Patrick Roy and Colorado Avalanche Team Structure

Power Forwards

Coach Roy likes gritty players. He wants big players who aren’t afraid to get physical — at the right time, of course.

Roy likes to have a power forward on each line — he’s mentioned that more than once. This could be a highly skilled power forward, such as Gabriel Landeskog or Jarome Iginla. This could be a grinder, such as Andreas Martinsen, or an out-and-out energy player, such as Cody McLeod.

In additional to the physicality, he wants these players to make room for puck-possessors. This was his stated rationale for placing Martinsen on a top line one of the several times he’s done that.

A physical player in a physical game also helps provide a spark. Coach Roy is big on sparks — he can’t stand flat play, and he’ll blame that for losses more often than not. Coming out flat is also a quick way to get on Patrick Roy’s bad side. (More on that later.)

Of course, the potential for a spark is also how Nikita Zadorov and Chris Bigras earned their most recent chances on the team.

MORE FROM MILE HIGH STICKING: Avs Recipe for the Power Play

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