The Capitals announced their training camp roster and schedule on Monday. The team has invited 47 veteran players to camp with select rookies scheduled to take part initially, including top prospects Mattias Sjogren, 23, and Cody Eakin, 20. The rookie camp consisting of 23 players is ongoing this week.
Practices begin this Saturday with the roster broken up into the separate teams – “A”, “B” and “C”. As previously announced, there will be seven preseason games during camp. Three of those will be at Verizon Center, one at Baltimore’s First Mariner Arena and three on the road. All practices will again be at the organization’s Kettler Iceplex headquarters in Arlington and are free and open to the public.
A good chance the rosters for the three intrasquad teams change on a daily basis depending on injuries and the needs of the coaching staff. So if you attend a certain practice expecting to see specific players – especially the first three days of camp – don’t be surprised if they aren’t there. The schedule for those days is 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. The first round of cuts will likely occur after that first preseason game, Sept. 20 in Baltimore against the Nashville Predators. The final 23-man roster is due in to NHL offices on Oct. 5.
Not sure how much to read into the positions listed on Washington’s official roster. But Brooks Laich, a winger during most of his tenure here, is at center. Trade acquisition Troy Brouwer is listed at right wing, though coach Bruce Boudreau says he is more comfortable on the left side. Jay Beagle, a strong candidate for one of the final roster spots, is listed at center, too. Matt Hendricks, a stalwart on the fourth line last season, is a left wing/center. Obviously, given Boudreau’s penchant for experimentation all of this can change by the day. The more versatile a player, the better chance he has to make it.
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