With less than a week remaining before opening night, many teams have whittled down their rosters to those who have made the club, plus perhaps a handful of others. The Carolina Hurricanes have a bit more time, their season not kicking off until October 4. Twenty-eight players still remain in Raleigh, with none having a clear edge over the others.
Various injuries have forced âCanes coach Kirk Muller to mix-and-match during the preseason, and itâs kept the door open for certain players.
âStage one of camp was pretty successful,â said Muller. âThe guys worked hard and competed. Some guysâ stock went up, and some went in the other direction. But they still have the opportunity because we donât have our [final group] yet.â
Last yearâs dominant top lineâJiri Tlusty, Eric Staal and Alex Seminâhave rarely played together during camp and the preseason. After a rough hit by Brendan Woods left Tlusty on the shelf for a few days, a host of other names were tried in his spot. Zach Boychuk, Drayson Bowman, and Chris Terry were just a few to get the tryout with none particularly standing out.
But should the trio be healthy to start the year, thereâs little doubt that they will remain paired together.
Beyond that, the only certainty is that Jordan Staal will play center. Who his linemates are and who makes up the bottom six are still riddles that will have to be solved in the coming week.
Elias Lindholm was thought to be a shoe-in for a center role himself, but he has only appeared in one preseason game and has missed nearly a week of practice since, often skating in a yellow non-contact jersey. Jeff Skinner has been everywhere but with the younger Staal. If Lindholm were healthy, the duo could make up two-thirds of a formidable scoring line. If he canât go, Riley Nash may be the only other logical center option, though that might land Nash in a role thatâs over his head. The health of Lindholm could change the game significantly.
Nathan Gerbe appears he will fit in somewhere, seeing time with both Skinner and Staal. The âCanes are no stranger to giving opportunities to diminutive forwards, and Gerbe could play the âChad LaRose roleâ on any line.
Still unsigned, Radek Dvorakâs wealth of experience could be beneficial to a growing team like the Hurricanes. Heâs played well and should earn himself a permanent spot in Raleigh, but where he will play remains a mystery.
And those are just the forwards.
The Carolina defense is equally up in the air. Brett Bellemore is making a strong case of his own, and at an attractive price tag. The 25-year-old seemingly came out of nowhere during his cameo last year, largely holding his own. And itâs carried over to an impressive training camp.
Though he might be a bit more expensive, Ryan Murphyâs offensive flair is in short supply on the backend. Bellemore isnât know for putting up pointsâat any levelâand Mike Komisarek is more of a scrapper than a scorer.
Of course, Muller could run seven defensemen, throwing everything into chaos.
Then there are the injuries. Semin, Lindholm, Tuomo Ruutu and Tim Gleason are all listed as day-to-day and havenât been practicing. If any ailment is significant, it could pose problems in the depth chart.
Muller not ruling them out of Oct 4 opener but can't say they'll play either
â Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) September 25, 2013
The time for experimenting is nearing an end, and the picture should become less muddy with each passing day. There are still variables to be figured out, but two preseason games remain. By the weekend, we should have a clearer idea of whoâs playing where, whoâs healthy and whoâs not.
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