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Mike Babcock met with the media following the announcement of Monday’s round of cuts, discussing:

  • The decision to send Travis Dermott down to the Marlies
  • The fourth line center competition between Moore, Fehr and Aaltonen
  • The final decision upcoming for the bottom-pairing left-side spot on defence

and more.


A little over two weeks of training camp, are there any surprises or was this predictable as far as where you thought you might be? 

Babcock: Obviously, we’re in a situation where we had a competitive camp. There were good battles for jobs both on the backend and up front. We are a long way from sorting it all out. In saying all of that, this is a place to start. I think our fitness level is good. I think we’re skating good. I thought we practiced real hard today. Now we’re going into a tough building in Winnipeg. It’s going to be tough. That’s what you are going to say every night. The parity in the league is unbelievable and every night is going to be hard.

What led you to wanting one of the veterans on that fourth line?

Babcock: Just because of that, and knowing how to play. I thought Aaltonen had a real good camp. Real competitive. We met with him today and talked about that and just a few things he needs to learn. We expect him to be back. Fehrsy and Mooresy, right now, just because they know the league and are reliable, that’s what we’ve decided to do. If there is a move that needs to be made, we’ll make her.

Is there a particular thing you’re looking at when deciding who is going to start there?

Babcock: No. They’re both good veteran players who know how to play, so we’ll just make a decision based on it. I don’t know if we’re platooning them, or what we’re going to do exactly, but we’re just going to watch them.

Is it still possible both Swedish defencemen could start the year with the team?

Babcock: Oh, for sure it’s a possibility. We’ve got time so we’re buying it. It’s obviously very tight right there. There’s a business side of the game, too. We’ve got to work it all out.

How have you seen the chemistry of the Matthews, Nylander and Hyman line grow this year versus how they finished?

Babcock: Well, they’re just better players than they were a year ago. Willy and Matty have the puck a tonne. Hyms does his thing and goes and gets it back. We think he’s the best forechecker in hockey. He’s at the net all the time and creates space for those guys. They don’t share it between the three of them as much as they do between the two of them. It’s a real good line for us. They’ve been our best line thus far. We feel we have three offensive lines that should all be real good. We’ve got to get everybody going here.

Connor Brown was predominantly a top-nine guy last year. What adjustments does he have to make now to maximize his ice time?

Babcock: Well, we’ll probably play him on both special teams. Also, I don’t think Brownie is thinking he’s staying there. Just go about doing what you do. He’s a real good player.

How is the transition to the blue line for the guys who are 23-24? Nikita last year, and the two Swedes this year.

Babcock: I just think they’ve played hockey at a high level. It’s a big adjustment initially just because there is so much information coming at you. Once they get the thinking process over with and just get to playing, they’re good players. We’ll real fortunate to have them. It allows Dermott — who is a real good player as well — to spend another year, at least the start of it anyway, in the minors, which I think is important for his development. You’re going to come when you’re ready. But they’re good players.

What do you think of the Borgman-Carrick pairing?

Babcock: I like that Borgman is a big, big, heavy guy. He can really skate; he’s got great edges. He’s still got things to learn for sure. Having a right shot like Carrick gets ahead of those guys because of his experience and his right-hand shot helps him as well.

For you, why does the fourth line center role lend itself to veterans who have that experience and guys that know the league?

Babcock: Because your job, even though you’re the fourth-line center, is to play against the best centers in the league every night because you’re penalty killing. You’ve got to win faceoffs. You’ve got to know where to stand. You have to be safe. What I’ve learned over time is that in training camp, you go, “Isn’t that kid great? Isn’t that kid great? Isn’t that kid great?” And then he’s minus. Ten games in, he’s -10, and you wonder why you have him there. Over time, you just hedge your bets. If the kid is ready, he’s ready. If it’s close, why not: Tie goes to the veteran? You can still continue to develop. We expect Aaltonen to play in the NHL. That isn’t a question at all. It’s just a question of when.

Is Roman Polak still with sticking around with the team?

Babcock: Yeah, I don’t know exactly. Polie is a free agent, as you know. I don’t know, exactly, the process. We’re trying to get down to numbers, so that’s a process we’re in right now.