One trio together now that might stick on Opening Night is Lucas Wallmark centering Brock McGinn and Jordan Martinook. That's a solid fourth line. Jordan Staal centering Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen is a line we saw in the playoffs. Sebastian Aho in the middle of Niederreiter and Ryan Dzingel has goal scoring written all over it. And, Erik Haula surrounded by Martin Necas and Warren Foegele is all about speed.
Intriguing, for sure, but not necessarily final.
"When we get more toward the end of the preseason, you'll start looking to make sure we have the right combos together," Brind'Amour said. "Right now, it's not as important."
3. We're Talkin' 'Bout Practice
A popular question in training camp - whether it's the media asking the head coach or fans asking other fans or fans asking the media - is who has impressed or stood out, particularly those who might be flying under the radar. It's a fair question, but it's also hard to answer because we're seeing these players in such a limited environment. Each group is on the ice for about an hour, and the competitive juices aren't exactly flowing in practice the way they would be in a game setting.
A player might score a nice goal in one drill and a goalie might make a nice save in another, but it's tough to truly appreciate who can do what most consistently until a puck drops in a game.
"I try not to get too excited about stuff. The negative stuff, I think, stands out more, guys who aren't quite up to speed, you can tell. It's our job to get them up to speed," Brind'Amour said on Saturday. "Most of the stuff we're doing right now, to be honest with you, hasn't been that hard. Pretty much just up and down, getting our systems and drilling that home. It's hard to say if anybody is jumping off the page."
Decisions certainly aren't going to come easy, especially with the depth that this particular training camp roster boasts.
4. Let's Play Hockey
One way to sort through the talent is to put it to the test on the ice.
"In the old days in training camp, you scrimmaged a lot. You just dropped the puck and played," Brind'Amour said. "Now, it's more … you're trying to get ahead of the game by knocking out systems and ideas of how to play. You want to see them compete, not so much against each other because the last thing you want is more injuries. Go play for real against somebody else. There is a lot of competition, and we've said that from day one. From the goalies to the D to the forwards, there's a lot of inner competition for spots and ice time."
