Reminder – this afternoon I will remove all blue highlights and make it normal font throughout my Fantasy Guide. Each update I make is highlighted in blue, and I update so often that the document is becoming too blue, so I will reset it this afternoon.

FrozenPool section now supports the latest 2009-2010 Exhibition lines and information.

Confirmed – Zherdev has signed a one-year deal with Atlant. Off to the KHL for a year. Will he come back? Does any Russian with talent ever come back? Let’s see…we’re still waiting on Morozov, Zinovjev, Radulov, Perezhogin, Mikhnov…

Chesnokov on Puck Daddy is reporting that a Zherdev deal with Atlant is done. That’s Atlant, not Atlanta. KHL.

The Jackets signed Vermette to a five-year extension worth just under $19 million. Wow – now that is confidence and a good sign that they will use him a lot in their top six and on special teams.

Darren Helm injured his shoulder and will probably miss the season opener in Europe. He won’t miss a lot of games though, perhaps two or three in all, as well as camp.

Sergei Shirokov scored both Vancouver goals in preseason action. As I’ve said since the Guide’s release – he’ll make the team and he’ll find a way to top 40 points this year.

The Sens have made their first cuts – including Brandon Svendsen, Kaspars Daugavins and Jason Bailey.

The Preds are using Wade Belak on defense. This would mean that instead of promoting two or three youngsters on the blue line, you can make that one or two. This also means that instead of two spots up front there will be three. This hurts Blum and Franson, while helping the likes of Spaling, O’Reilly, Hornqvist, Jones, Santorelli and Wilson. I have a full look at the camp situation in Nashville here.

Nikolai Zherdev had reportedly offered to return to the Rangers for $3.25 million, but was turned down. Oopsy. He needs to start looking at signing for $2.75. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, the Thrashers admit they have spoken to him but a deal is not imminent (according to the AJC). There was also a rumor going around again yesterday that he had signed (again) to play in the KHL. I still stick with what I said back in June – expect zero points from him this year.

Ranger fans – welcome to your future. Marian Gaborik was held out of the first day of practice with a “tweaked groin”. I didn’t comment on this news yesterday, as I had a lot on the go in my (successful!) battle with spam in my forum. But now, he has missed a second day – and did not speak to reporters. This is why he is the Executive Committee of my Band-Aid Boys (which, by the way, you can access by clicking “Other Features” on the left menu)

Since I brought it up, that “Other Features” is also where you can find rules for starting your own keeper league, archived ramblings, DobberHockey’s famous funny pics, etc. It pays to sniff around the site every so often! I wish I could cram all this gold onto the navigation menu, but I want to reduce the clutter there.

Back to the Rangers (you NYR fans are getting spoiled today). Brandon Dubinsky apparently wants to attend camp without a contract, but the team will not let him. Larry Brooks gives a great perspective on the situation here. I think Dubinsky will be signed in time for training camp and as such I won’t be considering an alternative for the No.1 center right now. It’s him.

Not drifting very far from New York… on Long Island, Rick DiPietro took some shots Monday. I do not expect him in the lineup until November at best.