Frei: Erik Johnson comfortable in different role with Avs (+)

Only two Avalanche players have been in the lineup for all 60 games this season. One is winger Logan O’Connor, still somewhat of a surprise in the sense he has turned out to be a better NHL player than he was on a loaded team at the University of Denver. The other is veteran Erik Johnson, who was able to suit up for only four games last season because of concussion problems.

Going into this season, it wasn’t at all out of line or demeaning to wonder how strong the 33-year-old defenseman’s comeback would be — and in what role he would serve.