ARRGH: TALKING HOCKEY ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE SUMMER IS SELF-LOATHING WRIT LARGE

• Try not to look so shocked that the news Craig Leipold doesn't want to sell the Predators to Jim Balsillie comes out on the night of the draft, when it's guaranteed to be a secondary story.
  
  (UPDATE, 12:45 p.m. June 23: Damien Cox's take in the Toronto Star seems germane:
  
  "Let's be clear. Bettman doesn't care if the Preds are turned into a hollow shell next season. He cares only about directing them to Kansas City or Las Vegas or some other place that won't care about them very much.
  
  (snip)
  
  "...while confusing reports last night initially indicated Leipold no longer wanted to sell the team to Balsillie, that was mostly Nixonian-like, mean-spirited NHL spin. These guys play for keeps."
  
• The Leafs are better off with Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell and better yet, John Ferguson Jr. is spared from screwing up those draft picks. Pension Plan Puppets has more.)
• Memo to Pierre McGuire: What happened to Maher Arar is unconscionable ; what's happened to Alexei Cherepanov (the Russian who fell to the Rangers with the 17th overall pick is not. You're a smart guy and know a bunch of 10-dollar words. We get it.
• What's with every general manager thanking the fans before their pick? Shorter George McPhee: "Thank you for still supporting us. We're just as surprised as anyone else."
• William Houston, globesports.com: "Changes to Hockey Night in Canada will come sooner than later, according to insiders, the biggest of which will involve announcer Jim Hughson and analyst Greg Millen taking over as the top play-by-play team.
  
  "The return of Bob Cole and Harry Neale appears probable, but in a reduced role. Neale said yesterday he's awaiting final word about his status.
  
  " 'I don't know for sure, so I better not say,' he said. 'But it appears I won't be doing as many games.' "
• Small world: Oilers first-rounder Alex Plante's older brother, Tyler Plante (a goalie whom Florida took in Round 2 in '06), played for the local Triple-A midget team during our first year covering sports for The Daily Graphic in Portage la Prairie four years ago. The coach that season, Dan Bonar, scouted for the WHL's Calgary Hitmen -- Alex Plante's junior team.
• Off Wing has the new red, white and blue Capitals uniforms. Very nice.
• mc79hockey is liveblogging the draft. He's made of stronger and smarter stuff than us.