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Colorado Avalanche: New Acquisitions Prove Their Worth

By Ross Sellers

Mar 1, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter (20) defends Colorado Avalanche forward Mikkel Boedker (89) during the third period at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild win 6-3 over the Avalanche. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter (20) defends Colorado Avalanche forward Mikkel Boedker (89) during the third period at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild win 6-3 over the Avalanche. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Colorado Avalanche made a big move in the hours before Monday’s trade deadline, and they also made a smaller move, but both Mikkel Boedker and Eric Gelinas provided some jump against Minnesota on Tuesday.

For the record, Eric Gelinas only provided jump because Nick Holden was just so god awful on Tuesday that anyone else playing remotely better for the Colorado Avalanche defense was going to be recognized for it.

Still, Gelinas played his way up the lineup, and during the second period when he was paired with Tyson Barrie he made a few good plays.

Furthermore, when Holden rejoined Barrie in the third period, catastrophe struck again almost immediately with the game-winning goal for Minnesota.

But, let’s not dwell on the negatives because Mikkel Boedker proved to be a real nice fit on the top line with Gabe Landeskog and Nate MacKinnon.

Let’s take a second to look at how each player performed, and what they might bring with more time in the lineup.

Mikkel Boedker

The Colorado Avalanche took a risk signing Mikkel Boedker on Monday, but if Tuesday’s game is any indication of the chemistry that he might enjoy with Landy and MacK, then the risk was well worth it.

He was skating with speed all night, and that line held the puck in the offensive zone with ease it seemed.

The Colorado Avalanche would have certainly enjoyed a win if it weren’t for the blunders of Nick Holden and Semyon Varlamov, who didn’t bounce back well against Minnesota.

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He should match up really well with MacK and Landy down the stretch, and I honestly believe that the Avalanche will find a way to get into the playoffs with the trades they made.

Boedker presents a skilled top-six forward with speed, who can most certainly play with Nathan MacKinnon, which Alex Tanguay was incapable of doing.

Let’s check the defensive side of things.

Eric Gelinas

I thought Eric Gelinas had a great first period for the Colorado Avalanche, especially in lieu of Holden’s glaring mistakes. Still he was subject to the same defensive miscues that the entire Avalanche blue-line experienced on Tuesday night.

His second and third periods were a lot worse, and he doesn’t seem to use his size well. He doesn’t play a very physical game, and if I were Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic then I would be forcing that issue upon Gelinas because he is not very defensively responsible.

Related Story: https://milehighsticking.com/2016/03/01/colorado-avalanche-acquire-mikkel-boedker-eric-gelinas/

Nonetheless, he has a rocket of a shot, and if he can figure out how to get space for that shot, when it can be utilized, while also ensuring that he is in good defensive positioning, then the trade that saw him come here will certainly seem worthwhile.

Right now, I’m questioning it as I am sure a lot of Avalanche fans are doing the same. Still, we only gave up a third-round draft pick to acquire his services, so the risk is worth it if he is able to figure out how to play more responsibly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I like the trades that the Colorado Avalanche made, especially the acquisition of Mikkel Boedker because I believe that MacK needs a speedy winger to play with in order to be successful.

Mikhail Grigorenko is starting to prove that he is capable of playing in the top six, so this move makes a lot of sense as long as we can re-sign Boedker in the off-season.

If we can’t re-sign Boedker then this move will be a tough one to swallow because Kyle Wood had all the appearance of a top-tier defensemen in this league, given time to develop.

Eric Gelinas is another story entirely. He has a lot of potential and could end up being a really good offensive defensemen, but Colorado doesn’t need any more offensive defensemen.

Next: Goalie Controversy for the Colorado Avalanche

In my opinion, if he can be added to a trade during the off-season, then the Colorado Avalanche would be a lot better off.

Hopefully the boys will show with a better performance tonight. Look for the Boedker – MacK – Landy line to make their presence known against a tough opponent tonight in the Florida Panthers.

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