Ben Meyers’ role in Colorado
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
How will Ben Meyers fit into Colorado’s deep forward group? Colorado Avalanche fans were delighted and disappointed late in April of 2022 as Colorado showcased one of its newly acquired young talents, Ben Meyers, in the season's final five games. They were delighted by his hustle in those five contests. He even scored a goal in his NHL debut. With that, fans were disappointed to find out that he would not and could not make an appearance in the playoff push since he wasn’t on the Avalanche roster before the trade deadline. That will no longer be an issue, but where exactly does Ben Meyers fit into the lineup? Let’s think about it.
First game, first goal. Welcome to the NHL, Ben Meyers! pic.twitter.com/5v4dJiCQ8z— NHL (@NHL) April 17, 2022
The Nazem Kadri Effect
As long as the Avalanche cannot trade away some money and clear space, it looks like Kadri’s time in Denver is over. If Naz doesn’t return and the Avalanche can’t afford a replacement, one of Colorado’s bottom-six forwards will have to move up to the second line. That or Mikko Rantanen will have to move down to the 2C while Lehkonen or Nichushkin move to a top-line winger.
If the Avalanche decides to elevate a forward from the bottom-six, I’d say JT Compher is a more likely candidate than Alex Newhook. Newhook might have a higher ceiling than JT, but Compher is by far the more experienced player and has seen success on the second powerplay unit in the past. That would make Newhook the 3C. Meyers is a talented faceoff winner and hard on the puck; he could be an excellent fourth-line center and penalty killer.
PROJECTED LINEUP WITHOUT KADRI:
Gabe Landeskog - Nathan MacKinnon - Mikko Rantanen
Valeri Nichushkin - J.T. Compher - Artturi Lehkonen
Andrew Cogliano - Alex Newhook - Logan O’Connor
Lukas Sedlak - Ben Meyers - Darren Helm
If Kadri does return, it’s been rumored that either J.T. Compher or Sam Girard’s contract would have to be traded away to make room. I don’t know that Compher’s contract is worth enough to clear the space necessary, so I’d wager it would be Girard if anyone to go. If that happens, Meyers could get some insulated time at wing. It’s a common occurrence, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Meyers as a fourth-line winger. Young centerman can benefit from the lesser role of a winger early on in their career.
PROJECTED LINEUP WITH KADRI:
Gabe Landeskog - Nathan MacKinnon - Mikko Rantanen
Valeri Nichushkin - Nazem Kadri - Artturi Lehkonen
Andrew Cogliano - J.T. Compher - Logan O’Connor
Ben Meyers - Alex Newhook - Darren Helm
I think shedding defensive depth to make way for Nazem Kadri may not be the best idea in the long term, especially since Sam Girard’s contract is very team friendly. The Avalanche has a top-six that is among the best in the NHL, even without Kadri. I’d hope that instead of re-signing Kadri at a premium, the Avalanche save their pennies for the trade deadline and pending MacKinnon contract. I’d argue the Avalanche gets more than enough offensive production from their blue line, namely Cale Makar, to make up for any lost output from the 2C position.
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
After considering the different possibilities, I’d say it would be best to insulate Ben Meyers as a fourth-line winger. Garnering constructive development and experience is paramount early in an NHL career and throwing Ben in at center right away means risking a bit of confidence. I don’t doubt that Meyers has the tools to cope with setbacks or adversity, but there’s no reason to thrust him into a role that could be too much too soon. Either way, Avalanche fans should be excited to see what kind of impact Meyers will have on the team.
GOAL, #GOPHERS! BEN. MEYERS. OVERTIME. WINNER. pic.twitter.com/wZrbg21gEA— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) March 26, 2022
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