The Hockey Writers Daily - September 22, 2023
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Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have grades for Bruins general manager Don Sweeney after the 2023 offseason, battles to watch in Senators training camp, takeaways from Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman’s presser, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
Ryan Reaves Brings a Shift to Maple Leafs’ Culture
September 21, 2023 by Andrew Forbes
Following their second-round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers last season, there were some questions raised around the culture within the Toronto Maple Leafs’ room. Some went as far as suggesting that the reason behind Ryan O’Reilly’s departure were to do with the team culture — accusations that were unfounded.
Regardless, when Brendan Shanahan parted ways with Kyle Dubas and brought in Brad Treliving, there was an expectation that the Maple Leafs would add some personalities to a lineup that may have been lacking them in recent years. It didn’t take long, either. Treliving went out and added three players that carry stronger personalities — moves that on paper only enhance the already existing culture within the room. He added two smaller gritty players in Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, along with an enforcer that may be the best heavyweight in today’s NHL — Ryan Reaves, a player known for his personality.
Boston Bruins: Grading Don Sweeney’s 2023 Offseason
September 21, 2023 by Scott Roche
Boston Bruins general manager (GM) Don Sweeney said there was going to be change to his team heading into 2023-24 after their historic 2022-23 season and he was right. There was plenty of change to the Black and Gold, who began training camp on Wednesday (Sept. 20). Gone franchise centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, as well as some players who left in free agency and a trade.
It’s clear that Boston is going to take a step back this season, but just how far is the question. Now that the dust has settled on the 2023 offseason, it’s time to grade Sweeney’s summer of change.
3 Senators Training Camp Battles to Watch
September 21, 2023 by Dayton Reimer
With the start of training camp just around the corner, no one is more excited about the start of the 2023-24 season than the Ottawa Senators.
Brady Tkachuk has been a vocal supporter of his team, commenting, “I think with our team, I feel like it will be in the spotlight for the next bunch of years and hopefully be able to keep progressing into the big NHL events — Winter Classic, Heritage Classic, something like that — and other different moments throughout the season…I think it just speaks to our team that we’re starting to a become well-known team, a team that’s fun to watch.”That’s a lot of optimism for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in six years, but it’s not undeserved.
4 Takeaways From Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s Presser
September 21, 2023 by Jordan Orth
With training camp opening up for the Detroit Red Wings this week, general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman had his pre-camp press conference on Tuesday and spoke on a few different topics. What are some of the biggest takeaways from the press conference?
Blue Jackets’ Players Must Move Past the Mike Babcock Dilemma
September 21, 2023 by Mark Scheig
Columbus Blue Jackets management had their say on the Mike Babcock situation at Media Day. Now it’s the players turn to get their say. Welcome to Part 2 of our Blue Jackets’ Media Day coverage. In Part 1, we discussed the statements of the ownership group, John Davidson and Jarmo Kekalainen. We also touched on some other takeaways from the question and answer portion afterward.
Now we turn our attention to the players. On Monday, captain Boone Jenner, Johnny Gaudreau, Zach Werenski and Patrik Laine all addressed the assembled media. In the cases of Jenner and Gaudreau, this was their first availability since their initial comments of not being bothered by their own interactions with Babcock. One thing is abundantly clear at least to these players. They want to move on. And it’s time to move on.
3 Canadiens That Stood Out at Rookie Showcase 2023
September 21, 2023 by Trege Wilson
The Montreal Canadiens wrapped up their rookie camp with a three-game tournament in Buffalo, featuring prospects from the Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators.
The Habs opened the tournament with a loss to Buffalo, who were by far the most talented of the four rookie teams, but followed up the loss with two dominating wins over the Bruins and Senators. Although you can never read too much into a rookie camp, a few players stood out the most over the weekend.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Edmonton Oilers - Oilers Dive Deeper into Analytics with New Hire of Michael Parkatti
Pittsburgh Penguins - Pittsburgh Penguins Training Camp Roster: What to Watch For
NHL News & Rumors - Sabres, Avalanche, Canucks, Flames, Oilers
From TSN - Nylander looks to limit contract talk as centre experiment begins
From Sportsnet - NHL approves sale of Senators to Michael Andlauer
From the NHL - Josi, Forsberg return to ice for Predators on 1st day of camp
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