Next Wave Of Avalanche Players Earning Valuable Experience This Postseason (+)

When the Colorado Eagles saw their AHL season end, the Avalanche called up 11 players to join their roster. That’s standard operating procedure at this time of the year, as the NHL squad typically wants as many extras as possible, just in case something catastrophic happens.

Not all 11 of those players have found their way into the NHL locker room, though. That honor was only bestowed upon five players. The rest? They’re up in Loveland, keeping themselves ready just in case their services are ever needed.

To my eye, there’s a distinct difference in the group the Avalanche have selected this year to practice (and occasionally play) with the NHL squad. Maybe it’s different this season because they actually have a few guys potentially on the cusp of graduating to the big leagues, but this group feels a lot more…youthful, at least compared to past seasons.

Those five players are not with the team just because the organization wants them to gain experience. They got the call because they’ve earned it.

“Regardless of age, those guys are here because we feel like those guys are the next available guys that can come in and help us,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said on Tuesday.

Sure, you’ve got Chris Wagner, the veteran who played Game One against Dallas and filled in admirably. Then you’ve got Ivan Prosvetov, who spent a large portion of the season with the Avalanche. He’s rumored to be heading back to the KHL next season, so he may not have much of a future in Colorado. It’s the other three that all have a decent chance at playing for the Avalanche next season and sticking around in the short term.

Nikolai Kovalenko, Jean-Luc Foudy, and Sam Malinski have spent the last few weeks with the NHL squad, practicing with them and in the case of Kovalenko, even getting into a few playoff games. If I had to venture a guess, I’d bet on at least two of them (Kovalenko and Malinski) starting next season with the Avalanche.

Will any of them actually manage to get into another game this postseason? That seems unlikely, but the experience they’re gaining heading into training camp next year could give them a leg up on the competition, especially when it comes to the 24 year old Russian.

“It helps. I think there’s no question, especially a guy like Kovy who hasn’t been around,” Bednar said. “He gets to know the team. He’s in the meetings. He gets some work with Toby (Petersen), build relationships with our guys, with the coaches, all that deal. I think all that helps, especially when you’re talking about feeling comfortable and coming in to try to make an impact in training camp. I think that’s really important.”

Sam Malinski isn’t exactly a young buck. By the time next season begins, he’ll be 26. He’s as ready as he’ll ever be, and I’d argue he probably should have been slotted into the lineup in Game Four in the absence of Devon Toews. The team has a pretty good idea of who he is, and liked what they saw during his 23 NHL games this season. Jean-Luc Foudy is an interesting case, though.

Foudy, who just turned 22 a few days ago, had a nice stint with the Avalanche last season. However, the end of his AHL season didn’t go the way he had planned. He missed most of March due to a mysterious injury, returned a little bit in April, but was unable to play in the postseason. That same injury cut into his entire summer and even this season, as he didn’t get back into the lineup until January.

That’s valuable time lost for a young player, but when he did get back, he made the most of it, earning a call-up and impressing the staff. Back on March 7, he scored his first career NHL goal. His coach hasn’t forgotten about those four games he played for the Avalanche this season.

“I think Foudy played some really good games for us this year,” Bednar said.

Foudy is the youngest of the bunch, and won’t have to pass through waivers next season. If all goes according to plan, he’ll play a role on the Avalanche next season.

“These are the guys that are knocking on the door to be able to come in and play for us,” Bednar said.

If Colorado has learned anything from the Stars this postseason, it’s that you need some talented young players to come in to complement the veterans. None of these guys, on paper, look like a Wyatt Johnston or a Logan Stankoven, but you don’t know until you give them a real shot.

That’s something the Avalanche might need to commit to.