Oct 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Chris Bigras (3) keeps the puck away from Dallas Stars center Jason Spezza (90) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Chris Bigras (3) keeps the puck away from Dallas Stars center Jason Spezza (90) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
The Colorado Avalanche should give chances to their AHL talent for the remainder of the season.
To say the Colorado Avalanche are struggling would be an understatement. The team has been dead-last in the NHL for about a month now. They are far more likely to win the Nolan Patrick sweepstakes than a playoff spot.
The old cliche is that there’s still plenty of hockey ahead of the team — they’re just nearing the middle of their season. However, conventional wisdom states that standings don’t radically change after Thanksgiving — or maybe Christmas this year because of the delayed start. After that it’s just jockeying for position.
Now, as we saw last year, teams can drop out of the final Wild Card spot — Colorado did it. It’s also technically possible that the Avalanche could go on a Columbus Blue Jacket-esque winning streak and be back in playoff contention. I mean, they get everything else from Columbus…
We should probably just acknowledge that the 2016-17 is a bust for the Colorado Avalanche. Or, rather, it’s a bust as far as playoff contention goes. Besides jockeying for a high draft position, the team can still do something important with this season.
The Avs can use the time to analyze the young talent they have coming up from the AHL. These players are the future of the team, so it would be nice to give them some NHL time now. This means these young players can start getting a feel for the speed and intensity of the world’s best hockey league.
Not only that, the young prospects can even start developing some chemistry with the current Colorado core. It’s possible a big name or two could be traded (though I doubt it). Nonetheless, it would still be valuable experience.
On the flip side, it allows the front offices and coaching staff to evaluate which players might really have NHL legs.
And, hey, why not? What have we got to lose? Hockey games, sure, but the Avs are already losing those.
So, let’s look at five players on the San Antonio Rampage roster that Colorado should call up.
Center JT Compher was one of the pieces of the Ryan O’Reilly trade. Compher was drafted in the second round, #35 overall, by the Buffalo Sabres.
Copmpher was part of the prestigious US National Development Team Program. He has participated in many international competitions for Team USA, even serving as captain for the Under-18 team.
JT spent three years playing hockey for the University of Michigan and wore the C his third year.
Compher signed an entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche last spring. Though he participated in the rookie and regular training camp, he’s spent all his pro life with the San Antonio Rampage.
His time there has been good. In 18 games he has 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists).
Compher is the kind of guy the Colorado Avalanche prized the last three years — hard working and with obvious leadership. He has good two-way play. He’s also quite versatile, though he’s smallish.
JT’s leadership and work ethic would be a boon at this juncture in the Avalanche’s season.
Admit it — AJ Greer makes us all a little excited. Colorado picked up the left wing in the 2015 draft, second round at #39. Greer spent two years at Boston University before heading over to the QMJHL to finish out the 2015-16 season. He signed his entry-level contract with Colorado last summer.
Greer did get a chance with the Colorado Avalanche earlier this season. With Gabriel Landeskog out with injury, the even younger power forward got to play in five games. He earned his first NHL point, an assist, against the Dallas Stars.
Greer has played in 29 games with San Antonio, earning 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists).
Like Compher, Greer has an excellent work ethic. However, AJ also has good size for the NHL — 6-foot-3, 204 pounds — as well as a lot of talent. He’s a good skater and one nasty young man.
Of any forwards on this list, Greer probably is probably on the fastest track to becoming a regular on the Avalanche roster. No offense to Cody McLeod, but young AJ is just as irritating while also showing superior skating skills. He’d be great on the checking line, perhaps with Andreas Martinsen and John Mitchell.
Center Julien Nantel might be a bit of a stretch for NHL-readiness. The Colorado Avalanche selected him at #204 in 2014. He excelled in the QMJHL, but he’s been just so-so at the AHL level — four goals and two assists in 28 games.
The Colorado Avalanche offered Nantel an ELC over the summer at seventh-round rates. It had been predicted that Nantel would go higher, and he wanted compensation that reflected that. According to BSN, the Avs response was essentially, “Prove you’re worth it.”
A jump to the NHL might show if Nantel could translate his QMJHL skills to the NHL level.
What’s exciting about Julien is that he’s known for a high compete level and tenacity on the ice. He also sees the ice really well, which helps him get into good scoring position.
Like I said, Nantel is a bit of a long shot — he should definitely be in the line after JT Compher and, especially, AJ Greer have had their chances.
If not for an ill-timed injury, defenseman Chris Bigras would almost certainly have been called up over Cody Goloubef. Well, I would hope so, anyway.
The Colorado Avalanche drafted Bigras #32 overall in 2013. From 2015 until now he’s mostly played at the AHL level. However, with injuries in play last season, Bigras got 31 games of NHL time with the Avalanche. He even recorded his first NHL goal during that stint.
Because of said injury, however, Bigras has only played nine games this season with the San Antonio Rampage. He’s done well, though, with five points (2 goals, 3 assists). That’s pretty good for a defenseman who’s not known for his offensive skills.
Indeed, Bigras is more known for being a shut-down defenseman who moves the puck well. He’s very careful and doesn’t generally make costly mistakes. (Ahem, Cody).
I feel bad for Duncan Siemens, I really do. The Colorado Avalanche selected the defenseman 11th overall in 2011 (Gabriel Landeskog’s draft year, incidentally). And it’s been downhill ever since.
Siemens has had exactly one NHL game to his name. In all those years, fellow draft-mate Landeskog has played in 383 games, while Siemens, who went just nine picks later, has just one. I know it’s apples and oranges, forwards and defensemen, but it still seems unfair.
That said, Duncan Siemens seems like just the defenseman the Colorado Avalanche need. He’s good-sized at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. While it’s true he has decent puck-moving skills, his main claim to fame is hitting to make opponents feel it.
He’s a stay-at-home defenseman who can help prevent opponent shots on net. No, he’s not going to score a lot, but he’s going to help prevent the other team from scoring.
Frankly, I was surprised when the Colorado Avalanche re-signed Siemens last summer. The team hadn’t shown any interest in calling him up even in the event of injuries, so I full expected him to be let go when his initial ELC expired. That said, it seems the team is allowing him to develop his puck handling more.
Since the Avs re-signed Siemens, I’d really like to see him given a proper chance.
I’d like to see all of the players on this list given a chance this season to test their NHL chops. The Colorado Avalanche are done trying to recoup a lost season — let’s see what future seasons might bring.
