Currently the NHL are running a research and development camp whereby they try different tweaks to the game to try spice it up and keep it attractive to its fans. That has to be congratulated. It’s good to see a sport that always wants to improve and keep making itself better. A number of things being trailed have been interesting if not bizarre and some even left us asking why they haven’t been thought of already. James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail has been writing about the camp and today wrote of one element being looked at at the camp – goal scoring.

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Max Talbot, covered himself in glory this week by speaking his mind with regards to his opinion on Alex Ovechkin in a manor not seen since the early 90’s when I was in my primary school playground. It was during a promotional interview for the outdoor classic game next season between his team and Ovechkin’s team, Washington, that he gave his thoughts on the leagues best player.

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This whole Kovalchuk thing is getting ugly. A few weeks ago I reported on here that Kovalchuk had signed with New Jersey only for that report that I had taken to be close to fact, to turn out to be nonsense. Kovalchuk was still pimping himself out to Los Angeles as well as New Jersey to see which city on either side of the country would give him the best deal. Either that or he was just taking his time to see whether the water was warmer in the Atlantic or over in the Pacific.

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So after live blogging throughout the 1 July on the NHL free agency in what turned out to be a very busy day but also in the hope of breaking live where one of the biggest names in NHL free-agency history, Ilya Kovalchuk ended up we had to wait five full days for the Russian to make up his mind. Lucky I wasn’t patient enough to live blog until then for I’d be out of a job by now if I did sit waiting. According to reports yesterday the Russian sniper second only to Alexander Ovechkin in goals since the lockout signed a seven-year, $60 million contract with the New Jersey Devils were he finished last season after a trade deadline deal from Atlanta on 4 February 2010.

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NHL legendary fighter and enforcer, Bob Probert died today, aged 45, after he collapsed on his boat on Monday afternoon on Lake St. Clair and was declared dead at hospital. Probert scored 163 goals and 221 assists, and an incredable 3,300 penalty minute in his 935 career games in the NHL.

The best way I can sum up Bob Probert is with the words I posted on Facebook upon hearing of his death this afternoon.

“RIP Bob Probert. Greatest fighter in the history of the NHL. Died aged 45. A guy that epitomised the other side of the beautiful game of hockey.”

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The NHL free agency window opens today – 1 July 2010 – and everyone out of contract is not eligible to sign wherever they like. For that reason it’s likely to be one of the busiest days in the NHL calendar. Follow live updates from myself and various other NHL big hitting analysts and jouros on Twitter, right here.

So as expected Taylor Hall beat out Tyler Segun for the first overall pick in the NHL this year as Hall was selected by the Edmonton Oilers to be their face of the future. An awful team last year, hampered in parts by injuries to their best players, came in dead last in the NHL standings and got the first overall pick. Hall was the big favorite to go number one but with a real need for a good young centre man there was rumors that the Oilers might yet go for Seguin. As it turns out they did what you’re supposed to do when drafting teenagers – go for the best available player and ignore the positional need.

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