I'm usually so excited as training camp gets underway, but this year seems a little bit underwhelming.
Thursday's media availability for the veterans at Rogers Arena didn't offer up any startling new revelations. I feel like there's not much to be learned from more talking at this point—I want to see whether the offseason changes actually translate to a new and improved product on the ice.
If you're interested in watching the stream of Thursday's interviews:
The Canucks have made a couple of additions to the training camp roster after Young Stars:
UFA prospect invites Danny Moynihan and Alexis D'Aoust have been invited to #Canucks main camp.
Danny Moynihan is a 20-year-old left wing, originally from Boston. He has spent the last four years in the QMJHL but went undrafted. His offensive numbers last year were pretty good. He was traded from Halifax to Shawinigan at midseason and managed a total of 36 goals and 34 assists in 67 games for both teams. He also potted 19 points in 21 playoff games as Shawinigan reached the QMJHL final.
Alexis D'Aoust was Moynihan's teammate with the Cataractes and did even better in the postseason, with 26 points in 21 games. He's also 20 and roughly the same size as Moynihan—6'0" and about 200 pounds—but he plays right wing. D'Aoust collected 98 regular-season points in the Q last season, one behind the esteemed (and younger) Pierre-Luc Dubois.
As mentioned earlier, 2013 Edmonton Oilers second-rounder Marco Roy was also added to the training camp list out of prospects camp.
Here's the full list of all the players hitting the ice in Whistler today, grouped by their line combinations and defense pairings:
Free-agent signing Borna Rendulic gets the first look on the right side with Sven Baertschi and Bo Horvat.
If you missed it earlier this week, Willie Desjardins said that Baertschi will get first crack at the second-line left wing spot that never did get filled by trade this summer.
Willie Desjardins on Baertschi: "He's worked really hard this summer. I feel good about trusting him in a 2nd-line role." #Canucks
Willie has also said that he plans to keep Baertschi and Bo together, so I guess that also means that the second-line centre job will also go to Horvat, rather than Brandon Sutter?
Willie says Baertschi and Horvat can be looked at as a pair. Lists off Hansen, Virtanen and Rodin as possible linemates.
Daniel Wagner of the Vancouver Courier had a good piece earlier this week on Croatian Sensation Rendulic, who will almost certainly start the season in Utica.
Unknown entities Anton Rodin and Philip Larsen will finally make their debuts in Canucks colours today. Rodin is skating on the first line of the third group, with Alex Burrows and Brandon Sutter, while Larsen is on the right side of a "first pairing" with Nikita Tryamkin.
Interesting, also, to see that Troy Stecher is paired with Alex Edler today, while Chris Tanev skates with Olli Juolevi.
All the on-ice sessions at Whistler this weekend are free and open to the public.
One other note: preseason games will be starting up even earlier than I realized! Yesterday, I said the games would get underway on Wednesday at Rogers Arena but the Canucks actually have a road game before that—Tuesday night in San Jose. It looks like that's the only game on the exhibition schedule that won't be televised—probably because it conflicts with Game 1 of the World Cup final as well as the second-last day of regular-season action for the Blue Jays.
Click here for start times and TV details for the rest of the preseason schedule.
Today's an off day for the World Cup. The semifinal round starts Saturday at 4 p.m. with Canada/Russia, then Sweden takes on Team Europe on Sunday at 10 a.m. PT.
Unlike most, I'm perfectly happy with a Canada/Russia semifinal. Canadians would have gone through a bit of an existential crisis if they had to choose between cheering for the "real" Team Canada and a Team North America that's led by Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon but also includes 12 American players. This way, the rooting interests are clear!
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