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The 2017-2018 Training Camp / Pre-Season Thread

Jeremy

Jeremy

Well-known member
With the rookie tournament coming up, thought we should have a place to post before the season starts in a few weeks.

Let's go Auston, Mitch, Willy, Mo and the rest! Looking forward to an epic season! :pepper
 
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Re: The 2017-2018 Pre-Season Thread

Can a mod plz retitle this thread "The 2017-2018 Training Camp/Pre-Season Thread"?

Thanks.
 
Re: The 2017-2018 Pre-Season Thread

Lots of interesting things going into the training camp.

There are just too many ****ing forwards. It is hard to see how they start the season without trading at least one forward. JVR is the most obvious candidate but they may move others just to ease the logjam if they don't have a good deal for him. Gotta figure Maleau is JVR's replacement.

They aren't waiving Leivo and Kapanen is ready. Soshnikov looks like a decent inducement for a trade deal. Grundstrom looks like an ideal replacement for soon-to-be UFA Komarov. Andreas Johnsson is knocking as well.

Only the Leivo situation demands urgent action though.

The blueline has a nice battle for the bottom pair. Demott is probably penciled in for the left side. Seems like a competition for the bottom RD and depth spot.
 
Re: The 2017-2018 Pre-Season Thread

Which means he's on the team if healthy.

Interesting.
 
There's a chance he's not even healthy, and they're just letting him rehab in-house (since they're responsible for his rehab anyways, as he was injured while under contract to them).
 
Here's the training camp roster. Polak's really the only name that's somewhat of a surprise:



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I don't really hate Polak being back either. We're low on right-handed defensemen, and on defensemen who can provide a bit of sandpaper to the lineup, and Polak checks both of those boxes. If he shows in camp that he's healthy and ready to play, and if you could sign him for a Dominic Moore-ish 1 year/$1M deal, he'd be fine as either a depth guy or our 3rd pairing RHD.
 
Polak at camp is perfectly fine, he actually played very well in 2nd half of last season and in the playoff (until he went down)

I just hope he doesn't get the inside track if the other candidates have a better camp ... which I am not too worried about given how Babs & Lou seem to have no problem ditching the vets if the young guys are ready
 
number17 said:
Polak at camp is perfectly fine, he actually played very well in 2nd half of last season and in the playoff (until he went down)

I just hope he doesn't get the inside track if the other candidates have a better camp ... which I am not too worried about given how Babs & Lou seem to have no problem ditching the vets if the young guys are ready
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Yep, exactly. I really have no worries on that front, particularly after last year.

Any veteran player in the lower half of our depth chart that doesn't win a spot, isn't going to get a spot.

I think that extends to our forwards, too. If a guy like Kapanen comes in and he's too good to deny a spot to, then they'll find a way to fit him into the lineup, one way or the other.
 
The only guys who may get a priority treatment would be the UFAs we signed - so Hainsey and Marleau no doubt, but Rosen and Borgman to a lesser extent as well. Everything else being equal, I believe they will give the spot to UFAs that they signed. When they signed Borgman and Rosen I believe there's a mutual understanding that they'd have a decent shot at landing a NHL spot.
 
the other thing is that polak was legit playing the best hockey of his career just before his injury. he was actually looking like a legit top4 dman with legit top4 defense there for a bit.
 
yes he was. And with Hainsey signed we won't be asking him to play top 4 D. If he can play nearly as well as he did in the 2nd half on our bottom unit that will be a big improvement to our D over carrick
 
John Kordic also failed.

I don't love the notion of Polak again. He's only going to be slower and dumber. We have so many more options with potential.

Greening is on that list too. Guess they want him for the Marlies again.
 
Yeah, Greening isn't here to compete for an NHL job. He's back because he can play centre (a position where the Marlies are still thin), and because he was a good soldier for the Marlies last year who embraced being a leader on the team (as opposed to fellow buried players Laich & Michalek, who sulked & complained to the media).

I'd bet that he'll probably be their captain this year.
 
Not surprisingly, Babcock announced the team won't be naming a captain for this season.

This is fine for me - no need to rush Matthews or another young player into the role.
 
I don't mind Polak as the 6th/7th guy if he hasn't been slowed by the injury. We don't have anyone else that can punish forwards like him.
 
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