Today was the last day of on-ice practicing for the prospects participating in this year’s development camp. It’s impossible (and not fair) to judge these kids based on an hour practice session, but I wanted to share some random observations I had while watching today:
- Kevin Fiala is quick, though I want to focus on him during tomorrow’s scrimmage to see if that translates in a game experience. He’s also extremely shy, which is to be expected from a 17-year-old in a strange new city. Don’t expect him to be with the big club anytime soon, but this is encouraging.
- Jeremy, Bryant and I were saying that Vladislav Kamenev could be a steal. Excellent puck awareness and he’s really sneaky on the ice. Hopefully things pan out like they should.
- I’ve never felt more self-conscious about my height than standing next to Magnus Hellberg. Also a giant: Jonathan Diaby.
- The standout prospect of the day for me was Colton Sissons. He was moving with energy, putting a ton into his shot and overall just skating and practicing really hard. Keep an eye on him as training camp approaches.
- It’s impossible to not smile when talking with Filip Forsberg. He’s just a very well-spoken young gentleman, and his enthusiasm for the game of hockey seeps through the conversation. Forsberg pulled off some pretty nifty moves during the drills that brought him in close with the goalie, and I’m just as curious about his performance tomorrow as Fiala’s. Depending on how training camp goes, I’m still in the “start him in Milwaukee” camp, if only to make sure he has nothing left to prove there.
Everything else was pretty straight forward: lots of drills, skating in circles and shooting lots of pucks. I hope these kids put on a great show tomorrow. Obviously, most of them we won’t see again for another year, but there is always a chance for someone to be a surprise once training camp comes. Or, at the very least, be put high on the list for when a mid-season injury inevitably happens.