NHL Daily: Sports Illustrated Lists Buffalo Sabres Forward Hudson Fasching as a Deep Sleeper in the Calder Trophy Race, Patrik Laine is Slowly Adjusting to NHL Life in Winnipeg, Tanner Glass Will Start the Year Down in the AHL, and More (Morning Coffee Headlines)
Grab your morning cup of coffee and join us here at Puck Prose for a compilation of NHL daily links that will help keep you updated with everything going on in the hockey world.
In today’s edition: Buffalo Sabres forward Hudson Fasching is listed as a deep sleeper for the Calder Trophy in Sports Illustrated Rookies to Watch list, 2016 second overall pick Patrik Laine is starting to adjust to NHL life with the Winnipeg Jets, Tanner Glass was cut by the New York Rangers and will start the season with AHL Hartford, and much more!
NHL Daily: Morning Coffee Headlines
Laine Adjusting to NHL Life
Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun caught up with Jets rookie Patrik Laine following a recent loss at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Laine said things are getting a little better every game and that he feels good. [Winnipeg Sun]
Fasching a Deep Sleeper in Calder Trophy Race
As Richard Spalding of Sabre Noise points out, he’s no Patrik Laine, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, or Jesse Puljujarvi. But the folks over at Sports Illustrated have Buffalo Sabres forward Hudson Fasching listed as a deep sleeper in their Rookies to Watch list. [Sabre Noise]
Season Preview: Atlantic Division Breakdown/Analysis
Goalie Masks Will Have a New Look This Year
Goaltenders Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay) and Anton Khudobin (Boston) will be showcasing a new look goalie mask that changes designs when water touches it. Video links are attached via the National Hockey League’s twitter account. [USA Today]
Tanner Glass Put on Waivers
Tanner Glass and Nathan Gerbe were among notable cuts at Rangers training camp. The news of Glass in particular comes as a breath of fresh air for fans in New York. Assuming he clears waivers, Tanner will begin the year with AHL Hartford. [Blue Line Station]
Metropolitan Division: Projecting Lines/Defensive Pairings
A Look at the 7 Canadian Teams
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of Yahoo Sports released his season preview focusing on the seven Canadian teams north of the border. It includes players to watch, x-factors, and coaches on the hot seat. It’s a lengthy, but interesting read. [Yahoo Sports]
Wild Training Camp Battles
The Minnesota Wild are facing extremely difficult decisions as they attempt to get down to 23 players. Joel Eriksson Ek and Christoph Bertschy continue to challenge for a position, but with few spots remaining (especially in the top nine), veterans Zac Dalpe and Ryan Carter may snag those final spots for limited minutes/time in the press box. [Gone Puck Wild]
Central Division: Projecting Lines/Defensive Pairings
Fritz, Markison Impressed in First NHL Camp
Colin Markison and Tanner Fritz earned an invite to NHL camp this year after climbing the ranks in 2015-16 from the ECHL to AHL Bridgeport. Coach Brent Thompson speaks highly of the pair, and it sounds as though both might have an opportunity to make their NHL debut with the Islanders at some point in 2016-17. [CT Post]
Jon Merrill Injury Opens Door for Devils Defenders
Recently announced, New Jersey Devils D Jon Merrill will miss the next four weeks with a broken finger. Jonathan Miller over at Pucks and Pitchforks discusses how the injury opens the door for Steve Santini and Yohann Auvitu. [Pucks and Pitchforks]
NHL Daily Morning Rant
Bold Predictions: Final Cuts
Instead of dedicating an entire article to the potential surprise final cuts, I’ve decided to do a shortened version of my bold predictions.
Numerous intriguing roster battles are taking place, and as per usual, several prospects are vying for spots with impressive training camps. Teams needs to decide if they can give their rookies enough ice time or whether they’d be better suited with top line minutes in the AHL – of course, two-way contracts can have a heavy influence on those final decisions as well.
Next: Oilers Trade Nail Yakupov to St. Louis Blues
Here’s my list of surprise prospects that I believe will crack the opening night roster:
Danton Heinen, Boston Bruins
Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames
Alexandre Fortin, Chicago Blackhawks
Nick Schmaltz, Chicago Blackhawks
Drake Caggiula, Edmonton Oilers
Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings
Christoph Bertschy, Minnesota Wild
Michael McCarron, Montreal Canadiens
Vladislav Kamenev, Nashville Predators
Anthony Beauvillier, New York Islanders
Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
Thomas Chabot, Ottawa Senators
Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
Nikolay Goldobin, San Jose Sharks
Zach Sanford, Washington Capitals
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