Colorado: A Look To The Future

By Richard Gonzalez

Well, the first round of the postseason is underway and unless you live under a rock, the Colorado Avalanche did not make it. Far from it as they came in dead last. They have about 18% of a chance of landing the first round pick in this year’s NHL entry draft. Hopefully, their bad luck won’t transfer to the draft. The Avalanche dressed 8 different official rookies this season. 5 forwards, 2 defensemen, and 1 goalie. 

The NHL defines a rookie as the following:

 “A player must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of age (by September 15th of that season) is not considered a rookie.” 

Now, let’s take a closer look at their stats.

Forwards:

I’m going to start off with Mikko Rantanen. Rantanen was drafted in the 1st round, 10th overall, in the 2015 draft by the Avalanche. He made the Avalanche roster in the 2015/2016 season. Rantanen made his NHL debut on October 8th, 2015; however, he was sent down after 9 games and did not record a single point. He made his case this season playing 75 games scoring 39 points (20 goals and 23 assists). Rantanen led the team with 20 goals for the Avalanche and was third in points. He scored his first hat trick on February 7th, 2017, in 4-0 win against the Montreal Canadians. He has been one of the only positive things for the Avalanche all season. 

J.T. Compher was drafted in the 2nd round, 35th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2013 draft. His rights were traded to the Avalanche as a package deal for the Ryan O’Reilly trade. On April 26th, 2016, Compher signed a 3 year deal with the Avalanche. He made his NHL debut on March 2nd, 2017. Compher played 21 games scoring 5 points (3 goals and 2 assists).  Compher had 1 game winning goal and 30 shots on net. I liked his size, speed, and the fact he wasn’t afraid to shoot the puck. It will be fun to watch him next season if he earns a spot on the roster. 

A.J. Greer was drafted in the 2nd round, 39th overall, by the Avalanche in the 2013 draft. Greer made his NHL debut on November 13th, 2016. He played in 5 games scoring 1 point (1 assist). I love watching his energy and passion when he was up with the Avalanche. A lot of fans were upset when he got sent back to the Avalanche’s AHL team the San Antonio Rampage. The AHL named Greer as the winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award which is given to a player for his contributions to his local community and charitable organizations. 

Check out the Rampage’s article for more detailed information regarding the award: Greer Named Winner of Yanick Dupre Award.

Samuel Henley was an undrafted free agent. He signed with the Avalanche on April 29th, 2014. Henley made his NHL debut on December 1st, 2016. He played in only one game but scored a goal on his first shot.  I’m not sure If he will be resigned but he will never forget where he scored his first NHL goal.

Tyson Jost was drafted in the 1st round, 10th overall, but the Avalanche in the 2016 draft. He made his NHL debut on March 31st, 2017. Jost played 6 games and scored 1 point (goal). Jost scored his first NHL goal on April 6th, 2017, in a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild. He is a fast kid and back checks which the Avalanche need to help support our defense. 

Defense: 

Anton Lindholm was drafted in the 5th round, 144th overall, by the Avalanche in the 2014 draft. He made his NHL debut on March 15th, 2017. He played 12 games but did not have a point; however, he had 12 blocked shots and 7 shots on net. He is a pretty good skater and seemed to get better and more comfortable each game he played. Looking forward to seeing more of him and how he progresses next season.

Duncan Siemens was drafted in the 1st round, 11th overall, by the Avalanche in the 2011 draft. He made his NHL debut on April 4th, 2017. He played in 3 games going scoreless with 10 hits. I don’t want to say he’s a bust but hasn’t developed into the defenseman we all hoped he’d be. I’m not really sure if he will have a place with the big club next year especially how well Lindholm has played. 

Goalie(s):

Spencer Martin was drafted in the 3rd round, 63rd overall, by the Avalanche in the 2013 draft. He made his NHL debut on January 21st, 2017, where he made 30 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks. He played 3 games with 2 regulation losses and 1 overtime loss. Martin made a total of 86 saves on 94 shots and had a 4.36 GAA with a .865 save percentage. 

Jeremy Smith is not an official rookie because of his age (28) but he is still a rookie in the game so I added him. Smith was drafted in the 2nd round, 54th overall, by the Nashville Predators in the 2007 draft. Refer to my previous article ” Who is Jeremy Smith” for further detailed background information. Smith made his NHL debut on February 14, 2017, where he made 40 saves in a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils. He played a total of 10 games (8 starts, 2 as a relief) with 1 win, 6 losses, and 1 OT loss. Smith made a total of 254 saves on the 286 shots he has faced with a 3.54 GAA and .888 save percentage. 

These young guns got a taste of the NHL and I know they will have the confidence to earn a spot on opening night for next season.

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April 22nd, 2017