Afternoon Camp Demotions (Sep 30)

Another big rookie demotion on Wednesday afternoon, as the Edmonton Oilers decided to send defenseman Darnell Nurse down to the AHL, trying to work on his game. Nurse is among the elite draft picks they have in their system, but I could understand that the team wants to be a bit more mature in the back, if they are going to be so head strong and young up front. I don't think it will be long before Nurse makes his mark, which could still happen this season, as he is only in the minors and not juniors.

He's another player with a decent projection in a few magazines, so be weary of his status on draft day.

A couple of projected forwards saw demotions from the Predators camp, as Steve Moses and Colton Sissons were both sent down to the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday. Both were projected around the 3rd line of Nashville, so there wasn't a great loss to the pool projections, but they were there, if you were still looking for sleeper picks.

Moses was a free agent signing from the KHL, while Sissons is trying to work his way up the depth chart, through the organization.  Both will likely be looked to, when injuries start to happen through the season.

The Colorado Avalanche pared their roster down to 30 players and there were a couple of projected players sent down to the AHL on Wednesday: forward Joey Hishon and goaltender Calvin Pickard.

Hishon has been on the cusp of making it through to the big club's full-time roster, but obviously hasn't cracked the code quite yet.  With a couple of PTO's still in town (Curtis Glencross and Jack Skille), it isn't a great sign when he isn't cracking past them.

Pickard was locked in the battle for the back-up position in the Avalanche crease with Reto Berra, but has now lost out on the job.  Pickard was the pick of a couple magazines to win the job, so be careful of which way you go.

Another Hockey News projection for the rookie campaign was shuffled off to the AHL on Wednesday. The Florida Panthers decided that defenseman Mike Matheson is better off starting the year in the minors, instead of with the big club.  Matheson was projected for 16 points, if he was to have made the team, which would have likely slotted him to be more suited for the Waiver Draft, than the actual draft, but you just never know how it goes for some people combing through their magazines at the draft.

The Panthers also cut forward David Booth from his professional tryout contract on Wednesday.  The depth of the team didn't really allow for him to get a projection this Summer, even when he was invited, but him being released does solidify some other numbers on the list.