Eric Gelinas
Eric Gelinas hasn’t been given the chance he deserves. Like Nikita Zadorov, Gelinas is a big, young player with exciting prospects. He hasn’t found his groove yet with the team because he’s been scratched more often than not — and he was even put on waivers. This is a real mishandling of resources.
Well, with Johnson out and the vet (and Columbus Blue Jackets buy out) Fedor Tyutin hamped by recurring injuries, Eric Gelinas has his chance.
Gelinas has both size and strength. He’s a great skater, so all that combined helps him muscle through the scrum on the ice. He’s similar to Erik Johnson that way and in his style of play in general. What’s more, I daresay his shot from the point is even more booming than EJ’s.
Eric Gelinas needs to fight harder than ever for his roster spot. He should be the hardest working player on and off the ice. The Colorado Avalanche have had problems with effort and caring. Gelinas must show that he has that in spades.
As I observed in a previous post, he has more long-term potential than Tyutin. If Gelly can prove his value to the team, he might be guaranteed a roster spot even when Johnson returns.