- It seems like it’s a three way battle for the final two forward spots on the roster. Blair Betts, Mika Pyorala (minus umlauts), and James van Riemsdyk are all seemingly competing for just two roster spots, and the debate is raging on who will be the odd man out. There are a ton of opinions, so let’s get to them.
- First off, the team made a minor move yesterday that could have major implications. In essence, they only dumped a contract — that of defenseman Patrik Hersley, to be specific — on the Nashville Predators. But the move is clearly to make room for adding another player, and the only player left in camp without a contract is Blair Betts. [BSH]
- If Betts is all but officially on the roster, that would mean it’s down to Pyorala and JVR for the final spot. But could Dan Carcillo be in jeopardy of losing his job? [Flying P Blog]
- Tim Panaccio begs the question — is van Riemsdyk NHL ready? He contrasts JVR’s situation to that of Claude Giroux, who struggled in camp last year but learned a few lessons with the Phantoms before making an impact midway through the season with the Flyers. [CSN Philly]
- Frank Seravelli of the Daily News thinks JVR has the edge. [Frequent Flyers]
- According to the numbers, though, JVR might not even fit under the cap. Or he will. The facts are limited and incomplete. The rules of the CBA concerning player bonuses are what complicate things, and nobody can seem to have a straight answer on what JVR’s cap hit actually is. Still, we try to figure it out. [CSN Philly] – [FanPosts]
- Meanwhile, the odd man out will be heading to the Phantoms, who opened up their inaugural training camp in upstate New York yesterday. People in Glens Falls are excited, to say the least. [Post-Star – article & video]
- Peter Forsberg is making news again. Yeah, we’re not interested. [Frequent Flyers]
- A fascinating (statistical) look a junior players cracking NHL rosters in their first season, and whether or not it alters their development. [Mile High Hockey]
- Versus has a new ad campaign, and it’s quite awesome. If only everybody could see it… [Puck The Media]
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