Jessica Belmosto

Tuesday marked the first day of the four-day camp at Warrior Ice Arena. The roster included recent draftees and several invitees. Some notable attendees include Axel Andersson, Urho Vaakanainen, Jack Studnicka and Jakub Lauko. There was plenty of talent mixed in.

Players were broken up into two groups. They participated in an about an hour and a half of skating and shooting drills. I viewed today as a chance for a contract. You’re fighting for something and you have to prove it. It was evident who took it seriously and who was just sort of there.

Viktor Burgland returned to camp for the second time. The general consensus is that his first year did not go as he may have liked. I would say that day one went similarly. His skating looked a little labored and almost like he was favoring a leg. He didn’t hold my attention like some other players. Best of luck to him for the rest of the week.

Curtis Hall is a name that I think we should hold on to. While his peers had a similar set of skills, Hall’s set was a bit sharper. It was easy to keep your eyes on him during drills. His skating ability and acceleration were unmatched. What stood out most to me is that after drills had ended and his peers took to the bench, he was still shooting around. The forward had excellent accuracy throughout the day. Dare I say, the forward’s shooting reminds me of Patrick Kane’s?

There were a solid ten minutes in both sessions where they players just skated up and down the ice. Some had the stamina, others did not. Quite frankly, watching them was exhausting. Most of them were able to keep a steady speed. What shocked me was Dustyn McFaul. He was skating at a pace that was similar to the goalie. My favorite moment was watching them all plop to the ground once the whistle blew.

A rather heartwarming moment today took place in the locker room. Axel Andersson mentioned in the media scrum that he models his game after Charlie McAvoy. It’s safe to say that he will be in good hands once he makes it up the Boston.

Development camp isn’t always a fair analysis of a player’s ability. Things happen, people have off days. It’s easy to get lost in the hype of new draft picks and young talent. Talent doesn’t always translate well. I’ll save you from a long-winded speech on what you need to make it. We’re all aware of what it takes to make a roster.