2024 Training Camp Thread
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This is true. The only variable will be the few AHL guys and mixing and matching the lines beyond the Nadeau/Unger Sorum/Blake line.
Some line mixing in the AHL group today. The Nadeau/Unger Sorum/Blake line was broken up, as they were during Tuesday’s game. Morrow is once again absent as is Gagner.
Jaaska-Unger Sorum-Gunler
Trikozov-Suzuki-Blake
Slavin-Brind'Amour-Grimaldi
Nadeau-Robidas
Seeley-Heimosalmi
Fensore-Honka
Legault-Montgomery
Stillman
Jaaska-Unger Sorum-Gunler
Trikozov-Suzuki-Blake
Slavin-Brind'Amour-Grimaldi
Nadeau-Robidas
Seeley-Heimosalmi
Fensore-Honka
Legault-Montgomery
Stillman
CanadaCanes
Well-known member
Nikishin as your seventh defenseman just sounds peachy to me!!! Get it done!
Yeah, I don't think Morrow was ever going to be the 7th D on the big club. They signed Stillman to be that guy, I'm pretty sure. If he's banged up the next in line would probably be Smith ... maybe Ryan.
The general idea with Morrow is to get him ready for the Top 6 next season ... ours or somebody else's. Problem being that with Boom coming next year and only Burns moving out, you've still got two right sided vets signed for multiple years. I'm hoping Morrow can eventually shove his way into the mix for the Canes, but if not you want him good and seasoned so you can get a good return for him.
The general idea with Morrow is to get him ready for the Top 6 next season ... ours or somebody else's. Problem being that with Boom coming next year and only Burns moving out, you've still got two right sided vets signed for multiple years. I'm hoping Morrow can eventually shove his way into the mix for the Canes, but if not you want him good and seasoned so you can get a good return for him.
Unless either Boom or Morrow can play their off side with Orlov also departing. And I think Chatty played a bit on his off side last year but under very limited circumstances?
Both Walker and Ghost have played a fair amount on their off side, as has Orlov. In fact he's spent about as much time on the right as on the left. I thought he actually played better last season when he was on the right side, albeit infrequently and always with Skjei. Chatfield has always looked like a bit of a lost puppy to me on his weak side. From what I understand, Morrow never played LD in college. No idea about Boom, but Russians tend to mix it up in development. So, maybe. We're starting to move back into that weird "too many RD" territory again. I swear this is the only freaking NHL franchise that ever seems to have that issue.
Early on it looks to me like Blake has separated himself from the other young forwards and probably has the best shot to break into the big club should the club decide to keep a young forward. That said, Roslovic has apparently had a strong camp as well ... which kind of limits their opportunities.
No changes to the C1 group today, although Ryan left early after tweaking something. RBA said they’ll see where that leads.
Jarvis - Aho - Roslovic
Svechnikov - Kotkaniemi - Necas
Martinook - Staal - Carrier
Lemieux - Drury - Robinson/Jost
Slavin - Burns
Orlov - Chatfield
Gostisbehere - Walker
Smith - Ryan
Andersen | Kochetkov
Jarvis - Aho - Roslovic
Svechnikov - Kotkaniemi - Necas
Martinook - Staal - Carrier
Lemieux - Drury - Robinson/Jost
Slavin - Burns
Orlov - Chatfield
Gostisbehere - Walker
Smith - Ryan
Andersen | Kochetkov
Yeah. Barring injury, I think that's pretty much where they're heading for the roster. Robinson, Jost and Lemieux slug it out to avoid being the 13th forward and Smith, Ryan and Stillman (should he rejoin the group) slug it out to be the 7th D. I don't think they keep a young forward unless they force their way into the Top 9 and I don't think any of the young D were ever making this roster so long as the vets were healthy. If Carrier can't get healthy then maybe one of the young forwards might get a spell on the roster to open the season ... maybe. Knowing Brindy, if any of the kids have a real shot, then he'll give them some chances with the vets in the last couple of pre season games.
Stillman has been in a yellow jersey the entire camp. It would probably take something catastrophic happening to Smith and Ryan for him to make the team at this point. Same with Morrow, whatever chance he had of sticking with the Canws has evaporated with all the practice time he’s missed. I also don’t see a spot for Blake, as good as he’s been, unless Roslovic slides down to the bottom 6. And it sounds like they really like Carrier on Staal’s line, so he’d have to go all the way down to Drury’s line.
Yeah, I'm thinking a Carrier injury is about the only shot Blake would have. Which is fine. Go have a great learning year in the A and we'll see what next year looks like. I doubt Carolina goes so heavy on the bottom 6 again after this season ... because I'm FAR from convinced this whole thing is gonna work like they think it will.
Bottom line ... I think KK is KK and that Drury just isn't a top 6 player and thus at some point they're gonna be shopping for a center. Probably by early January. That will fundamentally shift stuff around and I don't think you can get by with a dedicated checking line as bereft of scoring as Carolina's will be anymore. Not without also getting some scoring from the 4th line, which also looks highly unlikely. That 2nd line HAS to pop and I think the mix is all wrong.
CanadaCanes
Well-known member
FWIW Ty Smith as your seventh defenseman is downright scary when you think about how easy it is to get defensemen nicked up in this league in your starting six...Ty Smith is a shrimp and basically AHL fodder...hell, go find a more capable seventh DMan on waivers over that guy. I thought a guy like Riley Stillman was a very capable seventh defenseman if he would have been able to compete in camp for a spot. Lots of cuts coming in the next week or so around the league, hopefully the Canes have a Plan B for someone other than Smith in that role if they might find something better between now and then.
I mean, Stillman's just hurt ... not dead. And Ryan is a more traditionally sized D-man even if he's not huge. If Smith sits around the press box for awhile, I doubt it's gonna be all that big a deal. Heck, it may end up being Ryan at the 7th D or they might park Stillman on IR and just go with 6 for bit. Especially if it looks like he would be ready for that first extended road trip. Smith and Ryan are more on the depth chart to lend some veteran presence to the Wolves than for what they offer to the big club.
Morrow is in the ice with the C2 group. Jost has joined this group too, but Grimaldi is missing so could be temporary.
Jost - Robidas - Blake
Nadeau - Suzuki - Gagner
Jo. Slavin - Brind'Amour - Jaaska
Trikozov - Unger Sorum - Gunler
Honka - Legault
Stillman - Montgomery
Seeley - Morrow
Fensore - Heimosalmi
Martin | Perets | Khazheyev
Jost - Robidas - Blake
Nadeau - Suzuki - Gagner
Jo. Slavin - Brind'Amour - Jaaska
Trikozov - Unger Sorum - Gunler
Honka - Legault
Stillman - Montgomery
Seeley - Morrow
Fensore - Heimosalmi
Martin | Perets | Khazheyev
Peter Harrold was promoted to Director of Player Development. He had previously been Defenseman Development Coach. I took a look at the staff directory on the Canes website. Did we know that Sergei Samsonov left? And Kevin McCarthy is listed as a development coach. That’s not our old Kevin McCarthy, who followed Lavi from job to job, is it?