It’s not fairly hockey climate right here in Denver, but it surely’s virtually hockey season. The Colorado Avalanche will hit the ice on Thursday for the primary day of coaching camp. With little to no cap area, thanks primarily to the conditions surrounding Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin, basic supervisor Chris MacFarland and the corporate needed to be frugal this summer time, specializing in shoring up the group’s depth.
Landeskog and Nichushkin’s absence and Artturi Lehkonen’s restricted availability whereas recovering from shoulder surgical procedure create some alternative upfront. Past the highest six, there shall be some battles to look at when the Avalanche (lastly) hit the ice at Household Sports activities. Listed here are three positions to regulate throughout coaching camp.
Third-Pairing Defensemen
The Avalanche will begin the season with the identical top-four defensemen as final yr. Nonetheless, past that, aside from Sam Malinski, the fifth to tenth positions on the defensive depth chart have new additions.
Securing the ultimate spots on the roster could possibly be an actual battle. One may assume that Calvin de Haan has a bonus over the competitors due to his veteran expertise and defensive capabilities. Nonetheless, he’s the oldest and must exhibit that he can sustain with Colorado’s system.
Erik Brannstrom, Mailinski, Oliver Kylington, and probably Sean Behrens (he is perhaps an extended shot, however you by no means know) are all in rivalry for enjoying time this season. Brannstrom and Kylington are anticipated to make the lineup because of their expertise within the NHL, but it surely’s a matter of competitors and who’s the higher match within the fast-paced Avalanche offence. It’s all the time helpful to have depth, and head coach Jared Bednar appreciates gamers competing for his or her positions, which is exactly what is going to occur on the blue line.
Second-Line Wingers
Even when Lehkonen is able to go at first of the season, there may be room for a participant to slip into the highest six. Will it’s Calum Ritchie? Colorado’s first-round decide has bulked up by including 17 kilos this summer time and could possibly be within the NHL lineup when the season begins. He appeared nice in the Rookie Faceoff and confirmed off what made him a worthwhile draft decide. His playmaking skills on the facility play and at 5-on-5 have been extraordinary, and the added muscle helped when battling for free pucks.
Alternatively, Nikolai Kovalenko, Jere Innala, or Jean-Luc Foudy might earn a spot. They’re all slightly older than Ritchie and could also be extra prepared for a top-six function. After he moved from Russia to North America final season, Kovalenko noticed a while on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Lehkonen. He appeared uncooked, however his velocity and willingness to play bodily regardless of his smaller measurement have been spectacular.
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Or will the teaching employees default to simply placing a veteran like Logan O’Connor within the high six till everyone seems to be wholesome? Final season, O’Connor contributed to the third line’s success together with Miles Wooden, and Ross Colton. The road was fast, aggressive on the forecheck, and dependable on defence, as they put their our bodies in entrance of pictures and have been all key contributors on particular groups. The Avs might additionally swap it up with a teen like Foudy or Matthew Philips from the Colorado Eagles and see what they will deliver whereas Lehkonen is out. The employees will seemingly experiment slightly, which is exactly what coaching camp is for.
Fourth-Line Middle
Regardless that Pierre-Edouard Bellemare simply signed knowledgeable tryout contract, he seems to be the frontrunner for the 4C place. Nonetheless, he must exhibit that he can sustain with the group’s quick tempo, particularly after spending a lot of final season on the sidelines with the Seattle Kraken. Whereas he would deliver excellent management to the locker room, the query stays whether or not he can nonetheless carry out on the ice.
Other than Bellemare, different heart choices embrace Chris Wagner, Ondrej Pavel, Ivan Ivan, or shifting a winger to heart. Ivan is a promising younger participant who has carried out nicely in rookie tournaments, however it might be surprising to see him begin the season within the NHL.
There’s additionally an opportunity that the 4C isn’t at present on the roster, which means a signing might occur out of nowhere. This group is rarely afraid to take a look at the waiver wire, and I’m positive administration will hold a watch out for anybody they assume might help proper now.
The common season is sort of upon us, which suggests NHL groups, together with the Avalanche, should make essential decisions. A lot may be mentioned about their offseason, however they made nice additions given their wage cap circumstances; now it’s all a matter of seeing how issues play out these subsequent couple of weeks to kick off the 2024-25 common season.
