THW Daily - Habs Roster-Cut Prospects & ESPN's "Red Zone" for Hockey
Also, reasons why Flames will improve, William Nylander center experiment failing & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have more on ESPN’s plans to unveil an “NFL Red Zone” show for hockey, reasons why the Flames will improve this season, Devils’ storylines to watch as preseason concludes, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
5 Canadiens’ Roster-Cut Prospects to Watch This Season
October 4, 2023 by Shawn Wilken
The Montreal Canadiens announced round three of its training camp cuts after dropping a 3-1 preseason decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs last weekend. After a minimal drop in player counts earlier in the week, going from 72 to 68, Habs management traded their scissors for shears and cut hopeful youngsters by the dozens. Among the crop were 25 players making their way to the Laval Rocket and several notables entering the junior system.
The Canadiens have one preseason game before the 2023-24 season is officially underway. With the count now down to a more reasonable 33 players, those still with the team have time to impress the organization and secure a spot in the lineup. As the select few inch closer to an NHL role, here is a look at five players already cut and why fans should keep an eye on them this season.
ESPN Unveils Plans for “NFL Red Zone” Show for Hockey
October 4, 2023 by Mark Scheig
Hockey fans have been clamoring for a show in hockey similar to what the “NFL Red Zone” channel does in football. On Tuesday afternoon, representatives from ESPN confirmed that this is happening.
During a media conference call with ESPN personalities, coordinating producer Linda Schulz was asked if there would be any new special technologies coming up this season or any special plans for new features during broadcasts this season. After saying there are some things coming that they’re not ready to share yet and after saying that Puck Possessor will come back, Schulz dropped a major piece of news. Let her explain.
3 Reasons the Flames Will Improve This Season
October 4, 2023 by Ryan Ventura
The Calgary Flames are just over a week away from kicking off their 2023-24 season with a home matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. Before then they will play two additional preseason games, however, the seemingly endless wait for the NHL regular season is nearly over. While the Flames saw a lot of change this offseason – from roster turnover to new hirings across management – fans should be optimistic that this season will yield better results than last. Here are some reasons why.
Early Signs William Nylander Experiment at Center Already Failing
October 4, 2023 by Jim Parsons
In the midst of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ preseason, the spotlight has once again fallen on William Nylander. After initial attempts to transition him to the center position, Nylander finds himself back on the wing, skating alongside John Tavares and Max Domi in practice on Wednesday. This strategic move raises intriguing questions about Sheldon Keefe’s coaching decisions, his willingness to stick with his experiment, and the team’s overall defensive structure.
Is Keefe already bailing on this idea? Is he giving Nylander a break and trying out something else? If the Maple Leafs are having second thoughts, why so quickly?
Devils’ Storylines to Watch as Preseason Ends
October 4, 2023 by Daniel Amoia
As the NHL preseason nears a close, final rosters are beginning to take shape and teams are starting to have a distinct focus for opening night. For the New Jersey Devils, that means conducting their first practices where all potential starters are playing together.
The Devils significantly trimmed down their roster on Tuesday (Oct. 3), sending five players down to the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League (AHL): Graeme Clarke, Kyle Criscuolo, Chase Stillman, Daniil Misyul, and Erik Kallgren. Clarke was definitely the surprising one here. He was initially viewed as a threat to make the team out of camp but underperformed significantly in the preseason contests.
![Timo Meier Jack Hughes Jesper Bratt Dougie Hamilton New Jersey Devils Timo Meier Jack Hughes Jesper Bratt Dougie Hamilton New Jersey Devils](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ec64ebd-8e5e-4d1f-92c5-431db23fa356_1200x800.jpeg)
Red Wings Don’t Need a Superstar to Win
October 4, 2023 by Tony Wolak
A common critique of the Detroit Red Wings is that they lack star power. Without truly elite talent, they are not adequately set up to compete and succeed.
At this juncture, the Red Wings do not need star power to compete and succeed. Success can be achieved with the current roster, provided that the team fully buys into an effective strategy. The lack of desirable alternatives and the prevalence of luck in the sport also support this recommendation.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Ottawa Senators - Senators’ Handling of Thomson Reveals Much Bigger Problems
Metropolitan Division - 1 Trade Candidate From Each Metropolitan Team in 2023-24
NHL News & Rumors - Senators, Rangers, Kraken, Maple Leafs
From TSN - Kings' Kaliyev to have hearing for kneeing Ducks' De Leo
From Sportsnet - When are young, exciting NHL teams ready to turn the corner?
From the NHL - Guentzel practices in full with Penguins for 1st time since ankle surgery
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Daily, and we hope to expand our daily offerings as we develop and experiment with this new platform. Cheers!