While the Colorado Avalanche preseason hasn’t been the prettiest due to them being winless, there have been many positive things to take away despite it. The Avalanche have used training camp and preseason to determine ice time for the third defense pair and assess rookies for lineup spots. Many spots on the roster are set in stone due to their contract and position in the lineup from last season. Still, a lot of moves have been made this offseason. With Valeri Nichushkin, Gabriel Landeskog, and Artturi Lehkonen set to miss opening day, there is room for some rookies to show and potentially earn that spot.
This has been the case so far this preseason; some highly touted rookies are getting ice time and showing off what they can bring to the team now and in the future. Here are the three that have been proving a point to be in the opening day lineup this season due to their play so far in the preseason.
Calum Ritchie
The Avalanche’s 2023 first-round pick, Calum Ritchie, has shown promise in his first two preseason games. He has shown everything he can do and more from a rookie who has seen his first two professional games this year. With two goals (one being a goal of the preseason contender with a fake shot backhand beauty), eight shots on goal and two hits, Ritchie shows what he can bring to the lineup, good and bad. His play with the puck has often been impressive during training camp. He has made some fantastic passes, showcasing the creativity and vision that have made him Colorado’s undeniable top prospect and one of the best in the sport.
However, there were also many teaching moments on Sunday night. On a few occasions, he seemed a bit slow to react to the fast pace of the NHL. He attempted a fancy pass behind him in his zone, which resulted in a turnover and an immediate scoring chance for Utah. The Avalanche were outshot 15-6 at 5-on-5 while Ritchie was on the ice, and they only had 20.83% of the expected goals, even with his breakaway.
As Ritchie becomes more comfortable in the NHL, the Avalanche must make a difficult decision. Should they give Ritchie a chance in the NHL or allow him to return to the Oshawa Generals for his final season? Sending him back to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) would be the most productive way to continue building his development. It will be interesting to see their decision regarding Ritchie this season.
Sam Malinski
Sam Malinski is an undrafted college free-agent signing. He is a right-shot puck-moving defenseman who performed well in his 23 games with the Avalanche last season. He displayed glimpses of his offensive abilities by scoring three goals and contributing seven assists, and he also made valuable contributions on the power play.
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It should be noted that Malinski is the only one of the three players in this preseason to have dressed for all three games thus far. He has also been noticeable in every game. This is significant because the coaches are giving him the opportunity to demonstrate that he deserves a spot, even in a crowded defensive group. In those three games, he has one goal, one assist with three hits, and two blocked shots, but his defensive play has stood out.
Colorado made significant roster additions during this offseason, including players like Calvin de Haan, Erik Brannstrom, and Oliver Kylington. These new additions make the team well-rounded but difficult regarding final roster cuts, but there is a chance we could see Malinski stay with Bednar stating “We might keep eight [defensemen]…We have the ability to keep eight depending on how the forward situation stacks up.”
Nikolai Kovalenko
Nikolai Kovalenko had a relatively quiet night in the first game against the Dallas Stars. However, the Russian winger was determined to prove himself on Friday, Sept. 27. He was active all over the ice and created opportunities for his teammates. He was especially impressive in front of and around the net. His impact was evident when he passed from behind the net to Ivan Ivan, resulting in the Avalanche’s first goal. Later, he assisted Parker Kelly in scoring Colorado’s second goal.
Finding space and moving pucks to create scoring opportunities is crucial at the highest level. If anything, I believe Kovalenko could have taken more shots and been more aggressive when handling the puck. Still, the instinct to turn good opportunities into great ones is also valuable.
I would have speculated that Kovalenko might be given a bottom-six role, similar to where he played last season when he came over from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). However, given the Avalanche’s current injury concerns, I could realistically see him playing on the second line. I’d like to see Kovalenko play alongside Casey Mittelstadt in the upcoming preseason games and potentially time on the second line. Mittelstadt will have a lot on his plate in his first full season for the Avalanche. However, it’s all up in the air until opening day, when we will officially see what the lineups look like.
The Avalanche still have some time before their opening night game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 9. However, time is ticking away, and roster cuts still need to be made. These decisions need to come quickly. It is a long season, and many changes will be made. Starting hot early in the season can make things much better than starting slowly. Having the correct roster is crucial, and the Avalanche can play with many rookies when filling out the lineup and producing the best team on the ice.
