Canes' lines in place — for now

Through the first three Group A practices, Canes coach Paul Maurice has been consistent with the lines he's used.

Eric Staal has centered Tuomo Ruutu and Erik Cole. Matt Cullen has centered Chad LaRose and Ray Whitney, and Rod Brind'Amour has been the center with wingers Scott Walker and Sergei Samsonov.

The fourth line: Stephane Yelle at center, with Tim Conboy and Tom Kostopoulos on the wings.

How much to read into it?

"A potential starting point is what it is," Maurice said today. "I think you saw there were times last year when we really left the lines alone just to build some consistency in our game. And I thought that once we started playing well, and part of it was due to injury that we really did start moving people around.

"Once we feel that everybody has an understanding of how we're playing without the puck and what we're trying to do offensively, then you can move pieces around and chemistry is not quite as important. And we had real good success in the playoffs with a number of players going from the fourth line to the first line over the course of a series and being impact players for us."

Jussi Jokinen, who has a finger injury, has not been cleared for contact work. When Jokinen returns — he says in a few days — it likely will have a domino effect, with Jokinen probably being used on the wing.

With Joni Pitkanen probably out for most of training camp after knee surgery, Maurice will do more mixing and matching on defense.

Yelle, who played with the Boston Bruins last season, said the transition has been smooth with the Canes and in working with Conboy and Kostopoulos.

"We've had a couple of practices and we're still trying to feel each other out as far as where we go on the ice," Yelle said. "But I don't see it being difficult. I think it will be an easy transition."