Carolina’s Drayson Bowman seeks to stand out

Gregg Forwerck, Carolina Hurricanes
Gregg Forwerck, Carolina Hurricanes
Gregg Forwerck, Carolina Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. – Carolina Hurricanes forward Drayson Bowman is glad to be back in Raleigh skating with his teammates while setting his sights on earning a regular playing spot for the upcoming NHL season.

“No doubt,” Bowman said after coming off the ice at the team’s practice facility on Friday.

“You want to be here. You don’t want to be anywhere else. You want to come in and put your best foot forward and get off to a great start for the rest of the year. It’s all we’re focusing on right now.”

Bowman made it a priority in his offseason training regimen to add bulk and to grow his body up to a solid 205 pounds before returning to Raleigh.

He played in 37 games for Carolina during last year’s lockout-shortened season and tallied three goals and two assists during that time.

He also missed eight games due to a knee injury he suffered late in the season, but said that he is fully recovered and that his off-ice training helped to strengthen his body overall.

“I did the same thing as last year,” Bowman said.

“I tried to put on a little bit of weight. I put on eight or nine pounds. I was looking to add a little bit to my upper body and I think I did that. I switched the program a little bit, worked with a guy and Denver, ate right, and it really helped me to put the weight on. It should help me in the corners and in front of the net.”

Bowman expects the added bulk to help progress the style of game he has been developing which is to maintain a high-speed tempo while withstanding more impact with a bigger body.

With that said, he’s also intent on adding something extra that will also make a difference for him and the team.

“I don’t want to point to a certain thing, but I certainly have to do something that makes me stand out a little bit more and bring a little more to the table,” Bowman said.

When asked what that little extra would be, Bowman said smiling, “you know, scoring goals helps that quite a bit, and doesn’t hurt.”