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Here are some Red and White game highlights as camp was capped off. You can read yesterday’s summary of what the game looked like and some personal thoughts. That leads into today’s take.

PHR links to comments by Max Bultman in which the training camp performances of Mazur, Danielson and Kasper weren’t close in camp to grabbing a spot. The other side of that coin is that camp really doesn’t do much to move the needle the longer you follow it. Preseason can, but you usually have your AHL team playing road games against a more heavily laden NHL lineup. If you can stand out in that situation (or if a veteran gets injured) that’s when PTO and rookies may make some hay.

There is, however, a glaring set of issues. The roster is jam packed with 8 defensemen and 3 goalies. Bultman drops an interesting take in that if someone grabs a job, Ville Husso is his pick for the first veteran on waivers. Personal opinion leans toward Copp if it’s a forward and “take your pick” if a dman grabs some attention. The latter would be in serious doubt.

This is where the business of sport kicks in and the human element kicks out. Fans get attached to prospects. If someone fails to make the roster and ultimately heads to Europe or on a 2 way deal elsewhere you hear about it. The hard opposite are the “statisticians”. They will surgically remove post haste and move on. There is a middle ground. In its purest form, sport rewards the superior performer regardless of age, contract or risk of waivers. It’s not always that simple.

It doesn’t feel like a stretch to think that this may be Husso’s last go in a red sweater. If Lyon grabs a top spot and has another NHL workload with decent numbers he’s getting a raise. Let’s assume that Mazur gives the team pk/bottom 6 advantage over the current setup. He’s not necessarily projecting to be an NHL top 6 so reduced minutes in that type of role, if he outplays a veteran, aren’t a deal breaker. So, Husso hits waivers. There are teams who need or want a goalie and may have the space to grab him. Now the pressure for Lyon is on if Talbot’s preseason/season look anything like the Red and White game. Campbell is presumed to hit waivers and head to GR as i can hear that question being asked.

The loss of Husso and shedding of the full cap hit replaced by Mazur may be a net gain (pun intended), but to what end who knows. The human element is that is sucks for Husso if he clears waivers. Then GR has to dump someone on waivers as they look to be carrying 3 for the season. That pushes me back to Copp. If he goes through waivers to clear the space, he’s been relegated to the wing and far from the hoped for results. There seems virtually no risk that he would be grabbed.

The prospects have a lot to do to take a job and part of that is just a bloated roster. A decision will have to be made. After this season Husso and Lyon go UFA. So do Maata and Petry. JB will be RFA again and Kane, Motte and Fischer will all be UFA. Roughly 17m in space. The preseason is wide open and more than a few fans wouldn’t mind seeing a player hit the wire if a better option is available.

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