How would you describe what camp has been like with Lindy as coach?
“It’s been great. I think we’ve just been getting a little better every day, building momentum. I think each day throughout this camp has built on the one before. Not only that, we’ve come together as a team. This trip’s been really good for that, spending time with the guys. I think it will benefit us a huge amount moving forward.”
Lindy said during his opening speech to you guys, the first days will be tough but you’ll get acclimated quickly. What has that process been like?
“Totally, you adapt to it. Practices are really up-tempo, we’re not going to the board out there. The plan is in place before, everybody knows the drills, and then we buzz through it. It’s good conditioning, good keeping the pace up. I think we’re just getting better and better.”
What goes into getting acclimated with new linemates the way you have with Beck Malenstyn and Nicolas Aube-Kubel?
“Those guys have been amazing. We’ve become pretty close off the ice, too, which I think helps. We talk about things and different strategies we’re going to have out there. Not only that, we’ve played against each other for a long time before being teammates this year, so I think all of us know how the others like to play. Obviously those two played together last year (in Washington). It’s been a lot of fun. They dog the puck and they’re relentless out there, so it makes my job as their center pretty easy, being positionally sound. And then I think we just all like to play the same way, so we kind of feed off one another.”
Is their chemistry from playing together in Washington noticeable when you’re on the ice?
“Yeah, totally. I think they have that chemistry already and it’s just kind of clicked right away. We get along great off the ice and it translates onto the ice.”
What was it like to play against them?
“It was always tough. Played against both of them many, many times my rookie year in Wilkes-Barre. Maley was in Hershey, I played him 12 times – more than that for preseason. And then Kubey was in Lehigh Valley, so I also played him 12 times. Yeah, that was a while ago, but I got to know those guys really well, understand how hard they like to play. I like to play the same way, so I think it works.”
How would you describe the identity you three want to have on the ice?
“Most of all, I think other teams don’t want to play against us. That’s the biggest thing. Being hard to play against and bringing our speed, bringing our energy. Give the team a huge shot of life every time we’re on the ice. Just bringing that energy night in and night out. That’s the biggest thing we’re looking to do and then we can obviously grow our games from there, putting the puck in the net and finishing our checks and all those little things that add up.”
Rasmus Dahlin has been named captain since the team’s been out here. What’s been your first impression of him?
“Just really impressive. It was just a treat to have him back on the ice with the boys in that game on Friday. Just his presence and the way guys feed off his energy – it’s a calming presence, but it also gives you an extra step watching him do his thing out there. Honestly, it’s a joy to watch. Yeah, he’s our leader. I’ve kind of had that feeling from day one coming to Buffalo. We’re just really fortunate to have a player of his caliber. Obviously well-deserved and he’ll be leading the way to us.”
Is he a guy who reached out to you after you signed here?
“Yeah, absolutely. He was one of the first guys, if not the first guy to reach out when I signed here. You can see, Rasmus and a lot of the other core guys that have been here a little while now, what they’re trying to build and what the expectations are around here. I think everyone’s on board. We’re just looking to keep chipping away one day at a time.”
The cameras caught you the other day singing Taylor Swift while you were mic’d up. Are you a Swiftie?
“I wouldn’t go that far, but we had a little team-building activity the day before and there was some music playing, and that was one of the songs that happened to be playing. It just was stuck in my head from the day before. Catchy tune.”
