The Fantasy Guide can be picked up online in pdf form for $9.99 – it comes with an updated spreadsheet – free. Updates are all free, download as often as you’d like. Last update was Sept.5. And the gap between that update and the next one is the biggest it will ever be – because going forward that gap shrinks quickly until the updates are practically daily by the end of the month.

I love that about September. I could have more material for updating the Guide between noon and 1pm on September 26 than I have from the entire last six weeks.

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Here is the latest on Alex Pietrangelo talks (hint: they have broken off and he will not be in camp as it opens). At this point – keep him where he is on your draft lists. Do not move him down unless the season starts tomorrow.. These things change in a hurry and the most he would possibly miss is five or six games.

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This is ridiculous. Crazy good. Brendan Ross with the homerun swing here. Did you see his ramblings yesterday?If you read his ramblings, your research on all the fantasy relevant players in prospects tournaments is complete (other than the Penticton tournament – you can only watch and track so many tournaments at once!). It starts and ends there.

EDIT: Brendan here, ask and you (usually) will receive. Posted more ramblings today linking you to news on the Young Stars Tournament in Penticton, BC featuring prospects from Canucks, Oilers, Flames, Jets and Sharks. Enjoy!

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My THN article from yesterday is the offseason report for two pretty unpopular teams with very little fan following or media attention. But hopefully some people read it anyway. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vancouver Canucks. The final article of my offseason outlooks will be up on Thursday, as I go back to twice weekly again for the season.

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Speaking of the Leafs, they signed Nazem Kadri. I know, right? Of the remaining restricted free agents, he was the last on my list in terms of who will sign next. I had him pegged as the last to sign and even miss some regular season games. But nope. His contract is for two years at a very reasonable $5.8 million.

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Did you read the latest Hockey News? On page 13 you’ll notice an article “Fantasy Fun, Real Results” and in the picture the gentleman is wearing a DobberHockey shirt. That’s Rick Wakeman, known as “Shoeless” in the forum (24,000 posts and counting). He’s in Cambodia doing work for the Cambodian Diabetes Association. The article is about how he and Calvin Wang (“cdubb” in the forum) have worked to save lives – and they got together through our forum. Furthermore, the community in the forum actually cobbled together – without really any solicitation just pure goodness of the heart – $1400 to donate to the cause. It goes to a community where $5 would literally save a life. Anyway, the article (written by former DobberHockey writer Ryan Van Horne) made me feel good about the community here. Kudos to Rick for his efforts.

Rick emailed me last night and updated me. I’ll quote part of the email (the two he refers to – “Ryan” is Ryan Ma a former writer here and “Gain” is Gain Learn, known as “Gainerama” in the forum):

“Ryan and Gain sent me enough money (over$600 USD) combined to essentially save the life of a 14 year old boy in the Cambodia jungle, who was by a fluke identified with having Type 1 diabetes.  Normally a death sentence, as they usually go untreated due to poverty in the family, Ryan and Gain have taken care of all this kid’s medical supplies, transportation and even a cell phone for calling the doctor if he gets in trouble managing his diabetes.”

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Brad Boyes has been invited to Florida’s training camp. It’s so odd that Dan Cleary gets a sure deal for nearly $9 million over three years, but Brad Boyes and Mason Raymond get camp invites. Are Cup rings really worth so much? After a terrible year, Cleary did have a strong playoff. But still, he’s approaching 35 and is slowing down. Boyes and Raymond are slowing down as well, but at their age they can still bounce back. It’s the fantasy GM in me that covets the upside, I guess.

The Flyers haven’t officially signed Cleary yet because they need to do some cap juggling. I suspect that as camp hits, some teams are going to be doing some moves to fix their cap situation and then a whole slew of signings will be announced – signings that actually happened weeks earlier.

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With Kadri signed, I’m seeing rumblings that Derek Stepan is the next toughest to put pen to paper. Regardless of him settling for $3 million, the Rangers need to clear that kind of room.

And Bob McKenzie said on Twitter last night that Cody Franson and the Leafs are not close. Which is the opposite of what I heard last week. Ah well.

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Tim Thomas has reportedly been invited to several training camps, among them the Florida Panthers. Which one will he take? If I’m him, I take Florida. Opportunity for the short term and you get the nice weather as you wind down your career.

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Some recent camp invites of minor note:

Garnet Exelby, Max Sauve – Anaheim

Wade Brookbank – Chicago

Jed Ortmeyer – Florida

Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Tom Kostopoulos – Pittsburgh

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Claude Julien indicated that he plans to try Jarome Iginla with David Krejci, and Loui Eriksson with Patrice Bergeron. I don’t care about this stuff, but a lot of fantasy fanatics do. Myself, I think that one line is as good another as long as it’s in the top six. The only teams that this truly matters are – Washington, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and the Islanders. The 26 other teams, well, one linemate is as good as another in the top six.

And soon I’ll be adding a fifth team to that list – Colorado. Because of Nathan MacKinnon.

Actually, since the Penguins have two elite centers I can probably exclude them. I mean really, what do I care if my guy is playing with Crosby or if he’s playing with Malkin?

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Nothing spectacular, but it’s hockey highlights from two days ago so I’m happy. Valeri Nichushkin PP goal: