Training camp will be extra important

The Hurricanes are itching to return to training camp after missing the playoffs the last two seasons.

Despite the disappointment of going down to their final game of the regular season before they were eliminated from postseason contention last spring, the close call also gave the organization a sense that the Hurricanes might be moving in the right direction.

That tends to be the mood as the start of training coach approaches. The Hurricanes were good enough to stay in the battle for a playoff berth right until the end. That was dramatic improvement from a year earlier.

Training camp is bound to be challenging because the coaching staff has made it clear that the Hurricanes need to be ready to go full speed ahead in the autumn. They've let too many points slip away early in past seasons, and they don't want such problems to resurface again.

There also will be several players looking to make impressions on the coaching staff and front office. Some of them will be tagged for the minor leagues, but they'll want to prove that they're ready if called up. Yet there are likely to be two forward spots available on the NHL club and those will be determined during training camp, so by no means will the Hurricanes simply go through the motions as they prepare for the season.

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