We’ve got a great new podcast with San Jose Mercury News columnist Mark Purdy this week. He shares some great locker room stories about San Jose Sharks players past and present, and of course we speculate on the offseason moves. Very insightful and fun interview. Check it out.

I’m a teacher by trade. I know, shocking that I don’t my living writing semi-witty barbs about oversized Russian defensemen. So, starting this week I am spending my mornings with my new coffee maker (Hamilton Beach Brewstation rocks my world), the Mercury News sports page and my hockey girlfriend, Deb Placey. Deb is the new host of NHL Live, the all-hockey talk festival broadcast live on the NHL Network and Satellite radio. She has replaced the rock of the program, Don LaGreca, who had to leave due to commitments to ESPN Radio (DAMN YOU ESPN!). Those of you who are regular readers know that NHL Live is how Mike and I met E.J. Hradek, who is an occasional co-host on NHL Live. Deb and E.J. are interesting together – but the assortment of other co-hosts teamed with my little Debbie spells televison boredom. Billy Jaffe can be good, but he rambles about cooking and grilling – who are you, #$%&’ing Paula Deen? Jim Dowd – boring. Rob Simpson – thinks he’s funny. Sam Rosen – god awful. I hope that the NHL Network can figure out a new arrangement going into next season. I’m pulling for a permanent team of Deb and E.J (who also has scheduling problems thanks to ESPN) – but if they can’t recapture the chemistry that E.J and LaGreca had, this show could be on thin ice.

Ah – who am I kidding. I’ll watch anyways.

In semi-Sharks related news, formers Sharks player Tony Granato finally got the axe after flapping in the breeze while the Avs courted Patrick Roy. Granato got shafted like Eminem at the MTV Movie Awards. (My Poop-En-Sack. Ich bin Bruno!) – what a joke. The Avs did a total makeover of their coaching staff and front office because their team sucks and they have no help coming on the horizon – their AHL team, Lake Erie, was one of the worst teams in the AHL this year. How the Colorado franchise treated Tony Granato was completely classless. First of all, the fact that they brought him back behind the bench was stupid in the first place. Then to openly court Roy in front of his face after he had to coach one of the worst rosters in the NHL without a reliable goalie is also totally weak.

So, I have a proposal, Sharks fans. If current Assistant Coach Todd Richards ends up in Minnesota, which it sounds like the gig is between him, Craig MacTavish and Peter Laviolette, then I think Doug Wilson and McLellan should seriously consider bring Granato home to San Jose, allowing him to recapture some dignity, and giving him an Assistant Coaching gig or if they prefer to bring Ricci to the bench, give him Ricci’s old job. Tony Granato doesn’t deserve this. He’s a great hockey guy who has been made to look like a patsy by a loser franchise. The Sharks can do the right and pick up a guy when he’s down. Don’t be shocked if Tony Granato is part of the organization in 2009-10.