Defensmen of the Future
Posted 4:46 PM ET | Comments 3
Avalanche fans have been hearing for some time now (not without good cause mind you) that our defensive group is porous and largely devoid of any real talent. Anyone who watched this group play last year would be hard pressed to argue and since the offseason has not yielded any changes on the back end we can expect to be hearing about the issues on defense for the immediate future. Until Greg Sherman (or Joe Sakic, depending on who you believe is really in charge) makes a trade this blue line will remain among the teams weak points unless certain prospects step up and fill the void of useful defensemen.
That is not to say that the entire current defense corps should be hauled off to the scrap heap. Certain players are likely to be phased out in coming years and some already have in moves that can only be described as addition via subtraction (adios, Mr. Zanon and the beard you rode in on) but there are a few pieces that bear keeping. Ryan Wilson is not a top pair defenseman but top four is not out of reach by any means and his punishing physical style, coupled with his sense of timing for devastating open ice hits makes him valuable. His willingness and ability to fight are assets and his puck movement skills are improving but the man just can't stay healthy. Erik Johnson is not, at this point, likely to live up to his billing as a first overall pick and he's not even likely to prove worth the price the Avs paid to get him but we're stuck with him and he does bring size and a certain steadying presence to the back end (excepting last year which was a total disaster for him much as it was for the rest of the Avs). Jan Hejda is not perfect by any means but as a bottom 3 physical defenseman he has his uses and he does throw a mean hip check. Those three players could potentially be part of a long term group on defense.
<p>How then do the remaining three spots get filled? Speculation is rampant that the Avs might target Keith Yandle but Coyotes fans (all six of them) are horrified by the idea and most of them believe Keith Yandle is in a Phoenix uniform (or an Arizona one as we must now call it) to stay. Yandle would likely come at a hefty price and while it would be great to see him in an Avs uniform we must assume for now that he is not likely to be in the near future. So who fills the void or rather voids long term? We can assume that players such as Cory Sarich (who is too old) and Matt Hunwick (who is simply not that good) are not part of this team down the road so who is?
<p> Andre Benoit
<p>Avs fans don't know all that much about Andre Benoit except that he was one of many players called up to the Ottawa Senators as injuries decimated the club. He had solid numbers for Ottawa's AHL affiliate, Binghamton (25 points in 34 games) and while his NHL numbers (10 points in 33 games) aren't eye popping they would put him miles ahead of most of the defensemen on the Avs roster last season and he did add 3 points (all assists mind you) in five playoff games. Benoit's size is uninspiring (5'11 and 185 lbs.) and the fact that he is 29 years old is not necessarily a mark in his favor either but he was low cost, obviously brings some offense to the table and is on a one year deal. He will have this year to prove he can bring offensive skill in a fulltime NHL role before either being deemed worthy to be part of the long term solution or being cut loose.
<p>Tyson Barrie
<p>Anyone who watched the Avs last year in the latter half of the season watched Tyson Barrie go through the awful growing pains of a young defenseman in the NHL and slowly start to emerge as the offensive catalyst he had been in junior and his brief stint in the AHL. Barrie will likely be playing full time for the Avs next season and if Patrick Roy has more sense than Joe Sacco (yes, I do believe he does; I do believe my fourteen year old cousin has more sense than Joe Sacco) he will use Barrie in a role his skills are suited for: power play quarterback. Sacco had a nasty habit of using a five forward power play and on those occasions we never got to see Barrie (or Stefan Elliot for that matter) do what they were really good at. Barrie has worked on his hockey sense and is a solid puck mover and though he is short, at roughly 5'10, he weighs in at a stocky 190 lbs. and looks to be a player in the mold of John Michael Liles who can hopefully breathe some life into an Avs power play that was painful to watch at times these last few years.
<p> Stefan Elliot
<p>Elliot and Barrie play very similar styles but for whatever reason Barrie had a much more successful year last year than Elliot, a reversal of fortunes from their 2011-2012 season. Elliot does one thing well that Barrie does not always and that is rush the puck up ice. Elliot seems more willing to jump up into the play of the two (not that Barrie is not willing to do so) and brings a high risk/high reward style of game to the table. One thing that Elliot does very well is get his wrist shot through traffic and on goal and that is how he will get the vast majority of his points in the NHL. Barrie seems like the more intelligent player of the two at the moment but if Elliot can get that wrist shot working and learn to play with more intelligence and not be as intimidated as he was at times the last two season there can be room for both on the roster.
<p>Duncan Siemens
<p>Elliot's defensive partner in junior with the Saskatoon Blades at one point had an up and down season last year. He had the captaincy removed and given to Brendan Walker and his father suffered from a life-threatening illness that forced the young defenseman to miss some time with the Blades and spend time with his ailing father. Siemens played and played well for team WHL in the Subway Super Series but was left off team Canada's World Junior camp roster, a move that confused many and ultimately was shown to be a mistake. Canada had an uncharacteristic lack of punishing blue liners (excepting Scott Harrington) at the WJC and Siemens fits the profile of punishing blue liner to a T. His numbers in the WHL have been solid for a stay at home defenseman (124 points in 258 games played) but it is his physical play, willingness to stand up for his team mates and ability to make life hellish for forwards playing against him in the defensive zone that will carry him to the NHL someday. Siemens is big enough for the role (6'4 and 207 lbs.) and is capable of playing big minutes against the other team's best players. Though his Blades had an ultimately unsuccessful Memorial Cup they had the distinction of being the only team to hold Nate MacKinnon and the rest of Halifax's potent offence in check, handing the Mooseheads their only loss of the tournament. Expect Siemens to start in Lake Erie next year and get some time with the Avs if (read: when) the injury bug bites.
<p>Chris Bigras<p>
The Avs thought that there was no way Chris Bigras would still be available to them when they drafted at number 32 overall and they made no secret of the fact they were thrilled to be able to pick him that late. Bigras is described by scouts as playing an intelligent game, moving the puck up ice with poise, a trait sorely lacking from the Avs at every position but notably on defense last year. Bigras does all things well, though perhaps nothing spectacularly, and is seen as a jack-of-all-trades type. He is not an offensive dynamo by any stretch but his numbers with the Owen Sound Attack last year (38 points in 68 games) were solid. He is not a punishing open ice hitter but will play physical and is not overly large but has room to grow into his 6'1 frame. His chief asset is his ability to think the game and his intelligence will be very useful at the next level. Although he will likely be going back to Owen Sound this year he will probably get a long look at training camp since Patrick Roy is so high on him. Don't be surprised if he makes the Avs sooner than expected after another year in Owen Sound.
<p>Will Butcher
<p>The last defenseman I'll profile today is also perhaps the most intriguing. Not much was known about Will Butcher coming into this years draft but when the Avs announced this pick their scouting staff was grinning from ear to ear. Much like Bigras, they had no idea Butcher would be available to them at that late point of 123rd overall and were thrilled to get him when they did. His numbers with the U.S. National Team Development Program in the USHL were good (13 points in 26 games) and his plus 15 rating was an attractive feature but as with most 5th round picks there was little fanfare in drafting him. He really started to draw attention to himself at the team U.S.A. World Junior camp in Lake Placid this summer, putting up points as he was expected to and playing a solid all around game, solid enough to survive the cuts made at that camp. Although he is likely years away Butcher appears to be a dark horse pick to make the team long term. The Avalanche scouting staff is certainly happy to have him on board.
<p>I hope this has shed some light on some of the defensemen who may be playing for the Avs down the road. Yes, the present looks somewhat bleak on the defensive end of things but the future is looking brighter every day and hopefully that future is right around the corner. Seeing these talented young prospects on defense gives me some optimism for the future and I hope it gave other Avs fans some as well.
That is not to say that the entire current defense corps should be hauled off to the scrap heap. Certain players are likely to be phased out in coming years and some already have in moves that can only be described as addition via subtraction (adios, Mr. Zanon and the beard you rode in on) but there are a few pieces that bear keeping. Ryan Wilson is not a top pair defenseman but top four is not out of reach by any means and his punishing physical style, coupled with his sense of timing for devastating open ice hits makes him valuable. His willingness and ability to fight are assets and his puck movement skills are improving but the man just can't stay healthy. Erik Johnson is not, at this point, likely to live up to his billing as a first overall pick and he's not even likely to prove worth the price the Avs paid to get him but we're stuck with him and he does bring size and a certain steadying presence to the back end (excepting last year which was a total disaster for him much as it was for the rest of the Avs). Jan Hejda is not perfect by any means but as a bottom 3 physical defenseman he has his uses and he does throw a mean hip check. Those three players could potentially be part of a long term group on defense.
<p>How then do the remaining three spots get filled? Speculation is rampant that the Avs might target Keith Yandle but Coyotes fans (all six of them) are horrified by the idea and most of them believe Keith Yandle is in a Phoenix uniform (or an Arizona one as we must now call it) to stay. Yandle would likely come at a hefty price and while it would be great to see him in an Avs uniform we must assume for now that he is not likely to be in the near future. So who fills the void or rather voids long term? We can assume that players such as Cory Sarich (who is too old) and Matt Hunwick (who is simply not that good) are not part of this team down the road so who is?
<p> Andre Benoit
<p>Avs fans don't know all that much about Andre Benoit except that he was one of many players called up to the Ottawa Senators as injuries decimated the club. He had solid numbers for Ottawa's AHL affiliate, Binghamton (25 points in 34 games) and while his NHL numbers (10 points in 33 games) aren't eye popping they would put him miles ahead of most of the defensemen on the Avs roster last season and he did add 3 points (all assists mind you) in five playoff games. Benoit's size is uninspiring (5'11 and 185 lbs.) and the fact that he is 29 years old is not necessarily a mark in his favor either but he was low cost, obviously brings some offense to the table and is on a one year deal. He will have this year to prove he can bring offensive skill in a fulltime NHL role before either being deemed worthy to be part of the long term solution or being cut loose.
<p>Tyson Barrie
<p>Anyone who watched the Avs last year in the latter half of the season watched Tyson Barrie go through the awful growing pains of a young defenseman in the NHL and slowly start to emerge as the offensive catalyst he had been in junior and his brief stint in the AHL. Barrie will likely be playing full time for the Avs next season and if Patrick Roy has more sense than Joe Sacco (yes, I do believe he does; I do believe my fourteen year old cousin has more sense than Joe Sacco) he will use Barrie in a role his skills are suited for: power play quarterback. Sacco had a nasty habit of using a five forward power play and on those occasions we never got to see Barrie (or Stefan Elliot for that matter) do what they were really good at. Barrie has worked on his hockey sense and is a solid puck mover and though he is short, at roughly 5'10, he weighs in at a stocky 190 lbs. and looks to be a player in the mold of John Michael Liles who can hopefully breathe some life into an Avs power play that was painful to watch at times these last few years.
<p> Stefan Elliot
<p>Elliot and Barrie play very similar styles but for whatever reason Barrie had a much more successful year last year than Elliot, a reversal of fortunes from their 2011-2012 season. Elliot does one thing well that Barrie does not always and that is rush the puck up ice. Elliot seems more willing to jump up into the play of the two (not that Barrie is not willing to do so) and brings a high risk/high reward style of game to the table. One thing that Elliot does very well is get his wrist shot through traffic and on goal and that is how he will get the vast majority of his points in the NHL. Barrie seems like the more intelligent player of the two at the moment but if Elliot can get that wrist shot working and learn to play with more intelligence and not be as intimidated as he was at times the last two season there can be room for both on the roster.
<p>Duncan Siemens
<p>Elliot's defensive partner in junior with the Saskatoon Blades at one point had an up and down season last year. He had the captaincy removed and given to Brendan Walker and his father suffered from a life-threatening illness that forced the young defenseman to miss some time with the Blades and spend time with his ailing father. Siemens played and played well for team WHL in the Subway Super Series but was left off team Canada's World Junior camp roster, a move that confused many and ultimately was shown to be a mistake. Canada had an uncharacteristic lack of punishing blue liners (excepting Scott Harrington) at the WJC and Siemens fits the profile of punishing blue liner to a T. His numbers in the WHL have been solid for a stay at home defenseman (124 points in 258 games played) but it is his physical play, willingness to stand up for his team mates and ability to make life hellish for forwards playing against him in the defensive zone that will carry him to the NHL someday. Siemens is big enough for the role (6'4 and 207 lbs.) and is capable of playing big minutes against the other team's best players. Though his Blades had an ultimately unsuccessful Memorial Cup they had the distinction of being the only team to hold Nate MacKinnon and the rest of Halifax's potent offence in check, handing the Mooseheads their only loss of the tournament. Expect Siemens to start in Lake Erie next year and get some time with the Avs if (read: when) the injury bug bites.
<p>Chris Bigras<p>
The Avs thought that there was no way Chris Bigras would still be available to them when they drafted at number 32 overall and they made no secret of the fact they were thrilled to be able to pick him that late. Bigras is described by scouts as playing an intelligent game, moving the puck up ice with poise, a trait sorely lacking from the Avs at every position but notably on defense last year. Bigras does all things well, though perhaps nothing spectacularly, and is seen as a jack-of-all-trades type. He is not an offensive dynamo by any stretch but his numbers with the Owen Sound Attack last year (38 points in 68 games) were solid. He is not a punishing open ice hitter but will play physical and is not overly large but has room to grow into his 6'1 frame. His chief asset is his ability to think the game and his intelligence will be very useful at the next level. Although he will likely be going back to Owen Sound this year he will probably get a long look at training camp since Patrick Roy is so high on him. Don't be surprised if he makes the Avs sooner than expected after another year in Owen Sound.
<p>Will Butcher
<p>The last defenseman I'll profile today is also perhaps the most intriguing. Not much was known about Will Butcher coming into this years draft but when the Avs announced this pick their scouting staff was grinning from ear to ear. Much like Bigras, they had no idea Butcher would be available to them at that late point of 123rd overall and were thrilled to get him when they did. His numbers with the U.S. National Team Development Program in the USHL were good (13 points in 26 games) and his plus 15 rating was an attractive feature but as with most 5th round picks there was little fanfare in drafting him. He really started to draw attention to himself at the team U.S.A. World Junior camp in Lake Placid this summer, putting up points as he was expected to and playing a solid all around game, solid enough to survive the cuts made at that camp. Although he is likely years away Butcher appears to be a dark horse pick to make the team long term. The Avalanche scouting staff is certainly happy to have him on board.
<p>I hope this has shed some light on some of the defensemen who may be playing for the Avs down the road. Yes, the present looks somewhat bleak on the defensive end of things but the future is looking brighter every day and hopefully that future is right around the corner. Seeing these talented young prospects on defense gives me some optimism for the future and I hope it gave other Avs fans some as well.
maybe Jeff Finger will come back
Message Posted
Lol @ Jeff Finger. I actually missed him when he left Colorado but the price for him was just way too high.