Practice Notes Sept 11, 2025 - Rookie Camp Day 1

[united]

Leaves changing colour and hockey players saying they gained muscle mass and are in the best shape of their lives. Quintessential signs regular season hockey is just around the corner.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

More. Yoked. Slovaks!

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

Ugh, not a good start if we are months away from Parehks last camp and he is still injured

If he was injured since the junior camp, was he able to train properly this summer?

Not sure how or why Wes is trying to spin this as positive.

[Canada 02]

Looks lean and chiseled

https://twitter.com/user/status/1966252913480929374

[SuperMatt18]

Honzek - Pospisil - Klapka would be a fun 4th line to start the year if they'd be willing to have Lomberg start as 13th forward.

Huberdeau - Kadri - Coronato
Sharangovich - Frost - Farabee
Coleman - Backlund - Zary
Honzek (6'4") - Pospisil (6'2") - Klapka (6'8")

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1966238343051751826

It absolutely amazes me how low some fans rank him as a prospect - lots of people here think he shouldn't have been top 10. I stand by him being behind only Parekh and Reschny.

[Canada 02]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1966256687893065964

[Enoch Root]

Brzusty looks a bit like Weegar

[Canada 02]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1966260468244213927

[Goriders]

Just because of contract situations I don’t know what the team will do if one or two young guns do show up and steal a spot. We already have the one way roster more or less set. I know they always say everyone has to earn a spot. But reality doesn’t always match that.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

https://twitter.com/user/status/1966256687893065964

Very composed for a player that young. Bodes well for his play on the ice.

[prizefighterinferno]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It absolutely amazes me how low some fans rank him as a prospect - lots of people here think he shouldn't have been top 10. I stand by him being behind only Parekh and Reschny.

Well, while getting jacked was always a prerequisite for him to reach his potential, I'm not sure there is anything his on-ice performance over the last two years that indicates he has the hockey IQ to be a better prospect than other toolsy guys, also with some holes but that have actually produced, guys like Potter, Gridin, Bruz, Basha, etc. So, while I will cross my fingers and hope he pops this season (with his great shot, speed, size), I'm not going to bank on it. Hoping tho!

Dude needs to show he can consistently make plays against other guys who are big, strong, and smart before he will project as more than a bottom 6, Joel Armia type.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

More. Yoked. Slovaks!

Yessss!!!! Beware our Yoked Slovaks!!

We are 'Yoked Bratislava!'

[Reggie Dunlop]

Regarding Honzek

Originally Posted by Crazy Bacon Legs

Oh man, I love this pick. This kid will be a beast. ("Beast mode engage!" Haha). Mark my words.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Honzek looked bigger for sure

They were doing drills toward the end where one player picked a pick up behind the net, fed it out front for the quick shot / one timer. Then the shooter becomes the player picking up the puck and passing. Good drill. Gridin has a wicked release with his one timer, had some wicked snipes

Honzek, Gridin and Suniev stood out for me

[Canada 02]

from the Suniev video, he said he trained with Ben Prentiss, who was Martin St. Louis's trainer

https://www.muscleandfitness.com/wor...an%20an%20hour.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Honzek looked bigger for sure

They were doing drills toward the end where one player picked a pick up behind the net, fed it out front for the quick shot / one timer. Gridin has a wicked release with his one timer, had some wicked snipes

Honzek, Gridin and Suniev stood out for me

Great to hear. Amongst the forwards at this camp, those are the forwards I’m hoping show above the rest.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Goriders

Just because of contract situations I don’t know what the team will do if one or two young guns do show up and steal a spot. We already have the one way roster more or less set. I know they always say everyone has to earn a spot. But reality doesn’t always match that.

Yeah. It’s interesting seeing some teams have multiple rookie spots open for young players - usually on tanking teams. I can’t remember ever going into a season (even during the early years of the last rebuild) where you knew 2-3 rookie players should make the flames squad… simply based on roster spots available. Rather than make the rookies steal a spot from a vet, those teams just make the rookies compete amongst each other for those spots. Not saying it’s a better system - just can’t remember that happening with the flames very often if at all.

[Canada 02]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1966242408624251232

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Goriders

Just because of contract situations I don’t know what the team will do if one or two young guns do show up and steal a spot. We already have the one way roster more or less set. I know they always say everyone has to earn a spot. But reality doesn’t always match that.

If it's a D, there are 3 spots and the worst players out of the following group will go on waivers: Bean, Pachal, Miromanov, Hanley, Poirier, Kuznetsov and Solovyov.

It's a bit more complicated at forward. With Pospisil, Klapka, Lomberg, Kirkland, Morton, and Kerins fighting for the bottom 4 spots. Here likely a trade is needed if a young steals a spot, or we'd be losing a decent forward on waivers.

The other option is to go the Coronato/Zary route. Send the player down despite a great camp, and call him up after 2-10 games. Players get injured, or get to a bad start, so there will be an opening rather quickly.