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The Colorado Avalanche’s curious case of Ben Meyers

By Kyle Marshall

DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 16: Ben Meyers #59 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Carolina Hurricanes in the third period of a game at Ball Arena on April 16, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 16: Ben Meyers #59 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Carolina Hurricanes in the third period of a game at Ball Arena on April 16, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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With one preseason game left to go for the Colorado Avalanche, many among Avs faithful are wondering, what’s going to happen with Ben Meyers? For those of you who might be new to Avalanche fandom you may be wondering, who is Ben Meyers? Let’s start at the beginning.

Ben Meyers signed with the Colorado Avalanche on April 13th, 2022, just before the end of the last season and the boys in burgundy and blue made their cup run. The nearly 6-foot, 200 lb center and winger came by way of UDFA from the University of Minnesota, where he had 41 points (17 points, and 41 assists) in his final season, setting career-high marks as captain for the Gophers. He also came with some Olympic experience as he was part of team USA in the 2022 Olympic Games .

On April 16th, he made his NHL debut, and even netted his first goal to help the Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4. He went on to play five games total to help close out the 2021-2022 regular season but because of his late signing, Meyers wasn’t eligible to join the team for the playoffs. Okay, now you’re caught up.

So, why is he such a curious case for the Avs? Well, that’s because of the departure of Nazem Kadri. It’s believed that either J.T. Compher, Alex Newhook, newcomer Evan Rodrigues, or even Mikko Rantanen could slot into the 2C vacancy left empty by Kadri’s heading to the Calgary Flames.

In turn, that could leave the 4C slot open due to Newy or JT moving up, which is where Meyers may come in. Anchoring the 4th line would give him a chance to play with guys like Darren Helm, Lukas Sedlak, and Andrew Cogliano. He’d get regular minutes and a chance to develop his game with some long-term veteran guys in the big leagues. Or, given that he can also play on the wing, he could rotate in and out of the lineup as 3rd and 4th line depth for the Avs.

That is of course, if he makes the roster at all. So far in preseason, Ben Meyers only has two assists over a handful of games and has been challenged for a roster spot by Martin Kaut and Anton Blidh. With one preseason game left to go, Meyers is going to have to show off something special (hopefully reminiscent of his time in Minnesota) to make the NHL roster. Prior to training camp, he was the player I was most excited about with the Avalanche, so naturally I’m hoping he’s “last man in” and adds depth to a team that looks ready to defend Lord Stanley’s Cup. I guess we’ll find out after the team starts to finalize its roster following tomorrow’s showdown against Dallas.

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