T.J. Hughes did not come bursting out of the gate in his NHL debut, and that’s not a reason for Colorado to flinch.
The Avalanche never asked the rookie forward to arrive and instantly play like Nathan MacKinnon. They liked enough of what Hughes showed in the preseason to earn him a spot, and even in an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings, the results were modest: no points and a minus-3. Still, the game offered a few hints about what Colorado thinks he can become.
Now the Avalanche are giving him another crack at it, with Hughes set to face the St. Louis Blues.
That’s the kind of follow-up opportunity a young player needs. Hughes spent most of his first NHL game on the third line, which is a sensible place for a rookie to get his footing.
The box score was rough, but the assignment was bigger than the numbers. Colorado clearly wants to see whether he can handle the pace and keep building from there.
There’s also a lane for him to stick on the power play, where the Avalanche were rolling against Los Angeles. Colorado finished 4-for-5 with the extra man, with Brock Nelson scoring once and Artturi Lehkonen scoring twice. Hughes didn’t get the spotlight there, but he was already placed on the top unit in the preseason and again on opening night, skating with MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Martin Necas and Cale Makar.
That tells you plenty about what the organization sees. They believe he can move the puck, make plays and help the unit flow.
He doesn’t need to score right away. What matters is whether he can keep the puck alive, spot passing lanes and avoid getting swallowed up by NHL penalty killers.
If the power play keeps clicking, there’s no obvious reason for Jared Bednar to move Hughes off it just because the rookie didn’t find the score sheet in his first game.
Colorado’s current injury situation also gives Hughes some breathing room. The Avalanche are carrying only 11 forwards because Logan O'Connor and Zachary L'Heureux are out, and both were day-to-day entering the season. That shortage opened the door for Hughes, and it means he is not headed back to the AHL anytime soon.
He still needs games, though. A couple of practices won’t teach him how fast he has to process the game, where he fits in Colorado’s structure, or what Bednar wants from him without the puck. The Avalanche are letting him learn in real time.
The catch is that the opening won’t stay open forever. Once Colorado gets healthier, the roster squeeze returns, and Hughes will have to show he’s more than a placeholder.
So Saturday is important, just not in a dramatic way. He doesn’t need a breakout.
He doesn’t need to light up the box score. He just needs to look more settled than he did in Game 1.
In Other News...
Avalanche Depth Help Is Getting Closer At Just The Right Time
The Avalanche got a little healthier around the edges at practice, with forwards Zachary LHeureux and Logan OConnor both on the ice and moving closer to a return. Neither will suit up for the next game, but their presence is a useful sign for a team that has been waiting on depth help while both players work back from lower-body injuries, one dating to preseason and the other carrying over from last season.
Colorado will still be short a familiar piece against the Buffalo Sabres, with Bowen Byram out because of a family matter. Even so, the bigger-picture outlook is starting to brighten, and the Avalanche are at least getting within sight of reinforcements that could matter once the lineup starts to thin out over a demanding stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Return To Familiar Tension As Captain Nears A Major Moment
After opening the season with an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings, the Avalanche turn quickly to a familiar Central Division test with the St. Louis Blues in Game 2. Colorado is expected to go back to Mackenzie Blackwood in goal, and the lineup remains without Logan OConnor and Zachary LHeureux as the team tries to keep its early momentum intact while managing the usual early-season turnover.
The bigger focal point is Gabriel Landeskog, who is set to reach his 800th NHL game in this matchup. For the Avalanche, it is another reminder of how much their identity still runs through their captain, even as the season is barely underway and the details around each night continue to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Goalie Plan May Be Taking Shape Fast
The Avalanches goaltending picture is already starting to settle into a familiar-looking pattern, with Mackenzie Blackwood getting the nod in the first two games of the season and Scott Wedgewood right behind him as a proven option. Colorado came into the year with two netminders who are both capable of starting, which gives the team real flexibility, but it also means the early rotation is worth watching closely as the coaching staff sorts out how best to divide the workload.
Blackwood has the longer-term edge because of his contract, while Wedgewood is on the shorter deal and could end up carrying a lighter share after starting last season. For a team trying to balance present competitiveness with roster planning, the arrangement suggests Colorado is not just picking a starter, it is managing two viable options with different timelines in mind. [Read more 🡒]