Matt Karash: Thoughts on Canes prospects camp + Bill Peters interview today

I read your stuff all the time. I honestly don't see Fleury coming close to making the team out of camp(only because we have 8, if you include Murphy), but I get the reasoning. McGinn is by far the prospect I see having a shot out of this group. That being said there are a few other guys that weren't there that should finally get a chance like Boychuck and Rask. I liked the Brendan woods input though, it's certainly interesting. I think you've got 2 guys set in each of your top 3 lines ?-Staal-Semin, Gerbe-Staal-?, Skinner-?-Lindholm, ?-McClemment-?. Obviously you'll have Tlusty slot somewhere in the top 6, then hopefully Dwyer in the fourth line, Probably Nash with Skinner, leaving a top 6 and 4th line spot. Moving Rask to the wing out of the group of McGinn, Rask, and Boychuck to fill those two wing spots. My guess is Boychuck finally gets a shot in the top 6 and McGinn gets the 4th line spot. If Boychuck doesn't work I think we'll see a massive shuffling of lines. Maybe even moving skinner and Lindholm up with Eric like the short stints last season(skinner would need the minutes putting up 40). Then you'll see Semin with Jordan and Gerbe. Followed by Nash, Boychuck and Tlusty or swap Boychuck and McGinn. Lot of unknowns with a new coach, but it's fun to spectulate.

I can't see many of our prospects making the team. We've tied our hands defensively, and in a way offensively as well. Granted, McGinn probably has the best chance of making the team, but if he's going to play fourth line minutes, they're better off keeping him in Charlotte. I think Murphy starts there too, and it will take a trade to get any of them into the lineup with any regularity.

Agree with much of what is said above. The case for Fleury making the team would be if he can make the team significantly. That seems like a stretch but who knows; the Canes do not have a locked down top 4. If he slots as a depth defenseman who does not bring a ton more than the other options then he is better served developing in the OHL for 1 more year and not burning a year of his entry level contract.

I think the options for McGinn and a darkhorse like Woods (if he looks like he can skate and be defensively sound at the NHL level) probably depends a lot on what Peters plans to do with the penalty kill. JStaal then McClement is probably pretty set. So the question is what he wants to do for the other 2 forwards. If he chooses to use higher end players like EStaal, Semin, Tlusty, etc. then the requirements from the 4th line become less. With that scenario, there might be more room to go with young "jam" next to McClement. That at least opens the door for McGinn or other youth. If instead Peters prefers to go old school NHL and get as many of the hard minutes on PK from his 4th line, then that would seem to lock Dwyer into 1 of these slots and make 1 less for the kids.