It’s an important camp for Kudryavtsev, as the taste of the NHL he had at the end of last season has left him hungry for more. His two-game audition already put him well ahead of the vast majority of seventh-round picks, but it also taught him that he’s perhaps not as far away from the NHL as he might have initially thought.
«It definitely gives you some confidence,» said Kudryavtsev. «When you come down to [the AHL] again, you’re like, ‘I’ve been there, I’ve seen what the guys can do. I’m not that bad. I can do really good, I can play at that level. I just need to work on this, this, this.’ Just keep grinding and then, when you get your opportunity, take advantage of it.»