MHH Roundtable: Impressions from Avalanche camp Day One
Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
MacKinnon was an expected standout as well as a few others. Training camp for the Colorado Avalanche in preparation for the 2024-25 season is upon us and Mile High Hockey was there to witness the action first hand. Here are our thoughts and observations from Day One.
Who were you most excited to watch at training camp?
Adrian: I am most excited to watch two players at camp this season for drastically different reasons. I’m excited to watch Callum Ritchie debut in the preseason and hopefully on opening night. I’m just as happy to see the seemingly inevitable return of Gabe Landeskog as it should provide a huge moral boost for the Avalanche this season.
Jackie: Top prospect Ritchie of course will be of interest throughout camp and the preseason but I expect his impact will grow over time. The one player I was keying in on in the first day of practices was Nikolai Kovalenko in his first North American pro camp.
Evan: I was going to be interested in seeing how much Gabriel Landeskog was involved, but it seems as though he will not be on the ice. Therefore, my interest lies with Ritchie, but also with Sean Behrens.
Which NHL veteran surprised you the most?
Evan: It might not be much of a surprise, but Nathan MacKinnon continues to show his prowess and seemingly finds ways just to get an edge. While it’s only day one of camp, if he continues to show his dominance off the back of a dominant season last year, look out.
Ryan: This may be an unpopular opinion, but during the initial goalie drills, Alexandar Georgiev seemed to have an increased sense of urgency while taking shots from Dan Hinote and the other Avalanche coaches. I thought he came out with something to prove. His cross crease reaction time and speed were an improvement. Toward the end of the drill, Georgiev did allow a five-hole goal and he was none too pleased with himself. Moments later, before Georgiev had gathered himself together, another puck snuck past him on the glove side. However, he finished with an assortment of saves. Overall, I was impressed and he’s definitely been training hard this offseason. Should he perform this season, a contract extension could be on the horizon.
Jackie: Jonathan Drouin looked like he’s been on the top line for years, not that I expected he wouldn’t look more comfortable and confident in his second Avalanche camp. But to witness his ascension in real time on the ice was nice to see. Shoutout to TJ Tynan who tried to cherry pick for a breakaway and even put his stick up in the air to call for a pass during a camp drill. When you have an identity you gotta stick to it.
What is your impression of how Jared Bednar runs camp?
Evan: All hail the Bednar board! It certainly was interesting to see no fitness testing on day one, which was a surprise for a team with lots of holes and open positions for a variety of players to snatch up. Fitness is just part of it, alongside their play style, and more.
Jackie: Each year the drills feel familiar as Bednar goes over implementing his system. I liked one drill that utilized a defending forward against a full line and really showed the tenacity Bednar likes to see (Nikolai Kovalenko was a master at this). Some drills seem pretty complicated with up to eight players on the ice and it’s tough for the new players to get fully comfortable with them, however. One surprise was no fitness test (bag skate) but I have a feeling it’s still coming.
Who were your top three players of day one?
Evan: Nathan MacKinnon continues to be Nathan MacKinnon, and it showed even with his first shot of training camp finding the top corner over Alexandar Georgiev. Shoutout to Sean Behrens as well, who seemingly looked good in his first NHL training camp. Finally, we got a sniff of what Erik Brannstrom has to offer with his skating ability on day one, and hopefully more to come.
Ryan: The usual suspects. Nathan MacKinnon was elite as we expected. We also saw him work well with Jonathan Drouin and Mikko Rantanen, who is coming off back-to-back 100-point seasons. A dark horse I’d say was Logan O’Connor, who underwent season-ending hip surgery in March. According to reports, O’Connor has been skating since June and arrived to camp in tremendous shape. He should be ready to go.
Jackie: MacKinnon showed the most flash and that he’s ready to defend his MVP title. Of the rookies Ivan Ivan displayed both hustle and tenacity but some finishing skill and executed most of the drills as required, he had a good day. I liked Kovalenko as well who seemed to fit in well with his brand of intensity and showed his ability to play through traffic in some jumbled up drills. ...
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