The Hockey Writers Daily - September 27, 2023
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Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have more on the Oilers and Maple Leafs trying to break the Canadian 30-year Cup curse, Marc-Andre Fleury’s performance with the Wild, how Kyle Dubas has improved the Penguins forward group, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
Oilers & Maple Leafs Working to Break 30-Year Cup Curse
September 26, 2023 by The Old Prof
The 2023-24 NHL season preseason kicked off over the weekend. Canadian fans always anticipate the possibility of their team going on a long Stanley Cup run. However, the two top Canadian contenders this season, in almost everyone’s books, are the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Both teams are led by respected superstars Connor McDavid (Oilers) and Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs), and both are almost assured of making the playoffs. After that, both teams will set their sights on a deep run.
Fleury Has Been a Stabilizing Force for the Minnesota Wild
September 26, 2023 by Tomas Morgan
Marc-Andre Fleury, the seasoned goaltender known for his remarkable saves and consistency, is standing at a crossroads in his illustrious NHL career. At 38 years old, the decision to retire or continue playing holds significant weight, not just for Fleury himself, but for the entire hockey world. Let’s delve into his impressive NHL career and impact on the Minnesota Wild over the past two seasons.
Penguins’ Season Preview: Dubas’ Forward Group has Improved
September 26, 2023 by Mike Cranwell
The time for talking, thankfully, is almost over (though, is it really ever over?). To paraphrase Triple H, it’s time to play the games.
This is going to be one of the most interesting seasons of the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin/Kris Letang era in Pittsburgh. Yes, far more than many seasons that came before it, as everyone is a year older, hopefully another year wiser, and we see just how open the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Stanley Cup window remains.
Blackhawks’ Defenseman Alex Vlasic Ready to Shine
September 26, 2023 by Gail Kauchak
It’s going to be a very interesting season for the Chicago Blackhawks. In the 2022-23 campaign, new management was in full teardown mode. Which just so happened to land them the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Connor Bedard. The organization has also been in the process of building up their prospect pool, many of which will be ready to join the team in the next year or so.
This season the organization will walk the fine line of developing their talented young players while also attempting to procure yet another high draft pick. It’s the balance of being better, but not too much better. Either way, some prospects will receive the invaluable experience of getting their feet wet in the NHL. One such player is defenseman Alex Vlasic. Let’s discuss Vlasic’s background, as well as what he could bring to the table this season.
Flyers Have a History of Moving Players Around
September 26, 2023 by Andrew McGuinness
One of the bigger developments to come out of the first few days of the Philadelphia Flyers training camp is the announcement that Travis Sanheim will start 2023-24 playing on the right side. It’s a position Sanheim has played before, most notably throughout the second half of a breakout 2018-19 campaign. But he is a lefty who, like most, naturally plays that side.
This isn’t the first time the Flyers have tried moving a player to a new position during camp. Sometimes it’s worked. Sometimes it’s really worked. Other times, it really hasn’t. With the preseason underway, here’s a look at a few times when the Flyers moved things around.
2023 Erie Otters Season Q&A With GM Dave Brown
September 26, 2023 by Mark Scheig
The Erie Otters are ready to take the next step in 2023-24. Their desire to do so started as soon as the final horn blew in Game 68 last season. It was another tough season for the Otters. From injuries to a head coaching change, there were many long nights. It also marked another season without playoff hockey in Erie. The team desperately needed something to go their way in the offseason.
As has been tradition in recent years, we caught up with Otters’ general manager Dave Brown to discuss the offseason and the upcoming season. As you will see, the work needed to be ready for this week began a long time ago.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Boston Bruins - Bruins Facing Tough Roster Decision With Matthew Poitras
Detroit Red Wings - Red Wings News & Rumors: Kane, Veleno & More
NHL News & Rumors - Sharks, Senators, Sabres, Maple Leafs
From TSN - Insider Trading: The latest on Patrick Kane
From Sportsnet - Canadiens Notebook: Josh Anderson appears poised for breakout season
From the NHL - Campbell, 1st woman full-time AHL coach, behind Kraken bench for preseason game
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!