On the eve of the season opener, GM Brad Treliving discussed the waiver pickups of Sammy Blais and Cayden Primeau, Joseph Woll’s absence, his forward group after the Scott Laughton injury, and his depth at all positions on the roster.
What went into the waiver pickup of Cayden Primeau?
Treliving: Regarding Cayden… Obviously, with Joe Woll’s situation, we had brought James Reimer in. I felt bad for James; he really didn’t have a lot of time to get up, go through a camp, and get his feet underneath him. We probably felt that having someone who has been through a camp [would be beneficial].
We like the background of Cayden. It gives us more depth.
The other piece of that is that Dennis Hildeby has had a really good camp. I know we all get excited about opening-day rosters, but this allows us to have depth at the position. It allows us, if need be, to have Dennis come back and play. It allows him to keep playing.
Really, at the end of the day, it gives us depth at the position during Joe’s absence right now, with a goaltender we like. With Anthony, Cayden, Dennis, and [Arthur Akhtyamov], we have some depth there now.
How did Dennis Hildeby receive the news of not making the roster out of camp?
Treliving: He’s good. Again, we’re not playing today. The roster gets submitted because you have to submit a roster. We will see where it all shakes out when the games are played.
The good thing with Dennis is that he keeps him playing. Right now, from a goaltending standpoint, I like our depth. It will be a committee until we can get Joe back.
Does this mean we will not see Joseph Woll anytime soon?
Treliving: There is no update there. We think things are progressing well. I can’t give you a timeframe right now.
How is Joe doing?
Treliving: He is doing well. He is doing really well.
What did you like about Sammy Blais?
Treliving: Sammy has had a history with Chief going back to St. Louis. He won a Cup in St. Louis. If you look back, he was a really good player in St. Louis. He went to New York and went through a major injury to his knee. He sort of had to rebuild himself.
He spent last year in the American league and was a bit part of that team’s Calder Cup success. Our staff had seen him a lot over his career, but specifically last year. He had a good camp in Montreal.
He gives us some depth and some history with the coach. He’s a player we knew.
What’s the plan for Easton Cowan?
Treliving: The plan right now is that today, he is not on the roster. We will see what happens tomorrow.
Easton has had a really good camp. I think he is right there and ready to play for us. We want to manage it appropriately. If he is going to be playing with us here, great. If he is not, I want him playing.
We will manage it for the next little bit. We will get through today and see what tomorrow brings.
How would you assess the forward group in light of the Scott Laughton injury?
Treliving: Injuries are a part of it, right? Everyone goes through injuries.
I think we are a work in progress, trying to fit some new people in. With Scotty’s injury, one of the strengths of this group is that people can play different positions. You saw a bit of a line switch with Scotty’s injury, so there is some positional flexibility.
Ultimately, we are still finding where everybody fits. That is why you get into the season and see where chemistry might be and where certain guys are going to fit. It will be a bit of a different look until Scotty gets back, but injuries are injuries. Everybody deals with them, and we’ll be ready to roll.
How long is Laughton expected to be out?
Treliving: Not trying to be coy, but I don’t know yet. We termed it week-to-week, so we’ll probably have a better idea over the next couple of weeks — in the next week or 10 days. It’ll be a few weeks.
What do you like the most about the team heading into the season?
Treliving: We have lots of depth. As I said, I think our goaltending is strong. I think our defense is strong. Up front is where there are probably a few more question marks in terms of where everyone fits, finding their roles, and finding chemistry.
I like the depth of the team. I like the attitude that the group has come in with. It is a hard-working group. They’re a committed group.
Camp, for all of us, can get a little bit long. You’re like, “Okay, let’s get on with the real thing.” We are excited to get to the real thing.
What do you specifically like about the depth of the defense?
Treliving: I think it’s real strong. We were very happy that our guys got through waivers. We see with Scotty that injuries are a part of it. We have a condensed schedule. You can never have too much depth.
I thought Henry Thrun had a real good camp. I thought all of our defense had real good camps, but in Henry’s case, it allows him to go do what he has to do, which is play. He sort of missed that development step in getting some American league time, getting a lot of time, and getting himself reset. I was excited to get him through.
I am happy about the depth we have on the blue line.
How do you view the challenge in the Atlantic Division this season coming out of the preseason?
Treliving: The preseason didn’t really do anything for me. I knew going in that it was a tough division. I think it is the hardest division in hockey. The last six Stanley Cup winners or finalists have come from the division. You have teams on the come-up, up and down the division. Every night is a beast. We have our hands full.
Is it Stanley Cup or bust for you?
Treliving: We’re just getting ready for Wednesday.
