Colorado Avalanche forward Vladislav Kamenev hasn’t been given much of a chance this season despite all the injuries on the team.
Colorado Avalanche players are settling into their hockey hiatus routines, many of them having returned to their home towns. They’ll be allowed to stay there until at least the end of the week, though it’s likely to be longer.
The NHL season is on pause in response to COVID 19 pandemic. However, coverage of the team here on Mile High Sticking won’t be on pause.
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We’ve been reviewing how individual players were doing before the hockey hiatus went into effect. We’ve already evaluated four players:
Next up is forward Vladislav Kamenev.
Brief History of Vladislav Kamenev
The Nashville Predators selected Kamenev 42nd overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. The next summer he signed his entry-level contract with the Predators. He played two games for Nashville the following year.
Kamenev was part of the three-team trade that saw Matt Duchene go to the Ottawa Senators. He was part of a package that the Predators gave up to receive Kyle Turris from Ottawa. He came to the Avalanche, but they sent him to play for their then-AHL affiliate San Antonio Rampage.
Kamenev made his Avs debut on November 14, 2017, against the Washington Capitals. Brooks Orpik leveled him with a hit late in the first period. The hit broke his arm, and he even needed surgery.
A similar incident happened the following season. As a result, Kamenev only played 23 games with Colorado during the 2018-19 season.
Vladislav Kamenev Stats with the Colorado Avalanche
The 23-year-old Kamenev has played in 66 NHL games, all but two of them with Colorado. He scored his first NHL goal as an Avalanche on November 1, 2018 against the Calgary Flames.
In total, Kamenev has three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in those 66 games. He’s spent the majority of this season with the Avs either on the fourth line or a healthy scratch. In 38 games this season, he’s averaged 8:59 of ice time.
Evaluation of Vladislav Kamenev with the Avalanche
It’s been hard for Kamenev to crack a lineup that’s so stacked. Sure, the Colorado Avalanche have had a lot of injuries. However, the coaching staff haven’t used that as a reason to give Kamenev much of a chance.
The young forward has definitely improved his game. He’s a pretty big kid at 6-foot-2, 194 pounds, and he’s shown a little more physicality and grit to his game.
Last season, Kamenev was a restricted free agent. Colorado signed him to a one-year contract which will be over this summer, however the whole season plays out. I don’t know if the Avalanche would offer him another contract. If he couldn’t show his mettle this season with all the injuries — and part of the problem was he didn’t get much of a chance — there’s little reason he’d have much of a chance next year.
Well, Vladislav Kamenev may not have worked out very well for Colorado. Hopefully he gets a chance with another team.