Handing Out Camp Invites (Sep 13)

The Buffalo Sabres announced their projected training camp roster before the weekend and there was one interesting name on the list as a camp invite, former San Jose defenseman Nick Petrecki. Petrecki, 25, was a 1st round pick of the Sharks back in 2007, but was never able to make the cut in the tank and then was sent on his merry way, not getting a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent this Summer.  Over the last two seasons, Petrecki was only able to make it into one NHL game, failing to register a point, but with a sketchy looking Sabres blueline, you just never know what could happen.  This is the time where you will see whether or not it was the depth of the Sharks that kept Petrecki out of the NHL or if it was his own play that kept him from a regular spot.

By my count, the Montreal Canadiens have a couple of blueline spots up for grabs and the Habs have dipped into the free agent pool, nabbing one of their own former players, Francis Bouillon, inviting the unrestricted free agent to camp for another shot.  Bouillon is now 38 years old, but played in 57 games last season, scoring 2 goals and 6 points in that time.  The kids they have are considered to be ready to make the full time jump, but giving them an extra push with a veteran coming back to camp.  I don't see Bouillon getting a contract out of camp, unless there are injuries to their projected roster going forward.  His scoring numbers are not anything to get too excited about, but he may have an effect on camp.

The New Jersey Devils were not done inviting players to camp this week, as Friday night, it was announced that they invited 31-year old forward Jordin Tootoo to camp. He'll join Scott Gomez and Ryan Carter as camp invites up front this Fall. Last season, Tootoo was a member of the Red Wings organization, but couldn't figure into the big league roster, only playing in 11 games with the big club, registering only 1 assist.  Tootoo has never really been a hockey pool type player, but with the right system in front of him, he could definitely be a blue collar player in a team's bottom six.  The Devils are looking for a little bit more offense on their team, which may work against Tootoo in the end.

On Saturday morning, it was also announced that the New Jersey Devils had also invited veteran forward Ruslan Fedotenko to camp.  Fedotenko was last seen in the 2013 season, playing for the Philadelphia Flyers, playing in 47 of the 48-game season, scoring 4 goals and 13 points, ranking 364th overall in pool scoring.  In the 2014 season, Fedotenko went and played in the KHL, where he was nearly a point-per-game player.  If the Devils are looking for some cheap offense, Fedotenko, 35, may be an option.