Avalanche make roster moves as Opening Night lineup begins to take shape

The Colorado Avalanche continue to trim their training camp roster as the Opening Night lineup begins to take shape.

The club announced five players were re-assigned, whittling down the roster from 44 to 39 bodies.

In particular, the blue line began to see some daylight, with defensemen Domenick Fensore and Christian Wolanin hitting the waiver wire. It would be surprising to see anyone claim them. It’s not that they’re necessarily bad players. It’s just that they’re not impactful enough to warrant another organization claiming them.

Also, the Avs sent three forwards down to the Colorado Eagles: Cooper Gay, Maros Jedlicka, Nikita Prishchepov.

The moves shouldn’t surprise anyone. None of the aforementioned forwards should factor into the Avalanche lineup, at least not right now. In fact, it would be surprising to see any of these three forwards get a call-up during the regular season. So, it’s safe to say they’ll be major pieces for the Eagles this season.

Another unsurprising move came when the Avalanche reassigned prospect Beckett Hamilton to his Junior hockey team, Red Deer of the WHL.

Hamilton had a good showing in camp, but his return to the WHL was totally expected. However, this won’t be the last we see of Hamilton. The Avs’ third-round pick will face an interesting decision next season. He still won’t be eligible for the AHL, so he might stay in the WHL as a 19-year-old for one more season, or potentially move to the NCAA.

Whatever the case, we’ll be sure to keep an eye on him.

More cuts to come for Avalanche sooner rather than later

With the start of the season right around the corner, Avalanche fans should expect more cuts. The team will need at least 16 more players off the final roster. With the final preseason games on Friday against the Jets and Saturday against the Mammoth, the final roster spots will likely be decided.

There really isn’t much doubt regarding who will make the team. The only question marks will be the seventh defenseman and potentially two extra forwards.

The depth defenseman role is more than likely a lock for Noah Juulsen. Jared Bednar has provided nothing but glowing reviews regarding the rugged blueliner. So, barring an injury, he’ll be the guy to make the Opening Night roster.

As for the 13th and 14th forwards, the expectation would be to see Taylor Makar and TJ Hughes make the team. If they do, it will be interesting to see how the team manages their playing time. They could end up rotating in and out of the bottom six, potentially getting some more reps.

Also, keep an eye on Gavin Brindley. He stuck around the Avs for a while last season and could make the team again this year.

If he does, it might mean having someone like Fedor Svechkov or Zachary L’Heureux hit the waiver wire.

Let’s see what happens. There are two more games for guys on the bubble to make an impression on the coaching staff.

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