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The Training Camp Thread

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andyt

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Even though the reality is that the upcoming season will likely result in the Canes coming up short yet again, I think this is the most excited I've been at this point in a long time. I think the uncertainty involving Cam and Eric actually adds to the intrigue of this season. The chance to hopefully see Rask and Lindholm grow even more and see just how quickly Hanifin can adjust to the pro game and if he can really hang with NHL pros as an eighteen year old will make this camp/pre-season and the opening of the season all that more exciting. You have to go all the way back to the Whalers drafting of Chris Pronger to find a point in franchise history where we drafted a DMan with as much potential upside as Hanifin has (no, he is not as good as Chris Pronger was as an 18 year old, but he just oozes potential with his size and skating abilities).

It all starts with camp officially starting in a couple of days. Hopefully everyone stays healthy and continues to realize that soft or individual play (unless you have the captain's C) is going to get you benched or completely out of here. We have plenty of young DMen itching to remove the Jordans and Liles from the NHL lineup (Ryan Murphy, better watch your back because your roster spot is just begging to be lost). We have plenty of young forwards who are going to be showing their stuff in hopes to force their way into the lineup but can any of our returning AHL forwards take the next step? What exactly do we have with Tolchinsky, the next Keith Aucoin who terrorizes AHL goalies but is only good enough for NHL cups of coffee or a legit Samsonov (when he was actually good) type talent ? Can Eddie Lack force an even timeshare in the nets?

Looking forward to it no matter how we end up.
 
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Traverse City prospect tournament ended yesterday.

Canes were second (2-1) within their 4- team group:
- Lost to Detroit 0-1
- Won in OT (3-on-3) 5-4 against Dallas; Tolchinsky with the rebound GWG
- Won 7-5 against Chicago; were up 4-0, but 4 goals scored in the third (third-pairing D on ice for all of them) made it close.

Played St. Louis (second in their group) for third overall and were trounced 5-1.

Fleury was leading all defencemen in the tournament for points going into the last game. Haven't seen final results, but he had a lot of primary assists. Tolchinsky dazzled and played heads-up hockey in the few glimpses I got of scoring plays, making good playmaking passes as well as scoring with those hands. That heads-up aspect of his game will serve him well.

New Checkers coach, Mortis, seemed pleased with the group, especially their coachability. Should give those that participated a jump on camp and they come in at least knowing some of their camp mates.
 
cmaleski2 said:
Even though the reality is that the upcoming season will likely result in the Canes coming up short yet again, I think this is the most excited I've been at this point in a long time. I think the uncertainty involving Cam and Eric actually adds to the intrigue of this season. The chance to hopefully see Rask and Lindholm grow even more and see just how quickly Hanifin can adjust to the pro game and if he can really hang with NHL pros as an eighteen year old will make this camp/pre-season and the opening of the season all that more exciting. You have to go all the way back to the Whalers drafting of Chris Pronger to find a point in franchise history where we drafted a DMan with as much potential upside as Hanifin has (no, he is not as good as Chris Pronger was as an 18 year old, but he just oozes potential with his size and skating abilities).

It all starts with camp officially starting in a couple of days. Hopefully everyone stays healthy and continues to realize that soft or individual play (unless you have the captain's C) is going to get you benched or completely out of here. We have plenty of young DMen itching to remove the Jordans and Liles from the NHL lineup (Ryan Murphy, better watch your back because your roster spot is just begging to be lost). We have plenty of young forwards who are going to be showing their stuff in hopes to force their way into the lineup but can any of our returning AHL forwards take the next step? What exactly do we have with Tolchinsky, the next Keith Aucoin who terrorizes AHL goalies but is only good enough for NHL cups of coffee or a legit Samsonov (when he was actually good) type talent ? Can Eddie Lack force an even timeshare in the nets?

Looking forward to it no matter how we end up.
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Well said CMal! I echo many of your comments, nowhere to go but up with a young group of players that are starting to come along.

Enough summer acquistions in Lack, Wiz, Versteeg, Nordstrom and Hanafin to sense some real change and refreshing new faces. The Cam and Eric contract stuff certainly adds to the intrigue of the season for sure. You want to see great effort and some development of the younger players, but this season will likely see quite a few thin crowds that the usual Cane bashers will have a field day with in the media.

I don't expect a playoff team this season, but it would be nice to see both Cam and Eric moved by the deadline for picks and young prospects and a further march towards a full rebuild and a new look and feel to the team overall.
 
CanadaCanes said:
Well said CMal! I echo many of your comments, nowhere to go but up with a young group of players that are starting to come along.

Enough summer acquistions in Lack, Wiz, Versteeg, Nordstrom and Hanafin to sense some real change and refreshing new faces. The Cam and Eric contract stuff certainly adds to the intrigue of the season for sure. You want to see great effort and some development of the younger players, but this season will likely see quite a few thin crowds that the usual Cane bashers will have a field day with in the media.

I don't expect a playoff team this season, but it would be nice to see both Cam and Eric moved by the deadline for picks and young prospects and a further march towards a full rebuild and a new look and feel to the team overall.
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And if either one refuses to agree to a trade? What then? Bench your best player? Let him ride the pine the rest of the year?
 
I don't expect either to invoke their no trade if it comes to that unless we are shipping them off to a non-playoff team (which I can't see happening). Why would you want to play out your deal as a lame duck on a crappy team when you can get yourself to the playoffs and move on from a team that doesn't want you anymore? I don't see this playing out like Ray Whitney in this case.

To answer your specific question, if we are well out of the playoffs and Cam Ward nixes a deal with his NTC, I absolutely make him the seldom used backup the rest of the year. If Eric elects to pull that I don't see how you don't strip the C from him at a minimum.
 
CarolinaRedEyes said:
And if either one refuses to agree to a trade? What then? Bench your best player? Let him ride the pine the rest of the year?
Click to expand...

Both of these guys I would assume still have enough fire to want to compete for another Cup, so I really do not understand the motivation to simply refuse a trade to other teams after everything this organization has given both of them over the years. Both are pending UFA's, so it's not like a trade is anything more than a move for a couple of month's max if they really wanted to shop the open market come summer. If the asking price for Eric and Cam is simply too high to have them sign extensions here, you have to try and get something back in return via trade, letting them walk for free at seasons end makes zero sense for a franchise that is trying to rebuild with youth.
 
Back to Training Camp. Looks like:

5 Days are for the Full Camp Roster (A-B-C)
4 Days of a Reduced Camp Roster (A-B)
9 Days of Full Team Roster (A)

Anybody know details on the two "Team Leadership Events"?
 
cmaleski2 said:
Even though the reality is that the upcoming season will likely result in the Canes coming up short yet again, I think this is the most excited I've been at this point in a long time. I think the uncertainty involving Cam and Eric actually adds to the intrigue of this season. .
Click to expand...

Gotta be honest ... the uncertainty surrounding Staal (primarily) and Ward (secondarily) is squashing any chance I have to be excited for the future here in Canesland. I just have a hard time seeing this as a team on a new course when the old anchors are sitting around on deck chilling out.
 
No playoff bound contender will likely have enough cap space for Ward or Staal without some major salary magic happening.
 
TheBigKahuna said:
No playoff bound contender will likely have enough cap space for Ward or Staal without some major salary magic happening.
Click to expand...

What has happened several times lately is that a contender dumps an under-performing player with a large salary in the process of getting the guy they want at the dead line. So long as that's a short-ish term contract, then that's fine.
 
Luke was never afraid to call it as many saw it. That's been sorely lacking around this team. But he's gone from honest to bitter.
 
According to the schedule on the link in the first post, no practice on Thursday and 9 and 10 on Friday.
 
The Cherkers announced that the Canes are releasing 14 players to their camp ... no real shockers. Boychuk failed to stick again, but anybody actually surprised by that has memory issues.
Fourteen players are making the trip from Raleigh to Charlotte to join the Checkers for their training camp that starts at Extreme Ice Center on Tuesday: forwards Zach Boychuk, Patrick Brown, Kyle Hagel, T.J. Hensick, Erik Karlsson, Carter Sandlak and Justin Shugg; defensemen Danny Biega, Jake Chelios, Tyler Ganly, Keegan Lowe and Rasmus Rissanen; and goaltenders Daniel Altshuller and Rasmus Tirronen.

Here the link ... http://www.gocheckers.com/articles/1300-hurricanes-to-assign-14-players-to-charlotte
 
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