NHL Training Camp Preview: Colorado High and Chicago Low

The National Hockey League will begin its 106^th season in early October, with a number of clubs looking to unseat the Colorado Avalanche after their Stanley Cup victory earlier this summer, while others are preparing to make a run at getting the best odds to select the presumptive first overall pick, Connor Bedard.

With the NHL salary cap going up only $1 million, many clubs had to make difficult roster decisions. Nearly half the league is currently over the $82.5 million limit. Most will be using the long-term injured reserve to get under the cap ceiling. With budget clubs using their cap space to add draft capital.

NHL Training Camp Preview

In this edition of the NHL Training Camp preview a recent Cup dynasty in the process of tearing things down to the floorboards, and the reigning champion and how they will approach defending their crown.

Chicago Blackhawks (28-42-12 – 7th place in the Central Division)

Who’s Out – Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Dominik Kubalik, Kirby Dach, Calvin de Haan, Kevin Lankinen

Who’s In – Andreas Athanasiou, Max Domi, Colin Blackwell, Jack Johnson, Petr Mrazek

There was optimism surrounding the Hawks after trading for Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury last summer, but their issues off the ice were matched by disfunction on the ice, as head coach Jeremy Colliton was fired and GM Kyle Davidson began a tear down by dealing Fleury and Brandon Hagel at the deadline.

The rebuild continued over the summer, as Chicago dealt Alex DeBrincat with two years of control remaining to Ottawa, Kirby Dach moved in a three-way deal with New York and Montreal, and did not offer deals to Strome and Kubalik.

Most of Davidson’s acquisitions (Domi, Athanasiou, Johnson, Mrazek) were on one-year deals or have short-term remaining, and rumours will persist throughout the season that franchise cornerstones Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Jones will be playing elsewhere in the near future.

2022-23 Potential impact prospects

W – Lukas Reichel

G – Drew Commesso

D – Kevin Korchinski

Reichel earned NHL time last season after averaging over a point-per-game in his North American debut in AHL Rockford. Drew Commesso is the Hawks goalie of the future. He had two solid seasons at Boston University while playing for Team USA at the Olympics. Korchinski was selected seventh overall at the Draft in Montreal after scoring 65 points with Seattle of the WHL.

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Colorado Avalanche (56-19-7 – 1st place in the Central Division – Stanley Cup Champion)

Who’s Out – Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Darcy Kuemper, Ryan Murray

Who’s In – Alexandar Georgiev

After their first title in 21 years, GM Joe Sakic’s primary task was retaining as many players as their cap allowed, with the knowledge that a big payday for center Nathan MacKinnon is around the corner. The Avs were able to extend Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Manson, and Arturi Lehkonen, but Kuemper(Washington) and Burakovsky(Seattle) departed via free agency. The loss of Kadri is the most impactful, as the responsibility for filling the role as the second-line center is up in the air entering training camp.

2022-23 Potential impact prospects

D – Sean Behrens

W – Martin Kaut

W – Oskar Olausson

A product of the USNTDP, Behrens had 29 points in 27 games in his freshman season with Denver University. Kaut has been slow to develop. After being selected 16^th overall in 2018, he finally may get his chance after scoring 19 goals in 46 AHL games last season. Olausson scored 26 goals in 55 games with Barrie and Oshawa last season and joined Colorado’s AHL affiliate for the playoffs.

That does it for this edition of the NHL Training Camp Preview. Keep it posted here as another edition is coming your way on Thursday.