Notes from Day 3 of Prospect Development Camp

The last day of camp means this is the last 32 Camp Thoughts. But there is a lot to go over so let’s get to work.

• Charles-Alexis Legault was out early every single day. Went 3/3, technically 4/4 if we count the scrimmage. His defensive game was always known to be good but I saw a lot of offensive growth from last year to this year. I really, really liked his performance in camp.

• I know it seemed like I only spoke with Egor Velmakin, but I promise I did speak with some other prospects and people. But the kid just has such a good personality and makes everything fun. He commented that he’s going to work very hard with Dinamo Minsk this upcoming season to become the best version of himself. He very much enjoyed his time in North Carolina these past few days and wanted to thank the fans who took such a liking to him.

• During the end of the morning skate, guys took turns in a shootout against Ruslan Khazheyev. Each time made a save, he made SURE the shooter knew it stayed out. Gleb Trikozov also made it known every time he scored.

• When speaking with Rod Brind’Amour (WILD thing for me), he mentioned that we might see some prospects sooner rather than later. If I am a betting man, I’d guess he’s speaking about Bradly Nadeau, Felix Unger Sorum, Jackson Blake, Scott Morrow, and very possibly Charles-Alexis Legault. Not all at the same time, of course.

• When the scrimmage started, a young man came up and introduced himself to me. That man was Patrik Hamrla, one of the goalies who sadly didn’t get on the ice during camp. Very well spoken, he made sure to mention that his and Jakub Vondras’s equipment was somewhere in either London or Paris.

• I did ask Hamrla about his current contract situation, trying to figure out where he was going to play this upcoming season. He was very honest, saying that his time with Ilves didn’t go as planned and he hopes to play in North America. His agent and he are working through his options.

• Gleb Trikozov stood out in a big way during the scrimmage. His shot is incredibly lethal and his passing led to a few good chances. Very good showing and I’m very interested to see his start with the Chicago Wolves.

• Jayden Perron, to me, was arguably the most improved player I saw at camp. His skating was visibly better, being quicker with better edge work. He also has a knack for going into the middle of the ice from the boards, which works out for him more than not. Really interested to see his sophomore year at North Dakota.

• Michael Emerson also really flashed some stuff during the scrimmage. Scored a beauty backhander and had a saucer pass that led to a goal. Going to be a big year at Merrimack this season.

• Felix Unger Sorum has the highest IQ of the bunch. Made the smart play every time and it had a very high success rate. He’s going to get a long look in training camp, just like last year.

• Joel Nystrom has a very strong two-way game. Also scored this beauty of a Datsyuk flip in the shootout (click the link for the goal).

• Bradly Nadeau, what else can you say? The skating, the shot, the improved playmaking, hell, even his backchecking was good. The kid has pure talent. He’s going to get a long look in training camp and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him stick around.

• Josh Nadeau is going to be an NHL player. There is no doubt in my mind. I hope it’s for the Canes, but the kid has a bright future.

• Jackson Blake’s playmaking really stands out. His touch while passing was something special. He’s another guy that’s going to get a long look in training camp.

• This year’s “Jussi Jokinen” award winner, Justin Poirier, is as advertised. His shot is unbelievable and the way he uses his frame to get positioning is something you just don’t see too often.

• Last year’s “Jussi Jokinen” award winner, Lucas Mercuri, did score in the shootout, but Poirier dominated the morning skate shootout. He was showcasing a noticeably faster shot and continued to use his gigantic frame in the right ways.

• Nikita Quapp was a stonewall in the morning skate. Consistently making great saves. Liked what I saw and I hope he gets good game time with Dusseldorfer in the DEL.

• Dominik Badinka was very vocal in the scrimmage, for good reasons. Lobbying for calls that weren’t made because, well, there was no ref. His offense shined today.

And that’s camp. I really do want to give a big shoutout to the Carolina Hurricanes for letting me have access to the locker room and media opportunities. It truly means the world to me and this was an unbelievable experience. I hope everyone enjoyed the content from camp. If you are reading this when it comes out, on July 10th, I’ll be on Canes Corner with Adam Gold talking about camp!