It’s been a big week for me. New car, new job, and now, much like injured training camp invitee Kyle McLaren, I will not be around for Rangers training camp, either. While he will be failing physicals, I’ll be in lovely Las Vegas for the 2nd year in a row. Got a great deal too. Last year, we paid $120/night for the MGM Grand. This year, we got a nicer hotel for $90/night. Last year, if we wanted the hotel I’m staying at this year, it would’ve been $180/night. Thank you, Internet.

Here’s what I’m hoping for to happen while I’m gone…

• Dany Heatley to finally be traded – and not to the Rangers, unless it’s for Wade Redden, which I think we all know the odds of that happening are less than 1%.
• The Rangers roster to be finalized. Probably not going to happen, but we should have a good picture of it by Friday.
• Blair Betts to have a job in the NHL. Has no GM watched him the past 3 years to see how good he is on faceoffs and on the penalty kill?
• This Phoenix Coyotes situation to be resolved. My ideal resolution: Have them play this year in the same spot since it’s too late to move an entire franchise, but have them play next year in Hamilton, Ontario. Sure, it would kill their attendance this year, but, be honest, who is going to see a bad hockey team play in the desert, anyway?
• Brandon Dubinsky to be signed – and not for $2M. Remember how often he didn’t score last year? I’m sure he’ll have a good year, he’ll be a heart and soul player, and he’ll grow leaps and bounds, but he still has trouble scoring, he isn’t a first-line center, and since the Rangers are tight on Cap room as is, giving him a lot of money would make things very rough come trade deadline day.
• One of the two discount hockey jersey sites I visit gets a Marian Gaborik jersey in so I can buy a new one for under $50.
• My SUV to arrive. (Probably won’t for another month though.)
• Bryan to text me updates if any of the above happen.

Have a good week. See you Saturday.