The Colorado Avalanche and their stars have been the toast of the NHL this season, and deservedly so. Nathan MacKinnon leads the league in goals and is in the conversation for the Hart Trophy. Cale Makar leads defensemen in scoring and is the runaway favorite for a second consecutive Norris Trophy. The goaltending duo of Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood has received their flowers for their superb netminding. Gabriel Landeskog is writing one of the greatest comeback stories in sports while resuming his responsibilities as captain. Amid all the team and individual accolades, one of the most important pieces of this team’s amazing first half of the season has been the presence and the play of Josh Manson.
Playing his game
On a team full of speedy superstars with silky mitts, Josh Manson stands apart as a blue-collar style player. At his best playing a simple, yet heavy game.
The past few seasons have seen him limited by injuries and unable to achieve his full potential. Not so this season. Now back to full strength, Manson has been able to bring a weight to the Colorado blue line that keeps the Avs‘ defensive core grounded and allows the more skilled players like Makar and Sam Malinski to lean into their creative playmaking. He can be there to negate the other team’s counterattacks should they come. His return to health has also given him the ability to embrace the more physical aspects of his talents like bodying other players off the puck, laying a big hit, and – when needed – stepping up for a big fight.
Stepping up by moving over
Due to extra right-shot defensemen on the team, the plan at the beginning of the season was for Malinski to play on his off-side alongside Brent Burns. When left-shot Sam Girard got hurt and with Malinski struggling to adjust to playing on the left side, it became necessary to make a pivot before the entire blue line folded under the strain. That pivot was to ask Manson to take on the left side duties with Brent Burns while maintaining second pairing playing time.
Not only did he manage to hold down the fort in that new role, but he has also thrived in it. While the pairing has had their difficult games, overall, it has done well for the Avs. The two big defensemen have come together to provide an anchor for the team. Not only has Manson’s 200-foot game, but its ripple effect has also allowed Malinski to find new levels to his game, which was increased even more by the return of Girard.
Maximizing his opportunities
Manson knows that his main job in the offensive zone is to guard the blue line, to help the forwards maintain puck possession, and to prevent the other team from being able to break out with the puck and create chances the other way. He does that job well, especially paired with Burns.
He knows that it is good policy to get the puck over to Burns and allow him to work it back towards the net to create more opportunities for the forwards. Nevertheless, after multiple seasons with the Avs, Manson has developed a good sense of when he is well positioned to directly contribute to the team’s attack on offense. He is comfortable jumping up into the play, whether it is to get a shot through or to create another option for the puck carrier to target. Due to his selective jump on offense, he has already tallied 19 points on the season and provides the Avs with an additional scoring threat from the blueline.
Leading from behind
There are plenty of vocal leaders in the Avs locker room, but Manson is one of the few exude a quiet leadership on the team. One of the veterans from the Stanley Cup-winning team, he takes care of his responsibilities both on and off the ice and gives other players a model to follow. He has talked about making sure to have an encouraging word ready for any of his teammates, a support which reinforces his tough play on their behalf on the ice. His example helps to ground his teammates and not let them get overly carried away by any successes or struggles that they face individually or as a team.
In a season full of grand storylines, the most under-the-radar hero for the Avs has been Josh Manson. He has not put up gaudy numbers on offense nor produced wizardry on defense, but when the team has needed a moment to steady them or to turn the tide of a game, Manson is often the one stepping up to the moment. Whether it is with a big hit, a keep-in of the puck at the blueline to maintain momentum on offense, or a quiet word to a teammate in a teachable moment, Josh Manson has been an indispensable member of the Colorado Avalanche this season and the team will continue to lean on him in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup.