Numbers at informal practices increase.

Brent Johnson, Jose Theodore, Karl Alzner, Brooks Laich, Boyd Gordon, Nicklas Backstrom, Donald Brashear, Shaone Morrisonn, David Steckel, John Erskine, Chris Clark, Matt Bradley, and Michael Nylander were all skating at Kettler yesterday. That's about half the team, they seem excited to get the season started.

Tarik has an update on Nylander.

Also Backstrom has apparently gotten a hair cut.