Alas poor Yorick, Mats Sundin continues to dodge the slings and arrows and blah blah blah.

Snubbed by USA Hockey for last year's World Junior team, Drayson Bowman has a chance to impress at this week's evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Bowman, who signed an entry-level contract with the Canes last week, told nhl.com he doesn't hold a grudge — but he doesn't expect to be left behind again, either.

Reader Lani Seelinger gets credit for this week's topic, which I think is an excellent one. Who would your all-time, all-Canes team be?

(The fine print: Players should be measured based on what they've done in a Carolina uniform since 1997.)

The Flyers announced Thursday that their Sept. 27 preseason game against the Hurricanes will be played at the Spectrum, not the Wachovia Center.

This is the final season for the Spectrum, where the Flyers played from 1967-1996, including five seasons with current Carolina captain Rod Brind'Amour in the lineup.

The last time the Carolina franchise played there, it was the Hartford Whalers. But the arena is still famous in these parts for hosting the 1992 Duke-Kentucky NCAA regional final, arguably the greatest game in college basketball history.

Adam Proteau of The Hockey News solicited reader input on the "largest" nose in hockey last week, and to no one's surprise, Carolina captain Rod Brind'Amour ended up on top:

The Hurricanes’ captain wasn’t a runaway winner, but he didn’t win by an, er, nose, either. The runner-up award went to Colorado winger Ryan Smyth; third goes to Avs defenseman Adam Foote, followed by a three-way tie for fourth between Atlanta’s Colby Armstrong, Colorado’s Ian Laperriere, and Dallas’ Stephane Robidas.

The latest offseason Q&A on the River Rats' Web site is with forward Pat Dwyer, who was called up for one game last season but didn't play.

How the Carolina Hurricanes’ salary picture stacks up as of Thursday:

FORWARDS
Eric Staal, $5 million
Rod Brind’Amour, $4 million
Ray Whitney, $3.55 million
Justin Williams, $3.5 million
Matt Cullen, $2.8 million
Scott Walker, $2.5 million
Sergei Samsonov, $2.3 million
Tuomo Ruutu, $2.25 million
Patrick Eaves, $1.1 million
Chad LaRose, $875,000
Brandon Sutter, $875,000
Ryan Bayda, $475,000
Wade Brookbank, $475,000

DEFENSEMEN
Joni Pitkanen, $3.5 million
Joe Corvo, $2.75 million
Frantisek Kaberle, $2.2 million
Tim Gleason, $2 million
Niclas Wallin, $1.725 million
Dennis Seidenberg, $1.2 million
Josef Melichar, $1 million
Anton Babchuk, $1 million
x-David Tanabe, $900,000

GOALTENDERS
Cam Ward, $2.5 million
Michael Leighton, $600,000

BOUGHT OUT
Jeff Hamilton, $533,000

TOTAL SALARY
$49.6 million for 25 players (including Hamilton and Tanabe), with a charge of about $51 million against the $56.7 million cap. Carolina's budget has been set at $45 million. Minus Hamilton and Tanabe, the Hurricanes are at about $48.2 million.

RETIRED
Glen Wesley, D.

x-Hurricanes have initiated buyout proceedings with Tanabe and would be responsible for two-thirds of his salary this season if successful. The NHLPA has filed a grievance in the matter.

And no, not because they're pursuing the vacillating Swedish superstar.

Drayson Bowman, who over the past season emerged as one of Carolina's top forward prospects, signed a three-year entry-level contract Wednesday that includes a $262,500 signing bonus.

Only the Buffalo Sabres (five) had more players at Canada's junior evaluation camp this week than the Hurricanes (three).

Brandon Sutter, Chris Terry and Zach Boychuk all attended the four-day camp in Ottawa, although Boychuk was unable to participate in the on-ice activites because of his recent wrist surgery.

UPDATE, 1:40 p.m.: The Canes are in negotiations with Drayson Bowman, who will attend Team USA's camp next week, on an entry-level contract.