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NHL training camp: Ten players with something to prove

As NHL camps open around the league Thursday, with many teams hitting the ice for the first time Friday or Saturday, there's the anticipation that comes with any new beginning. The start of training camp represents a clean slate after a long offseason for a lot of teams and specifically, a lot of players.

NHL PreseasonTen teams with big questions heading into camp

There are plenty of players who will have something to prove heading into this season. For a lot of them, they're just looking to earn spots on NHL rosters. For some, it's about building off a strong season and for others it's a chance to hit the reset button after falling short of expectations last season.

All the while, fans will be watching with great anticipation for what the players show in this new season. They'll get their first glimpse at what's to come this week.

Here's a look at 10 players of particular interest who may have something to prove this season coming out of the 2013-14 campaign.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers: After winning the Calder Memorial Award as the league's top rookie in 2012-13, Huberdeau took a bit of a step back in his first 82-game NHL season. Granted he was slowed by injuries, missing 13 games, but he still only had nine goals and 28 points. Having Gerard Gallant, his old junior coach, now leading the Panthers, Huberdeau may get a little more comfortable in his role. The 21-year-old forward remains central to the Panthers' plans this season and will be looked to for a big step up. Getting off to the right start in training camp and getting reacquainted with Gallant should help get the season started off on the right foot.

David Clarkson, Toronto Maple Leafs: Looking back at the disaster that was Clarkson's first season in Toronto, it really got off on the wrong foot in the preseason. Clarkson jumped off the bench in a fight-filled preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres and earned a 10-game suspension. Though that's not an excuse for having 11 points in 60 games, there isn't a player in the league who needs a fresh start more than Clarkson. This will be the second season of Clarkson's heavy seven-year, $36.75 million deal with Toronto. The Maple Leafs need him to be better and without a good start, the pressure will only grow more intense.

Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks: After having the Sharks' captaincy stripped away over the summer, Thronton will have a chance to earn it back over the course of training camp. Getting the "C" back on his jersey isn't necessarily as important as how he responds after the long and somewhat rocky offseason the Sharks experienced. There has been talk of sliding Thornton down the lineup even. It seems like a rather curious idea. If last season proved anything, it's that Thornton is still very much one of the game's top offensive players. He had 76 points and remains a terrific playmaker, but he will be watched as closely as any player this preseason due to the criticism he took in the wake of San Jose's disappointing playoff exit. Everything from his leadership to his on-ice performance will be hot topics before the puck drops on the regular season.

Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes: In 30 appearances with the Hurricanes last season, Ward had an abysmal .898 save percentage. He still has two years left on his current contract, which comes with a lofty $6.3 million cap hit. Despite his noticeable decline in performance, Ward is going to be given a chance to earn the starting job back in Carolina, though he faces incredibly tough competition from Anton Khudobin, who looked pretty solid last season. Ward has gotten a lot of leeway from the organization after backstopping the team to its only Stanley Cup title in 2006. But that was a long time ago and his career .910 save percentage makes him a below-league-average goaltender in that category. There's a lot for this once promising goaltender to prove as he enters his 10th NHL season.

Stephen Weiss, Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings brought Weiss in as a free agent to help boost offense, but after Weiss saw his 2013-14 season cut short by injury, there's plenty of doubt about just how helpful he'll be in that regard. Weiss has seen his past two seasons cut short and has just eight points in 43 games over that span. In his last healthy season, Weiss had 20 goals and 57 points for the Florida Panthers in 2011-12. With the news that promising prospect Anthony Mantha will miss six to eight weeks with an injury, Weiss' ability to produce becomes even more important. The 31-year-old forward comes with a $4.9 million cap hit for the next four years, too, so getting back on track this season is obviously a high priority for both him and Detroit.

Kyle Okposo will look to build off a career year. (USATSI)

Kyle Okposo, New York Islanders: For a change of pace, here's a player who had a tremendous season in 2013-14. Okposo, in fact, had a career year for the Islanders. He put up 69 points in 71 games, with 27 goals and 42 assists. All of those were career bests. So now it's up to Okposo to build off that remarkable season. He'll likely be back with John Tavares, which gives the team a really formidable duo on the top line. Who plays on the other wing is yet to be determined, but when they had the now departed Thomas Vanek on the line, they were at their best. So how Okposo adjusts to whatever new line the team puts together will be important. Last year was a real awakening for Okposo, who is now 26 years old. He has had good seasons, but had never quite reached his full potential. Last season sure looked like that happened. His challenge is to build off of that and prove it wasn't just a fluke. He looks poised to do so and if he does, the Islanders could be an extremely interesting team to follow this season.

Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens: Habs general manager Marc Bergevin recently revealed in an interview with TSN's Bob McKenzie that the club is going to try to move Galchenyuk to his natural center position during the preseason. Galchenyuk, 21, spent his first two NHL seasons on the wing to free him up for more offense. He'll have to show that he can handle the defensive responsibilities of a center, which could be tough to do under the demanding Michel Therrien. That said, if Galchenyuk succeeds in the move, it gives the Canadiens a strong top-six producer in the middle. The former No. 3 overall pick had 31 points in 65 games last season, but has loads of skill and potential he has yet to tap into. Watching how he makes this adjustment in camp will be extremely interesting.

Ondrej Pavelec, Winnipeg Jets: One of the dirty secrets about the lowly Jets is that their top-six forward group is pretty strong. The top four of their defense have some ability as well. But the best-known fact about the Jets is that Pavelec has not given them the caliber of goaltending required to be competitive in the Western Conference. That really hides the positives in Winnipeg. Pavelec had a .901 save percentage in 2013-14, his worst mark since becoming a starter in 2009-10. After the team did very little to improve its lineup or address its leaks at the goaltending position, it's on Pavelec to be better. He's only 27 years old, which suggests there still may be some time to turn things around. There's no question that he's going to be a huge key if the Jets are going to do anything remotely close to competing this season. Without vast improvement from Pavelec, the Jets will be running in place.

J.T. Miller, New York Rangers: There have been flashes of the immense potential Miller possesses over the course of 56 career NHL appearances. He's now on the last year of his entry-level contract and the Rangers kind of need Miller to be a factor this season. The 21-year-old forward is apparently going to see some time at center in camp. With the Rangers' salary cap situation, he has a real chance to finally become a full-time NHLer. Miller had 43 points in 41 games at the AHL level last season, so he has the skill to produce. His maturity level has come into question in the past with head coach Alain Vigneault. Him proving he's more mature and ready for a full-time role could make some of New York's tough roster decisions a bit easier.

Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks: Crawford gets quite a bit of criticism in Chicago and has sometimes even been referred to as the team's weak link. That comes despite the fact he has been a fairly solid netminder over the past few years, with a .919 save percentage over the past two seasons and his name on the Stanley Cup. He may not be among the league's elite, but Crawford certainly can get the job done. That said, this year is going to be unlike any other for Crawford. This is the first season of his six-year, $36 million contract which comes with a $6 million cap hit. Living up to that contract is a new kind of pressure for Crawford as he enters his fifth season as the team's primary starter. It's one thing to be the team's starter, but now Crawford has the third-highest cap hit on a star-studded team. His performance can and should be held to a higher standard now.

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