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2026 Training Camp and Preseason Thread

Didn't listen to that ... maybe later ... but it wouldn't shock me if Brind'Amour went pretty light on the vets for Tuesday's game as well. Florida seems to think they've got something to prove in these practice games, but Brindy's never approached them that way. Maybe they'll play an actual D pairing and one line but it wouldn't surprise me to see another Wolves-heavy roster.
 
andyt said:
But…did they add hot water taps in the shower?
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Yes, apparently they had a plumber reconfigure the men's urinal downspouts from the main concourse outside section 109 straight into the visitors locker room shower stalls...should be all ready to go opening night for the Panthers! I might have to drink an extra couple beers on opening night so Gudas and the Tkachuk sisters have enough warm water!
 
Thinking about waivers now that it's starting to get to roster cutting time.

Here's the guys who are waiver exempt:
Nadeau, Unger Sorem, Cerrato, Trikozov, Ryabkin, Lansard, Ekberg
Legault, Nystrom, Badinka, Fransen, Montgomery
Khazheyev

And here's the ones who must be waived to be sent to the minors:
Brind'Amour, Robidas, Jaaska, Neuchev
Joseph, Valimaki, Heimosalmi, Seeley
Primeau, Sawchenko

Goalie is simple ... waive everybody not named Busi or Kochetkov and then carry on with whoever is left. They hedged interest in Primeau with a two year deal, but his performance in Toronto last year might be the best insurance. We'll see. I'd like to see him as G3.

Forwards ... depends on roster spots, really. As limp as KK looked the other night, they may prefer to waive him and send him down just to keep the mope away from the big club. Wouldn't surprise me. Brind'Amour or Jaaska could hold down the 13th slot well enough. You'd assume they'll want an actual offensive player for the Jarvis slot even if it's not a first line job, which puts Nadeau and Robidas in the frame, and maybe Unger Sorem as well. Robidas might be easier to get through waivers in the big camp surge rather than waiting for when he'll be in a smaller group.

D ... Presuming Nikishin is out when it's final roster time, the question is whether or not they want to carry 7 or 8. Joseph can lay both sides, which gives him the edge over Valimaki should it come to choosing. I'd bet Nystrom and Legault start the year in Chicago. Everybody else still needs time in the oven.
 
I think Nadeau should get the nod in Jarvis' absence, but both FUS and Robidas have looked very capable (a nice problem to have).
 
I think the arguments for each are fairly simple ...

Robidas ... pure setup center who plays with a lot of heart and scrap. The only downside is what we've seen during previous NHL callups. He's just too small/light. It's never been clear that he can transition to wing either.

Nadeau ... small guy, decent skill level, fair enough skater, HUGE shot, really solid scoring instincts. Honestly, he's got nothing left to prove at the AHL level. If he's not the guy to fill this roster hole, then they should probably think about moving him while his value is highest. He's a potential difference maker on a power play unit, which goes a long way around this particular roster.

Unger Sorem ... really smart guy, decent size even if not physically aggressive, savvy puck distributor, kind of a popgun shot. IMO, he's an option if they decide to keep the lines like they were and plug a kid into the wing slot next to Aho and Svech. He's a playmaker who's weapon is a sharp, decisive pass. That's a pretty neat fit next to a crash/bang wing and a center who likes to find space and shoot more than he likes to play setup man. Again, has the ability to make a dent on special teams because of his patience and passing.

Honestly, I don't think Robidas is the guy right now, if for no other reason than that the Wolves need a 1C and he's a stretch with the big club. They could also send both Nadeau and Unger Sorem down (waivers not being an issue in either case) and see if they can plug from below. Right now, I'm not sure which option the staff prefer, but it's never risky to bet on Brind'Amour leaning on proven players. They may start that way and then go the younger route if the goals and chances aren't there and/or the power play struggles early on. Personally, I'd like to see Nadeau get the nod.
 
ThinIce said:
I'll bet it feels like that to him, too. I remember Unger Sorum's first appearance was really impressed with has speed and savvy.
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I remember his first camp where we spent several pages trying to figure out why his Swedish/Norwegian parents named him after The Odd Couple, then discussed ourfavorite Odd Couple moments then discover his name has nothing to do with the odd couple. Good times
 
Fayettenamcanesfan said:
I remember his first camp where we spent several pages trying to figure out why his Swedish/Norwegian parents named him after The Odd Couple, then discussed ourfavorite Odd Couple moments then discover his name has nothing to do with the odd couple. Good times
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Yeah, we were having fun comparing his name to Tony Randall's character when he first arrived.
 
Thus far, as expected. The more important of that group are waivers exempt, although it certainly would be nice to get Sawchenko through to Chicago. It would save more casting around the waiver wire for goalies. I suspect the Canes have used up a decade's worth of luck on that front.
 
The shortened pre-season definitely is going to take some getting used to. We play our first regular season game 4 days from now and most of our NHL regulars will have played just 1 game before that?

I suppose it helps that we have no newcomers to break in, that might give us an early advantage over some teams.
 
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