NHL training camps are beginning to get underway across North America. The excitement around the start of hockey is special and undeniable. The Carolina Hurricanes will have a different feel around training camp this year with many new faces in the organization and more noticeably, many faces missing from the locker room.
The foundation of this organization is in the head coach, Rod Brind'Amour and it will be his job to get everyone on the same page from the first whistle of camp. The rookies are closing their camp and tournament while some players like Bradly Nadeau will look to make an impact this pre-season to force a difficult decision for the Canes brass.
The biggest preparation for the fan base will be understanding that patience will be required early in the season with this group. New players in key positions will not only need time to adjust to a new atmosphere but acclimating to a new system on the ice and developing chemistry.
The returning players, especially the younger ones with new contracts, will need to lead the way early. Brind'Amour will be leaning on the returning veterans like captain, Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook to establish the culture and focus on chasing Lord Stanley's Cup.
Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis will be expected to increase their production and Sebastian Aho will lead the way offensively.
In recent training camps, the main focus was building off the prior season and taking the next step towards winning a championship. The ultimate goal will certainly remain but with change comes uncertainty and that will be the biggest challenge facing the team out of the gates. Can the new players gel with the current players?
The beauty in bringing back Shayne Gostisbehere will be that he has chemistry with Jalen Chatfield already and had a crash course in the system from two seasons ago. The loss on the blue line has been scrutenized by experts but the talent remains on defense. General manager, Eric Tulsky, made swift moves after the departures of Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei.
Another unique aspect of this season will be the emergence and next step in the careers of Jack Drury, Jarvis, and Necas. In addition, Pyotr Kochetkov will have another season under his belt and the chance to take the reins of the goal crease once and for all.