Drouin MTL

Welcome to the 2018 preseason! NHL training camps are open and preseason games are under way.
This is a busy time, with rookies looking to make a name for themselves and veterans trying to lock down roster spots. Each day we will have all the updates of note right here.
Here is the training camp news for Monday:

Drouin on wing, Domi at center for Canadiens

Jonathan Drouin will play on the wing and Max Domi will be at center for the Montreal Canadiens to start the season, general manager Marc Bergevin told TSN 690 on Monday.
Drouin, 23, had 46 points (13 goals, 33 assists) last season, his first with the Canadiens and his first as a full-time center in the NHL after being acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 15, 2017. Drouin had played mostly as a wing in three seasons with the Lightning.

Domi, 23, was acquired in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes exactly one year after the Drouin trade. He played primarily as a left wing during his three seasons with the Coyotes, and had 45 points (nine goals, 36 assists) in 82 games last season.
"We have an option; I think the first half last year he had a hard time at that position," Bergevin said of Drouin. "I thought the second half, especially towards the end, he got better and better. We're going to try Max in the middle because he did play some center [with the Coyotes] last year. But we like to try that for now, but we know that we could always put (Drouin) in the middle if need be. So it just gave us more options."

Krug back on ice with Bruins

Torey Krug briefly joined the Boston Bruins for practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Monday.
The 27-year-old defenseman, who is recovering from a fractured left ankle he sustained in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, has been skating regularly on his own before practice. While the rest of the Bruins continued with their morning practice, Krug retreated to the dressing room after 20 minutes.
"It was good. Just get the timing back and participate in some drills, just to be out there with the guys, it's a lot of fun," Krug said.
Krug said his recovery plan hasn't changed from last week, when he said he was targeting some games late in the preseason for his return to action.

"I'll probably do this for another day or so and probably take it day by day, see how I feel. So it's pretty much the same as last week," Krug said.
Forward Noel Acciari, who's recovering from offseason hernia surgery, also skated before practice and practiced with his teammates for about 20 minutes. -- Matt Kalman

No timetable for Crawford's to return to practice with Blackhawks

Corey Crawford is continuing his on-ice workouts at training camp, but Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville didn't want to guess when the 33-year-old goaltender can join the team at practice.
Crawford, who missed the final 47 games last season with a concussion, has worked with goaltending coach Jimmy Waite for four consecutive days prior to practice. Each workout has lasted about 30 minutes. Quenneville said Crawford is responding to the workouts the way the Blackhawks hoped he would.
"I know [Crawford's] happy, Jimmy's happy and [head athletic trainer Mike Gapsky's] happy," Quenneville said Monday. "So let's keep going on that path."
Crawford was 27-16-9 with a 2.27 goals-against average and .929 save percentage last season, but didn't play after Dec. 23.

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Sanheim to miss one week for Flyers

Defenseman Travis Sanheim will be out for one week with an upper-body injury, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said Monday.
Sanheim, 22, was injured when he fell into boards after a hit by New York Islanders forward Matt Martin during the preseason opener for both teams Sunday.
Hextall also said defenseman Andrew MacDonald is recovering faster than expected from a lower-body injury sustained Sept. 9 during a workout. He was expected to need about six weeks to recover but Hextall said MacDonald now might miss only the first week of the regular season.

Brassard skates again before Penguins practice

Derick Brassard skated before practice for the second straight day during Pittsburgh Penguins training camp.
Brassard has missed the first four days because of an undisclosed illness. When camp opened Friday, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said he didn't expect Brassard to miss much time.
Sullivan is away from the Penguins following the death of his father, George, on Saturday.
After being acquired from the Ottawa Senators in a three-team trade that included the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 23, Brassard primarily played third-line center. He had eight points (three goals, five assists) in 14 games.
Riley Sheahan, the Penguins' fourth-line center late last season, also has missed the first four days of camp, because of a lower-body injury Sullivan had described as nagging. Sheahan has yet to skate during training camp.
Brassard, Sheahan and Matt Cullen, who signed a one-year contract July 1, will fill the third- and fourth-line center spots this season, with the other moving to the wing.
-- Wes Crosby

Carlson, Eller practice with Capitals

Defenseman John Carlson and center Lars Eller practiced with the Washington Capitals on Monday for the first time in training camp after recovering from minor lower-body injuries.
Eller said his injury was the result of pushing a little too hard in informal skates and workouts before the start training camp on Friday.
"It was something that just needed a week of rehab and now it doesn't bother me anymore," Eller said. "I feel 100 percent."
After a short offseason following their run to the Stanley Cup, the Capitals were cautious with Eller and Carlson.
"You've got to utilize the situation the best you can because soon enough everything changes and you go from there," said Carlson, who declined to discuss the cause of his injury. "But everyone's always got some things going on and it was a short summer and just trying to get everyone in the best shape and the healthiest going into the season is the goal."
Although it was only three days of practices, Eller said he felt a couple of steps behind. "But I think in a couple weeks I'll catch up," he said. -- Tom Gulitti

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Capitals to hold Shumakov out of preseason games

Forward Sergei Shumakov practiced with the Capitals for the second day in a row after missing first two days of training camp while clearing up a visa issue in Russia.
Coach Todd Reirden said they'll hold Shumakov out of preseason games until he can get up to speed and learn the Capitals systems.
"For me, it's all about setting him up for success here," Reirden said.
Shumakov signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Capitals on Sept. 1. The 26-year-old native of Chelyabinsk, Russia had 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 47 games last season with CSKA Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League. He played six seasons in the KHL.
Although the Capitals have most of their roster returning from their Stanley Cup-winning team, Shumakov believes they are a good fit for him. It helped that his good friend, Evgeny Kuznetsov, who he has known since they were 5 years old, is on the team.
"I think every hockey player wants to try playing in this league and for a team like the Capitals," Shumakov said. "I didn't even have to think about it." -- Gulitti

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Perron, Bortuzzo leave Blues practice early with injuries

David Perron and Robert Bortuzzo left practice early Monday for the St. Louis Blues with undisclosed injuries.
Perron, a forward, and Bortuzzo, a defenseman, were part of the second of two groups practicing and neither returned for the second session.
Blues coach Mike Yeo said neither injury was considered serious.
"[Bortuzzo], we're going to get looked at; I wouldn't be surprised if we give him a couple days off here," Yeo said. "We're going to get him looked at just to make sure, but we don't expect anything long-term here. David was just precautionary."
Forward Jordan Kyrou, selected by the Blues in the second round (No. 35) in the 2016 NHL Draft, will playing on a line with veterans Ryan O'Reilly and Pat Maroon Tuesday in the first preseason game at the Dallas Stars.
"It's not every day you get to play with guys of that caliber," Kyrou said. "It's easy to play with them. They move the puck and they give me a lot of pointers, help me out a bit." -- Louie Korac