Canes Country's Guide to the Hurricanes Training Camp: Group B

Earlier today I posted the Canes Country Guide to Group A, featuring the youngest and newest of the Hurricanes 2010 Training Camp. Here are the rest of the players who will be competing for a spot in the NHL lockerroom over the season.

Position Battles to watch

With only two forwards locked in their depth-chart positions, out of a minimum of twelve, this is going to be one competitive camp. Eric Staal will be the first line centerman. Brandon Sutter will center the second line. After that - watch and we'll find out. The most critical choices for the Hurricanes' coaches is who will flank these two at their wings and complete the Top-six. Who will give the most return, not only as a top producer individually, but also the best match of skills and style of these #1 and #2 guys? 

If I had to identify the position which will become the most intriguing battle over the next two weeks, I'd go with third line center. Among those those now practicing as Group B, the leading candidates are Jussi Jokinen and Patrick Dwyer, with a mention to Tuomo Ruutu. But it's been well known for weeks that the front-runners to pivot the third line would be found among the young guns practicing as "Group A". Zac Dalpe and Riley Nash have been the lead candidates in conversations all summer. And Jon Matsumoto can't be ignored. Last, consider this, when Coach Jeff Daniels looked to switch up the lines in Traverse City earlier this week, it wasn't Dalpe centering the top line, rather Jeff Skinner.

Does the 18-year old have what it takes to play aggressively at both ends of the ice? The Kitchener Record had this story talking to both Rod Brind`Amour, a former Selke winner who might have a few thoughts on the matter, and Skinner on Monday. The [Kitchener] Record.com:  Brind’Amour guides Skinner through pro camp "Everything he’s going through, I’ve been there," said Brind’Amour, the just-retired NHL centre and new director of forwards development for Carolina. "I was that shy kid once. I think I can relate to him really well."

After the jump, a few more links previewing Camp, then a look at the facts and figures of those who are (at the moment) part of "Group B". Here again, I'll link you to the downloadable .pdf version of  Canes Country's Guide to Training Camp for you to print out and take with you as you head to the RBC tomorrow or for the next week.

**UPDATE: For more of my projections on who to watch at this year's camp, you can check out the Canes section here: Training Camp Battles: Southeast Division - ProHockeyTalk - NBC Sports The pressure's on Coaches Paul Maurice and Ron Francis to find the right mix of wings to complete the top six and optimize the talents of Staal and Sutter. And then finish the job by assembling the bottom six from scratch. 

Young Hurricanes have plenty to prove -  NewsObserver.com In the Carolina Hurricanes' locker room at the RecZone, the two facing end lockers closest to the doors once were occupied by forwards Rod Brind'Amour and Ray Whitney, befitting their status as veterans and team leaders.

Training Camp: What to Watch For - Carolina Hurricanes -Tracking the Storm: With the on-ice portion of training camp set to start this Saturday, here’s a list of things to keep an eye on as camp progresses.

Group A up close, from this morning. Canes Country's Guide to the Hurricanes Training Camp: Group A - Canes Country There will be a lot of new names and faces this year. Canes Country has a full guide to Camp including a downloadable .pdf to print out to take with you.

Puck Drops - Canes sign NC native Patrick O'Sullivan to one-year deal Brian LeBlanc writes on the what the announcement of O'Sullivan's contract means to both the new Canes player and those already here.

Finally, this is only a teaser of a more in-depth interview forthcoming, but Hockeybuzz's prospects blogger, Julie Robenhymer sat down with recently-signed NCAA centers  Zac Dalpe and Riley Nash Monday and posted a very funny out-take video here. HockeyBuzz.com - Julie Robenhymer - Traverse City Prospect Tournament Notes 

Group B

A quick census of Group B:

(not including last minute addition of Patrick O'Sullivan, since his group placement was not available at this time)

** UPDATE: O'Sullivan will be wearing Jersey #8 and skate with Group B today.

Twenty-two  players: 12 Forwards, 8 Defensemen, 2 Goaltenders. (**With O'Sullivan, it's now 23 players, 13 forwards.)

Age: This group is an average age of 26 years, 7 months. Zach Boychuk is the youngest at 20 years, 11 months; Joe Corvo is the oldest, at 33 years, 3 months. (Group A averaged 22 years, 4 months with none older than 25 years of age.)

Nationality: 9 were born in Canada, 7 in the US and there are 6 European-born players. I counted Brandon Sutter as US born, though he spent much of his life in Canada, and played for Team Canada's World Junior teams.

Height: Anton Babchuk is the tallest, listed at 6' 5" while Sergei Samsonov steps in at 5'-8" .

Weight: According to the numbers available now, Tim Gleason is heaviest at 217 lbs. and Patrick Dwyer is the lightest at 175 lbs. Repeating what I wrote this morning, since they are weighing in today, after a summer of weight management and training, I suspect these numbers are subject to change.

Our downloadable .pdf version: With photos and few more familiar names, it's ready to print-and-go. Here's the link once more: Canes Country's Guide to 2010 Training Camp 

GROUP "B" (as of 9/17/10)

The new Canes Country Calendar linked on the front page is kept up to date with practice information and games as well. The Schedule for Group B Practices during the upcoming week is as follows:

Management has made it clear that the group assignments for the players may (and in all likelihood will) change daily for some players, so keep an eye out for updates on twitter or in the comments.