The Colorado Avalanche have eschewed one big “cutdown day” in favor of a series of smaller alterations to the training camp roster, but the group who will be in Los Angeles for opening night is certainly starting to take shape.
Joel Kiviranta and Brandon Kozun were released from their player-tryout contracts Thursday. Both have been offered a chance to join the Colorado Eagles in the AHL. Jason Polin was also sent to the Eagles, leaving the official camp roster at 33 players.
“It’s just a competitive camp. We’ve got some guys in here that have played well,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “I thought (Kiviranta and Kozun) did a nice job, but we have some other guys who probably played a little better.”
The 33 left might seem like a big number with one exhibition game remaining, but several of those players are injured and will not be a factor for opening night. Gabriel Landeskog and Pavel Francouz are the most recognizable names, but Chris Wagner, Maros Jedlicka, Calum Ritchie, Jean-Luc Foudy and Alex Beaucage will all start the season either with the Eagles or rehabbing an injury.
Just removing those players gets the roster to 26. The final list submitted to the NHL on Monday could have a couple of wrinkles based on two questions:
1. Will the Avs carry 22 or 23 players? They have the necessary cap space with Landeskog (and likely Francouz) starting the season on long-term injured reserve to keep the max number of 23.
2. Will Andrew Cogliano be ready for opening night? A couple of other projected regulars — Mikko Rantanen and Josh Manson — have been slowed in recent days by injuries, but Bednar said he expects both for the Kings. He was less certain about Cogliano, who is coming back from two neck fractures sustained in the Seattle playoff series.
There are essentially 11 forwards, six defensemen and one goalie who are a lock to make the roster, if healthy. The second goalie could be Justus Annunen, who has played about as well as he can to make his case, or someone off the wire in the next few days when teams try to slide their No. 3 goalie through waivers.
Kurtis MacDermid also looks safe as an extra player. He’s split time between forward and defense in the past, but Bednar wants him solely at forward this year. That leaves:
• No. 4 center, which could be Fredrik Olofsson or Ben Meyers, with the former looking like a safe bet.
• Either one or two extras besides MacDermid. If Olofsson is the 4C, another extra forward looks like a decision between Meyers or Riley Tufte, who has three goals and generally has impressed in camp.
Bednar said in an ideal world he’d love to carry eight defensemen, but that doesn’t appear likely. Whether or not the final spot goes to a seventh defenseman is a big decision. The last three guys in camp who could be battling for that spot are Brad Hunt, Sam Malinski and Jack Ahcan.
If Cogliano isn’t ready for opening night, he could just be an extra for the first game or two, but if he needs a week or more he could go on injured reserve and that would open another spot.
Regardless of the final 23 (or 22) players after training camp, there will be more players needed as injuries or slumps occur. The group of players who will be in the mix for callups is one area Bednar seems pleased with.
He has praised several players who are already down with the Eagles, including forwards Oskar Olausson and Ondrej Pavel and defenseman Nate Clurman. They’ll battle with the guys who don’t make the final Avs roster to be first in the queue for a recall when the need arises.
“I think the depth options we have right now are as good as we have had here,” Bednar said.
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