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FlightZone: Jonathan Toews Speaks, Says Little

While speaking on TSN 1290's Hustler and Lawless show, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews didn't-but-totally-did talk about the Patrick Kane situation:

He didn't say a whole heck of a lot there, which is to be expected. As we waltz into September, we may see a steady stream of Blackhawks reactions to the Kane question, and I'd expect them to all be equally bland.

And now the news.

Central Division

In a shocking development, there is apparently context to those Antti Raanta 'I cheer for Nashville' quotes from yesterday. Long story short, he was frustrated but got over it. Note to athletes: telling media how you actually felt in the moment is probably a mistake. (CSN Chicago)

When I first heard Claude Lemieux had committed to this year's Avs-Wings alumni game, I'm sure I wasn't alone in my first reaction: "Is Darren McCarty playing? Please tell me McCarty is playing." Thankfully, he reportedly is. (MLive)

Former Avs defenceman Cory Sarich isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet on his hockey career. His openness to playing in the AHL is what gives me some hope for his chances, though not much. (Calgary Herald)

The Minnesota Wild have hired ex-Oilers goalie guru Frederic Chabot to be the organization's goaltender development coach. I have no idea how related to Dubnyk this hiring really is, but Bob Mason is still his goalie coach with the big club. Also, Cliff Fletcher isn't currently inclined to bring vets to camp on PTOs, which is a thing. (StarTribune)

It sounds as though Shea Weber spent the summer staring at his ceiling, slipping slowly into madness: "I spent a long summer thinking about that playoff series and what could have been". The Perds-Blackhawks rivalry should be a fun one in 2015-16. (Predators.NHL)

Sunaya Sapurji gives us an important Nik Ehlers tidbit of information: "Ehlers said he is no longer under contract with the Mooseheads, but the team still holds his North American rights. So in the event he doesn’t make the Jets, he'd be able to play in Europe." (Buzzing the Net)

And All The Rest

Surprisingly enough, it's not all that proper for a judge to use their hockey "knowledge" when deciding a case. Possibly the worst part is that some of the judge's hockey assumptions weren't all that great to begin with. (Yahoo! Sports)

The fallout from Brad Marchand's offseason elbow surgery will be interesting to follow. He couldn't do his regular offseason training, which is bad, but unlike last season his 2015-16 should be pain-free, which is good. (NHL)

Even though he felt secure with a full no-trade clause, Dennis Seidenberg did not take kindly to trade rumours featuring his name. Which is understandable and all, but their defence is still kind of questionable. (Boston Herald)

Leaf Trading Cards announced an exclusive autograph deal with "super prospect" Jack Eichel. According to the press release, Leaf CEO Brian Gray says "This is easily the most lucrative autograph trading deal for any rookie in the history of the sport." Are there any autograph hounds among the AIH readership? (LTC)

Calgary GM Brad Treliving clearly has a good sense of humour. His response on what was holding up a deal with still-unsigned RFA Micheal Ferland? "Just money and term". (Calgary Sun)

Speaking of Calgary, they've invited former Colorado defenceman Ryan Wilson to camp. Yet another player whose career has been ravaged by injuries, hopefully he still has enough in the tank to earn a contract with the Flames or elsewhere, even if it's "just" a two-way. (Matchsticks & Gasoline)

Michael Smith answered Twitter questions regarding the Carolina Hurricanes, including about where newly hired scout Ray Whitney will be based out of, and where he believes Derek Ryan will start the season. (Tracking the Storm)

LA Kings forward Milan Lucic is already opining about how awesome it would be to play for the Vancouver Canucks. One thing at a time Milan; we haven't even seen you play for LA yet. (The Score)

After being released from Seal Beach Police Detention Center, LA Kings defenceman Slava Voynov is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That Christian Ehrhoff contract increasingly seems like a good idea. (The Score)

And finally, considering his near-completely hobbled 2014-15, it's fantastic to hear that Dmitry Orlov is healthy and raring to go. He and Nate Schmidt could make some real sweet music together on the Caps' 3rd pairing. (CSN Mid-Atlantic)

Thanks for reading!

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