The T3I Jukebox -- I'm Down

I try to save the music video requests for playing over at my place, The ClownVision Chronicles, but Rob asked politely in the previous post, and we here at T3I like keeping our readers happy. So, by request, here's The Beatles performing "I'm Down."

Aeros roster shaping up

Okay, time for a little roster math. The Wild, by my calculations (feel free to check my list at the end of this post), have 43 players signed to contracts, either one-way or two-way (this does not include guys signed to AHL-only contracts).

The limit for the number of contracts an NHL team can carry per season is 50, so the Wild could sign up to 7 more players before having to unload a contract. I would guess they leave a buffer for late season signings, as well.

As for the Aeros line-up, it's shaping up like this (updates):

RW- Irmen/LW-C-Pouliot/LW-Earl
RW-Milroy/C-Madsen/LW -Kaufman
RW-DiSalvatore/C-Almond/LW -Buck
RW-McMillan/C-Zingoni/LW-Kassian
RW-Kalus
C-Smith


(Some of these guys can play multiple positions... ahem... so it's hard to guess how lines will shake out. Plus, lines don't really matter on a KC-coached team.)

Stoner-Rogers
Sifers-Fraser
Falk-Noreau
Lannon

So, assuming Pouliot (or possibly Gillies, though I'm starting to doubt we'll see him) stays in Houston, and assuming Kalus doesn't bail for Europe when he doesn't make the Wild roster, the Aeros really only have a few more holes to fill. Of course, I mean this strictly in a "warm bodies in roster spots" way; not in a "who's gonna score the goals?" way.

Throw another d-man in there to cover injuries, and maybe 3 more forwards and you've got a team. And just a hunch, but I don't expect to see any of last year's free agents re-signed here this season. And by that I mean, ladies, cherish your Beaudoin memories and find a new hottie to adore. If he hasn't signed here yet, I don't think he's going to.

Bottom line: I don't know much about the new guys, but it's looking like another heavily defensive season, and the Aeros certainly have the quality blue line to pull it off, if perhaps not the goaltending (I still have big doubts about Dimples, though if it's Brusty and Dubie, you're golden).

Also, it seems good teams strive to have the "old guy." The vet who's done his time, maybe in the show, maybe just lots of AHL/Europe/etc. and it appears they don't have that guy yet. Set your prayers to a Hrkac-type rather than a Steve Kelly-type.

To me, this looks like *maybe* a first round and out team.

What do you think?


Guys with NHL contracts

Forwards
Almond
Belanger
Boogaard
Bouchard
Brodziak
Brunette
Clutterbutter
DiSalvatore
Earl
Gillies
Havlat
Irmen
Kalus
Kassian
Koivu
Madsen
McMillan
Miettinen
Milroy
Nolan
Pouliot
Sheppard
Smith
Voloshenko
Weller

Defensemen
Burns
Cuma
Falk
Fraser
Hnidy
Johnsson
Noreau
Rogers
Schultz
Scott
Sifers
Stoner
Zanon
Zidlicky

Goalies
Backstrom
Harding
Dubie
Brust
Khudobin

Mitch Love to Peoria

Thanks to the wonderful world of social networking (i.e. - Facebook), we now know that Mitch Love has joined the St. Louis Blue organization.

They lose Trent Whitfield and gain Mitch Love.
Now the only question is who he'll beat the crap out of at Toyota Center next year.

Who wins the bout between Love and Kassian?

Matt Shaw joins McLellan in San Jose

For Aeros assistant coach and Wild Video Coach Matt Shaw will join the San Jose Sharks as Assistant coach.

This is wonderful news for truly one of the classiest coaches I have ever dealt with. Granted that list isn't all that long, but the timing couldn't be better for Shaw, who is leaving the Wild to take the place of the guy who left to coach the Wild.

For new Aeros fans, Shaw was McLellan's assistant in Houston.

Consider this quote from McLellan from the Sharks' Web site:

"Our policy is to talk to several different people throughout a hiring process but I kept coming back to Matt," explained McLellan during a conference call on Friday. "Next year is a big year for all of us as players and as coaches and he and I have worked together in the past so there is a comfort level. He has tremendous character and a strong ability to interact with the players and coaches."

Meanwhile...Over at the Houston Press

I've got another summary of the Aeros off-season shakeups over at the mothership if you're interested. There's nothing new that you haven't read over here, but it's got everything in one nice post instead of spread throughout several. So give it a read if you want -- it's also a way of letting them know you like the hockey coverage.

Five Questions with (Former Aeros PR guru) Pat Armstrong

In case some of you don't know, the Aeros are losing both Pat Armstrong and Scott Henninger this summer. They both worked in communications.

Pat took a job with a new CHL team in Missouri, and Scott is moving back home (up Nort'). Both worked for the Aeros for two years and will be missed.

Theirs is a thankless job and one that is always under the proverbial microscope. It's almost like working in a fish bowl as everyone gets to see what kind of work you do. Rarely do you get an email to thank you for your work, and more often than not the only feedback you get is negative. Understanding that and dealing with it maturely are the basics of working in PR/Media relations.

Officially, I would like to thank them both for all their help, especially for moving me down press row when nachos and other belly-washer food was being thrown down from idiot kids in the suite above Section 108.

I got a chance to say goodbye to Scott earlier this week and bought him lunch at Little Bigs (great sliders, by the way.) Pat kind of left in a hurry and never said adios. If you are reading this, then I wish you the best in your new endeavor.

In closing, I would like to post a link to a story one of his new Missouri beat writers wrote about him. Five questions with/for Pat Armstrong, I think it is called. I think we should send Pat a list of five questions just for fun. Any suggestions?

Mic'd up with Jamie Fraser

Below is a video of something the Sound Tigers did last year. Some pretty good stuff.
This mic'd up is with new Aeros defenseman Jamie Fraser, who signed a two-way deal not too long ago. Last year at Bridgeport, he had 21 points (7 goals, 21 assists) and was tied for second on the team with a plus/minus rating of plus-13.

FYI ... Ryan Fraser, the referee (he wore No. 14 last year), is Jamie's cousin. Kerry Fraser, Ryan's dad (I guess) is his uncle.
Get all that? There will be a quiz. Seriously though, if this is not right, let us know.

Wade Dubielewicz to sign with Wild

I can confirm that Wade Dubielewicz will sign a contract with the Wild and will compete for the No. 2 goaltending spot with the Wild this fall.

Good news for Aeros fans is that if Josh Harding is not traded, then he will likely be the No. 1 in Houston. But if Harding is traded -- and personally I think this scenario is much, much more likely now -- that means it's up to Brust and Khudobin to man the pipes at Toyota Center.

So in a span of 12 hours, it went from sheer panic (OK, so I kid ... but some people need to chill) to possibly getting Duncan Milroy, Jon DiSalvore, Pete Zingoni and maybe Dubielewicz down in Houston.

My guess is that this is all of the big news for now. But stay tuned.

Aeros/Wild now have depth at forward

UPDATE -- According to the Conn. Post, Zingoni missed most of last season with a broken wrist ... and that comes after a slow start while recovering from a groin injury.

Confirmed:

Jon DiSalvatore (two-way)
Duncan Milroy (two-way)
Pete Zingoni (pictured, AHL deal)

There is also a NHL No. 2 / AHL No. 1 goalie that will sign, but I am waiting for confirmation before I post and look silly.

More to come later tonight ... perhaps Heather, John and Fred could weigh in on what they think.

Personally, I think these are good replacements for the now departed Locke/Kolanos/Schultz (there is no way he is coming back now). In fact, you still get good PP guys and maybe even a little more responsibility on the other side of the puck.

Discuss.

Olvecky To Nashville

And it's official. Peter Olvecky has signed with the Nashville Predators -- it's a two-way, one year contract. So maybe the A.S.S. gang will get to see him.