MHH Roundtable: Impressions from Avalanche camp Day Two
Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Some rookies are starting to get noticed. As Colorado Avalanche training camp continues for day two we at Mile High Hockey are keeping an eye on the competition and offering our observations.
Any unexpected chemistry budding from the new practice forward lines and defense pairs?
Jess: Not really unexpected chemistry, because he already fit in so well when it came to Colorado at the trade deadline in March, but I was pretty impressed by how well Casey Mittelstadt worked with everyone he played with. I’m really excited to see how he continues to build his play this upcoming season and going forward.
Jackie: Nikolai Kovalenko with Mittlestadt is a realistic regular season pairing and looks good enough to stick at this point. Erik Brannstrom looks like he’s fitting in well even if he doesn’t have a defined partner yet.
Has anyone made an impression thus far with their physical play in camp?
Jess: Honestly, no one person has made a more significant impression on me compared to others, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Everyone that I’ve watched so far, at least in my opinion, has really brought it with their physicality and intensity and they’ve all been able to keep up with one another in my opinion.
Jackie: The second group on Day One had an overall more physical vibe with fewer skill players in the session. It must be something about the afternoons because the skill group had the afternoon session today and ramped up their physicality. Oskar Olausson stood out to me as he laid a couple big hits and really seemed to consciously turn up the heat. It was battle drill day, which is always fun to watch.
Who is your dark horse to make the team?
Jess: This might not be an insanely bold perdiction, but I think Pierre-Édouard Bellemare earns a contract out of camp. I was really impressed by his level of play and whatnot. I don’t think it’s an insanely bold prediction to say that he’ll earn a contract given his play so far in camp, especially if he but since he’s on a PTO and isn’t guarunteed an NHL contract, I’ll throw it out there anyways.
Jackie: Is it a bold prediction at this point to say Sam Malinski won’t get waived? Outside that, I don’t really believe jobs are won in camp as is so widely believed but I’ll say that Ivan Ivan earns himself some games even if he doesn’t make it on the team outright.
Who were your three favorite players from day two?
Jess: In no particular order, my three favorites from day two were Casey Mittelstadt, Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, and Nikolai Kovalenko.
Jackie: Kovalenko was the easy standout from the first session. He had flashes of skill and is a monster in battles. He blocked a shot with his foot in one drill which stung him but still made it his mission to leave an impression. I liked a lot of players in the second session but I’ll shoutout Calum Ritchie who looked a lot more like himself today as he gets comfortable in camp and made a few plays that got the crowd’s attention. Sam Girard was noticeable and played well defensively for his whole session as well. ...
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