Training Camps and Roster Battles

With the conclusion of the young stars tournament in Penticton and the opening of main training camps around the NHL coming up, there's lots more to write about this week than there was last week, that's for sure. This time of year always comes with its own interesting set of side-plots to go along with the main camps, almost all of which focus on the battles for roster spots and ice time in the camps. Who looks good? Which rookie looks ready to make the jump? Who's battling who for that spot in the top six? For the Jets and Avs, it was a busy week, with many more busy weeks ahead of them. Hockey, at long last, is in the air, and after a long summer it's great to be able to get pumped for some hockey news again.

-A quick note from elsewhere in the NHL: Ryan Johansen was reportedly offered, and turned down, a 6 year, $46 million dollar contract offer from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yikes. And Avs fans thought the negotiations with Ryan O'Reilly were tense. I get that Johansen scored 30 last year and is a budding power forward, but the contracts he's been turning down are getting a little ridiculous. Both CBJ President John Davidson and Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen have called out Johansen's agent, Kurt Overhardt, and accused him of stalling the process, being unreasonable in his demands, and trying to rook them. Davidson went so far as to accuse him of "extortion". There's no way this story has a happy ending.

-The Jets participated in the prospects tournament in Penticton last week, and a few prospects in particular stood out. Here, in no particular order:

-Adam Lowry looks ready for the NHL. He already has pro size and speed, and he displayed an aggressiveness on the forecheck that the Jets were sorely lacking last year. He fought, showed some nice hands and good drive, and threw some devastating hits. The Jets are looking for someone to slot in on the third line, and I nominate Lowry. I really don't want to see another year of fourth liners/AHLers playing top minutes in Winnipeg.

-Nic Petan is the perfect forward to set up your power play. When he stands along the wall, you can just see him looking for openings. His head is up, his eyes are open, his hands are moving and he's just waiting for a seam to open up so he can thread a perfect pass over to someone. When he does make a pass, it's pinpoint precise, and he seems to be able to see guys that others miss. Every power play needs a guy with that kind of vision and puck movement skill. That's not to say he's only useful on the power play though. Petan showed great speed and hands, and also a high compete level. For a smaller guy, he's not afraid to battle either.

-What more need be said about Nikolaj Ehlers? The guy is flat out electric. He can skate faster than everybody else, stickhandle better, and shoot better. He just seems to be operating on a higher talent level than everybody else whenever he has the puck. Having said that, he does need to put on weight and gain strength. There were a few times in Penticton he was knocked off the puck too easily. With his skill set, however, a bright NHL career is not far away.

-Getting over to the Avs, I hear great things about Duncan Siemens at the rookie camp that opened this week. I'm unfortunately not able to be there myself, since I live, oh, a few hundred miles away, but various reports out of camp say Siemens looks like a man amongst boys. He's a punishing physical player with a mean streak and decent puck moving skills, exactly the kind of d-man that would be welcome in Colorado (or anywhere).

-Chris Bigras, while a very different player from Duncan Siemens, is similarly turning heads this week in Denver. It sounds as though the drills/competition are almost too easy for him. He will never be a punishing hitter the way Siemens is, but Bigras thinks the game with the best of them, has good foot speed and is almost never out of position. Another solid defenseman in the Avs system.

-Another defensive rookie getting his share of attention in Denver is Mason Geertsen. Drafted as a nasty, shutdown defenseman with a propensity for fighting, Geertsen has grown beyond that. Though he'll never be confused with an offensive dynamo, his skating and puck movement have grown leaps and bounds, all while keeping the same mean streak that got him drafted in the first place. He'll likely go back to Vancouver for one more year in the WHL, which he will spend mentoring (and likely protecting at times) first overall bantam pick Tyler Benson.

-Avs fans have wondered a lot about the logjam of contracts on defence. I think they're going to be pleasantly surprised with Zach Redmond. An indication to Avs fans that he's a good player is just how upset Jets fans were when management let him walk. Some have said Redmond will be "this year's Nick Holden" i.e. the guy who comes out of nowhere to have a great offensive season and be a contributor. Redmond has size (6'2 and 205 lbs.) speed, and good puck movement skills. He's also a very underrated passer, and could end up being one of the better bang-for-buck pickups from this summer.

That's all for this week. More as training camps unfold and pre-season starts.