FLAMES NEED LUCIC TO STOKE EMBERS ON HIS FADING GAME
Big forward among concerns Canadian teams are facing
It’s another year of optimism as NHL training camps begin on Thursday. It’s also another year of worrying whether this will finally be the season when the Stanley Cup returns north of the border. Before we get there, here are the burning questions facing each Canadian team:
CALGARY
Will Lucic be faster?
The Flames will enter the season with the bitter taste of last year’s disappointing firstround exit still lingering in their mouths. But Milan Lucic has the most to prove. Coming off the worst season of his career, the big-bodied forward was dealt from Edmonton to Calgary in a change-of-scenery swap for James Neal. The Flames might not need Lucic to score 20 goals, but they do need to know he can keep up with the play. A good indicator of that will come when he steps on the bathroom scale on Thursday.
EDMONTON
Where will Neal play?
It’s another year in Edmonton, which means it’s another training camp where the Oilers are auditioning wingers to play with Connor Mcdavid. This time they at least have someone who’s scored 40 goals in the league.
Can Neal, who is 32 years old and is coming off a seven-goal season in Calgary, find chemistry with Mcdavid? It’s not out of the ordinary. Pat Maroon scored 27 goals on Mcdavid’s wing in 2016-17 and Alex Chiasson had 22 goals there last year.
MONTREAL
Can rookies Poehling and Suzuki steal spots?
A year ago, the Canadiens were somewhat pleasantly surprised when No. 3 overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi went from the draft floor to the NHL. No one is expecting No. 15 overall pick Cole Caufield to do the same this year. But the team is holding out hope — and possibly a couple of roster spots — that 2017 firstround draftees Ryan Poehling and Nick Suzuki can skip the American Hockey League and step right into the offence. In his one-game audition, Poehling had a hat trick and also scored in the shootout during a 6-5 win against the Maple Leafs.
O T TAWA
How will the ex-leafs mesh?
For a franchise that considers Toronto its No. 1 rival, it was interesting to see how many ex-maple Leafs (D.J. Smith, Connor Brown, Nikita Zaitsev, Ron Hainsey) ended up in Ottawa last summer. The most important addition will be Smith, who as the new head coach will begin the arduous task of bringing respectability back to the 31st-place team. Don’t expect miracles.
But with a young and talented core that includes Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Erik Brannstrom, it will be Smith’s job to have them believing that they can be competitive.
TORONTO
Will Marner be signed in time?
For the second straight year, the Leafs enter training camp with one of their top forwards still unsigned. No one wants another William Nylander situation, where he went basically two months without a contract and then looked lost when he eventually returned. But that’s the danger for every day that Mitch Marner misses. And as deep as the Leafs are at forward, losing a winger who led the team with 94 points last season and kills penalties is a major blow.
WINNIPEG
Will Laine and Connor be there?
Not only is Patrik Laine still without a contract, but so is Kyle Connor. That’s a combined 64 goals and 116 points from last season. And it’s coming on the wings, where the Jets’ depth chart is looking less like a position of strength. Maybe this is an opportunity for Nikolaj Ehlers, who is coming off a 37-point season, to show he can produce in their absence. But chances are GM Kevin Cheveldayoff isn’t sleeping as soundly as he normally would these days.
VANCOUVER
Will Miller and Ferland provide secondary scoring?
In case you didn’t know, this is the year the Canucks want to make their push for a playoff spot. That’s why the team acquired J.T. Miller in a trade and then signed Micheal Ferland in free agency. The moves gave a young team some added muscle, something that could come in handy in the post-season. Of course, the team has to make the playoffs first. For that to happen, Miller and Ferland better produce more than they did a year ago.