Some exciting news down the pipe today – we have partnered up with the Draft Buddy to bring you Dobber’s Draft Buddy App for the iPhone.

The app ranks players according to Dobber’s projections, and you can update and change your list with each pick in real time during the draft.

Data will be updated constantly by the Dobber.  And can be instantly downloaded from the app at any time.

The next version of app due in early September will allow you to view player detail including injury notes and general note.

Email [email protected] with ANY questions.  Or post on the forums and we will try to get to it quickly.

I have a hunch that Shane Doan doesn’t finish the season in Phoenix. The Coyotes are going to struggle in the Pacific, and he’ll be a highly sought after commidity around the deadline.

If Selanne retires, three players to watch for – Kyle Palmieri, Devante Smith Pelly, and Andrew Gordon. One of them will likely get a top six spot.

I apologize for referring to Winnipeg as Atlanta yesterday. Hope that is the only time I have to say that this season…

Why I like the Kings so much – strength down the middle (with Vancouver and Pittsburgh as the best center depth in the league), franchise forward, franchise defenseman, great shutdown defensemen, and a fantastic goaltender. The Kings also have a nice collection of role players, and a few potential sleepers (Parse and Loktionov, most notably).

Right now, I’d put them with Detroit and Chicago just a shade below Vancouver and San Jose in the West. I think the Hawks are going to miss Brian Campbell (the player, not the contract) more than many people realize.

Five comeback players to watch for in 2011-12 – my contribution to Red Light District Hockey.

First, a piece of advice – unless you have some top secret insider information, now is NOT the time to trade Sidney Crosby. Unless he retires at some point within the next few months, his value will never ever (ever) be lower. I've received a handful of emails asking about potential Crosby trades – there is zero chance you are going to get fair value for him, right now.

The always hilarious Kurtenbloggers chat with Puck Daddy regarding their guilty pleasures in the game of hockey.

The 2011-12 DobberHockey Fantasy Guide was updated on August 23^rd. The Goalie Rankings will be updated as soon as Goalie Post subscriptions go on sale – which should be by the end of this week or Monday at the latest.

I contributed towards the Canucks Annual that will hit newsstands in September in Vancouver and surrounding areas. The guide is also available at Maple Street Press.

Six high profile restricted free agents are still out there. My thoughts:

Doughty – I think a deal gets done after camp, but before the first game of the season. I'm sure he's been training on his own, but missing camp (potentially) doesn't bode well for the start of the season.

Schenn – I'd expect a deal to get done soon. I hope Mike Komisarek isn't used as a starting off point! (I know, different situations…)

Turris – if the Coyotes don't sign him, their top three centers are Hanzal, Boyd Gordon, and Nokelainen. Ouch. He'll get a deal done (likely short term) soon.

Marchand – was his fantastic spring a one-and-done, or does he have the upside to be a 60-70 point winger? I think that is the point of contention between the two sides. I'd look for a compromise – a one year deal and a chance for Marchand to do it all again.

A good read on the forward situation in Nashville – there is a lot of ice time to replace with some of the outgoing forwards.

From the above piece:

"Bergfors strikes me as someone who might be able to step right into Sully’s old role; a “shootist” first and foremost, and someone whose goal-scoring might be due for a rebound after a criminally cold scoring stretch in Florida (scoring just one goal on 53 shots over 20 games). He was as cold as Sergei Kostitsyn was hot last year, and both should come back to the middle. If he earns the coaching staff’s confidence and gets the opportunity (and let’s be honest, that is a legitimate concern), Bergfors can fill a big hole on the wing.

Given the production which Dumont provided in a limited role, it’s not hard to see one of the kids (Geoffrion, Halischuk, whoever) being able to replace that.

My concern, however, is more on what Goc & Ward provided to the Preds. A healthy Mike Fisher is certainly nice, but remember, Goc was done for the year shortly after Fisher arrived in trade, so we know how the depth down the middle looks. If Cal O’Reilly’s return is looked at as a boost, he’ll need to step up his game, and he may have that opportunity if guys like Fisher, Legwand and Smithson get called upon for the defensive zone work, freeing up Cal for the offensive chances."

Congrats to Harrison Mooney of the blog Pass it to Bulis on becoming an Associate Editor with the Puck Daddy team. I've done some writing work with Harrison before – he's a solid guy. I'm excited to see what he can bring to one of the best sites on the internet.

San Jose extended Logan Couture's contract for two years (at a cap hit of less than $3 million per). Great move for the Sharks. It remains to be seen who Couture plays with this season (likely Clowe and one of Havlat or Pavelski), but he's the real deal.

An absolute snipe from Couture last season:

Steve Dangle checks out the BioSteel camp – loving the mullet Stamkos is rocking: