Five Things To Watch: Hurricanes in Traverse City 2015

The Carolina Hurricanes are once again heading to Traverse City, Michigan, this coming weekend to take part in the annual NHL prospects tournament.

With a roster made up of a mix of players who spent their rookie seasons with the Checkers and incoming prospects, the tournament will be the first preview of what the Checkers could look like this season.

It will also be the first glimpse of the new Checkers coaching staff behind the bench, as Mark Morris and Geordie Kinnear will be in charge of the prospect team.

Below is a quick look at five things to watch for throughout the tournament, which kicks off for Carolina on Friday, Sep. 11, at 7:30 p.m. against the Detroit Red Wings. As was the case last year, carolinahurricanes.com will be providing live coverage from Traverse City. Keep an eye out here next week for a recap of the tournament as well.

RETURNING PLAYERS

Though the Traverse City tournament is mainly made up of junior and college prospects, teams are allotted some spots for more experienced players on their roster as well. Brock McGinn, Phil Di Giuseppe, Trevor Carrick and Carter Sandlak, who all spent their entire rookie seasons in Charlotte, will participate in the tournament.

McGinn, Di Giuseppe and Carrick are all heading to Traverse City for the third consecutive time and have the most AHL experience on the team, each having played at least 73 games for Charlotte last season. All three turned in strong first pro seasons, finishing the season as the top three rookie scorers on the team. McGinn’s physical presence made him a force on both ends for the Checkers, though his scoring touch seemed to come in waves. Di Giuseppe started slow but finished the year hot, recording 14 points in his last 24 games and showing flashes of high-end skill, while Carrick enjoyed a historically productive season for a Checkers rookie blue liner. All three have positioned themselves to take on bigger roles in Charlotte and are viable candidates for an NHL call up this season. Traverse City will be our first look at the strides they have taken during their first pro offseason, and with that extra experience, all three should have big tournaments.

For Sandlak, this tournament will be a stage for him to show the coaches how he has built upon his rookie year. The 22-year-old spent the majority of his rookie season with Charlotte, netting two goals and two assists while finding himself in and out of the lineup. A late-season stint in the ECHL seemed to help Sandlak regain some confidence, and now we will be able to see how he looks after an offseason to build on that. Out of the four Charlotte players on the roster, Sandlak will be the most intriguing to watch.

INCOMING FORWARDS

Last year’s Checkers team leaned on several young forwards to carry the offense. While some more-established players have been added during the offseason, there will still be an influx of young offensive talent coming into Charlotte this year, and Traverse City will be the start of that transition. Erik Karlsson, Sergey Tolchinsky, Lucas Wallmark and Matt Willows are all eligible to begin the season in Charlotte (camp invitee Chris Marchese is also eligible, but is not signed). Wallmark and Karlsson could both spend the season in Charlotte, and this tournament will help shed some light on the somewhat unknown prospects, as they have spent the entirety of their careers playing in their home country of Sweden.

Tolchinsky dazzled during Hurricanes prospect camp, setting the internet ablaze with his silky dekes, and with another great OHL season under his belt the 20-year-old will likely be making the jump to the pros this season. His skill set is certainly not in question, but his size (he’s listed as five-foot-eight) could be a hurdle for him, so how he handles going up against some pro-ready prospects in this tournament could be a nice barometer as to how he will fare come training camp and the start of the season.

Willows, 24, is the oldest skater on the roster, and this will be his first taste of the pro game after signing an AHL deal with Charlotte. Playing with junior players and other top prospects should help the forward make the jump to the pro game, as he will look to emulate what Di Giuseppe and Patrick Brown did a season ago.

FRESH FACES ON THE BLUE LINE

It’s no secret that the Hurricanes have built up quite the stockpile of defensive prospects, and that is plenty evident on the Traverse City roster. Three defensemen on the roster, Brett Pesce, Jaccob Slavin and Tyler Ganly, are poised to make the transition to the pros and could start their rookie seasons in Charlotte.

Pesce spent a small chunk of time with Charlotte at the end of last season, recording one assist in six games with the Checkers, and looks to be ready to step right into the pro game. The 6-foot-3 blue liner held his own after getting thrown into things during his AHL stay, seeing time in all facets of the game, and will be looking to make an impact similar to the one Carrick made in his rookie season.

Slavin wrapped up a two-year college career that saw him earn several honors as part of a subpar Colorado College team. Having just recently signed a contract earlier this offseason, this training camp will be Slavin’s first taste of the pro game, and this tournament should be a useful introduction.

Ganly, a late addition to the roster after first-round pick Noah Hanifin pulled out due to injury, has been a key part of the powerhouse Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds over the past few years. Despite missing a large chunk of last season due to injuries, the 20-year-old was a force on the blue line when healthy, and is eligible to begin his pro career in Charlotte next season.

BATTLE IN NET

With the departure of John Muse, Charlotte’s number two goalie spot seems to be up in the air between prospect Daniel Altshuller and incoming college signee Rasmus Tirronen. Altshuller, who spent the entirety of his rookie season in the ECHL with Florida, played in the Traverse City tournament each of the last two years but is not on the 2015 roster. Instead, Tirronen will man the net for the team alongside 2015 third-round pick Callum Booth.

Tirronen appeared in one AHL game last season, the Checkers’ final home contest, and earned the victory. At 25, he is the oldest player on the roster, and this tournament will let him show coaches Morris and Kinnear what he has to offer. The battle between Tirronen and Altshuller will be something for Checkers fans to keep an eye on throughout training camp, starting with Tirronen’s play in Traverse City.

BEHIND THE BENCH

As mentioned earlier, this tournament will mark the first games with Morris at the helm. While they aren’t exactly the most meaningful, these games will be Morris’ first interaction with several players that will likely make up his squad in Charlotte. The tournament will give him an early look at what certain players have to offer as they gear up for training camp. It will also let returning skaters like McGinn and Carrick get acclimated to their new head coach and his style.