Colorado Avalanche: 6 Potential Call-Ups/Demotions

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Feb 7, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Colorado Avalanche forward Dennis Everberg (45) on the bench in the first period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Avalanche’s 2015-16 season is only two games old, but it’s never too early to speculate about potential call-ups and demotions. Especially because there are a few players currently on the NHL roster who might be better off playing in the AHL for now.

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Against the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars, the third forward line didn’t really work the way it was supposed to, and neither did the third defensive pairing. Coach Patrick Roy tried to do something about it against Dallas, as he moved Mikko Rantanen to the Matt Duchene/Jarome Iginla line and switched Nate Guenin with Nikita Zadorov on defense. But is that enough?

We are only two games into the season, with a team that is filled with new faces. They will need time to develop chemistry and find a way to succeed together. However, while some NHL guys aren’t looking good yet, others have a chance to impress in San Antonio.

Here are six players who could be demoted to the AHL or called up to the NHL in the near future.

Next: Borna Rendulic

Sep 29, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman (6) battles for the puck with Colorado Avalanche right wing Borna Rendulic (71) during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Flames won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche Demotion: Borna Rendulic

At the end of preseason, the battle for the final two roster spots was Borna Rendulic vs. Dennis Everberg vs. Jack Skille vs. Curtis Glencross. Skille outplayed Glencross and Dennis Everberg is still recovering from his shoulder injury. Therefore, the final roster spots went to Skille and Rendulic. After the first two games, however, Rendulic is already starting to fall out of favor.

Simply put, the Avalanche’s third line (Rantanen-Soderberg-Rendulic) sucks. Both against Minnesota and Dallas, they spent 90 percent of their limited ice time in the defensive zone. Nothing wanted to work on offense, nothing really worked on defense. According to war-on-ice.com, Rendulic had a Corsi differential of -8 against Dallas — third worst among Avalanche players.

For Wednesday’s game against the Boston Bruins, I am hoping that Roy will scratch Rendulic and add Mikhail Grigorenko to the lineup instead. From there, a demotion for Rendulic wouldn’t be unlikely. He has only appeared in 13 NHL games, recording a goal and an assist — not the best numbers for a forward on a third scoring line.

Next: Mikko Rantanen

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Mikko Rantanen poses with team executives after being selected as the number ten overall pick to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche Demotion: Mikko Rantanen

Speaking of that terrible third line, Mikko Rantanen is also a part of it. The 2015 first-round draft pick from Finland certainly earned his spot on the NHL roster. However, Rantanen really earned his spot — so why would he be sent down again?

Through the first two games of the season, Rantanen had a combined ice time of 16:03, which isn’t great for a young player’s development. Unless Roy is planning to put him with Duchene and Iginla permanently, the AHL might be a better fit for now. There, Rantanen could fill a top-six role, play 20 minutes a night, contribute on the power play and be a leader.

Furthermore, the option of Rantanen returning to Finland is still there. A return seems extremely unlikely at this point, but it is a legitimate option. For now, we should assume that he will stay in North America, though. The question is just if it’s in Colorado or in Texas.

Next: Nate Guenin

Mar 26, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Nate Guenin (5) skates against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at Rogers Arena. The Colorado Avalanche won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche Demotion: Nate Guenin

Nate Guenin is, well, Nate Guenin. In my humble opinion, he should be a career AHL player. For a reason that’s far from my understanding, Roy seems to love him. He seems to love him enough to constantly pair him with Tyson Barrie — no matter if it works or not (spoiler: it doesn’t).

Luckily, Roy saw what we all saw against the Stars and decided to move Guenin down to the third pairing, where he played with Nick Holden. That was better than anything we’ve seen from Holden so far this season, but shouldn’t be a permanent solution either. Honestly, Guenin isn’t good enough to play in the NHL, especially not for the second pairing of a team that wants to make the playoffs.

The Avalanche still has Brandon Gormley who outplayed Guenin in preseason, plus Brad Stuart who should be at least a little bit better than Guenin. And let’s not forget about Chris Bigras and Duncan Siemens who are hoping to get a shot in the NHL this year.

Next: Honorable Mentions

Apr 3, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Zach Redmond (92) reacts against the Anaheim Ducks during the game at Honda Center. The Avalanche defeated the Ducks 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche Call-Ups: Honorable Mentions

Zach Redmond:

Zach Redmond couldn’t convince Roy enough to be one of the eight NHL forwards. Or, maybe he just has the cheapest contract which makes it easy to send him down from a business standpoint. If a defenseman gets sent down to San Antonio, Redmond will likely be one of the first call-up options. Other options would include Duncan Siemens and Chris Bigras.

Joey Hishon:

As I said in a previous post, Joey Hishon may not be in a situation to succeed in Colorado. However, there probably aren’t many who don’t wish him NHL success, especially after his concussion history. Whether he makes it or not is — to a large extend — in Roy’s hands. It will likely be a rough season, though, as Hishon needs to get past a bunch of other Rampage forwards, before even being considered as a call-up.

Next: Dennis Everberg

Jan 30, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche right wing Dennis Everberg (45) during the game against the Nashville Predators at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche Call-Up: Dennis Everberg

As mentioned before, Dennis Everberg wasn’t sent down until the last wave of cuts. It also seems fair to assume that it was a decision based on his recent shoulder injury. In his first game for the San Antonio Rampage — a 5-4 OT loss against the Texas Stars — Everberg had a goal and an assist and finished the game as a plus-1.

In training camp and the preseason, Everberg never looked like he was still in pain or anything like that. He just hadn’t played a game in a long time, while Rendulic played well in his preseason appearances. It was a decision for Rendulic, not against Everberg. However, as mentioned earlier, Rendulic isn’t playing to well in Colorado, while Everberg had a great start into the season.

If Roy decides to scratch or demote Rendulic, he could also decide to call up Everberg. The Swede is the perfect mix of physicality and skill and could be a great component for the Soderberg line. No moves should be expected until more than five games are played, but Everberg will be waiting for his shot.

Next: Andrew Agozzino

Sep 22, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Matt Bailey (58) elbows Colorado Avalanche left wing Andrew Agozzino (32) in the second period at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche Call-Up: Andrew Agozzino

This may be the first player who comes as a surprise. But is it really? Andrew Agozzino was the Lake Erie Monsters’ 2014-15 top scorer, as he recorded 30 goals and 64 points. In his first game in 2015-16, he had a goal and an assist as a top-line forward and assistant captain.

At 5-foot-10, Agozzino isn’t the biggest forward, which is probably his main problem. However, he does work hard and plays with a lot of grit. Unfortunately, he hasn’t got a chance in the NHL yet. In three years as a pro, Agozzino has only played one game (last season) where he recorded one assist.

Roy wanted his team to get bigger and he worked on that over the offseason. Agozzino doesn’t really fit in that plan, but he may get a chance if he keeps producing like he did last season.

Next: Ben Street

Sep 24, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Ben Street (10) takes a shot on Calgary Flames goalie Joni Ortio (37) in the first period during a preseason game at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche Call-Up: Ben Street

Second surprise of the day: Ben Street is on this list. At 28, time is running away for him. At 5-foot-11, he also isn’t much bigger than Agozzino. However, despite being rather small, Street possesses a decent two-way game.

In the 2015-16 NHL preseason, Street didn’t record a point, but he ripped off shots like no one else did. In his first AHL game of the season, he had 11 shots, scored a goal and recorded two assists. He, too, is one of the Rampage’s alternate captains. Street may not be the biggest forward, but he’s definitely one of the hardest-working ones.

If he got a chance on the Colorado Avalanche, he could look good on a line with Carl Soderberg and Blake Comeau. Or basically with anyone else on a newly formatted third line, e.g. John Mitchell and/or Mikhail Grigorenko. I’ll leave that to Roy once the time has come.

Next: Analyzing Avs' Defensive Mistakes

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