Dark Horses and Hidden Gems
Who could the Carolina Hurricanes call upon in needed times?
Training camp should end with these players becoming a permanent staple on the main roster.
Ryan Suzuki should be on the main roster for the 2020-2021 season. Although this may not be as much of a hot take as it used to be, Suzuki picked up 35 points in 23 games with the Saginaw Spirit and I think it’s past time for him to take his place in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Since he has been invited to Training Camp several years in a row now, Suzuki might be a quiet addition to the roster. As the Canes have struggled with scoring in several stretches during the regular season, I think Suzuki could give the roster a much-needed boost.
As a center, there are plenty of exciting line combinations that Brind’Amour could experiment with. A Necas – Suzuki – Niederreiter line piques my interest, as well as a line with our next dark horse, Morgan Geekie.
✌️ for @RSuzuki61 🚨
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 1, 2020
With a little bit of help, the @Canes first rounder notched two markers in a @SpiritHockey offensive surge ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/C4VNKYiRxI
Morgan Geekie wowed the Caniac nation when he swept into temporarily replace an injured Ryan Dzingel and scored four points in two games, including two goals against division rivals Pittsburgh Penguins.
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I agree with Austin Isham that Brind’Amour may be hard-pressed to find a spot for Geekie in the lineup. However, the interesting aspect of this particular training camp is that there could be changes made based on performance.
I will keep a close eye on Geekie because even if he does not have another crack at the main roster during the postseason, the regular season could give him a chance to wow once again.
Alex Nedeljkovic is also reportedly at training camp, and I think this could be a sign that he may get the call up sooner rather than later. As much as I value Reimer and Mrazek, Nedeljkovic may very well be the Canes netminder of the future.
Because Reimer and Mrazek are both locked in through the 2020-2021 season, I don’t expect to see Nedeljkovic in the playoffs or starting in the regular season. However, his training camp performance could be essential to a position with the team, and perhaps a few starts in the regular season.
I am excited about training camp because of the potential changes we might see in the roster for the qualifying round against the Rangers. Even if there aren’t any changes made, some of the aforementioned players could cement their spot on the main roster. Caniacs, keep a close eye on training camp and prepare for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.