Training Camp Kick-off

The rookie tournament is over, and we're just going to pretend we didn't see those three losses in three games! Up next is the real deal training camp. We'll of course be covering any developments coming out of Training Camp and all of the pre-season games. The weeks and days of scraping for content are behind us at last.

The players report to the Canadian Tire Centre tomorrow (Wednesday, September 18) for their medicals and baseline fitness testing. Is everyone actually in the best shape of their lives?

The first on-ice session is Thursday, September 19. ​We'll get a couple days to see what new coach Travis Green and his staff get up to, including in all likelihood Green's infamous bag skate, before preseason gets started on Sunday, September 22 against the Leafs in Toronto. Look for that game, and the September 25 rematch in Ottawa to feature a lot of players fighting for a roster spot.

For some of the big storylines going into camp, Ary's piece from last week has you covered. Steve Warne, Wayne Scanlan, and Bruce Garrioch also have published pieces on the storylines to watch for. Besides all the big, obvious stuff I've also got my eyes on a few subplots:

• On the PTO front, will Nikolai Kulemin look like he can hang in the NHL? More importantly, will Calen Addison ​impress enough to stick around past the first two games?
• Are Thomas Chabot, Tim Stützle, and especially Josh Norris fully healthy?
• Will Green play Stützle and Tkachuk on the same line, or will he continue to spread the wealth like the coaches attempted last year?
• ​Who has the inside track in the battle for the open spots on the fourth line or third defense pairing?
• Do the practices look noticeably uptempo with Green at the helm (and Mike Yeo at his side)?
• How will the new guys fit in?
• And, maybe most importantly, does the team look more confident in front of a goalie with Vezina pedigree?

We'll have training camp updates on Silver Seven, so strap in and let's talk some hockey.