5. Line Combinations
There is an unwritten rule in hockey not to read too much into Training Camp lines but, for those of us in the media and for all fans, we do the opposite. Always.
That will be no different this year given that there will be no preseason games to go by, so all Training Camp lines will be over-assessed and over-dissected, especially over the opening few days.
And we’ve already had a few interesting line combinations to get overexcited about.
For instance, it emerged on Sunday that the Toronto Maple Leafs will put veteran Joe Thornton on a top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
New Leaf Joe Thornton on playing with Matthews and Marner and putting on that Leafs sweater for the first time. pic.twitter.com/Gwv93bo6KX
— David Alter (@dalter) January 4, 2021
I mean, just wow.
Of course, this could mean nothing in the grand scheme of things and it may get broken up pretty quickly, but just imagine a trio of Thornton, Matthews and Marner out on the ice together in NHL games?
It would be utter chaos and we are all in for seeing Matthews bury one-timers from Thornton and vice-versa.
#NJDevils lines looking like this at practice, this is the NHL-heavy group. pic.twitter.com/1y7YJEzmoT
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) January 4, 2021
That is perhaps the best illustration of getting too hyped about early Training Camp lines, and there was also an intriguing line combination from New Jersey Devils practice today, with Jack Hughes centering a top line featuring Andreas Johnsson and Kyle Palmieri, a line that could be a hell of a lot of fun to watch.
Of course, there will be a boatload of interesting line combinations to watch come together over the coming days, and seeing coaches experiment with different players is one of the best and most fun things about Training Camp.
So, there you have it, that’s our 5 Storylines to keep an eye on throughout the Opening Day of NHL Training Camps, and we will have a lot more coverage from every team over the coming days.