Tyler Maxwell, Campbell Elynuik receive NHL invites (corrected)

Published 1:22 pm Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Everett free agent wingers Tyler Maxwell and Campbell Elynuik will attend NHL rookie training camps, the Tips announced today. The 20-year-old Maxwell is heading to camp with the Minnesota Wild, while the 18-year-old Elynuik is going to camp with the Philadelphia Flyers.

This is the second NHL rookie camp invite for Maxwell as he attended camp with his hometown Los Angeles Kings in 2009. As an overager and a 40-goal scorer, there’s an outside chance Maxwell could impress the Wild enough to earn a professional contract and play the upcoming season in the minors instead of with the Tips.

Elynuik, who has a late birthdate and is therefore entering his 19-year-old season, received an invitation in his first opportunity as his draft year just passed. It’s interesting to see that Elynuik receive an invite despite the fact he hasn’t played more than 43 games or scored more than five points in a WHL season yet. It certainly helps being 6-foot-4.

Those two will join NHL draft picks Landon Ferraro (Detroit, second roung), Josh Birkholz (Florida, third round) and Kent Simpson (Chicago, second round) as Everett players at NHL rookie camps. Ferraro, who has already signed a contract with the Red Wings, is a strong contender to crack the minors this season and not return to Everett.

— CORRECTION, 1:45 p.m.

Just remembered that 18-year-old Tips defenseman Evan Morden, who like Elynuik went unselected in this year’s NHL draft, also received a prospects camp invitation, his coming with the Dallas Stars. That camp already took place, and Morden isn’t listed on Dallas’ roster for the Traverse City prospects tournament, so I guess Morden’s tryout with the Stars is over. But he deserves to be mentioned with Everett’s other NHL camp attendees.