It’s already the second week of September, which means that training camp is just around the corner. It’s a crucial time for teams to finalize their rosters, with unproven prospects trying to make the NHL leap for the first time while aging veterans on tryout deals will be vying to extend their careers for one more year. Additionally, position battles will be aplenty, with lines, starting goalies, and final defensive spots to be determined. The 2017-2018 NHL season should be filled with drama and excitement – here are the key storylines to follow entering training camp.
Monitoring The Performance Of Prospects
Training camps provide the first glimpse of each team’s promising young prospects. This year’s focus will be the top three overall picks in the NHL draft – center Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils, center Nolan Patrick of the Philadelphia Flyers, and defenseman Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars. Additionally, center Michael Rasmussen of the Detroit Red Wings and right-winger Owen Tippett should also be intriguing to watch. While none of these rookies could be considered future franchise players such as Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, they could still flash some signs to indicate themselves as future stars.
Coaching Changes
These six clubs – the Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, and Vancouver Canucks – all failed to qualify for the 2017 playoffs and subsequently hired new coaches for the upcoming season. Ken Hitchcock returns to the Dallas Stars after previously coaching the team from 1996 to 2002, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 – maybe this will be a sign of things to come? Rick Tocchet joins the Coyotes, John Stevens is the new bench boss for the Kings, Phil Housley signed on with the Sabres, Bob Boughner with the Panthers, and Travis Green with the Canucks. While the Coyotes, Sabres, and Canucks are looking to rebuild, the Stars, Panthers, and Kings are hoping to bounce right back into the playoffs. Each of these new head coaches will face their own unique set of challenges, and the critics along with fans will be watching closely.
Las Vegas Golden Knights
This has arguably been the biggest storyline during the NHL offseason. General Manager George McPhee has filled his roster with veteran presence along with the hiring of Gerard Gallant, the former head coach of the Florida Panthers, as the first-ever head coach of the Golden Knights. While the Golden Knights certainly aren’t expected to make the playoffs in their first year, hockey fans in Las Vegas will surely be cheering them on, and possibly even dropping a couple of bets on their home team every now and then.
Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla
When these two legends retire, it’ll be considered a saddening event. While the two veteran right-wingers remain unsigned and well past their primes (now in their 40s), they are shoo-in Hall of Famers. Jagr continues to play at the age of 45, tallying a respectable 16 goals and 46 points in 82 games last season for the Florida Panthers – still playing in every single game. On the other hand, Iginla netted a career-low 27 points last season, splitting his time between the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. If these two legendary veterans remain unsigned at the start of training camp, we may have to wonder whether they’ll end up playing overseas in Europe.
The Flames And Their New Arena?
Calgary Sports and Entertainment president Ken King dropped a bombshell this week when he said that he is walking away from negotiations with the city about a new arena. It was a shocking revelation as the last we had heard was nothing but optimism. It seems that the city is hesitant to contribute to help building a new arena and now the Flames are facing the possibility of moving. This is a young team that appeared to be on the rise last year. They have a rabid fan base who supports them. However, it seems like the tide has turned a little bit and now the Flames may find themselves facing more questions about the situation. Talk of moving to Portland, Seattle and Quebec City has rattled the city over the last few days – just as the team gets ready to start training camp.
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