The Avalanche were back on the ice Tuesday after the kind of night in Nashville that forces a team to take a hard look at itself. Jared Bednar did exactly that after practice, speaking plainly about what he’s seeing from his club and offering an unusually candid snapshot of where things stand.
There was plenty packed into that post-practice session, and Bednar didn’t sugarcoat any of it. He had a lot to say about the team’s recent play, and the comments were strong enough that they deserve a full read on their own. Colorado also gave a first glimpse at some lineup changes that are expected tonight.
One other Avalanche storyline is still simmering: Artturi Lehkonen remains without a contract extension. On TSN’s Insider Trading segment, Chris Johnston provided a small update on where those talks stand for the pending unrestricted free agent, who is headed toward the upcoming summer without a deal in place.
Elsewhere around the league, Connor Hellebuyck’s debut in Denver never materialized. Instead, he got into the net for the Devils and turned in a solid road performance in Dallas, in a building he knows well.
In Pittsburgh, there was encouraging news as Ben Kindel returned to practice after a scary medical episode on the team flight two weeks ago.
Montreal kept rolling with another win, and once again young goalie Jacob Fowler was the one stealing the show.
And in Detroit, Todd McLellan found himself back across from Mike Babcock - the first time the two had gone head-to-head in years - and he was clearly glad to have that battle again.
In Other News...
Avalanche May Be Heading Toward A Brent Burns Decision
Brent Burns has settled into a third-pairing role for the Avalanche, but the fit has not looked especially smooth. His recent game showed a negative Wins Above Replacement rating, and the underlying numbers have not helped his case either, with a negative relative expected goals for mark adding to the concern around his impact at even strength.
Still, Colorado does not appear eager to take him out of the lineup, and the reason is bigger than one rough night or even a short stretch of limited ice time. Burns Ironman streak remains a factor the Avalanche have to weigh as they try to sort out their blue-line rotation and manage fatigue, leaving the team with a delicate balancing act every time it sets its pairings. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Forward Shakeup After Ugly Loss Raises A Bigger Lineup Question
After an ugly loss, the Avalanche wasted little time changing up their forward group, and the most notable shift came with Nazem Kadri sliding down to third-line center while Fedor Svechkov was bumped to the fourth line. The move gave Colorado a different look in the middle of the lineup, while Nic Roy also returned to practice and appeared on track to be available for the next game after dealing with an upper-body injury. Roy said he is healthy and was a full participant, which at least gives Jared Bednar another option as he searches for a better blend up front.
The reshuffle speaks to a bigger question the Avalanche have been circling for a while: how to find the right combination through the middle without sacrificing balance elsewhere. Bednar has been willing to tinker after rough nights, and this one felt like a clear sign that nothing is being treated as fixed. With Roy back in the mix and Kadri moved to a different role, Colorado now has to see whether the new alignment can steady a group that needs a cleaner answer soon. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Have A Parker Kelly Problem To Watch
Parker Kelly was one of the more useful surprises in Colorados depth mix last season, when his 21-goal breakout gave the Avalanche an unexpected scoring boost and raised the bar for what he might bring in a full follow-up year. Through 12 games this season, though, the production has been far quieter, with one goal and five points leaving the Avalanche to wonder whether last year was the start of a new level or a peak that may be hard to revisit.
For a team that leans on depth scoring to make the rest of its attack work, Kellys line becomes a small but important watch point. If his output settles back closer to the level he had shown earlier in his career, Colorado loses a layer of offense it was hoping to count on, and that puts a little more pressure on the rest of the supporting cast to pick up the slack. [Read more 🡒]