Notebook: Somewhere in the Middle

RALEIGH, NC -No longer at the start of camp, not yet at crunch time.
The Canes two training camp groups (Team Attitude and Team Energy) both skated at PNC Arena Thursday, just a day ahead of the team's second preseason game.

Much is made of the line combinations, defensive pairings and special teams units at this time of the season, but most know that these can change rapidly, so it's important to not invest too much stock. For example, Jesperi Kotkaniemi's multiple power play points in Tuesday night's 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay doesn't automatically now slot him on a man advantage unit with Vincent Trocheck, Tony DeAngelo, and Teuvo Teravainen. In fact, the units had returned to what they'd been leading up to the team's preseason opener, placing "KK" with Nino Niederreiter, Jordan Staal, Martin Necas and Brett Pesce this morning.
But again, who knows how long that will last?
"I'm not sure what the groups are going to be [or] how it's all going to shake out, but [we're] just getting some reps for certain guys," Rod Brind'Amour said following the team's skate. "A lot of it for me is to see 'does that work?' Does that guy look good there, versus another spot? We'll move it around and hopefully we'll have a good idea by the time the season gets ready to roll."
Looking at Tomorrow
Brind'Amour will get another glance at who looks good where Friday night at Amalie Arena, when the team once again goes head-to-head with the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champs.
In speaking about the expected lineup, the first confirmed bit of news from the bench boss was that Antti Raanta will get his first chance in net for the team. Frederik Andersen was strong in game one, denying 36 of Tampa's 37 shots. Brind'Amour said the plan all along was to get Andersen two starts, so the inference that Raanta would get the other two games appears to be on the path to being true.
Signing on July 28 with the Canes, the Finnish father of two (

), likely is eager to showcase what he can provide in his new setting. Playing in just 12 games with the Arizona Coyotes last year and entering his ninth season as a pro, the veteran is being afforded the same opportunity as Andersen in terms of preseason playing time. Now it'll be up to him to see how he performs.
Fitting in Fine
As much as some players are new to the organization, the relationships between certain players are not all starting from scratch.
Brady Skjei was asked today about some of his former Rangers teammates coming to Carolina and he spoke about the common goal that brought them south. "It's nice. You see a lot of familiar faces that you don't know that you're ever going to play with once you leave. I know all of the guys very well personally and their main thing is that they want to win. They'll do anything to help the team."
When the now 27-year-old broke into the league in 2015, little did he know then that he would be reconnecting with several members of that New York roster six years later. Derek Stepan was an integral member of that offense, Jesper Fast was beginning his ascent to becoming an every night player and Antti Raanta was making his push to prove that he was a number one netminder. A season later Brendan Smith joined the fold for the first of what would be four campaigns together. As recent as two seasons ago, both Skjei and Tony DeAngelo were eyed as key producers on the blue line at Madison Square Garden.
Now, all of the aforementioned are together once again, refamiliarizing themselves in red.