It’s not quite hockey weather here in Denver, but it’s almost hockey season. The Colorado Avalanche will hit the ice on Thursday for the first day of training camp. With little to no cap space, thanks mainly to the situations surrounding Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin, general manager Chris MacFarland and the company had to be frugal this summer, focusing on shoring up the organization’s depth.
Landeskog and Nichushkin’s absence and Artturi Lehkonen’s limited availability while recovering from shoulder surgery create some opportunity upfront. Beyond the top six, there will be some battles to watch when the Avalanche (finally) hit the ice at Family Sports. Here are three positions to keep an eye on during training camp.
Third-Pairing Defensemen
The Avalanche will start the season with the same top-four defensemen as last year. However, beyond that, apart from Sam Malinski, the 5th to 10th positions on the defensive depth chart have new additions.
Securing the final spots on the roster could be a real battle. One might assume that Calvin de Haan has an advantage over the competition because of his veteran experience and defensive capabilities. Still, he’s the oldest and needs to demonstrate that he can keep up with Colorado’s system.
Erik Brannstrom, Mailinski, Oliver Kylington, and potentially Sean Behrens (he might be a long shot, but you never know) are all in contention for playing time this season. Brannstrom and Kylington are expected to make the lineup due to their experience in the NHL, but it’s a matter of competition and who is the better fit in the fast-paced Avalanche offence. It’s always beneficial to have depth, and head coach Jared Bednar appreciates players competing for their positions, which is precisely what will happen on the blue line.
Second-Line Wingers
Even if Lehkonen is ready to go at the start of the season, there is room for a player to slide into the top six. Will it be Calum Ritchie? Colorado’s first-round pick has bulked up by adding 17 pounds this summer and could be in the NHL lineup when the season starts. He looked great in the Rookie Faceoff and showed off what made him a valuable draft pick. His playmaking abilities on the power play and at 5-on-5 were extraordinary, and the added muscle helped when battling for loose pucks.
Alternatively, Nikolai Kovalenko, Jere Innala, or Jean-Luc Foudy could earn a spot. They’re all a little older than Ritchie and may be more ready for a top-six role. After he moved from Russia to North America last season, Kovalenko saw some time on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Lehkonen. He looked raw, but his speed and willingness to play physically despite his smaller size were impressive.
Related: Avalanche’s Lehkonen Injury Could Benefit These 3 Players
Or will the coaching staff default to just putting a veteran like Logan O’Connor in the top six until everyone is healthy? Last season, O’Connor contributed to the third line’s success along with Miles Wood, and Ross Colton. The line was quick, aggressive on the forecheck, and reliable on defence, as they put their bodies in front of shots and were all key contributors on special teams. The Avs could also switch it up with a youngster like Foudy or Matthew Philips from the Colorado Eagles and see what they can bring while Lehkonen is out. The staff will likely experiment a little, which is precisely what training camp is for.
Fourth-Line Center
Even though Pierre-Edouard Bellemare just signed a professional tryout contract, he appears to be the frontrunner for the 4C position. However, he needs to demonstrate that he can keep up with the team’s fast pace, especially after spending much of last season on the sidelines with the Seattle Kraken. While he would bring outstanding leadership to the locker room, the question remains whether he can still perform on the ice.
Aside from Bellemare, other center options include Chris Wagner, Ondrej Pavel, Ivan Ivan, or moving a winger to center. Ivan is a promising young player who has performed well in rookie tournaments, but it would be unexpected to see him start the season in the NHL.
There’s also a chance that the 4C isn’t currently on the roster, meaning a signing could happen out of nowhere. This team is never afraid to check out the waiver wire, and I’m sure management will keep an eye out for anyone they think can help right now.
The regular season is almost upon us, which means NHL teams, including the Avalanche, must make crucial choices. Much can be said about their offseason, but they made great additions given their salary cap circumstances; now it’s all a matter of seeing how things play out these next couple of weeks to kick off the 2024-25 regular season.
