The Hockey Writers Daily - September 26, 2023
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Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have Blackhawks player expectations for 2023-24, the latest news and rumors from Columbus, the Bruins top 10 prospects, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
Blackhawks’ Player Expectations for 2023-24 Season
September 25, 2023 by Brooke LoFurno
The Chicago Blackhawks season is just around the corner on Oct. 10. They aren’t expected to be playoff contenders, but the organization brought in a lot of new faces like Connor Bedard and Taylor Hall, which shows they’re trending upwards. Although the playoffs aren’t the focal point for the team this season, it doesn’t mean that expectations shouldn’t be higher than last season. With that, my colleague Gail Kauchak and I set expectations for each player on the 2023-24 roster.
Blue Jackets News & Rumors: Penguins Recap, Injuries & More
September 25, 2023 by Mark Scheig
Welcome to the last Blue Jackets News & Rumors for the month of September. Training camp is well underway. More importantly, we have actual hockey games to discuss and recap.
The Blue Jackets opened their preseason with a pair of split-squad games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. We will talk game takeaways from each and then we’ll turn our attention to some early injuries. Yep. It has begun. We’ll then end with side dishes from around the team.
Oilers Defensive Tweak Could Lead to Greater Success
September 25, 2023 by Sean Panganiban
When you think of the Edmonton Oilers, you think of their signature style of high-octane offence, with their eye-popping puck movement on the power play and their incredible highlight-reel goals led by their two superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Yet, their defensive prowess isn’t the first thing that springs to mind, and at times, their lack of attention to defensive play is one of the team’s weaknesses. That said, early glimpses from training camp reveal that the Oilers are implementing an enhanced defensive system this season, which might translate to more success and could be a piece of the puzzle to winning a Stanley Cup.
5 Takeaways From the Red Wings’ 2023 Red vs. White Game
September 25, 2023 by Devin Little
The annual ‘Red vs. White’ scrimmage has traditionally concluded the Detroit Red Wings’ time in Traverse City as the first phase of the preseason comes to a close. The team will soon head back to Detroit and prepare themselves for their first preseason game, set for Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
But the Red vs. White game is far more than just a fun event for the fans. It’s a glimpse into what the coaches are thinking, which players have some chemistry going, and which facets of the team are working and which ones still need more work. This yearly scrimmage is usually a pretty high-scoring affair given that, above all else, players are trying to show well while also showing some restraint in order to escape without an injury. This year’s scrimmage, however, was a low-scoring tilt that put a spotlight on the team’s defense, penalty kill and goaltending.
Rielly Responds to Klingberg Joining Maple Leafs’ Top Power Play
September 25, 2023 by Jim Parsons
The Toronto Maple Leafs are making waves by redefining their power play dynamics. The spotlight is now on defenseman John Klingberg, the newly-signed blue-line quarterback, who is set to lead the No. 1 unit. This significant alteration has fans and members of the media talking because the potentially game-changing move could be a huge plus, but it could also negatively affect fellow defenseman Morgan Rielly, who last season ran the league’s second-best power-play unit.
Assistant coach Guy Boucher had the players taking reps in camp this week, and while he wasn’t available to speak with the media about why the Leafs are making a change, head coach Sheldon Keefe was happy to explain the reasoning behind the move. Essentially, because the Maple Leafs already know how capable Rielly is in the role, this is all about a new look and seeing what Klingberg can do.
Boston Bruins Top 10 Prospects for 2023-24
September 25, 2023 by Scott Roche
It is no secret where the Boston Bruins prospect pool ranks in the NHL. It’s ranked near the bottom by all the experts and it is even a tough outlook with prospects who are 23 years old or younger (from ‘NHL Pipeline Rankings 2023: From the Ducks to the Bruins, the best prospects and under-23 players,’ The Athletic, Aug. 22, 2023). Many factors can contribute to that, including the lack of first-round picks, which general manager (GM) Don Sweeney has traded away multiple times at the trade deadline to acquire pieces to contend for a Stanley Cup.
With many of the Black and Gold’s top prospects in training camp, most will likely end up going back to juniors or the American Hockey League (AHL) to the Providence Bruins. Here are the Bruins top 10 prospects heading into the 2023-24 season.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Winnipeg Jets - Jets’ Early Takeaways From Training Camp
San Jose Sharks - 3 Takeaways From San Jose Sharks Preseason Opener
NHL News & Rumors - Sharks, Senators, Sabres, Maple Leafs
From TSN - Huberdeau focused on shooting more in second season in Calgary
From Sportsnet - Future Considerations: Why the explosive Logan Cooley could win the Calder
From the NHL - Training Camp Buzz: Couturier plays 1st game for Flyers since 2021
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!
I continue to be puzzled by the lack of coverage of the LA Kings. They were a 100 point team last year and look to be stronger with offseason moves. I realize the Oilers have the headline names and Vegas won the cup-but not a word about LA!! They look to be stronger this year!
We need more Florida Panthers coverage. You used to have a great writer named Jack LeGwin. I remember he didn’t follow the Panthers but did a super profile a year or two back on Anton Lundell. Can you bring him back?