my respect for the medical profession … So, as far as agents are concerned, there are some very good agents and there are some competitors that I respect very, very much. And yet, there are some agents who I think aren't qualified, and I suspect their business practices are less than noble. And they do create a bad image for our industry at large." [National Post]
• Finally, some stick maintenance on the bench: