Evan Rawal
When it comes to the NHL preseason, the goal for young players is pretty simple – live to fight another day. That’s what two young Colorado Avalanche forwards have managed to do after one preseason game.
Maros Jedlicka, Colorado’s 7th round pick this past June, and Ivan Ivan, who is signed to an AHL contract, made their preseason debuts on Monday night. Under normal circumstances, both would have probably been a part of the team’s initial cut list. Neither were, simply because of their strong play against Vegas.
“For my expectations, young kids coming in, I thought those guys were outstanding,” Jared Bednar said of Jedlicka and Ivan.
He’s not wrong. I went back and watched their shifts, and they were impressive. Jedlicka really stood out on the forecheck, while Ivan’s defensive stick-work and IQ were on display. There was nothing really flashy from either player, but it’s the type of stuff coaches really take notice of when they go back and watch the games.
But don’t just take my word for it. Take a look for yourselves.
Here’s the first clip showcasing Ivan’s stick-work defensively, and Jedlicka gets in on the action as well. Ivan’s initial shot is stopped, but both young forwards pursue the puck. Ivan’s stick knocks it away from the Vegas forward, and at the same time, he uses his body to take the opposing player out of the play. He recovers the puck, gains the zone with some speed, and despite being outnumbered, is able to curl up and delay for some help, which leads to a decent shot on net.
This is a quick clip against an NHL player for Ivan, and also showcases how the staff used him in all situations. The puck gets deflected to William Carrier, but Ivan lifts his stick just a bit, and wins the battle to clear the puck.
The second powerplay unit didn’t get much time on Monday, but a nice zone entry here from Ivan, carrying the puck into the zone with speed to help the powerplay set up.
Good work here by both young forwards. Ivan skates the puck through the neutral zone, and rather than try to dance by the Vegas defender, he understands he’s going to be stopped and chips it down low. From there, the puck finds its way to Jedlicka, who does a tremendous job of using his size to protect the puck against multiple defenders. It’s even more impressive when you realize he’s keeping the puck away from a good NHL center in Nic Roy. After carrying it up the wall, he catches one of the Vegas forwards sleeping, and hits the Avalanche defenseman on the backdoor for a really good look.
Some nice give-and-go work by Ivan and Spencer Smallman (who also had a good game). Ivan cycles it down low to Smallman, and manages to find a dead-zone of the defense. Smallman does a good job hitting him with the pass, and Ivan gets a good look at the net.
This is a pretty short clip, but a small play like this can make a pretty big difference inside of a game. After the Avalanche lose the neutral zone face-off, Jedlicka immediately attacks the Vegas defenseman, and uses his reach to his advantage. He takes away all the time and space of the defender, and deflects his pass out of play. The end result? An offensive zone face-off for the Avalanche.
I just love the composure here by Ivan. With multiple Vegas defenders around him in the neutral zone, he doesn’t panic. He could have just dumped the puck in and turned it into a 50/50 battle. Instead, he stays calm, and makes a bounce pass off the boards to Smallman, creating a mini-rush and a good look for the Avalanche.
The duo really goes to work here on the forecheck, helping protect the lead for the Avalanche. First, it’s Ivan, who uses his stick to disrupt the zone exit. When that Vegas defender gets help, it’s Jedlicka’s turn, and his quick stick creates a turnover. With hard work and smart sticks, the two forwards didn’t allow Vegas to break out of their own zone.
And finally, more great work by both of them. Jedlicka hounds both Vegas defensemen into making a low percentage play up the boards. Ivan uses his stick to take it away in the neutral zone, and dumps it back in, but doesn’t get it deep. That’s okay, though, because Jedlicka is able to deflect the puck away from Vegas, getting it back to the Avalanche defenders before heading to the bench.
There were no high-octane plays from either forward, but a lot of really great work from both of them that appears to have been enough for them to earn another look in the preseason. Will either of them make the team? No, but this is exactly what you have to do in the preseason to get noticed. Both of them look well on their way to earning entry-level deals with the organization.