NHL coaching camps open with Jeremy Swayman’s standing with the Bruins among the many many questions

Sidney Crosby and Leon Draisaitl have their contract extensions, Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers have the Stanley Cup and a short however busy summer season of transferring and shaking is over.

Now, again to hockey.

Lower than 90 days for the reason that Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in Sport 7 of an exciting last, coaching camps open across the league this week with loads of questions earlier than the puck drops subsequent month on one other season.

Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman is probably the most outstanding participant left unsigned, camp in Columbus goes on in sorrow after the tragic loss of life of Johnny Gaudreau and gamers and employees in Utah get a contemporary begin after the Coyotes relocated from Arizona to Salt Lake Metropolis. Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog could also be again, Washington winger T.J. Oshie could also be gone and it’s anybody’s guess who will carry the Cup in June.

Sway day?

The Bruins traded 2023 Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Linus Ullmark to Ottawa, content material to present the beginning job to Swayman. One downside? He’s a restricted free agent and not using a contract for the season.

“These issues simply form of kind themselves out as they do,” mentioned teammate Brandon Carlo, who pointed to his personal late arrival and that of fellow defenseman Charlie McAvoy lately as causes to not be apprehensive. “We’ve got loads of religion inside our group, in our administration, to get the appropriate deal finished.”

Swayman, who turns 26 in late November, ranked fifth within the NHL with a .916 save share and eighth with a 2.53 goals-against common final season. He was being paid a team-friendly $3.475 million on a one-year contract and can get a increase — however how a lot and for the way lengthy?

“It’s clearly a stability of going backwards and forwards,” Carlo mentioned. “However I’ve had some conversations with Sway. He appears fairly inspired and in mindset with all of it, so so long as he’s feeling OK mentally, that’s all we actually care about.”

Among the many different unsigned gamers are Detroit’s Moritz Seider two years faraway from being rookie of the 12 months, Dallas defenseman Thomas Harley and New Jersey ahead Dawson Mercer. The Red Wings signed Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64 million contract.

Mourning Gaudreau

The Blue Jackets are getting again on the ice mere weeks after Johnny Gaudreau and youthful brother Matthew died after they had been struck by a driver of an SUV whereas using bicycles on the eve of their sister’s marriage ceremony. A candlelight vigil was held exterior the world in Columbus, gamers and crew workers attended the tearful funeral and taking part in hockey was the furthest factor from anybody’s thoughts.

Captain Boone Jenner and common supervisor Don Waddell hope the rink will function a refuge of kinds.

“We each agreed the faster we are able to get guys again within the room collectively, the higher it might be for everyone,” Waddell mentioned. “All of us mourn and heal otherwise, however I feel as a crew, being collectively like that’s going to be important for them to get transferring ahead.”

That is the crew’s second camp lately that follows the offseason loss of life of a participant. Goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died in July 2021 of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast on the marriage ceremony of an assistant coach’s daughter.

New in Utah

This would be the forty fifth coaching camp for the group that was as soon as the unique Winnipeg Jets, then the Phoenix Coyotes and till earlier this 12 months the Arizona Coyotes. It’s the primary and solely season because the Utah Hockey Club after a transfer from the desert to Salt Lake Metropolis.

Ryan and Ashley Smith’s Smith Leisure Group now owns the crew, retaining the identical hockey operations employees, coaches, gamers and prospects however beginning over with a clear slate within the document books like an growth franchise.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime alternative to play with a brand new group,” mentioned Josh Doan, who’s now with Utah after making his NHL debut with the crew dad Shane captained for a lot of his profession. “However to do it with all the fellows you’ve been with and the individuals that you just’re shut with already is one thing that’s enjoyable to do.”

Utah, which is anticipated to get everlasting identify and brand after the season, performs its first sport Oct. 8 towards Chicago on the downtown Delta Middle, the house of the NBA’s Jazz.

Tryout time

Six-time 30-goal scorer Max Pacioretty is the most important participant attending camp on an expert tryout settlement. Pacioretty is in Toronto, and agent Allan Walsh has mentioned he expects the 35-year-old winger to signal a contract previous to the beginning of the season.

Others with the chance to earn a deal embody Travis Dermott with defending Western Convention champion Edmonton; fellow defenseman Tyson Barrie with Calgary; 2020 and ’21 Cup winner Tyler Johnson with Boston; and revered veteran ahead Pierre-Edouard Bellemare with Colorado. Longtime New York Islanders enforcer Matt Martin can also be again, hoping to stay round and get one other contract.

Coming and going

Landeskog’s subsequent sport can be his first within the NHL since lifting the Stanley Cup over his head when the Avalanche defeated the Lightning in Sport 6 of the ultimate in 2022. A nagging proper knee harm and subsequent cartilage substitute surgical procedure to aim to repair the issue have price the Swedish ahead the previous two seasons.

“Seeing him across the rink, clearly being extra energetic on the ice, seeing the progressions he’s constructed from after we had been right here for playoffs beforehand, it’s superior to see,” ahead Logan O’Connor mentioned.

Oshie has performed via power again issues for years and mentioned after Washington misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs he would solely return if he and docs might provide you with an answer that retains him within the lineup. The Capitals appear to have ready for all times with out Oshie, however it isn’t clear if the 37-year-old who was a part of their 2018 Cup run intends to attempt to maintain taking part in.