Canadian training camp | Five storylines to follow

After having undergone all the possible examinations, the players invited to the training camp of the Canadian will jump on the ice this Thursday. Great battles are looming in defense, while the suspense is non-existent in front of the net. However, the situation in attack is intriguing: there are already too many veterans for the positions available, and young people will try to impose themselves. Our journalists summarize the situation in five intrigues.

Simon Olivier Lorange
The Press

Richard Labbe
The Press

1-Who will complete the trio of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield?

Simon Olivier Lorange

Evgenii Dadonov. Not so long ago, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and him got along like thieves in the first unit of the Florida Panthers. Since then, Dadonov has been less prolific in Ottawa and Vegas, but he remains an effective offensive contributor. The oldest player in CH, he could bring his experience to Suzuki and Caufield, and the two young men could make him look good in his last year of contract.

Richard Labbe

Will this finally be the year of Jonathan Drouin? We’ll tell each other, this question comes up every year, like a Mariah Carey song at Christmas. So, can we believe in Jonathan? He says he’s healthy, and he says he feels good, better, and maybe better than ever since he arrived here in 2017. Also, never underestimate a guy’s appetite without contract, as it will be at the end of the season. The management of the Canadian, well aware of all this, will certainly have the taste to place him in a position of success, if only for a final attempt. With the two youngsters, who knows? Drouin, only 27, could finally find his touch.

2-Which veteran is most at risk of losing his position?

Simon Olivier Lorange

Rem Pitlick. We stretch the concept of veteran here, but that’s what happens when our colleague has the first choice and selects Paul Byron. In his fourth professional season, Pitlick, 25, finds himself in an uncomfortable situation: that of a versatile player, but who has nothing unique to contribute. And despite a good harvest of 37 points in 66 games last season, he had to settle for a contract of 1.1 million during the summer. The post of 13^e attacker awaits him. Maybe the 14th^e.

Richard Labbe

Nothing lasts forever, and that, in hockey, applies. In fact, this mainly applies to support players who are no longer able to play as they once did. This is the case of Paul Byron, 33, who no longer sparkles from a wick, and who is trying to recover from hip surgery. With another year of contract at too high a salary ($ 3.4 million per season), he is a good candidate for the exit door, he who only played 27 games last season.

3-Which veteran will make the best comeback?

Simon Olivier Lorange

Joel Armia. As the third tie in this election campaign, Joel Armia’s salary will be talked about every day this season. The Finn will therefore have the odious to demonstrate that it is not just a big structure that costs too much. His 2021-2022 season has been horrible, so he can only do better. Last spring, at the World Championship, he reminded fans that he had great offensive qualities. And his defensive work will be essential during a season where the goals allowed will be numerous.

Richard Labbe

We can assume that Sean Monahan will show up at the Bell Center with the proverbial knife between his teeth. It’s that Monahan was basically kicked out of Calgary without love, and then tagged as a finished player there, the same one who was once a first-round pick. True, the 27-year-old forward had a small 23-point season in 2021-22, but just four years ago he was an 82-point guy. He’ll never be an 82-point player again, but what if he was at least half that number? It is not unthinkable.

4-Which young player will shuffle the cards?

Simon Olivier Lorange

Rafael Harvey-Pinard. We deliberately exclude Juraj Slafkovsky from this section. And let’s get this straight: the number of Laval Rocket players who will advance to the next level will likely be zero. But if our journeys on life’s path have taught us anything, it’s not to bet against players like RHP. He has a good reputation in the organization, and his low salary could come in handy in an ultra-tight budgetary context.

Richard Labbe

It appears that Jordan Harris has a job to lose. The young defender was seen with the club for 10 games last season, he looked good, and it would be a big surprise if he wasn’t in uniform on October 12, barring an injury. But he can confuse the issue in another way: by forcing management to give him playing time, more playing time than expected, and also by giving him greater responsibilities. His maturity and his sense of the game will ensure that he will take the lead during the season. If all this happens, he will become an important defender much faster than expected.

5-Who is the extra center player?

Simon Olivier Lorange

Kirby Dash. Yes, on paper, Kirby Dach is a center player. However, his performance at the camp could qualify the reality. Because the player that the CH acquired during the summer was one of the worst in the NHL in the face-off circle in 2021-2022 (31.2%). And the young man failed to produce offense by constantly playing with Alex DeBrincat (!) and Patrick Kane (!!). It should be between him and Sean Monahan.

Richard Labbe

It is not so easy to determine where Christian Dvorak stands in this adventure. He is not a player to develop, that’s for sure. He is also not a seasoned veteran who has already won and who is going to show young people how to win. So Dvorak is a bit stuck in a gray area, useful but not so much, a good player but not essential for the future of the club. If the Canadian can get an offer in return for his services, any, he will be gone by the deadline.