Informal skates are underway, and it looks like newly signed Mats Zuccarello-Aasen is impressing with his teammates. In an earlier interview with Jesse Spector, goalie Henrik Lundqvist had some praise for the youngster:
“He’s got really quick hands – and a long stick,” Lundqvist said. “He’s a smart player. You can tell when he passes the puck, he sees the game really well. It’s just a matter of time for him to learn the game here. … I think he’s going to do great. Good players usually look even better when the speed is higher, and I think we’ll see that.
Today, during an informal scrimmage, Spector noted that MZA lined up with last year’s top line, playing on a line with Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborik. The scrimmage was low scoring, but it is good to see that someone so skilled is getting a chance to line up with the top line from last season. Personally, I believe that MZA will be going to Hartford to at least start the season, but it is clear that he is very skilled, and may just go the Martin St. Louis route with his NHL career.
The other two lines that stuck out in Spector’s mind were the Sean Avery-Chris Drury-Ryan Callahan and Derek Boogaard-Brian Boyle-Brandon Prust line. Spector specifically noted that the tough guy line showed more skill than most anticipated. Most fans know what to expect from a line of Avery-Drury-Callahan, but if the fourth line of Boogaard-Boyle-Prust can impress the coaching staff, then they may see more than five minutes per game. In an 82 game season, the more rest the top line guys get, the better. Camp opens in a week, and it can’t come soon enough.
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