I think that Alexandrov has a good shot at being the 4C, because Sunny hasn't looked hapable of playing center since he returned from his double surgeries in 2021. I don't think he has the skating ability to play center on a high tempo line and the combo of potential 4th line wingers we have screams high tempo 4th line.
Alexandrov also requires waivers to go to the AHL and I don't think we will risk him. He had 19 goals and 38 points in 41 AHL games and showed flashes of being an NHL player in his age 22 season last year. He just turned 23, is a former #62 overall pick, is still on his ELC, and won't have arbitration rights next summer when he's an RFA. He is exactly the kind of guy that gets claimed on waivers and organizationally we have much more wings than centers vying for the 9th-14th forward spots (Blais, Neighbours, Sunny, Torpo, Mac, Bolduc, and Walker fighting for 3-4 wing spots vs Sunny, Alexandrov, and Dean fighting for 1-2 center spots).
Losing Alexandrov to waivers and then seeing a center get injured creates a genuine problem. Losing Mac and/or Walker to waivers and then seeing a wing injury isn't a huge problem. I will be very surprised if Alexndrov is put on waivers and I think he is a better candidate for 4C than Sunny.
I agree with you about Bolduc and Dean. Their only path to making the team is looking like absolute studs at camp and even then they very well might simply earn '1st call up' status in order to preserve depth. Sunny and Blais both have a lengthy injury history in the last couple years and Vrana has had issues staying in the lineup. Neighbours, Alexandrov, and Torpo all need to take another step and it won't surprise if they should be healthy scratched some nights. Preserving depth is a necessity given the guys we brought onto our island of misfit wings.
