4. D Duncan Siemens
Duncan Siemens has been a little bit of a problem child for the Avalanche so far. After being drafted 11th overall in 2011, only nine slots behind Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, the expectations were obviously high. Everybody knows that defenseman tend to take longer than forwards to develop, but Siemens is yet a special case.
Maybe Siemens is one of the main reasons why coach Roy has mentioned that he does not like drafting D-men too high. Nevertheless, if Siemens can finally make the jump, he may be exactly what Roy is looking for. He is 6-foot-4 tall and weighs 210-pounds. Not only does he have the large frame coach Roy loves, but he also knows how to use it, throwing big hits and blocking shots whenever he can.
Avalanche fans have been wanting to see Siemens in burgundy and blue for a long time and in the last regular season game 2015 against the Blackhawks, it finally became reality. Siemens’ NHL debut was nothing outstanding, but definitely a decent start. He will be just one step ahead of Chris Bigras going into training camp.
Chance of becoming a full-time Avalanche in 2015-16: 50%
Next: C Freddie Hamilton