Afternoon Scrum 10/19/09

Some NHL tidbits for ya. Don't forget Sharks vs Rangers tonight on Versus at 7:00.

• Remember Gilbert Brule? Looks like he may finally be rounding into an NHL level player. Dude has 4-3-7 and is a +3 in 7 games. Pretty solid numbers to start the season with. Let Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal fill you in on the nitty-gritty.

• Good news ladies, Blue Jacket's defenseman Mike Commodore's pulled groin looks to be back and ready for action. According to the good folks at the Columbus Dispatch, the only issue remaining is Commodore's conditioning. Learn all you ever wanted to know about Mike Commodore's groin here.

• The Colorado Avalanche are off to a waaaay better than expected start. The Avs are 6-1-1 and sit two points ahead of the Flames for 1st place in the Northwest. I don't think they stand a snowballs' chance in hell of actually making the playoffs, but they are making things interesting for the time being. Part of the surprise in Denver has been the play of rookie C Matt Duchene. So happy are the Avalanche brass with Duchene's play, they have notified his Junior team that he will not be returning.

• The Bruins have traded F Chuck Kobasew to Minnesota for F Craig Weller, a prospect and a 2nd round pick. TSN has the details, for what it's worth.

• You remember the lockout, don't you? Isn't it fair to assume the players remember the lockout too? Why, oh why, then can't the Players Association get their collective heads out of the sand? The most disorganized players union in all of professional sports held a conference call to discuss some rather serious matters recently, only to have 22 teams participate. That's right, the apathy amongst today's players is so high that 8 teams didn't even have a rep on the phone for a conference call. Folks, the current CBA is set to expire in 2010-2011. That is NEXT YEAR. Granted, the Union has the right to extend it for an additional season, but this is the same union I just write cant get players on the phone! They don't even have an elected leader. Darren Dregger has more.