Colorado Avalanche Prospect Chris Bigras Will Have Tough Fight for Lineup Spot

Colorado Avalanche Prospect Chris Bigras has a lot of upside, but he will find it hard to make the roster on opening night next season, if he’s still with the team.

Chris Bigras has been given every opportunity to make the Colorado Avalanche since he was drafted. He almost made the team the year he was drafted. And, he was called up for 31 games during the 2015-16 season.

However, last season he didn’t even make the team out of training camp. Furthermore, he also saw players like Anton Lindholm and Duncan Siemens get recalled instead of him.

Sure, the Avs could have just given those players opportunities so they could see what they had in the barn. They could have also been trying to protect Bigras’ development, and give him more of an opportunity to learn at the AHL level.

Personally, I don’t buy either of those scenarios. My thoughts are that Jared Bednar and Nolan Pratt were not very impressed with Bigras at training camp, and feel like Bigras doesn’t fit their systems.

If that is the case, things just got a little tougher for Bigras. With the signing of Andrei Mironov and a likely Matt Duchene trade, Bigras will find it hard to make the roster out of training camp.

However, that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Chris Bigras Could Be a Kicker Option in a Big Trade

This is something I’ve already written about, but it’s time to revisit the subject.

At this point, it’s difficult to imagine where Chris Bigras would fit in the lineup. However, it’s also nearly impossible to imagine what the Avalanche roster will look like next season.

We know that Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Tyson Jost have almost guaranteed roster spots. Beyond that, it’s anybody’s guess.

However, with the defense it should be a bit easier to disseminate. For example, Erik Johnson is not likely to go anywhere, and Tyson Barrie isn’t either. That’s the right side top four.

Hopefully the Avs are able to ink Nikita Zadorov to a contract. Andrei Mironov is likely to find a role on the bottom pairing. Finally, a Matt Duchene trade seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, so that should take care of the left side.

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Where does Chris Bigras fit? Sure, he could play his off side and man the right side on the bottom pairing. However, I’d personally rather see that spot go to Anton Lindholm or Duncan Siemens, guys who can play the bottom pairing, and see how the trade market values Chris Bigras.

If you’re not going to use him in your top four on the left side one day, then why hold onto him? The Avs have a good prospect coming up the ranks in Nicolas Meloche for the right side, and they’ll get more prospects in this year’s draft.

Right now, it makes the most sense to see how other teams value Chris Bigras. And like I’ve said all along, make him an added piece in a big trade to get the deal done.

Conclusion

The Colorado Avalanche are in for big changes this summer on the ice. The off-ice changes have already begun, and the on-ice changes are sure to follow.

Don’t forget, the expansion draft and NHL entry draft are quickly approaching. Once the Stanley Cup is lifted, be ready for swift changes. Teams are waiting, you can be sure of it. This is going to be a whirlwind of a summer, and the Avs are likely to cause the most wind.

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It would not be surprising to see Chris Bigras as one of the trades the Avs make happen this summer. However, if he heads on down the road, his departure is likely to come in the form of a much larger trade.

Regardless, his chances of finding a spot on the lineup next season are slim. Hopefully the Avs are able to take advantage of that, and shop his value. Chris Bigras is a former second round pick, he is likely to have a lot of value on the trade market.

Bigras has also shown he can play at the NHL level, even if the cameo was short. However, if the Avs are finding it difficult to get a Matt Duchene deal done, then Bigras should absolutely be thrown into the mix.

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