Colorado Avalanche D-Pairs in Camp

While it may be too early to project line combos and defense pairings, there has already been some consistency from the Colorado Avalanche coaching staff with defense pairings in training camp.

Erik Johnson & Sam Girard

So far, the top defense pair in training camp has been Erik Johnson and Sam Girard. First of all, it’s great to see video of EJ looking healthy after injury prematurely ended his season last year. I’m not breaking news by saying that EJ has been the most well-rounded Colorado Avalanche defenseman for awhile now. We just have to hope that his health holds up.

The surprise here is that 20-year old Sam Girard is already getting a consistent look at playing with EJ on the top pair. By all accounts, he added some muscle in the offseason, but hasn’t lost a step. My word, is that encouraging! He was super impressive as a rookie. It is a mouth-watering proposition that he should continue to improve for years to come, and that he is already good enough to warrant top pairing consideration.

Tyson Barrie & Nikita Zadorov

The second paring in camp is Tyson Barrie and Nikita Zadorov.  It is fair to point out that during the playoffs, this was basically Colorado’s top pair, due to injury. Barrie is coming off his best offensive season with the Avs, putting up 57 points in 68 games. His effort in his own zone last year was also better than he is typically given credit for.

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It is great to see clips of Nikita Zadorov from camp, especially given the early offseason rumors that he might not be healthy enough to start the season. It is worth pointing out that Big Z is still only 23 years old. It feels like he has been around forever, but he should continue to get better, as he has still not reached his prime.

Ian Cole & Patrik Nemeth

The third pairing thus far in camp has been offseason acquisition, Ian Cole and Patrik Nemeth. These are two players who will divide opinions among Colorado Avalanche fans. However, to me, most of that divisiveness relates to the contract of Ian Cole, and Patrik Nemeth’s +/- rating being talked about like it’s the greatest thing ever by a certain broadcaster.

If we can just look at the players, and what they will bring to the Avalanche line up, there is reason for optimism. Ian Cole is a very good third pair defenseman. He is also more than capable of playing on a second pair for stretches of time during a season. He is responsible in his own zone, and has a playoff pedigree that should help a young defense group.

Patrik Nemeth should also be a good third pair defenseman. When he struggled last year, it was largely because he was thrust into situations where he was playing against an opponent’s top players. As a third pairing d-man, that should happen far less frequently. As a PK specialist, and third pair contributor, Nemeth should be able to succeed.

Final Thoughts on the Defense

On the whole, the Colorado Avalanche defense core is now a strength of this team. There’s a sentence that would have been laughable only a year ago. The team’s three holdovers from last summer, EJ, Barrie, and Zadorov, all continue to improve. Since last summer, the team added Sam Girard, Ian Cole, and Patrik Nemeth. Girard looks like a future stud, and Cole and Nemeth add depth to a group that was exposed by injuries in the playoffs last year.

I haven’t even mentioned Mark Barberio. He figures to be the seventh defenseman on this team as we move towards opening night. Last year, it was so important when he returned from injury. This season, he may well be a healthy scratch on opening night. I also haven’t mentioned Anton Lindholm, who still has a good deal of potential as a mere 23-year old.

Finally, none of this is even taking into consideration, the future awesomeness of Conor Timmins and Cale Makar. It truly is amazing how quickly Joe Sakic and the Avalanche front office were able to turn a glaring weakness into an organizational strength. Not only this season, but for years to come, Colorado has the potential to be excellent on the blue line.