NHL training camps open across the league on Thursday, marking the first step toward the 2014-15 regular season. Our team of hockey writers have compiled a list of the storylines they will be watching as the seven Canadian franchises work through the preseason.
Montreal Canadiens
Say hello to: Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Tom Gilbert, Manny Malhotra, Jiri Sekac
Say goodbye to: Brian Gionta, Josh Gorges, Daniel Brière, George Parros, Ryan White
Job openings: There might be a spot up for grabs on the second or third line, likely on the right side but possibly on the left – it depends on where Rene Bourque and Parenteau end up. On defence, watch the head-to-head competition between youngsters Nathan Beaulieu, 21, and Jarred Tinordi, 22, for a spot on the third pairing.
Pressing questions: What’s the likelihood goalie Carey Price will put up monster numbers again? Will defenceman Alexei Emelin be less awful playing on his natural left side? How big a step forward can Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller take this season? Galchenyuk is going to play centre in camp, but what about the regular season? The Habs will have a more mobile defence, which should ease the strain on Price. It’s unfair to ask the big goalie to deliver a bigger season than he did last year, however. The Habs will need to be a better possession team to plausibly compete with the best, adding players like the puck-moving Gilbert and faceoff specialist Malhotra was smart, but the club’s success this season could hinge on the progress of youngsters Brendan Gallagher, Michael Bournival, Galchenyuk, Beaulieu and Tinordi. Rookie forwards Sven Andrighetto, Jacob De La Rose and Sekac will push hard for roster spots.
Sean Gordon
Ottawa Senators
Say hello to: David Legwand, Alex Chiasson
Say goodbye to: Jason Spezza, Ales Hemsky
Job openings: The Sens’ roster is pretty well set, the likeliest battle is in front of the net. Thirtysomething veteran Craig Anderson and fourth-year pro Robin Lehner both signed fresh contracts this summer. Anderson will be looking to overcome an injury-blighted 2013-14 where he took a big step backward, while Lehner is seeking to prove he’s more than just a great prospect.
Pressing questions: How does Ottawa overcome the loss of Spezza’s points? What about the leadership vacuum created by the departures of Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson in successive off-seasons? Can the defence corps really be that bad again? The Senators had decent offensive pop last season, but were terrible defensively (27th in the league in goals against) and had middling special teams. Spotty goaltending didn’t help, but the bigger problem was the consistently shoddy play of defencemen Jared Cowen, Marc Methot, and Eric Gryba. They’ll need to return to form, and Kyle Turris will have to show he has the chops to be a bona-fide number one centre. The good news is Ottawa has oodles of forward depth and a good balance of skill and steel. They also have x-factors in powerhouse offensive defenceman Erik Karlsson and coach Paul MacLean, as sharp a bench boss as there is in the NHL.
Sean Gordon
Toronto Maple Leafs
Say hello to: Stephane Robidas, Mike Santorelli, Leo Komarov, David Booth, Roman Polak, Dan Winnik, Petri Kontiola, Matt Frattin, William Nylander, Henrik Tallinder (camp tryout)
Say goodbye to: Carl Gunnarsson, Mason Raymond, Nikolai Kulemin, Dave Bolland, Jay McClement, Paul Ranger, Tim Gleason (buyout), Jerry D’Amigo, Drew MacIntyre
Job openings: There aren’t many. As highlighted above, the Leafs brought in a pile of depth forwards, opting to go for quantity over quality in free agency and take a few low-risk gambles in a bid to build more effective third and fourth lines. What that will do is create fierce battles for spots in camp and force Toronto to waive or trade the extra body or two prior to the season opener. There are question marks as to who plays right wing on the second line, who is the seventh defenceman and who fills the No. 3 goaltender’s role. For the most part, however, who plays with who is the biggest conundrum (barring a major injury in camp).
Pressing questions: Robidas will be counted on for big minutes in the Leafs top four on the blueline, but he’s 37 years old and still not fully recovered from badly breaking his leg twice last season. Who handles the tough assignments in general on the back end is up in the air, as without Gunnarsson, someone else will have to slide in alongside captain Dion Phaneuf and take that thankless task. Finding lines that work up front will also be a challenge with so many newcomers.
James Mirtle
Winnipeg Jets
Say hello to: Mathieu Perreault, T.J. Galiardi.
Say goodbye to: Olli Jokinen, Devin Setoguchi, Al Montoya.
Job openings: In goal, Michael Hutchinson will get a chance to replace Montoya, who signed with Florida, and may push starter Ondrej Pavelec, who had a dismal year. Nikolai Ehlers (ninth overall in 2014) and Josh Morrisey (13th overall in 2013) are bright prospects who will push for jobs, but the Jets’ unwillingness to force feed their kids into the lineup means they’ll need exceptional camps to make the major-league roster.
Pressing questions: How will Evander Kane respond to a summer of trade rumors, which followed a year in his offensive production fell way off? Is Dustin Byfuglien suited to playing forward (where he was switched after coach Paul Maurice replaced Claude Noel) or does he eventually drop back to the blueline? Is Mark Scheifele ready to play as a No. 2 centre, after injuries derailed him in the final quarter of an emerging season?
Eric Duhatschek
Calgary Flames
Say hello to: Jonas Hiller, Devin Setoguchi, Mason Raymond, Brendan Bollig, Derek Engelland
Say goodbye to: Mike Cammalleri, T.J. Galiardi, Kevin Westgarth, Chris Butler, Shane O’Brien
Job openings: With last year’s goal-scoring leader, Cammalleri, off to New Jersey, the Flames have a need for pure finishers, meaning Johnny Gaudreau, who played one NHL game last season after turning pro, and former top prospect Sven Baertschi will get a chance to crack the NHL roster.
Pressing questions: How much does free-agent goaltending acquisition Jonas Hiller still have left in the tank? Can Mark Giordano duplicate the sensational 47 points-in-64 games season he had a year ago, which left in contention for Canada’s men’s Olympic hockey team? Will rookie sensation Sean Monahan’s development continue to be onward and upward or will he be subject to a sophomore slump?
Eric Duhatschek
Edmonton Oilers
Say hello to: Teddy Purcell, Benoit Pouliot, Nikita Nikitin, Mark Fayne.
Say goodbye to: Sam Gagner, Ryan Smith, Ryan Jones, Anton Belov, Mark Fraser.
Job openings: The Oilers have a pressing need for a No. 2 centre after Gagner was traded away. If Leon Draisaitl, drafted third overall in the 2014, is ready for prime time, then all of the other forward pieces fall nicely into place. If not, then the Oilers will need to sort out the centre-ice corps behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from among Boyd Gordon, Mark Arcobello and Anton Lander or shift a winger to the middle.
Pressing questions: Can Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth do what last year’s October goaltending tandem of Devan Dubnyk and Jason Labarbera couldn’t – stabilize a talented young team with defensive issues? What is Nail Yakupov’s future after a dismal sophomore year for the former No. 1 overall draft pick? Will the Nikitin and Fayne signings enable the Oilers not to rush blue-chip defensive prospects Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom to the NHL?
Eric Duhatschek
Vancouver Canucks
Say hello to: Ryan Miller, Radim Vrbata, Nick Bonino, Linden Vey, Luca Sbisa
Say goodbye to: Ryan Kesler, Jason Garrison, Mike Santorelli, David Booth
Job openings: Not many. New general manager Jim Benning worked over the roster this summer to bolster a team that was sixth-last in the NHL in 2013-14. Free agent Vrbata is slated to fit on the first line with the Sedins, and free agent goalie Miller is the new starter in net. Bonino, acquired from Anaheim in the Kesler trade, slides into the second-line centre slot, and Vey likely fits in as third-line centre. All in, it leaves little room for the youngest Canucks such as Bo Horvat and Nicklas Jensen.
Pressing questions: The 2014-15 Canucks are all questions and no certainties. Can this team of 30-somethings keep up with the powerful California troika of Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose? Can the Sedins, who turn 34 on Sept. 26, revive their game after their worst season in a decade? Can Ryan Miller, at 34, serve as a steady backstop? Can Alex Edler erase the disaster of last season and re-establish himself as a top defenceman? Can the team score goals, after their lowest-scoring full season in franchise history? Can the power play connect, after generating many shots and few goals last season? Can rookie coach Willie Desjardins succeed in NHL debut at 57? Will the 2014-15 Canucks resemble the Canucks of the first half of 2013-14 (23-11-7, 2.7 goals per game) or the ugly second half (13-24-4, 2 goals a game)?
David Ebner