Joey Hishon And Jordan Caron Set To Debut For Avalanche

Joey Hishon and Jordan Caron will both be playing their first regular season game with the Colorado Avalanche tonight at Pepsi Center. While the two have some stark differences in their on-ice game, their career storylines share a lot of similarities.

Both Hishon and Caron were drafted late in the first-round of their respective draft years. Caron was picked by Boston with the 25th pick in the 2009 draft. A year later, the Avalanche selected Hishon 17th overall.

As a first-round pick, there is a certain amount of expectation that gets put on a player. Successful NHL teams need their first-round selections to make an impact in the NHL, often as fast as possible.

For Hishon and Caron, they have yet to make their mark on an NHL team. The road to changing that starts tonight.

Hishon

Hishon suffered a debilitating head injury in his 2011 OHL season that put a major speed bump in his career trajectory. Before his injury, Hishon was dripping with talent and playmaking ability as a teenager that more than made up for his diminutive 5’10” and 170 lb frame. He appeared primed to join forces with the talented young core of the Avs sooner rather than later.

Post injury, the road hasn’t been easy. He has become a bit of a forgotten man in some ways when talking about young talent in the Avs organization. It has taken a lot of hard work and patience from Hishon, now 23, to finally get his chance with Colorado. The slick stick skills and playmaking ability remains for the charismatic center, and he will need to showcase those talents if he intends to leave his mark in Denver.

Joey Hishon immediately takes his place as the coolest sorcerer on the Avalanche roster. Will Hishon the Magician cast his spell on the rest of the season?

Hishon doesn’t sound like a guy who is relieved just to have made it, saying he intends to “work hard every day, take it one day at a time, and hopefully have success and be able to stay here.”

It also is nice for Joey to finally get a healthy professional season under his belt. He is one of 5 Lake Erie Monsters to appear in over 50 games this season. Joey credits focusing last summer on “nutrition and training more than any other year” to getting to where he is. He also seems determined to continue working hard to build on his current standing.

I have been an avid fan of Hishon’s for a while, as evidenced by posts I have written here and here. For me, it’s exciting to see him finally get a shot with the Avalanche, and I’m hopeful he makes the most of it.

Caron

Caron had been with the Boston Bruins organization his entire professional career. He is far less green than Hishon in NHL experience, with 134 games under his belt with the B’s.

Despite his large quantity of games played, many feel that he was never given a fair look in Boston, often playing a limited role with grinding line-mates who don’t excel in the offensive end. Many have cited this as a key factor when analyzing why Caron hasn’t yet reached his potential.

It’s fair to say, statistically, Caron hasn’t lived up to the hype of being a first-round pick. He has posted 12 goals and 16 assists in his 134 NHL games. He is a prime example of a guy in need of a fresh start. The narrative seems to be that he just wasn’t fitting in Boston.

Unlike Hishon, Caron has a big body (6’2″ 204 lbs) that make him a solid candidate to emerge as a physical top-9 forward for the Avalanche. His scouting report on Hockey’s future describes him as a heavy forward, who plays a powerful yet poised game. They also say he has a game that seems well suited to complement scoring forwards.

Caron couldn’t ask for a better situation than the one he is immediately being given in Colorado, starting tonight on the wing of Matt Duchene with the legend, Jarome Iginla, on the other side.

Caron said he spoke with Duchene and Iginla, and said he he told them to “let me do the dirty work in front of the net, and I think we will have good chemistry.” Caron highlighted his ability to work hard and create space in the corners and net-front as two of his biggest attributes on the ice.

If the excuse in Boston was lack of opportunity, Caron needs to make the most of this one. At just 24 years of age, he certainly shouldn’t be written off yet, but the time to prove he belongs is now.

5 Things For Hishon and Caron to Succeed

1. Play their game: There is a reason these guys are getting this opportunity with the Avalanche, and that is Roy and Sakic like what they can bring to the table.

It’s important for both of these guys to play smart and make good decisions, but to also get into the flow of things and start playing their game. Don’t try too hard to be something you’re not, because that’s a good way to get yourself into trouble.

2. Be patient: The key with any new situation is to have some patience. Hishon is starting off centering the 4th line with Marc-Andre Cliche and Cody McLeod. This line isn’t expected to tear up the scoresheet, so Hishon shouldn’t be judged by his point output.

Instead Hishon should look to be sound defensively and win puck battles. I believe Hishon deserves, and will get a shot to play with some scoring forwards and get some power play time, but he can show the coaching staff just as much with how he handles himself centering the 4th line.

As for Caron, he is getting to play with heavy machinery right off the bat. For him, it’s crucial that he doesn’t get ahead of himself trying to do too much. Dutchy and Iggy are world-class players, but Caron is on that line to get pucks deep and forecheck hard. If Caron does that, and has a patient approach, he will succeed. The plays will open up for him and his line-mates. No doubt in my mind.

Caron will get himself in trouble if he tries doing donuts in the backhoe on his first night. Keep it simple, buddy!

3. Special teams: It has yet to be determined how much, if any, time either of these guys will get on the PK or PP. These are two areas where it is easy to distinguish yourself. Take advantage.