Colorado Avalanche: 5 Things I’d Like to See in the Preseason
The Colorado Avalanche training camp is over, and the preseason is on. Here’s what I’d like to see in the six preseason games.
The Colorado Avalanche have completed their training camp. It’s been a good ride, with three days of training and one of game-preparation practice.
Everyone keeps asking if it’s October yet. Many people eschew the preseason because the games don’t count. Well, they don’t count toward the final points and getting into the playoffs. But then, neither do practices, yet I doubt much of anyone would suggest getting rid of those.
The preseason is a part of the process, same as practices. It gives players a chance to show their make to the coaching staff. Sure, for established players such as Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, they have nothing to show.
However, for some players, it’s a chance to show where they belong in the roster. For others, it’s a chance to show they even belong on the NHL roster. For yet others it’s a chance to earn their dream at playing any kind of professional hockey.
What’s more, the preseason is a chance for players to get to know each other. NHL hockey is a fast-paced game. There’s no in-game time to try and sort out who your teammate is and where he’s currently located. It should be as instinctual as possible.
This season, the Avalanche have a fair amount of new players taking on key roles. Guaranteed to make the NHL roster are forwards Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Joonas Donskoi, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Trying to make the team are newbies Bowen Byram, Valeri Nichushkin, Kevin Connauton, and Calle Rosen.
In addition to those new guys we have Cale Makar who, despite his playoff experience, is a rookie this year. Plus, there are organizational players trying to crack the NHL roster. So, preseason is a good time for all of those players to get a chance to show their stuff.
Well, here’s what I, personally, would like to see take place in the six preseason games the Avs are playing.
Erik Johnson Healthy
Cornerstone defenseman Erik Johnson had shoulder surgery in the offseason. He’s mostly recovered, but at the time of writing, he had yet to participate in a full Avs practice.
He was in charge of captain’s camp until Gabriel Landeskog arrived. He’s also been practicing on his own with different coaches. Here he is with skills coach Shawn Allard:
Erik Johnson takes the ice and gets some work in with #Avs skills coach/personal coach Shawn Allard before the second session. pic.twitter.com/eY6Yh4TTVn
— Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) September 14, 2019
You can see that he’s moving well. Apparently he’s got some lingering tendinitis in his shoulder. Well, I don’t know at what point he’s going to show up in games, but that’s one thing I’m excited to see.
Right now, the duo of Cale Makar and Sam Girard are challenging for the top pairing spot, but I think it’s going to be difficult to differentiate what, exactly, is the top pairing. Once Johnson returns, he’s most likely going to be paired on a juggernaut of a pairing with Nikita Zadorov. That’s the type of pairing you put out there against opponents’ top lines.
Anyway, I’m just excited to see Johnson back healthy and contributing 100%.
Cale Makar Paired with Sam Girard
Speaking of defensive pairings, I stated in a previous article that I didn’t think it was wise to try the Girard-Makar pairing because of youth and size. Well, I’ve been wrong about Makar all along, so why stop now?
They have been the defensive darlings of training camp. The way they just whirli-gig their way around the ice is just sick. As in, their going to make opponents sick just watching them.
Last preseason, defensive pairing got set pretty early, and they stayed pretty consistent throughout the season. Right now, I’d like to see the Makar-Girard pairing stay together.
Are we going to call them Makard?
Tyson Jost and JT Compher Taking a Step Forward
Ok, let’s talk now about some of the old guys — JT Compher and Tyson Jost.
Obviously, I’m being facetious. Jost is a young 21-year-old, and Compher is a young 24-year-old. They’re not even old by professional hockey standards, and that’s saying something.
You all know how badly I want these two to succeed, especially our 10th-overall draft pick Tyson Jost. He has such talent, skill, and work ethic — he deserves to succeed like no other.
Avs insider Adrian Dater outlines how he thinks Jost has a pretty good shot at doing just that. He’s motivated, that’s for sure.
I think we’re going to see Compher hit his ceiling sooner, but I still think he’ll be a valid contributor. He’s tapped to be the third-line center, which I think is the perfect role for his two-way talents.
Philip Grubauer Looking Dominant
It’s so hard to judge goalies at training camp or practice. A goalie’s lot is a hard one in those situations. The focus is usually on the skaters’ drills, with the goalie just being an afterthought.
They do get one-on-one time with goalie coaches, but that still doesn’t tell you much about how they’re doing.
Well, in-game situations such as represented in preseason games give us a chance to see how the goalie is looking.
In the case of Philipp Grubauer, I’d like to see him being a brick wall. Preseason games don’t count, but in just a couple weeks we’re going to be watching the games that do count.
As of right now, the Colorado Avalanche have a clutch of rookies at the goalie position:
- Philipp Grubauer (rookie starter)
- Pavel Francouz (rookie)
- Adam Werner (AHL rookie)
- Hunter Miska (AHL contract)
- Trent Miner (unsigned)
That’s not what I call goalie depth. I’d feel a lot more confident if I saw a dominant Grubauer. Oh, and I’d like to see some really good play from rookie Pavel Francouz. Because a starting goalie can’t play 82 games.
New Guys in Burgundy and Blue
More from Mile High Sticking
- Could Colorado Avalanche move on from Pavel Francouz next offseason?
- 4 goalies to replace Pavel Francouz if he has to miss time
- Colorado Avalanche make sneaky signing with Tatar
- Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog could return in 2023-24 playoffs
- Colorado Avalanche rookie face-off tournament roster
The Colorado Avalanche have made some big changes in the roster. Gone are pretty important players like Carl Soderberg, Alexander Kerfoot, and, especially, Tyson Barrie. Not to mention Semyon Varlamov.
New to the team we have the guaranteed NHLers I mentioned and a fair amount of other newbies who might make the team.
When it comes to the new NHLers, I’d really just like to see how they fit in with the team. As of right now, we’re seeing a situation of so far, so good.
Nazem Kadri and Joonas Donskoi found instant chemistry with each other and Tyson Jost. They’ve been the talk of camp with how well they work together.
That makes things awkward for Andre Burakovsky. He’s been playing on the top line while Mikko Rantanen’s contract situation gets sorted out, but he was meant to be the de facto second-line wing the same was Kadri is meant to me the second-line center.
I’m not too worried about that. Burakovsky took a minute to adjust to his new team, but he started showing off some hot skills in camp already on the second day.
Overall, like I said in the intro, one of the purposes of the preseason is for the new players to get used to their new team. So, that’s something I’d like to witness in the preseason.
Next. 5 Questions for Camp. dark
The Colorado Avalanche preseason begins tomorrow with their home game against the Vegas Golden Knights. At the time of writing, no rosters had been released. However, I’m hoping for the start of the above wishes.