As summer drags along, it's the time of year when hope springs eternal and NHL teams begin preparing for the new season.
September training camps are especially important for prospects, as they give those players - along with management and fans - the chance to see how they stack up against established pros.
A strong showing can improve a player's professional fate, while their performance can help determine whether they're developing fast and furious, or starting to drift.
Here are three rookies to keep an eye on in September.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets raised eyebrows in 2016 by passing on Jesse Puljujarvi in favor of Pierre-Luc Dubois with the third overall pick.
That's because Puljujarvi had been running neck and neck with Patrik Laine in the second overall discussion all year long, and appeared to be a lock for Columbus and its general manager, Jarmo Kekalainen, who also hails from Finland. Instead, Dubois got the call, and was sent back to the QMJHL to develop his game last season.
There, Dubois scored 21 goals and added 34 assists in 48 games, while contributing five assists in seven games for Canada at the World Junior Championship, winning a silver medal.
The 19-year-old may need another season in junior hockey before making the jump to the NHL, but two factors have opened up an opportunity to improve his fate in training camp.
For one, the Blue Jackets traded away Brandon Saad for Artemi Panarin earlier this offseason, adding a high-end offensive talent while sacrificing a more well-rounded game. Meanwhile, Columbus failed to add a center who can play in the top six.
Enter Dubois, who projects to fill those roles, per Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects:
A similarly punishing two-way forward with size and zero deficiencies, Anze Kopitar, is the type of player Dubois will aspire to become at the next level. Pierre-Luc Dubois has the potential to develop into an elite two-way forward who excels as a positive catalyst in every facet of the roles he can play, be it the dynamic scorer, the set-up man, the intimidating power forward, or the defensive-minded shutdown guy. He is the type of player nobody likes to play against.
If Dubois can even come close to displaying a Kopitar-like form in training camp, Kekalainen's decision to pluck him third overall could begin to pay off as early as next season.
Jake DeBrusk, Boston Bruins
The first-round selections made by the Boston Bruins in 2015 have become a running joke, not so much based on the actual selections but rather because of who they passed up.
In fairness, when a team calls a handful of names at the annual event, it takes some time for a clearer picture of relative success or failure to emerge. Still, it's not a good look that Boston's three picks are the only players from the top 25 (other than a Russian goalie) who haven't yet made their NHL debuts.
(Courtesy: Hockey Reference)
That could change as soon as opening night, and Jake DeBrusk appears to have the inside track on being the first of the trio to crack the NHL roster.
DeBrusk spent last season playing for the Providence Bruins, for whom he registered 19 goals and 49 points, good for fifth among AHL rookies. He also chipped in six goals and three assists in 17 playoff games, gaining valuable pro experience along the way.
Team president Cam Neely is on record as saying the club needs to fill holes on the left side, and a strong showing by DeBrusk in training camp could go a long way toward that end, while also quieting the noise surrounding general manager Don Sweeney's apparent failures during the 2015 selection process.
Daniel O'Regan, San Jose Sharks
Speaking of players who excelled as AHL rookies, no one was more impressive than Daniel O'Regan last year. The San Jose Sharks prospect led all first-year pros with 58 points in 63 games for the Barracuda, a total that ranked him 12th among all AHLers.
That performance came on the heels of a successful college career, during which he averaged a point per game through 154 appearances with Boston University.
Drafted 138th overall by the Sharks in 2012, there now exists an opportunity for O'Regan to take on a prominent role in San Jose.
From Paul Gackle of the Mercury News:
In the wake of Patrick Marleau’s departure to the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency last week, the Sharks will be depending on their young players, such as O’Regan, to step up and fill the void.
The organization believes O’Regan has to potential to play a role similar to that of Jake Guentzel with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who tied the NHL rookie record for points (21) in one Stanley Cup playoff season this spring.
"I honestly don’t remember the last guy to do what he did in the American League as a rookie," Sharks director of hockey operations Doug Wilson Jr. said. "The opportunity is there for him."
Marleau left massive skates to fill, but the 23-year-old O'Regan will be out to show he's up to the task once camp begins in September, which could also make him a draft-day steal in the process.
(Images courtesy: Getty Images)
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