Monday notes

Not too much this morning.....just a couple articles is all. There should be cuts made around the league today after a big slate of preseason play over the weekend, so hopefully we'll see more news as the day goes on. (UPDATE: Brandon cuts two, while Prince Albert cuts one vet.)

In the meantime, here's the few things I found. And since it looks like I'll have some time today, I'm going to update the roster lists with another note for each team which indicates which of their players are still away at NHL camps. I'll keep that updated too as NHL cuts start being made in the next couple days.

Piece on Zach Boychuk in the Lethbridge paper today. That's two stories on him in the last three days.

A profile of Wacey Hamilton from the Medicine Hat paper. Hamilton was acquired by the Tigers in an offseason trade with Vancouver.

Thirdly, a look at Giants overage candidate Mike Wuchterl's attempts to make the team.

And from the High River (AB) paper, a story on the Hitmen's Riley Merkley and his decision to walk away from the WHL rather than play as an overager this year.

Another article here on Everett's Vitaly Karamnov at Oilers rookie camp. He was projected as a first round pick? Really? And nobody picked him in the entire draft because of concerns about his Russian contract situation? I think there is some hyperbole in here for sure....not a single NHL team used even an 7th round pick on a guy who supposedly could have been a first rounder? Not a chance. I know concerns about Russian players and their Russian contracts are valid ones, but two things to consider here: first, no way 30 teams pass seven times each on a first-round talent while they're using picks on the Garrett Klotzes of the hockey world. Even if he had a contract in Russia, somebody would have used at least a late round pick on him just to own his rights in the event the contract situation resolved itself. Secondly, at the moment Russian contracts are worthless since there is no transfer agreement in place between the NHL and the Russian federation. Remember Evgeni Malkin? All he had to do to get out of his Russian contract last year was give two weeks notice to his Russian club, and he was free to join the Penguins. Meanwhile, you have players with valid NHL contracts, like the Flames' Andrei Taratukhin, able to walk away from those deals and sign in Russia because there is no transfer agreement. So forget this stuff about a contract preventing Karamnov from being a first rounder, or even being picked at all. We'll see how he does in Everett....if he is truly a first round talent, he should be lighting it up when the season starts.

And not WHL related, but here's a story of a kid in the QMJHL with some tough decisions to make. Regardless of whether you are a person of strong faith yourself, you have to admire the kid's determination to do both.