"You're just trying to find some chemistry," said Anthony Cirelli, who centered a line with J.T. Miller and Cory Conacher. "But then again, anyone you go out there with, you're getting a good player. You just try to go out there, work on the little things, work as hard as you can and just try to find some chemistry with different guys."
Katchouk was able to establish a connection with his linemates Johnson and Mathieu Joseph during the two-period scrimmage session. After assisting on two of Tampa Bay's three goals during the Prospects Showcase in Estero last weekend, Katchouk continued to show his playmaking capabilities against established NHLers and caught the eye of head coach Jon Cooper, who said the trio had an "impressive first day."
"I'm going to gain a huge confidence boost from playing with a guy like Tyler Johnson or even Mathieu Joseph," Katchouk said. "The game comes easy when you have guys that can play the game well."
Katchouk said he was able to watch Johnson during the scrimmage and take away certain aspects of his game he can add to his own.
"He's in the National Hockey League for a reason," Katchouk said. "He's a player who works hard and creates his own opportunities. He doesn't let other people create it for him. He's an easy player to pick out to pass to and he's always in the right places. It's much easier as a hockey player to play with a guy playing like that."
Taylor Raddysh slotted in at right wing on a line centered by Cedric Paquette. It was a good audition for a potential roster spot for Raddysh. The Bolts top nine appears to be set, but the fourth line, with the loss of Chris Kunitz to free agency and Ryan Callahan's injury that will sideline him until November, has a couple openings, and Paquette will likely center that fourth line.
"It's a lot of fun when you watch those guys and then you're able to play with them and be on the same line as some of them, it's pretty special for me and just little tips you can get from them just being that close on the ice," Raddysh said. "You learn a lot in such a short period of time, and it's a good learning experience for me."
