Coach Jaques Lemaire cut the roster to 29 yesterday which is still a high number for his liking. Formulating a practice for too many players, the coach said, is difficult.
"Because you have to check the types of drills you make so the guys don't stand too long before they get involved," he said. "And there are certain things you can't do because you do have too many people."
Opening night is less than a week away (October 4th Wild vs. Blackhawks)and I think after the road game in St Louis tonight, there will be at least 4 more cuts. The competition is tough, but Jacques is going to give the young guys one night to really put on a show. The lines are scheduled to be look like this:
Demitra - Pouliot - Gaborik
Rolston - Sheppard - Bouchard
Radivojevic - Koivu - Parrish
Boogaard - Moore - Foy
Johnson - Belle
Skoula - Scott
Burns - Reitz
Of interesting note is the fact that for the second straight game, Benoit Pouliot will center Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik, a combination that Lemaire has been fond of in recent games. I still think Moore makes a good center on that line as well so we will have to see what Lemaire has in mind. I would like to see Sheppard fit on this team somewhere as well, but I think Eric Belanger is a better fit with Rolston and Bouchard . . .only time will tell in Lemaire sees things the same way I do...