JOTTINGS
• Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford said this past week that he is looking forward to having a full offseason with his teammates. "Just to be here this offseason, to be able to go through the program, go through the meetings, the installs, really sit down and learn this offense and what we're trying to do," he said. "It's a much better situation than showing up here however many days, eight or nine days before the first game last year and trying to learn everything on the fly."
• Vikings Vice President Lester Bagley said the team has taken some of the pressure off its construction schedule for its Eagan facility because of all the planning around next year's Super Bowl. "We decided rather than put pressure on the construction in Eagan, which is roughly going to be finished at the same time, the completion date in Eagan is March 1 and the Super Bowl is February 4, three weeks prior," Bagley said. "Eagan will not be officially opened. It could be close to completed by the Super Bowl, but the Eagan project is one that's coming fast."
• Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said guard Zach LaVine's rehabilitation from a torn knee ligament is progressing. "He has been coming along well, his approach has been terrific," Thibodeau said. "As you know, he's an upbeat guy, but he has put a lot of work into the rehab. And not only the recovery with the ACL, but the things he can do. He's controlling that and doing a lot of weightlifting and he's able to shoot the ball and work on ballhandling and passing drills without a lot of movement."
• Former North Stars player Brian Lawton, who does great analyst work for the NHL Network, was asked why he picked the Blues to beat the Wild in the playoffs, and wasn't surprised when it happened. "Obviously I felt like the St. Louis Blues were a completely different team after Mike Yeo took over," Lawton said. "They just changed some things defensively that I thought really helped them and played to their group. They also found their identity."
