The whole league is always in competition for ice time, but Burakovsky and Connolly have roster spots. Eller has a roster spot. Smith-Pelly, with seven playoff goals for the win, isn't getting waived. I know you have to put together ten guys to make a post, but the competition, it seems to me, is between the new guys and the guys who got called up last year. I think Stephenson is most likely to have a lineup spot, with 7 playoff points, followed by Boyd who would get claimed on waivers and has a 60 point AHL season to his credit. Dowd is already on the path to convert from being an offensive center prospect to being Jay Beagle, after he started only 25% of his shifts ahead of the red line last year. He and Boyd are the only two right handed centers on the roster, so their battle is mostly with each other, and it's going to be holistic--unless the new coaches feel that Beagle's role is more essential than the offense Boyd can bring, they're going to look at who is a more complete player right now, in camp. Shumakov might outscore Eller and maybe even Burakovsky this year, but he's on a two way contract, so the coaches have some leeway with whether he starts in the NHL or whether he and Samsonov take a trip to Hershey together, get top minutes, and adjust to an 80 foot rink together, with low stakes. If they try that, though, I hope they've cleared it with Shumakov first, and he isn't left startled that he isn't on Ovechkin's line, playing for the champions. I mean, he signed a deal to cross the ocean and leave a league where he was just about breaking out as a superstar, so if he gets sent to the AHL, he should at least play top line, most likely with Gersich and.....?

AJF is going to have a great career but I don't see a spot for him out of camp this fall. Likely gets called up for a cup of coffee this year as a reward for strong play in Hershey, where hopefully he gets a bit of each special team?