Deen’s Daily: EJ Retires, Praised by Former Teammates; Preseason Loss; Oilers Get a Goalie

The Avalanche suffered their first preseason loss. Before the game, one of their most loved teammates announced his retirement. Also, the Oilers finally added a goalie and it could be a sneaky good addition.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — October 2.

Colorado Hockey Now

The Avalanche sent an NHL-heavy lineup to Vegas, resting only Ross Colton and Josh Manson from their regulars. Gabe Landeskog got the games first goal in the first period but the Golden Knights scored twice in the third to come away with a 2-1 victory over Colorado.

Gavin Brindley and Zakhar Bardakov were the two guys, again, that I kept the closest eye on. And they both impressed me. I do not doubt that they’ll both be on the opening night roster, but I still wonder what they decide to do with Brindley.

If he plays a few games in place of Joel Kiviranta, I’m not sure if he’s best suited for the fourth line. But if he’s on the third line, you’re either demoting Victor Olofsson or Colton. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.

As for Bardakov? He’s the 4C. I love how he’s adapted to the NHL game and it seems like he’s got a willingness to learn quickly.

READ MORE: Avalanche Make 5 More Cuts. How Many More Are Needed Before Opening Night?

Erik Johnson announced his retirement on Wednesday. I would’ve loved to see him return for one more year but once that didn’t make sense, it felt like this was the best choice for EJ.

I’ll always be thankful for all the time he gave me over the last six years. Even when he was with the road team, he still loved to talk hockey with Avs media. I’m glad he was able to play his last game with Colorado.

He impacted everyone around him. Here’s what Nathan MacKinnon, Landeskog, and head coach Jared Bednar had to say about the Condor.

READ MORE: How Erik Johnson Made an Impact on the Avalanche

Here’s the third part of the September mailbag here at CHN. Are the Avs a legit Stanley Cup contender this season?

READ MORE: Avalanche Mailbag: Are the Avalanche True Stanley Cup Contenders?

Around The NHL

Connor Ingram: The Edmonton Oilers acquired goalie Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth with salary retention, for future considerations. This always made the most sense after it was announced that Ingram and the Mammoth wanted to part ways.

Ingram will count for $1.15 million against Edmonton’s cap, which is completely off the books when he’s in the AHL. He’ll start in Bakersfield and likely work his way back to the NHL level. I think this could end up being a sneaky good pickup for a team that just needs average or slightly above average goaltending to get to where they want to go.

New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils recently signed Luke Hughes to a long-term deal carrying a $9 million AAV. There are ramifications on the roster in the near and far future with a deal like this. I’m curious, what does this mean for the future of Dougie Hamilton? I’m just thinking out loud, but he would make a ton of sense for the Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit Hockey Now: JVR finally joined the Red Wings after taking time off to attend to a personal family matter.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Who rose, and who fell in the latest Penguins preseason game?

Montreal Hockey Now: Two Sens players were fined after that crazy fight-filled game against Montreal on Tuesday.