In moves that seemed to indicate a bent toward combativeness and away from speed, the Avalanche on Tuesday cut center T.J. Hensick and wingers Per Ledin and Brian Willsie, setting the team’s opening-night 23-man roster.
The three players were reassigned to Lake Erie of the AHL.
Instead, the Avs kept on board forwards Cody McCormick and Cody McLeod and enforcer Scott Parker, all players considered on the bubble during the preseason.
McCormick, McLeod and Parker each ranked near the bottom of Avs scorers last season but near the top in penalty minutes. The trio combined for 13 points last season and 240 penalty minutes. They could end up on the fourth line together, with McCormick at center.
Colorado hosts the Boston Bruins at the Pepsi Center on Thursday in the season opener at 8 p.m.
Hensick, 22, played in 31 games last season for the Avs, netting six goals and 11 points. The 30-year-old Willsie, an Avs’ 1996 draft pick, signed as a free agent in the offseason. He has 89 points in the past four seasons, with Washington and Los Angeles.
Ledin, 30, also signed with the Avs in the offseason. He played last season in the Swedish Elite League, where he was known as an agitator.
Avalanche roster
The 2008-09 opening-night roster:
Forwards
No. Player Ht. Wt.
39 Tyler Arnason 5-11 204
28 Ben Guite 6-1 211
23 Milan Hejduk 6-0 190
54 David Jones 6-2 210
14 Ian Laperriere 6-1 200
11 Cody McCormick 6-3 215
55 Cody McLeod 6-2 210
27 Scott Parker 6-5 240
19 Joe Sakic 5-11 195
94 Ryan Smyth 6-1 190
26 Paul Stastny 6-0 205
40 Marek Svatos 5-10 185
16 Darcy Tucker 5-10 178
8 Wojtek Wolski 6-3 210
Defensemen
5 Brett Clark 6-0 195
52 Adam Foote 6-2 220
22 Scott Hannan 6-1 225
44 Jordan Leopold 6-1 200
4 John-Michael Liles 5-10 185
24 Ruslan Salei 6-1 212
29 Daniel Tjarnqvist 6-1 207
Goaltenders
31 Peter Budaj 6-1 200
1 Andrew Raycroft 6-0 185
Captain — Joe Sakic; Assistant captains — Laperriere, Foote
Coach — Tony Granato
