The atmosphere in the bowels of Copps Coliseum is particularly sombre as the Tigers clear out their lockers. There are a few small jokes and a couple smiles but as a whole the guys just want to go home after yet another disappointing season. Posted on the big black board are lists of players that GM Taylor wants to speak to before they leave.
Deryk Engelland, Kyle Quincey, Steve Ott, Brendan Morrow, Travis Moen, & Geoff Lupul troop along one by one for their hand shakes and best wishes on their future endeavors. Taylor will of course try to trade these guys but they know they won't be back in black and gold next season. In the case of Lupul the team will exercise their buy-out option on him.
Once that older group has departed Taylor then meets with 5 youngsters and one older player. Matt Fraser, Mike Latta, Eric Gelinas, Brandon Gormley, Greg Pateryn & Brian Boyle are told that the team will attempt to move them to a place where their talents can shine. There are simply too many prospects and not enough roster spots for everyone.
Next Taylor calls in Evander Kane, Jonathan Drouin, Kari Lehtonen, Nazem Kadri, Lars Eller, Nick Cousins, Quinton Howden Mark Pysyk, Curtis Lazar, Stefan Matteau, Mike Chaput, Seth Griffith, Justin Fontaine & Kevin Connauton get read the off season training riot act and are told this upcoming season will be their last chance.
Once that group is gone Taylor is left with his young core. Ryan Spooner, Kevin Hayes, Bo Horvat, Tanner Kero, Darcy Kuemper, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nathan Beaulieu, Ryan Murray, Mark Boroweicki, Boone Jenner, Max Domi, Joe Blandisi, Darnell Nurse, Nathan MacKinnon, Joel Armia, Logan Shaw and John Marchessault. This group which will make up most of the 16-17 starting roster also gets a lecture about off season training and is then sent off into the world. The next few years should be very interesting for the players management and fans in tropical Hamilton Ontario.
| Jenner | Spooner | MacKinnon | ||
| Domi | Horvat | Lazar | ||
| Kane | Hayes | Donskoi | ||
| Howden | Kadri | Fontaine | ||
| Murray | Lehtonen | Ekblad | ||
| Beaulieu | Vasilevskiy | Dumba | ||
| Borowiecki | Kuemper | Nurse |
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